SAM News Corp. Comment and Debate thread

[Sam Spade]

I wish the GM would give me the data on the distribution of children in the Southeast by income levels he promised to give.
I'm also gonna need (and this should be easier) average per student spending in public schools in the SE.
This last one is more important, so if you have this, give them before the others.

Ok, Bono.  Here you go with the last question.

Population aged 5-17 in the SE:
15,264,000 - total

Average spending per student in the SE:
$7,675.60 - total

I'll see what I can do on the first question.  The population stats will help me figure out the other number.

[CheeseWhiz]

How many I don't know.

Precisely our problem.  We don't know how many employees there are.  We don't know how much they are being paid.  We don't know how to get this information.

Yep, I know.  Here's what I'll do.  When I officially get back on Saturday, I will work out the stuff for Cheezewhiz and John Ford on the Regional budget issues.

Much obliged

Thanks!

[Bono]

I wish the GM would give me the data on the distribution of children in the Southeast by income levels he promised to give.
I'm also gonna need (and this should be easier) average per student spending in public schools in the SE.
This last one is more important, so if you have this, give them before the others.

Ok, Bono.  Here you go with the last question.

Population aged 5-17 in the SE:
15,264,000 - total

Average spending per student in the SE:
$7,675.60 - total

I'll see what I can do on the first question.  The population stats will help me figure out the other number.

THanks.

[Sam Spade]

I wish the GM would give me the data on the distribution of children in the Southeast by income levels he promised to give.
I'm also gonna need (and this should be easier) average per student spending in public schools in the SE.
This last one is more important, so if you have this, give them before the others.

Ok, Bono.  Here you go with the last question.

Population aged 5-17 in the SE:
15,264,000 - total

Average spending per student in the SE:
$7,675.60 - total

I'll see what I can do on the first question.  The population stats will help me figure out the other number.

THanks.

Bono, I'll give a little more help.  I miscalculated one of the numbers.

The real number is $6,886.60.

Sorry.

[Sam Spade]

How many I don't know.

Precisely our problem.  We don't know how many employees there are.  We don't know how much they are being paid.  We don't know how to get this information.

Yep, I know.  Here's what I'll do.  When I officially get back on Saturday, I will work out the stuff for Cheezewhiz and John Ford on the Regional budget issues.

Much obliged

Thanks!

Ok, this isn't going to be perfect, but it'll be close.

Amazingly, most states in the Midwest (and in the country at-large) don't like to give out employee salary information or pension numbers.  Kansas seems to be the only state that does, so I'm basing some of this off that.

If I am estimating correctly, the total budgets of the 10 Midwest states come to being about $150 billion.  (John Ford can correct me here if he wants to).

Government employee spending (in Kansas at least) comes to being roughly 16% of the state budget.

So, if you were to cut state government employee salaries by 5%, according to my math, you would save $1.2 billion.

Once again, I'll listen to objections, because I may have calculated this wrong.

[ilikeverin]

Actually, we want to eliminate any redundant positions, but I suppose if we did that, plus some wage cuts, it would slaughter our deficit?

And we'd even go into surplus?

*hunts for budget thread*

Thanks a million, Sam!

[The Duke]

How many I don't know.

Precisely our problem.  We don't know how many employees there are.  We don't know how much they are being paid.  We don't know how to get this information.

Yep, I know.  Here's what I'll do.  When I officially get back on Saturday, I will work out the stuff for Cheezewhiz and John Ford on the Regional budget issues.

Much obliged

Thanks!

Ok, this isn't going to be perfect, but it'll be close.

Amazingly, most states in the Midwest (and in the country at-large) don't like to give out employee salary information or pension numbers.  Kansas seems to be the only state that does, so I'm basing some of this off that.

If I am estimating correctly, the total budgets of the 10 Midwest states come to being about $150 billion.  (John Ford can correct me here if he wants to).

Government employee spending (in Kansas at least) comes to being roughly 16% of the state budget.

So, if you were to cut state government employee salaries by 5%, according to my math, you would save $1.2 billion.

Once again, I'll listen to objections, because I may have calculated this wrong.

Those numbers for the MW budget sound about right if memory serves.

Whenever you get to doing the Pacific Employee salary cut numbers I asked for, that would be appreciated.  Obviously, we have some time, as the legislature is otherwise occupied for now.

[WMS]

The Secretary of State would like to remind SAM News Corp that the President can change trade policy with a simple declaration and that the Senate can change it via Act, per the Foreign Relations Review Bill. They have not yet done so, and other than commenting that there were no sanctions on Spain I was awaiting their move.

But in order to spare Atlasia another economic hit, I revise the Foreign Relations Review to lift the partial economic restrictions on the Republic of France. I suggest the President and/or the Senate decide what to do about the partial military restrictions as that is an issue with substantial foreign policy implications.

[True Democrat]

For the candidate tracker, I'm not from PA.

[The Duke]

Sales tax revenues off?  Pacific has no sales tax.
Wages falling?  Pacific about to institute $7 minimum wage.

[The Duke]

When debate ends on the abortion bill in my legislature, I'm going to introduce a bill to cut salaries of administrators by 5%.  Cuts will no affect other state employees, like Highway Patrol and Teachers.  Do you have a preferred method of figuring cost savings?

I also plan to push for a consolidation bill for bureacracy, do you have a preferred method for figuring costs of eliminating a headaurters for each Gov't Dept. in each State Capital and expanding the central offices in Sacramento California to handle the expanded workload?

If left to my own devices, I'd figure a 5% cut in the Administrative Costs departmen of the government for the pay cuts, and maybe a 1%-2% cut in the costs of the other Departments for the consolidation.

[Siege40]

I'd like to say, that before the election of the next president I will be giving my third and final state of the forum address, and in it, I will outline a few of my views on the issues recently outlined in the paper.

Siege

[Sam Spade]

When debate ends on the abortion bill in my legislature, I'm going to introduce a bill to cut salaries of administrators by 5%.  Cuts will no affect other state employees, like Highway Patrol and Teachers.  Do you have a preferred method of figuring cost savings?

I also plan to push for a consolidation bill for bureacracy, do you have a preferred method for figuring costs of eliminating a headaurters for each Gov't Dept. in each State Capital and expanding the central offices in Sacramento California to handle the expanded workload?

If left to my own devices, I'd figure a 5% cut in the Administrative Costs departmen of the government for the pay cuts, and maybe a 1%-2% cut in the costs of the other Departments for the consolidation.

I'll get you answers tomorrow.

[The Duke]

[Sam Spade]

Sorry, I've been so out-of-touch.

You can figure the consolidation savings as being $2 billion dollars.  I think I've figured the Pacific budget is roughly $200 billion dollars (more than the Midwest because of California, obviously), and I'm going with a 1% savings for consolidation, rather than 2%, because of the possible infrastructure building needs with such a move.

As to the cuts in admistration, my best guesses at figuring the cost savings would put such a 5% cut in administrators at being $800 million dollars.

If you think this is unreasonable or strange, let me know.  But based on the figures I can find on the web, this is the way I'll calculate it.

[The Duke]

Sorry, I've been so out-of-touch.

You can figure the consolidation savings as being $2 billion dollars.  I think I've figured the Pacific budget is roughly $200 billion dollars (more than the Midwest because of California, obviously), and I'm going with a 1% savings for consolidation, rather than 2%, because of the possible infrastructure building needs with such a move.

As to the cuts in admistration, my best guesses at figuring the cost savings would put such a 5% cut in administrators at being $800 million dollars.

If you think this is unreasonable or strange, let me know.  But based on the figures I can find on the web, this is the way I'll calculate it.

Total Pacific Budget is $256 billion exactly, so $2.5 billion would be that 1% cut.

Is the $800 million for just releasing 5% of administrators or is that a salary cut, too?  Because I was going to do one of those as well.  A 5% salary cut, to be exact.

[Sam Spade]

Sorry, I've been so out-of-touch.

You can figure the consolidation savings as being $2 billion dollars.  I think I've figured the Pacific budget is roughly $200 billion dollars (more than the Midwest because of California, obviously), and I'm going with a 1% savings for consolidation, rather than 2%, because of the possible infrastructure building needs with such a move.

As to the cuts in admistration, my best guesses at figuring the cost savings would put such a 5% cut in administrators at being $800 million dollars.

If you think this is unreasonable or strange, let me know.  But based on the figures I can find on the web, this is the way I'll calculate it.

Total Pacific Budget is $256 billion exactly, so $2.5 billion would be that 1% cut.

Is the $800 million for just releasing 5% of administrators or is that a salary cut, too?  Because I was going to do one of those as well.  A 5% salary cut, to be exact.

$2.5 billion is a ok figure with me, John.

As to the administrators, cutting 5% of them would save slightly less than a 5% salary cut.  Say $600 million dollars for the 5% cut in administrators, $800 million for the 5% pay cut.

My rationale behind this is that I have to include potential buyouts of retirements and future pensions on the regional budget, as well as the momentary increase in unemployment benefits.

[The Duke]

Sorry, I've been so out-of-touch.

You can figure the consolidation savings as being $2 billion dollars.  I think I've figured the Pacific budget is roughly $200 billion dollars (more than the Midwest because of California, obviously), and I'm going with a 1% savings for consolidation, rather than 2%, because of the possible infrastructure building needs with such a move.

As to the cuts in admistration, my best guesses at figuring the cost savings would put such a 5% cut in administrators at being $800 million dollars.

If you think this is unreasonable or strange, let me know.  But based on the figures I can find on the web, this is the way I'll calculate it.

Total Pacific Budget is $256 billion exactly, so $2.5 billion would be that 1% cut.

Is the $800 million for just releasing 5% of administrators or is that a salary cut, too?  Because I was going to do one of those as well.  A 5% salary cut, to be exact.

$2.5 billion is a ok figure with me, John.

As to the administrators, cutting 5% of them would save slightly less than a 5% salary cut.  Say $600 million dollars for the 5% cut in administrators, $800 million for the 5% pay cut.

My rationale behind this is that I have to include potential buyouts of retirements and future pensions on the regional budget, as well as the momentary increase in unemployment benefits.

Hmm, I'm surprised.  The Midwest saved over a billion dollars with a 5% pay cut, I was hoping for more savings.  That's the way the ball bounces I guess.

[Sam Spade]

Sorry, I've been so out-of-touch.

You can figure the consolidation savings as being $2 billion dollars.  I think I've figured the Pacific budget is roughly $200 billion dollars (more than the Midwest because of California, obviously), and I'm going with a 1% savings for consolidation, rather than 2%, because of the possible infrastructure building needs with such a move.

As to the cuts in admistration, my best guesses at figuring the cost savings would put such a 5% cut in administrators at being $800 million dollars.

If you think this is unreasonable or strange, let me know.  But based on the figures I can find on the web, this is the way I'll calculate it.

Total Pacific Budget is $256 billion exactly, so $2.5 billion would be that 1% cut.

Is the $800 million for just releasing 5% of administrators or is that a salary cut, too?  Because I was going to do one of those as well.  A 5% salary cut, to be exact.

$2.5 billion is a ok figure with me, John.

As to the administrators, cutting 5% of them would save slightly less than a 5% salary cut.  Say $600 million dollars for the 5% cut in administrators, $800 million for the 5% pay cut.

My rationale behind this is that I have to include potential buyouts of retirements and future pensions on the regional budget, as well as the momentary increase in unemployment benefits.

Hmm, I'm surprised.  The Midwest saved over a billion dollars with a 5% pay cut, I was hoping for more savings.  That's the way the ball bounces I guess.

Are you talking about a 5% pay cut among administrators (which is what I took it to mean) or a 5% pay cut amongst all employees of the state (Regional) governments, as I did with the Midwest?

That's where the difference is.

[Sam Spade]

A 5% pay cut among all employees in the Pacific Regional government would be $2 billion dollars in my figures.

[The Duke]

Salary cuts for all employees except highway patrol and teachers, yeah.

Staff reductions were to be administrators only.

Don't feel too rushed, I found something for the legislature to vote on for this week, so you've got plenty of time if you need it to look stuff up.

[The Duke]

Oh, saw your last post.  Does that include cuts for teachers and highway patrol, or no?

[Sam Spade]

Oh, saw your last post.  Does that include cuts for teachers and highway patrol, or no?

Yes, it does include those cuts.

[The Duke]

Oh, saw your last post.  Does that include cuts for teachers and highway patrol, or no?

Yes, it does include those cuts.

And is it possible to find out what the savings would be without cutting salaries of highway patrol and teachers?

[WMS]

Score another one for the SoS.

It'll be fun visiting Germany and talking with Merkel, one Christian Democrat to another.

The military sanctions on France I view as an issue that the President or the Senate really needs to address. Hopefully before the *next* election.