February 2013 Presidential Election - 2nd Debate

[Lincoln Republican]

While Mr. Cathcon picks a petty fight with our fine moderator over when he entered the Presidential race, I offer Atlasians real solutions and strong policies to combat unemployment and create jobs.

As President, I will introduce a full employment strategy, the aim of which will be to create an economic environment in which Atlasians from all backgrounds will be able to thrive and prosper.  Meaningful employment provides individuals with a sense of self worth and with the ability to realize their goals and their potential.

The right to employment will foster an environment in which the economic rights of all citizens are respected.

Technological advances over the past 20 years has changed the face of employment in the world and in Atlasia.  Therefore, starting at the earliest levels, our education system must ensure that our children learn and are taught to become capable of coping in a technologically advanced society.  This is part of the full employment strategy, going into the next generation.

Technology is advancing rapidly, and as President, I intend that some of the brightest minds in Atlasia will identify emerging technologies in order to prepare a new generation of Atlasians will be prepared in these fields.  These new technologies will be providing millions of new jobs in the future, and I intend that Atlasians will be prepared.

A shortage of skilled workers in the trades is an ongoing problem.  As President, I will create and expand programs to ensure that Atlasia has adequate skilled and trained workers in the trades, i.e. plumbers, electrctians, carpenters, mechanics, masons, builders, etc.  Skilled workers in the trades will always be required and an effective training program will work towards ensuring that skilled workers in these fields will be available.

Small and medium sized businesses are the greatest job creators.  As President, I will work to create an environment in which these business can grow and thrive, thereby growing these organizations, enabling them to expand, prosper, and hire new employees.  I will institute programs which will provide comprehensive training and strategies for those wishing and intending to establish small businesses, in order to minimize their chances of failure.

The education and training of the individual is key to these full employment strategies.  Therefore, my education and training programs will be built around ensuring that our children and youth receive the best education and training possible in order that they will be prepared to thrive in a fast paced and ever changing world.   

[Lincoln Republican]

In response to the moderator's question as to what would the candidates do to reform our education system, the Winfield/Simfan administration will work to achieve the following educational reforms.

FELLA (Fostering Early Literacy for Low-Income Atlasians) Act
The FELLA Act would establish funding for early literacy programmes in low-income areas and other areas of below-average literacy. These programs would be held at local libraries and schools, and would include family nights focused on the importance of and strategies for reading with children, reading and writing sessions at the libraries, and the Young Literacy Corps’ volunteers mentor pre-schoolers, kindergarteners and first graders in reading, oral language, and literacy skill development.

GET(Gaining Excellent Teachers) Act
The Gaining Excellent Teachers Act would supplement the recently passed Atlasian Institute of Teachers Act by providing incentives for high performance on the National Teachers Licensing Exam (NTLE) and performance in their academic institution via tax credits and tuition grants.

Universal Secondary Education Act
The federal government would mandate that every Atlasian, who is capable of such, must achieve a secondary-level education, that is, complete high school.

Universal Tertiary Education Act
The federal government would mandate that every Atlasian, who is capable of such, at least complete two years of tertiary education, whether it be at a trades school, an associate degree, vocational education, military education, or general bachelors and graduate degrees. This would help make our workforce more competitive in the 21st century global economy and allow for the strengthening of trades.

We will as well act swiftly to improve and ensure the safety of our students through the following anti bullying program.

Our schools must be as safe and as sceure as possible in order to ensure that our students are free to pursue their education and school activities without fear of violence, intimidation, or bullying.  While I fully recognize that violence in schools will never be completely eliminated, at the same time, school violence can be minimized by taking common sense steps to achieve this goal.

Behaviors such as bullying and hitting often start at a young age and may continue into young adulthood. Youth violence can often lead to serious injury or death.

Any amount of violence is unacceptable. Parents, teachers, and administrators expect schools to be safe havens of learning. Acts of violence can disrupt the learning process and have a negative effect on students, the school itself, and the broader community.

Sexual violence begins early in life.  Most victims do not tell friends and family about the abuse and suffer alone. Those who do disclose the violence may be stigmatized by friends, family, and their community.

Suicide is a serious public health problem that affects even young people. For youth and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death. It results in approximately 4,300 lives lost each year.

As President, I shall be implementing an extensive training, information, and awareness program for administrators, teachers and students alike, conducted by experts in these various fields, discussing the above issues, and the best ways to avoid them.

I shall be establishing school health guidelines, designed to prevent unintentional injuries and violence. Guidelines promote safety and teach students the skills needed to prevent injuries and violence. They will be designed for all grade levels and provide support for a coordinated school health program, and will be implemented by experts in this field.

I shall also be establishing a school health index, which is a self-assessment and planning tool that enables schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of health and safety policies and programs, develops an action plan for improving student health and safety, and involves teachers, parents, students, and the community in improving school services.

Each year, emergency departments treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger for playground-related injuries. I shall be implementing an extensive program about playground risks, and how to avoid severe injuries associated with playgrounds.
 
A child can take a spill, knock his or her head, and get a concussion in any number of school settings ranging from the hallway, the playground, the cafeteria, and beyond.  As President, I shall implement a program, developed for professionals working with grades K-12, to help principals, school nurses, teachers or other school professionals identify and respond to concussions in an array of school settings.

Where necessary or where felt required, schools shall have the authority to implement a lock down procedure to more adequately ensure student and faculty safety.  Schools shall as well have the authority to implement a procedure where students must pass through a detector on their way into school to detect any weapons they may be carrying, which shall be confiscated.

With reference to the inquiry from Governor Scott about where the candidates stand on standardized testing, first of all, let me thank the Governor for this very important question, an issue that would have wide ranging influence and far reaching consequences for education throughout Atlasia.

Standardized testing is a very complex and multi faceted issue.  There are many arguments that can be made both pro and con on this issue.  There is really no simple answer.  Both the pro and the con arguments regarding standardized testing are compelling.

Overall, however, I tend not to support standardized testing for students.
    

[Lincoln Republican]

Decrease unemployment by increasing jobs.

Thank you Mr. Kalwejt for your as always detailed and thought provoking policy pronouncements and solutions to the problems facing Atlasia in these troubled and challenging times we are living in.

The nation is truly indebted to you for  your uncanny insight and stirring leadership.

I myself am tremendously humbled and positively grateful simply to be on the same debate stage with such an awe inspiring statesman as yourself.  

 

[Lincoln Republican]

Thank you Mr. SJoyce for getting this debate going again.  I have participated actively in all the previous questions as I believe the citizens of Atlasia are entitled to  know where the candidates stand.  It would appear that generally only Mr. Cathcon, Mr. Kalwejt, and  myself have been active in this debate.

Stance on affirmative action:

I am not particularly a fan of affirmative action.  I believe everyone should be entitled to equal treatment.  I do not believe in filling a position with someone of a particular gender or race simply because of that.  The individual should possess the qualifications for the position, regardless of gender or race.

Introduce any new taxes:

Goods and Services Tax Act

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) would be a tax levied on the value added on each level of production, at a level of 5%. Most developed countries, and indeed most countries in general, have a goods and services tax, and there is no reason Atlasia should not have one as well, especially in order to fund the improvements we intend to make. With exemptions for housing, education, and charitable donations, a GST would raise $277.2 billion in new revenue.

Financial Transactions Tax

The Financial Transactions Tax would tax the trades of each major category of financial assets traded in Atlasian markets: stocks, bonds, foreign exchange, and derivative assets (i.e. options, forwards, futures, and swaps). Many analysts also believe that an excessive share of the economy’s resources is being consumed by the financial sector. A financial transactions or trading tax is a policy tool that can address both issues: raising a substantial amount of revenue and reducing the size of financial trading in the U.S. economy relative to the economy’s level of productive activity. At a rate of 0.5% on stocks and 0.01% on bonds, a Financial Transactions Tax could raise up to $353.8 billion in new revenue.

Income tax policy

This tax policy is based on income, and I will propose that all Atlasians with an income over 10,000 should and will participate in the payment of taxes in order to provide the revenue necessary to move the nation forward, as well as I believe that all who benefit from citizenship in Atlasia should participate in the responsibility to provide necessary revenues for the nations programs.
 
Income up to 10,000 no tax
Income over 10,000 up to 20,000 taxed at 5%
Income over 20,000 up to 35,000 taxed at 10% 
Income over 35,000 up to 50,000 taxed at 15%
Income over 50,000 up to 100,000 taxed at 20%
Income over 100,000 up to 300,000  taxed at 25%
Income over 300,000 up to 500,000 taxed at 30%
Income over 500,000 up to 1,000,000 taxed at 35%
Income over 1,000,000 up to 3,000,000 taxed at 40%
Income over 3,000,000 up to 5,000,000 taxed at 45%
Income over 5,000,000 taxed at 50%

No deductions or loopholes are allowed, however, since it is clear that families with children have greater expenses, families with an income not above 70,000 will receive a rebate per child based on the following table.

Income up to 35,000 rebate of 2,000 per child
Income over 35,000 up to 50,000 rebate of 1,000 per child
Income over 50,000 up to 70,000 rebate of 500 per child

Any industries that I would subsidize

Due to the important nature of the oil and gas industry this would be subsidized  to enable our oil and gas industry to be internationally competitive.

Government functions privatized or private functions nationalized

No government functions would be privatized.  Health care would be nationalized to ensure that all citizens of Atlasia receive the best health care available.

Reduce personal debt

From my platform

Federal Provident Fund Act
The Federal Provident Fund would mandate the saving by every Atlasian of a minimum 2.25% of their annual income for old age, to gradually increase over time. Eventually this may displace Social Security. A minimum savings would be set and differences between 2.25% of income and the legal minimum would be funded by the government, thus encouraging saving even for low-income earners.

National Savings Bank Act
A Federally-backed savings bank would be established to encourage general  (non-retirement) saving by individuals, and re-establishing the Postal Savings Bank. Income shown as saved in the Savings Bank would be eligible for a full tax credit of up to $50,000 for couples and $25,000, and a half tax credit in other banks.

Guaranteed Minimum Income Act
Each Atlasian would be entitled to a minimum post-tax income as set forth by the bill, and the actualization of the minimum income would be through a negative income tax, without any other reduction of benefits.

Aid to manufacturing, small business

Manufacturing and small business would be subsidized to ensure viability on the national and international markets.

Healthcare system

I have to agree somewhat with Mr. Cathcon on this issue.  I will work towards a Swedish/Norwegian style healthcare system, publicly funded and efficient.  I will root out waste and corruption in the healthcare system, to ensure that public funds are used wisely and properly.