Former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert recently released a strong, common sense conservative economic plan to take to the U.S.Senate, should he win the GOP primary race.
Here are some bullet points of his plan:
Institute Fundamental Tax Reform. America must reform its tax code. We need to simplify, flatten and broaden our tax code by having one low tax rate for everyone rather than targeting America's job creators with new taxes. Under my plan, families will face a reduced tax burden and will no longer be confronted with double and triple taxation on what they earn We must also reduce our corporate tax rate, which is one of the highest in the world. This has only served to push jobs overseas. And while big corporations find loopholes and lobby for favors, escaping taxes all together, small companies are hit hardest of all.
Allow America's Small Businesses To Grow. Helping small businesses jump start our economy is about more than ending the economic uncertainty created by Washington's proposed tax hikes. There are well over 150,000 pages of government regulations that hit businesses, both small and large. Small businesses, however, face 36% greater compliance costs or an average of $10,585 per employee. Congress should force government agencies to evaluate and roll back burdensome regulations that tie up businesses in compliance concerns rather than job creation. Agencies and government boards are changing the rules and working against the very people who are trying to get America moving. This must stop.
Give All Americans The Right To Work. Here in Texas, we give all workers the choice of whether they want to join in a union. In other states, that's not the case. They have forced unionization. Texas and 21 other states guarantee this right, and studies show these states have all seen stronger job growth, income growth and population growth than states that force workers to join unions as a prerequisite for employment. One economist found that 4.8 million people left their forced unionization states in favor of right-to-work states between 2000 and 2008. Further, we risk the continued loss of jobs overseas. Right-to-work states also have better-educated workforces, and even as healthcare coverage in other states dropped by 5.7% between 1999 and 2009, coverage in right-to-work states increased. We must pass this same right to work at the federal level, protect businesses and workers from the overreach of the NLRB, and repeal the Davis-Bacon Act to save taxpayer money.
Put American Energy First. Energy is one of the great strengths of Texas' economy, and this resource is vital for both our national security and national economy. We have some of the greatest energy resources in the world, but the federal government has held our country back from developing them, instead forcing us into dependency on foreign production. This must stop. We need to immediately open our domestic energy resources to production so we can bring down our energy costs and become energy independent. I believe we must expand the use of natural gas and end the drilling moratorium and restrictions that have held back production here at home.
Reduce The Role Of Government In Our Lives. My plan will get our fiscal house in order, and it directly confronts Washington's ballooning bureaucracy. I believe we have fundamentally mortgaged our future, and we must take immediate steps to cut our debt. I began my campaign for U.S. Senate by calling for two important reforms. First, I believe we must pass a Balanced Budget Amendment combined with a spending cap of 18% of GDP to prevent tax hikes. Second, we must institute zero-based budgeting for all federal departments. This would force agencies to justify why they need funding rather than sending them money every year, regardless of whether they need it, which is what Congress does now. We must repeal Obamacare, and I offer my proposals for reducing the costs of healthcare. My plan will also rein in the Federal Reserve, privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, reform our welfare system, reduce the federal workforce, bring its outlandish taxpayer-funded benefits in line with those of the private sector, and institute term limits to replace career politicians with fresh faces.
Save Our Entitlement Programs. I will never shy away from any issue, even the so-called "third rail" of entitlement reform. Talk to any young person today, and they will tell you Social Security and Medicare won't be there for their generation. To preserve these vital programs, we first and foremost must not change anything for those ages 55 and older. These folks rely on their benefits and we've made a promise to them. But for younger workers, we need to provide Medicare subsidies for the purchase of certified private plans, raise the retirement age, encourage greater retirement savings, and launch an initiative of Personal Retirement Accounts to allow every American, not just the wealthy, to save and invest toward their retirement. Make no mistake—if we don't act now, these programs will go bankrupt. The simple fact in this debate is that people who oppose reform are the ones who want to destroy our entitlement system. The leaders calling for reform are the ones working to honor our commitment to seniors.
Most importantly, Leppert presents a solid plan for economic growth while stating that it is necessary to get beyond the finger pointing and state a plan. It is easy to blame President Obama and the past administration. It is easy to claim to be the challenger to the "establishment" GOP. The real test comes when the question is finally asked of all the candidates: What is your plan for economic recovery?
The GOP will win in November at all levels of government if we accept the challenge and offer voters real plans of action, not just complaints. Leppert is now leading the way in the arena.
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