Senate Protest and Analysis Thread

[Marokai Backbeat]

Government Workers Finally Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is Bill
Realizing that our rising budget deficit can not be left unattended indefinitely, the fundamental unfairness of our punitively high income tax rates and unconscionable limits on private sector compensation, and that we must make efforts for our politicians to become less hypocritical, as 100% of government workers' salaries are funded by the Atlasian citizenry, the Senate hereby authorizes the following comprehensive changes to our income tax system and laws:

1.  The taxable income of Senators, the President, Vice President and other elected or appointed officials of the legislative and executive branches of the Atlasian federal government ("Atlasian Government Officials") shall be taxed at the highest marginal rate provided for under Atlasian federal law, without regard to the taxable income of such Atlasian Government Official in any taxable year. 

2.  No Atlasian Government Official shall be entitled to take any credit, deduction or other allowance against that Atlasian Government Official's income if any other Atlasian citizen is not entitled to or phased out from taking such credit, deduction or allowance due to that citizen's income.

3.  No Atlasian Government Official or other Atlasian federal government employee may receive any bonus or other non-periodical compensation of any type at any time during which the Atlasian federal government restricts or otherwise limits the ability of any Atlasian company to compensate its employees in any manner whatsoever.

4(a) The Atlasian federal government shall create a "Tax Me More Fund".  Any Atlasian citizen who believes that Atlasian federal taxes are too low for any other Atlasian citizen may contribute the amount by which that citizen believes such taxes are too low into the Tax Me More Fund.  No tax deduction, credit or other allowance may be taken by any citizen who contributes to the Tax Me More Fund.
(b) The President Pro-Tempore of the Senate shall keep and publish a "hypocrites list" of Senators who vote in favor of any increase in Atlasian federal taxes but does not contribute to the Tax Me More Fund.  The hypocrites list shall be maintained in a post on the Atlasian Federal Government board.

In accordance to Article 3, Section 1, Clause 7 of the Senate rules I declare this legislation by RowanBrandon withdrawn due to his resignation.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I just had an idea to improve the job of the SoIA. Why not give him power over the monetary policy, much like the federal reserve in real life?

I'm a little fearful of actually letting such a complicated job be held by children, to be honest.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Hey, if anyone's concerned about a boring Senate, just say the word and I'll get into a fistfight with NCY on the Senate floor. For old times sake.

[Marokai Backbeat]

What this Senate needs are some regularly scheduled cage matches.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Me love you long time, tmth.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Me love you long time, tmth.

Should I be pleased, or scared?

Eh, take it how you like.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I have a proposition for the Senate... an annual day of National Celebration on the anniversary of Phil ceasing to be President. It could be called 'Keystone Shill' day.

If the Senate doesn't take up this task I shall make it a campaign pledge.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Libertas' new wiki proposal is a bit convoluted and subjective. Also amusing considering some of the edits from him I've seen on the Wiki.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I'm fine with the current state of things, as I have nothing to hide.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Just saying... the title of this bill is just a little bit creepy sounding:

Freedom to Enjoy Oneself in Public Bill

Perhaps we can switch the title to "Relieve" instead of Enjoy?

[Marokai Backbeat]

Much appreciated, Shua and Bgwah.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Personally I see absolutely nothing wrong with members of the executive being able to introduce bills on their own, and have proposed that very thing multiple times in the last year, but for some reason this makes certain people get all fussy over "separation of powers" in a forum game.

[Marokai Backbeat]

And as Marokai generously reminded me, it is indeed a violation of separation of powers.  

Only until we say it's not a violation of separation of powers anymore.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Privacy Protection Act

FL 36-11 is hereby repealed.

Yeah! It's about time someone stood up in defense of the privacy of drunk drivers!

[Marokai Backbeat]

Your concerns over accuracy of tests are justifiable, but a clean repeal of that law has absolutely nothing to do with what you're trying to accomplish. You're not proposing a modification to the statute to make the law more fair, you're proposing the repeal of a law that makes it illegal to refuse sobriety tests and punishes individuals more severely if they have committed the same offense in the past.

That has approximately.. let's see.. carry the one.. 0% to do with what you just argued it was for.

Also, I happen to remember when that law was passed. It does not restrict the lawmaking capacity of regions to do anything. There are several exceptions for regional law and all the Act does is make a minimum level of criminality in the default, with an automatic deference to regional law if a regional law is actually in place. Explain to me how that is "coercive" and "jeopardizes" anything in regions beyond your empty rhetoric.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I merely using the Senate Protest and Analysis thread to protest something that you are trying to pass under entirely false pretenses.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Not a single Senate post on Thursday! ( not complaining, just interesting.)
Did the Senate have the day off?  Or was everyone just too distracted by Newt?

Was a bit interesting! I was distracted by home stuff and it seems like everyone else also had their own priorities. Most things are tied up in votes at the moment, which probably had something to do with it.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I feel it's necessary to ask this question to those who believe conscription should be an option: if an attack happened on your soil and your country went to war without conscripting citizens, would you volunteer to enlist?

As Napoleon said, if we get attacked on our own soil and no one is willing to fight, we deserve to lose.

And that's probably true, but as lovely a romantic notion that that is, Polnut and Junkie are right, unfortunately. This has to be viewed realistically and pragmatically, and if we're getting invaded, the government should probably have the right to band us up.

And to Scott's question, yes, I would.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Well not only that but it's a patently ridiculous scenario; if one thinks there is an imminent threat of being attacked on one's own soil by a power which would require conscription to defeat, kindly do explain what you believe said power to be.

I don't think it will happen, but such hypotheticals are irrelevent to the point itself.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Putting the rights of a government before the rights of its people is a hideously disturbing concept.

The way you approach this issue is incredibly childish; I loathe these silly romantic notions. Stop being so hyperbolic over everything. I've changed my vote to Abstain. TJ's amendment is poorly worded.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Putting the rights of a government before the rights of its people is a hideously disturbing concept.

The way you approach this issue is incredibly childish; I loathe these silly romantic notions. Stop being so hyperbolic over everything. I've changed my vote to Abstain. TJ's amendment is poorly worded.

How would you like it worded?

"Attack on Atlasian soil" is a bit too squirrelly for my taste, though I understand what you're going for. If there's some way to reasonably clarify we're referring to being outright invaded, I would support it.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Obviously.  It's an extremely accurate rule of thumb that the more anti-freedom a person is, the more they dislike Ron Paul.

There really isn't much room for nuance in your worldview, is there?

[Marokai Backbeat]

There's a problem in the Trim the Fat Act that was also in the Health Spending Adjustment Act.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: there is absolutely no way to reduce the costs of Atlasian National Healthcare without changing the way the program works. Either the Atlasian government is responsible for the full cost of it or it isn't.

I still fail to understand how we're falling so short of paying for it. With our tax rates and our simplified welfare structure there should be few problems with dealing with our healthcare spending.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing...I'm thinking about writing a bill to repeal the healthcare law.

That's quite a leap. Hell, even Napoleon's bill on health care is gross. Our current system should have no problems, and this arbitrary right-wing tilt some of the Senate have on these issues should concern anybody paying attention..

[Marokai Backbeat]

There's a problem in the Trim the Fat Act that was also in the Health Spending Adjustment Act.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: there is absolutely no way to reduce the costs of Atlasian National Healthcare without changing the way the program works. Either the Atlasian government is responsible for the full cost of it or it isn't.

I still fail to understand how we're falling so short of paying for it. With our tax rates and our simplified welfare structure there should be few problems with dealing with our healthcare spending.

If you don't think the cost of the program is a problem, why did you write a bill reducing doctors' reimbursement for providing mandated care?   

I think some people don't like the idea of having such a huge payroll tax.   And considering the ANHA provides free of charge more coverage than any private insurance plan in existence, I think we can expect that people will continue to move into the program, thus increasing costs.

What do you mean by "simplified welfare structure"?

I think we can reduce costs with the program, but I just take issue with your overall revenue numbers. The idea that we're making only a small amount more in income tax revenue than the actual United States, despite taxing more people and having them be significantly higher and more progressive, seems especially insane to me.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Even "taxing the rich" has its limits.

Blah blah blah. We should be raking in significantly more in income tax revenue than we do. If we have a blue avatar GM running wild with his own philosophy on how he wants things work, as opposed to how things actually work, then whatever. I suppose we're burdened by him being Game God either way.