I strongly dislike the main candidates for multiple reasons, so I wrote in myself. Here’s my campaign pledge and platform.
Campaign Pledge
Unlike Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, I will never attempt to buy your vote.
Immigration
We need to protect the border. I will do so by bringing all the troops home from Europe to guard our border not theirs.
We need a sensible overall immigration strategy and that means deporting criminals but not hard-working productive immigrants who have been in the United States for years. Nor do we break up families or deport spouses of US citizens.
This means we shut down the border, develop an immigration process based on needs and ability, and deport the criminals.
Personal Taxes
I seek to replace the 9,000 page US tax code with something under 200 pages that everyone can understand.
Every itemized deduction is gone. Charity gone, mortgage gone, etc. The income tax will be replaced by a combination income tax and a consumption tax.
On the first $30,000 a person earns, the income tax is zero. This will encourage more people to work.
Additional income between $30,000 and 80,000 is taxed at 15 percent. Additional income between $80,000 and $350,000 is taxed at 25 percent. Income above $350,000 is taxed at 35%. These brackets all subject to final review along with the consumption tax discussed next.
To make up for loss of revenue from income tax lower rates, there’s a consumption tax (national sales tax) at a rate (rate open for discussion) but excludes food, medicine, soap, cleaning supplies, and rent. There is a special rate for real estate transactions.
There are no child tax credits or earned income credits. If you work, you have lower income taxes than before.
This is a framework for discussion. With a high enough sales tax we might be able to lower income taxes more than shown above, perhaps have a totally flat tax with the first $X in income untaxed. I need to see models. They are beyond my capability.
Relying on sales taxes alone is too cyclical and may be subject to whims of wealthy buyers.
Corporate Taxes
To spur US investment, the corporate tax rate for income earned in the US on goods produced in the US is reduced to zero percent.
The corporate tax rate on goods produced outside the US is 15 percent.
Collective Bargaining of Public Unions
Collective bargaining of public unions is eliminated. Public unions will no longer be able to hold taxpayers hostage for public service. Even FDR understood the perils of public servants holding the public hostage.
National right-to-work laws apply everywhere. Davis-Bacon and all prevailing wages laws are eliminated.
The Jones Act is repealed.
National bankruptcy laws allowing cities to more easily declare bankruptcy.
Departments Axed
The Department of Education, HUD, public broadcasting are all under review for cancellation.
All departments have budgets cut by at least 10 percent.
Student Loans
I am willing to lower the interest rate on loans to 3.0 percent provided borrowers stick to a repayment schedule of 15 years or less, varying by amount owed.
There will be no new student loans but there will be bankruptcy reform.
Under predetermined conditions (not yet determined but taking curriculum into consideration), students can go bankrupt. Under this program, colleges won’t offer nonsense degrees making debt slaves out of kids forever.
Military Spending
Reduce military spending by 20 percent, bring the troops home, kill unneeded products, and audit where every penny goes.
Social Security and Medicaid
Eliminate the cap on payroll taxes (FICA). Put half of the money that is collected into personal accounts outside government’s control, untouchable until age 65. The current FICA limit is $168,600. Alternatively, we start at 50 percent into private accounts and gradually increase the percentage over time. This is another case to model.
Even with the removal of the FICA limit, the maximum combined income and payroll tax will not rise.
Slash Medicaid spending 20 percent minimum. We will seriously and vigorously investigate Medicaid Fraud, disability fraud, and penalize the states and persons responsible.
Stock Options
For those making $400,000 or more in salary plus stock options, stock options are taxed at 50 percent.
Since share buybacks are often used to mask dilution from executive stock options, buybacks will be taxed at 35 percent to discourage the practice and instead promote dividends.
Dividends are counted as ordinary income hitting the higher income groups the most. But double taxation is eliminated because the corporate tax rate will generally be zero and at most 15 percent based on earnings location.
Long-term capital gains are taxed at a 20 percent rate.
Abortion
I leave abortion up to the states with one additional proviso. Up to 12 weeks, all applicable prescription drugs are allowed purchase by mail under the MYOB act.
Food Stamps
Snacks, candy, and pop are ineligible. Soap, and cleaning supplies are allowed.
Tariffs and Subsides Gone
The only exceptions are items with a national security risk. Cars are not a national security risk. Microchips and rare earth mining may be.
The Nippon steel merger proposed buyout of US Steel is fine by me. It lessens the threat of a crippling strike if one union get control of all production.
In general, if friendly foreign nations want to invest here rather than there, I am open to it.
Energy Policy
All the subsidies and tax breaks are gone.
If you want a gas stove you can have one. If you want an ICE vehicle OK.
Replacing coal with natural gas and nuclear is a smart decision. That could have easily happened by now were it not for preposterous goals and mandates on how to achieve them.
Banking
We will split banks into two groups, lending banks and safekeeping banks. No interest will be paid on reserves.
There will be 100 percent reserves on all deposits at safekeeping banks.
Lending banks can fail and there will not be bailouts. Deposit banks cannot fail due to 100 percent reserve requirement.
DEI Terminated Immediately
Federal government hires and promotions will be based on merit not DEI, BLM, or gender nonsense.
Framework
Nothing above is concrete, especially percentages. Rather, this is a general framework that encourages more savings, more investment, and work instead of welfare.
The goal is to have tax cuts that primarily benefit the middle class while balancing the budget over a 10-year time frame.
If the tax code is simple enough, organizations won’t need an army of lawyers, and we will barely need an IRS at all.
A corporate tax rate of zero inside the US will spur massive US investment. Elimination of tariffs will lower prices.
Getting rid of the public unions and their onerous and undeserved pensions will dramatically lower the price of education, the cost of building roads, etc.
Who Have I Offended?
- The Industrial military complex
- Teachers, police and all the public unions
- Private unions
- Manufacturers who need tariffs to survive
- Homebuilders and homeowners who will not want to give up their mortgage deduction
- Charities fearing loss of donations
- The environment fearmongers
- Education administrators
- Hard core abortion abolitionists and those on the opposite extreme.
- Tax lawyers who collectively bill millions of hours
- Those on welfare who would rather stay on welfare than than work
- Corporate executives who get massive numbers of stock options
- The DEI, BLM, and woke proponents.
- Banks and the Fed
In short, I have taken a position against nearly every special interest and privileged group in the country.
If I left any special interest group out, consider it by accident.
What to Do
If you want an absurd tariff plan, competitive vote buying contests including child tax credits, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, the latest fraud-prone idea of tax breaks for care givers, narcissist bragging, and personal belittling of everyone who disagrees, you know what to do.
But first be honest. If Harris proposed tax breaks for home care givers, would you have been for it?
Also tell us how Trump will pay for all of this.
If you think tariffs will pay for it you are as delusional as those believing Mexico paid for a wall.
Or do you really like Harris with her DEI, Medicare-for-all, student debt cancellation, new Green Deal madness, and open border policy?
If so, you know what to do.
I Refuse
I refuse to vote for either of them.
It’s your vote. You can vote for anyone on the ballot or anyone not on the ballot including yourself.
If you can’t stand anyone, you don’t have to vote at all. Many won’t.
Free Trade
To pick a single issue, let’s discuss trade, something both Trump and Harris get wrong.
I ask you play this very short CATO Video.
Also, please consider my take on trade, Trump Will Raise Taxes and Increase the Price of Goods
There are many reasons to not vote for either of them. The Harris open door policy on immigration and her Green New Deal and DEI support are at the top of the list.
I did a write-in vote for myself.
And I am waiting with baited breath for Wednesday morning to see if anyone else voted for me.
The first step needs to be to a requirement that media outlets tell the truth and whole truth and nothing but the truth or get set to jail and can also be sued for damage they caused/protected.
Example: Sue to recover the $2.692 Trillion that is suposed to be in The Social Security Trust fund not in the National Debt.
What a waste. Musk just tapped none other than Ron Paul to participate in the proposed Department of government efficiency. Why throw away a chance to participate in giving an actual Libertarian a voice in the white house? So much for being a principled voter.
mish and I both live in red states. we can pick most of the winners the same way as a kid I could pick the winners on the saturday night wrestling show.
So I select the underdogs just to keep the eventual winners guessing how strong things are
next up for mish, going to mcdonald’s and ordering a pizza. what is the point of voting for a candidate not on the ballot? file this under the category “not even wrong.”
The point is participating in the process yet rejecting the two primary figures (each of whom seem to have as their most marketable attribute that they aren’t the other person). A plurality of eligible voters won’t chose either person, a majority of eligible voters won’t choose the winning candidate (as usual).
As for the pizza comment, it was a thing-
https://www.today.com/food/mcdonald-s-pizza-thing-exists-here-s-where-get-it-t109801
The word ‘pizza’ is still on the menu in India-
https://www.eatthis.com/mcdonalds-food-around-the-world/
If you don’t vote you are voting for the winner, or you are deferring the decision to more informed voters (theoretically). It’s not really a non vote. I’d usually vote libertarian if I thought it would matter, but it’s like voting for whoever wins. However, you are not giving up your right to protest or complain just because you don’t vote, like some will say.
I agree with you on many points, but the disease of government and government dependence has infected us so…. is it incurable? You are talking a lot of job shifting and displacement. How do you do it overnight? No twenty year program will last longer than four to eight years. Politically, too many people like it like it is or don’t really hate it like it is or mom will lose their job or sister will have to move or I’ll be without a job. At least you think and offer alternative ideas.
The most I hope for is a little tweaking here and there that slows the rot, but the rot will still exist. It’s a diseased world, we live in a diseased country, and it’s incurable the way our system forces us to approach it. Until something drastic happens that’s the prognosis. If something drastic happens, I think it gets worse fast because government dumbasses and socialists will always blame everybody but government. Government almost always increases power when anything drastic happens.
“The most I hope for is a little tweaking here and there that slows the rot,..”
Fail-Fast works much better than dragging inevitable failure on forever. If “We” had any brains and literacy at all; “we” would have liquidated it all in 1930. By now, that’s even more pertinent: Liquidate EVERYTHING. With the only possible; and even that’s just a maybe; exception being the nuclear stockpile.
There is NOTHING in the current US worth preserving. No department. No institution. No ownership. No,No,No…It’s ALL strictly worse than hard-resetting absolutely everything all the way back to pre Mayflower: Virgin territory, no government, cold reboot, nothing preserved.
Whatever happens, no matter how “crazy”,can not possibly be worse than anything preserving anything of the current “system” and trajectory. It is ALL a failure. Didn’t work. At all. Not the whole, not any part. Start over and, perhaps, better luck next time. After all: Worse “luck” is strictly not even possible.
@mish
What about Inheritance/estate taxes?
and 1031 exchanges?
Stock option rules and buyback rules are actually good proposals
Great thoughts Mish. Really like the frameworks.
Unfortunately to change something you need influence. Influence is achieved three ways
1) People trusting you ( in millions )
2) Be rich , so you can control the content/media ( and the narrative ) to influence people ( in millions).
3) Send proper representations to either branches
There is a forth way : World war 3, for partial reset of systems.
So its fun to read till then( farming followers for you).
Thanks
Food Stamps and Medicare
Like Javier Milei likes to say, Afuera!
Abortion
Abortion is a woman’s choice, period. But it’s such a terrible option that I would not wish on my worst enemies. I’d support (taxes or charities) organizations that give women other options.
…so, the father of the child should have no say in the matter…?
sidelining and disempowering men has been the agenda for 50+ years at this point. If you impregante a woman the only thing you get is the obligation to pay for it. And people wonder why men are increasingly eschewing family formation?
Given that we don’t have a male contraceptive yet (whew! pair up with an AI or something researchers to help move this along), the only real solution is to require that woman be implanted with permanent contraceptives that can only be removed upon a successful government application to become pregnant.
Such an application would involve passing a battery of tests including IQ, personality, family aptitude and potential financial wherewithal to raise children appropriately through their 18th birthday.
Of course, the only way something like this could ever be implemented would be via AI Overlords who would have the power and be willing to enforce the policy via an immediate death sentence of all involved for violations.
condoms?
Correct. This is a situation that both must agree on. If they can’t, then the woman’s choice overrides since she has to carry the fetus to term and is likely going to be forced to raise and support any children alone for at least 18 years.
“…so, the father of the child should have no say in the matter…?”
No knowledge in the matter.
How would he even know,absent a totalitarian STASI grade spying and meddling operation?
No legitimate government has ANY business knowing ANYTHING about anyone, unless said anyone volunteers it (and even then only if said anyone personally pays for the cost of government collecting and acting on whatever information is volunteered). Not whether someone is pregnant. Not whether someone goes to a doctor. Nor what they do there. Nothing.
Child murderers are the second worst scum to ever walk the earth. But, and this is what matters: Government is the VERY WORST. ALWAYS. Giving government ANY additional power over ANY individual, for any supposedly “important” “reason”, is ALWAYS wrong.
Title: The Case for a Maximum Wage Law: Bridging the Wealth Gap in America
Introduction
Income inequality has become a defining issue of our time, plaguing societies across the globe. In the United States, the wealth gap between the ultra-rich and the working class has reached staggering proportions. To address this growing problem, it is imperative to consider bold solutions that promote fairness, economic stability, and social cohesion. One such solution is the implementation of a maximum wage law, which would cap the earnings of the highest-paid worker within a corporation at no more than 12 times the salary of the lowest-paid worker. This essay will argue that such a law is necessary to promote economic justice, reduce income inequality, and create a more balanced society.
I. Income Inequality: A Growing Problem
II. The Need for a Maximum Wage Law
III. Possible Criticisms and Counterarguments
Conclusion
The implementation of a maximum wage law limiting the highest-paid worker in any U.S. corporation to earning no more than 12 times what the lowest-paid worker earns is a bold and necessary step towards achieving economic justice, reducing income inequality, and creating a more balanced and equitable society. While there may be legitimate concerns and criticisms, the urgency of addressing income inequality outweighs these challenges. Such a law would promote fairness, encourage fair labor practices, and contribute to economic stability, ultimately strengthening the social fabric of the United States. It is time for our society to embrace the principles of economic justice and take meaningful steps towards a more equitable future.
l think this plan would be considered discriminatory under US law. Everything, generally, has to go through the tax system to not be discriminatory. We already disallow deductions for compensation greater than $1,000,000 (publicly traded companies). That didn’t seem to slow anything down. I’ve always thought 100 times the average of the lowest 50% of a companies payroll should cap all individual pay, but that would have to be a company policy (and it would be a good one). Then again, minimum wage laws are acceptable as non discriminatory, so maybe you can just decree a maximum wage, too, without issue. I doubt it though. You are just decreeing the most you think somebody is worth. It smells wrong from the get go even though many of the executives are way overpaid, imo.
Immigration
Illegal immigrants on any kind of welfare must go too. In addition, while I believe minimum wage laws should be eliminated, a 50% payroll tax must be imposed on companies hiring illegal immigrants. No exceptions for their children born here.
Can this also be made to apply to Palestinians who have been living on UNRWA welfare for the past 76 years?
Good luck, Mish. No butterfly ballots or hanging chads this time around. And Pat Buchanan not on the ballot.
Corporate Taxes
The sentiment is correct, but taxes are too coarse a tool. Tariffs offer finer control, allowing government to target countries and industries. The question is, can we trust government to wield either of these tools justly? Sadly the answer is no. We won’t have Trump in the WH forever.
That is the best reason of all to vote for Trump. He can screw things up for 4 years. We might survive that period. We will never last 8 years of Harris.
Higher Education
Eliminate the stronghold on accreditation. Costs, including administrator salaries, would come down and students wouldn’t need loans.
Same for accreditation for lawyers, doctors, dentists, CPAs, etc. They are way too expensive
Generally sounds good to me. But I’d cut the military (not “defense”) budget by 50%. It would still be more than any other nation’s.
I see Trump wants to encourage homeschooling with tax credits or the like. IMO the teachers’ unions are one of the most diabolical influences on US education and society. Why spend $20,000 per student *per year* to produce young adults who can’t even read or write or do maths properly?
The tax code needs drastic simplification. I paid company taxes in Singapore for a while and the tax form was about 3 pages.
In Norway (or Sweden?) I believe all taxes are posted online. That would greatly reduce tax cheating.
We definitely need safe places to save our money. Also remove taxes on precious metals, please.
Mish for POTUS!
One thing is sure. If Harris gets in none of your proposals will even be considered while with Trump some of them could actually happen.
We all know from the Laffer curve that the more you cut taxes, the more revenue you generate. If you cut taxes to zero, you can get infinite revenue.
Cut taxes to ZERO on the ones who ‘create jobs’. No taxes on interest, dividends, capital gains, stock options or any income exceeding $100,000 per year.
The job creators will create so many jobs that the resulting tax revenue on those earning less than $100,000 will be infinite.
I wrote in Ron Paul for the fifth time.
Repeating a failed gambit over and over while apparently expecting different results is a definition of insanity.
Campaign Pledge: I would love to see somebody try that, and Win! Elections have pretty much come down to: “What are You going to Do For Me” I would love to see you get away with your answer to that question. Would it be: “I will give you nothing to buy your vote, but would you mind paying for these peoples rents that are behind and need help? “Good Luck” with that, and I would guess you would have the lowest approval rating in history, but I am only basing that on the last 15 or so elections… P.S. Did you forget the “Power of Perception” and how easy it is to receive the weight of that?
Immigration: You seriously think you could do that? No Way!!! It would Crush the EU Economy nearly overnight, if it was a broad pull out. Slowly would make no sense, and add massive expense to the entire ordeal. We could do 5% Maybe? Every other year I suppose, so after 20 or so years it could happen, but you can only be President for 4/8 depending, and my guess is maybe 4 if you’re not impeached first. Then it would be moth balled. Yes, you could send all the criminals packing, but you have to find them first, and you can’t deport 3-5 at a time. We would need massive deportation efforts in the 500-1,000 at a time to be valuable and worthy, and supported…
Personal Taxes: If you think you can get the tax code massively changed, then go for it. I would suggest it will take your entire time in office to achieve that “One Goal” and that’s it. Nothing else could get accomplished, or it would set that effort back Each and every time, and that will be planned. You would get inundated with opposing party paperwork, questions to answer after question every step of the way. You would be hamstrung as they say…
Corporate Taxes: See Above
Collective Bargaining of Public Unions: Love the idea, but touching Unions is like touching Military. Too many people In Government make far too much under these agreements. There is no way you will touch either without a massive fight and loss, because You as one would be nothing to defeat for this Machine! They are far too Powerful, Wealthy, Connected, and Invested to allow some new asswipe to come along and ruin what they have built for decades and decades. “Not A Chance”
Departments Axed: Small cuts are doable over time, as they can add up, but again you only have 4 and maybe 8, but probably not if this is your gig. You may get a smattering done, but nothing significant will get through…
Student Loans: OK, that’s doable! Expect a long drawn out battle, because it’s the Unions again, that you would be messing with. Tough battle, and very time consuming and hard to beat in a small time frame such as you would have. Possible to Win this however, because it would be supported by Parents and Children alike!!
Military Spending: Only 4-8 years is not nearly enough time to address this, as it will take more like 20-30. Extremely complex web we have created, with troops everywhere. There are buildings, homes, industries, Countries ETC. that ALL RELY on the U.S. Military Presence. You would literally be pulling the rug out from under many parts of The World. That’s a momentous task, and probably requires Both Parties to be Aligned to get done, so Not Happening!
Social Security and Medicaid: Its literally our Elderly Healthcare and Living Expense Accounts. The Two Largest to our Elderly Existence, and most heralded and desired of nearly all benefits. Without it the Country would be crushed with issues surrounding the results of such. ANY Changes would come with massive resistance if not doable, feasible, and the Majority Happy With It. Needs to be done, should be done, but a massive feat to do so. P.S. Love the Ideas!!
Stock Options: You are hitting ALL the taboo topics on this! There is a lot to unfold with this one, and nearly everyone in America “Plays the Stock Market” either by choice or for them in their investment accounts. A lot of money is made by Everyone and goes way beyond the individual and his/her take if they make money, but ALL losses are incurred by them. You would have a lot of push back by many with no skin in the game, but lots of PROFITS being made! I am not sure this can actually be done, to be quite honest. The Presidency may not be enough for this one to get exposed and redone…
Abortion: Leave it alone, as it’s where it belongs, In The States. Let them work it out individually, and the Feds Need To Stay Out Of It!
P.S. Much More needs to be pushed to the Sates and away from the Feds, but not this now, as enough was done. Work on a new list with the other many massive Federal Programs that Belong in The States!
Food Stamps: We had this at the beginning I do believe? I totally agree on this, and it needs to be done immediately. Watch the cost some down, when they can’t buy alcohol and cigarettes alone! It’s meant as a “Nutritional” Program, but lost out to “Special Interest” as they wanted their take from the “Taxpayer’s Paid Program” as They Always Do!!!
Tariffs and Subsides Gone: This is not nearly that simple, but rather extremely complex. You can’t tell another Country, we will only buy this and that but nothing else, but only because we NEED THEM. They are liable to tell you: You take ALL or You Get Nothing! Then you’re screwed. Earth Metals are a perfect example, as we can’t move forward without them, and don’t have much in the way of our own. It would take quite awhile to, unearth if you will, what we would need. A very touchy topic, and with massive potential hazards if not managed correctly. This is probably the toughest one too, because it hits upon National Security as well.
Energy Policy: I agree 100% and we should do it stat!!
Banking: See Above, but realize many Banks will probably go under as a result of this being implemented. It will create a bit of financial hardship if you will, until it all works itself out, but there will be much pain felt, before the Genie is back in the bottle, so to speak…
DEI Terminated Immediately: I agree 100% and immediately!
Who Have I Offended: Nobody yet I hope, as it’s an idea, and some great points, and some great thoughts. This is what we need, but by those in power, that can do something about it! I am hoping Trump is that Person, and he was last time around, in many ways. We shall see, but I have hope, and hope much of “Your Ideas Above” are explored by the Next Administration!!!
Thanks as always Mish, for your insight, thoughts, and for sharing, as so many are afraid to share now days! You speak your mind, and freely and willingly, as it should be! I admire that, and try to do so myself. We have thoughts and ideas and we need to share them without worrying about repercussions, or being marginalized. Everyone has something to offer IMO
Some thoughts on additional items:
Tax stock options when exercised as ordinary income & eliminate the carried interest loophole.
Eliminate pensions for senators, congressmen & all govt. employees. Move to 401k type plan of some sort. Govt puts in 4% up to $150,000 indexed for the bogus CPI.
All elected officials & govt. employees get off their medical plans & go to Obamacare – except military service personnel.
Term limits on all elected officials including SCOTUS, POTUS & age limits.
Sounds a lot like Trump with the major exception of tariffs:
Lower taxes
Stronger border
Strong review/axe of wasteful federal departments
States decide abortion
Drive what you want/choose your own cooking and heating fuel
DEI gone
Caps on interest rates for select people
Next, Mish takes over ownership of the New York Jets.
All very well but not a lot here to help the poorest in society. Fundamentally changing the US approach to profit driven healthcare and supporting people getting out of tents should be in there somewhere. Still get my vote though (if I were in US).
Agree with all except the sales tax, as its too regressive. VAT sucks. Difficult to administer for small business and is too broadly based. A ultra processed food tax would be great to discourage Coca Cola/Pepsi/Dr Pepper/ Kool Aid/Wonder bread/ Kraft Heinz/ Mondelez/Nestle consumption. Its a Win/Win tax for health and as a revenue raising scheme.
Sales tax is very NOT Regressive.
I excluded food, medicine, and shelter. Where do the poor spend money?
I suppose we could add clothes up to a specified $ limit.
You got my vote!
Unfortunately, due to our forefathers not wanting slaves to tilt elections we are bound to the “electoral college”?????
I live in Hawaii, prolly gonna vote for kamalatoe no mattah what I check off on ballot..forefathers are fierce !!!
Imagine living in a non swing state?
What’s up with swing state anyway?
I’m from a generation that hears swing and thinks pervert. Unless, of course, you’re a swinger…..
Battle ground, yeah, Battle ground state!
Un freaking Believable that in this day and age of AI we don’t have winners take all?
It’s all rigged, always has been, look up all the dead presidents biography books, read them.
ALWAYS BEEN RIGGED YOU SMARTYPANTS libertarian TARDS
Trump wins electoral.
Camel toe wins popular like Hillary did
In a year or two world wide financial crisis blamed on the orange wizard ushers in a two term progressive.
If anyone else here at Mish lovers dot com had predicted this post it here and now.
If you entered the country illegally, you’re a criminal.
Taxes are not necessary when money is not tangible.
Federal Govt borrowing with interest is nonsense, especially when there is no intention of paying anything back.
Consider the following supporting documents when implementing policy:
I don’t mind your vote. it’s yours. Doesn’t bother me one bit.
You sanctimonious and self stroking diatribe is a different thing altogether.
“For those making $400,000 or more in salary plus stock options, stock options are taxed at 50 percent.”
I think you are a bit out of touch. I understand your intention.
stock options are rare now for the rank and file. RSUs are how it is done. salary + RSU is easy to exceed 400k a year.
perhaps use stock based compensation rather than stock options.
make the tax rate the same as earned income, since with RSUs that is what it is.
structure taxes to incentivize companies to pay dividends via a lower tax rate
I like the carrot more than the stick
I had to look that up,
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/restricted-stock-unit.asp
Logically, only a major party candidate can win. Therefore, logic dictates that you should vote for the major party candidate who will do the least damage. Otherwise, you’ve hurt our nation by allowing a more dangerous candidate to win. To me, it’s clear: one party is more prone to suppression of free speech and the cynical destruction of our nation by opening our borders to all, including criminals and terrorists. My conscience is clear. I’ve already cast my vote for Trump.
Hey Mish, I love your plan! But unfortunately there aren’t enough common sense people in this country. The free shit army won’t vote for this.
All of this hair pulling will relatively soon be meaningless.
AI/robots/automation is going to remake the world. All current laws will be abolished by the AI overlord. Most to all work will be done by robots. Everything will be free for humans.
However, humans will be forced to use and maintain permanent birth control (or forcibly sterilized) to reduce the proliferation of useless numans, who mostly have little to contribute to society (true now also)..
I’m sure you’ll be part of the ruling class, due to your ‘high intelligence’ right? That’s how leftists think when they have these fever dreams anyway.
A wasted vote.
As a Libertarian leaning person … most of this sounded good. As you remove the Dept of Ed … do you move all control of education to the states? I am a big fan of school choice and, with AI moving at breakneck pace … and some wealthy folks looking to make it work for the masses (even though little or no economical gain for this) … I could see many options with teachers more as coaches as children learn at their own pace with their own virtual tutors who have far far greater background than even the best of teachers. No reason undergrad university work cannot be done in a similar fashion.
Mish Utopia will not work. Need a more Realistic platform OR a complete takeover/wipeout of at least one major party.
Creating a fantasy utopia is easy if you assume you’ll have totalitarian powers including all Congressional votes and SupremeCourt decisions + Constitutional Change authority.
But If all you are is President, 99% of the Mish-Utopia proposals cannot be implemented, because everything will get derailed in Congress, courts or bureaucracy.
To actually be a decent President, with limited powers, is much more subtle and difficult.
For the first time in 6 decades we have a candidate driving a massive political realignment, bringing disparate groups together, creating a fresh coalition, and forcing many of the most-corrupt establishment RINOs and DINOs into revealing themselves for what they are. That alone has been priceless.
But the Job Is Not Over – not until the Establishment is upended and driven from power – legally and peacefully, by popular demand.
To get that done requires not a utopian plan but an endless series of maneuvers and occasionally some compromises. If the heart of the realignment succeeds, those other parts will come in due time.
I’m not real worried about any of the grandiose campaign promises, they’re never kept anyway. Only one candidate has any hope of making the major course change we need. But to succeed, that candidate needs the extra authority that comes from a nationwide landslide mandate.
So who exactly is this special candidate?
No income taxes for single people making under $30,000 is the best platform. Possibly $50,000 for a head of household and married couple.
Illegal Immigration at net negative and a very small legal immigration for say the next 5 years, would also be a good platform. We need net negative for many years.
Themiilitary protecting the southern border a must.
College costs coming down a must. No more student loans a great start!
Not sure I can disagree with any of Mish’s policies. His rationale will “buy” my vote
The problem is not just the framework.
It’s also corruption and failure to implement & enforce existing statutes.
Corruption is like cancer. You root it out in one place and then it springs up again, often somewhere else. Preventing the recurrence of the corruption, and minimizing the damage that it causes, requires an ongoing effort not just a single “flush the system” reform. Mish’s new system would be corrupted as soon as his benevolent dictatorship ended.
HUD is just a money laundering operation. They don’t even own much property anymore. A joke. Ollie North called it a candystore.for dark money.
Zero corporate tax rate creates a range of perverse tax fraud/structuring incentives .
Go with a simple Australian style dividend imputation scheme. When the corporate pays dividends it declares the gross pre tax amount, the corp tax paid ( called an imputation credit) And the cash amount you get deposited to your brokerage/bank. On your 1040 you declare the gross amount by as income, and the imputation credit is counted as tax already paid . This effectively turns a c corp into a simplified scorp .
There are numerous advantages to this structure, one being that only domestic tax payers get the effective zero tax rate. It encourages corporations to pay dividends instead of hoard capital. It makes transparent many accounting frauds. And it encourages direct share ownership by domestic ( ie American) taxpayers over foreign ownership.
It works very well in Australia.
Cut the military? More like double it.
I agree on most. However, by having both an income tax and a consumption tax, all you will effectively do is give the bastards two taxes to continuously raise thru the years to pay for their overspending. At some future point we will be paying even more than we are currently.
Congrats! I guess we should give you an award?
As for tariffs, again this is Wolf’s statement:
Tariffs are a direct tax on the profit margins of foreign producers and US importers. And this country needs to raise taxes, and tariffs is about the best way of raising tax receipts, much better than taxing incomes.
It’s time for America to take a different path forward. Don’t sit on the couch. Don’t vote for yourself or someone else who’s going to lose anyway. Vote Trump. Your country depends on it. And remember. It’s not about Trump. It’s about MAGA and not the fake stuff the MSM makes up.
Why would we vote for MAGA?
One in five dollars (20 percent) goes to Medicare, fix that and balancing the budget is within reason
See Denninger, Karl
How? By making suicide pods available on each corner?
You’re not in a swing state so your vote didn’t matter anyway.
It would be an insult to Mish if he was elected. Mostly idiots have and will be elected.
I already voted but love your agenda.
But you’ve given me thousands of dollars worth of advice for free, I’d feel obligated to vote for you.
Mish 2028!!!!