“It took 223 years for America to have a national debt of $8 trillion, and only 25 years to get to $36 trillion.”
-Larry Fink, Blackrock CEO
“The U.S. doesn’t have its fiscal house in order.”
-Ken Griffin, Citadel CEO
Growing national deficits, debt and inflation are pushing the American Dream out of reach for most of us
under 35 years of age. Endless debt and forever renting have become our way of life.
As AI develops and displaces many young workers, especially college graduates,
a new way is needed for us to not be victims of AI, but profit from it.
Annual deficits of over $2 trillion! National debt at $39 trillion and growing. Unfunded social safety net liabilities approach $110 trillion. Our debt to GDP ratio is expected to be up to 146% in just 10 years according to Penn Wharton. This endless borrowing and debt also keeps long term interest rates high-and makes affordability impossible for us.
The social safety net (Social Security, etc...) designed in the 1930’s (the real source of our burgeoning deficits and debt), the current tax structure, and special interest politics that drive overspending simply don't work for the next 250 years.
For many, the wealth gap between rich and poor – even the poor to the middle class – seems impossible to overcome. We may be the first generation to be less wealthy than our parents: Stuck with the bill run up by our predecessors!
And when politicians argue endlessly about cutting Medicare or Medicaid benefits or raising taxes as a long-term fix for our failing entitlement programs, they are having the wrong debate.
Innovation and creativity can provide a better solution for us and our next 250 years. Check out The Solution!
The Problem:
Stuck with the Bill!
A focused, cohesive unit of disciplined individuals with a defined, common set of ideas and a unified voice can be an unstoppable force for positive change and a new direction.
To be successful, every Collective candidate must fully agree to our full set of policy prescriptions, and only these policy prescriptions.
A series of independent campaigns from unknown candidates – even if they have bold new ideas – will be crushed in a head-to-head encounter with entrenched office holders and conventional thinking.
But a set of coordinated candidates speaking with one voice, one set of innovative new ideas, with unorthodox tactics and a central source of fundraising, will have a significant competitive advantage over partisan bickering and outmoded election strategies.
If you agree with our ideas (see Our Ideas / What We Believe below) and join our team, and are selected as a candidate, you will be sponsored and guided by the Collective.
You will never be running against anyone…but for an innovative set of ideas and priorities for our next 250 years.
We will offer positive, non-partisan solutions, and prosperity, wealth creation and deficit and debt reduction for voters who desire those outcomes
.
The Solution:
Run for Office
What potential candidates must bring is a new, fresh and positive voice to bring about real change and national renewal...for our next 250 years.
Next 250 Collective candidates will focus on presenting our specific, constructive, innovative policy prescriptions and never engage in sophomoric partisan rhetoric or petty political squabbles. Our candidates will work to correct the record when politically attacked in a positive, uplifting manner.
Our collective campaign will be optimistic, realistic and straightforward. We also understand that our national debt and deficits are a national security and existential threat to our nation and must be addressed now.
Our policy ideas appeal to Democrats, Republicans and the now fastest growing and largest voter group -- independents.
What matters for this effort is our specific ideas and policy prescriptions. Party affiliation is less critical in a collective effort such as this, especially in our gerrymandered political landscape where politicians argue over trivial or personal issues.
Workshops and discussion groups will equip Collective members and candidates to present our policies and run a planned, coordinated and organized group campaign with a national focus.
The Next250Collective hybrid PAC will raise and administer funds for these campaign efforts. Additionally, our candidates will receive a small stipend for expenses for both primary (if utilized) and general election cycles.
Ad buying, earned and social media will be overseen by our media affiliate. Campaign planning and execution will be handled by our consulting affiliate. Individual candidates will contribute local knowledge and the energy and communication skills to execute a successful campaign or campaigns.
Next 250 Collective candidates will run in the states where they reside (or plan to reside) as either Republicans, Democrats, American Party (if active) or Independents.
You must be at least 25 years of age as of January 20, 2026 (for this mid-term cycle) or as of January 20, 2028 (for the 2028 cycle) to be eligible as a candidate.
What potential candidates must bring is a new, fresh and positive voice to bring about real change and national renewal...for our next 250 years.
.
What We Believe:
Taxes:
We will simplify and flatten our arcane, special interest-driven tax structure.
We will collect more from those who are earning more.
Supercharging economic growth will provide the impetus to collect more federal revenues from those most able to pay.
To accomplish this, we will greatly broaden the tax base and reduce tax rates.
A simple, flatter tax (beginning with income above $50,000 with no exemptions or deductions) will facilitate critical economic growth as well as higher revenue from higher earners.
Note that for those who want to continue deductions for mortgage payments and charitable giving, they may continue with the present system.
Economic growth and greater collections from the wealthy are necessary for debt and deficit reduction.
Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid (Entitlements, the Social Safety net): Charting a course for wealth creation and significant long-term deficit and debt reduction
As our entitlement programs are the main drivers of our national deficits and debt. They must be re-imagined in an innovative manner, one that will work for our future.
Our current political arguments over taxing, cutting and trimming here and there to shore up a failing system are the wrong arguments for our next 250 years.
Our idea set is to change the very nature of entitlements for younger Americans, both their structures and how we fund them. This kind of innovation is critical. They were designed for the last century, they are unsustainable, and will soon be insolvent.
Our policy is this:
Every citizen under the age of 36 and every child born each year will receive a government funded investment account funded with $2,000 for newborns and sliding up to $6,000 for 35 year olds.
Each age group, beginning at age 25, will contribute quarterly, along with their employers, a sum to be invested through age 65.
These quarterly sums will be as little as $400 per quarter for the youngest age group up to a high of $600 per quarter for the 31 through 35 year old age group.
Half that sum is to be collected from the individual and half from that individual's employer. The individual is free to contribute more or less in any given quarter.
These quarterly contributions, supplied half by employee and employer are dramatically lower than current Social Security/ Medicare contributions.
This fund will be handled and invested by premier money managers through the account holder’s age of 65.
Account holders will be able to select a manager or management program that they like. They may also change managers as their investments allow.
Select managers and platforms such as JP Morgan, Apollo, Blackrock, Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab and Robinhood, Morgan Stanley among others.
The proceeds of this fund will be invested in public and private markets for long-term gain. Managers can invest funds in securities such as common stocks, public and private bonds, private equity, precious metals, cryptocurrencies, ETF’s, REITs, etc.
The capital from these accounts will provide a vast new source of investment capital to fuel higher growth, innovation and productivity and tax revenue that will all help to raise living standards and reduce debt.
The account holder, over time, can borrow against the principal for down payment on a home or a car, education tuition, trade school costs, to fund approved, private medical insurance (instead of Medicare or Medicaid) or provide food security (instead of SNAP).
Down payments for homes funded by such loans can be converted to equity if the value of the home makes that worthwhile.
The government will be repaid its initial funding when the account holder reaches their 65th birthday or their death if before then.
As an example: As the inflation-adjusted average stock market total return from the Great Depression to today is about 10% per year (adjusted for inflation).
Starting today with a newborn's account, over time and with minimum contributions, including reinvesting to capture the power of compound interest, that account could be worth about $1.7 million at age 65.
The initial account funding will be returned to the federal government at age 65.
These accounts will be totally federal tax free and, upon reaching age 65, will be open to complete tax free use as the account owner desires for their individual retirement needs.
Account holders may elect to have their money manager continue to manage their investments and make any arrangement regarding income or investment program.
Any remaining balance will remain the sole, tax-free property of the account owner or their heirs or assigns.
This policy idea also substantially narrows the wealth and income gap, provides the ability for generational wealth formation and provides every American with a substantial stake in America and her next 250 years.
Bring Down Debt and Deficits and Lower Interest Rates:
We currently spend over three trillion dollars a year in social safety net spending. While our plan calls for fully funding individual investment accounts (approximately $800 billion), annual ongoing account funding will cost approximately $11 billion annually.
Over time this investment scenario will greatly reduce the $3 trillion we spend annually on our entitlement programs.
Our plan can enable every American to afford an education, competitive private health insurance, a home and a car downpayment. This plan provides financial security, especially for the poor, the working and middle class Americans.
We can close our significant wealth gap by providing the ability for the poor and working people to own this generational wealth.
How Do We Get There from Here?
All Americans up to 35 years of age will be enrolled in our innovative, re-shaped Piggy Bank program.
Americans over 35 yeas of age will continue on the current path of our entitlement programs through their retirement.
It will be necessary to bolster these failing programs for those currently nearing retirement age through several fixes:
First is to means-test Social Security for level of benefits. Individuals earning over $250,000 annually in their retirement will receive reduced benefits.
Second, Social Security taxes will be collected on total net earnings up to $375,000 in annual income.
These two simple steps will assure that our entitlement structure remains sound for older Americans as we transition to our Piggy Bank account system for those under 36 years of age.
The transition to these Piggy Bank accounts will build over time to completely replace the welfare state, reduce deficits and debt.
Further, working families will be able to live with dignity, have their work pay and be able to live the American Dream once again!
How We Do Government:
We will bring three innovative ideas to the political marketplace.
First, our candidates will contractually pledge to limit their time in the House of Representatives to three terms, maximum.
Second, our candidates contractually pledge to not trade individual securities accounts (exempting only broad index ETFs) while in office. Individual stock portfolios must be managed by outside, licensed managers.
Third, the Collective will be the only fundraiser and funder of campaigns that are part of our select group of candidates and office holders. This frees office holders to actually govern, and not be constantly trying to raise money from lobbyists and special interest groups trying to influence policy decisions.
The Collective's contractual guarantees are designed to bring these innovations to the competitive political marketplace so voters will come to demand these from other candidates as well.