Showing posts with label tax reform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tax reform. Show all posts

Monday, July 7, 2025

Power to the People: Congress Vote App & National Unity Plan

 

 United We Stand: Why Healing the Divide Saves America (and How My “Power to the People” Plan Can Lead the Way)

The truth is stark: America is deeply divided—and polls show this division is threatening our democracy. A recent NPR/PBS/Marist survey found that 76% of Americans believe our political divide poses a serious danger, and 73% worry about rising political violence time.com+1gvwire.com+1. With partisans on both sides feeling increasingly alienated, our nation teeters on the brink of unrest and instability.

The Cost of Division

  • Violence on the rise: High-profile political attacks—like the tragic Minnesota shootings—are becoming more common, fueling fear and polarization washingtonpost.com+1time.com+1.

  • Our institutions are fraying: From threats to the rule of law to bitter mistrust in Congress and the Supreme Court, our democracy is cracking lemonde.fr+8theverge.com+8globalaffairs.org+8.

  • Unity isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity: We either repair the cracks or risk civic collapse.

Why Unity Works

History and modern civic innovations show us that bringing diverse Americans together can heal our country. Deliberative democracy tools like citizens’ assemblies and Deliberation Day have proven results:

My Vision: Power to the People, One Vote at a Time

🔹 Congress Vote App
Instant, secure public voting on key bills—so Representatives know exactly what their constituents want.

🔹 Citizens’ Assemblies & Deliberation Day
Locally hosted forums to foster real dialogue and bridge divides—balanced, inclusive, and data-driven.

🔹 Transparent Governance
Enhanced public hearings + accountability dashboards = no more secret deals.

Benefits Over the “Big Beautiful Bill”

Big Beautiful Bill              Your Plan: Power to the People
Top-down legislation,
little grassroots input
                  Bottom-up democracy: public drives solutions
Lacks tools to heal civic rifts                    Designed to unite, educate, and build trust
Fueled fear and division               Promotes empathy, common sense, and unity

Join the Movement

America thrives when its people are empowered. This isn’t just hopeful rhetoric—it’s based on what works.

📱 Sign up at RobertBeers.com and our Congress Vote App to usher in accountable democracy by the people, for the people.

Let’s do more than talk unity—let’s live it. Together, we can heal our democracy and build a lasting, inclusive future.

Friday, June 20, 2025

Robert Beers' Plan to Stop Under-the-Table Pay Without Hurting Workers

 Introduction:

Every year, billions of dollars are paid under the table—off the books, in cash, and outside the law. While many of these payments are made to hardworking people just trying to get by, the end result is a broken system. One where taxes aren’t paid, protections aren’t provided, and honest businesses get undercut. As your candidate for South Carolina’s 1st District, I, Robert Beers, believe we can fix this—but not by punishing workers. We need a smarter, fairer approach.


🔎 The Problem

Under-the-table employment leads to:

  • No taxes paid into Social Security, Medicare, or infrastructure.

  • No worker protections like injury compensation, healthcare, or retirement benefits.

  • Unfair competition where law-abiding businesses are undercut.

  • More pressure on taxpayers who make up for the missing revenue.

The IRS estimates that $500 billion in taxes go unpaid every year, and a huge chunk of that is from unreported income. It’s time we fix the system.


✅ Robert Beers’ Common-Sense Fix

1. Make It Easier to Comply, Harder to Evade

  • Launch mobile-friendly payroll platforms for small or household employers.

  • Offer digital tools to help informal workers (nannies, construction workers, etc.) log income, generate records, and claim tax credits.

  • Simplify paperwork so employers are more likely to report wages correctly.

2. Offer a One-Time Amnesty Window

  • Let individuals or businesses report past under-the-table income without penalties—but require them to go legit going forward.

  • This brings more people into the system without court battles or criminalization.

3. Reward Participation

  • Offer a tax credit bonus to workers who report all earnings for the first time.

  • Provide deductions to small businesses that enroll previously off-the-books workers.

4. Enforce Smartly, Not Punitively

  • Increase audits for large, repeat offender employers—not small businesses or struggling families.

  • Protect workers (especially immigrants or the injured) from prosecution.

  • Focus punishment on the abusers, not the abused.


💡 What This Policy Will Do

  • Boost Social Security and Medicare with more contributors.

  • Protect vulnerable workers who otherwise have no safety net.

  • Level the playing field for honest employers.

  • Close part of the $500B tax gap and reduce the burden on taxpayers.


🗣 My Message to the People

“If you’re working, you deserve to be protected—and if you’re making money, you should pay your fair share like the rest of us. My plan helps small businesses comply, brings workers into the system with benefits and protections, and stops large-scale abuse without hurting honest people trying to survive.”

This is not about punishment. It’s about fairness, security, and making sure the system works for everyone. Let’s stop the abuse, protect the worker, and get our economy back on solid ground—together.

Vote Robert Beers for Congress – South Carolina District 1.

[Visit robertbeersforcongress.com to learn more and get involved.]

Rebuilding America’s Economy Without Raising Taxes on the Middle Class | Robert Beers 2026

 

NEW FORMS OF INCOME (No Broad Tax Hikes)

These strategies are focused on fairness, modernization, and efficiency—targeting waste, loopholes, and untapped sectors.

1. Legalization & Taxation of Marijuana

  • Federal revenue potential: $120 billion over 10 years

  • Sources:

    • 10–15% excise tax on recreational sales

    • Business licensing fees

    • Reduction in law enforcement costs (~$3.6B/year)

2. Wall Street Speculation Tax

  • Proposal: 0.1% tax on stock, bond, and derivatives trades

  • Revenue: ~$777 billion over 10 years

  • Rationale: Targets high-frequency traders, not retirees or small investors

3. Digital Services Tax

  • Tax on Big Tech companies: Like Google, Meta, Amazon (3–7%)

  • Revenue: $100–150 billion over 10 years

  • Model: EU-style digital tax on profits earned from U.S. users

4. Closing Corporate Loopholes

  • Examples:

    • Offshore tax shelters

    • Tax-deductible executive bonuses

    • Accelerated depreciation schemes

  • Revenue: $300–500 billion over 10 years

5. Public Trust Fund Investment Reform

  • Change: Allow Social Security Trust Fund to invest up to 15% in index funds (currently limited to Treasury bonds)

  • Impact: 3x returns → Adds ~$1.4 trillion in value over 30 years

6. Federal Land Leasing Reform

  • Update rates for oil, gas, and mineral extraction on public lands

  • Current rates: Below market value since 1920s

  • Revenue: $50–75 billion over 10 years

7. Cannabis-Related Healthcare Savings

  • Impact: States with legalization saw:

    • 6% drop in Medicaid prescription costs

    • 3.4% drop in employer-sponsored insurance premiums

  • Estimated savings: $50–100 billion over a decade


🟢 HOW SMALL TAX HIKES MAKE THIS EVEN STRONGER

Even modest, highly targeted increases can supercharge debt reduction and strengthen programs without burdening the working class.

1. Lift the Payroll Tax Cap (Social Security)

  • Current cap: $168,600 (2024)

  • Proposal: Apply 12.4% payroll tax to earnings >$400,000

  • Revenue: Solves 61% of Social Security shortfall

  • Fairness: Top 1.5% would pay more—everyone else unchanged

2. Millionaire Surtax

  • Proposal: Add 1%–3% income tax on earnings above $1 million

  • Revenue: ~$700 billion over 10 years

  • Impact: Funds universal pre-K, mental health, debt reduction

3. Capital Gains Parity

  • Proposal: Tax capital gains over $1M as ordinary income

  • Revenue: ~$500 billion over 10 years

  • Justification: Currently, millionaires pay less on gains than workers pay on wages

4. Ultra-Wealth Inheritance Tax

  • Modernize the estate tax: Apply to estates over $25 million

  • Revenue: ~$300 billion over 10 years

  • Coverage: Impacts only 0.1% of Americans


⚖️ COMPARISON TABLE: Without vs. With Modest Tax Reform

CategoryWithout Tax HikesWith Modest Tax Hikes
Total New Revenue (10 yrs)~$2.1 trillion$5.2 trillion
Debt ReductionSlows growthShrinks debt-to-GDP ratio by 25%
Social SecuritySolvent until 2060Solvent beyond 2100
HealthcareStabilizes costsAdds dental, mental health, and lowers premiums
InfrastructureIncremental growthUniversal rural broadband, smart grids
EducationMaintains current levelsUniversal childcare, tuition-free community college
Public TrustRising with transparencyRestored faith in fair taxation

🔴 Why This Strategy Works for America

  • No Middle-Class Burden: Broad tax hikes avoided; only the ultra-wealthy pay more

  • Permanent Safety Net Fixes: No more kicking the can on Social Security or Medicare

  • Debt Control Without Austerity: Reduces debt and expands opportunity

  • Targets Speculation, Not Labor: Ensures workers and small businesses thrive

  • Sparks Growth: Healthier, better-educated workers → higher productivity and GDP


✅ Campaign Message Summary

“We will fund America’s future not by taxing the middle class into the ground—but by finally asking billionaires and big corporations to pay their fair share. We will legalize and regulate cannabis, tax Wall Street’s casino trades, and eliminate wasteful subsidies so your children get better schools, your grandparents keep their retirement, and you spend less on healthcare.”

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Ultimate U.S. Budget Plan: Balanced, Debt-Shrinking, and Law-Enforced

 

1. BeersBlogs Foundation: BBNDRA Principles 📊

  1. 10% annual reduction in primary deficit starting FY 2026

  2. Balanced budget mandate by FY 2032

  3. Spending caps across agencies with sequestration for non-compliance

  4. Supermajority override required to surpass spending caps


2. Enhanced Federal Expenditure Reforms


3. Revenue Enhancements


4. Transparency & Fiscal Accountability

  • Legal debt/GDP caps with automatic enforcement mechanisms.

  • Independent Fiscal Board to monitor and publish monthly progress.

  • Digital transparency tools and robust PAYGO law cato.org+5en.wikipedia.org+5apnews.com+5.


5. Constitutional Budget Amendment 📜

  • Mandates annual budget balance (excluding emergencies).

  • Sets spending caps as % of GDP.

  • Incentivizes compliance via required primary surpluses and delayed debt ceilings.

  • Inspired by German debt brake and U.S. state models en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org.


6. Implementation Timeline

YearsMilestones
2026–27Enact budget caps, entitlement and tax reforms
2028–29Introduce carbon/VAT and cap capital gains reform
2030–31Ratify constitutional amendment and enforce rules
2032+Maintain balanced budgets; initiate debt pay-down

Debt Paydown Goal:
Aim to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio from ~100% to 80% by 2040 through primary surpluses.


7. Draft Legislative Guide

  • BBNDRA Bill: Enforces 10% deficit reduction, caps, and sequestration.

  • Tax Reform Bill: Implements corporate tax reform and carbon/VAT innovations.

  • Entitlement Reform Act: Raises Social Security cap, retirement age.

  • Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment: Legally binding rules and enforcement.


✅ Final Word

Uniting BeersBlogs’ disciplined budget principles with strategic reforms and legal accountability forms a robust, realistic plan. It balances ambition with achievability and ensures long-term fiscal health.


🧾 References

Friday, June 6, 2025

The Future of America Act of 2025

 

H. R. [XXXX]

To restore fiscal responsibility, modernize education, create equitable taxation, reduce national debt, and ensure a stronger, future-ready American workforce.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Future of America Act of 2025.”


SECTION 2. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Act is to:

  1. Reduce the national deficit while preserving critical services;

  2. Modernize America’s educational system to meet 21st-century demands;

  3. Establish a fair and scalable tax policy that supports innovation and small businesses;

  4. Implement strategic spending cuts based on efficiency metrics;

  5. Reform healthcare delivery while preserving individual freedoms;

  6. Improve transparency in federal spending through digital innovation;

  7. Establish workforce alignment programs with industry-specific job training.


SECTION 3. TAX REFORM AND EQUITY STRUCTURE

(a) Corporate Tax Brackets

  • Corporations with gross revenues:

    • <$1M: 5%

    • $1M–$50M: 10%

    • $50M–$500M: 15%

    • $500M: 18%

(b) Small Business Deductions

  • Eligible businesses may deduct up to 35% of reinvested profits into workforce development or U.S.-based infrastructure.

(c) Individual Tax Reform

  • Establish a four-tier income tax model:

    • <$50K: 0%

    • $50K–$200K: 10%

    • $200K–$1M: 18%

    • $1M: 24%

  • Capital gains held longer than 10 years: taxed at 8% flat rate.


SECTION 4. STRATEGIC BUDGET REDUCTION

(a) Performance-Based Cuts

  • Departments failing to meet KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for two consecutive years will have budgets reduced by 5% annually.

(b) Exemptions

  • No cuts shall apply to:

    • Veterans Affairs

    • Social Security

    • Emergency Disaster Relief

    • Public Health Infrastructure

(c) Federal Spending Dashboard

  • A Public Federal Transparency Portal will be created to show all government spending updated monthly.


SECTION 5. MODERNIZED EDUCATION FRAMEWORK

(a) K–12 Modernization

  • Mandated core education in:

    • Digital literacy and basic programming by grade 5

    • Financial literacy by grade 8

    • Career-based learning tracks in high school

(b) Apprenticeships and Industry Partnerships

  • A $10B/year incentive fund for schools offering certified trades and apprenticeships in high school.

  • Federal grants available for schools collaborating with private industry to offer dual-track diplomas.

(c) College Revamp

  • Promote modular certification systems where students earn credentials for every skill tier achieved.

  • Student loans available for approved short-term and job-aligned programs.


SECTION 6. HEALTHCARE INNOVATION AND PROTECTION

(a) Affordable Hybrid Model

  • Expand funding for community healthcare centers and telemedicine for underserved areas.

(b) Medical Choice Protections

  • Americans may choose their providers, plans, or opt-out of government programs without penalty.

(c) Medical Oversight Board

  • Create an independent agency to audit health insurance premium practices and control price gouging.


SECTION 7. TECHNOLOGY AND AI FOR TRANSPARENCY

(a) Real-Time Budget Monitoring

  • A Blockchain-backed public ledger will track all federal contracts, budgets, and grant usage.

(b) Fraud Detection

  • AI-powered systems will flag duplicate payments, corruption, and spending inefficiencies across all departments.


SECTION 8. NATIONAL DEBT REDUCTION PLAN

(a) Balanced Budget Goal

  • Within 10 years, discretionary spending must not exceed 95% of revenue projections annually.

(b) Surplus Allocation

  • Any federal surplus shall be used as follows:

    • 40% to debt repayment

    • 30% to emergency reserve

    • 30% to infrastructure & innovation investments


SECTION 9. WORKFORCE ALIGNMENT INITIATIVES

(a) National Skills Accelerator Program (NSAP)

  • Provides funding to retrain adults in AI, robotics, cybersecurity, and energy sectors.

(b) Trade School Boost

  • Offers $5,000 tuition credits for students entering trade schools or certification academies.

(c) Career Readiness Index

  • Requires states to measure workforce readiness in high schools and publish data publicly.


SECTION 10. INTERNATIONAL ALIGNMENT AND BEST PRACTICES

(a) Comparative Study Board

  • Establish a committee to study education, workforce, and budget practices in top-performing OECD nations and report actionable insights every 2 years.

(b) Foreign Investment Review

  • Tighten scrutiny on foreign investments in critical infrastructure while offering tax credits to U.S.-based manufacturers.


SECTION 11. IMPLEMENTATION AND REVIEW

(a) Timeline

  • All departments must begin compliance within 180 days of enactment.

(b) Oversight

  • An independent Oversight Council shall be created to assess compliance and provide quarterly updates to Congress.

(c) Annual Reporting

  • The President shall submit an annual "State of Progress" report to Congress evaluating:

    • Education alignment

    • Budget efficiency

    • Debt reduction

    • Workforce readiness


SECTION 12. BENEFITS OVER CURRENT SYSTEM

  • Education: Students learn skills directly aligned with workforce needs, reducing wasted time and debt.

  • Transparency: Public access to federal spending and debt builds trust and reduces fraud.

  • Healthcare: Ensures freedom and access while auditing big corporations.

  • Economic Growth: Supports small business innovation, manufacturing, and modern industry.

  • Debt Control: Sets the U.S. on a clear path to financial solvency.

  • Equity: Fairer taxation and opportunity for all—rural, urban, rich, and poor.