Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Blogger Candidate Forum: Donald J. Trump




Donald J. Trump
nbcnews.com
Hello Everyone:

It is Tuesday, a grim Tuesday, which means it is time for Blogger Candidate Forum.  Today in the forum it is businessman and Republican frontrunner Donald J. Trump (http://www.donaldjtrump.com).  Before launch into our profile, Blogger would like to send out love and good thoughts to all the readers in Beirut, Paris, Ankara, and Brussels.  Blogger wants you all to know that we love you all, hope that you all safe, and with your loved ones.  Yours truly hopes that we do not have add to this list of terrorist attacks anymore.

Now let us meet the candidate.  Mr. Trump is a native of Jamaica Estates, Queens, New York.  He is a graduate of Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, a successful real estate developer, and best selling author.  His book The Art of the Deal is considered one of the must successful business books of all time.  Mr. Trump was also a top contributor and fundraiser for Republican candidates in 2014.  He is also very active on the social media, advocating for Conservative causes.  The Trump name is also synonymous with prestigious addresses in the United States and United Kingdom.  Donald Trump is the Emmy-nominated host and co-producer of the reality competition series The Apprentice and his signature phrase, "You're fired!" is the third greatest television catchphrase of all time.  Mr. Trump is married to Melania Trump, the father of five, and the grandfather of seven.

Healthcare reform
emccmarketing.com

Healthcare Reform

Like his fellow Republicans, Mr. Trump would love nothing more then to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  Mr. Trump blames "...totally partisan votes in the House and Senate and signed into law by the most divisive and partisan President..." for the passage of the "...incredible economic burden of the Affordable Care Act."  Mr. Trump proposes a seven point plan intended to lower healthcare costs.  He believes that reform efforts must begin with Congress, insisting that the House and Senate must do the following:

1) Completely repeal Obamacare...
2) Modify exiting law that inhibits the sale of health insurance across state lines...
3) allow individuals to full deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns under th current tax system...Review basic options for Medicaid and work with states to endure that those who want healthcare coverage can have it.
4) Allow individuals to use Health Savings Accounts.  Contributions into HSAs should be tax-free and should be allowed to accumulate...
5) Require price transparency from all healthcare providers, especially doctors and healthcare organizations like clinics and hospitals...
6) Block-grant Medicaid to states...
7) Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, reliable and cheaper products...


Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Administration Reforms

The current state of the Department of Veterans Affairs is woeful.  Veterans, who have proudly served this country, have gone without much needed care.  To remedy the problem, Mr. Trump proposes a three-point plan that will:

1) Ensure our veterans get the care they need wherever and whenever they need it...
2) Support the whole veteran...  Mr. Trump pledges to increase funding for Post-Traumatic Stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and suicide prevention.  Increase funding for job training and placement, educational support, and business loans. Support the needs of younger and female veterans.
3) Make the VA great again...the Trump Plan calls for the firing of corrupt and incompetent VA executives, End waste, fraud and abuse, Modernize the VA, Empower caregivers to make sure that veterans receive prompt quality attention, hire more veterans to work with veterans, and place satellite clinics in rural and underserved areas.

Tax reform
valadao.house.gov
Tax Reform

The American tax code is one of the most mind numbingly complicated set of laws known to humanity.  Although, the United States has a progressive tax system, the current tax code seems to favor the wealthy.  Mr. Trump proposes tax reform that will let middle class families make ends meet with four goals:

1) Tax relief for middle class Americans...
2) Simplify the tax code...
3) Grow the American economy..
4) Doesn't add to our debt and deficit...

If a taxpayer is single and earning less than $25,000 or married and jointly earning less than $50,000, under the Trump plan no taxes will be owed.  All other Americans will have a simpler tax code, broken down into four brackets 0, 10, 20, and 25 percent.  Further, there will be mo marriage penalty and the Alternative Minimum Tax while providing the lowest tax rate since the Second World War.  Businesses, regardless of size and freelancers, will pay no more that 15 percent of their income in taxes.  The plan also pledges no inheritance tax.  The proposed reforms would be paid for by closing or reducing loopholes available to the wealthy, a one-time repatriation of corporate cash from held overseas, ending deferrals of corporate taxes on overseas earned corporate income, and reducing or closing some corporate loopholes.

Customer shopping for a pistol in Tinley Park , Illinois
Scott Olson/Getty
washingtonpost.com
Second Amendment Rights

Like Senator Ted Cruz, Donald Trump is a firm believer in the Second Amendment of the Bill Rights, "The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon"  Mr. Trump believes that the Second Amendment is a fundamental right and the first freedom of all Americans.  He believes that the Second Amendment is about self-defense and the protection of family, a concept upheld by the Supreme Court.  That said, the Trump campaign proposes a three-point plan intended to preserve the right of law abiding citizens keep and bear arms.

First, enforce the laws currently in place.  Mr. Trump cites a Virginia program-Project Exile-which prosecutes a violent felon for using a gun during the commission of crime.  Under this program, a convicted felon is prosecuted in federal court and given a mandatory five-year sentence.  No parole or early release.  Mr. Trump cites a 60 percent decrease in the Richmond murder rate, a success in his opinion.  Why is this important to gun owners?  Mr. Trump believes that they are the first ones blamed by the media when criminal misuse guns.  Mr. Trump would also empower gun owners to defend themselves and enact a national carry law.  Second, Mr. Trump proposes fixing the mental health system.  The mental health system in the United States is the absolute best in the world.  Some of the most heinous mass shootings have been committed by individuals who were red-flagged by mental health providers and subsequently ignored.  Mr. Trump would expand mental health treatment, focusing on patients who are mostly a danger to themselves.  Finally, Mr. Trump would defend the rights of law abiding gun owners by expanding background checks to include criminal and mental health records, allowing a law abiding citizen to purchase a gun of their choice and ammunition, and enact a National Right to Carry Law.

This is the last of our candidate profiles. Beginning next week, Blogger Candidate Forum will be presented on Wednesdays and will focus on the primary wrap ups.  Yours truly will continue with the weekly column all the way to the General Elections on November 8, 2016.  As always , Blogger encourages everyone to check out the individual candidate websites (http://www.donaldjtrump.com). Blogger will decide on Primary Day in California.  To all the American readers, if you are a native born or naturalized citizen, aged eighteen or over, please make sure you are registered to vote.  Tomorrow, we will have our weekly Primary wrap up from Idaho, Arizona, and Utah.

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