Cheri Honkala: My response to the VP debate

• Who would pay more in taxes? The rich.
• Who would pay less? The poor, working and middle class.
• Specifically we will target corporations and Wall Street as well as polluters.

Third-party candidates were not invited to participate in the presidential debates. USA TODAY invited them -- and their vice presidential candidates -- to provide answers to one question from each debate. Here's Green Party vice presidential candidate Cheri Honkala's answer to who would pay more -- and less -- taxes if their ticket is elected:

Poor, working and middle income families will pay much less in taxes, while the very rich, major corporations, Wall Street and polluters will pay more.

But tax policies are only a part of the picture. We have to look at where we as a society invest our resources. Do we fund education or prison? War or employment?

Through the Green New Deal, Jill Stein and I propose to reform our tax system to fund the transition to a new economy based on the principle of full employment. We have to be realistic about what this country and its citizens need. We must value people over profits.

Specifically, we will impose a 90% tax on the salary bonuses paid at the big banks that were bailed out. We will implement the Financial Transaction Tax -- also known as the Robin Hood Tax -- which would be 50 cents on every $100 of Wall Street trades and transactions and would produce $350 billion a year. I pay a sales tax when I buy everyday items; Wall Street needs to pay its share as well.

Polluters will be taxed. Taxing pollution is good environmental policy. It encourages innovations that lead to emission reductions. It makes a lot more sense than current practice of free pollution below a set emission level. This tax also gives an advantage to innovators who pioneer clean production techniques and encourages consumers to seek clean alternatives.

With genuine tax reform of this kind, we can reorder our nation's priorities and fully fund our schools, jobs programs, and community needs.

In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse
opinions from outside writers, including ourBoard of Contributors.