作者pursuistmi (common people)
看板IA
標題[新聞] 馬坎經濟政策
時間Tue Sep 16 10:33:11 2008
標題:
Workplace Flexibility in a Changing Economy
Workplace Flexibility and Choice
John McCain understands that today’s changing economy is making it
harder for parents to balance the demands of family life and their
jobs. He believes that strong families require that parents be
involved in the lives of their children. Flexible work arrangements
can help families strike the right balance.
John McCain was proud to support the Family Medical Leave Act in 1993
that ensured men and women are able to take leave to care for a
newborn child, adopt a child or care for an immediate family member
with a serious health condition and return to a position that is
substantially equal in pay, benefits, and responsibility. This was a
needed minimum standard to ensure that parents were not penalized for
making the important decision to raise a family.
John McCain co-sponsored the Family Friendly Workplace Act, which
sought to allow employers to provide flexible work schedules to help
employees balance the demands and needs of work and family, such as
allowing employees to take compensatory time-off rather than be paid
overtime and to work more than 40 hours in one week and
correspondingly less in another week.
John McCain also understands that our changing economy forces many
families to deal with the disruptions that come with a job change. He
believes that families should be able to hold onto the health and
retirement benefits that they have chosen. He also believes that
workers should be able to choose new training that fits their
personal situation so that they can build new skills as their careers
change.
John McCain believes that to keep America competitive in the world
economy, employers need to be able to attract and retain workers.
This requires employers to offer flexible work arrangements and allow
workers to bring their health and retirement benefits with them or
choose new plans.
John McCain also believes that as our workforce ages, many older
Americans want to continue to stay in jobs. These workers have the
experience and skills that help keep America competitive. More
flexible work arrangements would enable these workers to continue
their careers and help keep our economy competitive.
John McCain is calling for National Commission on Workplace
Flexibility and Choice. This Commission would bring together a
bi-partisan set of leaders representing workers, small and large
employers, labor, and academics. The Commission would make
recommendations to the President on how modernizing our nation’s
labor laws and training programs can help workers better balance the
demands of their job with family life and to enable workers to more
easily transition between jobs.
The Commission would examine the following issues that John McCain
believes are important to workplace flexibility and choice:
Modernizing the nation’s labor laws so that they allow for more
flexible scheduling arrangements
Ensuring that the nation’s labor laws don’t get in the way of
working at home
Promoting telework so that workers can spend less time commuting
Making health more portable so that workers don’t lose their
benefits when they switch jobs
Ensuring that workers can choose retirement plans that best suit
their needs
Providing workers with more choice in job training assistance so that
they can build the skills they need for new and better jobs
Health Care Reforms: Better Care, At Lower Cost, for Every American
Reforms To Reduce The Rate Of Health Care Inflation
John McCain proposes a number of initiatives that can lower health
care costs. If we act today, we can lower health care costs for
families through common-sense initiatives. Within a decade, health
spending will comprise twenty percent of our economy. This is taking
an increasing toll on America's families and small businesses.
Cheaper Drugs: John McCain will look to bring greater affordability
and competition to our drug markets through safe re-importation of
drugs and faster introduction of generic drugs.
Chronic Disease: Chronic conditions account for three-quarters of the
nation's annual health care bill. By emphasizing prevention, early
intervention, healthy habits, new treatment models, new public health
infrastructure and the use of information technology, we can
significantly reduce these costs. We should dedicate more federal
research to treating and curing chronic disease.
Coordinated Care: Coordinated care - with providers collaborating to
produce the best health care for the patient - offers better outcomes
at lower cost. We should pay a single bill for high-quality care
which will make every single provider accountable and responsive to
the patients' needs.
Greater Access And Convenience: Families place a high value on
quickly getting simple care. Government should promote greater access
through walk-in clinics in retail outlets.
Information Technology: John McCain will promote the rapid deployment
of 21st century information systems and technology to improve patient
safety, enhance quality and lower costs.
Medicaid And Medicare: John McCain will reform the payment systems in
Medicaid and Medicare to compensate providers for diagnosis,
prevention and care coordination. Medicaid and Medicare should not
pay for preventable medical errors or mismanagement. We also need to
implement a zero tolerance policy towards Medicare and Medicaid fraud
that is increasingly stripping away resources from the sick and the
elderly.
Smoking: John McCain will promote the availability of smoking
cessation programs. Most smokers would love to quit but find it hard
to do so. Working with businesses and insurance companies to promote
availability, we can improve lives and reduce associated chronic
diseases through smoking cessation programs.
Tort Reform: John McCain will lead the fight for medical liability
reform that eliminates lawsuits directed at doctors who follow
clinical guidelines and adhere to proven safety protocols. Every
patient should have access to legal remedies in cases of bad medical
practice but that should not be an open invitation to endless,
frivolous lawsuits that drive up health care costs for everyone and
make the practice of medicine unaffordable for good doctors
everywhere.
Transparency: John McCain believes we must make information on
treatment options and doctor records more public, and require greater
transparency regarding medical outcomes, quality of care, costs and
prices. We must also facilitate the development of national standards
for measuring and evaluating treatments and outcomes.
Reforms To Make Health Insurance Innovative, Portable And Affordable
Health Care Costs: John McCain will reform health care making it
easier for individuals and families to obtain insurance. Americans
are working harder and longer, yet the amount workers take home in
their paychecks is not keeping pace because of rising health care
costs. An important part of his plan is to use competition to improve
the quality of health insurance with greater variety to match
people's needs, lower prices, and promote portability. Families
should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state
lines.
Making the Tax Subsidy Fair: By making the tax code more equitable
and transparent, John McCain will give every family a refundable tax
credit - cash towards insurance - of $5,000 (Individuals receive
$2,500). Every family in America, regardless of the source of their
insurance or how much they make will get the same help. Families will
be able to stay with their current plan, or choose the insurance
provider that suits them best and have the money sent directly to the
insurance provider.
Making Insurance More Portable: Americans need insurance that follows
them from job to job. Too many job decisions today are controlled by
a fear of losing health care. Americans want insurance that is still
there if they retire early and does not change if they take a few
years off to raise the children. John McCain will lead the reform for
portable insurance.
Taxes: Simpler, Fair, Pro-Growth and Competitive
Pro-Growth Tax Policy
Keep Tax Rates Low: Entrepreneurs are at the heart of American
innovation, growth and prosperity. Entrepreneurs create the ultimate
job security - a new, better opportunity if your current job goes
away. Entrepreneurs should not be taxed into submission. John McCain
will keep the top tax rate at 35 percent, maintain the 15 percent
rates on dividends and capital gains, and phase-out the Alternative
Minimum Tax. Small businesses are the heart of job growth; raising
taxes on them hurts every worker.
Cut The Corporate Tax Rate From 35 To 25 Percent: A lower corporate
tax rate is essential to keeping good jobs in the United States.
America was once a low-tax business environment, but as our trade
partners lowered their rates, America failed to keep pace. We now
have the second highest corporate tax rate in the world, making
America a less attractive place for companies to do business.
American workers deserve the chance to make fine products here and
sell them around the globe.
Allow First-Year Deduction, Or "Expensing", Of Equipment And
Technology Investments: American workers need the finest technologies
to compete. Expensing of equipment and technology will provide an
immediate boost to capital expenditures and reward investments in
cutting-edge technologies.
Establish Permanent Tax Credit Equal To 10 Percent Of Wages Spent On
R&D: This reform will simplify the tax code, reward activity in the
United States, and make us more competitive with other countries. A
permanent credit will provide an incentive to innovate and remove
uncertainty. At a time when our companies need to be more
competitive, we need to provide a permanent incentive to innovate,
and remove the uncertainty now hanging over businesses as they make
R&D investment decisions.
Innovation Tax Policy
Ban Internet Taxes: John McCain believes we must make a farsighted,
robust, and fervent commitment to innovation and new technologies to
sustain our global competitiveness, meet our national security
challenges, achieve less costly and more effective health care,
reduce dangerous dependence on foreign sources of oil, and raise the
quality of education in the United States. John McCain has been a
leader in keeping the Internet free of taxes. As President, he will
seek a permanent ban on taxes that threaten this engine of economic
growth and prosperity.
Ban New Cell Phone Taxes: John McCain understands that the same
people that would tax e-mail will tax every text message - and even
911 calls. John McCain will prohibit new cellular telephone taxes.
Trade
Lower Barriers to Trade
John McCain believes that globalization is an opportunity for
American workers today and in the future. Ninety-five percent of the
world's customers lie outside our borders, and we need to be at the
table when the rules for access to those markets are written. To do
so, the U.S. should engage in multilateral, regional and bilateral
efforts to reduce barriers to trade, level the global playing field
and build effective enforcement of global trading rules.
Competitive American Workers
John McCain understands that globalization will not automatically
benefit every American. We must prepare the next generation of
workers by making American education worthy of the promise we make to
our children and ourselves. We must be a nation committed to
competitiveness and opportunity. We must fight for the ability of all
students to have access to any school of demonstrated excellence. We
must place parents and children at the center of the education
process, empowering parents by greatly expanding the ability of
parents to choose among schools for their children.
John McCain will overhaul unemployment insurance and make it a
program for retraining, relocating and assisting workers who have
lost a job. The unemployment insurance system created in the 1950s
needs to be modernized to meet the goals of helping displaced workers
make ends meet between jobs and moving people quickly on to the next
opportunity. John McCain will reform the half-dozen training programs
to approaches that can be used to meet the bills, pay for training,
and get back to work. John McCain believes that we can strengthen
community colleges and technical training, and give displaced workers
more choices to find their way back to productive and prosperous
lives.
Immediate Relief
for American Families
Gas and Food Prices
John McCain will help Americans hurting from high gasoline and food
costs. Americans need relief right now from high gas prices. John
McCain will act immediately to reduce the pain of high gas prices.
John McCain believes we should send a strong message to world
markets. Under his plan, the United States will be telling oil
producing countries and oil speculators that our dependence on
foreign oil will come to an end - and the impact will be lower prices
at the pump.
John McCain's policies will increase the value of the dollar and thus
reduce the price of oil. In recent years, the declining value of the
dollar has added to the cost of imported oil. This will change.
Americans will have a stronger economy, a stronger dollar and greater
purchasing power for oil, gas and food.
John McCain believes we should institute a summer gas tax holiday.
Hard-working American families are suffering from higher gasoline
prices. John McCain called on Congress to suspend the 18.4 cent
federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor
Day.
Reuters: Gas Tax Holiday "Of Most Immediate Effect To Consumers." "Of
most immediate effect to consumers was his appeal to the U.S.
Congress to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent
diesel tax from Memorial Day at the end of May to Labor Day in early
September." (Steve Holland, "McCain Proposes Tax Cuts And Lashes
Democrats," Reuters, 4/15/08)
USA Today: "A USA TODAY Analysis Showed That McCain's Gas-Tax
Proposal Could Save Motorists $6.8 Billion In Taxes During The
Summer." (Kathy Kiely, "Gas-Tax Holiday Among McCain's Plans For
Economy," USA Today, 4/16/08)
John McCain will repeal the 54 cents per gallon tax on imported
sugar-based ethanol, increasing competition, and lowering prices of
gasoline at the pump.
John McCain will roll back corn-based ethanol mandates, which are
contributing to the rising cost of food.
Home Plan
John McCain believes there is nothing more important than keeping
alive the American dream of owning a home. Priority number one is to
keep well-meaning, deserving home owners who are facing foreclosure
in their homes.
John McCain's approach to helping sub-prime or other financially
strapped mortgage borrowers is built on sound principles:
No taxpayer money should bail out real estate speculators or
financial market participants who failed to perform due diligence in
assessing credit risks. Any assistance for borrowers should be
focused solely on homeowners and any government assistance to the
banking system should be based solely on preventing systemic risk.
Any policy of financial assistance should be accompanied by reforms
that promote greater transparency and accountability to ensure we
never face this problem again.
John McCain has proposed a new "HOME Plan" to provide robust, timely
and targeted help to those hurt by the housing crisis. Under his HOME
Plan, every deserving American family or homeowner will be afforded
the opportunity to trade a burdensome mortgage for a manageable loan
that reflects their home's market value.
Eligibility: Holders of a sub-prime mortgage taken after 2005 who
live in their home (primary residence only); can prove
creditworthiness at the time of the original loan; are either
delinquent, in arrears on payments, facing a reset or otherwise
demonstrate that they will be unable to continue to meet their
mortgage obligations; and can meet the terms of a new 30 year
fixed-rate mortgage on the existing home.
John McCain's HOME Plan Will Keep 200,000 To 400,000 Families From
Losing Their Homes. "But at the same time, McCain is calling for
aggressive federal action to help keep 200,000 to 400,000 families
from losing their homes. That plan has many of the elements of a
proposal by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.,
requiring participating lenders to forgive part of the loan principal
and then write a new loan that would be backed by the federal
government through the Federal Housing Administration." (Tom Raum,
"Everyone's Invited: McCain Economic Plan Draws From Both Parties,"
Tucson Citizen, 4/17/08)
How It Works: Individuals pick up a form at any Post Office or
download the form over the Internet and apply for a HOME loan. The
FHA HOME Office certifies that the individual is qualified, and
contacts the individual's mortgage servicer. The mortgage servicer
writes down and retires the existing loan, which is replaced by an
FHA guaranteed HOME loan from a lender.
John McCain will bolster groups like Neighborworks America that
provide mortgage assistance to homeowners in their communities.
Keeping The Credit Crunch From Hurting College Students
John McCain is proposing a student loan continuity plan. Students
face the possibility that the credit crunch will disrupt loans for
the fall semester. John McCain calls on the federal government and
the 50 governors to anticipate loan problems and expand the
lender-of-last resort capabilities for each state's guarantee agency.
Reforming Washington to Regain the Trust of Taxpayers
Bring The Budget
To Balance By 2013
John McCain will balance the budget by the end of his first term. The
near-term path to balance is built on three principles:
Reasonable economic growth. Growth is an imperative - historically
the greatest success in reducing deficits (late 1980s; late 1990s)
took place in the context of economic growth.
Comprehensive spending controls. Bringing the budget to balance will
require across-the-board scrutiny of spending and making tough
choices on new spending proposals.
Bi-partisanship in budget efforts. Much as the late 1990s witnessed
bipartisan efforts to put the fiscal house in order, bi-partisan
efforts will be the key to undoing the recent spending binge.
In the long-term, the only way to keep the budget balanced is
successful reform of the large spending pressures in Social Security,
Medicare, and Medicaid.
McCain Policies Will Support Reasonable Economic Growth: Small
business is the key to job growth. Small business will benefit from:
Low individual tax rates - sole-proprietorships, partnerships,
landlords and others are taxed under the individual income tax.
Access to capital from low tax rates on dividends and capital gains.
Minimizing expensive mandates - such as those for health insurance
and pro-union initiatives like card check.
Enhancing international competitiveness to keep jobs here; not
abroad.
A lower corporate tax rate.
Improved investment and research incentives to ensure that workers
have the most modern technology.
Bringing the budget to balance, reducing federal borrowing, and
controlling spending to reduce the burden on the economy.
Comprehensive Spending Controls: John McCain will institute broad
reforms to control spending:
The McCain administration would reserve all savings from victory in
the Iraq and Afghanistan operations in the fight against Islamic
extremists for reducing the deficit. Since all their costs were
financed with deficit spending, all their savings must go to deficit
reduction.
A one-year spending pause. Freeze non-defense, non-veterans
discretionary spending for a year and use those savings for deficit
reduction. A one-year pause in the growth of discretionary spending
will be imposed to allow for a comprehensive review of all spending
programs. After the completion of a comprehensive review of all
programs, projects and activities of the federal government, we will
propose a plan to modernize, streamline, consolidate, reprioritize
and, where needed, terminate individual programs.
Take back earmark funds. The McCain Administration will reclaim
billions of add-on spending from earmarks and add-ons in FY 2007 and
2008.
Bi-partisan Fiscal Discipline: A McCain Administration will provide
the leadership to achieve bipartisan spending restraint equivalent to
that in the 1997 Balanced Budget Agreement between a GOP Congress and
a Democratic President. In 1997, President Clinton and the GOP
Congress agreed to balance the budget by restraining the growth in
spending and cutting taxes over a ten-year period.
With the same bipartisan effort today, with the federal budget that
is now 70 percent larger, we could keep taxes low and still balance
the budget by holding overall spending growth to 2.4 percent. Unlike
Congress and the Executive branch in recent years, a McCain
Administration will enforce the spending restraint to balance the
budget and keep it balanced.
A McCain Administration would perform a comprehensive review of all
programs, projects and activities of the federal government, and then
propose a plan to modernize, streamline, consolidate, reprioritize
and, where needed, terminate individual programs. McCain could use
the bi-partisan commission structure used for the Defense Base
Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC). Such a commission could be
required to report to the President who would then submit the
recommendations to the Congress for a straight up or down vote.
A McCain Administration will review all special spending provisions
to end subsidies to high-income individuals and corporations
Eliminating Wasteful Spending
Stop Earmarks, Pork-Barrel Spending, And Waste: John McCain will veto
every pork-laden spending bill and make their authors famous. As
President, he will seek the line-item veto to reduce waste and
eliminate earmarks that have led to corruption. Earmarks restrict
America's ability to address genuine national priorities and
interfere with fair, competitive markets.
Leadership, Courage And Choices: Reducing spending means making
choices. John McCain will provide the courageous leadership necessary
to control spending, including:
Eliminate broken government programs. The federal government itself
admits that one in five programs do not perform.
Reform our civil service system to promote accountability and good
performance in our federal workforce.
Reform procurement programs and cut wasteful spending in defense and
non-defense programs.
Reforming Entitlement Programs For The 21st Century
Reform Social Security: John McCain will fight to save the future of
Social Security, and he believes that we may meet our obligations to
the retirees of today and the future without raising taxes. John
McCain supports supplementing the current Social Security system with
personal accounts - but not as a substitute for addressing benefit
promises that cannot be kept. John McCain will reach across the aisle
to address these challenges, but if the Democrats do not act, he
will. No problem is in more need of honesty than the looming
financial challenges of entitlement programs. Americans have the
right to know the truth and John McCain will not leave office without
fixing the problems that threatens our future prosperity and power.
Control Medicare Growth: The growth of spending on Medicare threatens
our fiscal future. John McCain has proposed comprehensive health care
reforms that will reduce the growth in Medicare spending, improve the
quality of care, protect seniors against rising Medicare premium
payments, and preserve the advancements in medical science central to
providing quality care.
Supporting Small Businesses
Lower Energy Costs
John McCain's Lexington Project will address the rising costs of
energy that are hurting small businesses. He strongly supports
increased domestic exploration of oil and natural gas. This will send
a strong signal to oil markets that future supplies will be more
plentiful, countering the rise in oil prices. The market for natural
gas is less internationally integrated than that of oil - increased
domestic production will lower the cost of this key energy source.
The Project will transform electricity generation. John McCain has
set the goal of building 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 -
creating 700,000 jobs and providing cheap electricity. It will
provide incentives for the production of electricity from renewable
sources. Finally, the Lexington Project will devote $2 billion
annually to research that will allow the clean use of our most
plentiful and low-cost energy source: coal.
Controlling Health Care Costs
John McCain has a comprehensive health care reform plan that will
reduce the spiraling cost of health care - a major burden for those
small businesses that offer health insurance and a major impediment
for those who cannot. He will provide $5,000 for health insurance to
every American family - supporting small businesses that seek to
offer insurance. John McCain opposes costly mandates or "pay or play"
requirements that would raise the financial burden on small business,
cut the ability to hire, expand, or raise payrolls.
John McCain's opponent would burden small businesses with roughly
$5,000 to $12,000 of extra cost for every employee through his "pay
or play" health care mandates. This will stifle new job creation, and
it will require small businesses either to cut employees' pay in
order to finance this mandate or fire them.
Taxes: Simpler, Fair, Pro-Growth, And Competitive
Keep Tax Rates Low: Entrepreneurs are at the heart of American
innovation, growth and prosperity. Entrepreneurs create the ultimate
job security - a new, better opportunity if your current job goes
away. Entrepreneurs should not be taxed into submission. John McCain
will keep the top tax rate at 35 percent, maintain the 15 percent
rates on dividends and capital gains, and phase-out the Alternative
Minimum Tax. Small businesses are the heart of job growth; raising
taxes on them hurts every worker. John McCain's opponent wants to
increase the marginal income tax rate which applies to the nation's
23 million small business owners who pay their taxes under the
individual tax rate system.
Cut The Corporate Tax Rate From 35 To 25 Percent: A lower corporate
tax rate is essential to keeping good jobs in the United States.
America was once a low-tax business environment, but as our trade
partners lowered their rates, America failed to keep pace. American
workers deserve the chance to make fine products here and sell them
around the globe.
Allow First-Year Deduction, Or "Expensing", Of Equipment And
Technology Investments: American workers need the finest technologies
to compete. Expensing of equipment and technology will provide an
immediate boost to capital expenditures and reward investments in
cutting-edge technologies.
Establish Permanent Tax Credit Equal To 10 Percent Of Wages Spent On
R&D: This reform will greatly simplify the tax code, reward activity
in the United States, and make us more competitive with other
countries. A permanent credit will provide an incentive to innovate
and remove uncertainty. At a time when our companies need to be more
competitive, we need to provide a permanent incentive to innovate,
and remove the uncertainty now hanging over businesses as they make
R&D investment decisions.
Allow Families To Keep Their Businesses: John McCain proposes
reducing the Estate Tax rate to 15 percent and permit a generous $10
million exemption.
Opening New Markets
John McCain believes that globalization is an opportunity for
American workers today and in the future. Ninety-five percent of the
world's customers lie outside our borders and we need to be at the
table when the rules for access to those markets are written. To do
so, the U.S. should engage in multilateral, regional and bilateral
efforts to reduce barriers to trade, level the global playing field
and build effective enforcement of global trading rules.
Export growth is the strongest part of our sluggish economy, and we
should be encouraging the growth of even more jobs in this sector
through more free trade agreements which give American firms more
access to sell our goods and services abroad.
Cheap, Clean, Secure Energy for America
Transform Electricity
Nuclear Power: Nuclear power is a proven, reliable, zero-emission
source of energy, and it is time to recommit to advancing our use of
nuclear power. The U.S. has not started construction on a new nuclear
power plant in over 30 years. Currently, nuclear power provides 20
percent of our overall energy portfolio. Other countries such as
China, India and Russia are looking to increase the role of nuclear
power in their energy portfolio and the U.S. should not just look to
maintain, but increase its own use. John McCain will put our country
on track to construct 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 with the
ultimate goal of eventually constructing 100 new plants.
It is also critical that the U.S. be able to build the components for
these plants and reactors within our country so that we are not
dependent on foreign suppliers with long wait times to move forward
with our nuclear plans. The development of new nuclear plants will
re-create a U.S. industry that has disappeared: manufacturing
components of nuclear power plants, as well as assembling and
operating the plants. A rough estimate is that 45 new nuclear power
plants will create roughly 700,000 jobs - jobs in construction,
engineering, operation and maintenance.
Coal: John McCain will commit $2 billion annually to advancing clean
coal technologies. Coal produces the majority of our electricity
today. Some believe that marketing viable clean coal technologies
could be over 15 years away. John McCain believes that this is too
long to wait, and we need to commit significant federal resources to
the science, research and development that advance this critical
technology. Once commercialized, the U.S. can then export these
technologies to countries like China that are committed to using
their coal - creating new American jobs and allowing the U.S. to play
a greater role in the international green economy.
The development of clean coal technology will revitalize coal mining
and return jobs to some of America's most economically disadvantaged
areas. The demonstration projects alone will employ over 30,000
Americans.
Renewables: John McCain will encourage the market for alternative,
low carbon fuels such as wind, hydro and solar power. According to
the Department of Energy, wind could provide as much as one-fifth of
electricity by 2030. The U.S. solar energy industry continues its
double-digit annual growth rate in 2008. To develop these and other
sources of renewable energy will require that we rationalize the
current patchwork of temporary tax credits that provide commercial
feasibility. John McCain believes in an even- handed system of tax
credits that will remain in place until renewable energy has
progressed to the point that it is competitive with conventional
energy sources.
Expand Domestic Production
Of Oil And Gas
John McCain will commit our country to expanding domestic oil and
natural gas exploration. The current federal moratorium on drilling
in the Outer Continental Shelf stands in the way of energy
exploration and production. John McCain believes it is time for the
federal government to lift these restrictions and work with states to
put our own reserves to use. There is no easier or more direct way to
prove to the world that we will no longer be subject to the whims of
others than to expand our production capabilities.
We have trillions of dollars worth of oil and gas reserves in the
U.S. at a time we are exporting hundreds of billions of dollars a
year overseas to buy energy. This is the largest transfer of wealth
in the history of mankind. We should keep more of our dollars here in
the U.S., lessen our foreign dependency, increase our domestic
supplies, and reduce our trade deficit - 41 percent of which is due
to oil imports. John McCain proposes to cooperate with the states and
the Department of Defense in the decisions to develop these
resources.
Estimates from the Minerals Management Service indicate that
technically recoverable resources currently off limits in the lower
48 OCS total 18 billion barrels of crude oil and 77 trillion cubic
feet of natural gas. John McCain believes in promoting and expanding
the use of our domestic supplies of oil and natural gas when people
are hurting, and struggling to afford gasoline, food and other
necessities, and when our manufacturing businesses are increasingly
hampered by the high cost of natural gas.
Addressing Speculative Pricing Of Oil
John McCain believes we must understand the role speculation is
playing in our soaring energy prices. Congress already has
investigations underway to examine this kind of wagering in our
energy markets, unrelated to any kind of productive commerce, because
it can distort the market, drive prices beyond rational limits, and
put the investments and pensions of millions of Americans at risk.
John McCain believes that where we find abuses, they need to be
swiftly punished. To make sure it never happens again, we must reform
the laws and regulations governing the oil futures market, so that
they are just as clear and effective as the rules applied to stocks,
bonds, and other financial instruments.
Transform Transportation
The only way America can break its strategic dependence on foreign
oil is to change how we power our automobiles and rejuvenate our
automotive industry. The Lexington Project will help do that through
a comprehensive plan.
Battery Technology: John McCain will propose a $300 million prize to
improve battery technology for full commercial development of plug-in
hybrid and fully electric automobiles. A $300 million prize should be
awarded for the development of a battery package that has the size,
capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available
plug-in hybrids or electric cars. That battery should deliver a power
source at 30 percent of the current costs. At $300 million, the prize
is one dollar for every man, woman and child in this country - and a
small price to pay for breaking our dependence on oil.
Clean Car Challenge: John McCain will issue a Clean Car Challenge to
the automakers of America, in the form of a single and substantial
tax credit based on the reduction of carbon emissions. For every
automaker who can sell a zero-emissions car, John McCain will commit
a $5,000 tax credit for each and every customer who buys that car.
For other vehicles, whatever type they may be, the lower the carbon
emissions, the higher the tax credit.
Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs): In just three years, Brazil went from new
cars sales that were about 5 percent FFVs to over 70 percent of new
vehicles that were FFVs. American automakers have committed to make
50 percent of their cars FFVs by 2012. John McCain calls on
automakers to make a more rapid and complete switch to FFVs.
Alternative Fuels: John McCain believes alcohol-based fuels hold
great promise as both an alternative to gasoline and as a means of
expanding consumers' choices. Some choices such as ethanol are on the
market right now. The second generation of alcohol-based fuels like
cellulosic ethanol, which won't compete with food crops, are showing
great potential. Unfortunately, today isolationist tariffs and
wasteful special interest subsidies are not moving us toward an
energy solution. We need to level the playing field and eliminate
mandates, subsidies, tariffs and price supports that focus
exclusively on corn-based ethanol and prevent the development of
market-based solutions which would provide us with better options for
our fuel needs.
CAFE Standards: John McCain has long supported CAFE standards - the
mileage requirements that automobile manufacturers' cars must meet.
Some carmakers ignore these standards, pay a small financial penalty,
and add it to the price of their cars. John McCain believes that the
penalties for not following these standards must be effective enough
to compel carmakers to produce fuel-efficient vehicles.
Building Efficiency
Government Purchasing: John McCain will make greening the federal
government a priority of his administration. The federal government
is the largest electricity consumer on earth and occupies 3.3 billion
square feet of space worldwide. It provides an enormous opportunity
to lead by example. By applying a higher efficiency standard to new
buildings leased or purchased and retrofitting existing buildings, we
can save taxpayers money in energy costs, and move the construction
market in the direction of green technology.
American Homes: Homeowners can save hundreds or even thousands of
dollars a year with better light bulbs, appliances, windows, and
insulation. As Americans retro-fit to improve energy efficiency and
reduce their carbon footprint, jobs will flow to the U.S. providers
of insulation, windows, appliances, and other sources of energy
efficiency.
http://www.johnmccain.com/Issues/jobsforamerica/
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