What Next?

Human Events succinctly outlines what needs to be done beginning last week:

1. Increase private ownership. Transfer ownership of federal housing units to their tenants as a step toward eliminating HUD. Convert the ownership of the Post Office to individual shares for postal workers. Give “Lock-Box” treatment to private pension plans and savings accounts so that the government never takes a higher tax rate than when the money was invested. Foster an “Ownership Society” by moving away from government monopolies toward the efficiency resulting from competition.

2. Permanently end the death tax. This will protect American farmers, family owned businesses, and encourage increased private investment. The Washington area family of Jack Kent Cooke lost control of the Washington Redskins because the value its privately financed stadium made the family estate’s tax bill prohibitive. There is little wonder then that there are no takers to build a privately funded baseball park.

3. Completely eliminate the marriage penalty tax. Policy makers must continue to reform our tax codes to support traditional families rather than punishing them. Ending the additional tax burden on married couples is a popular reform.

4. Strengthen ROTC. Prevent colleges and universities from discriminating against students who serve in our Armed Forces by withholding all grants for research and other purposes. If schools have “hate crimes” regulations, include attacks on service men and women under its protection

5. Control our borders. I have been a supporter of immigration, but we must secure borders to protect the immigrants who are already in America and American citizens from terrorism.

6. Pass the Hyde Amendment to protect free speech on campus. Give the measure teeth by allowing students to sue professors and administrators who violate their 1st Amendment rights, similar to California’s well-tested Leonard Law.

7. Protect the Independent Sector from IRS encroachment. Citing the United Way scandal, Rep. Nancy Johnson (R.-Conn.) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R.-Iowa) are leading efforts to empower the IRS to make nearly one million private tax-exempt organizations mere government vassals. Non-profit boards, not a few IRS bureaucrats in Washington, should establish organizational pay scales and personnel rules.

8. Limit federal aid to colleges and universities that consistently hike tuition above cost-of-living increases. Taxpayers are underwriting an explosion of college bureaucracies and frivolous courses. Use the federal government’s leverage to end the exploding costs of higher education by drawing a line on tuition increases.

9. Defund the United Nations. If the UN wouldn’t enforce its resolutions against Saddam Hussein 'with the whole world watching' why keep funding it? Recent scandals exposed corruption in the United Nations that even the State Department can’t excuse.

10. Increase domestic energy sources. Allow more gas and oil exploration, especially in Alaska. Reduce the barriers to nuclear energy. Relying on Middle East energy is dangerous and costly.

That's a good start!