Mideast Assembly Thread

[tmthforu94]

Assembly, I hate to be pushy and annoying, but we really need to get a budget finished soon. Our first decision needs to be whether we are considering four months on here 4 years or 4 months. I guess we'll just have to hope other regions and the federal government follow suit, and if they don't, I suppose we'll reform ours. After making that decision, I'd suggest appointing a certain section of the budget to all 5 Assembly members and give them a couple days to write up their parts. Then we bring them all together and discuss them. If we still have more parts to do, I guess we could assign some more out until we have a completed budget. Then we'll put it all together and vote on it.

 Does that plan sound good?

[tmthforu94]

Assemblymembers, how are you coming along with your chosen section of the budget? Can any rough drafts be introduced today?

[tmthforu94]

This is something for the Assembyl to consider looking at when writing up our own budget. Granted, we won't be doing a lot of this, like military spending, but it gives us ideas for what we need to do.

Spending ($2673.05 billion)

International affairs ($31.59 billion)
$13 billion ........ International development and humanitarian assistance (No Change)
$9.47 billion ...... International military aid (No Change)
$7.97 billion ...... Conduct of foreign affairs (No Change)
$1.15 billion ...... Foreign information and exchange activities (No Change)

General science, space, and technology ($23.97 billion)
$5.62 billion ...... National Science Foundation programs (No Change)
$3.44 billion ...... Department of Energy general science programs (No Change)
$14.91 billion ..... Space flight, research, and supporting activities (No Change)

Non-Defense Energy Spending ($2.12 billion)
$0.73 billion ...... Energy supply (No Change)
$1.03 billion ...... Energy conservation and preparedness (No Change)
$0.36 billion ...... Energy information, preparedness, & regulation (No Change)

Natural resources and environment ($31.16 billion)
$5.45 billion ...... Water resources (No Change)
$9.07 billion ...... Conservation and land management (No Change)
$3.12 billion ...... Recreational & Park resources (No Change)
$8.42 billion ...... Pollution control and abatement (No Change)
$5.1 billion ....... Other natural resources (No Change)

Agriculture ($26.02 billion)
$21.73 billion ..... Farm income stabilization & crop insurance (No Change)
$4.29 billion ...... Agricultural research and services (No Change)

Commerce and Housing Loan Programs ($6.82 billion)
$-4.28 billion ..... Federal Housing Loan Programs (No Change)
$2.17 billion ...... Postal service (No Change)
$-0.96 billion ..... Deposit insurance (No Change)
$7.96 billion ...... Universal service fund (No Change)
$1.93 billion ...... Other advancement of commerce (No Change)

Transportation ($70.68 billion)
$36.51 billion ..... Highways and highway safety (No Change)
$8.51 billion ...... Mass transit (No Change)
$0.61 billion ...... Railroads (No Change)
$17.26 billion ..... Air Transportion (No Change)
$7.37 billion ...... Water transportation (No Change)
$0.42 billion ...... Other transportation (No Change)

Community and regional development ($19.1 billion)
$6.25 billion ...... Community development (No Change)
$2.86 billion ...... Area and regional development (No Change)
$9.99 billion ...... Disaster relief and insurance (No Change)

Education ($64.07 billion)
$38.57 billion ..... Elementary, Secondary & Vocational education (No Change)
$22.27 billion ..... Higher education (No Change)
$3.23 billion ...... Research and general education (No Change)

Training, labor and unemployment ($47.81 billion)
$6.88 billion ...... Training and employment (No Change)
$1.6 billion ....... Labor law, statistics, and other administration (No Change)
$39.33 billion ..... Unemployment compensation (No Change)

Non-Medicare Health Spending ($253.32 billion)
$192.72 billion .... Medicaid grants (No Change)
$6.23 billion ...... State Children's Health Insurance (No Change)
$3.17 billion ...... Indian health (No Change)
$3.24 billion ...... Substance abuse and mental health services (No Change)
$4.7 billion ....... Disease control, public health and bioterrorism (No Change)
$29.36 billion ..... Health research and training (No Change)
$3.01 billion ...... Food safety and occupational health and safety (No Change)
$10.89 billion ..... Other health care services (No Change)

Medicare ($345.76 billion)
$182.76 billion .... Hospital insurance (HI) (No Change)
$115.14 billion .... Supplementary medical insurance (SMI) (No Change)
$46.7 billion ...... Prescription drug benefit (No Change)
$1.16 billion ...... Health care fraud (No Change)

Civilian Retirement (Social Security excluded) ($72.02 billion)
$4.89 billion ...... Civilian retirement and disability insurance (No Change)
$58.22 billion ..... Federal employee retirement and disability (No Change)
$8.91 billion ...... Federal employees' and retired employees' health benefits (No Change)

Aid to Low-Income Families ($206.78 billion)
$38.45 billion ..... Housing assistance (No Change)
$37.58 billion ..... Food stamps (No Change)
$19.3 billion ...... Other nutrition programs (WIC, school lunches) (No Change)
$38.66 billion ..... Supplemental security income (SSI) (No Change)
$18.21 billion ..... Family support payments (TANF) (No Change)
$34.05 billion ..... Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) (No Change)
$13.15 billion ..... Child tax credit (No Change)
$4.8 billion ....... Child care funds (No Change)
$2.58 billion ...... Other aid to low-income families (No Change)

General Family Support ($25.62 billion)
$6.56 billion ...... Foster care and adoption assistance (No Change)
$2.92 billion ...... Child support and family support programs (No Change)
$16.14 billion ..... Social and family services (No Change)

Social security ($544.82 billion)
$454.4 billion ..... Old-age and survivors insurance(OASI) (No Change)
$90.42 billion ..... Disability insurance (DI) (No Change)

Administration of justice ($43.1 billion)
$11.35 billion ..... Federal law enforcement (No Change)
$10.46 billion ..... Border security and immigration (No Change)
$10.91 billion ..... Federal litigation and judicial activities (No Change)
$6.16 billion ...... Federal prison system (No Change)
$4.22 billion ...... Criminal justice assistance (No Change)

General government administration ($17.76 billion)
$3.67 billion ...... Legislative functions (No Change)
$1.14 billion ...... Executive office programs (No Change)
$9.8 billion ....... IRS & other fiscal operations (No Change)
$3.15 billion ...... Other general government (No Change)

Net_interest_long ($211.08 billion)
$211.08 billion .... Net Interest (No Change)

Undistributed offsetting receipts and allowance ($-43.99 billion)
$-43.99 billion .... Undistributed offsetting receipts and allowance (No Change)

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

Tax Expenditures and Tax Cuts ($1075.13 billion)


2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts ($294.9 billion)
$116.96 billion .... Benefits for Richest 1% of Taxpayers (No Change)
$28.87 billion ..... Benefits for Next Richest 4% (No Change)
$58.92 billion ..... Benefits for Next Richest 15% (No Change)
$43.6 billion ...... Benefits for Next 20% of Taxpayers (No Change)
$46.55 billion ..... Benefits for Bottom 60% of Taxpayers (No Change)

Corporate Tax Breaks ($60.36 billion)
$15.74 billion ..... Untaxed Foreign Profits (No Change)
$9.87 billion ...... R&D Tax Breaks (No Change)
$4.05 billion ...... Energy, Mining and Timber Tax Breaks (No Change)
$9.93 billion ...... Tax Free Bonds (No Change)
$20.77 billion ..... Other Corporate Tax Breaks (No Change)
Personal Business & Investment Benefits ($86.71 billion)
$30.38 billion ..... Lower tax rates on capital gains (excluding housing) (No Change)
$28.76 billion ..... Step-up basis of capital gains at death (No Change)
$23.01 billion ..... Tax-Free Bonds (No Change)
$1.36 billion ...... Enterprise & Empowerment Zones and New Markets credit (No Change)
$3.2 billion ....... Other personal investment tax breaks (No Change)

Pension & Retirement Deductions ($168.47 billion)
$51.05 billion ..... Employer-paid Pensions (No Change)
$58.12 billion ..... 401Ks & Keogh plans (No Change)
$7.31 billion ...... IRAs (No Change)
$29.48 billion ..... Group and personal life insurance benefits (No Change)
$19.77 billion ..... Untaxed Social Security benefits (No Change)
$2.74 billion ...... Other retirement benefits (No Change)

Health Insurance Tax Benefits ($140.99 billion)
$125.69 billion .... Employer-paid Health Insurance (No Change)
$4.33 billion ...... Self-employed medical insurance premiums (No Change)
$1.83 billion ...... Medical Savings/Health Savings Accounts (No Change)
$9.14 billion ...... Deductibility of medical expenses (No Change)

Housing tax benefits ($163.71 billion)
$76.03 billion ..... Mortgage Interest (No Change)
$14.83 billion ..... Deductibility of property taxes on homes (No Change)
$36.27 billion ..... Capital gains exclusion on home sales (No Change)
$29.72 billion ..... Exclusion of net imputed rental income on owner-occupied homes (No Change)
$2.11 billion ...... Housing bonds & low-income housing investments (No Change)
$4.75 billion ...... Exception from passive loss rules for $25,000 of rental loss (No Change)

Other individual deductions and exemptions ($159.99 billion)
$37.89 billion ..... Charitable contributions (No Change)
$34.62 billion ..... State and local taxes (w/o home property) (No Change)
$6.55 billion ...... Soldiers and veterans tax benefits (No Change)
$5.94 billion ...... Workmen's compensation (No Change)
$14.01 billion ..... Education deductions and credits (No Change)
$32.81 billion ..... Child credit (No Change)
$2.81 billion ...... Child care credits and deductions (No Change)
$2 billion ......... Deduction for the blind and elderly (No Change)
$7.86 billion ...... Social Security benefits for disabled and survivors (No Change)
$3.76 billion ...... Untaxed foreign personal income (No Change)
$3.28 billion ...... Employee parking and transit expenses (No Change)
$1.25 billion ...... Adoption and foster care tax credits (No Change)
$5.42 billion ...... Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)- revenue loss component (No Change)
$1.79 billion ...... Other fringe benefits (No Change)

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

New budget is $3748.18 billion
($2673.05 billion in spending, $1075.13 billion in tax expenditures and cuts).

Deficit is $401.04 billion.

[tmthforu94]

You've done a great job A-Bob. I'll read it closely later, but from a quick look at it, I can tell you've put a lot of work into it. Great job!

[tmthforu94]

This is off-subject, but it's something that we probably should address fairly quickly. It looks like the Senate will be passing a law abolishing a federal drinking age, so we'll need to set one here. My personal recommendation is 18, but I'd be willing to listen to other arguments.

[tmthforu94]

This is off-subject, but it's something that we probably should address fairly quickly. It looks like the Senate will be passing a law abolishing a federal drinking age, so we'll need to set one here. My personal recommendation is 18, but I'd be willing to listen to other arguments.

Isn't the federal drinking age currently 18?

In that case, I say we keep it at 18, no more and no less.

It's going to be abolished though, it appears. The vote is passing.

[tmthforu94]

I would also like to voice my support for A-Bob as Speaker. He's done simply a phenomenal job on the budget and deserves it.

[tmthforu94]

After Big Bad Fab is voting on for Superior Court Judge, we need to develop a regional drinking age limit, since it was recently abolished at the federal level.

[tmthforu94]

After Big Bad Fab is voting on for Superior Court Judge, we need to develop a regional drinking age limit, since it was recently abolished at the federal level.

Don't we already have a regional drinking age I assume?

Oh, correct. https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Mideast_Alcohol_Age_Restrictions_Statute

That said, there may be some voices in the Assembly who want to reconsider this law, but we do have regional drinking laws.

My apologies. I'm quite fine with the status quo then. Does anyone else have something they'd like to add?

[tmthforu94]

First, I want to congratulate Big Bad Fab on getting confirmed! I'm sure he'll do great.

Now, I have to stand with Inks on the "Let the People Choose! Act". This position has very few responsibilities, and making appointments is one of it's most exciting roles. I think that the citizens should consider when voting the appointments the Governor will make, and if you feel they will make bad appointments, don't vote for them.

On top of that, we have a short session, so the public will be able to have a say on the appointee in less than 2 months anyways. If we had more Assemblymen (not that I support that), this may be more acceptable, but when we only have 5, we really need to have all 5. It may be a little more simpler if we had a Lt. Governor who would be able to step in and break ties, but the people have spoken strongly against it.

With all that in mind, I will seriously consider vetoeing this bill if it makes it to my desk.

[tmthforu94]

Look, I understand the Governor isn't exactly "all-powerful" in the Mideast, but, really, something needs to be done about this.

Perhaps a special election is too drastic for a two-month long term, but how about the supplemental idea of having a list prepared by the party that previously occupied the seat?

I think any party would be lucky to find 3 people willing. I normally only get 1-2 applicants, and sometimes had to go out recruiting people for the Assembly. If someone really wants in, they'll get in. For example, if you're elected to the Assembly, I'll try and get someone similar to you politically in there. But that's going to be hard, and I'll basically pick whoever wants it and who I think would do good, which is usually one person, maybe two if I'm lucky.

[tmthforu94]

I honestly can't see myself signing any bill that would strip the Governor one of his most important positions.

[tmthforu94]

Just in case some of you didn't notice, there is a vote going.

Something I'll throw out there....
What would y'alls thoughts be on keeping a government appointment, but requiring the appointee to be confirmed by the Assembly with at least 2 votes? (Keep in mind there will only be 4 Assemblymen)

[tmthforu94]

It certainly brings interesting debate. I'd probably sign it if it reached my desk, knowing that the people would get to make the final decision. It's y'alls choice whether or not to kill it in the Assembly or let the people make the final decision.

[tmthforu94]

I would just like to tell you guys how much I really enjoyed my time in the Assembly.  It really was a great experience, and I hope the best for all of you!

It's been nice working with you. I know you'll be a great and bi-partisan Senator, and will do a great job representing the Mideast.

[tmthforu94]

Just checking in.  If nobody would object I will take a stab at the DUI bill.

It's great that you're taking initiative. Go for it!

[tmthforu94]

I know we have another bill being discussed, but I'd also like to bring this bill to the Assembly's attention that is currently passing in the Pacific:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I made a modification on what would be taxed. The Pacific is doing gasoline, but I find cigarettes more suitable. This way, we're killing two birds with one stones. We're encouraging Mideast residents to stop smoking by making it more expensive while also providing incentives for students to take math or science classes.

I am perfectly open to any modifications.

[tmthforu94]

a. I'm a bit uneasy with creating a sort of special distinction for math/science students, potentially at the expense of art, liberal art or social science students. Does the region want to give the message that math and science students are better, smarter and worth supporting over others?

b. Do we want to provide funding for the education of really rich kids whose mom and dads have more than enough cash on their own?

a. While I certainly believe other subjects are important (even I won't be taking math or science), it is becoming increasingly difficult to get students to major in these subjects. Two graduating students from my school last year is planning on majoring in math/science. Imagine how much higher that number would be with an incentive like this.

b. You make an excellent point, Hashemite. Perhaps including it only for families with an income of less than $250,000?

[tmthforu94]

This is looking really good, soon to be Governor A-Bob.

[tmthforu94]

Guys, I really don't see myself voting for this.  I'm not a solid "NAY", so if you guys want to sway me, give it your best shot.

With less and less students pursuing the math and science fields, our nation is quickly falling behind in these fields, something that must be stopped. We are not discouraging students from pursuing a career in the arts, heck, that's what I'll be doing. We're simply trying to bring up the sagging number of students in a field that is vital to the growth of our economy as well as technological advancements.

[tmthforu94]

Off subject, but friends, we now have a regional board!!!

[tmthforu94]

Maybe, but regardless, we should not be funding the education of kids who don't need any help because their parents are very wealthy as it is.

The lack of students in these fields isn't just a problem among the poor, but also the rich.

[tmthforu94]

I really hope not.  I think it is in everyone's best interest to have truck drivers etc. absolutely sober when on the road.

0.01 is basically absolutely sober.  A BAC of 0.01 isn't going to affect ANYBODY.

Someone driving such a large vehicle should really have no alcohol in their body, in my opinion.

[tmthforu94]

I would formally like to submit that we amend the commercial drivers section to read 0.01.  If that amendment fails, I will still, however, vote for the bill.

I'd like to reeiterate my opposition to this. I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Junkie. It's difficult enough to operate such large vehicles, and letting them legally drive with some alcohol inside of them, even if it's only a little, puts everyone else out there in more danger.

It only takes 4 votes to override a veto, so if you have those, then by all means, go for it.

[tmthforu94]

I would formally like to submit that we amend the commercial drivers section to read 0.01.  If that amendment fails, I will still, however, vote for the bill.

I'd like to reeiterate my opposition to this. I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Junkie. It's difficult enough to operate such large vehicles, and letting them legally drive with some alcohol inside of them, even if it's only a little, puts everyone else out there in more danger.

It only takes 4 votes to override a veto, so if you have those, then by all means, go for it.

You would honestly kill the bill on this little bit alone?

No, I wouldn't kill it. But I'd strongly consider sending it back to y'all with my suggestion.