Economy
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
I oppose any reduction in Social Security benefits for current recipients, including means-testing for eligibility. For current beneficiaries, the government required everyone to pay for a defective product. The government needs to fix the product for future generations, not engage in fraud by failing to provide what was already promised to current generations. For everyone under 25, I would: raise the retirement age, improve the investing alternatives, and change withholdings to make it solvent. Unfortunately, debt will likely be required between 2027-2035 to bridge the gap created by generations of inaction, but reforms for future beneficiaries can make the program viable.
Eliminate the distinction between mandatory and discretionary spending, so that Congress must vote on all spending annually. Currently, Congress only votes on discretionary spending which accounts for less than 30% of all federal spending. Make all means tested programs federal block grants to states on an per citizen basis, curbing the rate of growth. Prioritize. As a specific example, eliminate federal spending on Obamaphones and apply those funds toward infrastructure.
Anyone who takes out a loan should repay the loan. Anyone who did not take out a loan, should have no obligation to pay for a loan. Of the $1.6-trillion in federal student debt, nearly 25% is expected to default leaving taxpayers with the bill. For this reason, and many more, the federal government should not make student loans. Regulators should ensure that the private sector loan markets function efficiently and transparently – whether for student loans, homes, cars, or credit cards, etc.