Browse Ideas with tag 'trade':

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  Combat US jobs going overseas

  The Federal Government needs to focus on keeping jobs here in the US. We need to lower the corporate taxes for companies with the bulk of its employees made up of US citizens and raise corporate taxes on companies located abroad that employ non-US citizens. The corporate tax rate should be calculated to motivate companies away from sending jobs overseas, but still allow all companies to benefit from doing business in ...more »

  The Federal Government needs to focus on keeping jobs here in the US. We need to lower the corporate taxes for companies with the bulk of its employees made up of US citizens and raise corporate taxes on companies located abroad that employ non-US citizens. The corporate tax rate should be calculated to motivate companies away from sending jobs overseas, but still allow all companies to benefit from doing business in the US.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Don’t become a hostage to China

  Discussion: The U.S. February trade deficit with China was $18.8 billion [1]. Overall, China now holds over $3 trillion in foreign reserves (Dollars and other currency) [2]. With this leverage, China can dictate financial terms to the U.S. We have allowed our National Security to be held at risk on the hope China will be nice to us. Yet we see China more aggressive in maritime disputes [3]. Moreover, we know there are ...more »

  Discussion:

  The U.S. February trade deficit with China was $18.8 billion [1]. Overall, China now holds over $3 trillion in foreign reserves (Dollars and other currency) [2]. With this leverage, China can dictate financial terms to the U.S. We have allowed our National Security to be held at risk on the hope China will be nice to us. Yet we see China more aggressive in maritime disputes [3]. Moreover, we know there are a number of unfair trading practices that allowed China to accumulate large holding of U.S. currency. Since China joined the World Trade Organization, we have exported millions of U.S. jobs to the communist giant. The question here is how long can we continue along this path?

  Recommendation:

  We need to target China’s unfair trade practices with the objecting of restoring our economic base. The control used should include fees that will increase our taxes. Perhaps a domestic employment surcharge for products imported from China.

  References:

  1. Kowalski, Alex, Bloomberg, U.S. Trade Deficit Narrowed in February as imports Decrease, April 12, 2011.

  2. McDonald, AP, China’s foreign reserves surge past $3 trillion, April 14, 2011.

  3. VOA, China’s Maritime Disputes Fueled by Need for Energy, April 11, 2011.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Incentives to Outsource TO America

  Give incentives/tax cuts for companies who bring factories to the USA. Factories are important not only for factory workers but for plumbers, electricians and anyone else who partakes in the construction and maintenance of the factories. We need to cut the services jobs, and have more people making quality goods in the USA.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Post-Earthquake Partnership w/ Japanese Companies

  Partner with Japanese companies to manufacture parts domestically while they can't, following their earthquake / tsunami. This is a win/win - it will provide jobs for Americans and keep the production lines moving. (Many of the production lines themselves are domestic.)

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  Apply a USA Inc. policy to countries that operate as a monopoly

  Background: In the aftermath of the tragedy in Japan following the massive earth quake; we are now seeing how Japan has applied unfair trade practices. Case in point, is seems the other power companies may be required to cover losses [1]. Essentially, Japan is equivalent to a single monolithic corporation. Only the Japanese Government could enforce such a policy. Imaging in the U.S. if one industry suffered losses and ...more »

  Background:

  In the aftermath of the tragedy in Japan following the massive earth quake; we are now seeing how Japan has applied unfair trade practices. Case in point, is seems the other power companies may be required to cover losses [1]. Essentially, Japan is equivalent to a single monolithic corporation. Only the Japanese Government could enforce such a policy. Imaging in the U.S. if one industry suffered losses and the losses were to be covered by competitors? Sacrificing U.S. industry should not be an option.

  Suggestion:

  The U.S. should implement comparable policies to those countries that act as a single corporation. This unfair trade practice needs to stop before we have no industry remaining.

  References:

  1. Reuters, Nikkei gains, but thin volumes point to downside, April 13, 2011.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Big Idea Bounties

  Place a one million dollar bounty on major innovations discovered in the university system, or the private sector. The research team, or individual, that theoretically perfects the biosphere concept, or invents the next generation of solar concentrators, is given a government reward of one million dollars, to help them start the business that brings it to the masses.

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  Preserve Critical Industry

  Background: Due to low prices and poor environmental laws, China was able to capture 97% of the rare earth mineral market [1]. Recently, China restricted exports of Rare Earth elements [2]. These elements are important for many advanced technologies including semi-conductors and advanced batteries. What China was allowed to do was to corner (hold a monopoly) on these critical elements. Without warning, exports were restricted ...more »

  Background: Due to low prices and poor environmental laws, China was able to capture 97% of the rare earth mineral market [1]. Recently, China restricted exports of Rare Earth elements [2]. These elements are important for many advanced technologies including semi-conductors and advanced batteries. What China was allowed to do was to corner (hold a monopoly) on these critical elements. Without warning, exports were restricted driving up the costs in the process. This is but one example where the U.S. is not dependant on foreign suppliers that have manipulated prices after the competition was gone.

  Suggestion:

  The U.S. needs to maintain a core set of industries that are crucial to our national defense. That China was allowed to corner the market on rare earth elements shows there are improvements that need to be made. Suggest the Government invest, manage, or sponsor competition for those industries that are critical to national defense. In addition to rare earth elements; energy, raw material, manufactured good, steel, and other industries should be examined. Allowing a U.S. industry to disappear due to unfair international trade; only to pay more down the road; is not in the best interest of the U.S.

  References:

  1. Housley, Adam, Fox News, Mine in Mojave Desert May old Key to Beating China in the race for Raw Minerals, April 6, 2011.

  2. Brown, Josh, Washington Times, U.S. urged to mine ‘rare earth’ minerals for high-tech devices, April 11, 2011.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Grow economy by having free trade area with Europe

  Creating a free trade area with Europe will have three large benefits. First, it will increase our exports, as the European Union is one of the largest and richest markets with the world. This will help our export industries, including the lumber, agricultural, heavy equipment, and software industries. Larger markets will help American companies to be more efficient. Second, it will allow Americans and American businesses ...more »

  Creating a free trade area with Europe will have three large benefits. First, it will increase our exports, as the European Union is one of the largest and richest markets with the world. This will help our export industries, including the lumber, agricultural, heavy equipment, and software industries. Larger markets will help American companies to be more efficient. Second, it will allow Americans and American businesses to import European goods at a lower cost. For example, if there is a piece of machinery made only in Germany, allowing it to come into the United States duty free will help the American company that buys it reduce its costs and compete better with others all over the world. Third, this will strengthen our alliance with these countries, all of which are democracies and many of which are working closely with us on international issues, including most recently Libya. These countries have high environmental standards and pay workers at (or sometimes above) the level in the United States. Thus a free trade agreement with Europe, which will benefit both us and the European countries, does not raise the environmental or labor concerns that trade agreements with some other countries raise.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Relax Monopoly Laws

  Background: The last time we had a balanced budget; it was due to the prosperity of industry and the working public. More taxes came into the system than expenses paid out. In order to get back on a firm footing, we need to have healthy industry churning our profits and the resulting taxes. Without a strong source of income (taxes) there is little basis for deficit control. During the 1950’s half of the U.S. jobs were ...more »

  Background:

  The last time we had a balanced budget; it was due to the prosperity of industry and the working public. More taxes came into the system than expenses paid out. In order to get back on a firm footing, we need to have healthy industry churning our profits and the resulting taxes. Without a strong source of income (taxes) there is little basis for deficit control.

  During the 1950’s half of the U.S. jobs were tied to the auto industry. Think about that a moment. When the U.S. was the economic force on the planet; half of the jobs were tied to the auto industry. We have in essence exported most of this industry overseas. Consider, according to the last census results, one-fourth of the Detroit (motor city) population left. Moreover, we are learning from the earthquake disaster in Japan, we have been up against the equivalent of a large corporation (Japan Inc.). To compete in such an environment, we need to allow companies to dominate an industry in order to compete on a global scale. Trying to maintain numerous smaller companies puts each at a disadvantage. In the past, it was important to ensure domestic competition in order to protect the consumer. However, international trade has made this a non-issue.

  Suggestion:

  Relax the current U.S. anti-monopoly laws and allow corporations to grow and competed against state supported industries.

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  A Trillion Dollar waste - WELFARE,section8 ,low income housing

  http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income ...more »

  http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income housing system is a complete failure which has drained the US economy of trillions of dollars and maintained tenets in social and financial bondage. there is no incentive to leave section 8 or low income housing. why work or attend college when you can get housing for free or low cost. This encouranges drug abuse and out of wedlock births and tenet abuse by housing squatters and unauthorized people living in the units. section 8 and low income housing also reduce local taxpayers home values and create blighted neighborhoods with loud music and cars with dark windows and dirty messy yards often with dirt as a yard.. SECTION 8 and LOW INCOME HOUSING TENETS NEED TIME LIMITS of 1 to 3 years then they must be evicted from the units since they are living on free enititlements and have no incentive to Raise themselves out of the free benefits. WAKE UP AMERICA! WE ARE TRILLIONS IN DEBT and giving away FREE BENEFITS . remember that all secion 8 and low income housing authoritys are TAX FREE and you pay the costs of educating the people and their rents are susidized and food and insurance are subsidized and paid for. its like the midlle and upper class is paying triple to live, we all have to pay for everyone else.. its not fair..http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm

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  LIVE FOR FREE- WELFARE and section 8 and low income housing

  http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income ...more »

  http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income housing system is a complete failure which has drained the US economy of trillions of dollars and maintained tenets in social and financial bondage. there is no incentive to leave section 8 or low income housing. why work or attend college when you can get housing for free or low cost. This encouranges drug abuse and out of wedlock births and tenet abuse by housing squatters and unauthorized people living in the units. section 8 and low income housing also reduce local taxpayers home values and create blighted neighborhoods with loud music and cars with dark windows and dirty messy yards often with dirt as a yard.. SECTION 8 and LOW INCOME HOUSING TENETS NEED TIME LIMITS of 1 to 3 years then they must be evicted from the units since they are living on free enititlements and have no incentive to Raise themselves out of the free benefits. WAKE UP AMERICA! WE ARE TRILLIONS IN DEBT and giving away FREE BENEFITS . http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Flatten the Playing Field for Made in the USA

  The US currently only really charging import tariffs on agricultural goods. We should start implementing tariffs on other goods to give USA made products a competitive chance. We should also lower the corporate taxes for companies with the bulk of its employees made up of US citizens and raise corporate taxes on companies located abroad that employ non-US citizens. The corporate tax rate should be calculated to motivate ...more »

  The US currently only really charging import tariffs on agricultural goods. We should start implementing tariffs on other goods to give USA made products a competitive chance.

  We should also lower the corporate taxes for companies with the bulk of its employees made up of US citizens and raise corporate taxes on companies located abroad that employ non-US citizens. The corporate tax rate should be calculated to motivate companies from sending jobs overseas, but still allow all companies to benefit from doing business in the US.

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  Educate Consumers on Trade Impacts

  Background: Years ago, there were a series of commercials with Bob Hope asking consumers to look for the Made in U.S.A. label, it matters. Today, most consumers do not realize they have the ability to correct trade imbalances based on their purchases. Moreover, most Americans do not know how trade purchasing foreign goods contributed to the Roman Empire downfall. Without a solid U.S. based industry, jobs and tax revenues ...more »

  Background:

  Years ago, there were a series of commercials with Bob Hope asking consumers to look for the Made in U.S.A. label, it matters. Today, most consumers do not realize they have the ability to correct trade imbalances based on their purchases. Moreover, most Americans do not know how trade purchasing foreign goods contributed to the Roman Empire downfall. Without a solid U.S. based industry, jobs and tax revenues are lost. Moreover, we become dependent on foreign companies to produce products to meet our needs. The staggering monthly trade deficit, the bulk of which goes to China, is unsustainable. By educating the American consumer and instilling a sense of nationalism, we can correct the unfair trade practices applied to U.S. goods through consumer purchases.

  Suggestion:

  Start a series of national advertisements along the line of the older Bob Hope messages. Make this like the ‘just say no’ anti-drug campaign. Create a series of educational programs; make these available through the education system and public broadcast outlets, and focus on how the consumer is empowered to correct trade problems. Acknowledge there are countries that manipulate currency and trade practices to the detriment of the U.S. and while we are working to correct these problems; consumers can do their part.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Take top 25 submissions and top 25 contributors for discussion

  I like most ideas on this website. I think that most ideas have come from somebody who is trying to do a great job at what they do. It has become so difficult to navigate through that, I have decided to take 15 minutes out of my day to dedicate to this at home on my own time. I believe that the top 25 contributors and top 25 idea submitters should be invited to bring their heads together and discuss what is really ...more »

  I like most ideas on this website. I think that most ideas have come from somebody who is trying to do a great job at what they do.

  It has become so difficult to navigate through that, I have decided to take 15 minutes out of my day to dedicate to this at home on my own time.

  I believe that the top 25 contributors and top 25 idea submitters should be invited to bring their heads together and discuss what is really important to their agency and to the federal government as a whole.

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  Value Added Tax

  Eliminate the Income Tax and replace it with a VAT, that taxes consumption. That would encource investment and savings, and eliminate all of the special interest loop holes built in the current tax code, thereby promoting more rationale economic choices and making the USA more competitive in the global market.....also make US goods more attractive for the domestic market....as there would be less rationale for companies ...more »

  Eliminate the Income Tax and replace it with a VAT, that taxes consumption. That would encource investment and savings, and eliminate all of the special interest loop holes built in the current tax code, thereby promoting more rationale economic choices and making the USA more competitive in the global market.....also make US goods more attractive for the domestic market....as there would be less rationale for companies to move production off shore.

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  Respond to Unethical Trading and Market Practices

  While it would be great if laws enforcing illegal trading practices were all enforced and there were more laws to prevent unethical practices, the United States can also use non-conventional means to counter unethical and illegal practices used on a global basis. Consider unethical oil trading that was being conducted in 2008, where traders were misreporting sales at a level higher than the actual traded price. This ...more »

  While it would be great if laws enforcing illegal trading practices were all enforced and there were more laws to prevent unethical practices, the United States can also use non-conventional means to counter unethical and illegal practices used on a global basis.

  Consider unethical oil trading that was being conducted in 2008, where traders were misreporting sales at a level higher than the actual traded price. This caused gasoline to spiral up to $4 per gallon, causing consumer confidence to fall, influencing vehicle and real estate purchases to stall, and finally resulting in the credit bubble to burst. This whole chain of events and resulting recession could have been prevented by the Government responding to the speculators by releasing the Federal Petroleum Reserve, thereby causing a dramatic market correction and losses to the people who would have started this problem.

  Consider unethical trade and currency practices which allow some countries to stabilize their economies through various manipulative practices. Say a country manipulates their currency beyond just minor corrections; the US should counter these practices at the border by adjusting import tariffs or some other lever to reflect a correct currency rate. Other countries would then follow suit. If the US allows free trade with a country then that should only stay in effect while the other country reciprocates. If a barrier of any kind arises the US should limit trade in a reciprocal limiting manner stopping the flow of goods from that country.

  Today we allow oil companies to violate anti-trust laws and operate unethically, coordinating prices based on market emotions, “fake” market disruptions, intentionally incompetent plant operation, and season whim. Before the federal government allowed the oil companies to gobble each other up, there would always be renegade and hungry operations that would help aid in deflating non-market driven prices. With too few competitors it is easier for the oil companies to run the monopolies they like, taking us back to the situation where we were when anti-trust laws were written. The government has so many levers to pull here to get this back on track, but special interests seem to get in the way.

  Stop unethical behaviors from driving markets, make free markets truly free and open to competition, by managing the participants bad behavior. We'd do it if it happened in our neighborhood, why not globally?

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Remove State from Negotiating Trade Agreements

  Trade agreements should be negotiated by USTR alone. USTR should be expanded to give it additional capabilities for doing so

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  Chinese Import/Export Safety

  Require China to certify all imported/exported goods to the US are lead free, especially items geared towards children. Items to be certified should include toys and jewelry. If exported goods are found to contain unsafe levels of lead, restrict and/or fine the Chinese government to alleviate this practice.

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  Push (REEL) Mowers for Inmates

  A solution to save on fuel costs would be for Institutions to use push mowers instead of gasoline operated mowers. Not only does the government save money for fuel and maintenancer, but inmates are afforded health benefits by pushing the mowers, maintaining their physical fitness. Additionally, the environmental impact is aided in less carbon emisions. The cost of a gas powered mower is around 3 to 4 times what a manual ...more »

  A solution to save on fuel costs would be for Institutions to use push mowers instead of gasoline operated mowers. Not only does the government save money for fuel and maintenancer, but inmates are afforded health benefits by pushing the mowers, maintaining their physical fitness. Additionally, the environmental impact is aided in less carbon emisions. The cost of a gas powered mower is around 3 to 4 times what a manual push mower would cost. Also, the maintenance for a manual push mower is 10% of maintaining a gas powered mower.

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  Start from scratch with the new trade organization

  When consolidating these 12 organizations, do NOT simply slap the silos together and hope everything will work out. Design the optimum agency and fit the personnel and duties to fit the goals. Make the top officials professional staff, not political appointees. Use the opportunity of the creation of a new agency to provide upward mobility career opportunities for proven professional staff from throughout the federal ...more »

  When consolidating these 12 organizations, do NOT simply slap the silos together and hope everything will work out. Design the optimum agency and fit the personnel and duties to fit the goals. Make the top officials professional staff, not political appointees. Use the opportunity of the creation of a new agency to provide upward mobility career opportunities for proven professional staff from throughout the federal government, not political appointees. Provide opportunities for qualified private sector employees to become professional career staff. Allow displaced personnel to fast track into other available jobs in the government to reduce resistance to change. Provide adequate staffing, salaries, travel, computer support, training and professional development, and promotion opportunities so that this new agency attracts the best talent. Place oversight of the new agency under ONE Senate and ONE House committee to ensure adequate review and prevent budget squabbling like we've seen over the past decade.

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  Equipment CONSOLIDATION and ReUTILIZATION

  Equipment CONSOLIDATION and Re-UTILIZATION First come first served. Someone’s trash or excess is someone’s treasure (items needed for another office / or site.) We need to start sharing our knowledge of what we have in excess and what we can donate, exchange, or give away; this could be done within the organization we all resides / or working with…. 1- Each department can provide an equipment list of excess, unused ...more »

  Equipment CONSOLIDATION and Re-UTILIZATION First come first served.

  Someone’s trash or excess is someone’s treasure (items needed for another office / or site.)

  We need to start sharing our knowledge of what we have in excess and what we can donate, exchange, or give away; this could be done within the organization we all resides / or working with….

  1- Each department can provide an equipment list of excess, unused or not desire equipment.

  2- This list can be consolidated as a good faith estimate for property disposal - but not to be disposed of as scrap or as unserviceable items to your local supply or DRMO (Demilitarized Reutilization Marketing Office) or via disposition under form SF120, or disposal of to “Area 51.”

  3- Have 2 Goods-Assets Offices (a logistics office or a Central point of distribution):

  a- a Non-Information Technology (IT) or Office Furniture -- Have an office to store or coordinate the excess of furniture equipment - for utilization whiting the Agency; and after 6 or 12 moths the equipment can go on a SF120 for other agencies to take advantage.

  b- An Information Technology Equipment -- Have an Office in charge of reporting all of the excess Information Technology Equipment. There is so many unopened or boxed up electronic equipment, cables, parts, magnetic media, ect out there that it can be realigned.

  Example 1 --- Maybe someone has a piece of switch / router equipment, or let said a Printer or keyboard, for example it could be transferred to someone in needs of printers or networking communication equipment. And this could start within the office Organization. The cost related to this scenario; as stated before someone needs a $25,000 or $65,000 Cisco 4600 Switch with 192 Giga-Ethernet ports and fiber ports. The equipment could be transferred to the office needing the upgrade without the need of spending almost $80,000 on Switches and this kind of sort of equipment.

  Example 2 --- Someone is conducting a program and there is a project of changing cables on the switches and converting this old Cat5 to Cat6 cabling, because the new technology is booming and the office is going to have Voice-over-IP technology. There was an office down the street that has excess of Cat6 cables and connectors sitting in a corner for the last 2 years. The IT Office Reutilization tapped and has the knowledge of this equipment, and then the Cable could be transferred to the NEW Project office for optimizing the network with Voice-over-IP system. The cost scenario here, someone needs 300 patch cables at approximately $15.00 a piece. The total here is $4,500 in just cables (upgrading the infrastructure to CAT6 only.)

  Remember some of this part can last a long time; cables, parts, magnetic media (usually this magnetic storage media is good for 30 or 40 years.)

  The question is: How many of you have some of them, knowingly that someone could benefit from it.

  see other ideas here:

  http://governmentreform.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Control-AC---Heating-and-1-hour-turn-off-for-SAVING-ENERGY-/123166-13060

  http://governmentreform.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Eliminate-Government-Vehicle-for-permanent-Domicile-to-Duty/122824-13060

  http://governmentreform.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Wind-turbine-and-Solar-Panels/122931-13060

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  New Tariff

  We should institute a tariff for each country that exports goods to our country. The tariff would be a percentage of the value of goods imported and would be calculated on the percentage of the difference between what the avg salary is for a particular industry and our minimum wage. So if China thinks $1/hour wage is good in the shoe industry, then we would add a tariff equal to 86% of the value of the goods coming ...more »

  We should institute a tariff for each country that exports goods to our country.

  The tariff would be a percentage of the value of goods imported and would be calculated on the percentage of the difference between what the avg salary is for a particular industry and our minimum wage.

  So if China thinks $1/hour wage is good in the shoe industry, then we would add a tariff equal to 86% of the value of the goods coming into the country. ($7.25-$1)/$7.25=86%. (assuming $7.25 US min wage)

  So the pair of shoes which may cost them $10 to make would have a tariff of $8.60 added to them. If the US company could make shoes for less than $18.60, it might keep jobs here.

  Of course China would add a tariff to our goods, but what do they buy from us other than debt?

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  4 comments for Idea: New Tariff

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Consolidate Excise Taxes and Duties within Treasury

  Currently, CBP, IRS, and TTB collect excise and duty taxes. ATF permits firearms but TTB collects the excise taxes on firearms. Certain goods being exported require State Department approval. FDA regulates food and drugs while TTB collects excises on tobacco and alcohol products. TTB is the third largest revenue collector and has a high dollar return for each dollar spent per employee. TTB collects over $400 per employee ...more »

  Currently, CBP, IRS, and TTB collect excise and duty taxes. ATF permits firearms but TTB collects the excise taxes on firearms. Certain goods being exported require State Department approval. FDA regulates food and drugs while TTB collects excises on tobacco and alcohol products. TTB is the third largest revenue collector and has a high dollar return for each dollar spent per employee. TTB collects over $400 per employee for each dollar spent. TTB has a reputation with industry of having a very professional staff in educating industry to achieve voluntarily compliance. Rename the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to the “Tax and Trade Bureau” (TTB). This suggestion will require congressional approval to change existing laws.

  Change the authority to issue permits, collect duties and excise taxes, and goods export approval from State, IRS, CBP, and ATF to the new TTB.

  Establish a memorandum of understanding to allow the new TTB to allow the sharing of information between TTB, IRS, CBP, State, ATF, Justice Department, and FDA.

  Amend regulations so the cost of permitting, collection and auditing of firearms and ammunition excise taxes are used to offset costs by the TTB before disbursement of the taxes to the states.

  Allow FDA to continue to test or approve the safety of food and tobacco products but subject the industry to audits only by the new TTB.

  Move audit and field inspection staff from FDA to the new TTB.

  Move information technology support of excises taxes from the IRS and CBP to the new TTB.

  Eliminate the regulation requiring the FAET funds go through FWS before disbursement to the states.

  Move the support staff (lawyers, human resources, and management analysts), customer support services, special agents and excise tax specialists (FTEs) from the IRS to the new TTB.

  Move the duty collectors and permit staff (FTEs) from CBP to the new TTB.

  Move the industry specialists and FFL Permit Center / Import Center from the ATF to the new TTB.

  Move ATF laboratories to the new TTB.

  Move the State Department export staff to the new TTB.

  Consolidate the IRS excise central offices into the TTB National Revenue Center.

  Locate TTB employees at all US ports of entry to collect excise taxes and duties.

  Merge existing offices of the prior agencies into new consolidated offices eliminating multiple offices.

  Increase the new TTB budget to cover the FTEs and additional offices.

  Assign the permitting and collection of future excise taxes on other commodities to the new TTB.

  Designate the TTB as a law enforcement agency in regard to tax evasion of excise taxes and duties.

  CBP would work border entry issues and inspection of import cargos.

  ATF would work firearm trafficking, explosives, and other trafficking issues.

  IRS would focus on an income tax or a flat tax.

  The public would have one agency to deal with for importing and exporting goods. TTB deals with trade issues from multiple countries.

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  Add your comment for Idea: Consolidate Excise Taxes and Duties within Treasury

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »

  Eliminate In Bond Movements- Assess Duty At First Port

  Unless a shipment is for immediate export, (the item lands here-transits the U.S. and within days will be exported) all items entering the United States should be assessed duty at the FIRST port of landing where they arrive (this includes cargo going into Foreign Trade Zones, Yards and Container Stations). In-bond movements allow importers to move cargo around indefinitely while they are searching for a buyer or they ...more »

  Unless a shipment is for immediate export, (the item lands here-transits the U.S. and within days will be exported) all items entering the United States should be assessed duty at the FIRST port of landing where they arrive (this includes cargo going into Foreign Trade Zones, Yards and Container Stations). In-bond movements allow importers to move cargo around indefinitely while they are searching for a buyer or they ship cargo from one warehouse to another until the identity of the goods are lost and somehow, they find their way into the economy while the importer presents a Shippers Export Declaration saying they drove the items over the land border the previous week. In no case should in-Bond (immediate export) documents be valid for longer than one week and they should not be extended except in the case of natural disasters.

  See http://governmentreform.ideascale.com/a/dtd/122336-13060

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  Add your comment for Idea: Eliminate In Bond Movements- Assess Duty At First Port

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »

  A Laptop For Every Human Being

  Let's give a laptop to every human being... It's that simple. 7 billion people, estimate, say, 300 dollars for the cheapest wireless internet recieving laptop on the market... 2.1 trillion dollars, and the entire human community enters the 21st century all at once. Everyone on the planet has every book in the public domain at their fingertips, for free. Our currency is now the standard of the world, and the world ...more »

  Let's give a laptop to every human being... It's that simple. 7 billion people, estimate, say, 300 dollars for the cheapest wireless internet recieving laptop on the market... 2.1 trillion dollars, and the entire human community enters the 21st century all at once. Everyone on the planet has every book in the public domain at their fingertips, for free. Our currency is now the standard of the world, and the world has tolerated us printing that currency to fund wars, and bankrupt corporations. I think they will tolerate us printing some more to give every human being on the planet a usefull tool for gathering and sharing knowledge. When living in a faith based economy, one's economy better be doing something that actually deserves that faith. This 2 trillion dollars in inflation, will raise the value of the dollar worldwide, in the long run.

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  5 comments for Idea: A Laptop For Every Human Being

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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