RICK SANTORUM’s FISCAL PRIORITIES:
* Santorum supports Congressman Paul Ryan’s plan toallow workers who retire in 10 years to choose from a variety of plans, with some part of the premiums paid by the government. Premiums would vary, depending on income and health. Current retirees, and those retiring before 2022, would stay on traditional Medicare.
* Santorum wants to bring the Social Security program into balance by gradually raising the retirement age for younger workers and changing the indexing of benefits.
* Santorum wants to cut non-defense spending to 2008 levels. He would end energy subsidies and other wasteful government programs, cutting $5 trillion over 5 years.
* Santorum wants to simplify the tax code by moving from five to two rates, 10 percent and 28 percent, and eliminating many deductions. This is in stark contrast to President Obama, who proposes new taxes on different classes of Americans every few months.
* In addition to lowering personal income tax rates, Santorum would abolish the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax, which is adjusted downwards every year by Congress. Even so, it is now paid by millions of Americans, particularly those with large families in states with high income taxes.
* Santorum would lower corporate tax rates, at 35 percent now the highest in the world. He would cut the rate to 17.5 percent and allow the cost of all business equipment to be deducted in the year of purchase. Manufacturing would have a zero rate of tax.
* Santorum administration would be to replace senior government regulators who are at war with the American worker with competent officials who will encourage growth in the American economy and an expanding workforce.
* One of Santorum’s highest priorities is to repeal the new health care law, and replace it with competition and choice for health insurance, the way people purchase auto, home, and life insurance.
Libertarians should stay out of politics and stick to checking out books at the libertary.