JasonC SBB

Many people are encouraged to SPEND instead of saving and investing. This is bass ackwards - and the powers want a "rebate" to "stimulate" spending. This is Keynesian philosophy and a load of bull. Printing more money to "stimulate spending" is not he solution when the problem was PRINTING TOO MUCH MONEY to begin with!


Ron Paul's plan:
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Introduction

America became the greatest, most prosperous nation in human history through low taxes, limited government, personal freedom and a belief in sound money. We need to return to these principles so our economy can thrive again. When enacted, my plan will provide both short-term stimulus and lay the groundwork f or long-term prosperity.
Other candidates talk a lot about stimulus packages, but my record stands alone. I have fought for these measures for years as a member of Congress and will make them a top priority as president.

Ron Paul, a 10-term Republican congressman from Texas's 14th District, is currently the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee's Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology. He has been named "Taxpayers' Best Friend" for 10 consecutive years by the National Taxpayers' Union. Ron Paul is also the author of several books on monetary policy and economics.

The Four-Point Plan

1. Tax Reform: Reduce the tax burden and eliminate taxes that punish investment and savings, including job-killing corporate taxes.
2. Spending Reform: Eliminate wasteful spending. Reduce overseas commitments. Freeze all non-defense, non-entitlement spending at current levels.
3. Monetary Policy Reform: Expand openness with the Federal Reserve and require the Fed to televise its meetings. Return value to our money.
4. Regulatory Reform: Repeal Sarbanes/Oxley regulations that push companies to seek capital outside of US markets. Stop restricting community banks from fostering local economic growth.

1. Tax Reform
* Eliminate Taxes on Dividends and Savings. The basis of capitalism is savings, and Americans who do so should be rewarded.
o Pass HJ Res. 23 to encourage savings over consumption.
* Repeal the Death Tax. Attacking small businesses and breaking up family farms smothers growth and kills jobs.
o Pass H.R. 2734 to make the Bush tax cuts permanent.
* Cut Taxes for Working Seniors. Grandmothers and grandfathers working to make ends meet should keep all the fruits of their labor.
o Pass H.R. 191 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the inclusion in gross income of Social Security benefits.
* Eliminate Taxes on Social Security Benefits. That money belongs to seniors, not the government. They paid into the system for a lifetime, and they should be free to spend every penny as they see fit.
o Pass H.R. 192 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 increase in taxes on Social Security benefits.
* Accelerate Depreciation on Investment. We need to help companies grow and create jobs.
o Pass H.R. 4995 and amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce corporate marginal income tax rates.
* Eliminate Taxes on Capital Gains. Investment should be embraced and rewarded.
o Pass H.J. Res 23 (The "Liberty Amendment"), proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to abolishing personal income, estate, and gift taxes and prohibiting the United States Government from engaging in business in competition with its citizens.
* Eliminate Taxes on Tips.The single parents and working students who earn their income chiefly through tips deserve to keep all of their money. This tax on "estimated income" is unfair and should be ended.
o Pass H.R. 3664 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that tips shall not be subject to income or employment taxes.
* Support Mortgage Cancelation Relief Act. Working families who lost their homes should not be punished a second time with a big IRS bill.
o Pass H.R. 1876 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income of individual taxpayers discharges of indebtedness attributable to certain forgiven residential mortgage obligations.

2. Spending Reform
* Reduce Overseas Military Commitments. Our bases and troops should be on our soil, bolstering our economy.
o It's time to stop subsidizing our business competitors in Europe, Japan and South Korea.
* Freeze Non-Defense, Non-Entitlement Spending at Current Levels
o I vote against all bloated, pork laden spending bills and will veto them as president.

3. Monetary Policy Reform
* Televise Federal Open Market Committee Meetings. An institution as powerful as the Federal Reserve deserves full public scrutiny.
* Expand Transparency and Accountability at the Federal Reserve
o Pass H.R. 2754 to require the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to continue to make available to the public on a weekly basis information on the measure of the M3 monetary aggregate and its components.
* Return Value to Our Money. Legalize gold and silver as a competing currency.
o Level the long-term boom and bust business cycle by passing H.R. 4683, which would repeal provisions of the federal criminal code relating to issuance coins of gold, silver, or other metal for use as current money and making or possessing likenesses of such coins.

4. Regulatory Reform
* Repeal Sarbanes/Oxley. It has seriously wounded our capital markets and helped make the UK the financial center at our expense.
o Ending these misguided regulations would bring jobs flooding back to the United States
o Pass H.R. 1049 to reform Sarbanes-Oxley and reduce the burden it places on small businesses.
* Repeal or Remove Costly and Unnecessary Federal Regulations. Neighbors know best how to help their neighbors.
o We need to make it easier for community banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions to better serve their communities and to help people in these communities get access to credit and capital.
o Pass H.R. 1869 to enhance the ability of community banks to foster economic growth and serve their communities, boost small businesses, increase individual savings, and for other purposes.

em99sport

iTrader: (2)

I wish more people would realize just how much this guy could do for our country. It's not simply some idealistic fantasy. However, folks need a cookie cutter candidate to make them feel comfortable. ******* apathetic American public...

JasonC SBB

It's the media, man.

Loki047

iTrader: (6)

No Ron Paul is ******* crazier than the day is long. Might have some good ideas, but hes stupid and short sighted

JasonC SBB

Please explain.

Loki047

iTrader: (6)

Again. We cant pull out of Iraq right now. Regardless of whose fault;

Leaving abortion to states right is ignoring the plans from the constitution.

Marriage. He wants to protect personal liberties yet offers no protection to same sex marriage. Which is has already been decided on by the supreme court. Its a case of sex discrimination.

Until he shows me and the people where he plans to cut funding without leaving the middle east worse than were we found it, hes a crazy tin foil hat man.

em99sport

iTrader: (2)

Why not?

wildfire0310

iTrader: (1)

While I agree with alot of Ron Paul's points, you are right on some points.

You are kinda wrong on one point, we can pull out of Iraq at anytime, we don't because we don't want the whole world viewing us in an even worst light. That and I still believe will not pull out until we have a "leader" there that listens to the USA.

Below is my 2cent and just my view

Right now I believe Ron is the lesser of all the evil. Until there is a person that is pro-choice(just cause I don't believe the government has the right to deny anyone choices), same sex mariage ( for the above reason) and lower taxes whether it be fair tax or massive massive tax breaks. Until that day everyone will be just lesser of two evils.

PaKMaN

iTrader: (1)

Revolution baby

JasonC SBB

Re: marriage - he wants the federal gov't to stay out of marriage, whether hetero or homo.

"Leaving abortion to states right is ignoring the plans from the constitution" - Huh?

"Until he shows me and the people where he plans to cut funding without leaving the middle east worse than were we found it, hes a crazy tin foil hat man." - Don't you think the best thing for Iraq is to give them their country back? Don't you think that the factions there would like to sit down and have peace talks? That our occupation is making them angry and is a recruitment tool for Al Qaeda? Don't you think that Israel with her 300 nukes can defend herself, and that if we stopped sending aid to them and to the Arab nations, that they would have an incentive to make peace? And that the path to peace is mutually beneficial trade?

Loki047

iTrader: (6)

A) Its not marriage, its sex discrimination which is a federal issue

B) Am I the only person who remembers the 9th amendment to the bill of rights?

Loki047

iTrader: (6)

oh and damn this sounds like can't be discriminated because of sex.. weird.

Title VII also prohibits discrimination against an individual because of his or her association with another individual of a particular race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. An employer cannot discriminate against a person because of his interracial association with another, such as by an interracial marriage

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

might as well jump on board of a world government while we are at it. UN FTW!

bryantaylor

iTrader: (5)

that post is spot on

Zabac

iTrader: (39)

**** the UN!!!!!!11!1!11!!!

Loki047

iTrader: (6)

I dont follow

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

So long as "they" consists of the above-mentioned factions, it seems to me that in absentia the occupation force, and without the unifying effect of a "common enemy" (eg: the western devil) against whom to unite, the country will tend to lapse back into a state of inter-tribal conflict and rule by warlord as was their tendancy during pretty much the whole 50 year period between the end of UK subjugation and the beginning of the Hussein era.

Whether this is a problem or not is much more a philosophical matter.

Several years ago (before 9/11, but after the Iraq-Kuwait war) I read an interesting treatise on the modern history of the utilities infrastructure and energy production in general. I wish I could find it again, but one of the key points I remember taking away from it was that were the United States to fully exploit its known oil fields, that not only would it be able to provide for 100% of its own energy requirements at currently projected levels, but that we would actually be able to function as an exporter of oil to the world market for at least the next thirty years.

Granted, most of this petroleum (like the contents of the "strategic reserve") are of a less pure grade than the "light sweet" oil produced in most of the North African / Middle Eastern nations, requiring a more expensive refining process and having a low yield of substances such as gasoline.

The problem, of course, is that we'd have to kill a few polar bears and environmentalists in order to make this happen. And we can't really do that, can we? Much better to keep sending soldiers abroad...

Absolutely, 100% without question, yes.


Depends on how desperate things get, I suppose. So long as Palestinian children are watching Saturday morning TV shows featuring a cartoon mouse who cheerfully reminds them to exterminate all the Jews, then I don't see mutually beneficial trade happening in that situation. Were Isreal to indeed annihilate Palestine outright, it would most likely raise the ire of Egypt and Syria. Still, not really our problem I expect. Though we'd better make sure we've got our own domestic oil production ramped up before we let Israel go and start WWIII in its backyard. While I like to think that I'd continue to profit from $10/gallon gasoline the same way that I have from $3.50/gal, the reality of it is that the resultant economic collapse would probably ruin everything anyway.

ray_sir_6

iTrader: (1)

Cause it would cause civil war. The rival religious factions will go on a killing spree, and it will spill over into neighboring countries. This will cause a regional conflict cause Iran, Turkey, Jordan, and Syria would be threatened. It would be a land grab under the basis of protecting their national security by getting a buffer zone (Israel did it, why wouldn't they). So now the region would be spiraling towards a major conflict, which would make living conditions even lower, which would increase Al Qaida volunteers.

It wouldn't stay contained in the Middle East for long, it would spread into the Indian subcontinent, thru Egypt into Africa, into SW Europe, and the southern regions of the former USSR.

These are not "rational" people, these are religious people. And their religion teaches that those who do not believe what we believe deserve to die. So I would rather have them kill a few GIs (I was in the Army) and a few dozen Iraqis a week then let it explode into an expanding RELIGIOUS WAR.

JasonC SBB

And WTF does this have to do with us? Do you really want to go on policing the world? Do you think we can afford it?

Why do we send men and women to DIE on foreign land to "secure the oil" WHEN WE HAVE PLENTY IN ALASKA?

Do you honestly believe Israel would consider that?

JasonC SBB

Do you realize the same people who said that going into Iraq would be a "cakewalk" are the same ones now saying it'll be a "mess" if we leave? Do you want to continue making decisions based on what those people say?

How about this for an idea: Get Iraq's neighbors to help out in smoothing things within Iraq!

How many of you guys knew that Saddam himself was trained by the CIA to overthrow his predecessor Qasim?