Let's Choose Prosperity: Practical Political Solutions

By Donald Vandeveer

This book explores governance vulnerabilities in the United States of America and proposes legislative solutions that will lead to abundant and sustained prosperity. An intriguing approach is offered to keep Social Security solvent without extending the retirement age or cutting benefits. It calls for replacing the tax code with a new innovative structure which is fair and balanced at all income levels. The Federal Reserve's manipulation of the money supply, the prospect of a constitutional convention, and several other issues are addressed with effective and easily implemented remedies. Practical approaches are presented to stimulate the production of goods and services within the country which will ignite the economy and significantly enhance our standard of living. It is an inspiring book of hope and excitement leading to individual financial prosperity and national fiscal stability with a few simple changes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donald Vandeveer
• Release date: May 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393434788

Donald Vandeveer

Donald Vandeveer has a well-rounded perspective from across the country having lived in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, Florida, Indiana, and Maryland as he provides services for defense, aerospace and national security. He volunteers his time to serve in professional associations and has been a Loaned Executive for the United Way campaign. Mr. Vandeveer has a BS in Aviation Engineering, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification and is a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) through the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). Happily married since college, he and his charismatic wife have one awesome adult son whom all enjoy spending time together.

Book preview

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

REMEMBER THE ROARING Twenties? Neither do I, but history says it was like no other time in our nation. My how things have changed. Our nation was founded on small government ideas where the government could only do whatever we the people specifically authorized it to do. The idea was to keep it small so it didn’t cost too much for each taxpayer. Every dollar the government spends is one less dollar for the production of goods and services. In our current era, the government spends more than it collects in taxes, which is imposing a burden on the next generation. Soon the government will no longer be able to provide the services people have come to expect.

This is a book of hope. Before policies that will rectify our situation can be appreciated, there needs to be a candid understanding of where we currently are, and where we are headed. A bright future is possible which is explained in stunning clarity of what needs to occur to restore permanent prosperity. We need to swiftly make some tough and controversial choices, each of which faces significant headwinds. This book is non-partisan with its sole focus being to create a more prosperous future for all of us. The highest priority transformations are:

Eliminate Special Interest Influence

Complete Overhaul of Tax Code

Revamp Entitlement Programs

Reduce the Size of the Government

Prohibit Deficit Spending

Eliminate the Nation’s Debt

Reduce Power of the Federal Reserve

Eliminate Special Interest Influence: Let’s first look at our political system’s governance structure because it affects everything else. It is popular to condemn Congress for continuing to pass legislation that is not in our nation’s best interest from a perspective of long-term stability and well-being. Many of the difficulties faced by our nation result from self-serving perspectives, the most apparent being reelection, that leads to legislation that is unfavorable for our nation as a whole and is inducing people from different ideological perspectives to choose sides. Instead of senators and representatives being able to vote on legislative bills based on whether they are beneficial to the nation’s long-term interests, they are herded into a gang of one party or the other. This paradigm has little or no chance of steering government leadership to pass laws conducive to national prosperity. Specific past legislative shortcomings and impacts are discussed herein as are practical solutions independent of either political party.

Complete Overhaul of Tax Code: With unsustainable debt levels, liabilities promised to be paid as benefits but without money to do so, and archaic laws, an entirely new approach for taxation is required to spark brisk economic growth. Job creation will accelerate with people having more disposable income. This will have a tremendously liberating effect on our nation.

Revamp Entitlement Programs: Life changing progress will be apparent when entitlement programs are positioned for long-term viability; these programs (including Social Security) will be revamped not with an eye to eliminate, but instead to make them financially sustainable. With proper modifications to the programs, entitlements will be funded from tax revenue instead of debt and people will be able to count on the benefits being there.

Prohibit Deficit Spending: While entitlement programs are adjusted, other aspects of the government will be under serious scrutiny to reduce government spending at a controlled pace to allow personnel to be absorbed into the private sector as the job market rapidly expands given the pro-growth tax structure. The oppressive drag that government spending imposes on businesses will be significantly alleviated to stimulate prosperity. Individual prosperity will be realized due to people retaining more of the money they make given lower tax rates resulting from smaller government. Even with lower tax rates there will be enough money to retire the national debt in lieu of devaluing the dollar which reduces our standard of living.

Eliminate the Nation’s Debt: The combined effect of the initiatives will allow deficits to be permanently abolished. Laws will be passed to prevent reoccurrence by limiting government size to a function of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The United States (U.S.) will be in a position to make significant and increasing payments to retire its debt at a cautious pace to not upset the accelerating economic growth. Every dollar of debt reduction will reduce the financial burden imposed on future generations.

Reduce Power of the Federal Reserve: To increase the standard of living and enhance our wealth, legislation will inhibit the Federal Reserve from its ability to manipulate the money supply and interest rates. A stable money supply protects us from loss of purchasing power that results from expanding the money supply. To stimulate real and lasting private sector job growth, interest rates must result directly from free market forces.

Each change is of paramount importance to regain the wealth and national pride of ages past. The initiatives are structured to harmoniously work together. The corresponding legislation must emanate from a very long-term perspective to endure for eons and set an example for other countries. 

Together we can manifest a brighter future without continuing to place a burden on future generations. Collectively we have the power to take control of our nation as envisioned by our founding fathers. By exercising Article 5 of the Constitution, we can convene a constitutional convention to make fundamental changes to the structures, checks and balances, authorities and functions of the federal government. With these changes, appropriate legislation can be passed as described herein for our mutual benefit. It will be exciting to be directly involved in a movement that will heal our nation. With success, everyone will enjoy the benefits of the comprehensive transformation. Jobs will be abundant. There will be greater employment choices with better pay, the environment will be protected, and crime will naturally decline given everyone’s standard of living will be elevated. Individuals will have growing amounts of disposable income leftover after bills are paid. Unemployment will be nil. There will be a higher demand for skilled openings than there are people to fill the positions thus leading to higher wages without causing inflation because of the fixed money supply, so economic transactions will spiral upward enhancing our standard of living. All of us will experience wealth. We will be able to afford goods and services that previously were only in our dreams. Quality of life will improve as we have more choices in how to spend our time and money. There will be derivative environmental, social and technological improvements. Attitudes will improve as our self-esteem grows and our pride in our nation increases. People will experience a sincere enjoyment of life and living as we move toward utopia.

Chapter 2

CAUSE FOR CONCERN

OUR NATION’S DEBT IS so high that a large portion of the taxes we pay funds the interest on the debt without even touching the principal. The debt is largely in the form of U.S. Treasury bonds, many of which are owned by foreign countries causing the interest payments to permanently exit the U.S. economy. We are still rapidly accumulating debt. Currently the huge annual deficits are causing the national debt to balloon significantly more than at any other time in