Improving Support for Carers Bill 2014 (Passed)

[bore]

Improving Support for Carers Bill 2014

1. The Federal Government will create a new support supplement for those who are guardians or other-wise full-time carers for those who qualify for support under the Atlasian Social Security Act.

2. An individual will be eligible to receive a support supplement of $250 per month.

3. To be considered a full-time carer they must satisfy the following criteria;
3a. The individual must be recognised by regional and Federal authorities as a carer.
3b. The individual cannot work more than 15 hours per week

4. The supplement will be provided for by an increase in the social security levy of 0.25%

Sponsor: Polnut

[Bacon King]

How does the math work out for this? Is .25% enough to cover everyone's $250 and if so where does any surplus go?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I am trying to work out numbers at the moment.

[TNF]

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[Cranberry]

I guess the sums Senator TNF's amendment generates would be quite hard to come up with...

But anyway, I like the spirit of the bill. It will of course require numbers to look at, but I like the bill as it stands, I believe this is a sensible approach.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I guess the sums Senator TNF's amendment generates would be quite hard to come up with...

But anyway, I like the spirit of the bill. It will of course require numbers to look at, but I like the bill as it stands, I believe this is a sensible approach.

Senator TNF's negotiation strategy remains interesting. My original proposals became extremely expensive. This is a positive and likely Budget-neutral response.

[TNF]

This can be budget neutral, of course. But that requires we cut spending elsewhere (the military or corporate welfare) or increase taxes on people who actually deserve to have their taxes increased (the rich, rather than workers, who would be hit hardest by Polnut's Social Security levy)

[Cranberry]

Senator, I personally do not oppose relatively high taxes on the rich. But we have reached a level, that, if increased even more, would generate nothing but the flight of capital into private fonds and to the Cayman Islands or whatever. The result would be less revenue rather than more.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Senator, I personally do not oppose relatively high taxes on the rich. But we have reached a level, that, if increased even more, would generate nothing but the flight of capital into private fonds and to the Cayman Islands or whatever. The result would be less revenue rather than more.

It would generate cash flight, again, benefiting accountants and tax attorneys not the people we need to help. Just as cutting taxes has a decreasing benefit, the same is true of just upping taxes to cover everything.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Indeed, most accept the truth of the Laffer curve even if they disagree with its creator on the true position of where we are on the curve at present. Certainly at the numbers we have now, we are either at, or more likely above the point at which higher tax rates yields less revenue.

[Lumine]

While in other circumstances this effort would indeed be a good idea, I worry that with the recent spending spree we would be able to pay for this considering that we don't even know the impact of past educational and health care reforms. And since I am strongly considering signing the most recent education bill (it shouldn't take long), it would mean expense after expense that we might not be able to pay.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

While in other circumstances this effort would indeed be a good idea, I worry that with the recent spending spree we would be able to pay for this considering that we don't even know the impact of past educational and health care reforms. And since I am strongly considering signing the most recent education bill (it shouldn't take long), it would mean expense after expense that we might not be able to pay.

Considering the Education Bill is a loan program and Senator Cranberry's calculations suggest it is Budget-neutral to positive over the longer term, I'd be concerned if you were to dismiss this due to a possible short-term Budget blip.

[TNF]

Senator, I personally do not oppose relatively high taxes on the rich. But we have reached a level, that, if increased even more, would generate nothing but the flight of capital into private fonds and to the Cayman Islands or whatever. The result would be less revenue rather than more.

So then seize their assets. Not hard.

[Cranberry]

Senator, I personally do not oppose relatively high taxes on the rich. But we have reached a level, that, if increased even more, would generate nothing but the flight of capital into private fonds and to the Cayman Islands or whatever. The result would be less revenue rather than more.

So then seize their assets. Not hard.

There is this subtle line between a democracy and a dictature, and I would rather not cross that line, because I am quite content with a liberal democracy, thank you very much.

[TNF]

It's not a dictatorial move to reclaim what has been stolen from the working class in the first place.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It's not a dictatorial move to reclaim what has been stolen from the working class in the first place.

... good to know we remain on topic.

[Cranberry]

It's not a dictatorial move to reclaim what has been stolen from the working class in the first place.

If you feel so...

[bore]

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Sorry about missing this

Senators have 36 hours to object to this amendment

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I object on the grounds of feasibility

[bore]

Senators a vote is now open on TNF's amendment, please vote aye nay or abstain

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

NAY

[Cranberry]

Nay

[TNF]

Aye

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Nay,

30 hours for caregivers but giving only 4 per week to teenagers..... I can't support that.

[bore]

Oops

By a vote of 3-1 TNF's amendment has failed:

Aye: TNF

Nay: Cranberry, Polnut, JCL

Not voting: Bore, Deus, Yankee, Windjammer, Bacon King