Debt-Ceiling Update: Washington Republicans Getting Pilloried Over Vague $4.8 Trillion Non-Defense Budget Cuts. “Meanwhile, Main Street America’s Republicans” Present Their Own Powerhouse, Debt-Busting Plan to Get the United States Back on Track.

Washington Democrats are pressing hard for ongoing, unrestrained deficit-spending and its corollary effects:  1) fueling the ongoing inflation crisis; 2) steepening the growth curve of America’s national debt; 3) weakening the U.S. Dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency; 4) imposing ever-greater government control over the daily affairs of U.S. citizens; 5) and ultimately endangering our national security.

Washington Republicans are proposing to lightly ‘tap the brakes’ on the Democrats’ tax, spend, and regulate big-government agenda.  That’s it. They have no over-riding vision for to get America back on track.

The House GOP bill, “The Limit, Save, Grow Act,” proposes claw-backs of unspent Covid funds, along with “cutting discretionary spending for fiscal year 2024 back to 2022 levels, at about $1.47 trillion.”  This would represent “an 8% reduction from this year, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget“ (WSJ, Apr 26, 2023).

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the GOP proposal would cut government deficits by $4.8 trillion over 10 years… a significant reduction in the more than $21 trillion of projected deficits during the same period” (WSJ, Apr 26, 2023).

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is having a field day with the GOP Plan.

Shalanda Young, Director of the Office of Management and Budget is putting Republicans squarely on the defensive:

“What would that mean for the American people just in the first year of their plan? Consider just a few examples:

  • Undermine Medical Care for Veterans: Cutting funding by 22 percent would mean 30 million fewer veteran outpatient visits, and 81,000 jobs lost across the Veterans Health Administration—leaving veterans unable to get appointments for care including wellness visits, cancer screenings, mental health services, and substance use disorder treatment.
  • Slash Funding for Schools with Low-Income Students and Students with Disabilities: A 22 percent cut would impact 25 million students in schools that teach low-income students and 7.5 million students with disabilities, which could force a reduction of up to 108,000 teachers, aides or other key staff.
  • Eliminate Preschool and Child Care for Hundreds of Thousands of Children: A 22 percent cut would mean 200,000 children lose access to Head Start slots and another 180,000 children lose access to child care—undermining our children’s education and making it more difficult for parents to join the workforce and contribute to our economy.
  • Strip Nutrition Assistance from Millions of Women, Infants, and Children: A 22 percent cut would mean 1.7 million women, infants, and children would lose vital nutrition assistance through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), significantly increasing child poverty and hunger.
  • Rob Seniors of Healthy Meals: A 22 percent cut would take away nutrition services, such as Meals on Wheels, from more than 1 million seniors. For many of these seniors, these programs provide the only healthy meal they receive on any given day.
  • Raise Housing Costs for Hundreds of Thousands: A 22 percent cut would eliminate funding for Housing Choice Vouchers for over 630,000 households, including 190,000 households headed by seniors and 50,000 veterans.
  • Scale Back Rail Safety Inspections: A 22 percent cut would result in 7,000 fewer rail safety inspection days next year alone, and 30,000 fewer miles of track inspected annually—enough track to cross the United States nearly 10 times.

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Republicans are literally getting “tarred and feathered” under the flurry of Democrats claims that the GOP plan will cut social benefits to the neediest Americans. 

The WSJ (May 11, 2023) reports that the Democrats are also now attacking Republicans that the GOP “House bill that couples raising the debt ceiling with sharp cuts in spendingwould eviscerate veterans programs. Republican lawmakers angrily deny it….”

“The dispute springs from the vague nature of the GOP bill, which passed the House last month. The Limit, Save, Grow Act proposes cutting discretionary spending for fiscal year 2024 back to 2022 levels, at about $1.47 trillion. That works out to about an 8% reduction from this year, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. 

But the bill doesn’t lay out exactly how each federal agency or program would be funded—or pared back—within that framework. Democrats quickly jumped into the void, accusing Republicans of threatening a variety of veterans’ benefits and health programs, including a law that passed last August with overwhelming bipartisan support called the Pact Act. That law has been described by officials as the largest expansion of benefits in three decades, potentially benefiting 3.5 million veterans with lung issues, cancers and other health conditions related to exposure to toxins while serving.

In late April, the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough, held a breakfast meeting for veteran service organizations and warned them of dire problems if the GOP’s proposal came to fruition, said Joe Chenelly, executive director of Amvets, one of the “Big Six” veterans groups. 

The administration says that the Republican bill would reduce funding for veterans and other non-defense discretionary programs by 22%. That estimate is extrapolated from some Republicans’ contention that they won’t reduce defense spending, which makes up about 52% of the discretionary budget—thus requiring deeper reductions in other areas of the federal budget to meet their savings goals.

Assuming defense funding remains the same, nondefense discretionary spending under the Republican plan would total $586 billion—a 22% decrease from the current level of $756 billion, according to Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget.

House Republicans point out that there is no language in their bill that cuts funding for veterans, although nothing in the legislative text explicitly protects it either. The lack of specificity enabled the party to put off tough budgetary decisions and wrangle the votes needed to pass the bill without any Democratic support, 217-215.”

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Washington Republicans are once again playing out a ‘losing hand’ in this ongoing budget poker game. 

Again, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the GOP proposal would cut government deficits by $4.8 trillion over 10 years” from a projected $21 trillion of added deficits over the coming 10 years. (WSJ, Apr 26, 2023).

Under the current GOP plan, the national debt will grow from its current level of $31.796 trillion to $48 trillion by 2033, a mere $4.8 trillion decline from the $52.8 trillion projected increase.

And the Republican base is supposed to celebrate this as a victory…?

Meanwhile, President Biden, “in his budget earlier this year, also proposed deficit reductions but through increased taxes on corporations and high-income individuals” (WSJ, Apr 27, 2023).  For one, corporations do not pay taxes – they pass them on to consumers.  And “high-income” individuals have ways of sheltering income to reduce tax liabilities.

Washington Republicans right now have a golden opportunity, a once in a generation moment, to present a dynamic new winning plan for America – one that would put an end to these revolving-door debt ceiling impasses once and for all – and deliver a powerful debt-elimination strategy across all sectors of the U.S. economy, with major financial security gains for working Americans.  A plan that will strengthen America’s long-term national security interests.

Main Street America Republicans have just such a plan – loaded up and ready to launch.

The Leviticus 25 Plan economic acceleration plan that will provide a dynamic ‘recharge’ to the U.S. economy, generate meaningful budget surpluses, reestablish citizen-centered healthcare, and restore economic liberty in America. 

It will “unleash a new wave of prosperity” in America.

The Leviticus 25 Plan will generate $619 billion federal budget surpluses for the initial 5 years of activation (2024-2028), and completely pay for itself over the succeeding 10-15 years.

The Leviticus 25 Plan is a powerful economic initiative providing direct liquidity benefits for American families, while at the same time scaling back the role of government in managing and controlling the affairs of citizens.  It is a comprehensive plan with long-term economic and social benefits for citizens and government.

The inspiration for this plan is based upon Biblical principles set forth in the Book of Leviticus, principles tendering direct economic liberties to the people.

The Leviticus 25 Plan – An Economic Acceleration Plan for America 2023

Economic Scoring links:

·    The Leviticus 25 Plan – 2024 Generates $619.5 billion Federal Budget Surpluses (2024-2028) Part 1: Overview, Deficit Projection

·    The Leviticus 25 Plan Generates $619.5 Billion Federal Budget Surpluses Annually (2024-2028). Part 2: Federal Income Tax Recapture; Economic Security / Means-Tested Welfare Recapture.

·    The Leviticus 25 Plan Generates $619.5 Billion Federal Budget Surpluses Annually (2024-2028). Part 3: Medicaid, Medicare, VA, TRICARE, FEHB, SSDI Recapture.

·    The Leviticus 25 Plan Generates $619.5 Billion Federal Budget Surpluses Annually (2024-2028). Part 4: Interest Expense Recapture, Totals Summary

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The Leviticus 25 Plan – An Economic Acceleration Plan for America 2024

Leviticus 25 Plan 2023 (6127 downloads)

Website:  https://leviticus25plan.org/

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Preview 1:

The Leviticus 25 Plan provides a $90,000 credit extension, direct from the Federal Reserve, to every participating U.S. citizen:  $60,000 into a Family Account (FA) and $30,000 into a Medical Savings Account (MSA).

Example:  Qualifying family of four would receive $240,000 in their FA, and $120,000 in their MSA.

Primary goals:  Massive debt elimination at family level: mortgage debt, consumer debt, student loan debt.  Federal budget surpluses.

Eligibility:  U.S. Citizen.  Job history, credit history requirement (similar to traditional credit checks for bank loans).  Clean recent drug history.  Clean crime history.

Requirements:  Forego all federal and state tax refunds for 5-year period.

Forego Economic Security and selected means-tested welfare benefits – for minimum 5-year period.

Forego enhanced federal rental forbearance/assistance – for minimum 5-year period.

Forego SSI and SSDI for minimum 5-year period.

New $6,000 deductible on primary care access to: Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE, FEHB – for minimum 5-year period.

The Plan assumes that the elite-wealthy will not participate, because their refunds are too valuable to give up over the requisite 5-year period.

The Plan also assumes that many who heavily depend on Economic Security and social welfare benefits will also choose not to participate, because the overriding value of those benefits, vs foregoing them, over the 5-year period.

Preview 2:

The Leviticus 25 Plan grants the same direct access to liquidity, through a Fed-based Citizens Credit Facility, similar to the credit facilities that were created by the Fed to transfuse trillions of dollars in direct transfers and credit extensions to Wall Street’s major banks, credit agencies and insurers during the great financial crisis. 

The following facilities were created and activated by the Fed for this massive Wall Street bail out operation: Term Auction Facility (TAF), Primary Dealer Credit Facility (PDCF), Term Securities Lending Facility (TSLF), currency swap agreements with several foreign central banks,  Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF), Asset-Backed Commercial Paper Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (AMLF), Money Market Investor Funding Facility (MMIFF), and the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF), and access to the Fed’s Discount Window.

Additional perspective:  SIGTARP, the oversight agency of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), in its July 2009 report, vetted by Treasury, noted that the U.S. Government’s “Total Potential Support Related to Crisis” (page 138) amounted to $23.7 trillion. While this figure represents a backstop commitment, not a measure of total potential loss, it is nonetheless an astounding degree of support, in the form of liquidity infusions, credit extensions and guarantees, various other forms of assistance for financial institutions and other business entities affected by the financial crisis.

Preview 3:

The Leviticus 25 Plan website has been accessed on one or more occasions by the following financial enterprises/agencies: 

JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, State Street, Merrill Lynch, AIG, Barclays Plc, Royal Bank of Scotland, Deutsche Bank, Société Générale S.A, UBS AG, Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas, The U.S. Department of Treasury, General Accountability Office (GAO), The European Central Bank (ECB), Bank of England (BOE), Swiss National Bank (SNB), Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal, Bank for International Settlements (BIS).

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The General Accountability Office has stated that America’s ongoing debt crisis is unsustainable.

It is time for America to institute a bold, new plan.

The Leviticus 25 Plan is loaded up and ready to launch.  The ‘golden moment’ for Republicans has arrived.

US Banks Sitting on $620 Billion in Unrealized Paper Losses. FDIC Bailout Proposal Set to ‘Fleece’ US Taxpayers.

Taxpayers Fleeced Again? Big Banks Push New FDIC Re-Funding ‘Trick

ZeroHedge, May 17, 2023 – Excerpts:

… Not satisfied with the billions in interest they’re earning on excess reserves, or the unlimited facilities The Fed opened up with the BTFP to bail out regional banks’ losses on their bond portfolios, The Wall Street Journal reports that banks have spent the past week or so testing a cunning plan to push more losses on to the US taxpayer.

Instead of paying the billions of dollars they collectively owe to replenish the federal deposit insurance fund, they want to use Treasurys instead of cash.

Sounds good right… except those Treasuries are trading notably below par and the government will accept them as par, implicitly paying a premium for the bonds.

As a reminder, US banks are sitting on $620 billion in unrealized paper losses on government bonds

And the ‘Big 4’ [BofA, JPM, Citi, WFC] – who will pay the biggest “fees” to replenish the FDIC fund are sitting on these unrealized losses which they would love to swap for par to some sucker…

This would put even more of the banks’ balance-sheet-clogging losses on the US taxpayer’s shoulders.

This is a nuanced (but crucial) difference to the Bank Term-Financing Plan (BTFP) which offers a loan or swap for the discounted bonds at par…with a limited horizon (which will always be extended though) – instead of this FDIC debacle which is simply a trade – bank gives FDIC 90c bond for every $1 it owes them!

At issue is a so-called special assessment the FDIC has proposed for large banks to recoup losses to the deposit insurance fund tied to two big institutions that collapsed in March.

The agency is soliciting public comment on the proposal for about two months.

Wall Street Journal reports that an FDIC spokeswoman said the agency’s rules don’t allow banks to pay it in Treasurys.

But the FDIC welcomes public comment on its rules, she said.

Which sounds a lot like “ok, great idea.”

According to people familiar with the proposal, WSJ reports that Paying with Treasurys also would give banks a modest break on their special assessment, if they can get face value for bonds that have declined about 10%. Supporters say the government would hold the securities until maturity, allowing them to recover principal and interest on the debt.

The government (US taxpayer) would suffer no losses, they say.

So let’s just clarify:

  • When yields decline the banks gain as bond prices rise…
  • …but when rates go up (and bond prices decline and crush their balance sheets) they demand a bailout at par (because, hey, USTs will ‘never default’ right and will be ‘money good’ sometime in the future).

In the meantime, we have a quick question – can US taxpayers pay their taxes in the same manner – with bonds trading below par? ……

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The Leviticus 25 Plan re-routes Fed liquidity flows into the hands of U.S. citizens – and then into the banking system (through debt elimination)… with no sweet-heart bailout deal, ‘fleecing’ America’ tax-payers.

Bank liquidity crisis – problem solved.

The Leviticus 25 Plan – An Economic Acceleration Plan for America

$90,000 per U.S. citizen – Leviticus 25 Plan 2023 (6123 downloads)

Inflation Battering Americans as U.S. Sinks Ever Deeper into Debt. Debt-busting Economic Rejuvenation Plan Loaded up and Ready to Launch.

Battered By Inflation, 90 Million Americans Struggle Paying Bills As Credit Card Usage Spikes

ZeroHedge, May 19, 2023 – Excerpts:

A large swath of American consumers are facing financial hardship as they grapple with elevated living costs, record-high credit card use, and two years of negative real wage growth. This perfect storm could decimate financially fragile households in the next downturn. 

As many as 89.1 million American adults (or about 38.5%) were found to experience some form of difficulty in covering expenses between April 26 and May 8, according to Bloomberg, citing new data from the Household Pulse Survey. This is up from 34.4% in 2022 and 26.7% during the same period in 2021. 

Source: Bloomberg 

The rising trend is alarming but not surprising. Consumers have been battered by two years of negative real wage growth.

As wages fail to outpace the cost of living, many consumers have burned through savings and resorted to credit cards. The latest revolving credit data shows consumers appear to be ‘strong,’ but that’s only because they use their plastic cards more than ever to survive

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Consumers have record card debt and ultra-low savings rates and are paying some of the highest borrowing costs in a generation (the average interest rate on cards now exceeds 20%). This debt is becoming insurmountable for some as delinquencies rise. 

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Washington Democrats and Republicans have no economically viable plan to dig our country out of debt and get America back on track.

America’s Main Street Republicans do have a plan – a major reset plan: 1) Restoring financial security for U.S. citizens; 2) Eliminating vast amounts of consumer loan and mortgage debt; 3) Generating $619 billion federal budget surpluses; 4) Re-balance the books for debt-laden state and local governments; 5) Re-igniting a long-term economic growth cycle; 6) Restoring economic liberty in America; 7) Strengthening the status of the U.S. Dollar as the world’s reserve currency.

The Leviticus 25 Plan is a dynamic economic initiative providing direct liquidity benefits for American families, while at the same time scaling back the role of government in managing and controlling the affairs of citizens.  It is a comprehensive plan with long-term economic and social benefits for citizens and government.

The inspiration for this plan is based upon Biblical principles set forth in the Book of Leviticus, principles tendering direct economic liberties to the people.

The Leviticus 25 Plan – An Economic Acceleration Plan for America

$90,000 per U.S. citizen – Leviticus 25 Plan 2023 (6121 downloads)

Fed’s “Backstop Lending Facilities” Running Hot. America’s ‘Financial Health’ in Serious Decline. Solution: The Leviticus 25 Plan.

Fed Emergency Bank Loans Soared As Money Market Inflows Continue To Surge

ZeroHedge – May 11, 2023 – Excerpts:

“This surge in money market fund inflows strongly suggests tomorrow’s H8 deposit report will show the bank run is accelerating…

Source: Bloomberg

This surge in money market fund inflows strongly suggests tomorrow’s H8 deposit report will show the bank run is accelerating.

..…..

The total size of the Fed’s backstopping facilities remained extremely high at around $305.4 billion…

Source: Bloomberg

But, more problematically, the demand for the Bank Term Funding Program surged by $8 billion to $83.1 billion – a new high…

Source: Bloomberg

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Away from the FDIC loans, The Fed has a total of $92.4 billion of loans outstanding to financial institutions through two backstop lending facilities in the week through May 10, dramatically higher than the $81.1 billion the previous week.

Tomorrow we get the big one – more answers after the bell when The Fed releases its H8 report on bank deposit flows and whether the seasonal-adjustments are total bullshit or not.”

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2008-2010, 2021-2022, and now again 2023 – The Fed continues their “backstop lending facilities”…. and taking America around in circles.

The banking system is unstable; Federal budget deficits are snowballing; Real wages for working Americans are stagnant; Stagflation is settling in on the U.S. economy; Entitlement programs are creating ever-greater dependence on government.

Washington Democrats continue their push for higher taxes and expanded social welfare programs, and adding regulatory burdens to America’s small businesses.

Washington Republicans have NO politically feasible, economically viable plan to generate federal budget surpluses, re-ignite (non-debt financed) economic growth, reduce citizens’ dependence on government; rejuvenate the banking sector; stabilize the U.S. Dollar; and restore financial security for America’s hard-working, tax-paying U.S. citizens.

Washington Republicans have NO PLAN to get America back on track.

Main Street America’s Republicans do have a plan:

The Leviticus 25 Plan is a dynamic economic initiative providing direct liquidity benefits for American families, while at the same time scaling back the role of government in managing and controlling the affairs of citizens.  It is a comprehensive plan with long-term economic and social benefits for citizens and government.

The inspiration for this plan is based upon Biblical principles set forth in the Book of Leviticus, principles tendering direct economic liberties to the people.

The Leviticus 25 Plan – An Economic Acceleration Plan for America

$90,000 per U.S. Citizen – Leviticus 25 Plan 2023 (6104 downloads)

Hayek: Individual Freedom, Private Property as “Guaranty of Freedom.”

“But the essential features of that individualism which, from elements provided by Christianity and the philosophy of classical antiquity, was first fully developed during the Renaissance and has since grown and spread into what we know as Western civilization—are the respect for the individual man qua man, that is, the recognition of his own views and tastes as supreme in his own sphere, however narrowly that may be circumscribed, and the belief that it is desirable that men should develop their own individual gifts and bents.”
― Friedrich A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom

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“What our generation has forgotten is that the system of private property is the most important guaranty of freedom, not only for those who own property, but scarcely less for those who do not. It is only because the control of the means of production is divided among many people acting independently that nobody has complete power over us, that we as individuals can decide what to do with ourselves. If all the means of production were vested in a single hand, whether it be nominally that of “society” as a whole or that of a dictator, whoever exercises this control has complete power over us.”
― Friedrich A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom

Banking system ‘reeling.’ Regional Banks in ‘free-fall.’ America’s fresh start dynamic: The Leviticus 25 Plan

The U.S. financial system desperately needs a fresh river of liquidity – not the kind which the Fed normally delivers (massive banking system injections/bailouts).

The U.S. financial system needs direct liquidity extensions targeting the backbone of the financial system – hard-working, tax-paying U.S. citizens.

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The banking sector is currently reeling from a whirlwind ‘duration stress’ and deposit flight – having lent long-term money out in recent years at relatively low interest rates, and now having to borrow at much higher rates. Inflation hit, rates rose, and in due course market value of these paper assets on their balance sheets has declined significantly.

The KBW Bank Index, a bellwether indicator tracking the prices of 24 large banks in this sector, began crashing in March. It is now down 34% since early February.

Index Components – As of May 2021, the individual index components included:

  • Bank of NY Mellon (BK)
  • Bank of America (BAC)
  • Capital One Financial (COF)
  • Citigroup (C)
  • Citizens Financial Group (CFG)
  • Comerica (CMA)
  • Fifth Third Bank (FITB)
  • First Horizon (FHN)
  • First Republic Bank (FRC)
  • Huntington Bancshares (HBAN)
  • JP Morgan Chase (JPM)
  • Keycorp (KEY)
  • M&T Bank (MTB)
  • Northern Trust (NTRS)
  • PNC Financial Services (PNC)
  • People’s United Financial (PBCT)
  • Regions Financial (RF)
  • Signature Bank (SBNY)
  • State Street (STT)
  • SVB Financial Group (SIVB)
  • Truist Financial Corp (TFC)
  • US Bancorp (USB)
  • Wells Fargo & Co (WFC)
  • Zion’s Bancorp (ZION)

Source:  Investopedia

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Charts: ZeroHedge

A handful of the ‘majors’ got slammed today…

The big story today:  The “total collapse in regional banks…

“PacWest, Western Alliance, and Zions (among others) are in a free-fall…”

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There is a ‘right way’ for the Fed to rescue troubled banks – by re-targeting liquidity flows directly into the hands of U.S. citizens.

The Leviticus 25 Plan, provides the tidal wave of fresh capital that will flow into banks through debt pay-downs by American families: Mortgage debt, Consumer debt, Household debt, Student Loan (unsubsidized) debt; credit card debt.

A good share of that debt, in ‘delinquent’ status, will be ‘satisfied,’ or ‘made current,’ which will be an important additional benefit.

The Leviticus 25 Plan will also reignite economic growth, which will help relieve pressure on Commercial Real Estate (CRE) debt service.

The Leviticus 25 Plan will generate massive new tax revenue flows, including a payroll tax (Social Security, Medicare) upsurge.

It will lead to federal budget surpluses of $619 billion annually over the initial five years of activation, thereby mitigating the need to raise the debt ceiling.

It will provide America with a fresh start, strengthen the long-term prospects of the U.S. Dollar, and restore financial health for millions of American families.

The Leviticus 25 Plan – An Economic Acceleration Plan for America

$90,000 per U.S. citizenLeviticus 25 Plan 2023 (6077 downloads)