As we mentioned yesterday in our Inauguration 2009 post, the Citizen Briefing Book on the Change.gov site closed to comments from the public at 6pm ET today. According to Michael Strautmanis, Director of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Obama Biden Transition Team, the CBB has had “unbelievable response” with over 70,000 people submitting ideas and voting on others.
So what are the concerns of the American people? Well it turns out that the hot topics include gambling, patriotism, religion, health, taxes, transport, environment and drugs. We’ve listed the top ten below with excerpts; follow the links to the read the entire posts.
10. Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker: 46720 votes/1711 comments
“Let online poker players in the United States play legally and without fear of prosecution. Boost the economy by letting American companies and Ameican players make money and pay taxes instead of sending online poker businesses offshore.”
9. Bring Back the Constitution!: 50790 votes/241 comments
“What would Jefferson think of us now?”
8. Revoke the Tax Exempt Status of the Church of Scientology: 51630 votes/509 comments
“The Church of Scientology was founded in the early 1950s, and quickly gained and lost its tax exempt status as a religion. The IRS ruled that the system of “fixed donations” and the services offered to the public constituted a for-profit venture, and was therefore taxable.”
7. Get the Insurance Companies out the Health Care: 55920 votes/359 comments
“The reason that our country pays more for health care than anywhere else in the world and still has poor health outcomes is that the system is run by profit-seeking insurance companies.”
6. Revoke the George W. Bush tax cuts for the top 1 %: 58080 votes/119 comments
“The notion that giving the owners of the companies more money so that it will eventually trickle down to the common people is absurd.”
“As a country, we now condone torture openly, which is far different than merely knowing that it happens in war. Most parents know that their children drink from time to time but they do not condone it. Condoning torture is the beginning of devolution.”
4. Bullet Trains and Light Rail: 66030 votes/433 comments
“What we really need are bullet trains between cities, like the ones that are prevalent in Japan.”
“1-4 teenagers have a sexually transmitted disease. AIDS still exists. The longer we keep our children in the dark about their bodies, the longer these facts will continue to be true.”
2. Commit to becoming the “Greenest” country in the world: 71130 votes/197 comments
By creating the economic incentives and legislative benchmarks, going green will completely revamp American industries, help them compete in global markets, save our auto industry, put millions back to work, provide clean safe transportation, eliminate America’s need for foreign oil, renew the American Dream and restore America’s leadership and respect in the world
1. Ending Marijuana Prohibition: 93500 votes/3501 comments
“We must stop imprisoning responsible adult citizens choosing to use a drug that has been mis-labeled for over 70 years.”
As always, please let us know what your thoughts are in the comments.
