Santa Maria Sun / Commentary

Unwinding the socialist agenda

Since the Woodrow Wilson presidency, the Democrats have piled on one socialist program after another that today severely impacts the economic security of the United States and is driving our economy into unsustainable debt and bankruptcy.

Here, we deal with the big four of these: the 16th Amendment Income Tax in 1913, the Social Security Act in 1934, the Medicare Act in 1965, and the Unions for the Civil Service in the 1950s. All of these are acts of wealth redistribution and social security by liberals and constitutional revisionists who believe that everyone is entitled to lifelong security at the expense of the wealthy taxpayers. Such largess is unsustainable unless the way they are implemented is modified to get the government out of the way as much as feasible in the future by the following proposals.

The present ungainly income tax must be redesigned to be a flat tax of 1.5 percent of gross income for everyone who makes $10,000 or more. All corporations, nonprofits, and religious organizations would pay this one, simple flat tax. All savings would be tax-free. There would be no yearly tax returns. When everyone pays, everyone pays less! The flat tax is a fair American tax for all!

Social Security would become a private retirement account into which personal savings from wages or salaries would go and be managed by banks—much as IRAs are today—until retirement and then issued as an annuity. A minimum amount per pay period would be deducted, as is presently the case from payroll. Unused savings can be inherited, which Social Security does not allow. There would be no government involved.

Any proposed changes to the Social Security would apply only to newcomers, not to present retirees. The old system would be slowly phased out.

Medicare would be replaced by private insurance group policies with no government involvement. Present payroll deductions for Medicare would go to private accounts for purchasing insurance after retirement.

Any proposed changes would apply only to newcomers, not to present retirees, and the old system would slowly phase out.

All civil service unions would be disbanded and all elected officials would not be a part of the civil service but would serve without benefits and be paid a yearly stipend. Our elected representatives are there to represent the people, not the civil service, which they only do today. They are supposed to be there to “oversee” the civil service, not benefit from it. It is not a job, but a temporary appointment. They are our board of directors that serve at the pleasure of the taxpayers. There should be no “connection” between the civil service and our elected officials as there is today with its inherent conflict of interest.

Unless we Americans make major revisions to our political infrastructure to unwind the socialist agenda, we can expect a continuing financial disaster across the country. As long as Americans continue to elect liberal Democrats who promote the entitlement mentality and socialism, there will never be another result but bankruptcy and higher taxes!

Lompoc’s Justin M. Ruhge is with Concerned Taxpayers, I.N.C. Send comments to the executive editor at rmiller@santamariasun.com.