Each day, $4 trillion dollars of currency are traded. For international businesses and travelers, trading dollars for other currencies serve a legitimate purpose. However, nearly 80% of these transactions are undertaken by a handful of major banks. Experts agree that most of these transactions are made for purely speculative purposes.
Wealthy traders and big financial institutions make huge bets on the fluctuations in currency value and they can make massive profits if their bets are correct. This type of speculation helped to worsen the recent financial crisis and serves no purpose other than making a few people and institutions even richer.
Today, I introduced H.R. 5783, the Investing in Our Future Act. My legislation would simply impose a small tax -- of five thousandths of one percent, or 0.005% -- on these currency transactions. The money raised would be put toward investments in children, global health, and climate change mitigation.
For the average person or business, this small tax will hardly be noticed. But, due to the extreme speculation that takes place, it would raise significant funds. Studies estimate that a worldwide 0.005 percent tax on dollar transactions would raise $28 billion a year and reduce currency speculation by 14 percent.
Here at home, the funds from this fee would be used to improve the quality and affordability of childcare. This funding would provide more childcare options, so that working families can obtain the quality care their children need to begin school ready to learn.
Internationally, the bill would create a U.S. fund to assist developing countries with the impacts of global warming. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December, President Obama pledged to fund our country's commitment to mitigating the effects of climate change. This bill would make that promise real.
Finally, the legislation would create a Global Health Trust Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and other diseases that kill millions of people each year in developing nations. This money will fund treatments and prevention for these diseases, as well as research aimed at eradicating them altogether.
For too long the needs of the financial industry have trumped initiatives that will help lift people out of poverty and give children a healthy start. The Investing in Our Future Act will aid in getting our priorities back in order, and reduce financial speculation by Wall Street.
You can help - please call your Member of Congress and tell them to sign on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 5783. Find your member at http://house.gov
Wall Street continues to make off with huge profits while many throughout the developing world slip further into poverty due to the financial crisis Wall Street caused. This has amplified the hardships impoverished countries are already experiencing because of existing climate and health crises. The micro-tax on the untaxed foreign currency exchange market in Mr. Stark's legislation - a minuscule 0.005% - could raise billions to help people in developing countries deal with these crises. This is money that's sorely needed.
Mr. Stark is right to tax "global bads" to generate money for "global goods." Everyone should ask their member of Congress to cosponsor the Investing in Our Future Act, HR 5783.
Till we do, the economy will crash, again, bigger.
Swaps are fraud.
Bankers used swaps to rob the world of the money it needs to survive.
Prepare for millions of homeless dying in the street.
Prepare for more and larger wars.
Prepare for Conservative heaven.
Conservatism's goal has always been to conserve the monarchy, bankrupt the Republic, and return the citizens to serfdom.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448606/
Serfs live short, fearful, brutish lives. That's what conservatism wants.
p.s. Please don't accuse me of being rich without studying my comments.
Second, "children, global health and climate change mitigation."
I dont want to help global children, global health and AGW is a farce. WE NEEDS JOBS, NOT MORE TAXES AND SPENDING.
Ever wonder why the reference floating interest rate for businesses, corporates and municipals is LIBOR (The London Inter-Bank Offer)? Its because of depression-era laws regulating interest rates.
Do you really want the price of oil being determined by an exchange in Dubai, strategic US corporations issuing dollar denominated bonds in the UK, etc...
Say you are a california public worker and you have a pension at calpers. Assume a 50% turnover rate and 0.5bps tax, this is means that every year you are being assessed a 0.25bps tax on your pension.
This does not sound like a lot but over 30 years they've taken ~8% of your pension. This is not free money, assuming you were going to live off of this for 25 years this is the equivalent to 2 years of your retirement.
(1+0.0025)^30-1 = 7.78%
Its time they pay their fair share.
Rep. Stark knows damn well that this business of controlling how much carbon, greenhouse gasses, methane, etc. will by necssity allowed by the Federal Government because it is a money making scam! Who measures this alleged commodity? I mean, Carbon Gas and the rest would become a commodity whereby industry would buy the necessary amounts allowed from the feds! Balogney!!
The .005% tax on those who trade in currencies(e.g. George Soros) would help pay down our deficit! While creating an atmosphere for a gov't to spend so much money that they don't have, these speculators then buy up as much currencies as their portfolios will allow, the tax would be some consolation, but not if we use these same monies to help bulk up the other areas of a trader's portfolio!
Congressman, Congressman you really must change your perception of us, the voters! Think about it, sir; higher education may have meant having an 8th grade education in 1943, but not now! Face the realities of playing it straight with today's constituent! So very disappointing. McD's Place
Just thought you should know.
Small taxes and small fees spread out and divided among all these 401ks, IRS, savings.....etc..really would be much less painful than other solutions. Someone or something DOES have to be taxed to pay for this massive mess we're in, keep paying the government expenses and pay off this mounting debt our country faces. Seems to me, that the financial industry should pay their fair share, everybody else certainly has to.
Mr. Fat Cat hasn't done very well lately for many of these 401ks, IRA, etc...and if I sound bitter, sorry....I am. We are literally being held hostage by the treat of moving abroad from corporations, the "rich", banks, factories.....when does it end?