McCain
Economy and Taxes
· John McCain’s economic plan includes six factors, which include workplace flexibility, relief for families, government reform, supporting small businesses, tax reform and lowering trade barriers.
· His will support programs like flexible scheduling options and telework (a system in which employees work via telecommunication rather than commuting each day to a work place).
· He hopes to reduce the cost of food and oil and strengthen the worth of the dollar.
· He proposes that the government suspend federal taxes on gasoline each summer (from Memorial Day to Labor Day) and to create a “new home” plan to help people involved in the housing crisis.
Education
· McCain’s education plan proposes that parents should be able to choose which school is best for their children.
· He also suggests there be an emphasis on creating education plans around standards and accountability.
· He will dedicate 5% of the Title II Funds to states that hire teachers from the top 25% of their graduating classes. This is to ensure the highest quality teachers.
· He will set aside 500 million dollars for a grant program that provides money to states that expand their online education opportunities and for a scholarship program that helps students pay for online tutors.
Iraq
· John McCain does not believe we should leave Iraq right now. He believes that before we can with draw troops, we must first defeat Al-Qaeda and a trained and capable Iraqi security force must be put in place.
· “When Iraqi forces can safeguard their own country, American troops can return home.” (John McCain’s official Website)
Abortion
· McCain believes that the “abortion question” should be left up to each individual state.
· He supports the idea that organizations (state or otherwise affiliated) should provide critical services to pregnant women in need.
· McCain would like to promote adoption of children whose mothers feel they cannot raise the child themselves.
Gay Marriage
· McCain himself does not support gay marriage; he believes that the act of marriage should remain between a man and woman.
· Despite his personal belief, he thinks that the issue should not be decided by the federal government but rather by each individual state.
Gun Control
· The McCain stance on gun control is that law abiding citizen should be able to bear arms and also that there should be no restrictions on what types of guns people can own.
· He does not support holding gun manufacturers responsible for the actions of people who committed crimes with guns.
· He supports the idea that gun owners have the responsibility to learn how to safely use and store their weapons.
Immigration
· The McCain administration would favor strengthening our borders through both physical and virtual barriers.
· He would also like to provide sufficient number of appropriately trained staff. In order to do this, McCain believes that there needs to be sound policies for the Department of Homeland Security and adequate funding.
· After securing our borders, McCain believes that it is necessary to “secure the nation”. To do this he will implement programs like the electronic employment verification system that will basically ensure that employers can no longer hire illegal immigrants as workers.
· He will also address the problem of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S by creating programs to resolve their status. These programs will also help to identify stolen social security numbers and resolve identity theft cases.
Energy
· McCain proposes that we expand domestic oil and natural gas production by drilling on the outer continental shelf.
· He will also implement a clean car incentive for auto producers to produce zero emission vehicles and also a tax bonus for consumers who purchase these clean cars.
· He also proposes that a $300 million dollar prize be given to the first person/group that develops a battery with the size, capacity, cost and power to power a fully electric or hybrid plug-in vehicle.
· He will commit $2 million a year in order to advance clean coal technology.
· He also has a goal of constructing 45 new nuclear plants by 2030.
Health Care
· People will be able to receive a health care plan “as good as a member of congress” which is about a 12,000 plan.
· Restore control of care to patients
· Eliminate Medicare fraud and abuse by implementing a security-like program
· Reward prevention and awareness programs and increase treatment models to better deal with chronic care
· “No American should be denied access to quality and affordable coverage simply because of a pre-existing condition.”- John McCain
Obama
Economy and Taxes
Obama wants to:
-Cut taxes for 95% of American workers. No one making under $250,000 a year will pay higher taxes than they already do.
-Raise the minimum wage to match inflation.
-Give $50 billion to create job growth and prevent states from cutting programs.
-Establish a “Credit Card Bill of Rights” and create legislation that would monitor mortgages.
Education
Obama wants to:
-Reform No Child Left Behind by “supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.”
-Double funding for the national charter school program.
-Recruit teachers and train them by pairing them up with more experienced teachers in a mentorship program.
Iraq
Obama wants to:
-Initiate a “phased withdrawal” of troops in Iraq that would be completed in the summer of 2010, about 16 months after Obama would take office. As an original critic of the war in Iraq, Obama believes the war needs to end relatively soon.
-Begin talking to Iraq’s neighbors, including Iran and Syria, about what to do for Iraq’s future.
-Keep a “residual force” in Iraq to carry out anti-terrorism missions.
-Shift peacekeeping responsibility to the Iraqi military and police force.
Abortion
Obama wants to:
-keep the decision made in Roe v. Wade, that is, keep abortion legal.
-expand the availability of contraception.
Immigration
Obama wants to:
-Improve infrastructure, staff and technology on our border and points of entry
-Crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants and get rid of other incentives to illegally immigrate
-Promote economic development in Mexico
Energy
Obama wants to:
Put 1 million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015
Make 10% of our electricity come from renewable sources by 2012 and 25% by 2025
Weatherize 1 million homes annually
Develop and implement clean coal technology
