Manifesto 2.0

1. The governments role in the economy should be to create a balance between taxes, businesses, and the private sector that helps promote economic stability. When taxes increase, the private sector stops putting money into the economy, which in turn leads to the downfall of small businesses. Finding this balance is difficult, but worth it in the end. Investorguide.com supports my opinion when it says "the role of the US government in the acquisition and redistribution of money in society is central to understanding the relationship between resources and the citizenry." This relationship that the government is trying to build is difficult due to the vastness of the federal government and the programs needed to maintain a stable economy.

2. I do not agree with how much money is being taken from individuals' income. I believe that increasing taxation in any portion is the wrong way to go, unless the income for that family is well over the normal range. Instead, the government should tighten the loopholes that many corporations have found that decrease the amount of taxes they are paying. Large corporations spend a lot of money on accountants to find loopholes when they could have just paid the taxes that were due.

3. First, I do not think that any cuts should be made to the Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security programs. These programs are already at a point where our older population can barely live within our own economy. One of the areas that could be decreased is the defense budget. I know it is very important to defend our country, and hopefully we won't need to be having so many of our own over seas for much longer. The defense program has the third highest cost to run every year. The other area is the discretionary funds. At certain times in our economy, some programs that are not a necessity to the American people should be decreased.

4. One of the major choices I made for the Federal Budget Challenge was cutting $852 billion on War Spending. Seeing that we will be leaving the middle east sometime in the near future, spending more money on military ships and missile defense systems is unnecessary. Another area I chose to save money in was Taxation. I believe taxes should be increased for those who have a higher income as well as corporations paying their fair share.

5.   My picture is of someone carrying the weight of taxes on their shoulders. This represents the burden of paying high taxes. Taxes are necessary for the funding of our social services, but finding the balance so Americans can feel like they can put money back into the economy is key.