MA: Regional Budget (In the works)

[California8429]

Spending ($196.40 billion)

Energy ($5.85  billion)
$3 Billion ...... Loans to be granted to energy companies that have a responsible environmental track record, are seriously attempting to develop clean energy alternatives, push for energy efficiency and/or have an approved plan to do so.
$1 Billion  ...... Fund for alternative energy
$1 Billion  ...... Updating the Mideast's current energy infrastructure
$0.5 Billion  ...... Refitting all government buildings to run on clean energy
$0.25 Billion  ...... Refitting all government vehicles (cars, planes, etc.) to run on clean energy)

Natural resources and environment ($5.21 billion)
$2.61 billion ...... Water resources (No Change)
$0.57 billion ...... Conservation and land management (No Change)
$0.42 billion ...... Recreational & Park resources (No Change)
$1.11 billion ...... Pollution control and abatement (No Change)
$0.5 billion ....... Other natural resources (No Change)

Agriculture ($4.04 billion)
$2.95 billion ..... Farm income stabilization & crop insurance (No Change)
$1.09 billion ...... Agricultural research and services (No Change)

Commerce and Housing Loan Programs ($1.95 billion)
$0.34 billion ..... Housing Loan Programs (No Change)
$0.02 billion ..... Deposit insurance (No Change)
$1.36 billion ...... Universal service fund (No Change)
$0.23 billion ...... Other advancement of commerce (No Change)

Transportation ($14.72 billion)
$8.01 billion ..... Highways and highway safety (No Change)
$3.25 billion ...... Mass transit (No Change)
$0.11 billion ...... Railroads (No Change)
$2.06 billion ..... Air Transportation (No Change)
$0.87 billion ...... Water transportation (No Change)
$0.42 billion ...... Other transportation (No Change)

Community and regional development ($4.39 billion)
$2.50 billion ...... Community development (No Change)
$0.96 billion ...... Area and regional development (No Change)
$0.93 billion ...... Disaster relief and insurance (No Change)

Education ($35.12 billion)
$19.12 billion ..... Elementary, Secondary & Vocational education (No Change)
$12.97 billion ..... Higher education (No Change)
$3.03 billion ...... Research and general education (No Change)

Training, labor and unemployment ($9.37 billion)
$4.34 billion ...... Training and employment (No Change)
$0.2 billion ....... Labor law, statistics, and other administration (No Change)
$4.83 billion ..... Unemployment compensation (No Change)

Health Spending ($58.85 billion)
$35.87 billion .... Medicaid grants (No Change)
$1.03 billion ...... State Children's Health Insurance (No Change)
$0.59 billion ...... Indian health (No Change)
$1.01 billion ...... Substance abuse and mental health services (No Change)
$0.97 billion ....... Disease control, public health and bioterrorism (No Change)
$8.45 billion ..... Health research and training (No Change)
$0.89 billion ...... Food safety and occupational health and safety (No Change)
$2.05 billion ..... Other health care services (No Change)
$7.01 billion ...... Prescription drug benefit (No Change)
$0.98 billion ...... Health care fraud (No Change)

Civilian Retirement ($10.05 billion)
$0.3 billion ...... Civilian retirement and disability insurance (No Change)
$8.50 billion ..... Mideast employee retirement and disability (No Change)
$1.70 billion ...... Mideast employees' and retired employees' health benefits (No Change)

Aid to Low-Income Families ($26.00 billion)
$6.01 billion ..... Housing assistance (No Change)
$4.33 billion ..... Food stamps (No Change)
$2.3 billion ...... Other nutrition programs (WIC, school lunches) (No Change)
$3.33 billion ..... Family support payments (TANF) (No Change)
$7.01 billion ..... Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) (No Change)
$1.85 billion ..... Child tax credit (No Change)
$0.99 billion ....... Child care funds (No Change)
$0.18 billion ...... Other aid to low-income families (No Change)

General Family Support ($5.39 billion)
$1.32 billion ...... Foster care and adoption assistance (No Change)
$0.33 billion ...... Child support and family support programs (No Change)
$3.74 billion ..... Social and family services (No Change)

Administration of justice ($12.45 billion)
$7.35 billion ..... Regional law enforcement and security (No Change)
$2.21 billion ..... Regional litigation and judicial activities (No Change)
$1.89 billion ...... Regional prison system (No Change)
$1.00 billion ...... Criminal justice assistance (No Change)

General government administration ($3.01 billion)
$0.31 billion ...... Legislative functions (No Change)
$0.10 billion ...... Executive office programs (No Change)
$2.05 billion ....... Fiscal operations (No Change)
$0.55 billion ...... Other general government (No Change)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tax Expenditures and Tax Cuts ($163.75 billion)

Corporate Tax Breaks ($15.53 billion)
$7.50 billion ...... R&D Tax Breaks (No Change)
$1.01 billion ...... Energy, Mining and Timber Tax Breaks (No Change)
$2.03 billion ...... Tax Free Bonds (No Change)
$4.99 billion ..... Other Corporate Tax Breaks (No Change)

Personal Business & Investment Benefits ($7.09 billion)
$5.55 billion ..... Tax-Free Bonds (No Change)
$0.56 billion ...... Enterprise & Empowerment Zones and New Markets credit (No Change)
$0.98 billion ....... Other personal investment tax breaks (No Change)

Pension & Retirement Deductions ($46.49 billion)
$17.55 billion ..... Employer-paid Pensions (No Change)
$15.55 billion ..... 401Ks & Keogh plans (No Change)
$2.41 billion ...... IRAs (No Change)
$10.12 billion ..... Group and personal life insurance benefits (No Change)
$0.86 billion ...... Other retirement benefits (No Change)

Health Insurance Tax Benefits ($34.63 billion)
$30.99 billion .... Employer-paid Health Insurance (No Change)
$1.53 billion ...... Self-employed medical insurance premiums (No Change)
$1.00 billion ...... Medical Savings/Health Savings Accounts (No Change)
$1.11 billion ...... Deductibility of medical expenses (No Change)

Housing tax benefits ($22.43 billion)
$10.00 billion ..... Mortgage Interest (No Change)
$4.51 billion ..... Deductibility of property taxes on homes (No Change)
$7.01 billion ..... Exclusion of net imputed rental income on owner-occupied homes (No Change)
$0.91 billion ...... Housing bonds & low-income housing investments (No Change)

Other individual deductions and exemptions ($37.58 billion)
$8.12 billion ..... Charitable contributions (No Change)
$7.91 billion ..... Local taxes (w/o home property) (No Change)
$1.56 billion ...... Workmen's compensation (No Change)
$7.33 billion ..... Education deductions and credits (No Change)
$7.01 billion ..... Child credit (No Change)
$0.98 billion ...... Child care credits and deductions (No Change)
$0.56 billion ......... Deduction for the blind and elderly (No Change)
$1.02 billion ...... Untaxed foreign personal income (No Change)
$1.01 billion ...... Employee parking and transit expenses (No Change)
$0.35 billion ...... Adoption and foster care tax credits (No Change)
$1.34 billion ...... Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)- revenue loss component (No Change)
$0.39 billion ...... Other fringe benefits (No Change)

Total Budget: $360.15 billion

[California8429]

I'd like to see an increase in education spending.

I am thinking about this as well. If you have the time to break up the sections to be a little more specific, I think that would be better. This is obviously a basic run down and we can be as specific as we want, or introduce legislation specifying how education funds will be spend from this budget (aka not having to raise taxes, but just using existing funds).

[California8429]

Have to agree with Ben on education. I'd like to see a couple more billion invested into it. We had a more in-depth plan on it earlier, I just can't seem to find the written-up version of it.

it never existed in text form. We just discussed it and brought up ideas.

[California8429]

I plan to have some tax numbers ready as well as updated spending for education during this Thanksgiving so that way we can see what the GM has to say for how much we'll raise in revenue.

[California8429]

The federal government is spending 64 billion for education.

We're spending about half that but we are only 1/5 of the country. I don't think we should increase education spending unless someone lays out a very specific plan of how the money will be spent.

[California8429]

Income Tax Rate:
0%    $0 - $13,000
1%    $13,001 - $40,000
1.5%    $40,001 - $100,000
2%    $100,001 - $180,000
2.5%    $180,001 - $300,000
3%    $300,001 - $750,000
3.5%    $750,001 - $2,750,000
4.5%    $2,750,001+

-- 0.500 percent on taxable income between $5,001 and $10,000
-- 0.750 percent on taxable income between $10,001 and $15,000
-- 1.000 percent on taxable income between $15,001 and $20,000
-- 1.500 percent on taxable income between $20,001 and $40,000
-- 2.000 percent on taxable income between $40,001 and $80,000
-- 2.500 percent on taxable income between $80,001 and $100,000
-- 3.000 percent on taxable income between $100,001 and $200,000
-- 3.750 percent on taxable income of $200,001 and above.

There will be 0% tax on incomes below $5,000

Corporate Tax Rate:
0.1%    $0 - $50,000
0.5%    $50,001 - $75,000
1%    $75,001 - $125,000
1.5%    $125,001 - $350,000
2%    $350,001 - $1,000,000
2.5%    $1,000,001 - $10,000,000
3%    $10,000,001 - $20,000,000
3.5%    $20,000,001+

Sales Tax Rate: 1% 5.7% (exemption on medical and grocery tax)

Property Tax Rate:
0.5%    $0 - $50,000
1%    $50,001 - $75,000
1.5%    $75,001 - $125,000
2%    $125,001 - $350,000
2.5%    $350,001 - $750,000
3.5%    $750,001 - $10,000,000
4.5%    $10,000,001 +

Capital Gains: 0%


Excise Taxes:
Gas: 1.5 cents/gallon (2 cents/gallon for diesel).
Cigarettes: $0.70 per pack.
Other Tobacco Products: 40% Manufactures Price
Distilled Spirits: $2.50 per gallon
Wine: $0.25 per gallon
Beer: $0.15 per gallon

Suggestions? We probably won't keep these numbers, but getting a rundown from the GM would very much help us adjust if we need to go lower (most likely) or higher since our budget is under $200 $360 billion (not including tax cuts) and PS had our made up budget at $500-600 billion. That's a lot of cutting

[California8429]

I just glanced at this and haven't calculated the numbers to see if the region's in the black or not, but you're to be commended on the structure you've set up here. Very therough.

Thank you. Hopefully we'll be pretty close once you have all the numbers in.

[California8429]

FYI, this is being worked on as promised. Problem is trying to figure out the likely outcome by comparing the RL numbers of over half a dozen RL state budgets and tax systems.

Please be patient.

No problem. Let me know if you come upon another large/important tax I left out. I'm pretty sure I covered all the majors.

[California8429]

The last link has a tab with the total state and local spending, so it would be easy to add up, but it isn't just state like Colorado has $47 billion in spending, but our state budget is only around $18-19 billion

[California8429]

Obviously we'd want to include everything passed between the law setting up a budget and now (without any objections) as a start

[California8429]

If the Reichstag Assembly would please take a break from trying to enact the editoral page of The National Review into law, I might get a chance to work on data for the budget.

You are free to leave that debate up to the Assembly and other members of the region if you would like to be able to focus on the budget then

[California8429]

If the Reichstag Assembly would please take a break from trying to enact the editoral page of The National Review into law, I might get a chance to work on data for the budget.

You are free to leave that debate up to the Assembly and other members of the region if you would like to be able to focus on the budget then

I'd like nothing more, A-Bob. But with the Assembly and Governors office entirely consisting of right-wingers (minus Junkie), it feels like its fallen to me to be the de facto opposition representative of anyone in the Mideast to the left of Attila the Hun.

First off, I somewhat take offense to being labeled a right-winger, as my record both in the Senate and as Governor reflect otherwise. On several pieces of legislation, I have rejected some of the Assembly's rightist requests, and tried to compromise. Similar to the position Mitt Romney was in as Governor, there's not really a whole lot I can do, as the conservatives have numbers to override me. So the best I can do is tone down the legislation a bit. You act like you're being completely ignored, and that's not the case. I've taken in your suggestions on multiple occasions, especially on the union bill, and have made amendments to meet your requests.

Badger, you keep whining and moaning about the work being done in this Assembly. You know, we wouldn't be passing all these right-wing bills if we'd have something to work with from the GM's office. All you've given us to this point is a vague unemployment number that shows the work we've done in the past few months has lowered our unemployment numbers. Maybe instead of constantly complaining about the work we're doing and messaging every single moderate or liberal in the region, urging them to run for the Assembly or for Governor, you could actually do your job and give us the reports we've been asking for since you took your job several months ago. And if you really have a problem with the work being done in the Mideast, why don't you run for office yourself?

BTW: Please don't try to place the responsibility, Governor, of the above bolded part as a lack of a budget analysis from the GM's Office. Much of the Assembly seems quite committed to its cause of action regardless.

You wrote a very well reasoned post, Isaac, albeit I disagree with it as previously noted. As far as that silly line, however, I'm calling you on it.

But hey, if a budget analysis will really distract the Assembly even temporarily with something new and shiny, I'll be on it in an hour after coming back from lunch.

Yes actually. We've actually held off on legislation to wait for this budget (as I told the Governor who has a stack of bills ready for the Assembly). And the reason we aren't focussing on economic growth and anything truly to do with numbers right now is because it is pointless to do when the budget is suppose to be moments away from a numbers report.

[California8429]

On education I thought we had enough funds (half of the federal spending) however Illinois alone spends around $8 billion (not that they have much to show) so I am definitely open to increase in education spending.

I see how I've missed pensions though as pensions are addressed via tax credits but not as budget spending.

[California8429]

I had sales tax low and property added to spread revenue out, though I wouldn't be opposed to just a higher sales tax, though I'd like the rest of the numbers completed first since spending should be lower than all the states RL combined and then we can go from there.

[California8429]

I had sales tax low and property added to spread revenue out, though I wouldn't be opposed to just a higher sales tax, though I'd like the rest of the numbers completed first since spending should be lower than all the states RL combined and then we can go from there.

Por que'?

As you already said, the states combined at almost 36 billion in the hole. Plus there's a whole lot of waste. Illinois is approaching the 10 billion mark on education and have nothing to show for it (btw that's over half of Colorado's entire budget )

[California8429]

I had sales tax low and property added to spread revenue out, though I wouldn't be opposed to just a higher sales tax, though I'd like the rest of the numbers completed first since spending should be lower than all the states RL combined and then we can go from there.

Por que'?

As you already said, the states combined at almost 36 billion in the hole. Plus there's a whole lot of waste. Illinois is approaching the 10 billion mark on education and have nothing to show for it (btw that's over half of Colorado's entire budget )

"Nothing to show for it"? Cite?

Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that IL has about 3 times CO's population would it?

I got the Illinois info from the link you provided and I know the Colorado budget is $18 billion. Yes they are bigger, but it's still a lot of money

[California8429]

I would be fine supporting this proposal. However, we may not need to even raise it all the way to 5.7%. It will be much more clear on where we can cut and balance taxes once we get everything in, but I see no problem with this, especially wit hthe exemptions you mentioned.

[California8429]

To help your work Badger, here's the new income tax brackets for the region (just to make it universal).

-- 0.500 percent on taxable income between $5,001 and $10,000
-- 0.750 percent on taxable income between $10,001 and $15,000
-- 1.000 percent on taxable income between $15,001 and $20,000
-- 1.500 percent on taxable income between $20,001 and $40,000
-- 2.000 percent on taxable income between $40,001 and $80,000
-- 2.500 percent on taxable income between $80,001 and $100,000
-- 3.000 percent on taxable income between $100,001 and $200,000
-- 3.750 percent on taxable income of $200,001 and above.

There will be 0% tax on incomes below $5,000

[California8429]

I also updated the latest tax info, 5.7% sales tax, eliminating the property tax

[California8429]

Sounds good, at least it will be slightly easier for Ohio Though then it will be less work in the future when we decide if we need more revenue or less and can easily "cut" or "raise" the income tax rates because we already have both plans

[California8429]

$4.99 billion ..... Other Corporate Tax Breaks (No Change)

Is this going to be defined by statute, because it is worryingly nonspecific....

Feel free to look up every law pretaining to corporate taxes in the multiple Mideast states if you so choose to do so

This is based off of Atlasia's budget btw so they have the same thing going on. Obviously this game/simulation is never going to be as hard core as actual government where we spend our entire lives devoted to this budget.

[California8429]

Thank you for your work, and hopefully finished soon? So the nightmere can end for you

[California8429]

Wouldn't the tax cuts be subject to the current budget though? As in here's the 10% rate say for something, but you only have to pay 8% this year?

Still, I'm win with save $163.75 billion

[California8429]

Okay, after talks with Tmth, I'm attempting to get more involved here.

First off, I'm a bit confused as to how this works, as it seems that Badger, instead of calculating the tax rates of the Mid-East region, it seems you are calculating the real life tax rates/spending of the states that the Mid-East region would occupy if in real life. Is this true? I'm trying to understand how this works.

RL numbers is the only way we can make this somewhat realistic. Otherwise Badger would be pulling numbers out of thin air which is more or less what has happened with the GM position before governments started to actually create deatiled budgets.

[California8429]

So, looking over the thread, it seems that the number that we have is either 76.4 billion, or 163.75 billion. However, the second numer is the number you mentioned that we'd save. I'm trying to figure out from what the rest of you are saying, how much we have to spend here.

no..... We have $163.75 billion in tax credits which we can subtract now and $76.4 billion of revenue from the sales tax to be at that 5.6% rate was it?