Running for President

It occurred to me in the shower this morning that by the time the 2016 elections roll around, I will be 35 and eligible to run for President of the United States. Ergo, it would be wise to put together a platform just in case. Right?

Obviously by 2016 the landscape may have changed significantly especially depending on how the 2014 elections turn out. Therefore some of these may change given new circumstances. They are not listed in any order of importance merely in the order they came to my mind. If President doesn't work out, maybe I can land a Senate or Representative position.

As President of the United States of America, I would commit to the following:

1. Refuse to sign any bill into law until the Senate completed a budget and the House approved how it was going to be paid. We cannot keep borrowing at our current rates and without a plan in place to reduce our debt, we are going to always have a political fight on the debt ceiling.
2. Institute a line item veto. Quit attaching stupid pet projects to important legislation for our country. If your State needs Federal money, get it in the budget, or get it individually passed and approved. Otherwise, figure out how to get your State on board to pay for it.
3. Withdraw all military from foreign countries with the exception of those that whose government has specifically requested our presence for stability. We have the ability to mobilize and get troops anywhere in the world within 24 hours or less should a situation arise. If citizens of a foreign country are being murdered by a regime, troops may be sent in as a peace keeping force with instructions to keep citizens alive. They will definitely not be handcuffed if they come under attack but their roll will not be as an aggressive force unless it is a matter that ties directly in with the defense and preservation of the United States of America.
4. Active military will be deployed to the United States/Mexican border. Their job will be to engage any drug traffickers, sex traffickers, coyotes, or terrorists trying to gain entrance to the United States. They may return fire with extreme prejudice if fired upon. Any others trying to sneak across the border in hopes of a better life will be shown compassion, immediate aid if required and given detailed information for how to come into the United States legally.
5. Streamline the immigration process by providing more resources to process applicants more efficiently while maintaining the utmost security to prevent those who wish to do American citizens harm or who are determined to be detrimental to our society based on prior actions or convictions within their own home country. Both of my parents are immigrants. I love the idea of America being a place immigrants desire to relocate to.
6. End the drone program that spies on our own citizens or bombs targets abroad but creates a high risk of also killing innocent civilians.
7. Gut the Department of Education. Education should be returned to the States and individual communities while only having slight oversight from the Federal level to ensure there are not breaches in discrimination of any kind.
8. Work on a plan to reduce the power of the IRS or at least shift its focus. I am a fan of the Fair Tax system where one is taxed on what they spend and consume as opposed to what they make through their labor and endeavors.
9. Create a system of minimum wage where those counted as dependents may be paid at a certain minimum wage while those who are not dependents may be paid at a more appropriate living wage. This will allow business who do not require high skill positions to determine for their business if they can justify providing work experience for high school and college age students and a reduced rate while those who are not dependents may still seek low skill work if necessary. I would also abolish the practice that allows servers to be paid below minimum wage and solely reliant on tips.
10. End tax breaks and incentives for those that ship manufacturing or telecom jobs overseas. Companies based in the US would still be free to use this model for labor but will no longer be granted any incentives or breaks to do so. If products come from overseas, current or modified trade agreements will still be worked upon to benefit both countries.
11. I believe the Affordable Care Act is a complete disaster and no citizen should be forced to buy into it. I would work on a new system of Health care that dismantles the ACA while maintaining some its more reasonable features. Among those that would be retained would be the inability to deny citizens health care due to a pre-existing condition. In my dismantling of the ACA, I do want to make sure that citizens that require affordable health care have access to it. I think that promoting competition among health care providers and doctors is more beneficial in a free market society and can ultimately drive down prices. I would include the ability for insurance companies to sell policies across state lines. I am not an expert in this area so I would listen to how health care affects those involved in the industry.
12. End the Federal ban on Marijuana. I've never used nor wanted to. But this is an industry where the potential taxation of it's purchase far outweighs the harm of the drug on responsible adults and the cost to police it. Make the age limit for it's purchase 21 (because I have read some horrifying studies on its affect on the developing brain and potential problems later in life). Make it illegal to drive or work under it's influence just like alcohol. I would also consider a ban on its use in public because of the secondhand effects.
13. Promote the building of additional refineries to help with gasoline production. The same promotion, whether it is through tax incentives or better deregulation, will also be applied to help research and promote alternative energy sources.
14. Give more fair rights to private farmers and create tougher regulations on companies that manufacture or harvest genetically modified foods.
15. Encourage the implementation of term limits for Senators and Representatives and end lifetime benefits. Additionally anything they vote to enact on the citizens of the United States, they are also subject too in maters not pertaining to our national security. I will veto any bill for which this is not the case.
16. Find better ways to take care of our troops, police, firemen and teachers. These are the cornerstones of security and progress in America and should be treated with that value.
17. Promote better access to mental health. This point could become a book with all my thoughts on it. But it affects marriages, families, business, homelessness, schools and public safety.
18. Audit the Federal Reserve. No idea how this is not being done.

I suppose that is all for now. There are many issues I have not even touched upon because I either don't see them as important, the issue is complicated enough where I need to do a better job fleshing out my ideas, or I am just not aware they need to be addressed in my initial platform.

Again, these can be modified based on better research and how things are looking as we approach 2016. But this is my base. All donations from businesses or individuals is an indication that you agree with the majority of my positions (maybe not all) but is not an investment in getting me to change my mind or grant you favors should I get any semblance of power. 

Vote for Kevin Lock in 2016!

*This if of course where my beliefs lie and what I could only hope for in a Presidential candidate. I currently have no actual plan to run for office though I would not renege on the opportunity should it come available.