The measure of an economy is
money. A large
economy needs a larger supply of
money
than does a small
economy.
Therefore, a growing economy
needs a growing supply of
money.
All money is a form of debt. Therefore, a growing economy requires a growing supply of debt.
U. S. Federal Debt is the safest, most controllable form of debt. The federal government, alone among borrowers, never will default.
Thus, there is no
federal debt or deficit problem, and a
balanced federal budget leads to a
recession or a depression.
10 Reasons to Eliminate FICA
Click the cover to see excerpts from the book, FREE MONEY
As one way to stimulate the economy and provide better health care and retirement funds, I recommend we eliminate the
FICA
tax and instead, fund
Social Security
and
Social Security
the same way we fund the military. Recognizing this is a controversial and counter-intuitive suggestion, I offer ten rationales for discussion:
1. The
Social Security
part of
FICA
is a severely regressive tax, unfairly impacting the salaried middle classes far more than the non-salaried or upper income classes. Currently (2008), salaries above $102,000 do not pay
FICA
for Social Security. Non-salaried people pay nothing.
2. The
Social Security
part of
FICA
is a double tax. Salaried workers pay taxes on their FICA contributions and again pay taxes when they receive benefits. Although Social Security is quasi-insurance, no other insurance collects taxes on money going in and again on money coming back.
3. Eliminating
FICA
would put more money in the pockets of salaried consumers, stimulating consumer buying and saving – exactly what the economy needs now.
4. Eliminating
FICA
would give business investment and payroll money – the other thing the economy needs now.
5. There are 400+ federal agencies, including all the military agencies, all the Departments, and dozens you never have heard of. When the military needs money to pursue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Congress quickly votes hundreds of billions of dollars to this effort. No tax covers this budget. When the economy needed a stimulus, Congress quickly voted $150 billion to this effort. No earmarked tax was passed. When Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae ran into financial difficulties, the Treasury immediately gave them a blank check. Recently (2008), another $700 billion was voted, and again, no new taxes were levied to cover this government expenditure. The current, annual cost of
Social Security
and
Social Security
totals about $1 trillion, well within the government’s proven spending range.
6. The government doesn’t need
FICA money.
In 1971, President Nixon eliminated the final connection between gold and U.S. money. His purpose: To give the government the unlimited power to create money. Even with the current trillion dollar bailout, no additional taxes have been needed. In fact, both presidential candidates promise to reduce taxes, and no federal check ever has or will bounce. There literally is no limit to the amount of money the federal government can create, and no limit to the size of the debt it can support.
7. There is no historical data to demonstrate that deficit spending inhibits gross domestic product, causes inflation or limits any other indicator of economic productivity, nor must federal debt be paid by taxpayers. President Carter oversaw modest deficits with high inflation and low economic growth. President Reagan oversaw huge deficits – the largest in American history – with low inflation and high economic growth. History shows deficits correspond with economic growth, and the larger the deficit, the healthier the economy. To date, the government has spent $10 trillion that has not cost taxpayers a cent.
8. Relying on
FICA
restricts
Social Security
benefits, which are too low to support even a modest lifestyle, and are received by too few people. The belief that
Social Security
and
Medicare
, uniquely among federal agencies, must be self-funding, causes political leadership to search for impossible “fixes,” something akin to searching for two quarts of water in a one quart bottle. Inevitably, these fixes involve higher taxes and/or reduced benefits, both of which hurt our citizens, our businesses and our economy. The world’s wealthiest country needs to, and can afford to, eliminate FICA taxes while supporting more people with higher benefits.
9. Funding
Medicare
through
FICA
limits the number of people covered, now mostly older people. But 40 million Americans do not have health insurance. Either they can’t afford it or have pre-existing conditions. Medicare coverage for these other groups would solve that serious, national problem and stimulate the economy for all.
10. Funding
Medicare
through
FICA
limits the size of
Medicare
payments. America has a severe shortage of doctors and nurses. But limiting the size of benefits has the unintended consequence of discouraging our best and our brightest from entering medicine or from participating in Medicare. A growing number of “boutique” doctors, who do not accept Medicare payments, charge fees only wealthier patients can afford. Federal funding of
Medicare
could provide better health coverage for Americans.