Posted by Guest (Post 182742)

There are so many problem with our economy that it is difficult to say where to start. It took a long time getting here and it will take a long time to fix. There are several problems that have to be solved to get this country back on track. I would suggest this priority, but would accept them fixing any one to start. And I would force as much as possible into the private sector and limit government involvement as much as humanly possible.

Energy. We can't keep sending 100's of billions to the mid east and maintain the life style we have. We need to stimulate that sector of our economy by providing many more options. And ALL types of energy need to enhanced. That mean more domestic oil, more nuclear plants, wind, solar, tides, coal, oil shale, hydrogen, bio-fuels, and any other that gets identified. Set a goal of 10% reduction of current imports every year, tax any beyond that heavily, use the income to in-cent domestic production, and be completely energy independent in 10 years. Difficult? Yes, Possible, also yes.

Housing. This was the largest contributor that got us into the financial mess we are in and must now resolve. Keep interest rates low for the next 36 months and then let the free market take over. Set a cap on all existing home loans of 5% for the next 60 months. Provide an incentive, probably no tax on the interest for a period of 10 years, for those home owners willing to provide seller financing on the sale of their primary residence. This could apply to the down payment or some % of it. Let the government buy mortgage back securities, only those currently out there, no new loans, and set interest rates on those loans at a prime plus 2% until all are cleared. Once a property is sold or defaults, goes out of the program.

Immigration. Step one, secure the boarders. It does no good to implement any fix in this area until we stop the problem from growing. Then give everyone here a fixed amount of time, maybe 3 years, to become a tax paying citizen, or they will be deported. Allow guest workers with a time frame and tracking method, maybe ankle bracelets, as required to solve seasonal labor requirements. BUT this program is only allowed when unemployment is below 5%. Any time it goes above that level it stops.

Taxes. Lower taxes cause tax revenues to increase. Proved many times over. However there are better tax systems then what we currently have in place. A flat tax, or a national sales tax, some way to collect revenue on all money spent. Even if it has higher % for different income levels as long as it's fixed and defined and any % increase only applies to the higher amounts. Some will suggest that's what we have today, but we really don't. Lower to no capital gains tax on domestic companies for the next 5 years. See how fast people invest in the US then.

There are many more problems that need action, but focus all resources on fixing these 4 and most everything else will fall into place. If you notice a common theme to these, good observation. Defined goals, limited government, sunset time frames. And all of these will cost far less then the current suggested spending plans. Delay all other government spending except for security related items. Nothing works and our economy will implode if we have another major terrorist hit. Imagine a large US city being hit with a nuclear bomb. 9/11 cost 100's of billions, a city eliminated would bankrupt this country overnight.