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Point Nine Nine Point Nine Nine does not and will not endorse any political candidates. With that in mind we found the opportunity for a back and forth with former Louisiana Governor and current Republican Presidential hopeful Buddy Roemer too much to resist. Gov. Roemer has quickly made a name for himself as a different kind of Republican, unafraid to trample across preconceived lines in the sand in terms of partisan dogma. It has made him a darling of the progressive press and a noticeable absence in the GOP debates. We thank him for taking the time to sit down and share his views.
1. Governor Roemer you spent part of the day before thanksgiving at Occupy D.C. and have long been willing to credit the importance and relevance of the Occupy movement. Why is this and why do you think it is so rare among members of the GOP?
America has a duty to listen to its young people – they’re saying that the few at the top get the best of America, and everybody else gets what’s left over. They’re out there saying a lot of the things that people are thinking, but might not have the courage or the ability to say. Young people have been the source of so much positive change in this country, and this is the start of something much bigger than a lot of people want to give them credit for.
It’s not only the GOP but Democrats that don’t want to listen. Where has Obama been? These kids are standing up to corporate greed and corruption, and those are pretty inconvenient topics when you’re relying on those same corporations to write big checks to your campaign. That’s why I don’t take their money – I have a $100 donation limit, and won’t accept any money from PACs or Super PACs. Big money comes with strings attached, and a president needs to be free to lead, free to stand up to corporations and special interests, and free to listen to groups like the Occupy movement.
2.Thus far you have been excluded from the GOP Presidential debates despite the fact that they’ve allowed pizza magnates and less accomplished politicians who’ve never held executive office at any level. Why do you think this is?
The hosts of the debates seem to like to make up the rules as they go along. First, you had to be a registered candidate. After I registered, I called to let them know I was ready to debate, and was told you had to have at least one percent in a national poll. Then I got to one percent, and was told that you have to have two percent. Then I was told you have to have two percent, and had to have earned $500,000 in campaign contributions in the last quarter. Why do they do it? Who knows. Maybe having someone up on the stage that makes sense doesn’t sell. I don’t know.
3.You’ve talked about the fact that ‘Made in America’ is becoming a thing of the past. A common theory advanced within your party is the notion that excessive corporate regulation has made America unfriendly for business, yet increased deregulation spreads wide the gates for outsourcing etc.. How do you suggest we rebuild the manufacturing base in this country?
We have to have fair trade, not free trade. Keynesian economics doesn’t work when a country doesn’t produce anything. Free trade agreements are killing our manufacturing industries one by one, and we have stood by and let these jobs and factories move to China in the name of saving a couple of bucks. First, we have to institute reasonable economic barriers to unfair competition from abroad, particularly China. This will help protect and rebuild our manufacturing sector. We also need to remove incentives for outsourcing, like the foreign tax credit, and explore other options to ensure that those wishing to profit from our economy and infrastructure are paying their fair share.
4. Organized Labor has played an active role in the Occupy 99% movement and the elections of a few weeks back have seen recalls and repeals that suggest the so-called labor busting conducted by some far-right politicians has resulted in backlash. How do you see these events and how do you view collective bargaining?
You may have figured out by now that I’m not afraid to say what I believe, even though people might not agree with me. I support right to work, because I believe that joining organized labor should be a choice and not a requirement. I believe that unions play an important role in our society, but I also think they need to learn to be a little more flexible in their approaches at times. States, private industries, households and the federal government are all trying to cut costs right now, and they have to work together with organized labor to figure out how to find solutions that help employers keep everyone in jobs and make smart decisions to stay viable. Plus, if my plan to increase domestic manufacturing is implemented, there will be more union members.
5. You’ve set some very clear boundaries in terms of your own campaign and your desire to keep money out of politics. Could you describe them for our readers?
As I mentioned earlier, the harmful influence of money in politics is exactly what is wrong with our political system – if you want to see where the problems are, just follow the money. Corporations and individuals alike use money to buy tax loopholes and special favors. Obama held a fundraiser on Wall Street where tickets were $35,800 apiece, and you can bet that those donations don’t come without strings attached. I refuse all of it. I won’t accept donations over $100. I’m the only candidate that hasn’t held a single fundraiser. No PAC money. No Super PAC money. Free to lead.
6. To be honest, some may have trouble reconciling your positions with the prevailing winds in today’s Republican Party, have you ever considered a third party run and if so what would be the advantages?
My campaign manager whispers it in my ear every day. Look, I am a Republican, and proud to be one, as was Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, but I am a prouder American. Both parties take the big check attend the expensive fundraisers and ignore the average American. The other candidates are asking for thousands of dollars from major donors and PACs – I need one million people to donate $100, and we can do this. We can be free to lead.
7. Would you consider crossing the aisle for a running mate?
We are in a tumultuous period as a nation, and people are looking at Congress and looking at presidential candidates and wondering why they can’t just put aside partisan bickering and make some compromises to get our country back on the right track. Even though I was a Democrat when I was in Congress, I was a part of the “Boll Weevil” Democrats that often crossed the aisle to vote with Reagan and the Republicans. I want to pick a running mate that believes, as I do, that they are an American first and a member of a party second. I wouldn’t eliminate someone just because they don’t have an “R” after their name.
8. As a former investment banker you have inside knowledge of the banking industry. Does the financial industry need more regulation?
It does – no financial institution should ever be too big to fail. Our financial sector brought down our economy with bad investments and illegal activity, and no one went to jail for it. It’s criminal, and yet it’s everyday Americans that paid the price for it. As banks get bigger, capital ratios need to increase, not decrease, as current regulations allow. In addition, we need to reinstate a version of Glass-Steagall, which required separation of commercial and investment banking. And just to be clear, I am a community banker that didn’t take any bailout money and didn’t foreclose on a single homeowner.
9. We here at Point Nine Nine advocate an overhaul of the current tax code. What changes, if any, would you as President, advocate for?
My tax plan would be a progressive flat tax of 17 percent with a $50,000 individual exemption and the elimination of most, but not all, deductions. Under this plan, the exemption means that individuals making $50,000 or less would pay no income tax; the more someone makes over $50,000, the higher their effective tax rate. Individuals making $75,000 would have an effective tax rate of 5.7 percent and those making $100,000 would have an ETR of 8.5 percent, while persons making $500,000 would have an ETR of 15.3 percent, approaching 17% as incomes increase. I would set up a similar corporate tax structure as well.
These numbers work now, but if elected, I’d use the time between the election and inauguration to run the numbers again with a core team to make sure we have a plan in place that works to give government a source of revenue that is simple and fair for all those contributing to it.
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