How about reducing the "lottery" like windfall settlements that medical lawsuits provide for the patient (and there lawyers, who strangely enough overwhelmingly support Democrats). Doctors don't need a subsidy, they make a good living, but they shouldn't (nor the taxpayer) be saddled with those outrageous malpractice insurance payments. Too much is wasted on unnecessary tests from fearful doctors. 

35 hour work week... sounds great until you need your car fixed on the weekend. Hire more workers. That increases the cost of the service. Of course the employer could always hire two employees for 20 hours, and not pay benefits. Obama says you'll pick up their health cost anyway.

All for politicians losing their uber sweet bennies. Two words- term limits. Public service is supposed to be a duty not a monetary windfall. How many politicians leave their position (when they do leave) significantly wealthier than when they were first elected. Give them minimum wage, a cot and three hots. That would separate those that want to do the job over those looking for personal gain.

Urban blight? Are you referring to those bastions of the democrat base? When you subsidies poverty, you get more of it. But it does seem to garner votes.

#1 - Penalize them more?  Ok, penalize those that violate it (they already are when caught) and get rid of the mountains of red tape that this administration has foisted upon them!

#2 - Why shorter work weeks?  40 is not onerous.  35 would just mean less pay and fewer benefits.  There is no magic to employment.  You get paid for what you produce.

#3 - The solution to Mal practice is to recognize that medicine is not an exact science and no one is perfect.  The number of "bad" doctors is miniscule compared to human falacies and lawyer fees.

#4 - Subcommittee of whom?  The lawyers that get the fees?

#5 - Who decides who is competent?  Tests?  They already have them.  Politicians?  Yea, like that would do any good!  Talk about throwing gas on a fire!

#6 - All we need is for stupid boobs to get out of the way of entrepreneurs. There is risk in everything,  You cannot eliminate it with legislation or incentives.

#7 - You hire reliable people.  Sometimes they are in blighted areas.  Most of the time the risk is too great.  You cannot legislate risk out of everything, or competence into every one.

#8 - As long as you keep re-electing the same clowns over and over again.

#9 - Yes, so we salute the queen?  Until you understand that we are not Europe, you will never understand why we are different.  We have universal health care.  It is not perfect, but it is not as bad as the rationing in Europe with their version either.

Close to croaking.

 Would you use this same thinking in assessing teacher competence?

Yeah, I can't be trusted.

You are one tough guy. Were you a bully in the schoolyard?

no, Bullied.

I guess you  learned a lot from the experience.