732 results found

1. Protect more Americans from identity theft

   Protect more Americans from identity theft by requiring Big Credit to provide citizens with the option to completely restrict access to their credit score similar to how victims of identity theft are allowed to do today. Except don't offer the restricted access AFTER they have been made victims but allow people the chance to restrict access BEFORE they are victims. Currently a victim of identity theft has to prove they were a victim with a police report or something similar. Why not give everyone the chance to protect themselves from the start? Contrary to companies that say people want instant access to their credit to extend it, I don't need instant access to my credit score to get mortgages, car loans, and credit cards. While some people do want that instant access, there are those that do not. In my life I've applied for 1 mortgage, 3 car loans, 1 credit card, and 2 mobile phones. I don't need instant access to my own credit and I know for a fact that other companies do not need it either. If someone wants to have their credit score open to all, then they should be allowed to do that. But if someone doesn't want ANYONE to get access to it, they should be able to restrict access to it as well.

   Protect more Americans from identity theft by requiring Big Credit to provide citizens with the option to completely restrict access to their credit score similar to how victims of identity theft are allowed to do today. Except don't offer the restricted access AFTER they have been made victims but allow people the chance to restrict access BEFORE they are victims. Currently a victim of identity theft has to prove they were a victim with a police report or something similar. Why not give everyone the chance to protect themselves from the start? Contrary to companies that say people want instant… more

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2. Make sure we track spending when we send stimulus checks.

   The government sent tons of money to people in the form of tax rebate checks, yet we couldn't track how they spent it. (We could only guess based on changes in economic indicators.)
   The government needs to think this through and leverage technology (Paypal or the like) to do this properly.

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3. A plan to end the war in Iraq within months

   In a nutshell, it's about running a big media campaign in Iraq to show good willed intentions, win hearts and gain trust.

   I imagine Obama speeches addressing the so called terrorists, explaining that Iraq needs them. I imagine speeches telling that for US troops to leave, order must be restored, that the damage has to be undone and that we need to work together. I imagine president Obama talking common sense, appeasing hurts, asking for reconstruction and cooperation in a movement of hands joined together. I see him as a bridge builder and therefore I imagined him building bridges as a means to end the war too.

   Just like the presidential campaign, it should be viral, pushing the traditional media aside and reaching the audiences directly, ignoring the commentators, analyzers and demagoguery, simply focused on getting the message across. Addressing the opponents of the current Iraqi government, it should be viewable by anyone. It could go as far as proposing a pardon to those still roaming free who have committed acts of terrorism in Iraq (not elsewhere!), for in the greater balance of things, pardon is a small concession when compared to preventing more deaths, destruction of lives and the achievement of peace and prosperity for a nation that has known so much suffering.

   One of the big advantages of this strategy is that it allows all sides to keep face. There would be no real loser and everyone would be a winner. An option would be to let the 'rebels' in on it before the broadcasts began, so that they would be accomplices to the campaign. You could organize a grassroots campaign too. And I bet the folks who worked on the presidential campaign could come up with new and improved ideas as well.

   Another big advantage is that you undermine hate speech against the US. It's hard to rally people for war and rebellion if the opponent is genuinely asking you to work together by appealing to your common sense in an honest and open manner. On one hand you would have a leader of Iraqi rebellion screaming for murder and on the other you would have the US asking for peace; even for a kid, the choice is not very difficult to make.

   I think this idea deserves a shot at being considered by the administration. I realize it could be considered naive but that shouldn't be an excuse to dismiss it right away. A lot of great thoughts were once considered naive too and besides, the new president has repeated his stance on cynicism several times, something for which I applaud him.

   In conclusion, share the message and purpose of hope and change that we have heard so much about. Use president Obama's charismatic and rhetorical speeches to gain hearts, gain momentum and end a war that’s been going on longer than previous world wars.

   In a nutshell, it's about running a big media campaign in Iraq to show good willed intentions, win hearts and gain trust.

   I imagine Obama speeches addressing the so called terrorists, explaining that Iraq needs them. I imagine speeches telling that for US troops to leave, order must be restored, that the damage has to be undone and that we need to work together. I imagine president Obama talking common sense, appeasing hurts, asking for reconstruction and cooperation in a movement of hands joined together. I see him as a bridge builder and therefore I imagined him building bridges as… more

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4. SOMEONE SHOULD ACTUALLY ANSWER MESSAGES ON CHANGE.COM
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5. Drive a transition to sustainable energy technologies

   The U.S. currently derives about 83% of its energy from fossil fuels. The cost of energy is subsidized with tax dollars, with the majority going to fossil fuels. With sensible government policies and funding, renewable and sustainable energy sources, most notably wind and solar, could dominate the U.S. energy market by 2030, greatly reducing American's carbon footprint and alleviating the cost impacts of declining fossil fuel reserves. With no fuel costs to contend with, the main driver for sustainable energy costs is capital investment. With technologies still young, companies not fully capitalized and markets small, significant returns on investment are not expected for years. This is a significant barrier to entry for most potential investors.
   By relying so heavily on fossil fuels, we are robbing Peter to Paul. It is time to fix the problem. The CTO can help drive this change. Subsidies for fossil fuels should be reduced, allowing the mature industry stand on their own. At the same time, significant increases in subsidies for sustainable energy investments are needed to offset current investment barriers. These subsidies should be directed at simultaneously developing less expensive technology, offsetting capital costs and encouraging market growth. The investment will not be small, but it will be less than what we have been spending on special appropriations for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the payoff will be more positive and more lasting.

   The U.S. currently derives about 83% of its energy from fossil fuels. The cost of energy is subsidized with tax dollars, with the majority going to fossil fuels. With sensible government policies and funding, renewable and sustainable energy sources, most notably wind and solar, could dominate the U.S. energy market by 2030, greatly reducing American's carbon footprint and alleviating the cost impacts of declining fossil fuel reserves. With no fuel costs to contend with, the main driver for sustainable energy costs is capital investment. With technologies still young, companies not fully capitalized and markets small, significant returns on investment are… more

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6. National eCard for all

   This secure ID could be used to not only vote but guard against vote fraud. Begin the trend to electronic voting not only for elections but on major pieces of proposed legislation, government planned regulations, serve as emergency medical information, secure logon, prevent identity theft, and be used to validate public services entitled to or received, prevent medicare fraud, etc.

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7. ask the original bell labs people who to hire
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8. Bring government technology up to date

   Most of government agencies use outdated computers with outdated software. In some cases, it is Windows 2000 and MS Office 2000 with respective hardware. Upgrading to modern equipment will increase productivity of government officials as well as reduce their health problems such as eye fatigue because CRT monitors with 60Hz refresh rate are the day before yesterday.

   Such a modernization plan will also require adequate training for the government staff as migrating to several generations of software ahead will create quite a steep learning curve. While this plan is rather costly in the short run, it will also create the much needed jobs for computer manufacturers as well as skilled trainers. In the long run, government productivity and total processing capability will increase.

   Most of government agencies use outdated computers with outdated software. In some cases, it is Windows 2000 and MS Office 2000 with respective hardware. Upgrading to modern equipment will increase productivity of government officials as well as reduce their health problems such as eye fatigue because CRT monitors with 60Hz refresh rate are the day before yesterday.

   Such a modernization plan will also require adequate training for the government staff as migrating to several generations of software ahead will create quite a steep learning curve. While this plan is rather costly in the short run, it will also create the… more

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9. Space mining of helium 3 for fusion power

   Space mining would provide be a new industry space if it were profitable. One application for space mining would be helium 3 mining for fusion power and thus reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

   The moon and gas giants are know to have helium 3 deposits and in combination with building a space elevator, costs to mine these material can reduce over time to affordable levels.

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10. pay every teacher in America $100K per year.

    If we can spend all of these billions of dollars a year on a war, why can't we do the same for education. That should be the law...whatever we spend on the war is what we have to spend on our education system. The first thing to do is to create demand for the best people becoming the best teachers in the world. In order for this demand to happen, make the starting salary for every teacher in America $100,000 a year. Require a Master's degree. Require that the teachers are passionate for what they do. Require that they must create classrooms of educational magic and wonder. The reinvention of our education system begins here. Please. Please. Please. Just try this for 10 years and see what happens. The results will be amazing. Kids will change their attitudes about learning and going to school. They will want to be in class everyday because of their teachers who come from all walks of life and all backgrounds but all inspire greatness.

    If we can spend all of these billions of dollars a year on a war, why can't we do the same for education. That should be the law...whatever we spend on the war is what we have to spend on our education system. The first thing to do is to create demand for the best people becoming the best teachers in the world. In order for this demand to happen, make the starting salary for every teacher in America $100,000 a year. Require a Master's degree. Require that the teachers are passionate for what they do. Require that they must… more

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11. 51

    4564

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12. Promote a new relationship with Europe

    http://pagoesdigital.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/ep-election-google-gadget/

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13. 100% digitization of healthcare records by 2014

    Healthcare is one of the most-important aspects of our society. Digitization of healthcare records greatly increases the efficiency of care and level of care given to those in need of health assistance.

    The government could do things such as: provide off-site data storage for regions at a cut-rate. Provide free-ware software to healthcare facilities. Create incentives for early-adoption of new technologies in the workplace.

    Doing this will not only save lives, it will create jobs as healthcare facilities hire newly-trained technicians and data centers being built offer construction-related jobs.

    24 votes

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14. National Recommended Reading List

    Create a national recommended reading list. Classify it by age and subject and include a short explanation with each book why it made the list.

    Theodore Sturgeon said, "90% of everything is crud."

    How is a young child curious about the world supposed to find a "good" book? Libraries jus accumulate they do not filter.

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15. Enact a content consumer's Bill of Rights

    The US has slid much too far in the direction of protection of large corporate copyright holders, to the exclusion of traditional Fair Use of the content we consume. We should enact legislation specifically protecting the right of consumers to archive, copy, and transfer content to different media formats for the purposes of our own convenience and consumption. It should be made explicit that provisions of the DMCA do not override these fundamental rights of content consumers.

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16. Implement infrastucture for electric vehicles

    Contract the folks @ Better Place and fund infrastructure for electric vehicles.

    • The grid could begin in and around the LA and NYC areas, spread up and down both coasts, and then spider web its way across the continental US via the insterstate highway system.

      • Also, the construction would help the ailing job market.

    Measures such as these would IMMENSELY reduce our dependence upon foreign oil as well as help the economy and the environment.

    Shai Agassi has outlined his plans for a greener worldwide future - check out what he and his colleagues @ Better Place are trying to do here: betterplace.com

    Contract the folks @ Better Place and fund infrastructure for electric vehicles.

    • The grid could begin in and around the LA and NYC areas, spread up and down both coasts, and then spider web its way across the continental US via the insterstate highway system.

      • Also, the construction would help the ailing job market.

    Measures such as these would IMMENSELY reduce our dependence upon foreign oil as well as help the economy and the environment.

    Shai Agassi has outlined his plans for a greener worldwide future - check out what he and his colleagues @ Better Place are trying to… more

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17. Require ISPs to disclose all bandwidth caps and limitations

    Require all internet service providers (ISPs) to make all information regarding bandwidth caps and limitations easily accessible to the general public. All limitations should be clear both before a user signs-up with an ISP and while the user is in a contract with the ISP.

    Details of bandwidth limitations should include any special limitations that depend on the type of data, the protocol, or the remote website or network. For example, any special limitations for streaming video or torrents must be include. Any limitations of email messages or other messaging protocols must be included. Any limitations that are specific to another website or network must be included.

    Require all internet service providers (ISPs) to make all information regarding bandwidth caps and limitations easily accessible to the general public. All limitations should be clear both before a user signs-up with an ISP and while the user is in a contract with the ISP.

    Details of bandwidth limitations should include any special limitations that depend on the type of data, the protocol, or the remote website or network. For example, any special limitations for streaming video or torrents must be include. Any limitations of email messages or other messaging protocols must be included. Any limitations that are specific to… more

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18. Create an official version of this website

    Create an official government website that will allow the people of the United States of America to suggest and vote for priority on items that they wish the chief technology officer (CTO) of the United States of America to address. ObamaCTO.org is an excellent step in the right direction, and deserves to be officially implemented by the government.

    Implementation of the official website must include security and safety measures to prevent tampering or unfair manipulations of votes or suggestions, just like any official election.

    Considerations should be made to ensure that any American citizen can access and give their input to the website, not just those who own personal computers and have easily accessible internet access.

    Create an official government website that will allow the people of the United States of America to suggest and vote for priority on items that they wish the chief technology officer (CTO) of the United States of America to address. ObamaCTO.org is an excellent step in the right direction, and deserves to be officially implemented by the government.

    Implementation of the official website must include security and safety measures to prevent tampering or unfair manipulations of votes or suggestions, just like any official election.

    Considerations should be made to ensure that any American citizen can access and give their input… more

    24 votes

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19. change military spending from offensive to defensive

    Rather than creating weapons of mass destruction, let's invest in defensive tech to detect and stop attacks, especially here at home!

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20. Get rid of the Orphaned Works Act.

    This act will allow companies to start using whatever digital works they find online with "adequate effort" put in to finding the creator of this work. After such a time they can just use the digital work without paying the artist.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphan_work

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