Come one, come all! The US federal budget is yours to compose!

Save us, ye who fears neither the wrath of entrenched interests nor the shellackings of a fickle public


I did this (scroll down, I had to move the image so it doesn't conflict with the sidebar):

The Long Version

Badges: safety net, economic stimulus, and green energy, though I think safety net covers health & wellness and green energy can cover energy independence

Cards:

• Bring troops home gradually
• Cut military spending by 10%
• End No Child Left Behind
• Reform and reduce farm subsidies
• Give prize for cheaper car battery
• Keep Bush tax cuts for all but rich
• Reform and hike corporate taxes
• Increase Social Security taxes for the wealthy
• Cap and limit greenhouse gas emissions
• Tax private equity, hedge fund managers
• No breaks for extractive industries
• End breaks for big oil
• Simplify and raise Medicare fees
• Increase Medicare costs for wealthy
• Tax high-premium health insurance plans
• Require and subsidize health insurance
• Cut rates for private health plans in Medicare
• Simplify Medicare payments
• The public option
• Raise the Social Security age
• Cut Social Security for the wealthy

Notes

Didn't ground the space program because hopefully one day we'll be able to inhabit another planet. And hopefully we will have learned our lesson about planetary vulnerability.

Didn't cut pork barrel spending because that spending benefits a lot of people beside politicians.

Eliminated Bush tax cuts only for the rich until the economy picks up, at which point all tax cuts should expire.

50 cent gas tax should be added when alternative fuel transportation becomes more viable.

Notice how cap and limit greenhouse gases lowers the debt more than taxing carbon dioxide?

Added the contest to create a better car battery as part of what I think should be a national effort to develop alternative energies. The US has the potential to produce an astonishingly high level of alternative energy. Such an effort could be a jobs creation program, a way to replace the now-failed auto industry, a way to bring production industries back to the US, a way to create national unity through a unified national effort, and an energy independence program all rolled into one policy endeavor. And, ah yes, we could establish a new national strength and safety net for years to come. Before China does all that first. Now all we need is a strong, inspiring, progressive leader. Huh, could've sworn...

Similarly, notice how the card for taxing extraction industries mentioned how integral these industries are to the US economy. Tax them and develop new forms of energy!

There's so much I wanted to add to the budget!