If interested, here's what your tax burden will be under a Clark admimistration.
http://www.clark04.com/taxcalculator/It has been said here that it was your money and tax relief was welcome, under Clarks plan most of you who have kids and an income less than 50K you will have to pay little or no taxes...I'm childless, but I think that, for the American families, this is a very good thing.
Try the calculator...see for yourself.
WES CLARK'S PLEDGE TO OPEN GOVERNMENT
Under President Bush, government has been of special interests, by special interests, and for special interests. President Bush has shut the people out of government, creating one of the most secretive Presidencies in history. As President, Wes Clark would reverse the Bush secrecy policy, and restore a government where the public's right to know comes before the President's right to keep politically inconvenient secrets. Specifically, Wes Clark will take two major steps to create the most open, transparent administration in American history:
Reverse the Bush Secrecy Policies
Establish a Clark Openness Doctrine
REVERSE THE BUSH SECRECY POLICIES
Reverse Bush's November 2001 Rollback of FOIA. In October 2001, President Bush signed a new Executive Order, rolling back the availability of public information under the Freedom of Information Act - a 30-year old law that protects the public's right to know. President Clark would sign an Executive Order on the first day of his Presidency reversing the Bush order, and restoring the public's right to know. In addition, Wes Clark would instruct his Attorney General to overturn Ashcroft's directive restricting responses to FOIA requests and return to a foreseeable harm standard for FOIA exemptions.
End the Energy Task Force Stonewall - Immediately. President Bush continues to withhold records of the Cheney Energy Task Force from the Congress and the public - and is spending unknown sums of taxpayer dollars defending this stonewall in federal court, up to the Supreme Court. On President Clark's first day in office, he will direct the Justice Department to drop its legal objections, and will have the records of the Cheney Task Force released publicly.
End the 9/11 Stonewall - Immediately. Clark would extend the life of the September 11th Investigative Commission until its work was complete - ending the arbitrary cut off that now exists, and is allowing the administration to "run out the clock" on the Commission. Also on Clark's first day in the White House, he'd sign a new Presidential Memorandum directing the National Security Council, the NSA, the CIA, the State Department, and the Defense Department to turn over all relevant records on September 11th to the Commission, to make sure that the American people know the truth about what happened that day - and what could have been done to prevent that tragedy.
Undo Bush's March 2003 Classification Extension. Wes Clark would reverse the Executive Order signed by George Bush in March 2003 that extended the length of time that classified documents are withheld from the public. In addition, President Bush has increased the number of agencies that can classify documents. Wes Clark would replace these Bush rules with an approach that balances national security and the public's right to know in a more appropriate way.
End the Bush Family "Secrecy is Forever" Doctrine. President Clark would also reverse President Bush's November 2001 interpretation of the Presidential Records Act, which allowed the President's father to maintain the secrecy of his Presidential records well beyond the 12 year period established by law. If the records of Presidents Nixon, Carter, and Reagan could be released after 12 years, why should the Bush family records be any different?
ESTABLISH A CLARK OPENNESS DOCTRINE
Restrict the Assertion of Executive Privilege. No President since Richard Nixon has been more aggressive in using Executive Privilege to withhold documents from the public and the Congress. As President, Wes Clark would create a new panel of three, nonpartisan, highly distinguished, independent experts to review all proposed assertions of Executive Privilege, and report to the President. Only if this independent panel supported the assertion of would President Clark allow it to go forward.
Keep Public Documents on the Internet Forever. As President, Wes Clark would require that all government documents posted on the Internet would stay there - unlike the Bush Administration which has removed rewritten history by removing politically inconvenient reports from the Internet.
No More Secret Task Forces. Wes Clark will disclose all meetings that corporate representatives and special interests have with public officials when preparing regulations or policy positions. A Clark Administration will commit to a policy that prohibits secret meetings with special interests.
Commit To Regular Press Conferences - at least Once a Month - and Town Hall Meetings. President Bush has hidden from the press, avoiding regular press conferences. As President, Wes Clark would be committed to holding at least one major press conference per month - along with regular town hall meetings.
Establish a National Declassification Center (NDC). Following the recommendations of the 1997 Moynihan Commission, Clark would create an NDC that would centralize coordination of declassification across the Government, streamlining the process of releasing information.
Require Federal Lobbyists to Disclose More Information In a More Timely Manner. Currently lobbyists only have to file disclosure forms every six months. Wes Clark would require monthly disclosure forms - and would require greater information including who the lobbyist met with, what they were lobbying on behalf of, and how much money was spent.
My note....above all things, IMO, GWB's administrations secrecy is the most frightening of all their faults. An open government is necessary to have a government of, by and for the people.
