Congressional Republicans call for cutting middle class programs (like Social Security and Medicare), extending tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent, cutting corporate tax rates and the wholesale deregulation of both our industrial and financial institutions. In other words, they want to go back to the exact, same ruinous policies that that got us into our current financial mess in the first place! Jonathan Michael Snow says, “There is a better way! We have to address both immediate and long-term solutions!” There are things that can be done to get the American economy moving again! These include supporting a Jobs Program to get people back to work, rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, a Reindustrialize America project, REAL Middle Class Tax Relief a plan to Protect Homeownership, Affordable Health Care, and Energy Independence initiatives.

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Jonathan Michael Snow proposes the America Works Again Program. As a 21st Century version of the New Deal era’s WPA and the CCC, the America Works Again Program is absolutely not a “Make Work” initiative. The America Works Again Program focuses on employing people to do the critically important work that needs to be done, but which is not now being done; building and repairing our schools; fixing our crumbling infrastructure; building and improving our parks and recreational facilities; increasing broadband and wireless internet access and updating our electrical power grid. While the cost of this endeavor may necessitate an initial near-term rise in government deficit spending, this negative fiscal affect is projected to be very temporary and, in the long run, will not only completely pay for itself, but will provide increased revenue to actually reduce the overall government debt!

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In order to turn the economic tide and revitalize America, we must first reinvigorate our nation’s workforce (the most productive in the world) and provide our people with the opportunity to obtain good paying, secure jobs. To achieve this result, we must recapture our nation’s former industrial greatness. America cannot sustain a high standard of living and expect robust economic growth without a vibrant and competitive manufacturing sector. The vigorous domestic production of durable goods is the essential engine that drives any technological economy. “Made in America” has to become the standard of quality in the world once again. The reindustrialization of America not only makes good economic sense, but it also ranks as a crucial national security imperative. Jonathan Michael Snow believes that, in times of war, we need to have the available domestic manufacturing wherewithal to provide and build the critical military assets required for the defense of our nation.

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Homeownership, long the pinnacle of the American Dream, has become a dwindling expectation for many in our nation. Today, our middle and working class homeowners face harsh realities: Property taxes have increased. Insurance companies increase the premiums on home insurance while decreasing the amount of risk they are willing to cover. At the same time, home values continue to fall while the rate of home foreclosures has risen. Due to their predatory lending practices, mortgage lending companies and banks saw profits skyrocket to the detriment of American homeowners. Meanwhile, the Congressional Republican solution to these problems was to Just Do Nothing and be content with letting “Market Forces” and the mortgage industry sort it all out.

Jonathan Michael Snow strongly disagrees with a “Do Nothing” approach to the problem. Instead, he has called for tougher, more decisive action to lead us out of this crisis.

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Social Security remains the most successful social program in our nation’s history and has long been the foundation of economic stability for America’s retirees. Yet, despite this fact, the program has been continuously and systematically attacked by Republicans since its inception in 1935. Beginning with Ronald Reagan’s presidency, every Republican administration since has made great efforts to either dismantle or economically hinder the Social Security system.

Despite the facts that Social Security does not in any way impact the federal budget, nor does it add one single penny to the deficit, congressional Republicans continue to insist that cutting Social Security benefits and raising the retirement age are vital imperatives for deficit reduction. This is wrong. A Congressional Research Service Report found that if all earnings were subject to Social Security payroll tax, “…the Social Security Trust Funds would remain solvent for the next 75 years.”

Jonathan Michael Snow believes that working Americans have earned the right to expect that Social Security will remain solvent well into the next century His proposal to eliminate the Taxable Earnings Base will help accomplish just that.

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Jonathan Michael Snow believes that a National Health Insurance Program (NHI) is the only affordable option for universal, comprehensive coverage. President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act was an important first step toward the goal of attaining quality for all – but, it was only a beginning. According to Physicians For A National Health Program, under the current system, expanding access to health care means increasing costs, and under the current system, reducing costs means limiting access. But NHI will both expand access and reduce costs. It will squeeze out bureaucratic waste and eliminate the perverse incentives that threaten the quality of care and the ethical foundations of medicine. Under a single-payer system, all Americans would be covered for all medically necessary services, including: doctor, hospital, long-term care, mental health, dental, vision, prescription drug and medical supply costs. Patients would retain free choice of doctor and hospital, and doctors would regain autonomy to provide the best patient care.

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Providing an affordable world-class education to every American student is a necessity in order to remain competitive in the global economy. Additionally, a good education remains the most effective method of lifting societies out of poverty. Quality education must be a national priority once again. As a nation, we must raise education standards, invest in teachers, turn around low-performing schools, and reduce the cost of public college tuition.

Currently, the United States spends more on education than any other nation in the world (nearly $8,000 per student) and yet has lower academic achievement in science and math than many of our allies. The United States has fewer school days, longer hours of instruction, larger class sizes, and lower paid teachers than many other nations. Furthermore, the cost of tuition at public colleges and universities has increased at an alarming rate.

There is no single “silver bullet” to address the all of the various issues faced by America’s education system. However, Jonathan Michael Snow believes that the following proposals can result in higher academic achievement.

• Mandatory K-12 or GED completion for all current and future students.
• Mandate that public school libraries open at least 30 minutes before the start of classes and close no earlier than 30 minutes after the end of classes.
• Class size limits for all subjects (exceptions for band and chorus): Pre K - 3rd grade: 10 students per teacher, 4th grade – 8th grade: 15 students per teacher, and 9th grade – 12th grade: 20 students per teacher.
• Increase number of school days by about 10 percent so students receive 200 days of instruction.
• Increase length of breaks between classes.
• Minimum starting salary of $40,000 for all public school teachers.
• Reduce federal funds for extracurricular activities and reallocate those funds for smaller classes and higher teacher pay.
• Eliminate federal funds for private schools, colleges, and universities and reallocate those funds to public schools, colleges, and universities.
• Increase maximum Pell grant per student from $5,550 to $7,500 while allowing grants to be applied towards undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

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A variety of regressive Republican tax policies have actually resulted in a severe redistribution of income, from the bottom to the top, from the poorest to the wealthiest. According to the Center on Budget Policy Priorities, the Bush Administration and Republican tax policies “have conferred the most benefits, by far, on the highest-income households — those least in need of additional resources — at a time when income already is exceptionally concentrated at the top of the income spectrum.” Moreover, it now appears that these tax policies have had very minimal affect on investment in America, job creation and meaningful industrial expansion – just the opposite of what Republicans continue to tell us these policies will accomplish!

Jonathan Michael Snow says, “Our tax code must become more progressive.” To accomplish this, Jonathan Michael Snow would fight to return to a progressive tax rate where, based on an ability to pay, middle and working-class taxpayers pay less and wealthy income earners pay more. In addition, Jonathan Michael Snow will push for an extended child tax credit and marriage penalty relief and, require that only individuals with household incomes in excess of $250,000 would be subject to an Alternative Minimum Tax (ATM). He would also create a 10% Mortgage Tax Credit for homeowners who can not itemize their taxes. These actions will give middle and working-class Americans meaningful, REAL tax relief. In every case, whenever taxes became more progressive, history has shown that investment in America and American job creation has dramatically increased.

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More than 30 years ago, on July 20th, 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed Executive Order 12003 - Energy Policy and Conservation. This was the first and only comprehensive energy policy that this nation has ever had. Although its projected goal was to bring about energy independence for America by the year 2000, in 1981, shortly after taking office, Ronald Reagan succumbed to pressures, from both the Saudi’s and the oil industry, and summarily rescinded the entire Carter Energy Policy. First and foremost, everyone should be aware that there are no quick fixes for America’s current energy crisis. Jonathan Michael Snow believes we must establish a clear goal for America to become energy independent within the next 20-years, by the year 2032.

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Jonathan believes environmental protection is a moral imperative to ensure the health of our citizens and future generations. Jonathan believes every American is entitled to breathe clean air and drink clean water. Additionally, environmental protection is vital to Florida’s tourism industry and continues to spur innovation that leads to good paying green jobs. The nation’s economy cannot truly thrive with an annihilated environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists 41,266 impaired bodies of water across the nation with 71,802 causes of impairment. Thirty-five percent of all water impairments are the result of pathogens and metals. Florida accounts for 2,292 impaired bodies of water. Yet, House Republicans have taken over 170 votes against environmental protection during this Congress alone!

Increased efficiency standards across the board will help protect our environment while reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Sensible regulations of air and water impurities will help protect our environmental while reducing health hazards for all Americans.

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Jonathan Michael Snow believes Unions provide American workers the only organizational opportunity and empowerment to bargain collectively for decent wages, benefits and a safe work environment.

There is no question that organized labor has benefited all working Americans, even those who are not members of a union. Essentially the labor movement created the American middle class. Because of organized labor, laws were passed ending child labor. Unions were directly responsible for the establishment of the eight-hour day, protecting workers' safety and health and helping to create Social Security, unemployment insurance and the minimum wage.

Jonathan Michael Snow will aggressively oppose any and all efforts to diminish or take-away the basic right of American workers to unionize or to engage in the collective bargaining process!

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The U.S. has opened its markets to the entire world. However, the markets of many of our trading partners still remain tightly closed to American made products. American industry, the most productive on the planet, can produce products competitive with any, made anywhere in the world, provided it is allowed to sell these goods on a level trading field. Jonathan Michael Snow encourages equitable free and open trade and truly believes that it can actually strengthen our economy and produce good paying jobs for our citizens. However, he strongly opposes any trade agreements that do not meet the high standards of equity and fairness.

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Originally, it was touted as a means to give U.S. workers a unique opportunity to move from low paying import industry jobs to high paying export industry jobs. However, after nineteen years, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has not worked. Instead of moving U.S. workers into the promised high paying jobs, it has actually caused the loss of 1 million American jobs nationwide. According to the Economic Policy Institute, in Florida alone, NAFTA was directly responsible for the displacement of 39,987 of our state’s workers. Jonathan Michael Snow will sponsor legislation requiring that the U.S. Government renegotiate and amend NAFTA.

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Our democracy has been destroyed through the dominance of money in politics. It is no longer enough to have the right message and the support of the people in order to get elected to public office. According to one statistic, the candidate who spends the most money in an election wins over ninety percent of the time. Worse yet, after being elected, members of Congress spend between 25% and 75% of their taxpayer funded work week raising money for the next election as opposed to working on the numerous issues that Americans face each and every day.

The influence of money in politics results in candidates dialing strangers for dollars, hosting fancy political fundraisers, and courting special interests and lobbyists. The influence of money in politics results in candidates and elected officials changing their positions in favor of the special interests who will stuff their campaign coffers with piles of cash. Simply put, elected officials vote against their conscience out of the fear of losing the “big bucks” from the powerful special interests. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision made a bad situation much worse. Now, the floodgates are open and Americans can expect more than $2 billion to be spent on political campaigns in 2012 alone!

There is a better a way moving forward! Immediately, we must demand real transparency and require the disclosure of all campaign contributions and expenditures to and from any source within 48 hours. Ultimately, a Constitutional amendment is necessary to fix our broken election system. We must replace our current system of campaign finance with public financing of elections in which funds are distributed equally to candidates who can collect a sufficient number of signatures and agree to five debates with their opponents.

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