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StephenWilliams For U. S. Senate

           In the management of a prairie, fire is used to renew and reinvigorate the prairie. A fire will burn off the dead old growth and kill off the weeds that are choking the life out of the prairie. It is my opinion that there is a lot of old growth and weeds that need burning, in our government and in our major political parties. For example, the old growth of laws that are ineffective and just transfer problems to the future, and the weeds of special interest groups who buy political favors at the expense of the nation. In my campaign I will be proposing essential changes to our economic, tax, healthcare and welfare systems.

Picture of Blazing Star 4 Months After a Fire

 

 

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The following are my positions on what I believe are the some of the major issues facing our country.

 

The Outsourcing of Jobs From the United States and the Trade Deficit

 

            In order to keep businesses from moving jobs overseas we must quit penalizing businesses for keeping jobs in this country. This could be done by eliminating payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare taxes), nationalizing health insurance, and eliminating employer unemployment insurance costs. These costs would then be paid for with a national sales tax on everything except food and medicine. By shifting these costs to a national sales tax it would make it unnecessary for employers to try to avoid these costs by outsourcing jobs. Conversely it would also encourage foreign businesses to locate production facilities in this country because they would also be free of these costs.  It would also force foreign businesses that wish to enjoy access to our markets to contribute to our economy when they sell their goods in our country.  Making these changes would allow employers to concentrate on worker safety and productivity. By making domestic businesses better able to compete in the global marketplace we would reduce both job outsourcing and the trade deficit.

 

The Skyrocketing Cost of Health Care

 

The skyrocketing cost of health care is in part caused by too many entities feeding at the health care trough. By nationalizing health insurance we could make the health care system much more efficient by eliminating expenses that add nothing to the quality of health care. Health care providers would no longer have to deal with hundreds of different third-party payers with their different rules and regulations. Instead there would be one set of rules, which would include a meaningful co-payment and a mandatory medical savings account. Additionally malpractice lawsuits should be eliminated. The health care consumer could chose to pay for additional outcome insurance on their own if they wanted to do so. Currently the health care consumer has no choice but to pay for the additional costs associated with malpractice lawsuits. Health care providers would not be allowed to charge different amounts for the same service or procedure, cost shifting would be outlawed. The most cost effective treatments, like child immunizations, would be completely covered. Additionally, health care providers would be evaluated by their patients; these evaluations would be available to the public. Consumers would be allowed to seek health care wherever they chose. If it were possible for a person to find medical treatment or prescription drugs outside of this country at a lower cost it would be allowed. I believe that we have the best health care in the world available in this country but that is of no value if a person cannot afford it. The benefits of nationalizing health insurance will be huge, the State of Minnesota alone will save billions of dollars a year in health care costs and every Minnesotan will have health insurance. Local governments, schools, and universities will also realize tremendous cost savings.

 

Social Security Reform

 

In addition to switching the funding for Social Security from a payroll tax to a consumption tax, we should decrease Social Security benefits for people with incomes above $50,000 and eliminate Social Security benefits for people with incomes above $100,000. I don't believe it's good economic policy for a person who is earning $30,000 a year to be making Social Security payments to a person earning $100,000 a year.  Those people currently receiving Social Security benefits who have income below $50,000 would not see any change in benefits. This would protect those who are the most dependent on Social Security.

  

The Federal Budget Deficit

 

By fully funding health insurance with a national sales tax we would make hundreds of billions of dollars available to reduce or eliminate the budget deficit. Additionally we should try to make the tax system make more economic sense. Eliminate the double taxation of dividends at the corporate level. We should raise the standard deduction and phase out itemized deductions. We should eliminate agricultural subsidies but maintain subsidies for conservation and land stewardship. I would raise the tax on gasoline. The bottom line is we will need to both cut spending and raise taxes to reduce the budget deficit. We need to structure the tax system in ways that make the most economic and environmental sense. If we do not as a nation address the ballooning budget deficit it will destroy our economy and our country as surely as the World Trade Center was destroyed on 9-11. But unlike the attack of 9-11 the threat the budget deficit exposes our nation to is there for all to see, all who choose not to be blind.

 

The Complete Lack of any Meaningful Energy Policy

 

Our nation's dependence on foreign oil exposes our economy and therefore our country to more risk than does the budget deficit. Our increasing dependence on petroleum is not sustainable and to continue to ignore this reality is to commit economic suicide. It has been over 30 years since the first oil crisis in the early '70s. Yet today we are more dependent on foreign oil than ever. We are currently in the middle of an oil crisis that is threatening our economy. Do we now have the will to address this dependency? We should raise the tax on gasoline, and we should mandate stricter fuel economy standards for automakers. We must subsidize the development of economically viable, alternative fuels and fuel conservation technologies. We should commit this nation to achieving energy independence by 2020.

 

Immigration Laws that have No Basis in Reality

 

            I will begin by saying that most of us are descendents of immigrants so we should not throw stones by blaming immigrants for our problems. But I will blame the businesses and industries that use immigrant labor, both legal and illegal, to drive down labor costs below what is a just living wage, a wage that would allow a person to support a family in this country. Additionally by paying such low wages these businesses cause additional costs for state and local government. Mass deportation of illegal aliens is not the answer. If we were to deport all these people today our economy would collapse tomorrow. With an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in this country the laws and the reality need to be changed, and those who benefit the most from this immigration, the immigrants and their employers, should be the ones paying for the changes. I propose that all the illegal immigrants be registered as guest workers. I also propose that the employers of these guest workers be responsible for their health insurance costs and pay a 10% tax on their wages to pay for the costs associated with integrating these guest workers into our country. Additionally 10 percent of the guest workers' wages should be withheld in the form of a bond. This bond would be used to assure their compliance with our laws and regulations, and more importantly it would give them an incentive for maintaining an identity to be accountable for. The bond would be returned to them after a certain probationary period of time. It would also be returned to them if they returned to their native country. Again I want to stress that immigration can be a very positive thing both culturally and economically, but it should not be used by some businesses to drive down wages or shift costs to federal, state or local governments

 

 

The War in Iraq

 

            I will try not to get involved in the debate as to whether or not we should have invaded Iraq. Instead I believe we need to concentrate now on actions that will move us forward. That said the first thing we need to do is have a referendum in Iraq to decide if the Iraqi people even want us there. Without the approval of the people of Iraq there is no justification for our continued presence in their country. For it is only with the support of the people of Iraq that we will be able to make progress in that country.

 

 

Thoughts in Closing

 

            I am proposing major changes, and I realize making even a small change can be very slow and difficult. In the last number of years in addition to restoring prairies I have spent some time restoring woods. This involves removing undesirable species such as buckthorn and box elder and then planting species such as oak, walnut, and hickory. I know that growing an oak may take a long time; I also know that I will never grow an oak unless I first plant an acorn.

 

            Finally I wish to thank you for taking the time to read this document. It is my hope that it is possible for a person to be elected in this country without spending the millions of dollars that have been spent in our most recent senatorial campaigns. You can help make this possible by sharing this document with your acquaintances and by giving me your vote. In the weeks and months ahead I will post more documents on my website so please check back periodically. Again, thank you

 

 

Respectfully

Stephen Williams

 

Stephen Williams

57996 270th Street

Austin, MN 55912

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