If you were King or Queen of the Earth,for say at least a year and had absolute power-what would you change,automotive or otherwise? (The list can be as long as you like)-Kevin
Where to start?!
There are so many catagories–world peace, trouble free economy, cars and trucks which function perfectly every time despite their age or relative terribleness…
I’ll have to think about this one. Great discussion!
I would have the CEL system removed from every vehicle and gut the power of the EPA. I would also ban the production of ethanol. World peace for sure and I would force Congress to stay in session until they balanced the budget.
Immediately bequeathing everything to the meek and poor to then enjoy watching the pompous scrambling to get it all back.
As Supreme/Dear leader/25-star General Major Webelo of Earth. I decree the following:
Automotive
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Lane discipline would be much more rigorously enforced
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In order to get a license you must be able to drive a car with a manual transmission competently (exceptions given for medical reasons)
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Stiffer penalties for DUI/DWI
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At least two more road course dates on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule
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People trying to tow a really heavy load with a really small vehicle on public roads will be dealt with harshly. It’s insanely rude to everyone else using the road to be stuck behind your 1.2L diesel hatchback while you’re trying to tow a 4 ton trailer behind it. I’m looking at you Britain.
General
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Filling up your water bottle at the water cooler will have severe repercussions. Having to wait a half hour for the water to get cold again because some jackass felt the need to fill up his/her 32 ounce water bottle is one of my pet peeves.
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Use of your cell phone or carrying on a conversation the movie theater is forbidden
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Mandated political correctness is gone
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The BCS is eradicated in favor of a proper tournament.
I’d change my term as King. I’d make it a permanent position.
Ban ethanol production in the US except from sugarcane. Encourage natural gas as a boiler fuel fpor power production.
Ban drive-through restaurants; to much idling and CO2.
Eliminate CAFE
Eliminate toll roads
Raise gas taxes to the point needed to pay for all road construction and maintenance, including the huge backlog of deferred work, use a 10 year window to get caught up.
force politicians to get paid only minimum wage, no incentives(free flights, hotel rooms, company cars, etc), and be forced into “Obamacare”.
Make an 11th commandment; Thou shalt not mess with another man’s car
Kill the hippies
Mandatory written and physical driving tests every year or two for any and all drivers, regardless of age, to retain their driver’s license.
Make prisons a punishment, not a place to live; bring chain gangs back, all work done will be calculated and used to pay for any service needed, such as dental work, medical care, etc. You don’t work, you don’t get care.
If you have another child just so you can stay on welfare, or abuse the system in anyway, you will be forced to get your tubes tied/vasectomy and blackballed from any assistance program. You will also be forced to pay any and all money you received back, plus 500% interest.
Mandatory gun safety/information classes for everyone. You don’t have to own one, but the classes should help remove the stigma about guns in general.
On your 3rd DUI, you lose any and all driving privileges and are allowed to be “Rodney King”'d
Well bscar,having recently spent some time in VAs DOC system,I can assure you the free ride has been over for quite awhile in VAs prison system(its a good place to lose weight ,the food is horrible) and the prisoners have to pay a copay on services rendered(medical,dental,etc; and if a relative dies the convict has to pay for the transportation and salaries for 2 guards to accompany and so on,no place to be,worst of all is total lack of privacy.But I digress,BCar some of your ideas have merit,the chain gang a a little reconsideration in certain circumstances and in all cases the offenders should have to face the people they have wronged and so on,your last sentence will get little argument from most Folks.
OK guys here goes(pet peeves and stuff I would love to change)
1…do away with pesky battery sizes(3A for example)
2.Empty the Prisons of non-violent offenders(and make them actually make some restitution to Folks they have harmed.
3. Legalize Pot(you wouldnt believe how many people are in prison for Marijauna offenses.
4.Form a Panel to eliminate superflous laws(less laws =less crime)
5.Build highways and infrastructure to a higher standard.
6.Call some standards on certain things,good enough
And so on,believe me we are just scratching the surface,throw in a little humor if you wish,Thanks-Kevin
Don’t forget, bscar, eliminate the minimum wage, privatize social security, close the IRS and levy a 30% sales tax. Then the 1% can move into their privately guarded enclaves and leave the rest to live in the de-facto townships that will develop.
Run off elections and public financing only. Then, we would have at least a fighting chance of getting the best people in office. Also, attach a shocking apparatus to everyone running for public office that activates when they lie. Of course the first year there might be an electricity shortage in November.
Phew, you folks are really hard nose.
I’d make it a misdemeanor instead of a felony to shoot a BB gun in town. On 2nd thought, I wouldn’t classify a BB gun as a firearm at all. Then I’d make it a misdemeanor to shoot rodents and rabbits and such with an actual firearm in town, as long as you didn’t hit the neighbor or wake him up.
Then I’d de-classify lawn mowers, golf carts, horses, and motorized easy chairs, as vehicles and let the poor guys drive them home from the bars without punishment-as long as they didn’t run into anybody. Veterans with a flag on their vehicles could be given a police escort home and helped into bed.
Thirdly, there would be no hats on backwards (UPDATE: Except welding and jet skiing), and hats off the minute you get inside a building (just like the Army). Eating at a restaurant with a hat or cap on would be felonies. My mother taught me that only Bohemians eat with their caps on and I’ve noticed the population growing.
After all that, I guess I would expect everyone to drive sitting behind the wheel instead of leaning to the center of the car listening to the boom box or something. Maybe its a gang thing or something where its harder to shoot someone sitting in the middle but still . . . Of course gangs are gone and probably the NFL and a couple other la dee da organizations.
After my vacation. CEOs would be limited in salary to 20 times their lowest paid employee, just like the old days instead of 400 times. And the only ones that could make more than a high school teacher would be an MD. (Kinda like Minnesota where MDs are the only state workers that can make more than the Governor. Of course Governors are a dime a dozen and MDs are rare.)
I’d do nothing until January. Then the Sun would set on the Bush tax cuts and the Federal budget would be cut automatically and across the board by 10%. It’s about time you peons start paying for the services you get.
No hats on backwards ? What do we do on windy days jet skiing ? Cruel ! Now that I’m retired from teaching and my taxes are paying teacher salaries, I take a different view. Being old and a hypocrite is a right of passage.
My laundry list would be a long one. First off would be building a no-frills prison in a desolate part of the country; say the far western OK Panhandle.
This would be for politicians and bureaucrats only with a mandatory sentence being enforced along with the inability to ever serve in a public office or work for any public entity ever again.
Standards for conviction would be extremely low with no appeals.
Next would be clamping down on foundations and charities. The use of the phrase “giving back” while flogging the tax code and padding salaries/expense accounts just about makes me upchuck every time I hear it
I would have the CEL system removed from every vehicle and gut the power of the EPA. I would also ban the production of ethanol.
Carrie Nation, is that you?
Let’s see:
- In the event of the US entering a war (or “miltary action” or whatever B.S. we call it now), there would be a mandatory draft of dependents (i.e. children) of all government officials, with those officials voting for war having first priority. Ought to keep us out of a lot of stupid conflicts.
2(a). Cannabis would be legalized, as would any drug without proven addictive potential.
2(b). Drugs with addictive potential would be doled out on a daily basis, in government facilities that resemble the “old-school” DMV in terms of waiting, efficiency, etc. This would both deny criminals a source of revenue, and destroy the “cool factor” of drugs (as how cool can it be to have to hang out in the DMV 2 hours a day?)
- “Sin taxes” on tobacco and alcohol are ethically repugnant both in that they are “regressive” (i.e. paid disproportionately by the poor) and constitue profiting on others’ addictions (granting the states/feds the same moral high ground as a dealer). Thus, I would immediately outlaw any “sin tax” higher than ordinary sales tax, and grant absolute amnesty to past bootlegers, etc.
This presidential election is costing about $1 BILLION! Most foreign countries’ governments cannot imagine where the money goes, or comes from for that matter. Canada’s last election cost $300 million for 340+ seats and the leader. But that’s including the election of the whole government, all the representatives as well as the leader (prime minister). The Senate is appointed, so no elections.
Canada has a limit on how much you can contribute to the party of your choice. I believe it’s $1000 per person and about $5000 per company. That’s all that’s tax decductible. Anything more is ILLEGAL! The US should make no contributions deductible, and put a limit on each person or company or institution. The networks won’t like it but it will make for a more meaningfull and transparent election.
I’d buy a car collection, at taxpayer expense, that would rival the Sultan of Brunei’s collection.
I would nationalize Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca and use it to enjoy my new collection.
Pave 2 additional lanes at every drag track and extend them 1000 feet to accommodate the great speed of current and future nitromethane powered top fuel racers and funny cars. Any public roads that interfere with this fiat will be rerouted.
@meanjoe75fan Here, here. I’ve never used or even been with anyone using but seems to me adults should be treated as adults and we could free up billions in law enforcement and prison space. Some day I’ll find out who is behind this whole war on drugs-law enforcement, distillers, consultants, who? Someone is making a lot of money on it.