Issues for the Party

Concurrent Receipt American Volunteer Party Platform Position

Retired military personnel shall be treated the same as other government
employees and not penalized for being disabled. The disability checks shall
not be deducted from their military retirement checks.

In order to serve two functions we support a compulsory 2 year military service (subject only to disability or other disqualifying medical conditions) immediately after high school. The first function is to offer a permanent solution to the readiness of our military by solving the recruiting problem. The second function is to provide a level playing field by paying completely for up to four years of higher education or trade school (books and tuition) to all enlistees upon completion of their tour. Also, guaranteed low cost student loans for the same time period should be made available for cost of living so those soldiers or sailors who may become married will actually be able to get an advanced education. So many people have not met their potential because of starting a family and losing interest because they had to go part time while they support others. This is a fair entitlement in exchange for this mandatory service and it will allow our youngsters to mature and get a little discipline before they have to decide what to do with their lives. Obviously, this will be optional for females.

Note: If the individual chooses not to serve in the military-they must complete the same time period in the area of a national service agency(i.e. American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Peace corps, World Health Org, etc.) These must be nationally recognized agencies that meet the 501,3(c) eligibility requirements and are not local only, although they may have office, representatives in smaller communities.

Immigration should be made more equitable to ALL countries by creating quotas based on an equal proportion of the originating country's population, without preferential treatment to any individual country. Also, a commission should be formed to study this country's natural resource limits and devise a total immigration policy which is fiscally prudent. By this we mean specifically to determine how many people this country can reasonably support without jeopardizing our lifestyle. We do not want to end up in cubicles like the Japanese. Immigration with sensible limits is good for this nation and always has been. A steady influx of immigrants stimulates the supply and demand our economy needs for continued growth. However, this number should be based on sound research as mentioned above. Our first responsibility is to "our" citizens.

To establish a sensible compromise between those for and against affirmative action employment policies we should address the need for it in the first place. Obviously discrimination does exist and we have laws to punish those who practice it. In an attempt to eliminate, as far as possible, the employment practices that facilitate discrimination, employment applications, for the most part, should not include a race or sex identifier. The name should be submitted in the form of initials. For 95% of all jobs there is little or no need for a personal interview since the necessary information can be garnered from the qualifications on the application. There will obviously need to be exceptions for upper management, sales and other positions where people skills and/or appearance is imperative. For these positions there will still be the anti-discrimination laws to handle pertinent issues. This eliminates the greatest need for affirmative action, which should be abolished where it already is not.

Disability benefits from any public source should be awarded only to citizens, legal immigrants, and those who have applied for and are awaiting citizenship (they must FILE an application for citizenship within five years of entry to be eligible and the disability must not have occurred before they entered the country) who incur the disability after entering the country. There are too many people from other countries who have pre-existing disabilities and are given life-long benefits out of the taxpayers' pockets. That is plainly unfair for our taxpayers to be forced to shoulder that burden. If private charities want to perform that function, they may certainly do so.

2. If recipient is not employed by then, they must work (real work) on some government program etc., for 40 hours a week. Alternatively, the recipient may elect to go to a free trade school for 20 hours a week and work the other 20. Inside desk jobs can be utilized for partially disabled recipients. There are many severely disabled people who hold down full-time jobs voluntarily. We have all seen this-a vocational rehab counselor at the VA had no legs and worked full time.

4. The Food Stamp program should be changed to require recipients to go pick up their allotment of actual food from a government grocery which can be operated by the above mentioned welfare recipients, and, for that matter, a large percentage of the food can be grown on government farms which are also operated by welfare recipients. The management/permanent employees of both of these systems can be provided (jobs created) by graduates of the trade school/welfare-to-work program. The current Welfare changes have helped, but there needs to be much more done to curb fraud. As an attorney I see way too many cases of welfare fraud in the courts daily.

Due to the almost fifty-fifty split on this issue it is my proposal that this be placed in the hands of the states. Approximately half of the states will opt for each solution, or some permutation thereof. With this approach, if it is an issue that someone feels strongly about either way, they would at least have the option of moving to a state which adhered to their preference.

Reduce all foreign aid by 75% by giving significant aid to only those strategic countries (in order to avoid imminent threat of international instability) considering national security. For economic development purposes we should rely on tax incentives to American businesses who are interested in doing business with the respective counties. It is not our responsibility as taxpayers to bail the world out of their economic trouble. A ceiling of 25% of the current expenditures will help eliminate the excuse of "National Security" which is frequently abused.

Term Limits -

United States Congressmen shall be limited to two four year terms. Since we
feel we do not need career Congressmen any more than we need a career
President, these limits are reasonable. Since we do not want career
Congressmen, there is no need to provide them with a retirement. Since
their salaries are ample they can be on social security like everyone else.
Also, there must be a limit on their private residence rent, and that shall
be $100,000.00 per year, and shall only be for the time they are in office.

: Additionally, Congressional and Presidential pay raises of any type
must be the SAME as, or less than (on a percentage basis) our military
service personnel pay increases. Also, any Congressional or Presidential
pay increases in excess of 5% annually must be voted on by a popular
national referendum on the same ballot with the national elections.

Public schools should be funded through a flat sales tax with each school given their equal, per capita funding in order to create a more level playing field, while being fair to all taxpayers. Those wishing to send their children to private schools should still be able to do so. This eliminates some people having to pay a larger share for education through property taxes, while extending a truly equal education opportunity to all Americans. Social promotions should be totally eliminated. That practice has helped no one. To cut the budget and decrease the size of the federal government, we advocate the elimination of the United States Department of Education. Control of education can be better managed by the various state Education Departments. There is redundant administrative expenses that cost the taxpayers billions of unnecessary money each year. As with all of our stances we remain completely open to constructive criticism.

The earned, promised no-cost medical care must be restored to all military personnel to whom the promise was made. They made a career of the military in reliance on that promise. Many were wounded in action and precluded from finishing their career, through no fault of their own. Our party intends on honoring its promises to those who have sacrificed so much through their service to our country.

The Court of Veterans' Appeals, which has been rife with corruption from its
inception, must be totally eliminated. Veterans who have exhausted their
administrative remedies shall have a right to bring suit in a regular
Federal District Court. This comports with the notions of equal protection
of the laws as listed in the 5th Amendment to the United States
Constitution.

The American Volunteer Party will vote for a total repeal to this act so that military personnel will be treated the same as all other federal employees, thereby comporting with the "Equal Protection Clause" of the 5th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This will preclude the need for lengthy, expensive litigation on this matter.