Pacific Legislature Official Thread

[Alexander Hamilton]

General Sales Tax Elimination Bill

1. That no General Sales Tax may be applied, including food items, goods, and services.
2. That certain “excise taxes” be allowed, including cigarette, cannabis, and gasoline taxes.
3. That this bill shall be paid for by a .5 percent income tax increase on top bracket earners.
4. That the remainder of this bill be funded by a 3.5 percent flight surcharge to be added to the purchase of air travel.

[Alexander Hamilton]

This bill I introduce does many things right. It encourages commerce by giving consumers more purchasing power. It adds jobs by creating new demand for goods. It allows people with lower incomes to be able to purchase more than they could before, and live a better life. And the costs are covered by measures that will not very much affect the economy- air travel will continue regardless and the slight income tax increase is only on top earners, most of which would have been going towards savings or investing rather than spending into the economy. In these economic times, we need more consumers to encourage productivity. I highly urge fellow citizens of the People's Region of the Pacific to sign on as sponsors and support this bill.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Signed into law on October 13, 2008:

Reduction of Regressive Taxation Act

1. The sales tax on food and grocery items is hereby abolished.
2. The sales tax on books is hereby abolished.
3. The provisions of this act will take effect two weeks after this becomes law.

This is a general sales tax elimination.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Signed into law on October 13, 2008:

Reduction of Regressive Taxation Act

1. The sales tax on food and grocery items is hereby abolished.
2. The sales tax on books is hereby abolished.
3. The provisions of this act will take effect two weeks after this becomes law.

This is a general sales tax elimination.

I'm aware of that, and no one has yet explained the necessity of such an idea.

Most of the sales taxes which directly affect poor the most have long been nonexistent in the Pacific Region.  Of course I had also hoped to remove sin taxes on tobacco and alcohol products - some of the most regressive taxation we have - but you are not supportive of removing those sorts of sales taxes.  So forgive me if I have trouble accepting that you want to completely abolish the sales tax solely to help the poor.

I think I argued a lot more than "solely" that one point. The proposition has received much support from both parties and will be helpful to the Pacific region.

[Alexander Hamilton]

The new proposition will only help rich persons, since that will delete the sales tax on expensive items.

I don't think that you honestly beleive it will "only" help rich persons. Also, you have to consider that the median "rich" person spends far less percentages of their income than the median "poor" person.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Bee Crisis Resolution

1.   Our region will recognize honeybees (genus: Apis) as keystone species that must be protected from CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder)
2.   The Pacific region will fund research and development of anti-parasitical (V. destructor) drugs to be provided to the region’s beekeepers.
3.   The chemical Imidacloprid is henceforth banned in the Pacific region.
4.   The region will implement a planting program for pollen-producing goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea).
5.   The destruction of any bee colony or bee hive will result in a fine of no less than $5,000.

[Alexander Hamilton]

This bill attacks the forefront causes of the destuction of important honeybees in our region, a significant problem facing our large agricultural industry. Bees are essential to the pollenation of many plants, and the rapid decline in populations recently is appalling. Hopefully some fellow Pacific citizens recognize this atrocity and will work with me by either signing on this measure or adding to it as a means of improvement. Thank you. Hamilton

[Alexander Hamilton]

Where is the money coming from?

[Alexander Hamilton]

Where is the money coming from?

From that fantastic budget surplus we have always had.

Well in that case....


I'd like to see some real funding data, perhaps an outline of this budget and where funds will be allocated from.

[Alexander Hamilton]

remove item 3 and i will support

[Alexander Hamilton]

remove item 3 and i will support

I see no reason to ban a sales tax on books. You get to the point to where you may as well suggest banning sales taxes on everything, because there's nothing special about books that require protection, unlike something like food, or something that is disproportionately consumed by poor people, such as cigarettes or alcohol. A sales tax on books is not particularly regressive or harmful, and is a constant and broad source or income, as opposed to a targeted income tax hike.

We should do our best to make books more accessible to all ages and incomes. I don't actually think there is a necessity to remove the ban. Taxes on cigarettes I find helpful to the poor in that they discourage consumption, therefore an incentive for quitting, which allows them to spend their income on something else, and for health, as cigarette's are clearly not very healthy. I don't think removing the tax really brings in enough additional revenue to make a positive impact but I'm open to other's suggestions and arguments.

[Alexander Hamilton]

remove item 3 and i will support

I see no reason to ban a sales tax on books. You get to the point to where you may as well suggest banning sales taxes on everything, because there's nothing special about books that require protection, unlike something like food, or something that is disproportionately consumed by poor people, such as cigarettes or alcohol. A sales tax on books is not particularly regressive or harmful, and is a constant and broad source or income, as opposed to a targeted income tax hike.

We should do our best to make books more accessible to all ages and incomes. I don't actually think there is a necessity to remove the ban. Taxes on cigarettes I find helpful to the poor in that they discourage consumption, therefore an incentive for quitting, which allows them to spend their income on something else, and for health, as cigarette's are clearly not very healthy. I don't think removing the tax really brings in enough additional revenue to make a positive impact but I'm open to other's suggestions and arguments.

Tobacco taxes are pretty much counting on continued consumption of cigarettes to provide income. They are punishing people for an uncontrollable addiction. Sin taxes are generally not backed up much by the idea that they reduce consumption. What would do much better at that is regulating marketing activities, creating tighter restrictions on companies, etc.

To be honest, it doesn't matter to me. It has short term benefits of increased revenue witht he long term aim of reduction. We have other means of revenues, excise taxes are a convenient way to kill two birds with one stone over time. Whether they are effective in reducing consumption could probably be debated, but the potential is worth it. Regardless, the clause of removing the book tax ban is not acceptable to me.

[Alexander Hamilton]

This is silly, books are like any other commodity, if you're going to ban sales taxes on books, take it the next step and abolish all sales taxes.

There's no reason books are more special than any other product.

I don't mind banning sales taxes on all items. But I honestly believe that books are an item that don't deserve to be taxed, publications for that matter, reading is good. Magazines, newspapers, novels, etc. should be encouraged among our citizens.

[Alexander Hamilton]

My point is that if you're going to exempt something from sales taxes, it has to be because it's a special or important product, or it's disproportionately consumed by a certain group of people. There's no such exceptions for books, which makes the sales tax exemption rather out of place and pointless.

I would consider books an educational material, possibly all publications could be. Therefore, I consider that a special item to be exempt. You may disagree but as it stands, I'd like to see that clause removed, or work together to find an alternative.

[Alexander Hamilton]

My point is that if you're going to exempt something from sales taxes, it has to be because it's a special or important product, or it's disproportionately consumed by a certain group of people. There's no such exceptions for books, which makes the sales tax exemption rather out of place and pointless.

I would consider books an educational material, possibly all publications could be. Therefore, I consider that a special item to be exempt. You may disagree but as it stands, I'd like to see that clause removed, or work together to find an alternative.

Perhaps, but surely we can come to some sort of compromise. Perhaps exempting them from sales taxes when they're used for educational purposes (day care organizations, schools, colleges, etc) similar to the way that food is exempted from sales taxes in certain states if they're bought for businesses.

I would be open to considering that. I would like to see what others have to offer, MaxQue has also stated his dissatisfaction with the clause. I wish there were some way to incorporate children's books into it because I really want to see more kid's reading and owning books but that seems difficult to categorize and is likely more trouble than it's worth.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Taxes on cigarettes I find helpful to the poor in that they discourage consumption, therefore an incentive for quitting

This is one of those really good ideas that has never been proven not to work.

To be honest, it doesn't matter to me. It has short term benefits of increased revenue witht he long term aim of reduction. We have other means of revenues, excise taxes are a convenient way to kill two birds with one stone over time. Whether they are effective in reducing consumption could probably be debated, but the potential is worth it. Regardless, the clause of removing the book tax ban is not acceptable to me.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Bill Frist Act
1) All testing on non-human vertebrate animals is hereby banned in the Pacific Region.
2) Violation of this ban shall result in up to five years in prison and up to one million dollars in fines.

X Bgwah

LOL!

[Alexander Hamilton]

I'm not really posting as my fantasy self here...

In my experience books are mostly purchases of the wealthier amongst us.

This situation will not improve if you artificially increase their price.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

That's quite an elitist (no, I mean actually elitist, not "elitist" in the sense it's often used in American political discourse post-1968 or so) statement, though you probably don't realise it. But read it again, and out of context, and you might.

The point is that books and reading ought not be restricted to certain social classes, that literacy is (or at least ought to be) a gateway to self-education and self-improvement and that a tax on books is (as the campaign against the Thatcher government's attempt to remove books from 0% VAT put it) a "tax on knowledge". Of course if you go even further back - one of the traditional calling-cards of a certain sort of reactionary regime was a tax on books and newspapers (guess why).

Making the situation even worse than it is (I remember reading an estimate on how many Americans read books on a regular basis and being pretty shocked) in order to fight the deficit is an unusual action for a liberal-ish government to take.

Besides, you'd get more money from taxing luxury goods.

I atually agree with everything you said, and it's something I fought for.

[Alexander Hamilton]

How could a tax on luxury goods be written?

Raising income taxes for the rich.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Nay taxes are Gay

Oh Lunar, hey
what can i say?
cant have every single thing your way

[Alexander Hamilton]

Nay taxes are Gay

Oh Lunar, hey
what can i say?
cant have every single thing your way

Yo hey,
let me say,
please go away

No way
These games I won't play
Let me have my say
Today
Okay?

[Alexander Hamilton]

ur gay
lol only in L.A.

NOT NICE TO SAY!

[Alexander Hamilton]

jean baptiste pierre antoine de monet



(pwned)

man i knew i left this region for a reason!

[Alexander Hamilton]

jean baptiste pierre antoine de monet



(pwned)

man i knew i left this region for a reason!

Easier to win elsewhere?

No. The Northeast and Mideast are just better regions.

[Alexander Hamilton]

In case you all haven't figured this out yet, I'm a horrible governor. I'll try my best to get to this within a few days but no real promises.

You take us as stupid? You rival Daniel Adams.