FY 2015 Budget (Passed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Nay I guess

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am concerned about increasing the number of brackets and that it could add to the complexity of the tax code.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Could the 58% bracket at least be gotten rid of since it means having two in the 50's and the highest is just 3% above it?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I wanted to lower taxes during my presidency but we just can't afford to do it with all of the programs we have in atlasia.

My tax plan was pretty much dead on arrival, but I mainly introduced it for the debate more than anything. I couldn't let the senate stall on my watch.

And yeah, my education bill didn't help but I felt it implemented some necessary changes.

All in all, I think we are really going to need to change the way we all deal of economic policy, since we had to wait until the budget to see the negatives of programs that looked fantastic and easy to support on paper.

I am concerned about increasing the number of brackets and that it could add to the complexity of the tax code.

Trust me, so was I. But I don't see any other way to make the system more progressive without significant cuts to spending to account for lost revenues.

Well, another alternative comes forward if we are able to get an estimate on the effects of the Health Care Reform (I just couldn't find the right data myself), as one of the arguments we put forward was that it could reduce the high spending that the old system meant. I chose to propose a trillion for Health Care as a very conservative estimate, but it the effects were more positive than originally thought we could reduce enough spending to reduce some of the changes in the tax code. 

The savings are not as great as they could have been since all five regions are functioning as a monopoly right now since none took the step to allow competition. Not even the IDS, though we were coming close before Scott departed from our midst.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

It could possibly work, but I would feel better if the at least some of the regions had taken the next step.


Damn I miss Scott.

I will be happy to introduce the amendment for you, Mr. President.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am offering it officially now.


Not that I am uninterested in Polnut's question, it is that it will be nearly 24 hours before I can get back on again to do it.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Abstain


Yea, I was afraid of this, but like I said, I didn't have much of a time window over the coming day plus.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

My chief concern is that with wage growth being outstripped by inflation, we are getting into a wage deficit situation, so wages in real terms are dropping. The only issue in relation to our inflation rate... I'm not quite sure why our inflation rate is so high, it's not being triggered by high economic growth nor by pricing demands...

The Al Paradox. Despite my personal issues with the man, he was right back in 2010 when he was confirmed as SoIA? (pretty sure it was SoIA though it might have been GM, nah that was Badger I think). Anyway he said, that if any reasonable amount of realism was added, the numbers would be catastrophic for simple fact that Atlasian Gov't is so generally incompetent.

The issues with the budget situation being so late and the fact that the stop gap is a good example of the Cavalry Arrives Late, that could hammer the currency and interest rates. Though the direct effects on inflation might not reflect the current one's at least in the short term save through energy prices possibly forming a root resource effect. I will admit I haven't kept up with the thread the last few weeks because of everything being as they are, so I don't know if the GM has spiked energy prices or not but this is retro (would you believe I am listening to 70's music right now ) scenario is one possibility.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Amendment Offered for the President.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Lumine, you are going to need to find someone else to offer any subsequent amendments. If I can get on again before Monday, it will be a miracle.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Abstain

I would feel better with the numbers.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Miracles are real, believe it!


Seriously, though, this is probably it.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

And I was afraid you would finish without me.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am deeply disturbed that some of considering just abandoning this for a whole month of "ceasing to work with the President" on this matter. Though many have made mistakes in this process, we ultimately would not be in this situation had the work been done last summer.

I am convinced that we can surely find something agreeable enough to pass.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

NAY

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Do we have a time table from the GM at this point or is to be expected soon?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Grrrrr

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

How long would these estimations take?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I would be leaning towards supporting such as well.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I think this is the best we are going to get. While not ideal we need to pass a budget, and therefore I intend to vote aye on final passage provided Lumine's amendment is adopted.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Non-Reluctant Aye

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

We must remember that this was an undesirable circumstance foisted on us. I remember 2013 and 2012, working on those budgets with Nix and Napoleon, of all people. There were areas of contention and there was always that unresolved issue that we had to accept as the price for moving forward either because of the political landscape or because it simply was an overwhelming task for our limitations. I don't pretend at any point to think that this budget resolves our pressing concerns economically, which extend far beyond this text and include various legislative acts that have been pursued without much concern for the consequences.

I wish I had done more over the last seven to eight months, in spite of the fact that unlike in the Duke Administration (and then only for a few short months) there has at no point in that period of time been a governing majority on these issues, the sort that Duke, Lumine, shua and myself championed last Spring, but I would note that between having no internet and two months later facing the daunting prospect of a move made such already futile attempts impossible. I have also never been one for quixotic quests and when the opportunities have come about over the last few years I have sought to pursue those issues, but those opportunities have been few and far between.

I hope the next administration or the one to follow takes this budget serious from the beginning and addresses our root problems for a change and I hope the Senate cooperates at that time to bring about that objective.

Anyway, congrats to President Lumine to my colleges for getting this completed.