SENATE BILL: Long-term Unemployment Relief Act (Law'd)

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Sir TNF, may I ask you a question?
How would a seven-hour day, as proposed,
As pleasing as it is to pinkos' ears,
Be beneficial to the working class
In areas of unemployment and
Obtaining jobs from hirers who refuse
To hire said workers even as of now?
The people do need help, yes, but like this?
Perhaps a better way to go about
This unemployment crisis on our hands
Would be free training for the unemployed
(And benefits most generous to help
Them as they stumble through a crumbling market,
Though I assume, Atlasia being what
It is we've taken care of things like those)
To give them skills required* for a job?
A decent one, too, and well-paying,
With the promise of a happy, fulfilled life?
And in addition, I see no inherent
Problem with a tax break that will serve
As an incentive for the common good
(In this case, hiring of the unemployed),
Regardless of the benefits the rich
Will reap inevitably from their kindness -
Philanthropy's philanthropy no matter
The income of the person who performs it.
This bill and benefits for our workforce
Aren't mutually exclusive on their face,
And while I stand with all the working men
And women who do make this nation great,
I think that we can spare some change that otherwise'd
Be taken from the rich to give incentives for th'employment of those who've been there
For far too long a time I'll stand to stand.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

This bill is going to make it easier for employers not to pay taxes while offering no relief to the employed. If anything, a better way to reduce unemployment is to zero out the payroll tax responsibilities of the lowest earners. This will put more money in their wallets which will be spent and force hiring in other sectors of the economy.

Of course, if we *really* want to be serious about lowering unemployment, we need to talk about moving to a 7 Hour Day, rather than just talking about giving tax relief to corporations.

Do you realize a 7-hour day will mean more people will take on second jobs? And if they don't, they'll have less money for having worked fewer hours.  Anyway, the long-term unemployed face unique challenges that persist even when the general unemployment rate drops.  This is a policy to address that problem.

Do you realize that the minimum wage is already set to adjust to $18 an hour by 2018? A 7 hour day combined with that, or combined with an even higher minimum wage, would make up for any losses that might accompany such a change. Plus, more people, not fewer, are going to be employed with people working less hours because there's going to need to be more workers hired to make up for less workers being able to work without hitting overtime pay. So any purported changes are going to be offset by wider employment, which will lift overall wages and reduce hours in the long run.

If introduced, a 7-hour-long day
Would lower workers' wages, would it not?
And therefore we'd be forced to multiply
The minimum wage by one over seven
To better parity achieve between
The old day and the new in wages' sphere.
Now, I'm not saying this is a bad thing,
I would just like to note that we would have
To increase wages just to keep the same
Appropriate level for our garbage-men
As we had had before, Sir TNF.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

This bill is going to make it easier for employers not to pay taxes while offering no relief to the employed. If anything, a better way to reduce unemployment is to zero out the payroll tax responsibilities of the lowest earners. This will put more money in their wallets which will be spent and force hiring in other sectors of the economy.

Of course, if we *really* want to be serious about lowering unemployment, we need to talk about moving to a 7 Hour Day, rather than just talking about giving tax relief to corporations.

Do you realize a 7-hour day will mean more people will take on second jobs? And if they don't, they'll have less money for having worked fewer hours.  Anyway, the long-term unemployed face unique challenges that persist even when the general unemployment rate drops.  This is a policy to address that problem.

Do you realize that the minimum wage is already set to adjust to $18 an hour by 2018? A 7 hour day combined with that, or combined with an even higher minimum wage, would make up for any losses that might accompany such a change. Plus, more people, not fewer, are going to be employed with people working less hours because there's going to need to be more workers hired to make up for less workers being able to work without hitting overtime pay. So any purported changes are going to be offset by wider employment, which will lift overall wages and reduce hours in the long run.

$18/hour???
Goodness Atlasia's policy-makers have bought into uneconomical utopianism even more than I realized.  All the more reason we need policies to help the long-term unemployed, since otherwise we can expect even more of them in the future.

Or you could see employment as it is
Instead of basing everything on models.
The rate in here would probably be low,
More so than the United States even,
If not for that god-damned* Western hellhole
The rate of which sticks out like a sore thumb.

*((Three syllables are in god-damned here))

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

This bill is going to make it easier for employers not to pay taxes while offering no relief to the employed. If anything, a better way to reduce unemployment is to zero out the payroll tax responsibilities of the lowest earners. This will put more money in their wallets which will be spent and force hiring in other sectors of the economy.

Of course, if we *really* want to be serious about lowering unemployment, we need to talk about moving to a 7 Hour Day, rather than just talking about giving tax relief to corporations.

Do you realize a 7-hour day will mean more people will take on second jobs? And if they don't, they'll have less money for having worked fewer hours.  Anyway, the long-term unemployed face unique challenges that persist even when the general unemployment rate drops.  This is a policy to address that problem.

Do you realize that the minimum wage is already set to adjust to $18 an hour by 2018? A 7 hour day combined with that, or combined with an even higher minimum wage, would make up for any losses that might accompany such a change. Plus, more people, not fewer, are going to be employed with people working less hours because there's going to need to be more workers hired to make up for less workers being able to work without hitting overtime pay. So any purported changes are going to be offset by wider employment, which will lift overall wages and reduce hours in the long run.

$18/hour???
Goodness Atlasia's policy-makers have bought into uneconomical utopianism even more than I realized.  All the more reason we need policies to help the long-term unemployed, since otherwise we can expect even more of them in the future.

Or you could see employment as it is
Instead of basing everything on models.
The rate in here would probably be low,
more so than the United States even,
if not for that god-damned* Western hellhole
The rate of which sticks out like a sore thumb.

I resent this, good sir.

Well, don't just stand there, do something! Fix it!
If you resent my calling out of your
Brothers in arms in the Pacific region
Then work to change the situation there
And let your people earn back my respect.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I hereby do object to this amendment.
The "Section 3" that Shua has proposed
Brings physical sickness to my left-wing heart.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Nay.

However, as the PPT has said,
I don't think it's the time to be proceeding
To voting on th'amendment I opposed.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Nay.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

If this amendment passes, then I must
Oppose the passage of the horrid bill.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Huzzah! There'll be rejoicing in the streets!

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Nay.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Objecting to that amendment.

Why? Don't you want it to be easier for people to get jobs?

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

TNF already objected, but I'm not sure that counts so I'm objecting on his behalf (still with the intent of voting for this).

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Aye.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I shall not stand to see this passed, and will fight with every breath in my body against Sen. Yankee's crusade against the working class.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I object to that amendment.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I'm back, my friends (and enemies as well)!
It's time I jumped in here to save the day
From Shua's horrid, poor-hating crusade.
For that reason I shall be voting Nay
On this amendment, and then I'll be off.
I've got about ten bills to read, you see.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Nay.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Frankly, I'm ashamed of the President for abandoning Atlasia's working class (and after he promised them higher wages, no less!). I stand united with Sen. TNF and the entire Labor Party in opposing this vile betrayal of the Atlasian people. If President Duke didn't want higher wages, he shouldn't have passed the FLSA in the first place.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Frankly, I'm ashamed of the President for abandoning Atlasia's working class (and after he promised them higher wages, no less!). I stand united with Sen. TNF and the entire Labor Party in opposing this vile betrayal of the Atlasian people. If President Duke didn't want higher wages, he shouldn't have passed the FLSA in the first place.

Exactly! If he had such a problem with it before, why not utilize his ability to re-write the legislation? Why repeal it wholescale now? It's nonsense. Utter nonsense and contempt for working people.

In a way, this is even more cruel than if he had just vetoed the original bill - there are probably working families who were counting on those extra wages to get some time to themselves or buy a new car or some such thing.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Oh, the reversal (and the fact that our dear President seems to have overlooked one of the main components of a bill he signed) are but a small part of my and TNF's objection to the bill. We can debate the minimum wage vs. basic income all day (and I'm still not entirely sure what the levels of cash-money Nixcome provides are and how much they help people escape poverty), but I'm going to stand with the working class here.