Monday, October 17, 2011

Ron Paul: Cut President's Salary to $39,366

Politico reports:

During an afternoon speech in Las Vegas ahead of Tuesday’s debate, Paul will say that his plan for $1 trillion in cuts will create a balanced federal budget by the third year of his presidency.

“Dr. Paul is the only candidate with a plan to cut spending and truly balance the budget,” says an executive summary of the plan, which POLITICO obtained, along with detailed spending and taxation levels, ahead of its release. “This is the only plan that will deliver what America needs in these difficult times: Major regulatory relief, large spending cuts, sound monetary policy, and a balanced budget.”

Many of the ideas are familiar from Paul’s staunch libertarianism, as well as tea party favorites like eliminating the departments of education and energy. But Paul goes further: he’ll propose immediately freezing spending by numerous government agencies at 2006 levels, the last time Republicans had complete control of the federal budget, and drastically reducing spending elsewhere. The EPA would see a 30 percent cut, the Food and Drug Administration would see one of 40 percent and foreign aid would be zeroed out immediately. He’d also take an ax to Pentagon funding for wars.

Medicaid, the children’s health insurance program, food stamps, family support programs and the children’s nutrition program would all be block-granted to the states and removed from the mandatory spending column of the federal budget. Some functions of eliminated departments, such as Pell Grants, would be continued elsewhere in the federal bureaucracy.

And in a noticeable nod to seniors during an election year when Social Security’s become an issue within the Republican primary, the campaign says that plan “honors our promise to our seniors and veterans, while allowing young workers to opt out.”

The federal workforce would be reduced by 10 percent, and the president’s pay would be cut to $39,336 — a level that the Paul document notes is “approximately equal to the median personal income of the American worker.”

Paul would also make far-reaching changes to federal tax policy, reducing the top corporate income tax rate to 15 percent, eliminating capital gains and dividends taxes, and allowing for repatriation of overseas capital without tax penalties. All Bush-era tax cuts would be extended.

And like the rest of his GOP rivals, Paul would repeal President Barack Obama’s health care reform law, along with the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory reform law enacted last year. Paul, a longtime Federal Reserve critic, would also push a full audit of the central bank, as well as legislation to “strengthen the dollar and stabilize inflation.”

17 comments:

  1. Simply awesome.

    I'm looking forward to seeing how the media is going to keep attention off of him for this.

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  2. Does Thomas Jefferson still walk the halls of Congress? Perhaps so.

    The MSM will either ignore or attempt to ridicule this fine man. If nothing else it gives us hope that there are a few honest, brave, selfless leaders still left in our country. If we do not have the sense to elect him, America will have sealed it's fate, and should not complain when the entire system comes down around our ears.

    This country doesn't need another politician, it needs a doctor...

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  3. Finally a workable plan we can believe in. None of that Sim City default 9-9-9 nonsense from puppeticians - what we really need is Ron Paul.

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  4. I think it makes sense for RP to not water down his policy proposals in sacrifice for "electability". He should instead play the foil, continue speaking truth to power, and point out the error of our ways. After all, were he to get elected and (wisely) face our problems rather than kicking the can, he and his ideology would suffer populist backlash and a potentially devastating rewrite of history. The best thing he can do for this country is let the statist, fiat game play out to its natural conclusion, while continuing to amplify and focus the ever-more-powerful voice of reason.

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  5. How many other presidential candidates would do this, let alone talk about doing it?

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  6. Ron Paul needs one more thing. A simple and funny catch line to reach millions. I think at the end of this great plan he should add, "And I pledge to do all this and ... Repeal Daylight Savings Time.

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  7. The Doctor's in the House >snip< >snip<

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  8. The Doctor's in the House >snip< >snip<

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  9. SOmething like "Nine... Nine... Nine.."?

    It's scary that primitive crap like this appeals so much.

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  10. MSM and the Republican elite cannot control this freight train called Dr. Paul. The gentleman is miles ahead of any other flunky they put in his way. This is what were talking about, a steam roller that decimates the opposition. This is not Halloween coming, a grim reaper is there to wipe them out with genuine ideas of progress. Donate now people.

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  11. The plan is great, but the president's income would still be $39,336 too high.

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  12. Sounds good, let's do it. Hehe

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  13. Does President Paul still get a taxpayer funded Secret Service detail, free room and board in the White House, multiple armored limosuines, a fleet of Marine helicopters and several personal 747 jumbo jets for transportation?

    Does he still get to gridlock metropolitan freeways and streets while visiting (for his safety)?

    Can a "promise" to senior citizens be "honored" by ongoing theft, a thoroughly dishonest and dishonorable means of obtaining wealth?

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  14. @Taylor we can't realistically get everything we want overnight.

    I trust Paul to use his powers more responsibly than anyone else close to the Presidency. Just look at how he has managed his congressional budget, returning millions of dollars over the years.

    ~Matthew

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  15. Taylor has apparently never heard the advice to avoid making the perfect the enemy of the good.

    Otherwise, he wouldn't waste his time launching snarky attacks against the one politician who is the least deserving of them.

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  16. In principle, I like the idea of Politicians getting less salary. Most of them treat their salary as peanuts as they have other sources of income.

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