ECONOMY & JOBS
The United States national debt is verging on $8 trillion (much owed to creditors in China and Japan). With an estimated United States population of nearly 300 million, this means a debt burden for every man, woman and child is approximately $27,000 -- a huge "birth tax". At the same time, the annual federal deficit keeps approaching $0.5 trillion (even without supplemental appropriations for foreign wars). The United States continues to run record trade deficits of about $200 billion per quarter (largely with China). American families are faced with tough choices: putting off college, retirement, home-ownership and even food and drugs. Corporate scandals have taken their toll in eroding confidence in our economic institutions and destroying the financial security of countless retirees, workers and families.
U.S. National Debt to the Penny
Congress must restore fiscal responsibility, balanced budgets and fair trade. Our representatives in Washington claim that the country cannot afford a basic system of healthcare or various other Social Programs that benefit all Americans. Yet in 2005 Congress passed an Energy Bill featuring $14.5 billion dollars in corporate giveaways over the next 10 years, with a majority going to traditional energy interests such as coal, oil, natural gas and utilities. In addition, the Administration and a number of Members of Congress propose to add another $2 trillion or so to the federal debt to finance an ill-advised transition to partial privatization of Social Security. Meanwhile, the economy is still not creating enough family-supporting jobs, and higher-paying jobs are being outsourced.
 Jan Schneider insists that we must revise our priorities. Instead of corporate welfare and huge tax cuts for those at the peak of the economic pyramid, future tax and other incentives should be directed to keeping American businesses competitive, protecting our workers and returning jobs to this country. Instead of trade agreements that destroy competitive advantages for our businesses, undermine job security in this country and threaten the national and global environment, the United States should adopt fair trade policies and practices, including opposing artificial currency manipulation by China and other countries.
The American people are looking for leaders in Congress who will stand up for the public interest and protect us from future corporate disasters. Jan Schneider, a lawyer with a long background in promoting financially and socially sound economic policies, will fight for measures both to stimulate the economy and to promote corporate accountability. This includes strengthening corporate oversight responsibilities not only in the Securities and Exchange Commissions, but also in the Internal Revenue Service. Furthermore, Jan will help ensure that Congress must stop jeopardizing the ultimate security of seniors by invading Social Security trust funds and otherwise mortgaging the future of the country and of our children and grandchildren to finance ongoing government programs and tax cuts that we simply cannot afford.
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