Posted on 9/3/11

The Constitution states the President of the United States will govern under the oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Therefore, Tami’s administration will protect and defend Americans and their businesses from foreign or domestic resources that choose to use their power to deprive our people of liberty and happiness. In Tami’s Poverty Strategy, you will find charts that prove that during the last fifty years America has achieved significant gains in income distribution, most likely, the best in the world. However, the increases in household income have been negated because of ‘cost of living’. Tami remains convinced that the political mismanagement of globalization, war, and immigration has caused Americans discontent.

Americans have heard for twenty years:

• Technological advancements would increase production rates; resulting in lower costs for consumer goods.
• Investments in healthcare will improve employee health and life expectancy; producing productive employees and lower healthcare costs.
• Outsource jobs to foreign workers; this would decrease the cost of products and services and corporations could then compete internationally.
• Encourage the employment of migrant farm workers; consumers and farmers would benefit.
• Promote imported food; consumers would see lower prices and have more varieties.
• Discourage Union participation or activism; employees would keep their jobs and corporations could compete internationally.

However sincere these aims were, the opposite has occurred. Time has shown, investments in technology resulted in jobs losses for the unskilled worker while prices for consumer goods increased; investments in healthcare produced higher premiums and life expectancy fell; improvements in food production created a variety of products, however prices for staples soared; outsourcing to foreign-born professionals had a negative impact on U.S. unemployment; imports of fruits and vegetables did not reduce food costs; the quality, durability, and cost effectiveness of products now appear to mirror the consumer strategies seen in developing countries; and lastly, Union participation dropped, however, employees have lost health benefits, pensions, and their right to privacy.

One of the few Presidential candidates that has broad corporate and international experience is Tami; therefore, she cautions Americans. Politicians have been quick to blame Corporate America and our Banking Industry for the economic crisis. However, Tami understands that most corporations have been trying to compete against powerful foreign companies and most U.S. Banks have supported regulations that protect consumers. The Federal Government of the United States must accept the blame for this economic crisis; they were the only institution in the World which had the power and authority to protect Americans from behaviors and actions that deprived Americans of liberty and happiness.

To address cost of living, the Federal Government can stimulate the free economy by:

• Ensure market diversification alleviating Oligarchical influences.
• Promote job growth based on the diversification of American communities, skills and interests.
• Encourage and provide incentives for U.S. manufacturing of staples.
• Pass legislation to protect American companies when competing against foreign companies.
• Educate the public on the disparity and disadvantages of competing globally.
• Ensure foreign-born employment and education grants are equitable in times of high unemployment and poverty.
• Encourage freedom of speech and protesting against government agencies, corporations and special interest groups.
• Pass legislation to protect consumers and corporations from the negative influence of special interest groups and political parties.
• Encourage plans to improve roads and bridges.
• Encourage Buy America.

Taxes

Tami wants all Federal Taxes to be fair and equitable. She has concluded that Americans pay an adequate amount of taxes relative to total federal tax revenues. In 2011, individual income taxes accounted for over 47.4 percent of total federal revenues, payroll taxes 35.6 percent, corporate taxes 7.9 percent and excise taxes 3.1 percent. Heritage Foundation Reports

The top 10 percent of income earners paid 71 percent of all federal income taxes in 2009 though they earned 43 percent of all income. The bottom 50 percent paid 2 percent of income taxes but earned 13 percent of total income. About half of tax filers paid no federal income tax at all”  Heritage Foundation

At this time, Tami supports no tax increases on individual income taxes; however, she would support taxing the wealthiest if unemployment rates reach 10 percent.  

Tami also believes corporations have paid an adequate amount of taxes; however the drop from 10% in 2010 to 7.9% in 2011 should be reviewed with a possible increase to excise taxes. She recognizes that American corporations have had an unfair advantage when competing against foreign corporations; therefore, she would like to keep taxes low. However, she would like to see corporations pay a uniform level of federal taxes, irrespective of industry and State. She feels strongly that States should not use taxes to compete for headquarters or offices; consequently she will endorse legislation that will protect States from those who use taxes to compete unfairly. Furthermore, as President, Tami will ensure States and Foreign Nations compete and act responsibility towards those isolated or disadvantaged. Tami, will also consider an immediate windfall tax on companies with significant profits and low taxes.

After reviewing Tami’s thoughts on taxes, Americans may question how can we reduce the 16 trillion dollar debt? There has been and remains only one solution, downsize the Federal Government. Today, individual incomes taxes account for 47.4 percent of Federal revenues, that equates to 1,091.5 Trillion dollars annually; payroll taxes accounts for 35.6 percent which equates to 818.8 billion and corporate taxes equates to 191.4 billion dollars annually. Thus in 2011 Federal Revenues totaled 2.3 Trillion. Thereafter, Tami concludes, no amount of tax increases can ever make a significant reduction in the 16 trillion dollar debt, for this reason the Federal Government must be downsized, most significantly healthcare, security, and education. The states and the people must remain the source of accountability.

Importantly, Tami supports most of America’s legacy social programs, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Housing Assistance, etc. Tami will endorse a plan to cut administration costs for all social programs and to reduce or cap, the amount or type of services offered, especially Medicare and Medicaid. Tami’s wants these legacy systems to remain as they were intended – she believes they protect life, liberty, and happiness – especially for the most vulnerable. Social Security will remain as instituted, no changes in qualifications. Tami, challenges those who want to change social security, she encourages them to review The Distribution of U.S. Household Income (Table 1). Tami will choose honor and dignity over security, research, and foreign interests.

Unemployment

The United States unemployment rate was 8.1% with more than 12.5 million Americans seeking employment. The unemployment rate varies greatly by States, this supports Tami’s conclusion that inflation and cost of living should become the top priority of the United States.

Tami endorses road and bridge construction and believes this form of employment would help those States with high unemployment; and she encourages human resources directors to look outside the box of computer algorithms during these difficult times.

The four critical measures that would invigorate our economy are: bring the troops home, enact comprehensive immigration reform, encourage tax credits for corporations that invest in manufacturing and tackle the inequities of globalization.

Furthermore fund research to evaluate if exporting agriculture to various locations in the world where sanitation, land restraint, and population size are obstacles to those Nations production of food.

Globalization and Trade

Tami has accepted that globalization has negatively affected the American worker. Currently, most developed nations have looked to developing nations to stimulate economic growth. However, the economic conditions in those countries make it difficult for American corporations to compete. Excluding the American automotive and Aviation industries, we have had very few corporations producing products that compete internationally. In most developing countries, the wealthiest choose European luxury goods while those at the lower-end prefer local or Chinese products. In both situations, American corporations rarely compete or make any significant profit.

Historically, the American firms that have achieved economic growth abroad were from the professional services sectors, such as, consulting and financial investors. However, developing nations have been able to advance significantly, however positive this outcome, it has created an environment where the American professional can easily be replaced with qualified foreign workers at more competitive rates.

Republican and Democrats have pushed trade policies, while few have taken the time to defended or consider the American worker. Even today, Tami believes most elected officials do not understand the economic conditions that prevent American corporations from competing globally and why Americans will soon be deprived of liberty and happiness. In July 2012, America had a goods and services deficit of 42 billion, there was 183.3 billion in exports and  225.3 billion in imports.

In 2010, President Obama launched a National Export Initiative the objective was to double U.S. exports, from 1.57 trillion in 2009 to 3.14 trillion in 2014. Tami supports any effort to improve the trade deficit however; she has two concerns with this program. First, the program will be evaluated on the nominal value of the goods and services, instead of the actual volume of exports. Cato reported,

Although government officials may declare 'victory' regarding the export goal, an increase in prices alone would do little to create new jobs, which seems to be the ultimate aim of most economic policies at present. Therefore, we think it is more relevant to focus on real exports of goods and services, which tend to be more highly correlated with employment growth, than on the dollar value of exports. Wells Fargo

In summary, Obama’s program will be judged on the dollar value of products and services sold; and not the actual volume of units, items, or services exported. Therefore increasing the price of a product would be positive for Obama’s trade program; however, it would not create jobs. Furthermore, one could argue inflation will help trade. The second concern has to do with the classification of goods and services and the ownership of the products. Many corporations have merged and now have complex global product offerings; Tami, would like to see clarification on the ownership of the exported goods.

Lastly, Tami recognizes that globalization has a powerful global consortium, comprised of Academics, Governments, Media and Humanitarians. She believes their teachings, policies, and actions encourage an economic, humanitarian and political environment that creates global apartheid. Tami defines,

“Where, a small group of individuals from different countries, nationalities, religions, and races use propaganda, fear and power to segregate countries, corporations, organizations and individuals for the benefit of a few."

Tami’s top priorities will be to address this short-term crisis of globalization and to work with leaders to coordinate a strategy where America can compete without inflation and without sacrificing a workers right to liberty and happiness.

Formula for Peace

Submit for Nobel in Peace and Economics

Tami L Stainfield