GM office/ Atlasian Almanac-Gazette Community Portal

[shua]

Greetings Atlasia!

As your new Game Moderator, I'll be following the two-thread format established by former GM Marokai: The other thread (The Atlasian Almanac-Gazette) is for GM updates; this thread is for community discussion of those updates.

Additionally, I hope to receive ideas from Atlasians about what they hope to see in stories.  At some point I'll be asking Atlasians for help in collecting certain information, and solicit Atlasians' thoughts on various issues relevant to creating updates. Any questions for the GM can be posted here, and I'll do my best to answer them.

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

3 cheers for the GM (3 more cheers if he makes a story where I win the lotto!)

[shua]

Thanks. Does Atlasia have a lotto?

Speaking of which . . . I'd like to have handy information about what the budgets and tax rates are of the various regions that have them. Right now I know what the Mideast's are. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

[Cincinnatus]

Thanks. Does Atlasia have a lotto?

Speaking of which . . . I'd like to have handy information about what the budgets and tax rates are of the various regions that have them. Right now I know what the Mideast's are. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

I think this is the reason why Polnut made a final tax proposal in his farewell address.  To make this part of your responsibility easier.  The budget is one reason why I would be hesitant to ever be in your shoes  

[Yelnoc]

Here is the IDS Budget Commission thread.  I believe the updated budget is in one of the last posts.

[Fmr. Emperor PiT]

     There's an extra-updated version somewhere in my office, but it is almost the same as that. I'll go get it for you.

     EDIT: Here is the most recent budget:

     This is the budget. All items new since the last official budget are in red.

2011 Budget

Notes

• Base shall be understood to refer to the combined totals of the state governments minus Puerto Rico.
• Total shall be understood to refer to the combined totals of the state and regional governments minus Puerto Rico.

Regional Spending

Pensions
-Base: $3.81 billion
-Total: $3.81 billion

Health care:
-Base: $121.9 billion
-Total: $121.9 billion

Education:
-Base: $48.9 billion (post-Educational Hotfix Act - original figure was $0, real-life gross state figure is $73.4 billion)
-Tertiary Education/Other Capital Outlay-Higher Education/Southeastern Educational Incentive Act: $3.5 billion
-Pre-Primary through Secondary Education/Other Capital Outlay - Elementary and Secondary Education/School Choice Initiative: $56.4 billion
-Total: $108.8 billion

Defense:
-Base: $0.6 billion
-Total: $0.6 billion

Welfare:
-Base: $40.4 billion
-Total: $40.4 billion

Protection:
-Base: $21.5 billion
-Total: $21.5 billion

Transportation:
-Base: $28.2 billion
-Total: $28.2 billion

General government:
-Base: $7.4 billion
-Total: $7.4 billion

Other spending:
-Base: $18.7 billion
-Cultural Services/Pentagram Creation Act: $200 million (1 time expense)
-Infrastructure and Development/2011 Emergency Tornado Relocation Act: $15 billion (1 time expense)
-Infrastructure and Development/2011 Flooding Damage Repair Bill: $10 billion (1 time expense)
-Puerto Rico: $17.27 billion (total spending of PR- PR is not included in any other category in Spending but the Total Regional Spending)
-Total: $61.17 billion

Interest: $7.4 billion (assumes that Regional Government does not have to pay its own interest)

Total Regional Spending: $401.18 billion (includes Interest)

Regional Revenue

Income Taxes:
-Base: $0 (state cannot collect their own income taxes)
-Corporate Income Tax/Tax-Corporate Net Income/Put the "free" back in Free Enterprise Bill: (see personal income tax rate)
-Corporate Income Tax/Tax-Corporate Net Income/Southeast Nuclear Energy Initiative, Chapter 4: -66.1 million (-0.0661 billion)
-Corporate Tax Rate: 8.6% (part of Free Enterprise Bill above - remember other provisions).
-Personal Income Tax Rate: 5.8% ($$61,650,000,000/year)
-Total: $61,583,900,000 or $61.5839 billion

Social Security Taxes: 
-Base: $15.1 billion
-Total: $15.1 billion

Ad-valorem Taxes:
-Base: $252.3 billion
-Excise Taxes/Tax-Alcoholic Beverage Sales/Southeast Alcohol Initiative, Section 8: $1.3127 billion ($1.00/proof liter or $0.385/gallon for beer, $0.909/gallon for wine, $3.31/gallon for spirits)
-Excise Taxes/Tax-Tobacco Products Sales/Southeast Tobacco Initiative, Section 6:  $0.04/cigarette ($6,034,000,000/year), $0.08/cigar ($80,000,000/year), $2.00/kg tobacco ($24,000,000/year)
-Excise Taxes/Tax-Marijuana Products Sales: $3.00/ounce ($48,000,000/year)
-Sales Taxes/Tax-Public Utilities Sale/Southeast Nuclear Energy Initiative, Chapter 4: 80% of standard electricity excise tax: $0
-Sales Taxes/Tax-Public Utilities Sale/Southeast Biomass Initiative, Section 3: 80% of standard electricity excise tax: $0
-Property Taxes/Tax-Property/Southeast Nuclear Energy Initiative, Chapter 4: n/a ($0)
-Transportation/Tax-Motor Fuel Sales/Transportation Commission Initiative, Chapter 3, Section 22: $0.08/liter ($17,284,230,161/year)
-Transportation/Tax-Motor Vehicle License/Fair Consequences Initiative, Section 3: $10,700,000/year
-License/Tax-Other License/Off-Shore Religious Organizations Initiative, Section 2: n/a ($0)
-Total: $277,093,630,161 or $277.093630161 billion

Fees and Charges:
-Base: $107 billion
-Other/Charges-All Other/Pentagram Creation Act: $5,700,000/year
-Other/Charges-All Other/Safe Roads Initiative, Section 6: $44,400,000/year
-Total: $107,050,100,00 or $107.0501 billion

Business and Other Revenue:
-Base: $132.5 billion
-Puerto Rico: 24.96 billion
-Total: $157.46 billion

Gross Public Debt: $598.7 billion (assumes that Regional Government has not accumulated its own public debt)

Rainy Day Fund: $25 billion

Total Regional Revenue: $618,287,630,161 (does not include Gross Public Debt or Rainy Day Fund)

$Balance: 217,107,630,161

[shua]

Kudos to the IDS!


Haven't gotten any response from my first story besides a statement from SoIA. Was it a tl;dr?

[Yelnoc]

I read it and it's good; not a lot to comment on though.

I am waiting with bated breath for November's national unemployment with regional breakdown, Atlasia dollar inflation, GDP growth, oil prices, and all those other fun figures

[Dr. Cynic]

I would certainly like to see more for something my office can do. I mean, if I'm not going to be able to respond or truly do anything, I might as well leave.

[Yelnoc]

I would certainly like to see more for something my office can do. I mean, if I'm not going to be able to respond or truly do anything, I might as well leave.

You do realize you can create stories of your own (with Shua's approval), yes?

[Cincinnatus]

I would certainly like to see more for something my office can do. I mean, if I'm not going to be able to respond or truly do anything, I might as well leave.

You do realize you can create stories of your own (with Shua's approval), yes?

Come now, Cynic isn't that silly.. Or is he?

[Dr. Cynic]

I would certainly like to see more for something my office can do. I mean, if I'm not going to be able to respond or truly do anything, I might as well leave.

You do realize you can create stories of your own (with Shua's approval), yes?

Yeah, but where's the fun in that if you're not the GM?

[Cincinnatus]

I would certainly like to see more for something my office can do. I mean, if I'm not going to be able to respond or truly do anything, I might as well leave.

You do realize you can create stories of your own (with Shua's approval), yes?

Yeah, but where's the fun in that if you're not the GM?

What's the point in having a SOIA if he's not submitting stories to the GM?

[shua]

I read it and it's good; not a lot to comment on though.

I actually thought there's room for potential policy responses to some things in there, if people were interested.

I am waiting with bated breath for November's national unemployment with regional breakdown, Atlasia dollar inflation, GDP growth, oil prices, and all those other fun figures

well, then I hope you enjoy the employment figures I just posted.

I would certainly like to see more for something my office can do. I mean, if I'm not going to be able to respond or truly do anything, I might as well leave.

Don't worry, I'll post more stories now that I'm back from being out of town, and I'll think of some things to help me with if you like. Hopefully the regions, the President, and the Senate can be interacting with you as well.

[Yelnoc]

Numbers make me happy

One thing though; why is Imperial unemployment so high?

[shua]

Numbers make me happy

One thing though; why is Imperial unemployment so high?

Basically, because the rate was already high, so it'll take a while for it to come down.  Why was it already high before last month?  Apart from loss of public employment reported in August, I'm not really sure, but I'm trying to keep some continuity with the numbers.

[Yelnoc]

Numbers make me happy

One thing though; why is Imperial unemployment so high?

Basically, because the rate was already high, so it'll take a while for it to come down.  Why was it already high before last month?  Apart from loss of public employment reported in August, I'm not really sure, but I'm trying to keep some continuity with the numbers.

Somebody BSed it.  It was lower after Badger than I, IIRC, but I don't remember exactly what.

[Snowguy716]

I'd say the SIS policy has been an overall success.  Comprehensive illicit drug policy is needed to reduce the dangers and risks.  SIS are the red-headed step-child of such a policy because they aren't there to stop people from using drugs.  But when people recognize that many people simply will not stop using drugs, we can show compassion and aid in keeping the community disease free by offering a safe place for addicts to go.

IRL, there is actually a home in the Twin Cities for alcoholics that allows patients to drink on site (though they must be in their rooms and not in the public areas).  Like the SIS program, it shows mixed, but mostly positive results since it has turned people away from alcohol and helped them seek proper treatment.  And for those that don't, they have a warm bed and a hot meal that will keep them safe and alive hopefully long enough to make their own decision to seek treatment.

These people are sick.  We need a lot more carrot and less stick.  Let people keep their dignity throughout the healing process and you'll see more people take part in it.

[Snowguy716]

I'd like to reassure the postal service that I will not sign any reform bill into the law that just slashes and burns the postal service, the consequences be damned.  The recent charade by the senate and the lack of commitment by senators on creating meaningful reform that helps, rather than hurts the postal service did nothing but scare the living daylights out of everybody.  I want to reassure you that new attempts at reform will not do this.

Of course the reform will require labor cost reductions and a reform of services provided to keep mail delivery fast, competitive, and most importantly, relevant in the age of electronic correspondance and private package carriers.

That said, I do not think greatly reducing services to save costs will help.  In fact, I think it will hurt.  That will only send the postal service into a permanent tailspin as demand falls further requiring more service cuts and so on and so forth. 

Instead, I would favor a system that will probably see an increase in prices but focuses heavily on the quality of service in order to draw more customers.  People aren't sending as much mail as they used to and the Atlasian postal service can never compete with a much more convenient and free service like e-mail. 

The postal service will have to shrink to a certain degree, but we can achieve that without drastic measures that leave people angry and jobless.  The postal service will survive and do well if it can deliver mail and packages quickly and efficiently at competitive prices.  That is what the reform package will focus on.

[shua]

I'll be out for Tues through Friday.  I hope to be able to finish pulling together a budget estimate (revenues and expenses) the first week of the new year, and some interesting stories too.

[They Played The Wardrum Out Of Time]

Gold: $1895.37

[Yelnoc]

Continuing from our discussion in ZuWo's thread, do you know what the federal government allocated to "regional health administrations" before the passage of the below bill?

http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=145074.0

[shua]

Continuing from our discussion in ZuWo's thread, do you know what the federal government allocated to "regional health administrations" before the passage of the below bill?

http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=145074.0

The Federal government didn't allocate a specific number. It just said it would be liable for all costs for services under the Atlasian National Healthcare Act - which is what makes the new bill especially confusing.

Here, though, is what the costs were in the September budget update.  Though I haven't been able to get the new budget update up yet, I'll just say now that you can assume the cost of each regional administration has increased by about 10% since then.

Atlasian National Healthcare ($1153.02 billion)
$277.97 billion ... IDS Community Health Partnership (22.4%)
$219.13 billion ... ME Community Health Partnership (17.3%)
$241.23 billion ... MW Community Health Partnership (19.2%)
$230.78 billion ... NE Community Health Partnership (18.3%)
$269.41 billion ... PA Community Health Partnership (21.6%)
$16.0 billion ..... Central Administration Costs (1.2%)

Really, without some sort of clarification on this bill from the Senate or the Administration, it makes the future cost estimation of the whole Healthcare program and any stories related to it impossible.
.

[shua]

I'm putting a budget estimate together.  I'm introducing revenue figures into the budget, and from my data sources I can best calculate revenue as collected after deductions and exemptions.  Expenditures however will include tax credits.  This is a change from previous budgets where deductions, exemptions, and tax credits were all categorized as 'tax expenditures' and added to the spending side. With the introduction of revenue figures, this distinction is more important. We can still have total tax expenditure estimates listed separately.   
I think this accords with the spirit of the Budget Process Committee that met a year or so ago, and I won't change the format any more than I think is necessary.  However, please feel free to comment with any concerns about the change I am suggesting.

[shua]

I put the revenue figures up.  I think these might be the first revenue figures in  . . . probably ever, so take a look at them and see what you think.  I'll be putting up the spending side in the next few days.