Saturday, November 8, 2008

The Theory of Tax-Enomics-Presidential Economic Solutions

For The President, the President-Elect, the Transition Team, the Congress, the Secretarys of the Treasury (Present and to be) , and the Federal Reserve Chairman -UPDATED and REVISED 11/22/08





The Theory of Tax-Enomics is the use of Federal, State and local tax laws to produce positive economic and social change










IMMEDIATE FINANCIAL CRISIS - RECESSION STOPPING SOLUTIONS FOR THE PRESIDENT , THE PRESIDENT-ELECT AND CONGRESS BY AN ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE WITH Specific programs WITH SELF-FINANCING SOURCES OF FUNDING TO:

1. REVERSE THE INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT BY STOPPING THE LOSS OF JOBS IN THE US DUE TO THE CURRENT FINANCIAL CRISIS AND INCREASE IN ACCELERATED DEFLATION - SPECIFICALLY IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY AND IN THE HOUSING INDUSTRY.

2. PUT MONEY IMMEDIATELY IN AMERICAN TAXPAYER CONSUMER POCKETS FOR PROPER SPENDING WITH A SHORT-TERM- IMMEDIATE ECONOMIC STIMULUS PROGRAM.

3.

3. FOLLOWED BY A 2YEAR LONG-TERM STIMULUS PROGRAM.


1. THE THREE MONTH FREEZE PROGRAM ON A 50% REDUCTION OF ALL Federal PAYROLL TAXES (Social Security and Medicare Tax Withheld from employees and paid as an expenses by employers) ON ALL WAGES AND SALARIES for existing employees and a SIX MONTH FREEZE under the same program for newly hired employees.

2. INCREASE FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS ALL STATE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS.

  • Every person, presently on Unemployment or who goes on unemployment during the three month period, will receive 110% of the allowed benefits during this three month period.


IT DOES NOT REQUIRE THE GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE ANY NEW CHECKS.

  • The employers would take the deduction for both the withholding given to the employees and their expenses portion on their quarterly Fm 941.
  • The taxpayers who are presently on unemployment insurance benefits will receive the 10% increase directly in their existing checks. Any new taxpayers going on unemployment during this three month period would also receive 110% benefits for the remainder of the three month period. Whatever additional benefits paid out by the states, they would bill the federal government for the additional benefits paid by the states.


HOWEVER, EVERY WORKING AND NEWLY HIRED WORKING TAXPAYER WILL SEE IMMEDIATE BENEFIT. By using supply-side economics there will be no loss of tax revenue as explained below in THE THEORY of Tax-Enomics.

This program is designed to put IMMEDIATELY MONEY IN THE ECONOMY AND THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER- CONSUMER WITHIN 30 DAYS OF PASSAGE BY CONGRESS. It will GIVE IMMEDIATE benefit to both the individual American Taxpayer Consumer and the American Business Taxpayer.


This program could plug the hole in the dyke until other SPECIFIC programs can be put in place.

The loss in tax revenue will be offset by the increase in taxpayer base as explained below in this blog on The Theory of Tax-Enomics.

FOR THE LONG-TERM ECONOMIC STIMULUS - TO TAKE EFFECT WITHIN 6 MONTHS:

THE PRESENT PROPOSED NEW TAX STIMULUS TAX REBATE PROGRAM may help the economy on a limited basis, but it will not solve the inherent economic problems that must be faced, and may not substantially stimulate domestic consumption to create domestic jobs. It will help some people on a temporary basis, who need money to make ends meet, but it is not enough.

However, Congress, the President and the President-Elect need the practice of working together in a bi-partisan manner.

The mortgage part of the previous package (increase in Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage limits to $729,000) is excellent because it will provide some additional liquidity in the mortgage and housing market, if the banks will return to making loans..

The corporate part of the previous stimulus package was excellent. HOWEVER, it should be revised in a new stimulus program to favor DOMESTICALLY produced equipment and R&D, BY PROVIDING, BESIDES THE DEDUCTION, ADDITIONAL INCOME TAX CREDITS FOR CERTIFIED DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED BUSINESS EQUIPMENT .

THE FOLLOWING PROPOSED PROGRAMS ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY WITH DOMESTIC JOBS AND DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION - THEY ARE ALSO DESIGNED TO GIVE THE MIDDLE TO LOWER INCOME TAXPAYER CONSUMERS MORE DISPOSABLE INCOME SO THEY CAN PAY THEIR BILLS AND KEEP THEIR HOMES.

  • THE AMERICAN -US AUTO CONSUMER INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT PROGRAM

  • THE AMERICAN - US HOME OWNER INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT PROGRAM

    THE RETIREMENT ACCOUNT HOME FREEDOM PROGRAM

    THE FORECLOSURE AVOIDANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

    THE CREDIT CARD FINANCE CHARGE FREEZE PROGRAM

    THE GREEN JOBS With "MADE IN USA" CERTIFIED MATERIALS TO INCREASE CONSUMER GOODS CONSUMPTION PROGRAM

TO SEE HOW THESE PROGRAMS WILL WORK I AM PROVIDING FIRST AN

Explanation of The Theory of Tax-Enomics:

The first key principle of the Theory is the recognition that for GOVERNMENTS TO INCREASE TAX REVENUES,

  1. it is not necessary to always increase TAX RATES
and the THEORY OF TAX-ENOMICS USES THE PRINCIPALS OF SUPPLY-SIDE ECONOMICS IN ITS APPLICATION BY USE OF A VERY SIMPLE FORMULA.

There are FOUR ELEMENTS of a TAX-ENOMICS FORMULA to produce an increase in tax revenues for any particular tax.



  • (A) The number of TAXPAYERS SUBJECT TO THE TAX.
  • (B) The total amount of TAX REVENUE PER TAXPAYER THAT WILL BE TAXED. (This is the primary element for positive economic effect)
  • (C) The TAX RATE TO BE APPLIED TO THE TAX REVENUE.
  • (D) The TIME PERIOD that the TAX RATE IS APPLIED TO THE TAX REVENUE PER TAXPAYER.

THE FORMULA IS very simply (A) X (B) X (C) X (D) = TOTAL TAX REVENUE PRODUCED BY A PARTICULAR TAX.

  • By application of the above simple formula for any particular tax, it is easy to see that
  • A. AN INCREASE IN ANY ONE OF THE ELEMENTS CAN PRODUCE AN INCREASE IN TAX REVENUE.
  • B. IT IS POSSIBLE TO DECREASE THE TAX RATE IF WE CAN INCREASE SUFFICIENTLY THE AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE PER TAXPAYER OR IF WE CAN SUFFICIENTLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TAXPAYERS.

2. The second key principal of the THEORY OF TAX-ENOMICS is:

  • (A) An increase in the NUMBER OF TAXPAYERS and/or the AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE PER TAXPAYER may actually be induced by DECREASING THE TAX RATE and or providing tax incentives within the economy that generate both an increase in total industry and consumer spending. The key here is for a Tax Stimulus program to work properly, that the decrease in tax paid by the taxpayer consumer or the business taxpayer consumer should be directly related to how these taxpayers spend their money in the purchase of consumer and business products, and expansion of the economy.

FOR EXAMPLE:

  1. The NUMBER OF TAXPAYERS could be increased by removing them from the rolls of the unemployed. If new jobs are created by tax incentives (reductions in tax rates and/or abatements in total for a particular tax), the new taxpayers will generate new possible tax revenue would be available for application of the taxes, which they were not doing before.
  2. With every new job that is created, a new taxpayer (or a taxpayer who has left another job and could have become unemployed for a period of time) joins the tax rolls and brings with him new tax revenues which he will spend in the economy, which increase GNP(GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT).
  3. For every job that leaves the US economy and goes overseas, without that person losing the job, maintaining his level of income, his consumer spending is reduced because his personal budget has been reduced.
  4. If we can increase the amount of spendable earned and or passive income received by a taxpayer, we could lower the TAX RATE per taxpayer because the AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE PER TAX PAYER IS INCREASED BY THE TAXPAYER'S INCREASE IN HIS PERSONAL REVENUE AVAILABLE TO THE TAXPAYER TO PAY FOR THE TAXPAYER'S NECESSITIES AND ON THE TAXPAYER'S SPENDING FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS WHICH HELPS THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND CREATES THE DEMAND FOR NEW JOBS.

THE AMERICAN CONSUMER - is the key to our economy.

The driving force for our economy has always been the American Consumer and the American Tax Payer.

  • When there is a lack of confidence by the American Consumer our economy and all of it's inter-related parts slow down and give the appearance that we are heading for a recession or worse.

  • When the American Consumer feels confidence in his future, he increases his financial consumption of goods and services.

  • When the American Consumer increases his financial consumption of goods and services, our economy expands with an increase in demand for consumer goods and services, particularly if these goods are certified as domestically produced ("MADE IN THE USA"). As other foreign governments do, the US Government and State Governments need to subsidize by preferential tax incentives goods and services that are domestically produced. This will level the international playing field.

  • This increase in demand for goods and services then drives our domestic industrial and manufacturing sector to expand production, with an increase in gross national product of all of its related services and product supporting companies.

Conversely when the American Consumer and the American Domestic Businesses lose their confidence in our economy, all demand shrinks, and there is a contraction and reduction in the production of all domestic goods and services. Some people would call this "Supply Side Economics".

Additionally, when the labor to produce the goods and services consumed domestically is obtained a cheaper cost overseas, then we have both a loss of tax revenue and domestic consumption revenue, which results in a loss of domestic jobs from decreased domestic employment.

  • If government wants to use this Supply Side Economics principle to increase consumption by the American Consumer, to avoid a recession and bring the economy to fuller domestic employment, it must provide the American Consumer with the proper incentives that will cause him to have the financial ability to increase his domestic consumption and to generate domestic US employment. Consumer confidence rises when domestic US employment rises and the consumer has more DISPOSABLE income.

This is where The Theory of Tax-Enomics can provide government with the tools to effect these positive economic changes.

History is a great source for finding the tools for positive economic change. The economic effects of historical tax incentives used previously is definitely invaluable in developing new tax incentives to produce positive economic and social change.

  • The following are two specific examples of NEW positive economic Tax incentives programs that the federal government could offer to effect positive economic domestic change, and thus positive social change resulting there from:

EXAMPLE NO. 1: The American - US Auto Consumer Investment Tax Credit Program

Historically, we should look back to 1968 and we would see the dramatic effect on auto sales and the auto industry when there was relief from the federal excise tax that had previously been placed on automobiles sold.

  • Specifically the American - US Auto Consumer Investment Tax Credit is a 10% Federal Cash Tax Credit ($2,000 maximum) that a consumer receives for purchasing a "domestic qualifying"
    US Manufactured or A US Assembled Foreign manufactured hybrid or electric automobile (all labor for these vehicles must be US workers for the vehicles to qualify and at least 50% of the material to produce the vehicle must be certified as "MADE IN THE USA')
    costing the Consumer at the retail price level (with all extras and with a 5 year manufacturer's warranty) $20,000 or less. The Cash Tax Credit for the consumer buyer is exempt from AMT, and can be carried forward if not used up in the year of purchase.

  • The US auto companies that manufacture or assemble the qualifying vehicles will receive TWO TAX CREDITS:
  1. A 5% (of the Retail Sales Price of the qualifying vehicles as defined above) Federal Cash Tax Credit ($1,000 maximum per qualifying vehicle) that can be applied to the payment of federal payroll taxes
    (the expense portion limited to direct labor used in the manufacturing, and/or assembly of the qualifying vehicles) per vehicle produced AND SOLD at retail.
  2. A 5% MADE IN THE USA DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED MATERIAL TAX CREDIT. The credit would be computed on 5% for the cost of all domestically produced steel and other raw materials and products (MADE IN THE USA) purchased AND USED IN A QUALIFYING VEHICLE. The maximum credit could not exceed a $1000 per qualifying vehicle and would be a refundable income tax credit for the auto manufacturers.

The qualifying vehicles would be required to have to have certain normal features of a comparable sedan or SUV that is not a hybrid or electric vehicle.

  • The auto dealers that sell these vehicles would also be eligible for a 2.5%% (of the Retail Sales Price as defined above) Federal Cash Tax Credit ($500 maximum per qualifying vehicle) applicable towards the payment of federal payroll taxes (the expense portion limited to the expense portion of non-owner sales and service personnel).

  • The Banks or Auto Finance Companies that provide financing for these qualifying vehicles at interest rates sold not to exceed for the consumer 4% per Annum over a maximum loan period of 5 years will receive a tax exempt status (and from AMT) for the interest earned on this auto financing. The Banks and Auto Finance Companies will be able to offer Tax Exempt bonds to generate the funds for the financing. They will also be able to purchase government insurance from the Federal Reserve (similar to FHA and FDIC insurance on loans) on qualifying auto loans.

  • The states where these qualifying vehicles are sold will be asked to participate in the program by reducing the sales tax rate on the qualifying vehicles sold to a maximum of 2% of the retail sales price ($400 maximum per qualifying vehicle).

Now at first appearances this might appear as a tax give a-way program. However, in reality, by providing all of the above tax incentives (formulated using the Theory of Tax-Enomics) to the American US Consumer and the Auto Industry and related sales and financing parts, it would be a tax revenue raiser , a boon to the US Economy, a positive increase for the US Balance of Trade in the auto industry, a positive impact on Energy Conservation and the Environment as described by the following benefits:

  1. New Jobs and a significant rise in employment would be created in the auto industry WITHIN THE US , which would now expand consumer consumption by these new employees - a real economic expansion. When workers who were laid off in this industry or others seeking employment, are hired, they will be earning money that will be spent in local economies. This will generate other jobs (supply side economics), which will generate other consumer consumption. There will be an increase in tax revenue without raising tax rates, because the local gross national product domestically will be increased from an increase in taxable revenue generated locally by the above. Another bonus will be is that there will be favorable increase in our balance of trade for the US Auto industry.
  2. The impact on the environment from the increase in the use of these autos, that are not gasoline driven, will be substantial. In the operation of their new autos the savings will be substantial to the consumer purchasers of these NON Gasoline driven Autos in their not being subject to price gauging of foreign oil producers (This will definitely put me on the DO NOT CALL list for Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran).
  3. Even the States that lower the sales tax for these vehicles, will generate new tax revenue, because they will be the states where these vehicles will be sold, and the savings to the purchasers and the auto dealers, will be spent, with new jobs created and new taxable revenue generated by an increase in consumer consumption of taxable sales other than the qualifying autos. Additionally, the increased quantity of qualifying vehicles sold, even at the reduced sales tax rates, will probably offset the reduction of taxable revenue from the lower sales tax rate on these qualifying vehicles.

Therefore by providing specificly targeted domestic tax incentives under the Theory of Tax-Enomics, the Federal and the State Governments will have

  • an increase in tax revenue with reduced taxation per taxpayer. The taxpayer had more disposable income for domestic consumption.
  • In conjunction therewith, these domestic tax incentives will produce a favorable increase in domestic employment ( an increase in domestic jobs) in the auto industry and its related parts, with a corresponding favorable effect on the balance of trade in the US auto industry and the oil industry (less foreign made gasoline purchases). This will help level the playing field for the US Auto Manufacturers, that have had to compete with foreign companies subsidized by their governments, or using cheap labor to compete with.
  • Additionally, there will be a positive effect on energy conservation and the environment.

THUS MORE POWER FOR THE BUCK SPENT!

EXAMPLE NO. 2: The American - US Home Buyer's Consumer Investment Tax Credit Program with a Foreclosure Assistance Program.

History again has an excellent example if we look at

  1. the current tax credits started in 2005 available for new energy efficient homes for contractors, for new energy efficient equipment purchases for existing homes, and commercial properties.
  2. a previous federal tax credit (maximum of $2,000) that was given over 25 years ago (but not available today) to home purchasers. The credit at that time was given to stimulate new residential home purchases. It was well received by home buyers at that time and was a major stimulus to home purchasers at that time.

As with the domestic auto industry, the American Consumer Home Buyer, is a major driving force in our economy. The purchase of a family home for your residence is a major part of the American dream, and is probably the major investment during a life time, that a family home-owner will make. The family home-owner is both a user and an investor.

  • Real Estate has always been a major investment vehicle for the American Consumer, because the family home buyer is both a user and an investor in the transaction to purchase a home. The family home purchased for personal residential use, has also been a major source of retirement funds for many seniors who have sold them and downsized to smaller residences or rental units, so they will have funds for their retirement.

At present we have a total lack of confidence by potential family home-buyers and sellers in the future value of the home as an investment. In addition we have a complete financial contraction in residential mortgage financing. This has caused a major decrease in home values during the past year creating many upside down mortgages. The residential real estate market may have been overpriced by the prior ease of obtain residential mortgage financing. In addition, certain mortgage products were developed by the lenders, that induced many home buyers to over extend themselves in the purchase of their homes.

  • However, we are now faced with a consumer confidence in home purchases. Every time a home buyer looks to buy a home, there is a fear that their investment my be worth less a year or two from now.

  • They expect the prices will come down, even though there was an ample supply of low rate fixed mortgages available to "qualified" home buyers. It has placed a major downturn in our economy, particularly in the residential real estate industry (Construction of New Homes) and related supporting industries (home repairs and improvement industry).

  • Consequently, with the Sub-Prime Mortgage Market having major devastation - a total melt-down, related mortgage lenders and investors are facing a severe credit crisis throughout the entire residential mortgage finance industry.

  • Devastated mortgage banks (that over indulged) have been forced out of business or into bankruptcy.

  • Many residential home-owners, particularly those that used sub-prime mortgages to purchase their homes and investment homes, have been defaulted and foreclosed and many others are facing imminent foreclosure.

  • Additionally, under present tax laws, if home-owner sells his primary residence he can not deduct the loss on its sale, if the home is sold for a price less than its original cost plus improvements.

  • Further, if the homeowner borrower is forced to do a "short sale" (bank agrees to the sale of the property and agrees to"forgive" the borrower(s) the deficiency from the short sale in the payoff of the mortgage. However, under present tax this "forgiveness of debt" is a taxable event and can have severe tax consequences to the home owner(s) involved in the "short sales."

  • Foreclosures, depress the market value of surrounding homes and materially effect home owner consumer confidence. The far reaching effects of this crisis, many economists have said may cause a more severe recession if not dealt with.

  • Many government officials and politicians have stated that we want direct assistance to credit worthy home mortgage borrowers, so that they will not lose their family homes (the President recently stated that he would like to develop a plan for lenders to help "credit worthy" borrowers from foreclosure).

Well we have stated the current problems (and there certainly are many interrelated problems here). Now lets look at different solutions and specific comprehensive plans to reverse this problem. Please note that there is a separate CANDU MEMO blog on insurance by the Federal Reserve Bank, which should be also used in conjunction with programs outlined below.

A. THE RETIREMENT ACCOUNT HOME FREEDOM PROGRAM

  • Free the IRAs, Pension Plans, Keogh Plans to assist home buyers and borrowers to purchase homes and avoid foreclosures. Specifically, we need to change the tax laws to do the following (using the tools from the Theory of Tax-Enomics) as follows:

Present tax law applies a severe penalty on withdrawal of funds from an IRA or a Keogh plan, before IRS specified retirement ages. Additionally, the withdrawal is taxable income to the taxpayer.

SOLUTION:

  • Allow withdrawal of funds from an IRA-SEP, Pension Plan, 401K Plan, or Keogh Plan on a tax free basis in amount equal up to 1/2 of the present tax law exemptions for family primary home residence sales (up to $250,00 for the purchase by joint owners of a family residence and $125,000 of an individual owner of a family residence).

  • A Purchase of a family home(new or replacement). The amount withdrawn will become a down payment that will be recorded as a junior mortgage lien against the property (without the payment of any state mortgage tax). Special rules could be set up that would allow parents of a new family home-owner purchaser to also withdraw funds from their retirement accounts on the same tax provisions.

The mortgage lien will thus become an asset held in the retirement account (IRA-SEP, Pension Plan, or KEOGH). It will be a lien only, not requiring any payment of interest or principal, EXCEPT upon sale of the home. It will only become taxable, without any early distribution penalty, WHEN THE HOME IS SOLD AND NOT REPLACED IF UNDER THE AGE OF 60, but it can be sheltered tax wise AS PART OF the existing tax free gain exemption now allowed under federal tax law ($500,000 for joint returns and $250,000 for individuals). The taxable lien would become a reduction in the cost basis of the home sold.

Upon sale, a form will be required to be filed with the IRS disclosing the transaction of sale for the release of the mortgage lien as the IRS will also be named in the mortgage lien.

  • By filing the information form (similar to or part of the 1099B that is also required to be filed upon a sale of a family residence), the IRS and the borrower's retirement account lien will automatically be released without the payment of any funds to the IRS.

  • The taxpayer would be allowed to avoid any tax on the transaction or a part thereof, if he does a "rollover" of his retirement account mortgage lien back into the existing retirement account or an IRA Rollover account. He could also avoid the tax if at least 50% of the sale proceeds are invested in a new family residence. Taxpayers should not be discouraged from down-sizing, when near retirement or empty nested.

In the case where parents have withdrawn funds, the children upon sale without reinvestment in a new home, to avoid tax could put the money into a "rollover" IRA retirement account belonging to them, or if setup that way, in a "rollover" IRA retirement account of the parents. If they reinvest funds in a new home, they would be allowed to transfer the mortgage lien to the new home without tax consequence.

  • The asset mortgage lien when withdrawn from the retirement - Rollover IRA account reduces the tax free capital gain exemptions for the property sold in the amount of the liens withdrawn by reducing the cost basis of the home sold in computing any taxable gain from the sale.

This program will not be a loss in tax revenue because ultimately the income becomes taxable when it can be afforded by the taxpayer, as the retirement account programs were intended to do.

B. FORECLOSURE AVOIDANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

  • In order to avoid foreclosure of a family residence, the borrowers or their parents, would be allowed a tax free withdrawal of funds from an IRA-SEP account, a 401K, a Corporate Pension account, or a Keogh account, to reduce an existing mortgage on the property to a maximum of 50% of existing federal tax law exemptions for family primary residence sales (described above). This withdrawal would become a combined junior mortgage lien in favor of the borrower(s) or their parents respective retirement account. The same rules described above would be used under this plan.

  • A second plan to avoid foreclosure ,in conjunction with raising FANNY and FREDDIE MAC LOAN LIMITS TO $725,000.00 on family primary owner occupied residences ,would be that the borrower(s) would become eligible for A FIXED RATE LOAN not to exceed 1.0 % below the current prime rate.

  • The lenders would be eligible for an FHA guarantee (with FHA premium insurance on the guarantee portion) on 25% of their original mortgage, IF they give the borrower(s) a "Rate-Term" refi at a fixed rate not to exceed 1.0% below the current prime rate.

  • The borrowers, would NOT have to prove their income or qualify by credit or appraised home value.

  • Under this plan, the lender (to qualify for this 25% FHA Loan guarantee), would have to agree that
  1. All delinquent payments at the original payment amount under the original loan agreement and its inception interest rate (without any late charges or fees which the lenders would have to agree to waive), would be added to the back end of the indebtedness without additional interest cost, but the total revised mortgage can not exceed the original mortgage amount for which they have a mortgage lien.
  2. Additionally to keep the payments from rising the existing loan term would be extended to a term of 35 (or up to a maximum of 40) years to lower the payments.The new loan payments, including the FHA Insurance premium payments can not exceed the original loan payment amounts.
  3. The lender would be required to notify all three credit bureaus to remove all derogatory credit with respect to the mortgage account.
  4. To expedite the process, the lender would be allowed to charge a maximum fee of $1,000.00. However, this fee must be rolled into the new loan and be added to the back of the loan, and can cause the new loan amount to exceed the original loan amount.

In order to induce the lenders to use this program, the lenders would be entitled to change the existing mortgage bond into a 50% tax free bond (not subject to AMT). This would mean that the holder of this mortgage would receive interest income on this revised mortgage bond on a 50% tax free basis (not subject to AMT).

This plan might sound complicated, but it could be made to work. The reason is that for the lenders and the borrowers, by avoiding foreclosures they will have a substantial savings in cost and they keep the family in the home. . This program would be very workable for the borrower(s) who are easily caught up in a quagmire. It might be complicated for the lenders, but it would be a simple workable solution for the family home owner borrower(s).

    • They would be getting a fresh start and they would be able to
      stay in their family homes.
    • The lenders would have an stable asset in their
      balance sheet, and not a non-productive REO (bank Real Estate Owned), which is a fallow asset in their balance sheet, which is sold after foreclosure at a substantial loss.
    • These revised mortgage bonds would become an attractive
      mortgage investment because of the 25% FHA Guarantee and the 50% Tax Free basis for the interest income earned on these mortgage bonds.

THE CREDIT CARD FINANCE CHARGE FREEZE PROGRAM

REDUCE IMMEDIATELY ALL CREDIT CARD FINANCE CHARGES TO A MAXIMUM OF 9.9% FOR 5 YEARS- STOP THE REAL PREDATORY LENDERS - THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES AND THE BANKS THAT
CHARGE ON UNSECURED LOANS INTEREST RATES OF 30% TO OVER A 1000% THRU HIDDEN CHARGES.THEY LOBBY CONGRESS CONTINUALLY FOR PROTECTION AND RECEIVE A LEGAL LICENSE TO RAPE FINANCIALLY MIDDLE TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES - THE PEOPLE WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD TO PAY.


  • Perhaps the President, the President-Elect and Congress should discuss this in more depth. The banks, who have had substantial losses from the Sub-Prime Mortgage crisis, are INCREASING ATM FEES, BANK FEES, CREDIT CARD LATE FEES, to make up for their recent losses. Again the people who can least afford to pay will suffer from this legalized loan sharking by these "predatory lenders".


THE GREEN JOBS TO INCREASE CONSUMER GOODS CONSUMPTION PROGRAM

America is in desperate need of an infrastructure construction program for our envirionment and our economy. We need these jobs filled here with US workers to rebuild our infrastructure and safeguard our economy. New jobs means
new available consumer dollars earned to spent in the economy.


ALL GREEN JOBS PROGRAMS SHOULD STIPULATE THAT, IF AVAILABLE IN THE US, AT Least 75% Of ALL MATERIAL (EXAMPLES CONCRETE, STEEL , PLASTICS ETC) USED IN THESE JOBS MUST BE MATERIAL THAT IS MADE IN THE USA (THE MATERIAL WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CERTIFICATION THAT IT IS "MADE IN THE USA"). This is important, because even if the material costs more that if purchased overseas, it generates US Domestic jobs. The additional cost is offset by new tax revenue from an expanded US Taxpayer base, without having to raise tax rates.

This is a no-brainer. Whatever we spend will come back ten fold in savings and new tax revenue from an expanded tax base without having to raise tax rates.

There are related Programs using Tax-Enomics for Social Security, Energy Conservation, and the environment which are presented in a separate blog at this blog site.

The above programs will be updated and expanded in the future at this blog with particular ideas and additional program recommendations using The Theory of Tax-ENOMICS.

Like General MacArthur said "I SHALL RETURN", or if you like it better Like The TERMINATOR said "I'll BE BACK"

MRCANDU10 (Cousin of MR. Get It Done)

We are trying to steer the ship to you Mr. President -Elect






4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The President, Congress, Presidential Candidates, and the media should all read this blog.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on your new blog -- it looks great!

Anonymous said...

You covered a good deal but left out one proven method to cut back on foriegn imports of oil.

I met someone a few days ago and we had a conversation about conservation and the issues of energy. It was a relief to find the rare someone who is even aware of the importance of these problems we face today, making good choices like a hybrid auto and the efficient heat/AC units he had chosen for his store, and even more gratifying to hear that a rationale such as his perspective on "what we are passing on to future generations" was held by another person who I had actually met. He did state that he felt that biofuels were the answer, and that was the only thing he said that made me wish he understood the big picture of global warming and the issues of energy just a bit better. The following day on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday there was a short piece on biofuels [4 min 33 sec]. I emailed him and included a link where he could go and listen to it by clicking on the listen button.

Biofuels and Food Prices
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16389598

I kind of learned something new too on the subject. Biofuel from corn uses just the seed while as in Brazil where the sugar cane is used, the whole plant/biomass is used to make the ethanol and that changes the energy gain/loss ratio significantly. Still, it seems a risky endeavor with the Amazon rainforest potentially being targeted once again for some $agriculture venture$. The world loses 63 acres of rainforest per minute (http://www.amazonbioenergetics.com/rainforest.htm) and I believe our diminishing rainforests provide about 1/3 of the world’s oxygen. As for biofuel production here in the states, while the program addressed how much we might optimally produce and what part of our needs that might meet, I have to wonder if that takes in to account the possibility of diminished agriculture returns due to adverse affects of climate change. We may just be opening another opportunity for agri-business to pillage the land with more chemicals in the name of our need to race down the highway like nothing else matters.

I don't mean to disagree on the benefits of biofuels, but it is important that we get as much information as we can. Many people under rate the abundance of energy that oil provides and over rate our ability to provide a comparable replacement. It will take a number of new technologies to even approach what oil provides and also we have to consider what percentage of the public will be able to afford any of the new technologies that require the purchase of some other technology like plug-ins or hydrogen. It will be hard to get many people to absorb the lost value of their present multi thousand dollar gas vehicles and turn around and pay 20K for a new one. I think many gas vehicles will remain on the road for sometime to come, regardless of the cost of fuel. That is basically why I see the need for a paradigm shift in how we think and behave regarding the speed we drive.

55mph can provide from 20 to 50% in savings regarding consumption and with NO new technology. That means we could reap those benefits right now, damn near instantly. We don't even have to wait for data to see how this would benefit both in reducing auto emissions and alleviating our dependence on foreign oil. It has already been done once and the data/evidence/facts very favorably support the logic of doing so. But for some reason yet to be explained to me by any of the pro-environmental organizations, no one dares to support a return to a national 55mph limit. Of the few replies I have received concerning the suggestion that these organizations support a 55mph limit and add it to their "What you can do" web-page, they all point out that they already recommend slowing down. Just about anyone who drives on the interstates will tell you that "slowing down" is NOT happening.

In fact, I believe about 17 states have raised limits to 70mph instead. If you drive on these interstates and as you approach city limits where the limit drops to 55 or even 45, you will be in danger and you yourself will be a safety hazard if you try to even slow down to 60 or 50mph respectively. It is an out of control speeding frenzy out there and allowing it to continue is to accept it as normal behavior. The general driving public just hasn't got a clue, even with the price of gas expected to reach $4/gal next year. The most common complaint/challenge I get from anyone who I suggest that we should return to a national 55 limit is that they are "saving time" by driving faster. If a few minutes here and there are so important, then let's not waste the time we have left to turn this problem around and promote a return to a national 55mph limit. Or is this just another self interest excuse for continuing an addiction?

We are importing all but 11% of our oil. By paying for middle-east oil, we to some degree are providing funds for the same factions we are at war against. There is a lot that is more important to save by slowing down than the few minutes gained by speeding, not the least of which is blood or a non-renewable resource(to name just two). It has taken millions and millions of years to make that oil and little more than a century to go through more than half of it with world demand increasing more and more everyday. We will go through what is left faster and global conflicts will increase as reserves continue to deplete. More oil spills, more wildernesses sacrificed, more people like those on the Niger Delta swindled and their land and lives decimated, all in the name of getting down the road a few minutes faster so we can enjoy our fortunate lives just that little bit more.

A new paradigm of slower speeds could lend itself to adapting more efficient designs in the auto industry if we weren't so silly to expect that industry to come up with autos that are capable of speeds greater than any legal limit and accelerate like a rocket AND THEN demand we get great gas mileage too(?). This change in thinking could also benefit the creation of the alternative vehicles. Fact is that most autos are most efficient at 35-40mph. I have to think that even that could improve if we were more realistic regarding the expectations of what an auto should be capable of regarding speed and acceleration. Unfortunately, instead what we have now is an industry that continues to air commercials that tout greater horsepower and fast cars, while at the same time they are fighting legislation to raise efficiency standards. What are we gaining by continuing this mindset? Have you seen the newest Lexus commercial with their car going round and round in a tight circle, smoking the tires with the caption reading "The Doughnut"? That is just one of many that display speeding autos and that are showcasing more horsepower overkill as what we should be aspiring to. Cheap gas is the last thing we need! Right now we are burning the candle at both ends and you know what happens when you do that. It would be great to see a campaign of that magnitude for something beneficial to the environment.

In fact, regarding a new paradigm, slowing down just might be the answer to much of the problems that are indicative of our fast and faster way of life. Slow down and think to start with, think about what is important, slow down and conserve. Somehow I guess I am equating a return to a 55mph limit to a better way of treating the world around us. Slow down the destruction of natural habitat in the name of progress, slow down the affects of industrial pollution for a buck, slow down and look around, slow down and take the time to write to congress and tell them it is time that they listened to the experts, 2500 of the worlds top climate scientists and do what needs to be done, slow down and pay attention to what the example is that we are to our children, slow down, look around and consider what we are doing to our environment by speeding past what we should be nurturing instead. Should we expect our children to behave in a better way if the only example we provide is this lack of concern for the world we live in?

There is a lot at stake but to realize that you have to slow down and pay attention. That latest Russian oil disaster in the Black Sea is a result of the need/demand for oil being so great that they ship oil in barges that are not intended for sea duty. The world is in a big hurry, and there you can directly correlate the result to the notion that haste makes waste. These kinds of environmental disasters will happen again and again, because so many of us make saving a few minutes our top priority. We don't equate shoving that nozzle in our tank to any of the harm we are doing to our world, and not one pro-environmental group has the fortitude to dare state it as harshly as they should, yet alone suggest the most reasonable paradigm shift necessary.

Another point I want to make is that a casual glance at the problems of global warming and oil depletion does not give anyone a real understanding of the serious nature of them. Similarly, a casual glance at possible solutions does not provide enough information to be able to say that only one substitute can solve such complex problems. By casual glance I mean that we have a tendency to hear a blip on a news report, read an article and make some near-instant decision based on that info along with what ever bit of knowledge we may possess. Although there has been an increase in various media coverage reporting the issues, I find it sort of misleading in that it is presented in a rather glib context, light and lacking in alarm. Similarly I cringe a little when I hear about some proposed solution that tends to give the public the idea that we have nothing to fear because we now have an answer. We need to see the need for action as urgent and we need to recognize that no one new technology alone is going to solve the energy crisis. And we need to be smart in choosing the most beneficial and least harmful solutions. This combination I seldom hear in any one glib report. We don't need to be put at ease or to think that our leaders, in government or industry, are going to save us. Only we can do that ultimately. Of course 55mph is not the only answer and it is a sacrifice, but it is sensible and can provide us with some urgently needed instant results if we truly want to change for the better.

After a lot of earnest digging for information and reading various sources for the past 20 months, I can see that these are very complicated subjects, and both global warming and oil depletion are issues like no other before. Our inept government's ability to acknowledge yet alone solve really important problems, to even focus on what is important, combined with a media that is next to brain dead, have let the American public down. Very few people I know are truly concerned, that is as concerned as they ought to be and what is worse, many are still completely clueless.

Get a subscription to National Geographic magazine and month by month watch each ecosystem fail. It used to be an enjoyable read, now it's like the world of ecosystem obituaries. It's not easy to face the truth, I can't say I am the same person I was 21 months ago. To sound so sour is not my nature, and rather than feeling rewarded by my efforts to enlighten most people it is mostly frustrating to put forth the effort and mostly find an absence of concern, unawareness and lack of knowledge. Or to come across those who think they know the problem and aren't worried because they think biofuel or some other technology is the answer, and the problem is under control?? Worst of all is to come across the ardent ones who have swallowed the misinformation propagandized by the "Wise Use" organizations funded by the most egregious corporate polluters ("Wise Use" as explained in "Crimes Against Nature" by Robert F. Kennedy jr.).

There is no replacement for planet Earth; it is not a disposable commodity. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is starting to make statements about how they have underestimated their predictions. (Talk about frustration - They must be really frustrated by the way they have been treated).
Here are 2 more links where you can listen:

U.N. Science Panel Sees Faster Warming of Earth [3 min 41 sec]
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16393441

Nobel-Winning Climate Panel Calls for Urgent Action [4 min 15 sec]
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16400384

With the equivalent of 7 Californias worth of polar ice gone and the increased speed of melting glaciers in Greenland I expect that we may soon hear the IPCC say that we have passed the tipping point(inevitable at any rate). That will be bad news. I'm afraid that instead of what was an estimated 10 years (stated April 2006, nearly 2 years ago) till we could reach a point of no return should we not severely begin to limit emissions, there is a good probability that we have already crossed that threshold. Given what I have witnessed regarding how seriously the world has responded these past 20 months, the ineffective measures and slow response will be even less influential as an already slippery slop gets more and more slippery. Casual glances at these issues will be replaced by wishing we had paid more attention and wishing we were not faced with the harsh unavoidable reality.

Campaigns to save the Polar Bear or Penguins have some value and I give credit to all the pro-environment orgs. We sure would not be as far along in this fight without their efforts, but once again I wish they weren't coming across so nonchalantly by making it sound like a humane society warm and fuzzy can you spare a dime cause to save the cute animals. The truth that everyone should be aware of is that we may see 50% or more of the world’s mammals succumbing to permanent extinction by the end of this century unless we get serious about our part in this crisis. Saving a few minutes really sounds rather petty compared to that, but you would have to slow down and think about it to understand that. And then you would really have to care enough to do something about it. Why should we continue with essentially the very behaviors that has brought us to this point? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. If anything should be done with speed, it's making that paradigm shift now. I'll be making my donations to the organizations that promote a return to a national 55mph limit.

Sincerely,
Larry Sanazaro

Anonymous said...

Larry
The points you make are valid, and I intend to modify THE CANDU MEMORANDUM to incorporate the basic ideas that you have presented very soon. I think you will approve.

Thankyou for the info and your interest

Lloyd M. Abrahams CPA