Opinion: The need for a Centrist political party, part 2

Last week, we covered the first eleven desirable characteristics of a third political party for the United States. This week, we’ll conclude the platform that I think most Americans would like to see in a viable third party.

• The party would be concerned with wasteful spending and the increasing debt that the U.S. is amassing. For years, the U.S. dollar has been the global standard by which other currencies are measured. However, there is no assurance that the U.S. dollar will always retain the high status that it presently enjoys. The status of any currency is significantly dependent on how a country handles its debt. Countries such as Chile, Argentina and now Iran and Venezuela are examples where currencies have plummeted in value. The U.S. needs to be much more concerned with its spending and debt.

• It would favor a more equitable tax structure with everyone, including billionaires and corporations, paying their fair share. A progressive tax policy would work better than the current system. In such a system, a person’s or a corporation’s annual tax would be based on a sliding scale, with individuals and corporations making larger incomes paying a higher proportionate in taxes than individuals and companies making lesser amounts. If politicians are unable to agree on a progressive tax policy, a flat tax could be implemented where every person and corporation would pay an agreed-upon tax, for example: 20 percent.