Iowa — 2nd District

Libertarian Rick Stewart wants to replace income taxes with a land tax, auction off green cards and replace the U.S. welfare system with universal basic income.

Stewart, who is running for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, laid out his policy platform during the Des Moines Register's Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 15.

Earlier this year, Stewart's place on the ballot was challenged over the name he listed on his nomination petitions. The appeal to knock him off the ballot was recently denied by a Polk County judge.

Here's what he said:

Steward floats auctioning green cards

To help change the U.S. immigration system that Stewart says "doesn't work," he is proposing the country hold an annual green card auction, selling them to whoever is willing to pay the most.

"Green cards for the United States, which allow you to work legally, are a valuable resource, and you don't take a valuable resource, which is scarce, and throw it away for nothing; you sell it," Stewart said. "We will let people in who want to be here and can afford to be here because they won the auction that we're going to have every year for lifetime green cards."

Stewart said he believes the auction system would bring in billions every year.

Replacing the income tax with a land tax

Stewart proposed replacing the income tax with a land tax, or a tax on each acre of bare land a person owns, excluding the value of manmade structures.

He argued that income tax policy is primarily controlled by lawmakers who aren't looking out for the best interests of Iowans. Stewart also contended a land tax would cost the same as income taxes and would be more straightforward.

"It's (income tax) the worst form of tax; it is the devil's playground," Stewart said. "No matter who's in office, they just pass income tax regulations that help their people that voted for them, that hurt the people that didn't vote for them."

Stewart said his proposed land tax would be paid on top of property taxes.

Eliminating the use of nuclear weapons

Stewart said the best way to end the "existential threat" of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them, which he claims will be an "easy" task.

"Nobody needs those (nuclear weapons), we're going to get rid of them. It's going to be super easy because nobody actually wants them," Stewart said. "They are useless and they cost an enormous amount of money."

"Once we get rid of them, Russia's going to be richer, China's going to be richer, we're going to be richer, everybody's going to be richer," Stewart said.