The Big Ideas Project

A Constitutional Amendment recognizing that tax cuts on the rich do NOT pay for themselves, which has been repeatedly, analytically, economically demonstrated for decades. Therefore, all tax cuts on the rich may ONLY be given with specific, corresponding cuts elsewhere in the budget, which may not result in increasing the tax burden on the lower and/or middle classes.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Taxes & Budget Jan. 9, 2015, 10:49 a.m.

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#2156

29 votes

America has been monetarily sovereign since abandoning the gold standard in 1971. And according to every known definition it boils down to the Federal government never needing to tax or borrow or enforce austerity to fund Federal government programs which serve public purpose. That's because the Federal government is the sole issuer of the dollar. Therefore, Congress should appropriate funding to achieve full employment without needing to tax or borrow.

Submitted by Potomac Oracle in Taxes & Budget Dec. 30, 2014, 6:22 p.m.

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#2156

29 votes

Make the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit improvements from the 2009 ARRA stimulus bill permanent. Don't let them expire in 2017.

Submitted by Ann B. from VA in Taxes & Budget Jan. 11, 2015, 5:40 p.m.

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#2175

28 votes

Have an 85% top tax on any income exceeding 200,000 times the minimum, after standard and personal deductions. This top tax should also apply to inheritances, and be the only federal tax on them.

Submitted by Bobwarren in Taxes & Budget Jan. 7, 2015, 11:06 p.m.

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#2175

28 votes

How about a 100% Illegal Income Tax. Steal $1000 and you pay $1000 in taxes on top of not getting to keep the stolen money.

Submitted by Don B. from CA in Taxes & Budget Dec. 19, 2014, 3:43 a.m.

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#2175

28 votes

The current tax code should be scrapped in it's entirety. It should be replaced with a simple code that allows all individuals and corporations to deduct the same fixed percentage from gross income for expenses and a similar identical percentage for savings or investment. There should be no other deductions allowed. All remaining income would be taxed at the same rate. A realistic poverty level should be set for individuals and families where no taxes would be paid.

Submitted by Stuart in Taxes & Budget Jan. 4, 2015, 12:15 p.m.

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#2182

27 votes

Get some BIG IDEAS that aren't trivial, marginal, and wordy like many of those proposed. For example, a Progressive tax without escape clauses exploitable by $pecialist lawyers. Or a luxury tax likewise.

Submitted by Justice Allaround in Taxes & Budget Jan. 3, 2015, 10:03 p.m.

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#2182

27 votes

Why not couple raises in the federal minimum wage to reductions in corporate income tax. This should actually increase tax revenue as corporate profits pass through to individuals and those at the bottom of the scale spend the money.

Submitted by Ted A. from RI in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 3:23 p.m.

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#2191

26 votes

The American people (taxpayers) deserve a thorough, deep investigatopm into this nation's Foreign Aid program. And the results should be made known through the media. If Congress is serious about saving money and lowering the national debt, this is a very good place to start. There are billions to be saved here which could be used to solve problems at home. The U.S. should stop being a credit card for the rest of the world!

Submitted by Ron H. from CA in Taxes & Budget Jan. 8, 2015, 6:29 p.m.

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#2191

26 votes

Make yearly adjustments to taxes based on wealth distribution If the bottom 1/5 of the country by wealth owns less than 2% of the country’s wealth, increase the taxes on each of the other 4/5s by 1% per year. When the bottom 1/5 of the country by wealth get above 5% of the country’s wealth, start retracting the 1% that were added. There is more.

Submitted by Go go in Taxes & Budget Dec. 22, 2014, 7:34 a.m.

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#2205

25 votes

Pass, a law that requires the US Government to make public the amount of GOLD that is s or used to pay federal debt.and not replaced We the citizens of America have no IDEA

Submitted by Eric H. from NM in Taxes & Budget Dec. 20, 2014, 3:24 p.m.

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#2214

24 votes

End the subsidies for Solar and wind generated energy. These subsidies were supposed to end In 1999 and 15 years later the taxpayers are still helping China industry.

Submitted by Mandinka in Taxes & Budget Dec. 19, 2014, 8:23 p.m. 1

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#2220

23 votes

Reduce entitlement spending by 10% each year until the 18 trillion dollar deficit is paid off.

Submitted by Richard A. from NH in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 12:32 p.m.

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#2220

23 votes

Don't tax the first dollar of anyone's Adjusted Gross Income unless/until they are making *more* than the median income for individuals in the U.S.. Effectively, this is like a "standard deduction" applicable *after* all other deductions and exemptions are taken, which is equal to the median individual income in the United States. The richer the average American becomes, the more Congress can tax them.

Submitted by Terry Allen in Taxes & Budget Jan. 8, 2015, 9:28 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Progressives should champion the idea of paying off the national debt by discontinuing the sale of Treasuries thereby forcing the minting of high seigniorage platinum coins. The debt would be paid off in 30 years which would cripple the Fed. The process would also force owners of treasury bonds to invest, spend or put their money in banks as the rest of us do. It would also, once and for all, dispel the myth that the government needs tax money to operate the government.

Submitted by Charles3000 in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 4:47 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Index the points at which our progressive federal income tax rate increases to inflation on a set, periodic, basis.

Submitted by ronboakes_92127 in Taxes & Budget Jan. 4, 2015, 4:06 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.

Submitted by Hogie in Taxes & Budget Jan. 5, 2015, 3:16 p.m.

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#2238

21 votes

Require each year that the IRS publish a simplified explanation of how our federal progressive tax, and ensure that the distribution is as wide as possible. This needs to show clearly that the higher tax brackets only apply to the income above the bracket's lower bound.

Submitted by ronboakes_92127 in Taxes & Budget Jan. 4, 2015, 4:09 p.m.

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#2238

21 votes

Changes laws to allow the US government to print our money and run a government bank to compete with the Feds. Stop borrowing money from the Feds and paying interest and allow the people to print our own money interest free. Base it on gold. Begin putting gold back in Fort Knox.

Submitted by RumpledRich in Taxes & Budget Jan. 7, 2015, 3:03 p.m.

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#2256

20 votes

New tax code: all income should legally be deposited by check or automatic, to your bank, who removes your taxes and leaves the rest alone. My guess is that we would have a 15% tax rate for everybody, changing as budgets change. And everybody would end up paying their fair share.

Submitted by jeshafsh in Taxes & Budget Jan. 3, 2015, 8:58 p.m.

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#2256

20 votes

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