* Tax the Millionaire$ to raise revenue- Institute a 50% Flat Surtax on all income over $1 million per year, with no accountant's deductions or write-offs of any kind. Translated: You earn $4 million bucks. Ok, the first one million is taxed at today's rate, allowing for the same deductions presently taken. The next 3 million is taxed by 50%, with 1.5 million dollars going right to the Treasury. If anyone tries to move offshore to avoid our income tax rates, just pass a law that anyone working for a company that trades a certain % of products or services within the USA must pay regular federal income tax as those who reside here. Period!
* Cut Military Spending by an initial 25%, increasing the cut to 50% within a few years, and so on. Along with doing this, close most of the 1000 foreign military bases we now have. Then get most of our military personnel the hell out of the rest of the world, and transfer some of them to our domestic bases already established. This would both cut spending and create an economic stimulus for the towns nationwide that our bases are in or near. One great advantage of doing this is during times of natural disasters (and with global warming more than ever have there been) these military personnel can be ready to come to the aid of victims and damaged infrastructure.
As far as the rest of the world, where our bases and their WMDs have been too close for comfort for the inhabitants of those countries (over 100 at last count) - maybe their anti-imperialist/anti-colonialist anger will dissipate a bit. How would our people feel if China or Russia had bases on our border with Mexico, with their missiles pointed in our direction? Food for thought indeed.
* Issue a "Payroll Tax Forgiveness" for businesses and all USA working stiffs" if we cease taking out a payroll tax on the first $25,000 of wages for the employee and the small business owner (for each of his or her employee), each side saves the 7+ % of that $25,000, or around $1,800 dollars a year per employee. I would cap the employer contribution at 50 employees per company to help small businesses to better compete with large corporations, but all USA employees would get the forgiven take-out... tax free! Imagine what a working stiff could do with that extra tax free money. Maybe to save for a down payment on a home; tuition to take advanced educational or vocational training; better car or finally be able to purchase a car; better rental housing (I'll get to that subject later on); dental treatment needed (I'll get to that one too later on) or just putting the money in the bank as savings. If they choose to spend the money, imagine the economic stimulus that would create. The employer could use that savings to upgrade the business, or pay for more advertising, or maybe even give some of it back to the employees in the form of an incentive bonus for good performance. This idea would also help to wipe out the underground economy. Why would any small business owner even contemplate hiring someone off the books, when the first $25K of income has no employer contribution? Since most ' off the books ' workers are part time anyway, this idea would be an incentive for hiring ' on the books '.
* Medicare and dental care for all; at least for those who want in. The key here is to not legislate getting rid of private health insurers. No, let them continue to offer the inferior coverage they offer. Rather, with the added savings from super taxing millionaire$ and drastic cuts in the obscene and unnecessary military spending, Uncle Sam could really institute a viable national health and dental care plan. No need for any private insurer to be involved in this at all, as they now do with our current Medicare programs. One form fits all, and with the added caveat of comprehensive dental coverage too. We all pay into the plan according to our incomes, at a much lower rate than we pay now for private coverage.
My family doctor of 17 years pushed me off as a patient because he no longer participated with my current health insurer under Medicare. This writer would also have at least 4 more teeth than I have now, because it was cheaper to spend $175 to pull one tooth than the $2000+ for a root canal and crown.
A friend of mine, who had to have 5 teeth pulled at once due to gum disease; he would have been able to afford the gum surgery needed in advance of things (a surgery that now averages around $ 6000).
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