Time to pay for the war effort

The President should press to “pay for the wars” by closing tax loopholes, under the idea we are now going to clean up the Republicans’
mess.  Puts a different context on getting our financial house in order.

Wars as a general rule should be explicitly legislated and supported, and a specific tax levy will make it clearer to the American people what this War policy means.  But with the wars winding down, the ongoing meaning of the levy will be lost.

However, the political purpose to clean up the past, to work with Republicans to finish the work they started, can still be used effectively.  We are currently better aligned to close loopholes, and since I believe tax loopholes and rate reform are both needed, making progress on the easier one is still progress.

A Commission For the Management of Government Assets

We clearly need to have better handling of and stewardship for Federal Government assets. At a time when “privitization” and sweet heart deals are rampant, the Feds need to step up tracking and management of our mutually held assets. These may be in the sale or disposal of assets, but also in the user fees, leases and other rights agreements with mining, oil production, forestry and other industries.

Because the Federal Government must achieve the best price in the use of Federal Government assets.  Anything less is a dereliction of duty and illegal.  Unconstitutional?  In part. Certainly Unamerican.  I’d like a single list and some visibility to the financial success of managing Federal Government assets.  Not too difficult a task to create the list, add some FAR and other regulatory changes.

We shouldn’t have to make the case for proper management.

How about an asset register and balance sheet?

Reforming corporate governance #2: Boards of Directors

Other ideas that are more palatable, easier to implement and possibly covered under existing law:

SEC “Seal of Approval” – the SEC could take a position on each and every BOD nomination for every corporation.  Start with weeding out the obvious conflicts, but with experience can develop both a set of minimum standards, rule-out conditions, and possibly even scorecard metrics.  [This wouldn't be a bad idea for a new website service developed privately].

SEC Added Nominations – rather than replacing (initially) the existing nomination process, the SEC could enact “sponsorship” of nominees into BOD votes. 

Both of these may influence both BOD governance by corporations, as well as shareholder behavior.