This is a basic public policy concept that has yet to be discussed by any political party, candidate, or incumbent: “The incongruent employment, housing, and health care system of the United States.”
Fact: The majority of what is known as the PERMANENT WORKFORCE in the nation is better described as the PERMANENT TEMPORARY WORKFORCE as best and a TEMPORARY WORKFORCE at the worse.
Fact: Health care insurance that is based upon the 1930s employer / union model hurts a significant number of individuals and families who are not in the PERMANENT WORKFORCE.
Fact: Increasing the incentives and lowering the bar for homeownership results in an increasing number of individuals and families who in turn are reducing the opportunities for employment advancement and wealth accumulation.
Fact: Excessive homeownership results in the inability by many to reduce expenses during financial panics, depressions, and recessions; which will always be worse in some geographical areas than others.
Fact: The deep economic decline we are experiencing is greater than that of the recent recessions of 1970-71, 1974-76, 1980-81, 1990-93, and 2001-05.
Fact: Approximately 45% of all employees are satisfied with their employment (the lowest in 22 years), which means that more people will change employers and/or occupations when the opportunity presents.
Fact: The recent rise in the stock market has nothing to do with the economic conditions that many Americans are experiencing since corporate profits have rebounded because of reduced payrolls, salaries, benefits, inventories, research and development, and new business ventures.
Fact: Almost 80% of all TEMPORARY WORKFORCE employees have no access to any business based retirement plan and thus must rely upon their individual ability to save and invest; this obviously is not working well for most.
Fact: The national unemployment rate is 10% and the number of people who work less than 35 hours a week, but who are willing to work full-time, is approximately 15%. This means that approximately 25% of the American workforce is UNDER-EMPLOYED.
Solution: The Florida Whig Party has proposed ideas and solutions to the needs of a shifting, diverse, and mobile American workforce; these proposals have been ignored by the Democrat and Republican duopoly.
Solution: The Florida Whig Party platform provides the solution to health care with a basic and fundamental solution that has been ignored by the Democrat and Republican duopoly.
Solution: The Florida Whig Party has proposed the elimination of income taxes, supports the FAIR TAX, and proposes the elimination of all employer based pensions. Employer based pensions, with vesting schedules, results in a limited number of PERMANT WORKFORCE RETIREES and BUSINESS OWNERS reaping the lion’s share of the benefits at the cost of those who comprise the PERMANENT TEMPORARY and TEMPORARY WORKFORCE.
Solution:
The SELF-DIRECTED INDIVIDUAL MANDATORY MINIMUM RETIREMENT ACCOUNT (SIMMER) PROPOSAL of the Florida Whig Party:
1.SIMMERs will supplant all employer based pensions (private and public sector – no exceptions) with a federal law that requires all employers (including the self-employed) to withhold an actuarially calculated percentage of every employees earned income equal to a sum that will provide a minimum guaranteed retirement income at age 70 equal to 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level.
2.SIMMERs are in addition to the current Social Security program which will be phased out as the current recipients and vested benefit generations die off; in other words, if you are alive today and working, you will continue to be guaranteed your Social Security.
3.At age 70, the SIMMER amount of monthly withdrawal (as determined by Congress) must be guaranteed to provide the base income required by law.
4.Any amount accumulated in excess of the SIMMER base is available for flexible self-determined withdrawal or accumulation for future needs, or for the transfer to heirs.
5.At death, all accumulations remaining in the FLEXIBLE PORTION of the SIMMER ACCOUNT shall be distributed to the heirs of the decedent, but only to their SIMMER ACCOUNT through the decedent’s SIMMER TRANSFER ON DEATH BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION.
6.Compliance will take place through annual employer reporting of earned income and annual reporting by the financial institutions that invest and hold the SIMMER.
Solution:
The HEALTH CARE PROPOSAL of the Florida Whig Party:
1.Individuals must take responsibility for their health care.
2.Health insurance should be a personal choice and available to everyone through accessible open enrollment.
3.The failure to provide health care or health insurance for dependent children when financially able is prima facie evidence of child abuse.
4.Government provided health care must be reasonable for those who are physically, emotionally, intellectually, or financially dependent.
The Florida Whig Party is the political party for those who seek solutions to today’s problems. The solutions are not complicated, difficult to understand, or implement. Each solution is based upon the traditional “We the People of the United States of American” principles of LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS while acknowledgement that we must provide a reasonable level of care for those who are physically, emotionally, or intellectually unable to independently take care of themselves.
This is the first of several publications that will appear on this website over the next few weeks.
