I haven’t had the time to give Governor Mitt Romney’s economic stimulus plan the attention it deserves, but I thought I’d publish it here nonetheless. I’d say take a look at it, and let me know what you think. (when the other candidates publish their plans, these will be published here as well)

His plan is described as: “designed around pro-growth principles that will help lower taxes for individuals and businesses and help guide the economy through the current housing crisis.” I’m not sure whether all the other candidates have already come out with such a stimulus plan: if / when they do, I’ll publish those as well of course.

I know that Hillary Clinton has come up with one, so that one will be published within a few hours.

You can find it here.

STRATEGY FOR A STRONGER AMERICA:

THE ROMNEY ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN

Governor Romney’s Economic Stimulus Plan – Washington Must Act Now:

Governor Romney’s Economic Stimulus Plan Would Provide Much-Needed Relief To Taxpayers, Businesses And Homeowners. Today, our economy is facing unprecedented challenges both here at home and abroad. Our economy needs pro-growth stimulus, but Governor Romney believes any stimulus package should return money to American taxpayers, not increase already out-of-control government spending. To promote economic growth, Governor Romney is proposing an economic stimulus plan that would lower taxes on individuals, reduce taxes for businesses and help homeowners through the current housing crisis.

· Individuals: Governor Romney would permanently reduce the lowest income tax bracket, permanently eliminate payroll taxes on seniors and make middle-class savings tax free.

· Businesses: Governor Romney would institute immediate 100% expensing of equipment for two years and permanently reduce the corporate tax rate.

· Homeowners: Governor Romney would reform and expand Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan portfolio limits to allow larger loans to homeowners.

Governor Romney Urges Our Leaders To Work Together And Immediately Debate, Pass And Sign A Stimulus Package For The American People. If our representatives in Washington can work together and demonstrate the leadership that the American people deserve, Governor Romney is optimistic that we can still turn this economy around. Washington must get to work immediately and pass a bill no later than February 19, a month from today, in order to stimulate our economy.

INDIVIDUALS: Governor Romney’s Economic Stimulus Plan – Pro-Growth Tax Cuts For Individual Taxpayers:

Permanently Reduce The Lowest Income Tax Bracket to 7.5%. Permanently cutting taxes for all taxpayers will put more money in workers’ pockets and stimulate consumer confidence and spending.

· Cutting The Lowest Tax Rate From 10% To 7.5% Will Provide Up To A $400 Tax Cut To Each American Taxpayer.

· Governor Romney Proposes Providing An Immediate Retroactive Tax Credit Reflecting The Lower 7.5% Tax Rate For 2007 Earnings To Employees Who Earned Less Than $97,500 In 2007. This tax cut would immediately stimulate the economy as taxpayers with the highest propensity to consume receive their increased 2007 tax refunds.

· Permanently Reducing The Lowest Bracket Is A Pro-Growth Tax Cut For The Tens Of Millions Of Americans In The Lowest Income Tax Bracket.

Permanently Eliminate Payroll Taxes On Employees Over The Age Of 65. It is not fair that seniors that have worked their whole life and earned their full Social Security benefit continue to owe payroll taxes to the federal government.

· In This Uncertain Economic Environment, More And More Seniors Are Returning To The Workforce. Governor Romney’s proposal will provide an immediate tax cut to working seniors.

· Governor Romney Believes That Seniors Have Already Earned Their Full Social Security Benefit And Should Not Owe Additional Payroll Taxes For Income Earned After Age 65.

Make Middle-Class Savings Tax Free. Governor Romney’s plan will allow middle class Americans to save tax free by changing the tax rate on interest, capital gains and dividends to absolutely 0%. By helping more Americans save and invest, we can meet the challenges of an aging population and ensure the financial security of America.

· Allow Over 95% Of American Families To Save And Invest Tax Free: Any taxpayer with Adjusted Gross Income under $200,000 would pay a tax rate of absolutely 0% on all of the income they earn from their savings, capital gains and dividends.

· Expand The Investor Class: In recent years, over half of adult Americans have participated in the stock market either directly or through pension plans and mutual funds. Tax-free savings will encourage more families to build wealth by saving, investing and participating in the stock market, which will help grow the economy.

BUSINESSES: Governor Romney’s Economic Stimulus Plan – Pro-Growth Tax Cuts For Businesses:

Institute Immediate 100% Expensing Of New Equipment Purchased By A Business For A Two-Year Period Retroactive To January 1, 2008. This plan would allow both large and small businesses to immediately invest in new equipment and capital improvements, which would immediately stimulate the economy and create new jobs.

· Boost U.S. Manufacturers And Vendors: Accelerating and increasing capital investment in equipment and other qualified assets in the U.S. will immediately provide a boost to U.S. manufacturers and vendors.

· Encourage Additional Business Investment: Entrepreneurs and small businesses, such as S corps and LLCs, which often face cash flow difficulties, will benefit greatly by the reduced cost of investment in equipment under this plan. Additional investment and expansion by these growing businesses will drive economic growth.

Reduce The Corporate Tax Rate To 20% Over Two Years. Governor Romney believes we should immediately act to reduce the corporate rate to 25% for 2008 and 20% in 2009. A permanent U.S. corporate tax rate of 20% will attract capital, stimulate investment, and increase American competitiveness with the rapidly growing economies of the world.

· A More Competitive Corporate Tax Rate: Governor Romney has spoken throughout the campaign about the need to reduce our corporate income tax rate in order to compete more effectively against other countries with lower rates. The United States currently has the second-highest corporate tax rate in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

· Encourage New Capital Flows Into The United States: Cutting the corporate tax rate will cause new capital to flow to the U.S. and make our U.S. companies more competitive by providing additional funds for research, development, innovation, and hiring of additional employees.

HOMEOWNERS: Governor Romney’s Economic Stimulus Plan – Helping Homeowners:

Reform And Expand Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Loan Portfolio Limits:

· Lower The Amount Of Upfront Down Payment A Borrower Must Make, Allowing FHA To Help Nonprime Borrowers Who May Not Be Able To Meet The Current Requirement.

· Raise The Maximum Loan Amount Eligible For FHA Insurance, Allowing FHA To Serve More Borrowers In Higher-Priced Areas.

· Expand NeighborWorks America’s Foreclosure Avoidance Initiative: Governor Romney proposes expanding NeighborWorks America’s Foreclosure Avoidance Initiative to help American homeowners stay in their homes. NeighborWorks America assists homeowners by offering foreclosure counseling and identifying refinancing opportunities for U.S. homeowners.

Governor Romney’s Pro-Growth Tax Agenda:

Governor Romney’s Economic Stimulus Plan Is In Addition To His Tax Proposals Which Will Provide A Sound Economic Framework For Long-Term Growth:

· Make The Bush Tax Cuts Permanent: Making the Bush Tax Cuts permanent is the first step to ensuring that Americans are able to keep more of their hard-earned money.

· Roll Back Tax Rates For All Americans: As President, Governor Romney will cut marginal tax rates across the board, allowing all Americans to save more money.

· Kill The Death Tax: It is unfair to tax Americans three times: first when they earn their money; second when they invest it and receive income from those investments; and third when they die.

· Make The Research And Development Tax Credit Permanent To Encourage Capital Investment And Innovation: Governor Romney believes that we must encourage companies to invest more in research and development to produce the innovations our companies need to win in the global economic competition.

· Oppose Any Increase In Social Security Taxes: We can strengthen Social Security without resorting to higher Social Security taxes that will impact all Americans. Governor Romney will oppose any proposed increase in Social Security taxes.

· Prevent The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) From Hurting More American Families: At the very least, Congress must pass a patch to the AMT that will prevent this tax from affecting more and more families in America.