Funny, I guess I'm the person who considers himself more socially conservative and economically progressive.
-I believe in low tax rates for corporations, but eliminating tax deductions for high paid individuals for the business (thus pitting shareholders against high executive comp) and eliminating all forms of compensation that do not have a taxable fair value on the date of issuance as compensation.
-I believe in lowered tax rates for the middle class, but higher tax rates above $300,000 (new bracket), then $500,000, then $800,000, then $1M, then $1.5M, then $2M and every 500K to $20M, topping out at a 60% rate. There's no way a person making $20M year should have the same marginal tax rate as someone making $501K. Index all of these numbers to inflation.
-I believe in eliminating capital gains rates on taxable accounts. All income is treated as ordinary income, save for pass through income, which can take the 20% deduction, and qualified dividends, which can get a preferential rate.
-I believe in eliminating Roth/Traditional IRA distinctions and creating one type of IRA account, contributions to which are tax deductible, and can be withdrawn tax free anytime after age 50, with a carve out for earlier if the individual establishes a distribution schedule (exact criteria to be determined) that meets that of an early retiree. Up to the tax deductible max can be contributed in any year, which can be an even 20K now, indexed to inflation.
-I believe in ensuring Social Security remains sustainable by lifting the cap on contributions for high income individuals, but maintaining the limit to their benefit. I also believe in raising the full "retirement" age for SS to 68, since this was designed as insurance against people outliving retirement savings, rather than a primary source of retirement income.
-I believe in a strong estate tax. It's not a tax on the dead, because they are dead. It's a tax on heirs that prevents dynastic wealth from accumulating and ensures each generation has to earn its own keep. It incentivizes productivity rather than sloth. $5M tax free, then 75% on anything above that. It also ensures the baby boom generation responsible for running up such large governmental deficits pays back their debts from their own accumulated resources, rather than taxing the labor of future generations at greater rates to pay for the party that was had already.
-I believe in using proceeds to pay down government debt, which will reduce the budget deficit significantly since debt service costs are huge. Specifically focus on debt held by foreign states, to reduce their leverage in trade deals.
-I believe in strong worker's rights protections, which include labor unions, paid time off, workplace safety etc. I also believe the government has a duty economically to discourage companies from taking advantage of cheap, slave-like labor, which harms the workforce here by forcing them to compete with slavery abroad. Trade deals should be with allied nations only, and there should be strict barriers to discourage product competitions on the shelves of American stores from companies based in places like China that undermine our standard of living with shabby quality and underpaid labor.
-I believe in making health insurance like car insurance. All employers would give their employees a raise that represents the employer's share of healthcare costs immediately. Then the employee would be free to purchase their own health insurance plan after shopping around. However, there would still be an individual mandate. This would force insurers to compete for customers, which would use good old fashioned competition to drive down prices. This also forces providers to keep prices down, lest insurers drop them in an effort to retain their own lower prices. Right now there is no incentive for insurers or providers to keep costs down, since healthy workers have insurance through work. Employees forfeit the employer's share of costs if they purchase coverage on their own (and thus pay a higher cost), even if overall the plan would cost less. Plus it discourages employees from changing jobs, which is stupid. Put the burden squarely on the individual to find coverage (once the employer has made their share of health costs part of the employee's salary) then mandate everyone to buy their own from competing insurers. And you also get rid of the administrative nightmare that is COBRA, cutting out a bunch of COBRA administrators who are useless middlemen that service an overpriced healthcare option for those between jobs that would no longer be necessary.
-I believe in strong funding for the nation's infrastructure. It's falling apart, and we're falling behind.
However, socially:
-I believe gay marriage should be legal federally.
-I believe abortion should be legal for anyone who wants it.
-I think transgendering is personally dumb, but I support the right of someone to legally change their gender provided they actually obtain the surgery. However, I also support the rights of those who don't recognize the new gender. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a straight man who refuses to date a transgender woman who was biologically born a man, and this is not discrimination in any way.
-I believe in the rule of law, and illegal immigration needs to be cracked down on significantly. This is best done by targeting not just the illegal immigrants, but those who hire them (who would face stiff fines). That said, some exception needs to be carved out for those who were brought here very young and have only known this country. But once those cases are addressed, the door is closed to future illegal immigrants.
-I believe in strong separation of all churches and the state.
-I believe in free speech, as long as it is not hate speech.
-I believe your rights end the second they infringe on someone else's. No business has the right to refuse service to anyone for any personal characteristic, only for misbehavior while in the business.
-I believe in the 2nd amendment - however, anyone with diagnosed mental illness, any criminal record involving violence (or the threat of violence) including as a minor, or theft of a firearm, is permanently barred from owning one. Every citizen has to take a gun safety course prior to being allowed to own one. States have the right to set permitting levels (premises, carry, concealed carry, etc.), but legally everyone that meets the aforementioned criteria is allowed to own a gun and store it on premises at their primary residence.
-I believe that a person should have the right to use deadly force in any situation where the safety of any individual is threatened, or if their property is threatened by an individual trespassing on their property.
-I believe in institutionalizing the mentally ill again (some people are just not made for this world, no matter how you try to spin it)
-I believe in the death penalty for serious crimes or repeat offenders. If a dog can get put down for 2 bites, there is no way someone who has been arrested 30 times and convicted of misdemeanors or violations each and every time should be out on the streets to commit felony murder...yet it happens all the time.
-I believe in broken windows policing. Quality of life crimes degrade the standard of living in places and create the perception that anything goes. They open up a door to mischief, and eventually to greater crimes.
-I believe inner city schools need better funding, better laying out of what a school is and isn't for parents, and all schools need the freedom to fail underperforming kids or banish misbehaving children without threat of being sued or harrassed.
-I believe a basic financial literacy and personal finance class should be mandatory during senior year of high school.
Sigh. Guess that makes me the exception.