A Libertarian Pandemic Solution

This is for everyone that claims that libertarians complain but never offer solutions. By now we’ve all seen the egregious corporate welfare, cronyism, and government usurpation of power in the various COVID legislation passed in the USA. Rep Thomas Massie was the most vocal opposition, sticking with his principles as an advocate for free markets and limited government. For his trouble he has been excoriated in the media, and has even received death threats. Other dissenters have been similarly treated.

The common narrative is that libertarian philosophy has been dealt a fatal blow by this panic-demic; somehow it has been proved that the free-market is ineffectual. Naturally, the Democrats are driving as hard as they can to implement their centrally planned nanny-State and further transform the US government into their version of a liberal utopia. Even the supposed “limited government” GOP has jumped fully on board with the centrally planned reaction. This bipartisan effort has the Federal Reserve dumping trillions into the banking system, buying up assets, and congress dishing out corporate welfare to Wall Street. Even some alleged libertarians are falling in line; abandoning principle out of fear.

The only corporate welfare that should have been in the bill:

1. A reduction in corporate tax rate from 21% to 18% for businesses that make work from home permanent where technically possible,

2. A second reduction in corporate tax rate from 18% to 15% for businesses that also allocate at least 14 days of additional sick leave to all employees for CY20,

3. A third reduction in corporate tax rate from 15% to 12% for businesses that produce and make available to essential services and to the public one or more of the following: ventilators, N95 or better masks, soaps, hand sanitizer.

4. Block grants (not loans) to states for local small businesses that are technically able to allow their employees to work from home but lack the necessary infrastructure to do so.

The only aid for individual Americans that should have been in the bill:

1. Restore a free market in health care by permanently separating health insurance coverage from employment, so that the unemployed, furloughed, and quarantined individuals and families can maintain coverage,

2. Uncap HSA accounts, suspend contribution and spending limits for CY2020,

3. Suspend penalties for early 401k/IRA withdrawal for CY2020,

4. Suspend federal income and payroll taxes for CY2020,

5. Block grants to states per capita to fund a tax-free stipend of $1500/mo to COVID patients for up to 6 months of unemployment,

6. Block grants to states per capita to fund a tax-free stipend of $1500/mo for those laid off or furloughed by containment efforts for up to 6 months,

7. Block grants to states per capita to refund CY2020 education taxes to parents with children in the shut down K-12 public school system, to cover cost of homeschooling and tutors/online curricula.

Containment steps that should have been in the bill:

1. Incentivize rapid development and deployment of COVID antibody tests to determine the number of cases, identify those at risk, as well as any naturally incurred immunity for those recovered,

2. Clear Federal bureaucratic red tape that is preventing the medical sector from bringing new testing technology to market quickly,

3. Clear Federal bureaucratic red tape that is preventing other sectors of industry from joining the containment effort production,

4. Publish cleanliness standards and "social distancing" best practices to minimize the spread of contagion, as researched by Mayo Clinic and other medical organizations.

Civil liberty protections that should have been in the bill:

1. Right to assemble. Nobody should be forced to stay home 24/7, as long as they are adhering to social distance best practices and cleanliness standards (masks in public, wash hands frequently with soap, etc) as deemed prudent by the municipal or county government. Indeed, suicides due to quarantine isolation is trending upward.

2. Right to travel. Individuals may travel for business or pleasure so long as they observe best practices set by business establishments, employers, and destination governments

3)Right to engage in commerce.
a) Retail and warehouse establishments may charge a "supply maintenance" premium on purchases of sanitation products, bottled water and other drinks, in excess of 1 bulk unit.
b) Regarding foodstuffs, retail and warehouse establishments may limit quantities per customer in order to preserve supply.
c)Private individuals may resell, trade, or barter goods, foodstuffs, and services with willing customers at mutually agreeable exchange levels.

How it should have been funded:

1. Suspend all current military and intelligence actions overseas, quarantine troops for three weeks, then bring them home,

2. Cap all military and intelligence spending to $100 billion per year going forward, with the difference in spending going to the above plan,

3. End the drug war and reallocate that entire budget to the above plan,

4. Suspend non-essential parts of federal government indefinitely, while decentralizing their roles and responsibilities back to the states.

What should not be in the bill:

1. Unrelated spending,
2. Federal reserve meddling in the economy,
3. Restrictions on civil liberties and commerce.
4. Taxpayer or new-debt-funded bailouts of industry or Wall Street.

This solution allows for free market innovation and the streamlining of regulatory burdens while still addressing the broad requirements for action with a minimum of federal involvement. So the next time a Democrat or Republican, or a media mouthpiece, or political crony tells you that the State is the only way to handle a pandemic: show them this.