Reforming the Government

     As I have previously stated, Elijah will soon return in person to begin his role as World Ruler. According to Malachi 4:5 in the Bible he will return before "the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Numerous Christian theologians believe that Elijah returned as John the Baptist. However, I believe the passage in Malachi can be interpreted as a literal statement.

     I conjecture that Elijah will not assume his role as World Ruler until after the Day of Armageddon ["the great and dreadful day of the Lord"]. However, when he appears in person he may explain in some detail just what events will occur before the dreadful Day. No doubt he will also describe in detail how he will lead the surviving mortals in establishing the true gospel and the Kingdom of God as Jesus taught them when he lived on earth.

     We know he will implement laws that will applicable in the New World Order of which he will be the head. But in the meantime, we are at liberty to speculate regarding the steps he might take to reform our present United States government [assuming he had the power and permission to do so].

     The incredulous reader might inquire: Just how do we propose to pay for these momentous undertakings? Answer: All government services would be reduced to bare bones while we put our house in order and completely eliminate the deficit under which so many Presidents, both parties, so cheerfully operate.

     Recently [July 2006] I read the book Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides. On page 200 there appears a statement from Dostoevsky's The House of the Dead: "The degree to which a society is civilized can be judged by entering its prisons."

     Therefore, the first institution to be considered is our barbaric, inhumane prison system.

1. Reforming the Prison System.
     First, reactivate as many of the closed army, air force, and navy bases as are necessary to house all prisoners at all levels: Federal, State, County, City. Refurbish the buildings and landscape the grounds in an attractive manner. Prisoners will be required to assist in the ongoing task of maintaining the grounds. It is possible that, with some remodeling, numerous existing prison sites can be used.
     Prisoners will be separated by age groups. Example: Prisoners under age 25. Prisoners age 25 to 35, etc.
     Prison sentences will not include the death penalty.
     Prisoners will not be abused mentally, physically, or emotionally.
     Prisoners will reside in rooms, not cells. In the beginning it may be necessary to put several prisoners to a large, spacious room. There will be no locks on the doors.
     Of course, it may be necessary to appropriately restrain violent prisoners. But even they will be confined in attractive settings.
     Adequate bathrooms will be provided. Plumbing will be maintained in good working condition.
      Prisoners are at liberty to stay outside as desired between the hours 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. [or some such hours] provided they are not otherwise occupied.
     Outside facilities will include baseball diamonds, basketball courts, tennis courts, swimming pools, track fields, etc.
     Inside facilities will include libraries. Prisoners will be encouraged to read extensively.
     Religious services will be provided for prisoners who are interested.
     All prisoners will be required to attend classes. All prisoners must obtain at least a high school education. College courses will be taught for those prisoners who are interested. No prisoner will be released until he is qualified for at least one occupation, and preferably, two.
     All prisoners will receive adequate medical care.
     Nutritious food will be served. Junk food will not be permitted. Smoking will not be permitted.
     Other improvements as required would be made.

2. Reforming the Federal Government.
     It is obvious that the present system is not working. Performance by the Senate and the House is deplorable. It has become almost impossible to enact significant laws. Greed and corruption among the members is rampant. Too many Senators and Representatives have been bought by both small and large business firms.
     The Constitution would be revised and updated.
     As the Senate and the House have now become almost totally impotent to enact much needed laws, both the Senate and the House would be dissolved. Their supporting staffs would be dismissed.
     The House and Senate would be replaced by committees whose functions would embrace all aspects of national life: Government, Education, Health, Food Production, Management of Wildlife and Parks, Agriculture, Foreign Policy, Religion, Welfare, Art and Science, Labor and Management Policies, etc. The number of committees would be kept to a minimum: just enough to do the job.
     Members of the committees would be selected by a Nominating Committee who would carefully screen each proposed member regarding qualifications and morals. As far as is possible, members would be selected from various parts of the United States. Members would deal with national problems, not local problems. Membership on a committee would be for not less than ten years.
     The President would be elected by popular vote for a single term of ten years. The electoral college would be abolished.
     Political campaigns will limited to two months. Free television time will be available to candidates.
     The minimum wage would be immediately raised to $15.00 per hour. If a business firm cannot afford to pay a living wage this implies it may be under-financed and attempting to operate on a shoe string. Business firms will not prosper at the expense of their employees.
     Contributions to foreign despotic rulers and corrupt world governments will be closely regulated. Such entities will not be permitted to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers.

3. Taxes.
     Tax rates will remain fairly high until the deficit is eliminated. Deficit financing will not be permitted except in unusual circumstances such as major wars.
     Tax rates will be highly progressive.
     The rich will pay their fair share of the cost of government.
     Businesses and corporations will pay their fair share of taxes based on the amount of their profits. There will be no loopholes. Corporate welfare will not be permitted. Subsidies to wealthy agricultural corporations will not be permitted.
     Families earning $32,000 or less will not pay taxes.
     The tax code will be revised immediately. The revised tax code should require no more than fifteen pages.

4. Education.
     Education at all levels will be free to the students. Space will be provided for all students of any age who wish to enroll in a college or university. Adequate class rooms will be provided for students in public schools. Additional class rooms will be provided as needed.
     All schools at any level will provide adequate and up-to-date facilities. Schools at any level will not be segregated.
     Private schools at all levels will be permitted but they will receive no funding from either the Federal or State governments.
     Teacher's Unions will not interfere with progressive teaching methods. Poorly qualified teachers will be dismissed.
     The salaries of teachers in the public schools will be significantly increased.
     All public school teachers must be highly qualified.
     Professors at government-financed colleges and universities will not receive Federal or State grants of any kind. The primary job of professors is to teach and interact with the students. Professors are at liberty to write and publish books, but these activities must not interfere with their teaching duties.
     Public schools at all levels will be closely supervised by the Federal government.
     High school drop outs will be placed in special schools in which they will obtain at least a high school diploma. Much improved methods of teaching should greatly reduce the number of high school drop outs.

5. Genetically Altered Seeds and Pesticides.
     The sale of genetically altered seeds is prohibited.
     The sale of pesticides of any kind is prohibited. All crops will be grown organically.

6. Inhumane methods of producing cattle, pigs, fowl, fish, etc. for public consumption will be prohibited.

7. The leasing of public lands to private citizens or business firms for any purpose is prohibited. Business firms will not be permitted to "rape" the land in the pursuit of profits. Example: Strip mining.

8. International laws pertaining to the harvesting of marine food will be strictly enforced.

9. The operation of recreational motor boats on rivers, lakes, coastal waters, etc. is prohibited.

10. The hunting of wild life of any kind is prohibited. The management of wild life will be a function of the appropriate Federal committee. The use of all nets and other harmful traps of any kind for the harvesting of ocean creatures is prohibited.

11. Population Control.
     A system of population control will be immediately implemented. The mentally inferior, antisocial, habitual criminal-type, or morally defunct persons will not be permitted to become parents. The better endowed persons will be permitted to have more children than lesser endowed persons. The objective of population control is to create a superior human race.

12. Separation of Church and State.
     The strict separation of church and state will continue.
     A person's right to religious freedom of belief will continue.
     Marriage is a civil institution, not a department of the church. In the New World Order churches will make no pronouncements regarding the civil institution of marriage. The sole function of the church is to encourage congregants to diligently strive for higher levels of spiritual development.
     Population control will be a function of the state, not the church.

13. Marriage and Divorce.
     Marriage before the age of 25 is prohibited.
     A man who wishes to marry must prove that he is financially able to support a wife and children.
     It is my understanding that the following laws will be in effect in the New World Order:
     Abortions will not be permitted.
     When a husband and wife announce their intention to obtain a divorce, their children, if any, automatically and immediately become wards of the state.
     Under no circumstances will a single parent be permitted to rear children.

14. Churches will pay property taxes.
     Churches will pay property taxes at the same rate as other property owners. Under present laws, as many churches do not pay property taxes, the result is to increase the amount of property taxes that each citizen must pay, which means that large numbers of tax payers are assisting in the support of religion even though they may have no interest in religion.

15. Illegal immigrants will be returned to the country of their origin.

16. Pollution by Industries.
     All industries, including the automobile industry, must install equipment now to reduce significantly the amount of pollution being spewed into the atmosphere. Laws pertaining to pollution by industries will be strictly enforced.

17. Regulation of Corporations.
     Corporations will be closely regulated.
     The size of corporations will be limited.
     The salaries of corporate executives will be limited. Executives will not be permitted to enrich themselves at the expense of the stock holders.
     The type of expenditures by corporations that are owned by stockholders will be closely regulated. Such luxuries as multimillion dollar jets will be prohibited as will multimillion dollar "retreats" for the sole benefit of corporate executives.
     Executives will buy and sell their corporate stock on the open market. "Sweetheart" deals of all kinds designed to enrich corporate executives will be prohibited.
     Corporate monopolies of all kinds will be prohibited.
     Corporate contributions to political candidates will be prohibited. [Candidates will receive free television time.]
     Huge agricultural monopolies is prohibited. However, it is not the function of government to maintain in existence small, inefficient farms.
     Pension funds will be administered by outside, independent firms. Pension funds paid into an employee's retirement account will not be available for corporate expenditures of any kind. When an employee changes jobs, the full amount in the pension account follows him/her.

18. Regulation of the Television Industry.
     The television industry will be closely regulated.
     Television stations will provide a stipulated amount of free air time to political candidates.
     The television industry will be considered as existing for the benefit of the public. As a service organization, the bottom line will not be the primary consideration.

19. Regulation of Insurance Companies.
     The amounts of premiums to be charged will be closely regulated. Insurance companies will be viewed as existing for the benefit of policyholders, not the enrichment of the executives.
     The types of illnesses covered by insurance companies will be significantly expanded. It will not be necessary for patients to engage in protracted efforts to receive the benefits under a policy.
     The accumulation of huge surpluses will be prohibited.
     Monopolies by insurance corporations will not be permitted.
     The size of HMOs will be limited.

20. Products for Sale to Public.
     Sale of the following items, among others, is prohibited:
     Tobacco of any kind [the growth of tobacco by farmers is prohibited]; junk food; white flour and white sugar and products containing these items; alcoholic drinks containing a significant amount of alcohol; soft drinks.

21. Areas Prone to Flooding.
     Persons will not be permitted to live along rivers that are subject to periodic flooding, such as the Mississippi River.
     Persons who build vacation homes along coastal areas that are subject to periodic hurricanes must furnish their own property insurance. It is not the function of tax payers to contribute to methods of property insurance for persons building vacation homes, summer homes, etc. along coastal areas.

22. Labor Unions.
     Labor Unions will be closely regulated. Their financial accounts [bank deposits, etc.] will be carefully monitored.
     All monies collected from members must be deposited in the appropriate institutions.
     Labor unions will not be permitted to contribute to political candidates from funds collected from members. Members will make their own contributions if they choose to do so.
     All dues collected from members for pension funds must be deposited in outside, independent institutions who will administer the disbursement of pension funds. Amounts in pension funds will not be available to labor executives for any purpose whatsoever.
     Labor unions will not be in the business of making loans to any persons or organizations.

23. Regulation of Oil Companies.
     Oil companies will be nationalized. They will be administered by persons appointed by the appropriate Federal Committee.
     One objective will be to keep gasoline prices as low as possible.
     The search for alternative fuels will be aggressively pursued.

24. Drug Companies.
     Drug companies will be closely regulated. They will not be permitted to accumulate vast reserves above what are reasonably required for their efficient operation.
     The selling price of drugs will be closely regulated. The objective will be to keep prices as low as possible.

25. Illegal Drugs Entering the U.S.
     Illegal drugs entering the U.S. will be seized by Federal agents. Sufficient resources will be available to catch almost every shipment by any method of illegal drugs.
     All funds confiscated will be deposited into the U.S. Treasury. Confiscated drugs will be destroyed.
     Drugs arriving by air: Airplanes will be intercepted once they enter the U.S. If a pilot, after the appropriate warning, attempts to flee or otherwise attempts to avoid capture, the plane will be shot down. If the pilot lands the plane, the plane and all its contents will be confiscated by the Federal government.

26. Credit Card Companies.
     Credit card companies will be closely regulated. Among other provisions they will not be permitted to charge usurious interest rates. Fraudulent or misleading advertising will not be permitted.

     When Elijah assumes his role as World Ruler he will implement the laws of his choosing. As we know from both the Bible and The Urantia Book Elijah fused with his Thought Adjuster [Indwelling Spirit] while still in the flesh. Therefore, we can be assured that he will rule according to the will of God.
     It must be emphasized that most of the foregoing suggested laws represent my ideas and not Elijah's.
     The events of the End Times are almost upon us. The Day of Armageddon will burst upon a totally unsuspecting world in a very few years. Whether Elijah will choose to begin governmental reforms before the Day of Armageddon I do not know.

July 25 2006

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