The challenge before us today is whether we can maintain a government of the people, by the people and for the people, or whether we will timidly accept the economic, social, and political consequences of a government of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations.
As with the entire Kucinich platform, his solutions are intricately weaved throughout his policies and holistic view of government, however, Kucinich's benefits for small businesses can be seen in three main area of his policy:
1.) Economic Policy
2.) Jobs/Energy Program
3.) Healthcare
Dennis' program for the economy is one marked by balance. His plan will:
create a more level playing field for small businesses by reconstituting the trust-busting powers of the Justice Department and breaking up the monopolies that make competition next to impossible for small businesses in many industries. Repealing corporate trade agreements -- NAFTA and the WTO -- that currently give further advantages to large corporations at the expense of small businesses and local economies are central to this goal.
Kucinich will repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, double the tax refunds for American families making less than $80,000, and ensure that corporations pay a fair tax rate, which now pay over three times less than in the 1950's.
He will also work to make it possible for small media and agricultural businesses to compete by busting media monopolies and
requiring country-of-origin labeling; by actively enforcing existing anti-trust laws; and by enacting new laws to force divestiture in concentrated markets, breaking apart monopolistic agribusiness companies and shifting farm economics towards higher commodity prices for farmers. To increase competition in the livestock industry, I strongly support a national ban on packer ownership of livestock.
Our country must shift USDA funding and focus away from the promotion of concentrated intensive and industrial agribusiness. A new focus will benefit family farmers, rural communities, the environment, and consumers, with policies crafted to enable farmers to earn a fair price and to provide safe, nutritious food.
By cutting our bloated Pentagon budget by at least 15%, Kucinich will then use that money for a universal education program, as well as his Jobs Program.
In this more balanced framework of competition, the Kucinich Jobs Program will create millions of new working/middle class jobs, and huge opportunities for small businesses, while simultaneously addressing our crumbling infrastructural problems and energy needs. Through his Works Green Administration, or WGA, Dennis is investing in the environment, as well as our future, while stimulating the national economy.
Inspired by FDR's Works Progress Administration, the WGA utilizes the Environmental Protection Agency to put millions of Americans back to work rebuilding our schools, bridges, roads, ports, water systems, and environmental systems. Not only does the bold practicality of the plan lie in putting Americans back to work by investing in the national wealth of our own infrastructure, but the plan also incorporates environmental and energy concerns to further create wealth for the country and save individual families more money. For example, not only will the public works projects stress green building and renewable energy technology, but the plan will enable homes to be retrofit with green building, solar and wind microtechnology which will save families money on their energy bills. And this shift from oil, coal and nuclear energies will open up opportunities for emerging small businesses developing renewable energies.
Dennis will also institute a National Housing Trust Fund to provide affordable housing to millions of Americans and have consistently shown to stimulate the economy, as well as small businesses.
Finally, the Kucinich Healthcare plan, H.R. 676, will not only support the health of the 47 million Americans without any care and the 50+million who are underinsured, but also the health of our economy-particularly small businesses, as the Mercer report recently showed.
Employer provided healthcare coverage-under the current private, for-profit system-places a heavy burden on businesses: The average employer contributing $2,600 per employee. Under H.R. 676 the average would drop to about $1,600. This financial strain handicaps large U.S. businesses competing in the world market and small businesses here at home. Small businesses end up with larger cost sharing, often pushed off on the worker, and less comprehensive benefit packages. More and more often small businesses cannot even offer healthcare at all.
Under a Kucinich Administration, small businesses receive an equal and much greater opportunity in this country. Under a Kucinich Administration, the American dream becomes and equal and greater opportunity. Please support Dennis Kucinich!
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