Jeffrey Rabinowitz

I’m Jeffrey Rabinowitz

In February 2012, I decided to take a stand and run for Governor of Florida. My principles and plan were simple: A zero-dollar fund-raising goal based on the philosophy that a leader with no debt to special interests could lead as he or she believed. I thought that setting this example could make a significant difference in the way politicians do business in America. Although I still believe strongly in that philosophy, I also realize that such a politician will probably not exist in my lifetime. Therefore, I have decided to focus on something a lot more important than my lifetime: my children’s lifetime.

A part of my plan, was build the worlds greatest K-12 public education system that includes aspects like a robotics center helping students develop a passion for science, technology, engineering and math–similar to what is offered at Sidwell Friends private school, were Sasha and Malia Obama attend. After all, science and math are areas in which our children are drastically falling behind the rest of the world.

In addition, I envisioned school dining areas were the students could enjoy daily hot lunches, including the option of a “green cuisine” where the ingredients are seasonal, sustainable, and local. A vegetarian option would be offered daily, as well. Take a moment and go to Sidwell Friends website. Click on “Campus Tour” and than “Dining Room” and compare their students’ dining experience to that of our children. Take the time to explore the whole web site. Afterward ask yourself, “Do our children deserve the same daily experiences as those of wealthy and politically connected families?”

A part of my public education reinvention plan was to offer completely voluntary summer courses in math and science, healthy living, physical training, sports, art, theatre, music, and financial planning. These courses would prepare our children for a more challenging world economy and empower them with the knowledge that is typically passed on to children of affluent families. Ultimately, this would offer an effective tool to help reduce the growing problem of income inequality. To qualify for those summer courses, students would have to maintain at least a B average throughout the school year. In return, those courses would be incentive based. For example, students could earn rewards such as an I pad for their participation and successful completion of the summer courses.

The core purpose of my blog is to start a new political movement, that will move America in a forward direction, that will break the political gridlock, close the enormous gap between the rich and poor, and make America even greater than it already is.

EDUCATION
As A Congressman I will work to bring our district a billion dollars, to build 3 state of the art K-12 Public Education campuses. One in Lake, Polk, and Sumpter County. Building the worlds greatest K-12 public education system that includes aspects like a robotics center helping students develop a passion for science, technology, engineering and math–similar to what is offered at Sidwell Friends private school, were Sasha and Malia Obama attend. After all, science and math are areas in which our children are drastically falling behind the rest of the world. In addition, I envisioned school dining areas were the students could enjoy daily hot lunches, including the option of a “green cuisine” where the ingredients are seasonal, sustainable, and local. A vegetarian option would be offered daily, as well. Take a moment and go to Sidwell Friends website. Click on “Campus Tour” and than “Dining Room” and compare their students’ dining experience to that of our children. Take the time to explore the whole web site. Afterward ask yourself, “Do our children deserve the same daily experiences as those of wealthy and politically connected families?” A part of my public education reinvention plan was to offer completely voluntary summer courses in math and science, healthy living, physical training, sports, art, theatre, music, and financial planning. These courses would prepare our children for a more challenging world economy and empower them with the knowledge that is typically passed on to children of affluent families. Ultimately, this would offer an effective tool to help reduce the growing problem of income inequality. To qualify for those summer courses, students would have to maintain at least a B average throughout the school year. In return, those courses would be incentive based. Children would earn money towards a college degree. All children should have the option of a college degree debt free.

HEALTHCARE
I believe the Affordable Care Act is an extremely well crafted piece of legislation. It just needs to be tweaked a little.

1. Raise the subsidies
2. Raise the penalties
3. Fund the high risk corridors
4. Provide tax breaks to smaller medical practices, that have been burdened with extremely high costs of new regulations that came with the ACA. IE, electronic filing.

Lets not just jump to repeal and replace with a single payer program. Or repeal and destroy as Republicans want to do. Lets acknowledge the magnificent job Obama Care has done. Insuring 23 million uninsured people. Eliminating the category of uninsurable. Expanding Medicaid to 10 million people in need. A program Governor Mike Pence used effectively. In 2015, as a rash of HIV infections spread through rural southern Indiana, state health officials rushed into Scott County and enrolled scores of people into Obamacare’s expanded Medicaid program so they could get medical care and substance abuse treatment. Many were addicted to opioids and had contracted HIV by sharing dirty needles. Interesting seeing as now he is working hard to dismantle the expansion of Medicaid.

TAXES
Republicans in the House are working hard to repeal a tax break that companies get for interest paid on debt. According to the Tax Foundation, a conservative leaning think tank, repealing that tax break will generate about 1.5 trillion in new revenue for the government over the next 10 years. Republicans want to use this money to fund an enormous tax cut they are trying to push through. I agree with repealing the tax break, but I want to use the money to invest in our public education system.

SOCIAL SECURITY
Fixing Social Security is something I think should be a top priority on every lawmakers mind. I support Social Security 2100 Act.

Social Security 2100 Act would reinstitute the payroll tax on earned income over $400,000. In simpler terms, earned income between $0.01 and $127,200 would be taxed, then a moratorium would exist on earned income between $127,200 and $400,000, followed by a reinstitution of the payroll tax at earned income above $400,000.

To That point, i would like to make some other points.

Payroll tax, property tax, sales tax, income tax and yes Social Security tax pay the public investment that enables us to live the lifestyle we love to live. Warren Buffet was famously quoted by President Obama saying.

“[billionaires] have this idea that it’s ‘their money’ and they deserve to keep every penny of it. What they don’t factor in is all the public investment that lets us live the way we do. Take me as an example. I happen to have a talent for allocating capital. But my ability to use that talent is completely dependent on the society I was born into. If I’d been born into a tribe of hunters, this talent of mine would be pretty worthless. I can’t run very fast. I’m not particularly strong. I’d probably end up as some wild animal’s dinner. But I was lucky enough to be born into a time and place where society values my talent, and gave me a good education to develop that talent, and set up the laws and the financial system to let me do what I love doing—and make a lot of money doing it. The least I can do is help pay for all that.”

Corporate America as well as the wealthy have been riding on a gravy train on biscuit wheels for far to long.

Warren Buffet was also quoted as making another very important statement.

“I would note that a net of nearly 40 million jobs were added between 1980 and 2000. You know what’s happened since then: lower tax rates and far lower job creation,”

We should fight the presidents tax cut as adamantly as we did, the repeal and replace of Obama Care. The tax cut will reduce federal tax revenue by an estimated 7 trillion dollars over the first 10 years. The loss will be funded in a big way by borrowing from the Social Security fund surplus. This will ultimately sabotage Social Security administration ability to function. As of 2015 the Social Security surplus has funded 5.1 trillion dollars of the national debt, with no repayment in sight. This appalling assault on the Social Security fund, needs to stop!

GUN CONTROL
I support closing the loophole on background checks. Preventing criminals and children from getting guns. That is were I draw the line. ^[2]