BIPAC: (Powering Business Political Success) Candidate
Questionnaire
Question 1 Tax Policies for a Stronger Economy
My opponent rarely- if ever- answers questionnaires. I'll always try and answer every one, albeit, often in a round about, free form style. As the prohibitive underdog in this one sided race, what have I got to lose? It might catch some national reporters eye? Probably not.
Question 1…I'm the Democrats odd man out, I believe in tax cuts- and major cutting of programs. I'm not concerned that a select few economies, notably, Germany's and England's, are ratcheting back and attacking deficit spending, much to Washington's chagrin. The United States believes the way out of recession, is several, trillion dollar spending sprees, euphemistically called “Stimulus I and II”. On the other hand, unlike my Republican opponent who likes to appear penurious, I thought George Bush's TARP was absolutely necessary in 2008. Elected officials needed to step up and be courageous- most did- ours didn't. The entire financial system was on the brink- our incumbent caved to the mob mentality- focused solely on Wall Street executive bonuses. Who could blame the populace, they were thinking from the gut, not the head, and it looked like the taxpayer would get stuck. Well, we will get stuck for the Stimulus, but not the TARP. Two years later, his vote looks opportunist to some of us looking very closely at his record. That's my job now, to get the word out. My opponent is forever worried, I contend, about preserving the 10-20% margin he crushes opponents with every 2 years. He's on to something perhaps?
On the other hand, I’m not just about criticizing, I have proposals.. If I could wave a magic wand and be F.D.R. for a day (with a little Ronald Reagan mixed in) the tax coffers could simultaneously overflow, and there'd be money for much needed programs, like Universal Health Coverage. A "New Deal" a "Fair Deal?" Maybe, call it "What a Deal" First, we'd overhaul the entire public sector, and revamp the civil service code. We’d eliminate the I.R.S. from everyone's lives, except for those making more than, say half a million bucks a year. Eliminate U.S. corporate taxes, eliminate any state income taxes and sales taxes. Now, here’s the tax windfall in exchange for that. First, eliminate cash, and you, just eliminated the underground economy. We're getting gitty in D.C. now! Then issue a government debit card and use it to collect a VALUE ADDED TAX at a rate- to be determined- which would effectively cover Federal and State budgets, with enough left over to begin paying down the national debt.
Don't worry the tax is regressive because everyone now has a major incentive to save and/or move up the economic ladder. Reassure the public that even though my proposed "government debit card" makes even the smallest details of our lives known to the Feds, it’s fair exchange for a roaring economy, and the more efficient, and radically smaller government, that's part of the entire PACKAGE, or no deal......the "What a Deal" is off the table. Recap: Eliminate the underground economy- giving up our privacy in the process, i.e., the debit card idea, and no more cash. In exchange for the windfall, demand a contract "signed in blood" from Congress to radically reduce the size of government. I offer this fantastic vision, because you asked me.
If this mountain of private information, on how, and where we spend our money- now made available to the Government- is misused, change the law -now- so it's easier to throw dishonest bureaucrat(s) in jail, later. Single Payer Health Care? We can now afford it.
The down to earth, realistic-practical answer, for purposes of choosing a new member of the House of Representative- and not the fantasy imagined above, sensible as it was- in 75 words or less....
......I'd cut, cut, cut government, but I'd have a heart- I'd extend unemployment benefits. If I was a Republican, I'd vote "yes" this week in Congress, no questions asked for once. It's actually on the docket this July, 2010. I'd challenge the Democrats to cut something next time, not this time- in exchange for the next unemployment extension- which they’ll ask for- because it’s double dip recession time, with no end in sight.
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Energy and a Sustainable Environment.
This is not my first time on the ballot, but it is the first time I could conceivably win. I've been saying for a long time now, I support Nuclear Energy- and I’m for fast tracking it- so the huge lead time to get a plant licensed, isn't any longer then necessary. I'm for, continued off shore drilling, and drilling in Anwar. Given what's happened in the Gulf of Mexico, I'd support making Oil Company CEO’s personally liable. That’s if it can be proven- that even after an oil company fouled up an entire ecosystem, and ruined the economy's of the Gulf States once already- oil companies continued to take shortcuts and disregarded safety or worker complaints. Maybe, the CEO’s personal assets could be confiscated the same way as individuals on the profitable side of Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme, are having their profits, “clawed back.” It’s a thought anyway, but probably not constitutional.
As a way to accelerate our move away from foreign oil, I've suggested the government, either asks, or orders industry, to quickly produce an electric car with limited range and speed, good for local trips only. A crude version sells now- in retirement communities- and here at the Jersey Shore. I’m suggesting one’s with more comforts, and built on a mass scale. Thinking back, to the last time we had a great mobilization, call them "liberty rides" as a play off of the famous "liberty ships" in W.W.II. The government purchases half a million of these cars, and leases them back to the taxpayer at say $60-70 / month. The federal government demands car insurers charge a token fee for picking up the extra vehicle on our policies. You’ve now eliminated three reasons mini sized cars don’t sell- initial cost, the insurance, and the need to chose it over a larger-gas powered vehicle. Doing it this way, you could own both, an electric, plus the family car. If insurers balk at charging a nominal fee, the government could threaten to enter into the auto insurance business- reminiscent of Single Payer Health Care debate. Just like Single Payer moved that debate forward, this might move the energy debate forward. Who'd object? Dirt cheap electrics for you and me- my way- vs. billions for solar panel production- we may never see the benefits from- Obamas way.
Here’s one more we can dismiss as politically unfeasible as well, although it could be implemented relatively quickly, and I could spell it out in 100 words or less. It would be in our national security interest, and it’s “big government” all the way - with no need to cajole private industry. I would be for greatly increasing the tax on gasoline at the pump, in order to reduce consumption, if it could be rebated back to the consumer every fiscal quarter at a rate of, every nickel we paid in- plus a few dollars extra - as an inducement for the temporary hardship of paying and collecting the tax. "The few dollars extra” is no different then George Bush's "free" stimulus checks in 2007 and 2008, except- everyone qualifies this time. A smaller car gets a bigger bonus.
Automatically apply the refund-stimulus check to the driver’s mortgage payment, or light bill, so it's not put right back in the gas tank. Some might prefer to automatically have the- refund-stimulus- used to purchase “Green” Savings Bonds.
Ideas like these, don’t cost a cent, why not "imagine?" My opponent by the way offers nothing, although he does have one of the smallest Congressional staffs in Washington, leaving him no time for brainstorming.
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America at Work- Today and Tomorrow
That old image of the 5 minutes to midnight “Doomsday Clock” is ticking these days for different reasons than nuclear Armageddon of old. Uncontrolled Government borrowing is the new looming threat. Government needs to shrink quickly, and the private sector has to grow rapidly. Greece and Portugal are ample warning of what’s coming.
Do we replace public sector Baby Boomers retires, or will it be business as usual? Eliminate busy work in the government- reduce the bloated payroll- and Wall Street and the private sector will respond. Sounds simplistic, and it is......simple. For instance, the manual on “What Constitutes Sexual Harassment in the Workforce” doesn’t need to be revamped every six months, and neither does every Government agency need to write its own version. As an outside contractor to the Government, I’ve seen this crazy *^*# first hand. And what kind of idiocy is it to replace every gov’t agency's fleets- of barely used vehicles- every two or three years? This sort of nonsense isn’t funny anymore. It was perceived that way when I was younger and budgets ran a surplus. Incidentally, that image, of a super low mileage Government Ford Explorer-gas hog- is just the reason my idea in the previous question- the one about Washington ordering industry to produce half a million- limited use electric cars- and then buy and lease them back to us- makes so much sense. If the public doesn’t go for the $59/ month lease deal, the government keeps the electrics themselves. If consumers chose to buy these electric cars, the government keeps their old gas powered vehicles, and runs them another additional year or two. No need to send the old ones to auction before they’re even“broken-in” as they do now.
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Other issue of your choice
Immigration reform. I’m pro-amnesty, with one condition. Illegals first organize and take a stand, not against us, but against Mexico.- the source of all the trouble in this unending story. Mexican undocumented aliens, boycott Mexico. That's a plan, an idea. They hold back remittances and with the support of loved one’s back home, declare war- from here- on the corruption- there- inside the Mexican government- the crux of the problem- and the reason the country doesn’t work; the reason we got "Third World" on a 2000 mile border! Corruption enabled the drug cartels, not the other way around. Whether or not the idea works in the end, Americans would be so impressed by this act of defiance against Mexico by Mexicans, we’d be more inclined to grant amnesty. Any American against it at that point, would never be satisfied, but they’d be in a minority, unlike now, where a huge majority is against amnesty. If a boycott did work, and a shamed Government cracked down on it’s own civil servants... hardly anyone would need to sneak in here anymore, because the economy down there would boom, and every one speaks the same language there.
When Mexico get’s on track, that's when we create tens of thousands of new jobs here, providing Mexico with the goods and services they now can’t afford- and desperately need.
Newfangled immigration reform, gov’t leased electric cars at $59/month, eliminating cash- the IRS- state taxes, and adding a value added tax- all in one sentence, and less then 50 words. Maybe it’s all crazy talk? Maybe I’m just the kind of gadfly you get behind if you’re “mad as hell (and can’t take anymore)”
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What do you believe are the major differences between you and your opponent?
He’s tired out, even though he never worked up a sweat. See my ideas above, and look at his legislative record in 16 years in Congress, and I’ll stand by that previous sentence.
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Contact Information: What_If@steinforcongress2010.com
