Charlie Brown's American Jobs Plan

Charlie is a retiree living on a fixed income, so he understands, first hand, how families are affected today by rising gas, grocery, healthcare, and other costs. Charlie believes America can create & keep good jobs by investing in education, technology, an updated infrastructure, energy independence, and fair trade. He opposes the outsourcing of American prosperity promoted by NAFTA and CAFTA, and supported the recent increase in the minimum wage.

He supports permanent tax relief for the middle class and elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax. Charlie will fight for additional tax relief for small business innovators because he understands that the best way to keep the American economy strong and prosperous is by investing in a 21st century workforce, technology, and energy independence.

Charlie will:

Cut Taxes - Charlie Supported Bush Tax Cuts for Middle Class, and Capital Gains Tax Cuts
Stop rewarding U.S. Businesses for shipping American Jobs overseas.
Invest in Energy Independence, education, and infrastructure.
Reduce the number of uninsured Americans, which is driving up everyone's healthcare costs, and driving far too many U.S. businesses out of business.
Balance the federal budget or lawmakers don't get paid.
Invest in a high-quality education for our children and our workforce.
Protect American families and retirees by restoring accountability in the financial markets.

Tax Cuts Charlie Will Fight For in 2009 to help spur growth and create American jobs.

Extension of:

Small Business expensing
Marriage Penalty Relief
Child Tax Credit
Estate Tax relief
Deduction for state and local sales taxes
Research & Development Tax Credit
Alternative Energy Investment Tax Credits of $5,000 per family.

Enactment of:

Tax credit for school construction bonds
Tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy
Balanced Budget-a tax cut of up to $30,000 for every child in America and future generations.

Elimination of:

Alternative Minimum Tax
Widow's Tax for military families
Co-pays & premiums for veterans
Concurrent receipt
Government Pension Offset/ Windfall Elimination Provision-a tax cut for hundreds of thousands of seniors.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Charlie views Energy Independence as our single greatest economic opportunity since the industrial revolution. That's why he's signed on to conservative activist and oil billionaire, T. Boone's Pickens energy independence pledge - because he knows that there is unlimited economic potential for American job growth in creating clean, renewable energy, and that the next Congress must get an energy solution enacted into law in its first 100 days.

Charlie supports "all of the above" to get America of foreign oil-Drill & Invest-this includes nuclear power, drilling for more American oil, natural gas, and investing in wind, solar and other renewable energy sources.
Charlie wants the federal government, the world's largest energy consumer, to get off foreign oil and use its energy purchasing power to jumpstart the renewable energy economy and create thousands of new jobs.
Charlie supports wind energy development in Lassen County, and Solar Energy Development out by Honey Lake, and the use of bio-mass to clear of forests of dangerous fuels, which will reduce energy costs locally, and create hundreds of new clean energy jobs.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Charlie views the 4th District as one of the most strategically vital regions in America-the right leadership means more jobs and a higher quality of life.

Expansion of I-80 and Route 50: Charlie sees it as a vital investment in one of America's most important highways for interstate commerce.

Stewardship of our Federal Forests: Charlie supports logging and reasonable forest thinning measures as a means of protecting District 4 residents from catastrophic wildfire.

Water Security: District 4 water helps feed California and the world. Charlie supports streambed restoration in the Sierra Meadows and improvements to existing dams.

Strengthen Lake Tahoe: Charlie supports Lake Tahoe restoration efforts, and believes we can and do more to promote the jewel of our district, which brings in millions of dollars in local revenues each year.

BALANCED BUDGET AND FISCAL DISCIPLINE

Charlie Brown knows that a fiscally disciplined government is essential to create economic growth. He is committed to putting our country's fiscal house in order, and ending the dangerous cycle of "borrow, spend, and let our children worry about it" currently in place in Congress. America is currently grappling with the largest deficits in American history (much of which is owed to foreign governments like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia), with Congress providing almost no oversight on waste and abuse.
The reckless spending and misguided priorities of the current Congress has had a disastrous effect: every child in America now inherits $30,000 in debt. Charlie believes there is more than enough money to do the things our government and our people need, provided we concentrate on real priorities. He'll fight for middle class tax relief and a budget that puts our security, our economy, and our children's future first.

HEALTH CARE

Charlie believes increasing access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans, and especially preventive care, is the key to reducing healthcare costs for all Americans. By improving the quality of care and reducing the cost through preventative care, we can free up capital for investment and job creation.

That's why Charlie strongly supports the expansion of SCHIP, to ensure all children have a chance to grow up healthy and have an opportunity for success.
Increase access to preventative care for small business and families to improve the quality of care and free up capital for economic growth and job creation.
Medicare Part D should be rewritten so it supports seniors, not drug companies. Medicare should be able to negotiate directly with drug companies the way the VA does, and we must allow importation of safe drugs from Canada and Mexico.

EDUCATION

We do not need big government, what we need is local control, and no more one size fits all unfunded mandates. Charlie Brown knows the key America's economic success in the global, technology-based economy is a good education for our children and our workers.

As a credentialed California Teacher who has worked for 8 years at the Roseville Police Department, Charlie knows first hand that we either invest in our children on the front end, or we risk paying considerably more on the back end.

To compete in a global economy, we need the best-educated workforce in the world.

No Child Left Behind needs overhaul reform. Low performing schools need investment, not punishment. Let local schools develop accountability measures that reflect local circumstance.

Reliance on testing means we aren't teaching skills, we're teaching to tests. As a former teacher, Charlie believes accountability standards are vital, but that they must empower local stakeholders--parents, teachers, administrators and students---to create learning environments conducive to student success in their communities.

Charlie supports expanded access to Pre-School, more school construction, hiring and retaining more qualified teachers with better wages, and providing students at under-performing schools with the tools they need to succeed. Smaller class sizes are crucial. Improve access to vocational training.

Increase access to college by expanding Pell Grants, Hope Scholarships, and increasing the maximum tuition deduction on federal taxes.

Reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools & Community Self Determination Act - this is a huge issue in CD4 and comprises up to half of some county budgets.