The Big Ideas Project

We need an Apollo energy program for renewable sources with long term financing and subsidies. We should require every state to get 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025 with 30% or more in some year set soon thereafter. Base load power should come from combined cycle natural gas plants.

Submitted by Rex_in_Minnesota in Environment Dec. 12, 2014, 6:02 p.m.

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#1438

92 votes

Colleges and Universities who take your money, loans, excessive costs should be required to make sure you are employed upon graduation with full time good paying employment so as to be able to pay off your loans, return money to your alma mater and become a stable member of the community, society.

Submitted by Educator - Certified in Elementary 3-6; Secondary 7-12 in Education Dec. 9, 2014, 9:13 p.m.

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#1438

92 votes

Require insurance companies to offer homeowners insurance policies that insure (1) solar panels that are not attached to the structure of the home (2) inspected wind turbines at a cost that percent-wise, is no more than proportion of the cost of the panels or wind turbines to the assessed coverage of the home in the policy.

Submitted by Hidrologo in Environment Jan. 2, 2015, 8:51 p.m.

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#1438

92 votes

Bring back apprenticeship programs, by working with employers and community colleges as well we can re-train those who need to change jobs or be trained to jobs that will employ them. If for example a car company empoyed someone at less than what the licensed auto person would make, while they take classes to learn the trade., They can then help that person learn a trade, if they wanted them to continue working for them they can help with licensing costs when they are ready to work full time.

Submitted by Mollyb in Education Jan. 10, 2015, 3:46 p.m.

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#1438

92 votes

Allow all student loan holders to convert to loans at the rate the banks borrow at plus .5%. Allow existing lenders to write-off the lost income on the loan. Allow all new loans at that rate. Reduce the loan principal balances of students who have graduated since 2007 with a 3.0 or higher GPA by 50%, 2.5 or higher by 25%. Allow new graduates going forward to do the same. Prohibit for-profit paper mills from being eligible for gov. student loans/grants.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Education Dec. 16, 2014, 4:36 p.m.

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#1438

92 votes

Tax investment income at the exact same rate as "earned" income. Originally it was lower to encourage investment in American industry. It is no longer anything of the kind. If all income from any source was taxed equally, taxes could be lower!

Submitted by rmccullough in Taxes & Budget Dec. 19, 2014, 9:36 a.m.

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#1438

92 votes

We need to empower people so that we are not dependent on corporations for our livelihood. More education and resources need to go to help individual’s start their own businesses and organizations and to support employee owned co-op businesses. If we are going to address all the issues we need to address, climate change, equality, jobs, ending war etc. I think we first need to empower the people by unlinked them from corporations

Submitted by Lois in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 7:01 p.m.

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#1447

91 votes

Make voting compulsory, as in some other countries.

Submitted by antonio l. from CA in Government & Elections Jan. 4, 2015, 5:24 p.m.

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#1447

91 votes

Whatever retirement benefits Congress has installed for itself, every American should have upon retirement age. If anything, people who work for years at unrewarding and tedious jobs should receive more than those whose jobs have been desirable and exciting.They're certainly more in need of the money.

Submitted by Madeleine A. from NY in Government & Elections Dec. 22, 2014, 12:57 a.m.

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#1447

91 votes

Go through the entire government economic incentive system (things such as giving corporations tax breaks to move jobs over seas) and replace as many government breaks and incentives for fat cats with government breaks and incentives for middle class people.

Submitted by John J. from MI in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 7:25 p.m.

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#1447

91 votes

For profit educational institutions should not be allowed to receive money from Student loans. Standards for govt. grants and govt. backed loans should be higher than merely accreditation.

Submitted by squirrelbird in Education Dec. 11, 2014, 11:47 p.m.

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#1447

91 votes

If corporations need people to work over 40 hours per week and over 48 weeks a year, they should open more jobs to cover their needs and stop making hard-working people put in free labor and call it "salary."

Submitted by Alice in Economy & Jobs Dec. 18, 2014, 4:33 p.m.

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#1447

91 votes

Promote the hydrogen economy. Have the federal government help build out the hydrogen infrastructure needed to promote hydrogen fuel cells. Using hydrogen for transportation alone would greatly reduce our carbon footprint. It would also reduce wars caused by fighting for control of fossil fuels. This would be similar to the federal program we had to build out interstate highway system. And that worked pretty good.

Submitted by Randy Juras in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 24, 2014, 10:49 a.m.

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#1447

91 votes

We need a comprehensive environment law. The current fragmentation leads to duplication and policy deficiencies. The states need to take a bigger role in environmental management with the Feds in an oversight role. The sticks to compel performance by the states are already in place. The EPA could be reorganized to focus on 1. Oversight of air, water waste superfund and other programs; 2. interstate dispute resolution; 3. tribal affairs; 4. international assistance and boundary issues.

Submitted by jon g. from IL in Environment Dec. 11, 2014, 3:15 p.m.

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#1447

91 votes

Breastfeeding Saves Lives & $$billions. It prevents illnesses from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) to diabetes and cancer Implement actions in Surgeon General's Call to Action on Breastfeeding. Require ALL pediatricians (and other Drs and Health care professionals to be educated on how to help moms breastfeed. Ban Formula company "education"

Submitted by Carol Tenneriello, RN, IBCLC in Health Jan. 5, 2015, 1:12 a.m.

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#1447

91 votes

Voting should be nationalized and be uniform throughout the US to ensure fair elections. And "winner take all" should be abolished so that third parties actually get fair representation.

Submitted by Jack D. from WA in Government & Elections Dec. 17, 2014, 5:40 p.m.

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#1456

90 votes

Now that we in Oregon and other places in the U.S. are finally putting an end to the War on Drugs, why not encourage and promote the production of hemp for fiber, as well as, it's non-TCP products such as healthful oils and seeds. By planting hemp on clear-cut forest lands, at the same time we replant trees, we'd have a cash crop every year, providing numerous jobs for our devastated economy.

Submitted by Fred in Economy & Jobs Jan. 16, 2015, 6:10 a.m.

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#1456

90 votes

Take the power of money creation away from the private banks and restore it to the public by transitioning to a sovereign, debt-free money and full reserve banking system.

Submitted by Spencer in Economy & Jobs Dec. 18, 2014, 5:46 p.m.

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#1456

90 votes

Reinstate the Selective Service System with the provision that all members of Congress and the Executive Branch have a family member serving in the Armed Forces.

Submitted by Turfcleaner in Foreign Policy & Military Dec. 10, 2014, 8:01 p.m.

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#1456

90 votes

Establish a function within the GAO that produces a report on the cost of energy sources including all externalized costs, such as environmental degradation, pollution and clean-up, public health, tax subsidies, foreign affairs, defense, etc. Publish costs w/labeling and collect taxes upon sale to cover the externalized costs.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Environment Dec. 16, 2014, 3:27 p.m.

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#1456

90 votes

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