Stock transaction levy could cut deficit

Efforts to cut government expenses, like DOGE, face resistance due to the “sacred cows” of Social Security, Medicare and military spending.

Meanwhile, proposals for additional tax cuts risk further reducing revenue. To address the budget deficit without raising income taxes, a new approach is needed.

A stock transaction levy offers a fair and effective solution. With an estimated 7 trillion stock transactions occurring annually in the United States, a $1 levy per transaction could eliminate the current deficit four times over and reduce the federal debt to zero in seven years. Most investors would likely not notice this small charge relative to typical transaction values.

The levy would primarily impact high-frequency trading (HFT) firms, responsible for over 70% of all trades. These firms profit by exploiting small, short-lived market inefficiencies but do not invest in........

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