Long term, occupy the middle deserted portion of the political blogger landscape in an attempt to build a coalition towards more centrist policies and political parties.

Short term, and way before the Democratic Convention, build up a legitimate candidacy of the most electable team. Today, that would be Dean/Clark, or a combination thereof - although my 'dream' ticket remains Dean/ McCain running on the DEMOCRATIC ticket. The point here is that the team of candidates we support must be the candidates with the highest chance of winning the election.

Once the Democratic Convention speaks, there will be no more opportunity to influence the candidate for the '04 election. Then it's a matter of supporting the candidate, and hope for the restoration of democracy in the United States.

On the local level encourage formation of and support for, centrist parties and candidates. In New York, we are very much affected by the "trickle-down" economics of Tax Cuts who serve the interests of the politicians more than the nominally intended beneficiaries (us).

Bush wants to implement tax cuts so bad you can feel his fervor. I don't want his tax cuts, neither the tax cut the "average family" [in theory only] will receive, nor am I interested in any of the 'tax cuts for the rich'.

Our state governor, George Pataki, has fervently refused to even consider increasing NY state income taxes as a way to make up for New York's huge deficit. With the assistance of the NY legislature, he has managed to push the burden of medicaid and other Federally mandated programs down to the level of the counties.

As a result, we have seen aggregate income, sales and property taxes continue their unhealthy, upward spiraling trend in New York. Since both Bush and Pataki want to run for re-election, in part on their tax largesse, we have seen local school and property taxes run amok .

It is time to make a change.

Let the Federal government collect the taxes necessary to support the economy, including possible wars on several fronts. And do so without incurring deficits. Raise the taxes whenever necessary.

Don't promise not to pass our problems on to future generations, and then turn right around and aggravate an already existing deficit of $300 billion (before war expenses are figured in) by tax cuts - absolutely insane.

Let New York do likewise, let us balance the state budget by taking on all of the legitimate obligations for which our states are the logical choice, and let the counties worry about their local affairs like education, roads, police and the like.

We need, pretty well, a complete turnover in our elected officials, from the President on down, including our State Governor, as well as most of our elected State and County legislators.

We need to restore fiscal sanity to our government, at all levels.