Proposal: Social Security and Federal Budget Reform Plan for 2026

 

Proposal: Social Security and Federal Budget Reform Plan for 2026

Fixing Social Security: A Transparent, Worker-Powered Plan

June 29, 2025

Social Security’s Old-Age trust fund faces depletion by 2033, slashing benefits 23-25% (~$16,500/year for retirees), per CBO 2024. Medicare’s Part A follows by 2036. Congress has stalled for 40 years. Our plan makes employees the heart of a fair, transparent system, securing Social Security and Medicare for today and tomorrow.

The Plan in a Nutshell

1. Employee-Paid Taxes, Fully Transparent: Employees pay the full 16% payroll tax (14% Social Security [OASI, DI, SSI], 2% Medicare Part A) on wages up to $250K (up from $168,600). Employers add the former employer share (7.65%) to wages, so workers’ take-home pay stays the same. Pay stubs and W-2s show “SSA/Medicare: $X, your contribution,” making benefits clear as day.

2. Self-Employed Fairness: Self-employed pay the same 16% on net earnings up to $250K (vs. 15.3% today), with equal benefits and no penalty for switching to/from employment. They deduct half (8%) as a business expense.

3. Stabilize Now: 14% SSA and $250K cap push Social Security solvency to 2045; 2% Medicare, plus 10-15% healthcare savings ($100-150B/year by 2035), secures Part A to 2040+.

4. Standalone System: SSA/Medicare operates separately, funded by the 16% tax, not mixed with federal spending.

5. Hybrid Investment Fund (HSIF): Workers can opt to divert 2% of their 14% SSA tax to a personal HSIF account (40% Treasuries, 30% infrastructure bonds, 30% equities, 5.5% returns). PAYGO funds retirees; HSIF grows future benefits, with a safety floor ensuring no loss. Default opt-in (opt-out via SSA app/HR) starts with new workers, expands to all by 2036.

Why It Works

• Solves the Crisis: Covers ~80% of SSA’s shortfall; HSIF’s $1-2T pool (50% opt-in) funds 35-45% of benefits by 2050.

• Transparent & Fair: Employees see their 16% as earned benefits; self-employed get parity.

• Empowering: HSIF choice adds ~$350/month (e.g., $1,000/year grows to $70,000 over 30 years). Gamified SSA app makes saving fun!

• Bipartisan: Market-based HSIF for conservatives, safety net for liberals, jobs via infrastructure.

Take Action Share this to fix Social Security! Tell Congress: make it transparent, make it fair. #SocialSecurityReform #WorkerPower

Word Count: ~330 | Learn more: [SSA.gov placeholder]

 

Curtis Neil 06/29/2025 

 

The True Tips Act: Restoring Tipping as a Rare, Honored Reward

You’re at a California coffee kiosk, craving a $5 brew, but the bill hits $11.80 with a “living wage fee” and an 18% “tip” for grabbing a cup off the counter. Tipping’s gone wild, creeping into fast food, retail, gas stations, and barbershops, where it feels like a mandatory tax, not a thank-you. Businesses dodge fair pricing, and some labor unions push these “tips” to inflate worker earnings, boosting their own dues while customers get squeezed. Let’s fix this mess—make tipping a rare, heartfelt reward that honors workers for exceptional effort, not a coerced handout.

The Problem: Tipping’s Become a Shakedown

Tipping was once a 10% nod for a waiter’s charm or a barber’s skill. Now, it’s an expected 18–25% everywhere, even for zero service. In California, fast-food workers earn $22/hour (AB 1228, 2023), often outpacing professionals, yet tip prompts guilt customers into subsidizing wages already covered. Sneaky fees and digital tip screens at counters, gas stations, and retail stores erode trust. Worse, some unions exploit tips to pad dues, pressuring workers and businesses into mandatory gratuity schemes that leave customers feeling fleeced.

The True Tips Act: A Policy for Fairness

1. Demand Honest Pricing
   Businesses must bake all labor costs into menu prices—no “living wage fees” or hidden charges. A $5 coffee that needs $10 to pay workers fairly? List it as $10. Transparent pricing stops businesses from offloading payroll onto customers and cuts off any union schemes tying dues to inflated tip income.

2. End Tip Prompts in Non-Service Settings
   Ban tip prompts on point-of-sale systems in transactional contexts like fast food, retail, gas stations, or self-serve kiosks. Tipping belongs in hospitality—think servers juggling complex orders or barbers nailing your style—not for handing over a receipt or a coffee cup.

3. Scrap Suggested Tip Percentages
   In service settings (e.g., restaurants, barbershops), point-of-sale systems must offer a custom tip field without preset 18–25% options. A clear, no-pressure “no tip” button empowers customers to tip only when truly impressed, keeping it voluntary.

4. Shield Workers from Coercion
   Prohibit businesses, unions, or any third party from mandating tip pooling, automatic gratuities, or tip-based dues. Workers keep 100% of voluntary tips as a direct reward for their standout effort, ensuring tips are a personal honor, not a collective cash grab.

5. Shift the Culture: Tip When Wowed
   Launch a California campaign: “Tip for Excellence.” Educate customers to tip only for exceptional service—like a waiter’s charm or a mechanic’s extra care. Encourage workers to see tips as a rare, prestigious nod, not a right. Promote businesses that pay fair wages (like $22/hour in fast food) so tips aren’t a necessity.

The Impact

• Workers: Earn solid wages ($22/hour in fast food) and feel genuinely honored by tips for going above and beyond, keeping every cent without union interference.

• Customers: Tip freely when inspired—say, for a server’s hustle or a barber’s artistry—not out of guilt at a gas station or kiosk.

• Businesses: Clear pricing builds trust, and fair wages reduce tip reliance, sidelining union-driven tip schemes.

Call to Action

In California, where food workers earn competitive wages, tipping shouldn’t be a stick-up. Businesses, price it right. Customers, tip when you’re wowed. Workers, take pride in earning that rare, heartfelt tip. Let’s make tipping a genuine high-five again—not a coerced fee that fuels union dues or corporate shortcuts.

Natural Fiber Labeling

Stop the Label Lies: Demand Transparent Natural Fiber Labeling

The Problem: Misleading Labels

Walk into a store, spot a jacket labeled “100% Genuine Tweed” at a suspiciously low price. Tweed’s a weave, not a material—historically wool, but today? Probably polyester. This isn’t just confusing—it’s deceptive:

• Consumers Lose: You think you’re buying quality, but get a synthetic that pills, traps sweat, and falls apart in a few years.

• Farmers Suffer: Wool growers in New Zealand (where prices are ~185 cents/kg clean) or Montana, and cotton farmers in California, can’t compete with synthetics sold as “tweed” for a quarter of the price.

• Health and Environment Pay: Synthetics shed microplastics—34% of ocean pollution—into our food and water, linked to health risks like inflammation. They’re petroleum-based, emitting 10x wool’s CO2. Natural fibers? Biodegradable and breathable.

• No Heirlooms: A polyester jacket won’t be cherished for 50 years like a wool one. Why buy four throwaway pieces when one quality natural fiber garment lasts?

The Solution: Consumer-Driven Transparency

No unified natural fiber group exists yet, but you can change that. Demand Certified Natural Fiber and Country of Origin labeling to:

• End Deception: Labels must list materials (e.g., “100% wool” or “100% polyester”), not vague terms like “tweed.” Origin tags (e.g., “New Zealand wool”) empower you to support farmers globally.

• Guarantee Quality: Certification ensures sustainable, chemical-free fibers, like ZQ Merino’s ethical wool.

• Force Retail Change: Consumer demand makes stores stock certified natural fibers, boosting wool, cotton, linen, hemp, and silk producers.

• Unite Farmers: Your push inspires co-ops—like Montana Wool Growers or California Cotton Ginners—to form a global coalition.

 

Kickstarting the Natural Fiber Movement: A Consumer-Led Revolution

The Challenge: Synthetics Dominate, Labels Deceive
A decade ago, careful shoppers could still find “the real stuff”—100% wool or cotton—in stores. Today, it’s nearly impossible. Most garments are synthetic blends, with labels like “wool” or “cotton” masking 70% polyester or more. Vague terms like “Genuine Tweed” and missing country-of-origin details obscure the truth, leaving consumers misled and natural fiber farmers—wool growers in Montana, cotton farmers in California—struggling to survive. Synthetics, often 70% from China, flood markets, shedding microplastics (34% of ocean pollution) and emitting 10x wool’s CO2. The result? Low-quality, throwaway clothing that harms health, the environment, and local economies.

The Vision: A Global Natural Fiber Alliance
Imagine a certifying body, like organic food standards, for natural fibers. This Natural Fiber Alliance would enforce:

• Clear Material Labeling: Every garment must list exact fiber content (e.g., “100% Montana wool” or “70% polyester, 30% cotton”). No vague terms like “tweed.”

• Country of Origin: Labels must specify where fibers come from (e.g., “New Zealand wool,” “California cotton”).

• High Standards: Certification ensures ethical, sustainable, chemical-free production, like ZQ Merino for wool.

• Import Accountability: Countries reject improperly labeled products at the border, protecting consumers and farmers.

We’re not there yet, but consumer pressure can build the foundation for this alliance and drive policy change.

Consumer-Led Action Plan
Start small, think big. Here’s how you can spark the movement:

1. Expose Deceptive Labels: Check tags in stores. If it says “wool” but is 70% synthetic, call it out. Ask staff for details and share on X with #MakeItNatural and #LabelTheTruth. Example: “This ‘wool’ jacket is 80% polyester! Demand 100% natural fibers.”

2. Demand Transparency: Tell retailers you’ll only buy garments with Certified Natural Fiber and Country of Origin labels. Say, “I’d buy this if it was labeled ‘100% California cotton.’”

3. Shop Strategically: Seek out 100% natural fiber products—Montana wool sweaters, California cotton shirts. Support brands with clear labeling and share them online.

4. Build Awareness: Post your experiences on X: “Can’t find real wool anymore—synthetics everywhere! Join me in demanding #MakeItNatural.” Tag local co-ops like Montana Wool Growers or California Cotton Ginners.

5. Push for Policy: Advocate for stricter labeling laws, like an enhanced U.S. Textile Fiber Products Identification Act. Contact your representatives or post #TariffsForFarmers to support tariffs on synthetic imports, leveling the playing field for natural fibers.

6. Plant the Alliance Seed: Start discussions online about a Natural Fiber Alliance. Share your vision: “We need a global alliance to certify wool, cotton, linen, hemp, and silk—like organic food standards. Who’s in? #MakeItNatural.”

Call to Action
Consumers hold the power to change the game. Reject synthetic blends masquerading as “wool” or “cotton.” Demand Certified Natural Fiber and Country of Origin labels to support farmers in Montana, California, and beyond. Buy one quality wool coat or cotton shirt that lasts, not four throwaways that pollute. Share your story on X with #MakeItNatural, #LabelTheTruth, and #TariffsForFarmers. Together, we’ll expose label lies, revive natural fibers, and lay the foundation for a global Natural Fiber Alliance. Start today—check a label, post, and demand the real stuff!

 

Curtis Neil/Grok 06/22/2025 

 

The Dozenal Revolution: Counting Smarter with Base 12

Numbers shape how we see the world, but what if we’ve been using a clunky tool? Base 12, or the “dozenal” system, isn’t just a math quirk—it’s a smoother, more intuitive way to count, divide, and think. Rooted in our hands, clocks, and everyday life, Base 12 challenges our Base 10 obsession and sparks a revolution, especially for curious kids ready to rethink the rules. Let’s dive into why Base 12 clicks, how it rewires our approach to systems, and what’s next for those eager to explore.

Base 10 Isn’t King

We’re taught Base 10 rules because we have ten fingers—seems obvious. But other systems prove it’s not the only way. Computers thrive on Base 2 (binary), using just 0s and 1s to power your phone. The Babylonians used Base 60, giving us 60 seconds, 60 minutes, and 360 degrees, still alive in our clocks and geometry. These systems work, so why assume Base 10’s the best? It’s just one option—and not even the slickest.

The usual comeback? “Base 10’s natural—count your fingers!” Here’s the twist: you can count to 12 on one hand using finger joints. Ignore the thumb—it’s your pointer. Each finger (index, middle, ring, pinky) has three joints: 4 fingers × 3 joints = 12. Touch your thumb to each joint: 1, 2, 3 (index), 4, 5, 6 (middle), and so on. Reach 12? Fold the thumb for the next dozen or use your other hand for 24. It’s clean, practical, and shuts down the “natural” argument. Base 12’s been hiding in your knuckles all along.

Why Base 12 Wins

Base 12 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12, unlike Base 10’s limited 2, 5, and 10. This makes fractions a breeze. In Base 10, 1/3 is 0.333…, a messy repeating decimal. In Base 12, it’s 0.4—simple and precise. Half is 0.6, a quarter is 0.3. No endless decimals. Our world already leans dozenal: 12 hours on a clock, 12 inches in a foot, 12 eggs in a carton. Base 12 fits how we split and share, making math feel like it belongs.

For kids, this is magic. The joint-counting trick turns math into a game. They tap their fingers, hit 12, and grin like they’ve cracked a code. It’s not about rote tables; it’s about patterns that mirror reality. As I’ve said, “Base 12 isn’t just a system—it’s a lens to see reality more clearly.” Kids don’t just learn math; they choose to play with it, sparking curiosity that lasts.

Rethinking Systems

Base 12’s real power is its mindset: question defaults, build better tools. Base 10’s like a bloated bureaucracy, forcing awkward workarounds (like 0.333…). Base 12’s lean, like a well-crafted app. It’s voluntary—use it or not, but it’s smoother for dividing, trading, or designing. This echoes my approach to systems: education (share ideas, cut fluff), trade (no tariffs, mutual wins), or OpenDRM (light rules, free flow). Base 12 isn’t about forcing change; it’s about offering a smarter choice.

Teach kids this early, and they see systems as tools, not sacred cows. Base 12 shows them how to challenge norms and innovate, whether in math, trade, or life. One hand, 12 joints, infinite possibilities.

Next Steps for Curious Kids

Here’s the next challenge: create your own Base 12 digits. Base 10 has 0–9; Base 12 needs two more—call them “dek” (10) and “el” (11). Sketch symbols for dek and el, then write numbers: 1, 2, …, 9, dek, el, 10 (that’s 12 in Base 10). Try math: 6 + 8 in Base 12 is 12, written as 10. Or measure your desk in “dozenal inches” and divide it into thirds—no decimals needed. Make math a playground.

Want more? Let’s riff next time on Base 12 in trade (pricing by dozens for cleaner splits) or music (12-note scales, anyone?). For now, tap your joints to 12. Feel that click? That’s a better system calling. Keep rethinking.

CAN / Grok June 24^th. 2025

Curtis Neil 

 

Sacred Cows and the $36 Trillion Debt Emergency

America’s drowning in a $36 trillion debt tsunami, swelling by $1–2 trillion every year. It’s 2025, and our $6.9 trillion Federal Budget is a battlefield of sacred cows—defense ($886 billion), Social Security ($1.4 trillion), Medicare ($700 billion), farm subsidies ($30 billion), tax breaks for the rich ($32,000 per top 1% earner). We’re addicted, clinging to our precious cows while pointing fingers at everyone else’s. Defense hawks scream, “Cut welfare!” Progressives shout, “Tax the rich!” Farmers guard their subsidies. Nobody looks in the mirror. Nobody budges. The result? Gridlock. A debt bomb ticking toward collapse. We’re out of time.

Picture a glowing pie chart, each slice a sacred cow pulsing with urgency. Red for defense, blue for Social Security, green for subsidies—they’re all too big, choking the budget. We love to butcher others’ cows but cradle our own like lifeline drugs. This addiction—defending my cow while attacking yours—is killing us. $36 trillion in debt screams: Stop pointing. Start sacrificing.

Here’s the urgent truth: We must each face our own sacred cow. What’s yours? Infrastructure ($110 billion) for better roads? Education ($80 billion) for kids? Defense for safety? Now, ask the brutal question: Can you survive with just 25% of it? If you love infrastructure, could $27.5 billion fix critical bridges, freeing $82.5 billion to shrink debt or feed kids? If we each scale back, we save $200–300 billion a year. That’s a bright green slice in the pie chart, slashing the debt mountain before it buries us.

No more excuses. We’re quick to blame others’ cows—corporations dodge taxes, entitlements balloon, farmers cash in—but slow to admit our own addiction. Altruism is the only way out. Compromise means we all give up something:

• Defense: Slash 10% ($88 billion). Keep troops strong, but save for schools.

• Social Security: Cap growth 5% ($105 billion over 10 years). Protect retirees, but trim for high earners, freeing funds for jobs.

• Farm Subsidies: Cut sugar subsidies by half ($700 million). Support farmers with insurance, but redirect savings to healthcare.

This isn’t about “their” cows—it’s about yours. If 77% of the budget stays untouchable because we refuse to compromise, we’re doomed to $50 trillion in debt by 2035. Every day we delay, interest payments ($1 trillion annually) steal from our kids’ future.

Act now:

1. Face your cow: Name the budget item you can’t let go.

2. Cut it down: Could you live with 25% of it? What’s the bare minimum you need?

3. Speak out: Tell one person your compromise. Call your rep. Post it online.

4. Demand action: Tell Congress to stop finger-pointing and start cutting.

Picture that $36 trillion tsunami shrinking as each of us sacrifices a slice. Like puzzle pieces connecting—roads to schools, security to health—our compromises build a stronger America. The clock’s ticking. Look in the mirror. Let go of your cow. Save our nation today.

Curtis Neil 06/24/2025 Grok

 

DCS,

Department of Citizens Services: Your Government, Fixed Fast

Picture a government that works for you, not against you. The Department of Citizens Services (DCS) is a lean, 10-year federal agency built to slash bureaucratic nonsense and deliver public services. Think of it as your advocate—part Navy ombudsman, part retail floor walker—fighting for you when agencies fail.

How It Works

• Citizen Champion: Got a problem with the IRS, VA, or passport office? DCS investigates complaints, mediates disputes, and ensures resolutions within 30 days—no runaround.

• Bureaucracy Buster: DCS rates agencies yearly on efficiency and citizen satisfaction via public "Citizens First" scorecards. Agencies that dodge reforms by cutting vital services—like closing DMV offices or slashing Medicaid access—face exposure and mandatory fixes.

• Anti-Retaliation Enforcement: When bureaucrats throw tantrums and cut essential services to protect waste (think pulling prized flowers while leaving weeds), DCS can recommend budget freezes or leadership audits to Congress, ensuring pain stays with the weeds, not taxpayers.

• Efficiency Driver: DCS works with initiatives like DOGE to streamline processes—digitizing forms, speeding up VA claims—without harming citizens.

• State Flexibility: States can launch their own DCS to fix local issues, from slow DMVs to clunky Medicaid systems.

• Lean and Temporary: Capped at 1,000 staff and a $500M budget, DCS stays nimble. It sunsets in 10 years unless citizens vote to keep it via referendum.

• Citizen Oversight: An elected Citizen Oversight Board and annual audits keep DCS honest, preventing it from becoming another bloated bureaucracy.

Why It Matters

DCS stops bureaucrats from holding taxpayers hostage. It exposes wasteful agencies, protects essential services, and ensures reforms prioritize you, not their egos. In a decade, it’s either a success story or gone, leaving the government leaner and fairer.

#CitizensFirst

Curtis Neil 06/22/2025 / with the aide of Grok

 

Why Prevailing Wage Laws Must Be Abolished

Prevailing wage laws, often sold as a boon for workers, are a bureaucratic boondoggle that fleece taxpayers, stifle small businesses, and deliver little real benefit to laborers. Far from promoting fairness, these laws inflate costs, distort markets, and prioritize paperwork over progress. They should be outlawed entirely.

First, the term "prevailing wage" is a misnomer. It’s not the standard wage workers earn in a given area, as the word "prevailing" suggests, but often a higher rate set by government fiat. This artificial benchmark doesn’t reflect market realities—it overrides them. By mandating above-market wages, these laws drive up the cost of public projects, siphoning money from taxpayers who could otherwise see their dollars fund more roads, schools, or bridges.

Second, the true cost of prevailing wage laws isn’t just in the wages themselves—it’s in the crushing administrative burden they impose. Compliance can devour as much as half the allocated labor cost in paperwork, record-keeping, and certifications. Businesses must hire staff or consultants to navigate this red tape, ensuring every form is filled and every box checked. This isn’t work that builds infrastructure or improves communities; it’s busywork that enriches bureaucrats and bean-counters. Workers see little of this added cost in their paychecks, as much of it is burned on proving compliance rather than rewarding labor. Taxpayers, meanwhile, foot the bill for this inefficiency, getting less value for every dollar spent.

Government’s sole duty in procurement is to secure goods and services at the best possible price. Anything else is theft from the public purse. Prevailing wage laws violate this principle by inflating costs and rigging the game against efficiency. They’re not about protecting workers—they’re about protecting a system that thrives on complexity and control.

Worst of all, prevailing wage laws disproportionately harm small, local, and family-owned businesses. These firms, often the backbone of communities, lack the resources to employ full-time compliance officers or game the bidding process. Large corporations, with their armies of accountants and lobbyists, revel in this environment. They can absorb the costs, navigate the rules, and even exploit them to outbid smaller competitors. The result is a bidding process that tilts toward higher costs, fewer players, and less innovation—all paid for by the public.

The solution is simple: abolish prevailing wage laws. Let markets determine wages, let businesses focus on building rather than filing, and let taxpayers keep more of their money. This isn’t mean abandoning fairness—it means embracing it by ensuring public funds are spent on actual work, not bureaucratic bloat. Small businesses would thrive, workers would compete on merit, and taxpayers would get the infrastructure they deserve. Prevailing wage laws aren’t just bad policy—they’re a betrayal of the public’s trust. It’s time to end them.

Curtis Neil June 21^st, 2025 with Grok