Liberty Deal

Preamble

There has been a push towards socialism over the last few years that has gained momentum. We realize that more government is never the answer. The Green Deal will bankrupt this nation and its citizens. Instead, we offer this: The Liberty Deal.

Energy

With modern technology, we know that homes can be energy self-reliant. The improvement of solar, wind, and geothermal gives an option to every home and business. The future of energy is self-reliance. Our current energy grid is aging, and an easy target for cyber or conventional attack. A natural disaster could easily take out power for thousands. Cold weather and high winds can also disable an entire city. Encouraging businesses and home owners to supply their own power will result in a safer home, uninterrupted business, and fully-functional emergency response services.

Under our proposed tax reform, one of the only federal tax deductions would be for improving your homes energy efficiency. This can be done by any of the following, but are also not limited to:

• Replacing your insulation with newer, better R-rating insulation
• Replacing windows with new models that have a better R-rating
• Replacing inefficient appliances with new, more efficient ones
• Replacing thin siding with thicker siding, and cladding your house with plywood
• Installing solar panels to reduce or eliminate your power grid consumption
• Installing wind turbines to reduce or eliminate your power grid consumption
• Installing a geothermal system to regulate temperatures in your home

We also want to see innovation continue in this area. We will do this by rewarding companies or individuals that vastly improve existing technologies, or invent a new way to harvest renewable energies, with developmental grants or federal contracts.

The contracts would be to install the systems at federal buildings across the country. This would reduce the costs to operate these buildings in the long run, and save tax payer money.

As you can see, we believe that the future of energy is renewable, clean, and self-sufficient. We don't believe it is the government's position to force this change on the American people. It is completely voluntary, and those that want energy independence, and the benefits that come with it, can reach out and get it. Our approach will spur growth in this industry, and provide jobs as the industry expands.

Health

This subject has been quite a hot topic over the last decade. While we can never support a federally-run system, we do acknowledge the states' rights to do so. We, instead, offer the following as an alternative.

We believe that allowing insurance companies to provide services across state lines will allow the free market to work. It will allow these companies to compete for your business, bringing in lower costs for the consumer. The only federal regulation in place will be a group plan for self and underemployed, and must be offered by each company. Proof of income, assistance, or unemployment must be provided to use this plan. It must be affordable and comparable to other plans. This will allow mom and pops, start ups, single owner/operators, injured, disabled, etc. to be put into a group plan, much like ones offered to large corporations.

The FDA was created to insure that no harmful ingredients were part of our medicine, food, and drinks. Recently, they haven't done a very good job at keeping big pharma at bay. Every day, there are commercials about prescription drugs and the side effects. Weeks later, there are commercials about lawsuits for those same drugs. The FDA should do its job as the watch-dog agency it was supposed to be, or be abolished. Each state should then create its own food and drug administration. If the FDA is abolished and moved to the state level, this would save $5.1 billion a year on the federal budget. The tax relief would not be realized by the tax payer, as this would now be a local tax. However, with this department now run locally, it would be more efficient and responsive to the American people.

Earlier, we mentioned commercials for prescription drugs. Did you know the average cost to run a national TV ad is over $120,000? Did you also know that many of these drugs have adverse side affects? Doctors are aware of the available drugs before they hit the market. They are also aware of your medical history. We want to eliminate prescription drug commercials. This will lower the cost of the drugs, and put the doctor back in charge and responsible for your well-being.

We also believe that the HHS is full of red tape and redundant agencies. Our seniors deserve easy-to-understand and affordable healthcare options. We want redundant agencies abolished and merged into similar agencies. We will work to streamline and simplify the Medicare/Medicaid process. If Medicare/Medicaid cannot be simplified, then we will give the users of these services options that include the following:

• A full refund of remaining money invested into the system, that they can use to pay for private insurance
• A Medicare/Medicaid advocate, that will guide them through choices either within the system or a private alternative. This advocate would be responsible to use the money collected from the consumer to pay for insurance
• Money could be moved to a health savings account that has no expiration and accrues interest, that is to be used for medical purposes only
• A full refund to the individual, that paid into the system. No strings attached

The legalization of medical marijuana and all its byproducts will bring in a flood of natural medicines and create over $12 billion of tax revenue yearly. While it is our belief that recreational use should be up to each state, we can no longer ignore the facts of its medical use.

There is also a growing number of people with undiagnosed or untreated mental illnesses. This has been a growing issue across the nation. This is a problem that will only get worse as time goes on. We, however, believe this is not the job of the federal government. It should fall to the states to provide facilities and treatment centers. This being said, it is not beyond the scope of the federal government to issue grants for the building of such facilities. States would be responsible for the staffing and operational costs of these facilities. Companies that donate to these facilities would be eligible for tax breaks under charity donations.

Women's health has been a hot topic for decades. We know women face unique challenges that men will never experience. We encourage education of the reality of being a woman, as early as sixth grade. Under our plan, the states are in control of education. We would give grants to school districts that wish to construct facilities and a curriculum for a girls-only health class. We want girls only to participate in these classes because a co-ed class creates a nervous atmosphere where kids can't learn as much as they could if they felt comfortable enough to ask questions. These classes should be made available until graduation from high school.

After graduation from high school, any university or college receiving federal money will provide free birth control and low-to-no cost OBGYN doctor visits. If continued education is not part of the life story for the woman, then the aforementioned insurance will help cover the costs of any needs she would require. This would make Planned Parenthood redundant, and they would no longer receive government funding. This would be a savings of $500 million a year to tax payers.

Climate and Environment

We believe that all lands within a state belong to that state. Forestry management should be done by the state—even federal lands. The state forestry departments know their land better than someone who visits a few times a year. The state forestry department will be granted all powers of the lands, and determine when it is to be logged. Should federal help be needed to fight a forest fire, and it found that it could have been prevented or was caused by gross negligence, then the state will be fined for the cost of federal aid, plus 10 percent.

Of all the developed nations on Earth, the US produces the least amount of airborne toxins and trash. As a people, we are becoming more and more conscious of our impact on our environment. We cannot force other nations to follow suit, and forcing our industries to meet these standards nearly destroyed us. We believe that entering into any climate accord or treaty is detrimental only to us, as we are usually the only ones living up to the treaty. Instead, we must take it upon ourselves to usher in improvement. This cannot be forced; it must be rewarded. Current standards are easily achievable, and will remain the gold standard. Any company or production facility that exceeds these standards will receive a tax credit on the federal level. States may also grant certain awards for exceeding standards.

Our farm land is disappearing at an alarming rate. With urban sprawl spreading to areas hours away from any major city, we must come up with new and inventive ways to produce the food we need. Federal and state agencies can help spur this change by giving start-up and operational grants to farmers wishing to up their production and lower costs. Current technology allows us to grow food year round with greenhouses and aquaponics. Crops previously not grown in America can be with greenhouses. Aquaponics allows for the growth of healthy vegetables without the use of pesticides, and can be enclosed to create food all year. This would double the production on the same plot of land.

Foreign Policy

American foreign policy needs overhauled. We were once the champion of the free world. Now, we are the bully threatening other countries and starving their citizens. A change is needed. We believe that we have caused more problems with our foreign policy than we have solved. One only has to look at the current issues in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia to see the mess we have made since World War II. It is time we change our approach, and bring our military home to protect our own borders. To those that say we will lose our influence over the world if we do this, we say a threat of violence is not a good influence.

A difference in religion, ideology, or government type should be no reason for us to withdraw our friendship to the people of these nations. We should instead attempt to stabilize areas by teaching modern farming techniques, safe mining techniques, how to build modern water treatment facilities, and just bringing them into the 21st century. By doing so, we spread our influence through culture and compassion. We do believe that the military is a very vital and important part of America, and we will forever need a strong, powerful, and advanced military due to the mistakes of our past. But, we believe we can achieve more by being the beacon of hope we were always meant to be.

We believe in peace through strength. We need to be strongest here at home, and protecting Americans on American soil should be our top priority. Constant technological advances and training can be, and should be, done here, on our soil. We do not believe we should leave areas that we made the mess at until that mess is cleaned up. Peace is achievable with North Korea, Syria, Iraq, Cuba, Iran, and Afghanistan. Sometimes, you need to listen to those that are closest to them to learn what has to be done to achieve this peace. However, when all avenues are exhausted, and life is threatened here at home, then war is still an option. Let it be known that war will always be our last option.

Technology

Every year that goes by, we produce fewer and fewer scientists and engineers. We will urge states to push these areas of study starting in sixth grade. States and/or districts that push these areas, or wish to start pursuing these areas of study, will receive grants for the following:

• Engineering Shops/Labs
• Biology Labs
• Planetarium Construction
• Physics Labs
• Astrophysics Labs and Equipment
• Robotics Labs
• Propulsion Labs
• Theoretical Proposal Classes
• AI Development Labs
• Statewide science competitions.

The grant system currently in place will be revamped. All grants going forward will have to prove that the research is in the best interest of the American people who are spending tax money on these grants. The grants must meet one of the following criteria:

• Improve the quality of life of the American citizen
• Extend the life expectancy of the American citizen
• Improve efficiency of the American worker
• Advance the American space interests
• Create or improve renewable energy sources
• Create or improve food production
• Create or improve building techniques/products.
• Create or improve communication technology
• Develop and advance of theories that lead to any of the mentioned areas
• Advance in Robotics and AI.

More can be added to this list as long as it is proven to be of advancement to the American people and the human race in general. Grant money will no longer be wasted on studying the mating habits of rabbits on cocaine.

Politics

The political atmosphere is divided and corrupt. It needs to be adjusted, and some civility must return to the arena. We will do this by first issuing a simple campaign reform, having to do with ads on TV. Most American citizens dread that, every two years, they are bombarded with ads from both sides that do nothing but sling mud and ruin lives. We propose a limit on commercials and what they cover. A limit of two different commercials per candidate can be made. These commercials will be limited to facts as to what the candidate stands for, as opposed to their opponent's stand, and details on how they will fix the issues at hand. Anything beyond these will be in violation of the new reform, and the candidate will either be fined or forced to withdraw from the race. Further violations of this law in future campaigns will result in larger fines and, eventually, the candidate not being allowed to run for office. It is easy to let your emotions cloud judgment, and some people play to that just to get into a position of power so it can be abused. This new law will allow the voters to decide based on where the candidate stands on issues, rather than who can yell the loudest.

Also, limiting the candidates to two commercials each lowers the cost to run for office. Local commercials can have a cost of $200-$1,500 each. This will level the playing field for all candidates, and allow for more grass roots campaigns to get traction, and have their voices heard. The same rules will apply for presidential campaigns. National commercials can run over $120,000 each, and those are usually paid in part by special interest groups. Lowering this to two commercials each limits the influence these groups have.

To ensure the American citizens influencing the future of our nation, we want and will implement a voter ID law. You must have a valid state-issued ID to vote in any election. This will ensure the integrity of our process, and keep our Republic viable.

We also know that quite a few people get into politics to get rich, and don't care about the people they are elected to represent. A complete overhaul of the pay system for our representatives is in order. It is detailed below:

• Members of the House of Representatives will make the average wage in their respective districts
• Senators will make what the average wage is in their state
• Vice President will make what the average Senator makes
• President will make what the average American makes

Politics have been made into a get-rich-quick scheme, where these people get paid exorbitant amounts of money to do nothing but argue and pass laws that no average person can understand. Setting up this pay rate will insure the following:

• People that want to do right for the people are elected
• Representatives will do their best to get better paying jobs for those they represent, as this is the only way they will get a raise
• Crooked politicians will be spotted easily as they will have more money that they can not account for
• It will lower the deficit, and bring us closer to a balanced budget

Border Security

This should be top priority for the federal government, as this is one of the few duties we believe it should have. Bringing the troops home and stationing them at the border will help. Combine this with a wall, and we have a sealed border.

Funding of the wall can be done several ways. Some are quite unique and all should be considered:

• Congress passes a spending bill to include funding for the wall
• Funding for the wall is rolled into the military budget
• Donations from citizens can be used to ease the budget
• Money seized from criminals at the border can be redirected to building the wall
• Items used while committing crimes at the border can be auctioned off to fund the wall

We can also slow the influx of illegals by taking away benefits given to them by the federal government. We should instead redirect those funds to helping our own homeless and hungry. Doing this will cause most illegals to self deport back to their home country. To take this further, sanctuary cities and states are in defiance of the union. They are aiding and abetting criminals and potential enemies of the state. Leaders of these sanctuary cities and states should be arrested and tried for treason against the American people.

Poverty

There are an estimated 41 million people in America that deal with hunger every day. Stores, restaurants, and facilities toss out food every day. We agree this is a waste, and could help solve some of the hunger issues we face in this country today. All federal government buildings that have food about to pass, or just passed, the expiration date will donate that food to the nearest food bank. Our plan will also give tax breaks through charitable donations to any store or restaurant that gives the expired, or nearly expired, edible food to their local food bank or shelter. All federally-run shelters will teach gardening and food preparation to its inhabitants, to help ease the hunger issues. We will also build a network with state-run and charity-run food banks and shelters, to make sure donated and raised food gets where it needs to go. An agency will not be created to oversee this. Rather it will be self contained, and the administrators of each site will be able to communicate with each other via phone, email, or any other means possible to formulate, and execute any plan needed.

Over the last decade, there has been a tremendous growth in the homeless population. Whether they are veterans, drug users, or people just down on their luck, they all deserve to be treated with dignity. In this, we are failing greatly.

Grants will be given to states to build communities for the homeless. To qualify for the grant, you must have one of the following the communities:

• Private homes. Can be studio apartments, or tiny houses or both
• Job training in a skill or trade (IE welding)
• Medical Clinic
• Mental Health Facilities
• Food Bank Optional Facilities
• Playground
• School
• Stores
• Bank
• Life Coach

These will be set up to help get people on their feet, not just house them. People will learn interview skills, job skills, be able to get their GED, and find employment. Help with mental health, and medicine for any illness, will also be available. Once they get a job they will begin to pay rent and save money to move on and rejoin society.

Crime/Justice

First, we want to shut down all private prisons. This industry should never be for a profit. We also believe that only violent crimes should be punishable by imprisonment. All others should be house arrest, fines, and/or community service. I would treat nonviolent criminals the same as homeless. Retrofit prisons into education centers, where they can get a GED, learn a trade, and get counseling. While onsite they will get a job and save money for when they graduate the program. Once they graduate the incident is removed from their record, and the services are always available to them. We will model this in federal prisons, and encourage the states to follow.

Constitution

We would support any amendment that creates term limits for our members of Congress. We would also repeal any amendment or law that limits an individual's liberties. Any law violating a constitutional right should be instantly repealed, and anyone imprisoned for breaking these laws be released and their record cleansed.

The Bill of Rights should be permanent and unchangeable. They are the foundation of our civilization and should be held sacred. They are listed below:

1. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
2. A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
3. No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
4. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.
5. No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.
6. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
7. In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States than according to the rules of the common law.
8. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
9. The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
10. The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Finance

Tax reform is still needed. The Trump Tax Plan is a great start. We agree that the first $24,000 should not be taxed, as this helps lower income families the most. The next step should be to implement a fair or flat tax, and remove most deductions and all loopholes. This will make tax preparation easy and save taxpayers money on tax preparation. This would also shrink the size of the IRS, cutting around $10 billion a year from the budget.

We fully support a balanced budget amendment that stipulates that, until a balanced budget is passed, members of Congress receive no pay.

Either revamp United States Postal Service to eliminate waste, or turn it over to the private sector. Carriers such as UPS and Fed Ex already exist that can fill this roll.

VA hospitals, once the best in the world, have fallen from grace. We support the abolition of the VA hospital system. Instead, we would sign up all military personnel for the same insurance that our elected officials enjoy. This would allow our military personnel and families to see any doctor they wish.

We would also extend the GAO mandate another five years, to 2020. We would follow their advice on reducing redundancy where it doesn't effect national security. To date, they have found $175 billion in wasted money. This is only the parts that have been acted on to date, only 52 percent of the actions fully addressed.

Education

We would remove the Federal Department of Education. Since its creation, the quality of education in America has been on the decline. We would return the power back to states and districts. This would save tax payers $64 billion a year. Local teachers and parents know the educational needs better than the bureaucrats in DC. The states can then decide the structure of their systems, and have complete control on curriculum and funding. Teachers will be able to do what they want to do. Teach kids how to think, and not what to think.

Economy

We are stuck in the 20th century. We currently produce very little and consume way too much. Our manufacturing and production need to focus on the future.

We know that technology is progressing at a swift rate. We also know that we produce none of it. To make the economy strong and viable, now and in the future, we must focus on making top-quality products here in the States. We must catch Japan as they are already rolling out products that are only dreamed of here in the US.

We will offer tax breaks, grants, and low interest loan guarantees to start ups and current manufacturers who wish to pursue any of the following endeavors.

1. Robotics
2. Clean Energy
3. Aeronautical Advancement
4. Space Exploration
5. Terraforming and Life Improvement
6. Agricultural Advances
7. New Energy Sources and Development
8. Improved/New Transportation Methods
9. Advanced Communication Technology
10. Atmospheric Preservation and Improvement

This is not a full list, as technology develops quickly and others may arise that make these obsolete. This list will evolve as our production needs change.

It should be noted that we will not rule out extended patent time as an incentive for truly revolutionary technology developments that are made here in the US.

Closing

As you can see, we are big supporters of the 10th Amendment. The aforementioned are only the first steps to return the power to the States. The federal government exists to protect our national borders, ensure free trade among the states, negotiate with the world on our behalf, and ensure our grievances are heard. Anything beyond that is an overreach of its power.

We present this document in the hopes of starting a conversation on returning liberty to the people of America and reducing the deficit at the same time.