Dave’s Platform
- Lower Taxes & Living Costs
- Stop the inflation spiral: Cut reckless D.C. spending that drives up the price of gas, groceries, and housing.
- Protect family budgets: Lower the tax burden on working families and seniors living on modest or fixed incomes.
- National Defense, Not World Police
- Bring our troops home: Focus military resources strictly on strong, modern national defense rather than policing the world.
- End endless conflict: Stop getting dragged into foreign wars and cut bloated defense-contractor waste.
- Social Security: Honoring Contracts Without False Promises
- Guarantee senior benefits: Protect 100% of Social Security and Medicare for current retirees and those near retirement who paid into the system their entire working lives.
- Stop deceiving younger workers: End D.C.’s habit of raiding trust funds and making false promises—giving younger generations real ownership to keep and invest their own wealth.
- Common-Sense Immigration
- End heavy-handed deportations: Stop unfair federal enforcement practices that harm local families and small businesses.
- Support the local economy: Implement streamlined, sensible legal rules that respect hard work and strengthen Colorado’s workforce.
- Stronger Local Communities
- Keep resources local: Allow families to keep more of their hard-earned income to support their households and community charities.
- Local care over D.C. bureaucracy: Trust neighbors and local organizations—not Washington politicians—to support community members in need.
- A Choice Beyond the Two Parties
- Break the gridlock: Reject a two-party system that delivers endless debt, higher taxes, and government overreach.
- Defend your freedom: Choose a representative who respects your fundamental right to live your life as you see fit.
Dave’s plans to reform and replace Social Security for the United States of America
The Social Security Transition & Western Land Reclamation Accord
The Local Control & Social Security Guarantee Plan
A Federal Land Asset Liquidation & Entitlement Transition Platform for Colorado
- Core Platform Overview
The Problem
Social Security is facing an impending solvency crisis. For decades, Washington has treated FICA payroll taxes as a general spending slush fund, leaving the system backed by paper IOUs. Current retirees face the threat of automatic benefit cuts in the 2030s, while younger generations pay into a system they expect will be bankrupt before they reach retirement. Meanwhile, the federal government hoards over 36% of all land in Colorado, locking up valuable real estate that could otherwise drive housing affordability and local economic growth.
The Solution
We pay off accrued obligations to seniors using non-essential federal assets, restore local land control to Colorado, and give younger workers total financial freedom over their paychecks.
THE THREE-TIER TRANSITION MODEL
│ 55 & Older: 100% Guaranteed Senior Contract │
│ Backstopped by non-essential federal land & mineral asset sales. │
│ Ages 45–54: Pro-Rata Paid-In Credit + Instant FICA Exemption │
│ Locked-in baseline for years paid in; 0% payroll tax going forward. │
│ Under 45: Immediate Clean Break & 6.2% Paycheck Raise │
│ 0% FICA tax starting immediately; 100% control over private savings. │
- Colorado Land & Financial Fundamentals
To prove this plan is grounded in real assets rather than empty debt, use these verified figures on Colorado land holdings and transition math.
Federal Land Inventory in Colorado
Out of Colorado’s 66.5 million total acres, the federal government controls 24.1 million acres (36.2%).
Total Colorado Land: 66.5M Acres
── Private / State / Local Land: 42.4M Acres (63.8%)
── Federal Land Holdings: 24.1M Acres (36.2%)
── U.S. Forest Service (USFS): 14.5M Acres (60% of federal holdings)
── Bureau of Land Management (BLM): 8.3M Acres (34% of federal holdings)
── National Parks, Wildlife & Defense: 1.3M Acres (6% of federal holdings)
Unlocking Non-Conservation BLM Acreage
The key to political defense is distinguishing between protected national treasures and general public domain land:
* BLM National Conservation Lands: ~1.0 million acres (Monuments, Wilderness Areas, Conservation Lands — OFF THE TABLE).
* General Multiple-Use BLM Land: ~7.3 million acres (Unappropriated domain, scattered parcels, grazing allotments).
> Key Takeaway: Over 88% of all BLM land in Colorado (7.3 million acres) is general, non-conservation land. That unappropriated acreage accounts for 11% of the entire state of Colorado.
The Balance Sheet: Assets vs. Liabilities
| Metric | Colorado Proportion | Western / National Scale |
| Social Security Contract (Ages 55+) | ~$250 Billion – $300 Billion | ~$15 Trillion – $18 Trillion |
| Surface Land Value (7.3M BLM Acres in CO / 170M Western) | ~$11 Billion – $18 Billion | ~$250 Billion – $350 Billion |
| Subsurface Mineral Rights (27M Acres in CO / 700M US) | ~$25 Billion – $35 Billion | ~$1.0 Trillion – $1.2 Trillion |
| Underutilized Federal Real Estate & Buildings | ~$3 Billion – $5 Billion | ~$100 Billion – $200 Billion |
| Total Asset Liquidation Yield | ~$40 Billion – $50 Billion | ~$1.5 Trillion – $1.8 Trillion |
- The 5-Step Local Control Plan
This framework ensures land disposition honors free-market principles, supports local communities, and shuts down major-party attacks.
- Protect National Parks & Treasures Upfront
Designated National Parks (e.g., Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde), historic monuments, and official wilderness areas remain 100% untouchable.
- Establish a 90-Day “Local Priority” Window
Before any general BLM parcel hits the public market, local Colorado entities get a 90-day right of first purchase at fair market value:
*Private Land Trusts: Non-profit conservation groups can buy ecologically sensitive land for permanent private stewardship.
* Counties & Municipalities: Local governments can acquire parcels for housing, parks, or water infrastructure.
* State Parks: Colorado Parks & Wildlife can expand existing state parks.
* Open Market Public Auction for Remaining Holdings
All remaining unappropriated parcels go to transparent public auctions where local ranchers, homebuilders, and small businesses can bid freely.
- 100% Revenue Dedication to Social Security
Every dollar raised goes straight into the Social Security Senior Guarantee Fund to fulfill benefit promises for retirees.
- Expand Local Property Tax Base
Transferring land from federal hands onto local property rolls provides county governments with new tax revenue to fund local schools, roads, and emergency services without raising tax rates on residents.
- Website Policy Section
(Ready to paste directly into your campaign website)
Local Control: Returning Federal Land to Coloradans
The federal government currently owns over 24 million acres—more than 36%—of Colorado. Decisions regarding our natural resources, housing availability, and local infrastructure are routinely dictated by federal bureaucrats sitting in Washington D.C., nearly 2,000 miles away.
Washington’s land hoarding actively hurts working families across Colorado. By locking up millions of acres of unappropriated, non-conservation land, the federal government artificially squeezes our housing supply, drives up home prices, and denies our local counties property tax revenue for roads and schools.
Our platform establishes a Local Control & Asset Liquidation Plan to transfer non-essential federal land back to Coloradans while solving our national obligation to seniors:
* Protecting National Treasures: National Parks, historic monuments, and designated wilderness areas remain fully protected.
* Local Priority Window: Local land conservation trusts, county park districts, and municipalities receive a 90-day window to purchase parcels at fair market value for local conservation, infrastructure, or community needs.
* Open Market Auctions for Housing & Agriculture: Remaining non-essential land will be auctioned to local ranchers, farmers, homebuilders, and small businesses—expanding housing supply and creating local economic opportunity.
* Dedicated Senior Guarantee: 100% of proceeds from these land and mineral sales will directly backstop Social Security obligations owed to our current retirees and seniors.
5. Campaign Trail & Debate Preparation
1. Opening Pivot (Reframing the Issue)
> “Washington D.C. owns over 36% of Colorado. Bureaucrats 2,000 miles away don’t understand our water needs, our agricultural priorities, or our housing shortages. Returning non-essential federal land to Coloradans is about restoring local control, bringing down housing costs, and honoring our financial promises to seniors.”
2. Defending Public Access & Parks
> “Let’s be completely clear: nobody is touching Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde, or our protected wilderness areas. We are talking about 7.3 million acres of general, unappropriated BLM land—scattered, poorly managed parcels D.C. is hoarding while our local families struggle with the cost of living.”
3. Local & Voluntary Conservation Strategy
> “My plan gives Colorado land trusts, local county commissioners, and state park authorities the first right to purchase and protect ecologically sensitive land. Private, local stewardship routinely outperforms federal bureaucracy.”
4. Mathematical Realism on Social Security
> “Federal asset sales generate up to $1.8 trillion nationally to cover 10-15% of our senior transition obligations right away. We cover the rest by ending foreign nation-building, cutting corporate welfare, and trimming administrative waste—using real physical assets rather than money printing to backstop our promises.”
6. Campaign Quick-Sheet & Infographic Layout
THE COLORADO LOCAL CONTROL &
SOCIAL SECURITY GUARANTEE PLAN
THE PROBLEM:
• D.C. hoards 36.2% of Colorado’s land (24.1 Million Acres).
• D.C. spent decades using Social Security FICA taxes as a slush fund.
• High inflation and interest rates are crushing working families.
THE COLORADO NUMBERS:
• 24.1M Total Federal Acres in CO
• 7.3M Acres of General, Non-Conservation BLM Land (Parks untouched)
• $40B–$50B Estimated Value in CO land + subsurface mineral rights
• $1.5T–$1.8T Potential Value across Western non-essential assets
THE SOLUTION:
1. PROTECT OUR TREASURES: Zero sales of National Parks or Wilderness.
2. LOCAL PRIORITY WINDOW: 90 days for Colorado Land Trusts, Counties,
And Towns to buy land at market value for parks or housing.
3. OPEN AUCTION: Remaining parcels auctioned to ranchers, builders,
And local families to expand county tax bases.
- GUARANTEE SENIORS: 100% of asset sales backstop Social Security
Contracts for current retirees and workers 55+.
- IMMEDIATE TAX RELIEF: Phase out the 6.2% FICA tax for younger workers,
Providing an instant paycheck raise for personal wealth building.
- Demographic Messaging & Voter Strategy
Younger Workers (Under 45)
* The Reality: Polling shows over 70% of younger voters do not believe Social Security will exist when they retire.
* The Pitch: “Washington already spent the taxes you paid in your 20s. We won’t sell you a promise D.C. can’t keep. Instead, we give you an immediate 6.2% raise by ending FICA payroll tax deductions today. An average Colorado worker making $65,000 keeps over $4,000 every year in their own pocket to pay rent, buy a house, or invest in a Roth IRA.”
Gen X & Transition Cohort (Ages 45–54)
* The Reality: Gen X voters represent a high-turnout demographic juggling mortgages, children, and aging parents. They cannot take a $0 payout, but they know the Trust Fund faces insolvency within a decade.
* The Pitch: “You’ve paid into the system for 20+ years. Our plan locks in a guaranteed pro-rata credit for every year you paid in, backed by real federal land assets. Simultaneously, we eliminate your FICA tax going forward so you keep your earnings during your highest-earning years to max out private retirement accounts.”
High-Net-Worth Retirees (Voluntary Opt-Out Deal)
* The Reality: Wealthy retirees often do not rely on monthly Social Security checks for basic living needs, but resist benefit cuts because they paid into the system for decades and face capital gains taxes on investment drawdowns.
* The Pitch: Offer high-net-worth retirees a voluntary trade: Waive or reduce your monthly Social Security check in exchange for a 0% capital gains tax rate (or tax-free withdrawals) up to an annual cap, backed by a catastrophic safety net if market conditions shift. This reduces federal liabilities voluntarily without confiscating wealth.
8. Policy Platform Comparison
| Feature | Mainstream Democratic Platform | Mainstream Republican Platform | Decentralized Asset-Backed Plan |
| Core Approach | Increase taxes on high earners to maintain current structure. | Raise the retirement age and slow cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). | Liquidate federal assets to backstop senior checks while freeing younger workers from FICA taxes. |
| Impact on Seniors (65+) | Maintains current payouts via tax increases. | Maintains baseline payouts with lower inflation indexing. | 100% Guaranteed. Payouts backed by liquidated land/mineral assets. |
| Impact on Gen X (45–54) | Higher overall tax burden across top brackets. | Pushes full retirement age to 69 or 70. | Pro-Rata Credit. Guarantees past contributions while ending FICA taxes for peak earning years. |
| Impact on Under-45s | Continues 6.2% payroll tax deductions into an unfunded system. | Reduces long-term benefit formulas and raises retirement age. | Immediate 6.2% Raise. 0% FICA tax; full control over personal savings and investments. |
| Land & Federal Control | Retains federal land ownership under D.C. management. | Mixed land transfer proposals with limited entitlement connection. | Local Control. Transfers general BLM land to private, local, and municipal hands. |
Dave Wood for Colorado Congressional District 8 