Reply #2: suggestions

[Fovea]

Firstly-- 12th grade is far too soon for the complexity of 21st century citizenship. 16th grade public free (compulsary) education-- no dropping out, simply moving laterally into vocational concentrations.

Secondly, absolutely correct about medicine. The current high cost model is a shell game of cost shifting and reductions. Try being disabled and without health insurance. On second thought, don't... it sucks.

1. sounds needlessly regressive to me. Why are you lumping food and non-essentials into an omnibus catagory? Take botox off the national health schedule of services and tax the bejabbers out of it.

2. I guess it depends on the items identified. What if I buy a 5K bicycle?

3. Too punitive to fly...competes too hard against the human drive to nepotism. Why not just subect it to income rates as added income? With a progressive tax system, income tax would be do very good work toward redirecting what a high status employee considers compensation. These type of personality are compulsively competitive, youngest employee to have a library named after them wins.

4. Works for me.