The Rabid Grammarian

I love hearing President Obama speak. He's an amazing orator and the State of The Union address is usually one of his shining moments. I have a love-hate relationship watching the address because while my heart is swelled with pride and patriotism I always feel like I've been wined and dined and never get my call for a second date. It's not President Obama's fault. The SoTUA is supposed to talk big ideas and give you hope. Then the realization sinks in of all the little things I want to see changed were left unaddressed and that all the wonderful ideas that were posited will probably never come to light because we have an overwhelmingly obstructionist Congress.
I was very pleased that so much of the address focused on education. It's a good start and I can only hope that these efforts will snowball into greater efforts that bring our educational system out of the morass that it has been in for more than a generation.
As I said, I'm always disappointed about things left unaddressed, so I will list them here. This list will serve as a political bucket list for me. I will use this list to call my Congressmen, the President and chairs of various committees. Every day, yes every day, I plan to call about a new issue. Squeaky wheels get the grease. As I get my research done (whom to call, for each issue) I'll post it here in case anyone wants to join me in my endeavor. I'm listing things that weren't referenced in the SoTUA last night.

Here's a list, in no particular order, and very roughly written out:

1. Reinstate the Glass-Steagall act (I loved you Bubba, but repealing this was a shitty move.)
2. Overturn Citizens United
3. Repeal DOMA & support marriage equality
4. Ask for Federal support for the Edible Schoolyard Project
5. Ask for a Federal bill preventing the advertising to children under the age of 12 (similar to the EU)
6. Reinstate OSHA's power to investigate workplace injuries without prior notification to companies and reinstate the workplace injury form to report musculoskeletal injuries/disorders.
7. Ask for a Federal bill giving the USDA authority to test for dangerous pathogens, to set enforceable limits on those pathogens and to demand (rather than request) the recall of contaminated food. (Thank you to the book Fast Food Nation for this suggestion.)
8. Ask for a federal bill requiring the labeling of Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs)
9. Allow the EPA to have the power to sanction, fine and shut down violators of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, etc. Basically, give the EPA some teeth.
10. Ask for the FDA to do their own testing of pharmaceuticals (and natural remedies) to determine the safety of drugs before FDA approval rather than allowing Big Pharma to conduct their own tests and tell the FDA drugs are safe.
11. Overhaul the federal small business loan system to support independent businesses, rather than funding franchisees of the fast food industry that have a high default rate.
12. Ask for a Federal bill for a livable minimum wage for restaurant workers (including fast food) or include/better support restaurant workers in the Federal minimum wage hike proposed last night. Also: add paid leave for all workers.
13. Ask for a Federal bill providing 40 weeks of paid parental leave, bringing us into the realm of other industrialized nations (currently our parental leave policies mimic those of Papua New Guinea and Swaziland rather than those of Britain, France or Sweden. Even Afghanistan gives more maternity leave than the US.)
14. Ask for a Federal bill subsidizing 100% higher education similar to other industrialized nations.  I really wish I could remember where I read about this. In other nations they subsidize college (4 year degree) 100% and possibly a portion of medical degrees. It ends up costing each person about $9000.00 on their taxes over their adult lifetime to do this. Most college graduates in the US graduate with high student debt. I, myself have a debt that currently (not counting my impending graduate school costs) will cost me more than three times what I originally borrowed. I'd much rather pay $9000.00 in taxes than have to pay $72,000 over the rest of my lifetime.

There are so many other things I'd like to change, and these ideas need to be polished up just a bit and researched before I can start making my calls (after all, I want to present coherent and cogent arguments not inane ramblings-that's what blogs are for, right?) I want the Federal Government to regulate big Agribusiness and support independent and organic farmers. I want serious educational funding and reform. I want higher taxes for millionaires and more money spent on infrastructure. I want the government to stop subsidizing big business. I want socialized health care. I want these and a lot more. I'd be a terrible Buddhist.