An Honest Economy for All
Five bold new laws to put money back in your pocket, make corporations pay their fair share, and build an economy that works for every American—not just the wealthy few.
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
— Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, 1776What If the Government Stopped Taxing You—and Started Taxing the System That Works for You?
Right now, the government takes money out of every paycheck you earn. That’s the income tax. It’s been around since 1913. The tax code is now 74,000 pages long. Most people can’t understand it. But the ultra-wealthy? They hire lawyers and accountants to avoid it.
Meanwhile, big corporations and billionaires use a trick called “Buy, Borrow, Die”—they borrow money against their stocks and property, live off the loans, and never pay tax on the gains. When they die, the tax bill disappears. It’s legal. And it means ordinary workers carry a heavier load than the richest people in the country.
These five acts change all of that. They eliminate the federal income tax entirely. They make corporations and wealthy investors pay their fair share. They put more money in your pocket and let you decide how to spend it. And they do it all while cutting the national debt, funding American innovation, and protecting the things that matter most—your food, your home, your health care, and your children’s future.
This isn’t about left or right. It’s not about Republican or Democrat. It’s about building an economy where cash flows to the people who earn it instead of pooling at the top in the bank accounts of those who already have more than they could ever spend.
“Show Your Work” — That’s this campaign’s promise. No empty slogans. No vague promises. Every single bill is drafted, complete, and ready to read. Below are the five acts that make up the foundation of Capitalism 2.0.
The Five Acts
Click any card to read more. Download the full legal text of every bill.
Preamble Tax Reform & Liberty Restoration Act
Eliminate your income tax. Keep your whole paycheck. Fund the government from cash flow, not your labor.
What Does This Act Do?
This is the big one. This act completely eliminates the federal income tax for every American. No more money taken from your paycheck before you even see it. Instead, the government raises money in three new ways:
Federal Sales Tax (FVAT)
A 20% tax on goods when they’re sold. But essentials like groceries, rent, children’s clothes, medicine, and public transit? Zero tax. Luxury yachts and private jets? 30%.
Corporate Tax Brackets
Small businesses pay 15%. Giant corporations earning over $1 billion pay 30%. Just like income tax brackets—but for companies, not people.
State Assessments
States contribute to the federal government they belong to. This brings back the Founders’ original idea that States are partners in the Union, not freeloaders.
Liberty Dividend
Every American gets a quarterly check that makes sure the bottom 80% of earners pay less under this system than they do today. Fair and square.
Why does this matter? A family making $75,000 a year keeps an extra $9,000. That’s not a handout—it’s your own money. You decide what to do with it. Save it, spend it, invest it. That’s what economic liberty looks like.
Worker Asset Recognition Act
You’re not an expense. You’re the most valuable thing a company has.
What Does This Act Do?
Right now, when a big company looks at its financial books, it counts its buildings, its patents, and its equipment as assets—valuable things. But the workers? The people who actually do the work, create the products, serve the customers? They’re listed as expenses—costs to be cut.
This act says: that’s wrong. Workers are assets. Their education, their skills, their experience, their dedication—all of that has real, measurable value. And they deserve a share of the profits they help create.
Workers on the Balance Sheet
Big companies must list their workers as “Human Capital Assets.” Your skills, training, and experience have real dollar value.
Worker Capital Dividends
When a company makes a profit, workers get a fair share based on how much of the company’s value comes from its people.
Character Counts
Reliability, integrity, and dedication earn a higher multiplier. Hard work and good character are rewarded—not just seniority.
The bottom line: An estimated $2.3–2.6 trillion in new revenue over 10 years. 70% goes to paying down the national debt. 30% goes to making community college free and slashing university costs by 75%.
Thomas Paine Debt Reduction & American Innovation Act
Named for the patriot who gave everything. Because those who have the most owe the most.
What Does This Act Do?
In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense—the bestselling pamphlet in American history. It convinced a nation to fight for freedom. He donated every penny of his profits to buy mittens and supplies for George Washington’s freezing soldiers. He died forgotten and in poverty. His sacrifice is the moral foundation of this act.
Today, about 10,000 American households have more than $200 million each. Many of them use the “Buy, Borrow, Die” loophole to avoid paying taxes. This act closes that loophole and asks the ultra-wealthy to contribute their fair share.
Fair Contribution
20% minimum tax on expanded income plus a 10% tax on loans taken against unrealized assets. The Buy-Borrow-Die loophole ends.
The 40-30-30 Rule
40% pays down the $35 trillion national debt. 30% funds innovation (fusion energy, advanced batteries). 30% builds infrastructure that lasts 50+ years.
Civic Honor Medals
Wealthy Americans who voluntarily give more earn medals—from Bronze (“Steward”) to Star Sapphire (“The Paine Standard”). Giving back is patriotism.
What this is NOT: It’s not wealth redistribution. It’s not universal basic income. No money goes to individual cash payments. Every dollar goes to debt, innovation, or infrastructure. This affects only the top 0.01% of Americans.
Public Benefit Corporation Restoration Act
Corporations were created to serve the public. It’s time they remembered that.
What Does This Act Do?
Here’s something most people don’t know: for the first hundred years after the Revolution, corporations were only allowed to exist if they served a public purpose. Build a road. Dig a canal. Construct a bridge. If a corporation abused its charter, the government could dissolve it—not fine it, dissolve it.
That changed in the late 1800s. Today, the biggest corporations say their only job is to make money for shareholders. Workers, customers, communities, and the environment? Secondary at best.
This act brings back the original American idea: if you want the privilege of being a corporation, you have a responsibility to the public.
Public Benefit Reports
Giant companies (over $50 billion) must report on how they help customers, workers, communities, and the environment—not just shareholders.
Happiness Matters
Research shows that past a certain point, more money doesn’t make people happier. This act measures what actually improves lives.
Good Companies Pay Less
Companies that truly serve the public get a waiver on the 0.05% Public Benefit Assessment. Do good, save money. It’s that simple.
Strategic Trade, Diplomacy & International Peace Act
Trade deals, not wars. Partnerships, not punishment. America leads by example.
What Does This Act Do?
Since 2001, America has spent $8 trillion on military operations overseas. That money came from your taxes. And what did it buy? Not one stable, lasting democracy in the regions where we fought.
This act says: there’s a better way. Instead of spending trillions on wars, we invest in trade partnerships with countries that share our values—fair labor, clean environment, human rights, and rule of law. We help their workers learn skills through a Global Skills Initiative. We build economic ties that create jobs on both sides. And we use the money we save—the “peace dividend”—right here at home.
Trade Partnerships
Special deals with countries that meet high standards for labor rights, environmental protection, and human rights. Good partners get better terms.
Peace Dividend
When trade replaces military force, the savings come home. Less spending on war means more for American communities.
Protect Our Own
Food security, water resources, and Indigenous rights are protected in every trade deal. Rural communities and family farms come first.
Why Thomas Paine?
In 1776, a poor English immigrant wrote a 47-page pamphlet called Common Sense. It became the bestselling American work of its time. It convinced a nation to fight for independence.
Thomas Paine donated every penny of his profits to buy supplies for George Washington’s freezing soldiers as they fought the most powerful army on Earth. He gave up his copyright so that every printer in America could spread the ideas of liberty. He took $500 from his own tiny salary to support the troops.
Thomas Jefferson was the great communicator. John Adams was the great philosopher. James Madison was the great architect. But Thomas Paine was the soul of American democracy—the man who spoke to ordinary people and made them believe they could govern themselves.
He died on June 8, 1809—impoverished, nearly friendless, forgotten. Six people attended his funeral. Six.
The Civic Honor Medals in these acts bear his name for a reason. They honor Americans who give back to their country—because that is what Thomas Paine did, with everything he had. His sacrifice should never be forgotten.
“The cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind.”
— Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776
Read the Full Essay: Capitalism 2.0
Want the complete analysis? Capitalism 2.0: From Wealth Hoarding to Economic Liberty explains how all five acts work together to transform the American economy—with full sources, counterarguments, and a vision for the future.
Download Capitalism 2.0 Essay