Pacific Legislature Official Thread

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Handgun Phase Out Bill
1. Effective three months upon the passage of this act, the Pacific Region declares itself a handgun free area.
2. Handgun owners will have three months to give handguns to any local Handgun Amnesty Office without penalty.
3. Handgun owners cooperating with the amnesty will be eligible for a compensation of up to half of the average market price for all returned firearms.
4. Three months upon the passage of this act, possession of a handgun will be a crime eligible for up to a $5,000 fine and/or up to six months in prison.


Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill
1. The Pacific Government will ensure that every resident over the age of 18 will be given a minimum income of $11,900 per year.
2. To apply for this minimum income, a resident over the age of 18 must be earning less than $11,900; a citizen earning less than the amount will be given the necessary sum to total an income of $11,900.
3. Residents who do not earn income, including welfare recipients, will be eligible for the full annual $11,900.


Affirmative Action Abolition Repeal Bill
1. The Pacific Affirmative Action Abolition Act is hereby repealed.

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The current real cap is $50,000,000 and I wont stand it for being lowered.

How about $20 million?

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Tobacco Marketing Regulation Bill

1. Effective FY 2012, any tobacco products to be sold within the Pacific Region must adhere to the following packaging standards:
a. The brand name of the product in plain, black Times New Roman font against a white background, to take up the bottom 25% of the front of the packaging.
b. The remainder of the front of the packaging, as well as the entirety of the sides and back, must contain health warnings illustrating the physical effects of prolonged tobacco use.
2. Effective three months upon the passage of this act, any publications distributed within the Pacific Region may not contain advertisements for tobacco products of any kind, with tobacco companies eligible for a minimum fine of $500,000 per violation.
3. Effective immediately, any distribution of leaflets or fliers produced by tobacco companies to be included inside tobacco packaging shall be prohibited, with tobacco companies eligible for a minimum fine of $100,000 per violation.

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Casino Tax Bill

1. Effective two months upon the passage of this act, all profits earned from slot machines shall be subject to an additional 47% gambling tax.
2. Effective two months upon the passage of this act, all profits earned by casinos or businesses that generate a minimum of 40% of their revenue from gambling shall be subject to an additional 20% public damages tax.
3. Effective FY 2013, the gambling tax outlined in clause 1 shall increase to 70%.
4. Effective FY 2014, the gambling tax outlined in clause 1 shall increase to 95%.

Won't this disproportionately tax poor and middle class gamblers or something? 

The taxes are applied directly to the businesses, not to the gamblers.

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Where is everyone?

I'm not sure, but if you want to sign my bills, then we can advance to a vote on them

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Tobacco Public Health and Safety Bill - Aye
Handgun Phase Out Bill - Aye
Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill - Aye
Tobacco Marketing Regulation Bill - Aye

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Not that I am necessarily opposed to a maximum income cap (which the 45.5% rate effectively creates), but it is quite possible that a bracket of 20% on incomes exceeding $50 million would be lower than brackets beneath it.  I am unable to find anything in the Pacific law code which would suggest what the next tax rate is, however, so perhaps the best solution would be to abolish present rates and start from scratch.

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That looks good, I would prefer if the beginning threshold were increased to 50k and there was a lower rate from 30k-50k (like 1%), but it's not a deal breaker.  (Mainly due to the existing federal income tax)

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While we're on the subject of revenue, is there any support here to restrict and/or tax commercial gambling?

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Income Tax Reform Bill

1. Effective FY 2013, all regional income taxes shall be abolished and replaced with the following brackets:
a. 0% on all income earned from 0-29,999
b. 1% on all income earned from 30,000-49,999
c. 3% on all income earned from 50,000-99,999
d. 5% on all income earned from 100,000-999,999
e. 10% on all income earned from 1,000,000-9,999,999
f. 15% on all income earned from 10,000,000-49,999,999
g. 30% on all income earned past 49,999,999

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Just gonna throw this out there in case there is support ....

Maximum Income Cap Bill

1. No business operating in any capacity within the Pacific Region may provide an annual income to any employee that is to exceed $70 million, including bonus benefits.


I also believe that it is imperative, if we are to reform our income tax code, that we look at methods of increasing our revenue stream from areas such as the estate tax and the capital gains tax.

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Just gonna throw this out there in case there is support ....

Maximum Income Cap Bill

1. No business operating in any capacity within the Pacific Region may provide an annual income to any employee that is to exceed $70 million, including bonus benefits.

Employees only ? Why don't we include shareholder's dividends too ?

Well I doubt any shareholder is making $70 million annually from these dividends, but I definitely think we need a steep capital gains tax, which I would be happy to address in a separate piece of legislation.

The point of this one is to effectively establish a maximum income, which I personally feel is extremely generous and quite accommodating of the capitalist system with which we are required to work with.

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I support this amendment and wish to modify my proposal to incorporate it.

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Some ideas I've got:
- Banning slot machines.
- Casino tax.
- Prohibition of drive-through liquor sales.  (Also, liquor sales at gas stations)
- Classifying refusal to accept unemployed applicants as a form of illegal discrimination.

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Aye

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Here's some legislation.

Inactive Pacific Citizen Purge Act.

Any citizen from the Pacific who does not post within the Pacific Legislature for a period not less than six months shall be stricken from the voter rolls.

As voter registration is a federally handled issue, this proposal would need to be worded to specifically refer to only prohibited participation in the Pacific legislature - though, were I seeking to increase activity, I would not be inclined to begin purging voters from the rolls.