Create a flat Federal income tax
Create a flat Federal income tax for all tax brackets and free up IRS employees to fight all levels tax related fraud.
Browse Ideas with tag 'trade':
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This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »15 comments for Idea: Create a flat Federal income tax -
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This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »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 »
11 comments for Idea: Push (REEL) Mowers for InmatesA 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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This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Invest in Green Technologies
2 comments for Idea: Invest in Green TechnologiesWe're being passed by other countries in wind, solar, and battery technology among others. We're funding some research in these technologies, but at a level that shows it isn't a priority. Funding innovation needs to be a priority. Those with the patents and production lines for green technologies will have clear advantages as energy prices increase.
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38 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »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 »
5 comments for Idea: A Trillion Dollar waste - WELFARE,section8 ,low income housinghttp://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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24 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »National Building Code for Solar Power/Water Useage
Create a National Building Code that mandates the use of solar panels in new construction in areas of the country where the sun shines 200 days of the year or more. Each building would be required to have a percentage of the roof covered with solar panels that feed into the grid. For water, mandate the use of low flush toilets and other water saving devices. As well, mandate that at least 75% of all materials be manufactured ...more »
1 comment for Idea: National Building Code for Solar Power/Water UseageCreate a National Building Code that mandates the use of solar panels in new construction in areas of the country where the sun shines 200 days of the year or more. Each building would be required to have a percentage of the roof covered with solar panels that feed into the grid.
For water, mandate the use of low flush toilets and other water saving devices.
As well, mandate that at least 75% of all materials be manufactured in the U.S.
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23 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Eliminate the International Trade Administration (ITA)
I would suggest eliminating the International Trade Administration (ITA) to realize administrative cost savings and improve the effectiveness of USG trade policy, enforcement, and promotion efforts. ITA's Executive "Direction" and Administration provides little value-add and should be eliminated as it is simply a layer of bureaucracy that inhibits the effectiveness and efficiency of its bureaus. This would save $29 ...more »
1 comment for Idea: Eliminate the International Trade Administration (ITA)I would suggest eliminating the International Trade Administration (ITA) to realize administrative cost savings and improve the effectiveness of USG trade policy, enforcement, and promotion efforts. ITA's Executive "Direction" and Administration provides little value-add and should be eliminated as it is simply a layer of bureaucracy that inhibits the effectiveness and efficiency of its bureaus. This would save $29 million in FY 2012. The following is then suggested for the bureaus within ITA:
1) Eliminate Manufacturing and Services as there is a very weak public policy argument for its existence and little in the way of demonstrable outcomes. This would save $48 million in FY 2012.
2) Merge Market Access and Compliance with USTR and bring USTR into the Department of Commerce to provide a unified trade policy and compliance mechanism. This would result in an estimated $5 million in administrative cost savings and possibly more through a reduction in force.
3) Merge the Import Administration with the International Trade Commission (ITC) and bring ITC into the Department of Commerce to provide a unified import enforcement mechanism. This would result in an estimated $5 million in administrative cost savings.
4) Merge the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service with the USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service to create a single Trade Promotion Agency within the Department of Commerce. This would result in an estimated $10 million in administrative cost savings and possibly more through a reduction in force.
(Total Savings = at least $97 million)
Consideration should also be given to merging SBA’s international trade finance programs with ExIm Bank and bringing them under the Department of Commerce umbrella as well. OPIC and USTDA could also be added to the portfolio. This would provide U.S. companies with a single Department for all trade-related USG programs.
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19 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Enforce Minimum Wage Laws on Products Sold in the United States
One of the greatest detriments to our competitiveness worldwide, is our inabillity to compete with much lower labor rates overseas. I suggest that we enforce our existing minimum wage laws (adjusted for the exchange rate), on all products sold here in the United States, ignoring their country of origin. Slowly, but surely, domestic employment will rise, and "international corporations" will choose to manufacture overseas, ...more »
6 comments for Idea: Enforce Minimum Wage Laws on Products Sold in the United StatesOne of the greatest detriments to our competitiveness worldwide, is our inabillity to compete with much lower labor rates overseas. I suggest that we enforce our existing minimum wage laws (adjusted for the exchange rate), on all products sold here in the United States, ignoring their country of origin. Slowly, but surely, domestic employment will rise, and "international corporations" will choose to manufacture overseas, only when there is a demand for their products overseas, rather than exporting our demand to a labor force that is paid a sub living wage.
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18 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Bundle Export Promotion, Policy, and Market Intelligence
Increasing competitiveness globally is essential to keeping America's economic dominance. To increase exports and government efficiencies for the exporting community, USG can bundle export Promotion, Policy, Regulations, and Market Intelligence under one umbrella agency using the US Commercial Service (USCS) as the foundation. Leveraging USCS's Global Teams concept, different trade-related assets/experts can unite in ...more »
2 comments for Idea: Bundle Export Promotion, Policy, and Market IntelligenceIncreasing competitiveness globally is essential to keeping America's economic dominance. To increase exports and government efficiencies for the exporting community, USG can bundle export Promotion, Policy, Regulations, and Market Intelligence under one umbrella agency using the US Commercial Service (USCS) as the foundation. Leveraging USCS's Global Teams concept, different trade-related assets/experts can unite in strategy and practice to offer US businesses a total global business development solution that addresses the most important trade considerations, policy, promotion, regs, and market-specific research.
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17 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Persuade China to allow its currency to appreciate
2 comments for Idea: Persuade China to allow its currency to appreciateThe U.S. needs to do more to get China to stop manipulating its currency or threaten to do the same to ours.
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17 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »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 »
Add your comment for Idea: Flatten the Playing Field for Made in the USAThe 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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This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Create Hydrogen Supply for Economic Revival
The "hydrogen economy" scenario, which we all know is the only viable alternative to the current "hydrocarbon" economy, is only going to be achievable by creating a SUPPLY of compressed hydrogen gas. I know economics dictate that demand drive supply, but in this case, supply must precede demand. We may need seed money for my proposition. If so, tax gasoline modestly. Here's the plan: .. The government begins to buy ...more »
1 comment for Idea: Create Hydrogen Supply for Economic RevivalThe "hydrogen economy" scenario, which we all know is the only viable alternative to the current "hydrocarbon" economy, is only going to be achievable by creating a SUPPLY of compressed hydrogen gas. I know economics dictate that demand drive supply, but in this case, supply must precede demand. We may need seed money for my proposition. If so, tax gasoline modestly. Here's the plan:
.. The government begins to buy electrical power from the grid at a cut rate - doesn't matter what time of day or night as long as they get the low demand cheap stuff. Let's say it would be 2 cents per kilowatt rather than 4 cents. This will be great for the wind power suppliers - having a buyer 24/7. Hydrogen can be produced from water using electrolysis. It only creates 50% of the energy in hydrogen than it uses in electricity. But, the electricity is cheaper than dirt at this price. Some of the cheap electrical power will be used to compress the hydrogen as well. The government will then pay the energy companies to store the hyrdrogen. The government then sells the hydrogen at market price upon demand. After a legitimate infrastructure is developed, the government can sell it's remaining hydrogen assets to the energy companies and that will be a nice fat windfall for the people of the United States. If the US can be the leader in hydrogen production, the country and the world will be a better place economically and environmentally. Oh, and as part of this whole project, yes we overcome barriers such as storage because when people see what we are doing, they are going to want in. You'll see alot of wonderful hydrogen-related activity. Wallets will begin to open.
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16 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »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 »
1 comment for Idea: LIVE FOR FREE- WELFARE and section 8 and low income housinghttp://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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15 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »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 »
5 comments for Idea: Take top 25 submissions and top 25 contributors for discussionI 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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This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »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 »
2 comments for Idea: Don’t become a hostage to ChinaDiscussion:
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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14 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Sue China for Trade Violations (Allow Class Action)
It is not just Blue Collar Jobs, but White Collar Unemployment has Doubled in the last 5 years. The Culprit is China and India. Outsourcing and Trade Violations such as Stealing our Intellectual Property (Movies, Software, Music, Patents, Copyrights, etc.) have lost Billions of American Profits and American Jobs. Change the Law or Issue an Executive Order that will Allow Private Companies and Private Individuals to SUE ...more »
2 comments for Idea: Sue China for Trade Violations (Allow Class Action)It is not just Blue Collar Jobs, but White Collar Unemployment has Doubled in the last 5 years. The Culprit is China and India. Outsourcing and Trade Violations such as Stealing our Intellectual Property (Movies, Software, Music, Patents, Copyrights, etc.) have lost Billions of American Profits and American Jobs. Change the Law or Issue an Executive Order that will Allow Private Companies and Private Individuals to SUE CHINA for Trade Violations as a Class Action Lawsuit. The Burden of Proof will be on China to Prove they are NOT violating the WTO and other Trade Agreements. The Prima Facia Evidence would be that they have Monopolies in various manufacturing Sectors. If Unemployment is above 7% or the Currency Exchange Rate is skewed by a certain percentage, that would automatically trigger a Fine or Court Review of Trade Exemptions and Tarrifs. Also, Trade Laws should only apply when Countries have Equal or Comparable Minimum Wage and Labor and Environmental Laws. Competing against Slave Wages is Unfair Trade and a Race to the Bottom. Require that all Imported Goods to the USA be made by Chinese or Indian Workers that are paid American Minimum Wage or greater and that will stop the unfair trade and create jobs here by insourcing jobs back to the USA.
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14 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Create partnerships with university business schools
Add your comment for Idea: Create partnerships with university business schoolsExpand international/export trade partnership of federal government-large corporations-small businesses to include university business schools.
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14 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »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 »
Add your comment for Idea: Equipment CONSOLIDATION and ReUTILIZATIONEquipment 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/Wind-turbine-and-Solar-Panels/122931-13060
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13 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Aggressively Protect Intellectual Property Internationally
Encourage US manufacturers to protect their intellectual property internationally. Establish tough import taxes and laws on international bodies which fail to enforce or respect intellectual property. Foreign producers can only undersell domestic manufacturers because they have learned to produce goods the same way modern countries do. If we agressively enforce intellectual property rights we, as a society, can protect ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Aggressively Protect Intellectual Property InternationallyEncourage US manufacturers to protect their intellectual property internationally. Establish tough import taxes and laws on international bodies which fail to enforce or respect intellectual property.
Foreign producers can only undersell domestic manufacturers because they have learned to produce goods the same way modern countries do.
If we agressively enforce intellectual property rights we, as a society, can protect the advantages we have a legitimate right to.
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13 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »HELP INVENTORS WITH THE COST OF PATENTS
2 comments for Idea: HELP INVENTORS WITH THE COST OF PATENTSThe Patent office does a good job, but it can be expensive to patent an idea. Many people have good ideas, but don't follow through with them because of the expense. The Patent office should allow each inventor to have their first patent done free. This way new ideas would be able to come to fruition and this would lead to new products being developed and ultimately more jobs being developed.
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13 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Reform US free trade policy/lower US corporate tax
Create greater balance between the US tax revenue generated in areas involving import tariffs and US corporate tax rate to fight export of US jobs, by: -Increasing tariffs on foreign imports. -Decreasing corporate tax on US companies. -Offering incentives to companies that keep a higher percentage of positions employed by US citizens. Correctly implemented reform in those areas can increase our GNI and successfully ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Reform US free trade policy/lower US corporate taxCreate greater balance between the US tax revenue generated in areas involving import tariffs and US corporate tax rate to fight export of US jobs, by:
-Increasing tariffs on foreign imports.
-Decreasing corporate tax on US companies.
-Offering incentives to companies that keep a higher percentage of positions employed by US citizens.
Correctly implemented reform in those areas can increase our GNI and successfully maintain/increase our high level of foreign trade.
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12 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »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 »
1 comment for Idea: Respond to Unethical Trading and Market PracticesWhile 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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This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »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 »
Add your comment for Idea: Value Added TaxEliminate 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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11 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Fair Trade
Lets charge a tarrif on imported goods that is equal to Tarrif charged by exporting country on our goods. For example China Charges 25% on our good going to their country so we should do the same. If we make it fair trade, than we will have free trade. By having these tarriffs , we will also encourage domestic production as well becase there will be more profit in domestic production. It will also decrease imports improving ...more »
3 comments for Idea: Fair TradeLets charge a tarrif on imported goods that is equal to Tarrif charged by exporting country on our goods. For example China Charges 25% on our good going to their country so we should do the same. If we make it fair trade, than we will have free trade. By having these tarriffs , we will also encourage domestic production as well becase there will be more profit in domestic production. It will also decrease imports improving our trade balance
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This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Department of Trade and Industry
Every single advanced industrialized country has a ministry, department, or agency, with the singular authority to cover trade negotiations, policy development, market development, and industry policies. Everyone save the United States. As widely reported, Commerce is a hodgepodge of agencies with disparate missions. a streamline agency uniquely focused on global trade policy, negotiations, and exports would serve ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Department of Trade and IndustryEvery single advanced industrialized country has a ministry, department, or agency, with the singular authority to cover trade negotiations, policy development, market development, and industry policies. Everyone save the United States. As widely reported, Commerce is a hodgepodge of agencies with disparate missions. a streamline agency uniquely focused on global trade policy, negotiations, and exports would serve as a beacon for the business community and our trading partners. Too frequently, we hear from our counterparts "when I go to Japan, I know who to meet, when I come to the U.S. I spend an inordinate amt. of time in meetings with many agencies covering trade issues.
The Plan: The new Department of Trade and Industry would consist of: the International Trade Administration, the Small Business Administration, the Overseas Privacy Investment Corporation, the United States Trade Representative (still led by ambassadorial ranked official), U.S. Trade & Development Agency, and the Foreign Agricultural Service of USDA. The Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Economics Statistics Administration would be consolidated under a new agency -- STATUSA -- which would also incorporate the Energy Information Administration, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics to improve and streamline dissemination of economic and demographic statistics of the United States under one roof. The EU with its EUROSTAT programs dating back decades and the Canadian statistical agency are independent bodies that offer the one-stop shop approach for economic and trade data on their respective countries and region. NOAA would be either an independent agency (currently consumes 50% or more of Commerce's budget) or transferred to EPA, merged with U.S. Geological Survey, or NASA. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration could remain in the new DTI or it could be transferred to the FCC; legislation would be required. The Patent and Trademark Office would be spun off as an independent agency.
The USDTI would total no more than 4,000 FTE, have fewer than 50 non-career employees (note: every DAS and presidential appointee comes with support staff, travel budgets, overhead and other costs that can no longer be financed). Moreover, the constant turnover every 18 months leads to loss of momentum and initiative as new appointees have their own ideas and typically start all over. This practice is no longer sustainable in the global environment.
The net effect would result in no new appropriations, streamline and rationalize our trade machinery, and have a purpose-based organization with a defined mission. Consolidation will save morale, boost professionalism in the organization, and provide the government and the country with an efficient tool to represent its commercial interests in international forums.
Former Commerce Secretary William Daley reduced the number of non-career staff by 50% during his term citing the excess costs and the duplication in work being performed. Qualitatively, reducing the number of appointees and eliminating overhead enhances performance and more effectively deploys resources for mission execution. Competition will only intensify as resources become scare and demands for results from the Congress and the public become more strident. It's time for a change. The U.S. government needs the institutional machinery to function efficiently in the 21st century. What it has now was designed in the late 19th and 20th century and is broken.
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This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Simplify tax to decrease capital inefficiencies at macro level
On a macro-economic scale, our tax system bleeds capital that would otherwise fuel production from both the demand and supply side. This inefficiency arises from the same production being taxed multiple times. A corporation pays tax when goods and services are sold. The employees pay tax on the income that corporation pays to them out of money already taxed for producing the same goods and services. Then the consumer ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Simplify tax to decrease capital inefficiencies at macro levelOn a macro-economic scale, our tax system bleeds capital that would otherwise fuel production from both the demand and supply side. This inefficiency arises from the same production being taxed multiple times.
A corporation pays tax when goods and services are sold. The employees pay tax on the income that corporation pays to them out of money already taxed for producing the same goods and services. Then the consumer pays sales tax when buying the same goods and services. The repeated taxation on the same production artificially inflates the price of goods and services, which reduces the potential of our economy. Reduce the jeopardy on goods and services, and the resultant price competitiveness would increase demand for our goods abroad and domestically. GDP will increase exponentially, which increases tax revenue exponentially in the long run.
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