So with the tentative approval of Federal Budget and a State Budget here in Michigan, it got me thinking. Why 3.1 Trillion dollars for a Federal Budget? Currently Federal Receipts are about 2.5 Trillion dollars:
$370 Billion from corporate tax
$1.16 Trillion from individual tax
$870 Billion is Soc.Sec. tax
$163 Billion in other taxes, fee, and fines
I suggest we revamp what we collect:
$500 Billion in corporate taxes
$250 Billion in individual taxes
$250 Billion in other fees and fines
$1 Trillion Total Revenue
This total would be 1 Trillion dollars in collected receipts. Corporate America would be paying more and individuals would be paying less. However, Corporate America only pays 0.0123% of revenues in taxes anyway, whereas the individual pays 21% of their revenue.
Under my plan Corporate America would still only be paying 0.0166% of their revenues. And the individual would be paying about 5%. Now keep in mind, Corporate America would be picking up the bill for Social Security now.
This is how we would divide the 1 Trillion dollars:
10% to Defense
10% to Social Security
10% to Health Care
10% to Education
10% to Infrastructure
10% to Environment
10% to Research and Development (Arts and Science)
20% to Debt and Interest
10% to Govt. Operations
100% Total!
Yes, there will be major govt cut backs. And every year we will raise taxes and the budget the rate of inflation so that we can keep up with the economy. This will prevent waste because we won't be able to afford spending money on war, foreign aid, earmark pork, etc. In a later blog I will discuss how to revamp the govt in order to cut the budget, increase national security, end pollution, end poverty, and increase employment. Stay tuned.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
A True Economic Stimulus Plan
There are 75 Million Owner Occupied Households in the US. (US Census)
$12 Trillion in outstanding home loans. (Forbes)
Average outstanding home loans per owner occupied household is $160K.
Of the home loans that are high risk subprime loans; If we lowered their rates to a fixed 5% from their typical ARM 10%, homeowners would see a monthly payment of about $850 rather than $1400.
That's a stimulus check of $550 each month or $6600/yr.
If a homeowner had good credit and already had a fixed 6% rate, they pay monthly $960. This new plan saves them $110/month or $1320/yr.
7% of outstanding home loans are high risk subprime loans or ARMs of 10% (5,250,000). (Forbes)
$6600 x 5,250,000 = $34,650,000,000
$1320 x 69,750,000 = $92,070,000,000
Total = $126,720,000,000
This is $25 Billion shy of what the federal government would pay out, but this would solve the economic problem of subprime loans and end foreclosures. Also, it help those that really need it, the homeowners. It would punish those that cheated the system: the subprime lenders or predatory lenders, but not enough to bankrupt them.
It would cost the government zero dollars, money they could put towards education which also stimulates the economy. Every $1 spent in education equals a $5 growth in the economy (US Dept of Education). No other economic investment can say this, not spending in social services, health care, military, or even infrastructure spending.
So if the government spent the $150 Billion towards education it would stimulate the economy by $750 Billion. Add this to the $127 Billion from making all mortgages a fixed 5% and we have a $876 Billion economic stimulus plan.
The 5% law would only benefit existing mortgages and those in the foreclosure process. All new mortgages from the day the law is enacted would be subject to market rates. This would teach lenders that proper risk management is crucial. It wouldn't be a bail out because no money would go from the government's hand to the lender or the homeowners. It would protect the true victims: the homeowners. It would also free up the courts and counties from foreclosure deliberations and sales.
Land, property, and home ownership are the indicators of wealth. They provide collateral and equity for the owner in order to establish credit and achieve greater wealth. The 5% law would prevent the recently acquired wealth of the poor and working class from shifting back to the upper class and rich through the purchase of foreclosed deeds.
This plan will work if Congress was brave enough to push it through.
$12 Trillion in outstanding home loans. (Forbes)
Average outstanding home loans per owner occupied household is $160K.
Of the home loans that are high risk subprime loans; If we lowered their rates to a fixed 5% from their typical ARM 10%, homeowners would see a monthly payment of about $850 rather than $1400.
That's a stimulus check of $550 each month or $6600/yr.
If a homeowner had good credit and already had a fixed 6% rate, they pay monthly $960. This new plan saves them $110/month or $1320/yr.
7% of outstanding home loans are high risk subprime loans or ARMs of 10% (5,250,000). (Forbes)
$6600 x 5,250,000 = $34,650,000,000
$1320 x 69,750,000 = $92,070,000,000
Total = $126,720,000,000
This is $25 Billion shy of what the federal government would pay out, but this would solve the economic problem of subprime loans and end foreclosures. Also, it help those that really need it, the homeowners. It would punish those that cheated the system: the subprime lenders or predatory lenders, but not enough to bankrupt them.
It would cost the government zero dollars, money they could put towards education which also stimulates the economy. Every $1 spent in education equals a $5 growth in the economy (US Dept of Education). No other economic investment can say this, not spending in social services, health care, military, or even infrastructure spending.
So if the government spent the $150 Billion towards education it would stimulate the economy by $750 Billion. Add this to the $127 Billion from making all mortgages a fixed 5% and we have a $876 Billion economic stimulus plan.
The 5% law would only benefit existing mortgages and those in the foreclosure process. All new mortgages from the day the law is enacted would be subject to market rates. This would teach lenders that proper risk management is crucial. It wouldn't be a bail out because no money would go from the government's hand to the lender or the homeowners. It would protect the true victims: the homeowners. It would also free up the courts and counties from foreclosure deliberations and sales.
Land, property, and home ownership are the indicators of wealth. They provide collateral and equity for the owner in order to establish credit and achieve greater wealth. The 5% law would prevent the recently acquired wealth of the poor and working class from shifting back to the upper class and rich through the purchase of foreclosed deeds.
This plan will work if Congress was brave enough to push it through.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Windy Economics, Energy, and Entertainment
One way to solve USA's economic crisis:
- US consumes 25% of world energy needs.
- World energy needs are 16 Terawatts per year.
- US uses 4 Terawatts per year.
- 1 Terawatt equals 1 million Megawatts.
- A wind turbine creates 5 Megawatts of power.
- Wind turbines only work 1/3rd of the time.
- 3 turbines are needed for constant 5 Mw.
- 3 million wind turbines equal 5 Tw.
- One turbine costs $2 million.
- One turbine needs 2 acres.
- 6 million acres (9375 sq miles) needed.
- 9375 sq mi is about the size of Vermont or New Hampshire.
- $6 Trillion for total cost of needed turbines.
- Cost of Iraq War thus far: $0.5 trillion allocated.
- Cost of Iraq War on economy $3 trillion in lost GDP.
- Length of war is five years thus far.
- Ten years will make it $6 trillion.
With all the super cheap electricity, we can turn off our coal plants. We can provide free electricity to US residents and businesses. This would encourage business to relocate to the US for free energy. More business means more jobs.
We can sell all the remaining energy to other nations. This would also allow us to wean off of foreign oil. Oil is too valuable as a raw material commodity than it is as fuel anyway. Thus, we win! The environment wins! The economy wins! So, what's stopping us?
The current power companies and current oil companies are stuck in Status Quo. To help them buck the habits of old, we will provide them tax breaks that encourages a rapid transition into wind energy. Being energy will be free to US residents and businesses, the government will contract out the distribution and maintenance of the free energy and it's international management of energy sales to the lowest bidding firms, county by county.
Also, if we finally allow power companies to sell TV and Internet service via their power lines as they do in many nations then cable, phone, and satellite should not hold a monopoly over the distribution of data. These three services have lower penetration rates as do power lines into all parts of our nation. So, not only will we get free energy, but we'll get cheaper Internet and TV services. That's what an be the incentive for power companies to build turbines.
Finally, if instead of war, in 2003, we vowed to wean US off foreign oil, by 2013 we could have. We still can if we vow to do it today and end the war now. In 2018 we could rid the world off 25% of its carbon pollution and end many wars over energy.
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