A TRUE STIMULUS TO RIGHT THE SHIP

As the nation rapidly approaches 10% unemployment, the President promised yesterday to target JOBS for the remainder of the year. Good thinking, sir. Where you been? Jobs is what will turn this nation around, and your previous discussions in regards to creating green jobs is right on target, but in and of itself, will not create the momentum we need.

My occupational bias aside, this nation feeds on real estate and construction. Yes, health care, medicare and social security is draining our economy, as well as our two wars in the Middle East. But, if you want immediate job creation, immediate growth, construction is where it is at. We as a nation are not huge manufacturers anymore. It is a stain on our nation, but it simply is not happening. We cannot compete with cheaper labor, which even overshadows manufacturing products long distances away and shipping them here. We need to end this.

What I am proposing is a 2 year, short term fix for our economic jump start. It involves an ten step plan; a temporary plan which will kick things into gear. It will be funded largely by the 60% of the economic stimulus package as yet unspent.

1. allow a temporary 10% reduction in the minimum wage for all new jobs created. If the market will bite on these jobs, so be it. They will be better than nothing, and allow for businesses to begin to hire back employees currently on unemployment, especially in the food and retail industries. With this, we double the fines for the employment of any employee who is here in the country illegally.
2. allow any legal American to purchase Medicare who is over the age of 40. Suspend all federal funding for anyone here illegally, and absolve the medical industry of the duty to treat anyone here illegally for free (emergency rooms especially will benefit from this, and lower all other costs on legal citizens). With this, we mandate that in order to be a native born American citizen, at least one parent must be a legal citizen prior to birth.
3. the creation of 10 year, low interest construction loans, new construction or retrofitting of existing properties (including single family homes), subject to green (LEEDS) qualifications.
4. capping gross profits from the insurance and financial sectors to 15% of sales. They do not produce anything other than paper, and should not be able to raise their rates in the astronomical manner the health insurance companies have in the previous ten years. Additional oversight needs to be given the petrochemical industries to insure they do not receive windfall profits, and are reinvesting their profits in re drilling and exploration of domestic potentials, or venturing into more greener energy solutions (wind and solar).
5. demand, and make public the progress payments made by all recipients of the stimulus and TARP funds distributed thus far. We want the money back, we want it as soon as possible, and you will incur the wrath of the American taxpayers until you do so.
6. continue with the cash for clunkers program for non-energy efficient water heaters, HVAC units, and large kitchen appliances. The only stipulation will be that the new units be energy efficient and American made.
7. the immediate suspension of the Bush tax windfall program for our wealthiest 3% of Americans.
8. a two year moratorium on the early withdrawal penalty for the first 25% of any IRA, 401K, Roth, or other ERISA eligible retirement vehicle. There will be no retirement or hardship requirements. The only stipulation is the financial organisation overseeing the funds must immediately deduct 35% as an income tax prior to the investors receiving their funds. The investor will receive their cash and a withholding statement, and the government will receive additional tax revenue to be applied to the deficit only.
9. all government programs and federal and state budgets will be deficit neutral period beginning in fiscal 2011, period. If any state fails to balance the budget, all federal funds will cease until they do.
10. a 2 year suspension of NAFTA.