Just read through the Trump 100-day plan that BadSheep linked to, and I must say there are some very good points within it, many of which I will touch up on as follows:
FOURTH, a five-year ban on White House and Congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave government service.
FIFTH, a lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.
SIXTH, a complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.
These three above are what I would call sorely-needed changes. It's astounding how much power past government officials have as lobbyists. What's equally troubling is foreign lobbyists being allowed to raise money to influence American elections.
FIRST, I will announce my intention to renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the deal under Article 2205.
SECOND, I will announce our withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
THIRD, I will direct the Secretary of the Treasury to label China a currency manipulator.
FOURTH, I will direct the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to identify all foreign trading abuses that unfairly impact American workers and direct them to use every tool under American and international law to end those abuses immediately.
Let's hope his proposal to renegotiate or withdraw from NAFTA actually comes to fruition. That and other "free trade" agreements have been nothing short of disasters for American workers, especially in manufacturing.
This is late-breaking, but
soon-to-be-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has indicated that Congress will not ratify the TPP, dealing a serious blow to Obama's incessant push to have that trade agreement ratified. Many have said that TPP would also have a negative impact against the American manufacturing base.
The third and fourth points are also what I would call sorely-needed changes. China and other countries that have been taking what's left of our manufacturing base due to trade agreements need to be held accountable.
SEVENTH, cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change programs and use the money to fix America's water and environmental infrastructure.
Although many (especially on here) will be angry about this, but I think this is another important change-we have environmental issues here at home to take care of that we could be spending the money on instead of directing it to the UN, even if it means sanctions are imposed on us as a result. (Am I wrong for thinking about the Flint water crisis when I first read this point? The money we're sending to the UN to "save our planet from catastrophic man-made global warming" could go a long way to help Flint solve their water woes by replacing their corroded lead pipes if used there instead.)
Although his immigration policy and border security proposals are very controversial, there is one point that I think would be good:
FIFTH, suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur. All vetting of people coming into our country will be considered "extreme vetting.
As controversial as this is, this could go a long way in protecting our national security from ISIS.
Middle Class Tax Relief and Simplification Act
An economic plan designed to grow the economy 4% per year and create at least 25 million new jobs through massive tax reduction and simplification, in combination with trade reform, regulatory relief and lifting the restrictions on American energy. The largest tax reductions are for the middle class. A middle-class family with two children will get a 35% tax cut. The current number of brackets will be reduced from seven to three, and tax forms will likewise be greatly simplified. The business rate will be lowered from 35% to 15%, and the trillions of dollars of American corporate money overseas can now be brought back at a 10% rate.
Although this will probably be fought tooth-and-nail by Congress, I'm liking the idea of consolidating the tax brackets, and I also like the idea of allowing offshore corporate money to be brought back to the US for a one-time 10% tax rate. I would like it, though, if additional penalties are imposed for US companies moving their money offshore.
Regardless of what people may think, our current tax code as it is now is
extremely complicated, broken, and choc full of loopholes. I hope we can finally see some of these loopholes closed, and our tax code be made clearer than it is now.
End the Offshoring Act
Establishes tariffs to discourage companies from laying off their workers in order to relocate in other countries and ship their products back to the U.S. tax-free.
As controversial as tariffs are, this would go hand-in-hand with an action to label China as a currency manipulator, and could help our balance of trade at least a little.
School Choice and Education Opportunity Act
Redirects education dollars to give parents the right to send their kid to the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school of their choice. Ends Common Core and brings education supervision to local communities. It expands vocational and technical education, and makes two- and four-year college more affordable.
I know this won't impress anybody on here (especially since they seem to want free college), but I'm really happy that Trump wants to end Common Core-it, like other federal education reforms, has been a disaster for our students. Since when is 1+8="almost 10"? Or for that matter, 2+2="could be 5"? Since the beginning of time, 1+8 has always equaled 9, and 2+2 always has been four. Also really like his plan to expand vocational-technical education (I am a big advocate of vocational education, especially at the high school level.)
Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act
Fully repeals Obamacare and replaces it with Health Savings Accounts, the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines and lets states manage Medicaid funds. Reforms will also include cutting the red tape at the FDA: there are over 4,000 drugs awaiting approval, and we especially want to speed the approval of life-saving medications.
As controversial as this is, I would be very happy to see ObamaCare go. As well-intentioned as Obama was in wanting to improve our health care system, his plan took an already-broken health care system and made it even worse, by causing insurance premiums to skyrocket faster than ever before while cutting benefits that were previously available. I do, however, really want to see tort reform being considered as part of a plan to improve our health care system.
Restoring National Security Act
Rebuilds our military by eliminating the defense sequester and expanding military investment; provides veterans with the ability to receive public VA treatment or attend the private doctor of their choice; protects our vital infrastructure from cyber-attack; establishes new screening procedures for immigration to ensure those who are admitted to our country support our people and our values.
This and his plan to deal with illegal immigration actually go hand-in-hand. I see the plan to allow our veterans to visit their own private medical doctor for treatment as a good stop-gap that would hold them over while our VA hospitals are repaired or rebuilt to meet the same stringent standards required of private-sector hospitals. When emigrating to almost any other country from the United States, you will be required to respect and obey their laws-I believe the US should require that immigrants go through the processes prescribed by federal law, and that they be willing to accept and adapt without trying to force their native country's culture on the rest of us.
Clean Up Corruption in Washington Act
Enacts new ethics reforms to drain the swamp and reduce the corrupting influence of special interests on our politics.
This is going to be a very tough one that has a limited chance of actually taking place, but it's about time that our government finally listen to the will of the people. Not just our President, but the members of Congress that we vote in are there to serve us the voters, not themselves.