My American Benefits Plan -

The best place to look for future grants, loans, free services, opportunities and other programs that can help in your effort to achieve success in America is in the promises offered by elected officials that run for office. America may be facing what is likely to be our biggest turning point in recent history and both candidates are attempting to show they are best suited to handle this challenge thru their proposed policies and programs.

Below is a comparative listing culled from the both candidate’s proposed new programs. The first group is a one line description of each new benefit program. And the second grouping is a more detailed description of each..

Which one is better.. Read them over and YOU DECIDE…

MILITARY
	Increase Missile Defense
	Increase the Size of the Military
	Modernize The Military
	The Best Military
	The Best Intelligence
	Keep America Free

MILITARY
	Increase Defense Spending On Special Operations, Civil Affairs, Information Operations, Foreign Language Training, Cultural Awareness, and Human Intelligence Rebuild the Military for 21st Century Tasks
	Increase Size of the Army by 65,000 and the Marines by 27,000
	Establish A Military Families Advisory Board To Alert Policy Makers of Family Concerns
	Increase Spending in Airpower Capabilities
	Increase Spending On Naval Forces
	Increase Spending On National Guard
	Build A Civilian Assistance Corps of 25,000 Volunteers
	Increase Humanitarian Activities At The Regional and Local Level (he recently announced $2 billion for refugee aid in Iraq)

ECONOMY
	Discount Gas For The Summer
	Lower Payments For People With Mortgage Troubles
	Mortgage Abuse Task Force at Dept of Justice
	More Discounted Student Money From Federal and State Lenders
	Eliminate Alternative Minimum Tax ($60 Billion/Yr)
	Raise Personal Exemption from $3,500 to $7,000
	Lower Tax Rates For Entrepreneurs
	Raise Minimum for Estate Taxes to $10 million and Cut Estate Tax Rate to 15%
	Allow Business to Immediately Deduct Cost of Equipment Instead of Over Life of Equipment
	Increase Savings By Lowering Taxes on Dividends and Capital Gains
	Cut Corporate Tax Rate from 35% to 25%
	Permanent Ban on Internet Email Taxes
	Permanent Ban in Text Message Taxes
	Tax Credit of 10% of Wages Spent On R&D
	Better Job Training
	Extra Money When Out of Work and a Job Bonus For Getting a New Job
	Money To Train For a New Job & Keep Your Health Insurance
	Stop Filling Strategic Reserve
	End Ethanol Subsidies, Tariff Barriers and Sugar Quotas
	One Year Pause On Discretionary Spending
	Reform Social Security
	Reduce Medicare Spending
	Stop Subscription Drug Subsidies to Affluent Individuals
	No More Earmarks
	McCain Will Balance The Budget
	Eliminate Programs That Do Not Perform
	Compete Abroad
	Help Displaced Workers
	Keep A Check on CEOs
	Call For National Commission
	Policies Would Support Reasonable Growth
	Protect Creative Industries
	More Resources for the Patent Office
	Protect Intellectual Property
	Help Resolve Patent Challenges
	High Speed Internet for All
	Encourage Innovation

ECONOMY
	Provide an Additional Tax Rebates To American Workers ($20 Billion)
	Increased Mortgage Counseling And Refinancing Help ($10 Billion)
	Money To State and Local Governments Hardest Hit By Foreclosures To Assistance In Declining Property Values
	Temporary Extension of Unemployment Insurance For Those Who Have Exhausted Benefits
	$1,000 Tax Credit For 150 Million Working Families
	Eliminate Income Taxes For Seniors Making Less Than $50,0000
	Simplified Tax Form Will Save $2 Billion In Tax Preparer Fees
	Increase Money And Training to Workers Hurt By Imports
	Grants To Businesses With New Ideas To Increase Jobs
	Double Funding For Free Consulting For Businesses To Improve Their Manufacturing.
	$150 Billion in 10 Years To Create 5 Million New Jobs In Green Technologies
	Job Training In Green Technology For Disadvantaged Youths and Others
	Require 25% Of Electricity To Be From Renewable Sources By 2025
	Extend The Production Tax Credit For Renewable Energy Used By Farmers and Investors
	A National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank ($60 Billion/ 10 Years)
	Double Funding In Basic Science Research
	Money To Train For a New Job & Keep Your Health Insurance
	Make R & D Tax Credit Permanent
	Tax Incentives and Loans To Provide Every Community With Broadband
	Eliminate Capital Gain Taxes On Start Up and Small Businesses
	Increase The Number of Business Incubators for Entrepreneurs In Disadvantaged Communities ($250 million/yr)
	Guarantee The Right To Unionize, and Strike
	Increase Minimum Wage to $9.50 By 2011 and Index It To Inflation
	New Incentives For Lenders To Buy or Refinance Existing Mortgages and Convert Them Into 30-Year Fixed Mortgages
	10% Universal Mortgage Credit (avg $500) For Homeowners Who Do Not Itemize Tax Deductions
	Increase Funding To State and Federal Enforcement Agencies To Stop Mortgage Fraud
	Create A Simple Standardized Measuring Tool To Make It Easy To Compare Home Mortgages (Homeowner Obligation Made Explicit)
	A Fund To Help Innocent Homeowners Avoid Foreclosures
	Eliminate The Provision That Prevents Bankruptcy Courts From Modifying an Individuals Mortgage Payments Which Protects The Sub-Prime Mortgage Industry
	Create A 5-Star Credit Card Rating System So Consumers Can Easily Understand Major Provisions of a Credit Card Offer
	Establish A Credit Card Bill Of Rights: Ban Unilateral Changers, Apply Interest Rate Changes Only To Future Debt, Prohibit Interest on Fees, Prohibit �Universal Defaults�, Require Prompt & Fair Crediting of Cardholder Payments
	Cap Interest Rates On Payday Loans To 36%
	Encourage Banks And Credit Unions To Make Small Consumer Loans To Drive Unscrupulous Lenders Out Of Business
	Create An Exemption In Bankruptcy Law For Those Who Prove They Filed Because Of Medical Expenses
	To Expand Family And Medical Leave Act To Cover Businesses With 25 or More Employees (now 50) and to cover Elder Care Needs, 24 Hours A Year To Participate In Children�s Academic Activities, and To Address Domestic Violence
	Double Federal Funding For High-Quality After School Programs
	Make Child & Dependent Care Tax Credit Refundable and Allow Low-Income Families To Receive 50% Credit For Child Care Expenses
	Make Federal Government Model For Flexible Work Schedules

EDUCATION
	Money To Attend Private Schools
	Build on NCLB
	High Quality Teachers
	Alternative Certification Methods
	Bonus for Teachers Who Move To Underperforming Schools
	Funding For Professional Development
	Empower Principals
	Expand D.C. Opportunity Scholarship
	High Quality Tutoring
	Expand Virtual Learning
	$250 Million For States To Do Online Education
	$250 Million For Online Courses
	Educate Workforce for Innovation Age

EDUCATION
	Early Learning Challenge Grants To Support Children From Zero to Five
	Quadruple Early Head Start
	Provide Affordable High Quality Child Care
	Increase Funding and Accountability for No Child left Behind
	Make Math and Science Education A Priority
	Provide Extra Funding To School Districts With High Drop Out Rates
	Expand After School Programs
	Expand Summer Learning Programs For Disadvantaged Students
	4-Year Undergraduate and 2-Year Graduate Scholarships For Those Who Teach In A High Need Field or Location
	Teacher Residency Programs That Will Provide 30,000 Well-Prepared Recruits To High Need Schools
	Funds to Pair Experienced Teachers With New Recruits and Paid Common Planning To Share Best Practices
	Increase Teachers Pay For Those Working In Underserved Areas or Consistently Excel in the Classroom
	Eliminating The Financial Aid Application By Allowing Families To Apply By Checking a Box On Their Tax Form
	$4,000 Tax Credit for College Education
	Grants To Community Colleges for New Degrees And To Increase Transfer Students to 4-Year Schools
	Support and Reinvest in Arts Education

ENERGY
	Lower Energy Costs
	Green Government Purchasing
	$5,000 Tax Credit For Buying a Zero Carbon Emissions Car
	$300 Million Prize To Invent New Car Battery
	Grants For Clear Coal Ideas ($2 Billion/yr)
	Cash For Inventing, Improving a Way To Reduce Emissions
	Today, Isolationist Tariffs And Wasteful Special Interest Subsidies Are Not Moving Us Toward An Energy Solution.
	Use Our Oil Reserves
	Drill In The Outer Continental Shelf
	Flex Fuel Vehicles
	Support Alcohol Based Fuel
	Enforce CAF� Standards
	Encourage Alternative Energy Development
	Improve Electricity Grid
	Deal With Oil Speculation
	No Windfall Profits Tax
	Develop New Technologies
	Financing For Green Technologies
	Speed Up Development
	Use Emission Permits To Deal With Economic Growth
	International Action For Global Climate Change
	Make A Climate Change Plan
	Save The Wetlands
	Save Open Space
	Continue Space Exploration

ENERGY
	Reduce Carbon Emission 80% by 2050
	Incentives To Reward Forest Owners, Farmers and Ranchers to Plant Trees, Restore Grasslands and capture Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere
	Invest $150 Billion over 10 Years In Clean Energy
	Double Energy Research and Development Spending
	Job Training For Clean Technology Jobs and a Green Jobs Corps For Disadvantaged Youth
	Free Consulting To Help US Industries Produce Green Products
	$10 Billion Per Year In Venture Capital For Clean Technologies
	25% of Renewable Electricity by 2025
	Increase Money Spent Developing Clean Coal Technology
	Tax Incentives, Grants and Government Contracts To Develop Cellulosic Ethanol (Biofuels)
	Incentives To Expand Locally-Owned Biofuel Refinerie
	10% Reduction in the Amount of Carbon Fuels Emits by 2020
	36 Billion Gallons of Renewable Fuels by 2022 and 60 Billion Gallons of Advanced Biofuels by 2030
	Double Fuel Economy Standards Within 18 Years Using Tax Credits and Loan Guarantees
	All New Buildings Carbon Natural or Zero Emissions, 50% More Energy Efficient by 2030, and Set National Building Efficiency Goals
	Grants To States and Localities Who Take First Steps To Implement New Building Codes
	Investments In Utility Grid To Accommodate Modern Energy Requirements

ETHICS
	Stop the Revolving Door and Restore Ethics
	Reform Campaign Contributions
	Nominate Impartial Judges

ETHICS
	Centralized Internet Database of Lobbying Reports, Ethics Records and Campaign Finance Filings
	Create An Independent Watchdog Agency To Oversee The Investigation of Congressional Ethics Violations
	On-Line Database Showing How Much Government Contractors Spend on Lobbying, What Contracts They Get, and How Well They Complete Them
	On-Line Database Of Specialized Corporate Tax Breaks or Tax Earmarks
	End No-Bid Contacts On All Over $25,000
	End Bills Rushed Thru Congress By Making All Bills Available On White House Web Site for 5 Days Before Signing Into Law
	All Congressional Spending Earmarks Must Show Legislators Name and Justification Before Approved By Complete Senate
	Periodic National Broadband Townhall Meetings For Cabinet Officials to Discuss Issues Before Their Agencies
	Executive Departments and Agencies Will Hold Their Debates In Public or For View On The Web
	No Political Appointees Will Be Permitted To Work on Regulations or Contracts Directly and Substantially Related to their Employer For 2 Years and Can Not Lobby The Executive Branch For The Remainder of the Administration
	New Government Hires Must Sign A Form Affirming That No Political Appointee Offered Them A Job Solely on the Basis of Political Affiliation or Contribution

FAMILY
	Tax Deduction For Adoption Expenses
	Secure Our Borders
	Penalize Those Who Hire Illegal Immigrants
	Reform Employment For Documented Workers
	Document Illegal Immigrants
	Deal With Those Waiting To Legally Enter The Country
	Overturn Roe V. Wade
	Protect The Sanctity of Marriage
	Address Stem Cell Research By Banning The Use of Embryos Used For Research Purposes
	Deal With Internet Pornography By Requiring Schools and Libraries Who Get Federal Aid To Restrict Access To Explicit Material
	Protect Children From Online Predators
	Protect Our Security and Privacy Online

FAMILY
	Expand Earned Income Tax Credit For Minimum Wage Workers and For Workers Paying Child Support
	The Size Of Companies Who Have To Offer 12 Weeks of Unpaid Leave To Care For Family Member Will Decrease From 50 Employees To 25 Employees
	$1.5 Billion To Encourage States To Offer Paid Leave For Employees Taking Care of Loved Ones ($1.5 Billion)
	Expand Working Arrangements for Flexible Work Opportunities
	Responsible Fatherhood and Health Families Act To Remove Penalties For Married Families and Crack Down On Men Avoiding Child Support
	Assist 570,000 First Time Mothers A Year With Trained Nurses To Visit Low-Income Expectant Mothers
	Automatic Workplace Pensions Like Be Direct Deposit IRA Accounts, Employees Can Transfer and Can Opt Out
	50% Tax Credit of the First $1,000 of Savings For Families Under $75,000
	Reverse Bush Tax Cuts
	Support Foster Care System and Implement Long Term Options for Foster Children

HEALTH CARE
	$5,000 Tax Credit For Families To Purchase Health Care
	Work With States To Make Sure Everyone Can Purchase Health Care
	Fund Health Guaranteed Access Plan
	Make Insurance Portable
	Expand Health Savings Accounts
	Lower Drug Costs
	Deal With Chronic Diseases BY Emphasizing Prevention, Early Intervention, Health Habits, etc.
	Coordinate Care
	Increase Access To Walk In Clinics
	Allow Doctors To Practice Across State Lines
	Reform The Payment System For Medicaid and Medicare
	Promote Stop Smoking Programs
	Allow State Flexibility In Providing Services
	Tort Reform That Eliminates Liability For Doctors Who Follow Clinical Guidelines
	Provide More Access To Information On Treatment Outcomes
	Improve Long Term Care Needs For More Seniors To Remain At Home

HEALTH CARE
	Affordable, Portable, Guaranteed Eligibility Health Care for All Including Self-Employed with Financial Assistance To Those Who Cannot Afford A Plan Similar To That Now Received By Members of Congress
	Help People Choose Health Care Options
	Employers Required To Contribute To Employee Health Care Or Contribute To National Plan
	50% Tax Credit Rebate On Employee Premiums Paid by Small Businesses Who Support for Small Businesses
	Mandatory Health Coverage For All Children and Coverage for Children Up To Age 25 On Parent's Plans.
	Reimbursement of Certain Catastrophic Health Care Costs For Employers
	Require Hospitals To Publish Info About Their Costs, Quality and Errors
	Reduce Health Care Costs By Forcing Insurance Companies To Only A Certain Amount Profits and Administration and Allow Americans To Buy Cheaper Drugs Overseas and Repeal Ban That Prevents Government From Negotiating With Drug Companies
	Make Mental Health Coverage Comparable To Other Health Coverage
	Require Child Care Facilities To Be Lead-Safe Within 5-Years
	Provide Health Care to Artists

RURAL
	Subsidize Only Small Farms
	Foreign Markets for Farmers
	Reduce Trade Barriers
	Risk Management for Farmers
	Grow Better Crops

RURAL
	$250,000 Payment Limitation To Insure The Family Farms Are Helped and Not AgriBusiness
	Protect Independent Farmers Thru Stronger Anti-Monopoly Laws
	Establish Country of Origin Labeling So American Producers Can Distinguish Their Products From Imports
	Help Organic Farmers Afford To Certify Crops and Reform Crop Insurance To Not Penalize Organic Farmers
	New Program To Train Young Farmers and Tax Incentives For Affording First Farm
	Increase Incentives For Wetlands, Grasslands, Forest Protection
	Small Business Funding For Cooperative Marketing, Farmer-Owned Processing Plants, and Micro-Enterprises
	Modernize FCC To Promote Affordable Broadband To Rural America
	Ensure Rural Areas Keep up on Renewable Energy Developments
	Make Sure Rural Health Care Providers Do Not Get Paid Less For Performing The Same Procedures As In Urban Areas
	Money To Encourage Teachers To Work In Rural Communities
	Invest In Rural Infrastructure, Roads, Bridges, Etc.

SENIORS
	Extra $10,000 For Seniors 55+ To Train For a New Job
	Reduce Medicare Premiums By Reducing Health Care Costs
	See also Health section.

SENIORS
	Increase The Maximum Amount Covered By Social Security (currently $102,000)
	Reform Corporate Bankruptcy Laws So Corporations Cannot Issue Executive Bonuses While Cutting Worker Pensions
	Eliminate Income Taxes for Lower Income Seniors
	Require Full Disclosure of Company Pension Investments
	Lower Drugs Costs By Closing The �Doughnut Hole� In the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program
	Lower Drugs Cost By Providing Transparency to Medicare Drug Plans
	Strengthen Seniors Choices about Their Long-Term Care
	Increase Funding For Low-Income Home Energy Assistance

VETERANS AFFAIRS
	Increase Benefits For Reservists and Guardsmen
	Increase Veterans Health Care Benefits
	Funding Veterans' Health Care
	Expanding Veterans' Access to Health Care
	Serving the Special Health Care Needs of Veterans
	Health Care for Retired Veterans
	Providing Veterans with the Benefits They Have Earned
	Caring for Our Disabled Veterans
	A Leading Advocate for Gulf War Veterans
	Easing the Transition to Civilian Life
	Protecting Veterans from Financial Loss
	Protecting for the Families of Our Fallen Heroes

VETERANS AFFAIRS
	Reverse the 2003 Ban On Enrolling Modest-Income Veterans To Receive VA Care
	Combat Homelessness among Our Nation's Veterans
	Crack Down On Employers Who Commit Job Discrimination Against Guardsmen and Reservists
	Demand That The VA and Military Provide Seamless Transition from Active Duty To Civilian Life
	Hire Additional Claims Workers, and Improve Training and Accountability so that VA Benefits Decisions Are Rated Fairly and Consistently
	Provide Full Funding for the VA
	Expand and Strengthen Vet Centers To Provide More Counseling for Vet and Their Families
	Increase Spending On Special Care For Wounded Service Members

CIVIL RIGHTS
	Improve First Responder Communication
	Protect Right To Bear Arms
	Law Enforcement Funds Based on Need and Merit
	Help For Prisoners

CIVIL RIGHTS
	Penalties for those engaged in voter fraud
	Protect Right To Bear Arms
	End Racial Profiling
	Job Training, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counseling To Ex-Offenders
	Eliminate Sentencing Disparities In Crack and Powder Based Cocaine
	Drug Rehabilitation for First-Time Non-Violent Offenders
	Protect Gun Rights
	Conserve and Protect Private Land and Private Landowners

DISABILITIES
	Equal Opportunity

DISABILITIES
	Full Funding Of Americans With Disabilities Act
	Expand Early Head Start For Children With Disabilities ($10 Billion)
	Screen All Children For 29 Potential Disorders
	Increase Enforcement Funding For Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Dept of Labor�s Office of Federal Contract Compliance
	A Law To Prohibit Discrimination by Employers and Health Insurers On the Basis of Genetic Information
	Guaranteed Health Coverage For People With Disabilities
	Increase Mental Health Coverage for Private Health Insurance and For Veterans
	Hire An Additional 100,000 Federal Employees With Disabilities
	Programs To Help Employers Hire People With Disabilities
	Help Employers Take Advantage of Tax Benefits For Hiring People With Disabilities
	Business Owned By People With Disabilities Will Be Given Preferences In Government Contacts
	Employer Mandate of 7 Paid Six Day Per Year (Only 50% of Private Sector Now Offers Paid Sick Leave)
	Protection For Caregivers Against Workforce Discrimination Thru the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
	Increase The Number of Community Care Opportunities For People With Disabilities and Extend Minimum Wage and Overtime Protection to Direct Care Attendants
	A $30/mo National Insurance Program For Seniors To Pay For Modifications and Services To Remain In Their Home
	All State Provide At Least One Voting Machine Accessible To Those With Disabilities (Now Over 1/3rd Of States Do Not)
	Amend Medicare Rule So People With Disabilities Can Leave Their Home And Not Lose Benefits
	A Law That Fosters Using Monitoring and Communications Technology To Overcome Barriers For People With Disabilities
	$1 Billion for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research and $350 Million for Treatment and Care

FOREIGN POLICY
	Nothing specific listed on website. See Military section.

FOREIGN POLICY
	Cut Global Poverty In Half by 2015 and Double Foreign Assistance To $50 Billion

POVERTY
	See Economy section.

POVERTY
	$1 Billion For 5 Years To Train For Transitional Jobs and Career Programs
	Help Get People To Work
	Create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund for Mixed-Income Neighborhoods
	Fully Fund the Community Development Block Grant
	Establish 20 Full Service Neighborhoods In High Poverty Areas
	Increase Funding In Community Development Institution Fund, Small Business Administration and Other Agencies To Help Economic Development In Low Income Areas
	More Funding For Small Business and Internet Access In Rural Areas

SERVICE
	Nothing specific listed on website. See economy section.

SERVICE
	Expand Americorps from 75,000 to 250,000 to Include Classroom Corps, Health Corps, and Clean Energy Corps
	Expand Volunteer Opportunities For People 55+
	Double The Size Of Peace Corps To 16,000 by 2001
	Establish Best Face America To Send Fluent Speakers In Local Languages
	Require 50 Hours Community Service For All Middle and High School Students
	Increase Youth Build For 50,000 Low-Income Youth a Year To Learn Construction Skills and Complete High School
	American Opportunity Tax Credit of $4,000 for 100 Hours of Public Service
	25% of College Work Study Jobs Be Used For Public Service Opportunities Instead of Jobs in Dining Hall and Libraries
	Social Investment Network To Use Federal Seed Money For Local Innovation In Non-Profit Activities
	New Agency Within Corp for National and Community Service To Improve The Effectiveness Of Non-Profits

URBAN POLICY
	Nothing specific listed on website. See Economy or Civil Rights section.

URBAN POLICY
	Create A White House Office of Urban Policy To Ensure That Federal Urban Dollars Are Effectively Spent On Highest-Impact Programs
	Double Funding For Basic Research, Expand Broadband Technology and Made R&D Tax Credit Permanent
	Lower People's Interest Payments by Creating a New Mortgage Interest Tax Credit
	$10 Billion In Mortgage Revenue Bond Authority To Refinance Sub-Prime Loans and Mortgages For First Time Home Buyers
	Create An Affordable Housing Trust Fund With Small Percentage of Profits Form Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to Develop Housing In Mix-Income Neighborhoods
	Require Polluters To Pay For The Cleanup Of Contaminated Superfund Sites
	Healthy Places Act Will Help Local Government Access Health Impact Of New Projects Like Highways and Shopping Centers
	Competitive Grants To Middle Schools That Will Reduce The High School Drop Out Rate
	Programs To Encourage Young People To Enter Law Enforcement Profession
	Programs To End Cycle Of Youth Violence Like �Cease Fire� in Chicago, Double Funding In Afterschool Programs, and Invest in 20 Promise Neighborhoods To Provide Meaningful Opportunities for Youth
	Address Gun Violence In Cities Repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment Giving Local Law Enforcement Access To Gun Trace Information, Closing Gun Show Loophole and Making Guns Childproof
	He Cosponsored Legislation To Ban Racial Profiling.
	Allocate Homeland Security Funds Based On Risk and Not General Revenue Sharing
	Insure that All Localities Have An Integrated Emergency Response Plan To Handle An Disasters Like Hurricane Katrina

WOMEN
	Nothing specific listed on website. See Family or Economy section.

WOMEN
	Co-Sponsor of Stem Cell Research Act of 2007 Which Would Allow Research of Human Embryonic Stem Cells Derived From Embryos Donated Form In Vitro Fertilization Clinics
	Introduced The Prevention First Act To Increase Funding For Family Planning and Comprehensive Sex Education That Teaches Both Abstinence and Safe Sax methods
	Increase Child Support Collection By $4.9 Billion Over 10 Years
	Grants To 20 School Districts Across The Country To Develop Innovative Plans In Consultation with Their Teacher Unions
	Create Incentives to Use Public Transportation
	Support Stronger Rail and Transit Security Programs
	Strengthen Core Transit Infrastructure
	Create New Jobs through Rebuilding National Transportation Infrastructure
	Improve and Modernize Air Traffic Control
	Strengthen Airline Safety and Regulations
	Support Funding for Amtrak
	Support Development of High-Speed Freight and Passenger Rail Nationwide
	Provide Air Transportation in Rural Areas
	Increase Efforts of Homeland Security Through Better Airport Security