I have been reading about Donald Trump for at least two years. He has said and tweeted some provocative, insensitive remarks. These comments appealed to the far right and fostered the growing of the far left. It has been an uphill battle with seemingly most against him while many like his ideas.
He made enrollment in ACA voluntary. He simplified the tax code meaning most will see that they will pay less. He got North Korea to the table signing an agreement to eliminate their nuclear arsenal and have friendly relations with the South. He took on NATO and the U.N. for making the U.S. pay more than its share. He pushed for a fair playing field in manufacturing so the U.S. reduces its trade deficit while making America less dependent on imports. The unemployment rate is at an 18 year low and that for Americans of African or Latin American descent is even better. He has taken on China which everyone agrees has had unfair advantage in manufacturing. American produced 60% of its goods and services in the 1960s, it has now gone to 2%. He withdrew from the Iran deal because it was too limited. Now the member nations are negotiating how to fix it to Trump's satisfaction.
Mindful that he probably reads my blog (doesn't everyone?), here are my suggestions for the Administration:
Finalize the agreement with North Korea with real deadlines, but don't crow about it. Be gracious.
Fix the Affordable Care Act also known as PelosiCare. Now that individual mandate is gone, let private insurers reject any applicant for medical reasons. Those denied coverage would be immediately eligible to the "public option" as would those living in states where Medicaid was not expanded. It would be a federal program with a share of cost based on income. The private insurers would compete for the pool of healthy patients. They should be able to offer a scaled down version covering necessary hospital visits, lab tests - including radiology, office visits - including clinics and prescription drugs and other medical supplies. The cost would go down because of the competition. The U.S. then can stop subsidizing insurers by $10 billion a year. Then every American who wants affordable health coverage would have it.
Get us out of the Middle East, never to return. Let Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya solve their own problems. Tell our NATO allies that we will leave our foreign bases if they want or will stay as long as the host country pays the personnel costs. The U.S. should pledge only to come to the aid of our close allies Western Europe, Israel, Oceana, Japan, South Korea and Canada.
The cabinet should be downsized. Let Education go under what was HEW. Let Energy and EPA ( unless it is returned to the states to manage) be under Interior, and have Homeland Security and the V.A. go under the Department of Defense. The service members who are currently abroad, can come here to protect our country by ending illegal immigration. They could build the wall, patrol the border and even send special forces to Mexico and Central America to route out gangs that plague their citizens. Allow the almost 690,000 DACA recipients get legal status with no path to citizenship.
In order to prolong the viability of Social Security immediately raise the FICA contribution ceiling from $110,000 to $250,000 and the withholding from 6.2% to 6.5% with the option of raising it .5% every five years to an ultimate maximum of 8%. Fully tax Social Security benefits so the FICA trust fund will increase with all the taxes going back into the fund.
While the new tax code goes part of the way, it could go further and be simpler and fairer. Eliminate all itemized deductions and credits and offer only a standard deduction $20,000 for single and $40,000 for households. Make all sources of income equally taxable -so Social Security benefits, dividends, interest and earned income, (minus the FICA withholding), would be considered equal. There could be about five or six tax brackets going from 10% to 35%. Those earning more than $500,000 would pay a straight 30%. Those earning more than $1 million would pay a straight 35%. This will lighten the load for taxpayers and for the IRS who could then focus on self-employment and company taxes which would be itemized.
Reverse the terrible decisions regarding the environment. Say no more offshore drilling, no new pipelines and yes to more renewable energy.
Eliminate the penny and nickel. They cost more to make than they are worth, and few use them anyway. The smallest increment would be ten cents.
Stop making incendiary comments and tweets. Get someone like Pat Buchanan write your material so you say what you need to say but in a non provocative, inoffensive way. Don't go to war with your many detractors but rather win them over.
Good luck. We need you to succeed for our country's sake.
.
He made enrollment in ACA voluntary. He simplified the tax code meaning most will see that they will pay less. He got North Korea to the table signing an agreement to eliminate their nuclear arsenal and have friendly relations with the South. He took on NATO and the U.N. for making the U.S. pay more than its share. He pushed for a fair playing field in manufacturing so the U.S. reduces its trade deficit while making America less dependent on imports. The unemployment rate is at an 18 year low and that for Americans of African or Latin American descent is even better. He has taken on China which everyone agrees has had unfair advantage in manufacturing. American produced 60% of its goods and services in the 1960s, it has now gone to 2%. He withdrew from the Iran deal because it was too limited. Now the member nations are negotiating how to fix it to Trump's satisfaction.
Mindful that he probably reads my blog (doesn't everyone?), here are my suggestions for the Administration:
Finalize the agreement with North Korea with real deadlines, but don't crow about it. Be gracious.
Fix the Affordable Care Act also known as PelosiCare. Now that individual mandate is gone, let private insurers reject any applicant for medical reasons. Those denied coverage would be immediately eligible to the "public option" as would those living in states where Medicaid was not expanded. It would be a federal program with a share of cost based on income. The private insurers would compete for the pool of healthy patients. They should be able to offer a scaled down version covering necessary hospital visits, lab tests - including radiology, office visits - including clinics and prescription drugs and other medical supplies. The cost would go down because of the competition. The U.S. then can stop subsidizing insurers by $10 billion a year. Then every American who wants affordable health coverage would have it.
Get us out of the Middle East, never to return. Let Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya solve their own problems. Tell our NATO allies that we will leave our foreign bases if they want or will stay as long as the host country pays the personnel costs. The U.S. should pledge only to come to the aid of our close allies Western Europe, Israel, Oceana, Japan, South Korea and Canada.
The cabinet should be downsized. Let Education go under what was HEW. Let Energy and EPA ( unless it is returned to the states to manage) be under Interior, and have Homeland Security and the V.A. go under the Department of Defense. The service members who are currently abroad, can come here to protect our country by ending illegal immigration. They could build the wall, patrol the border and even send special forces to Mexico and Central America to route out gangs that plague their citizens. Allow the almost 690,000 DACA recipients get legal status with no path to citizenship.
In order to prolong the viability of Social Security immediately raise the FICA contribution ceiling from $110,000 to $250,000 and the withholding from 6.2% to 6.5% with the option of raising it .5% every five years to an ultimate maximum of 8%. Fully tax Social Security benefits so the FICA trust fund will increase with all the taxes going back into the fund.
While the new tax code goes part of the way, it could go further and be simpler and fairer. Eliminate all itemized deductions and credits and offer only a standard deduction $20,000 for single and $40,000 for households. Make all sources of income equally taxable -so Social Security benefits, dividends, interest and earned income, (minus the FICA withholding), would be considered equal. There could be about five or six tax brackets going from 10% to 35%. Those earning more than $500,000 would pay a straight 30%. Those earning more than $1 million would pay a straight 35%. This will lighten the load for taxpayers and for the IRS who could then focus on self-employment and company taxes which would be itemized.
Reverse the terrible decisions regarding the environment. Say no more offshore drilling, no new pipelines and yes to more renewable energy.
Eliminate the penny and nickel. They cost more to make than they are worth, and few use them anyway. The smallest increment would be ten cents.
Stop making incendiary comments and tweets. Get someone like Pat Buchanan write your material so you say what you need to say but in a non provocative, inoffensive way. Don't go to war with your many detractors but rather win them over.
Good luck. We need you to succeed for our country's sake.
.
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