Discussion of Budget

[The Dowager Mod]

I used the introduction thread to introduce a budget.

[The Dowager Mod]

Senator TexasGurl has proposed the following:

Budget proposal

The budget shall be unchanged from here except the following:
*F.L. 3-5 Shall be repealed.
*F.L. 5-2 Shall be repealed
*F.L. 5-8 Shall be repealed
An additional 10% shall be cut from 1. Defense and Security Dept. - $619.531 billion

I'd like to ask the Senator, whether or not her proposed additional 10% cut from the Defense and Security Dept. Budget is separate to the cuts that would be made should F.L. 3-5; F.L. 5-2; and F.L5-8 be repealed?

'Hawk'

An additional 10%

[The Dowager Mod]

So basically i'm the only one in the senate with the balls to do what is necessary to get rid of the deficit MasdterJedi and his buddies created in past senates.
there is no where else left to make the needed cuts, and unless you people are willing to raise taxes we will be left with the same old mess.
buncha pansies.

[The Dowager Mod]

So basically i'm the only one in the senate with the balls to do what is necessary to get rid of the deficit MasdterJedi and his buddies created in past senates.
there is no where else left to make the needed cuts, and unless you people are willing to raise taxes we will be left with the same old mess.
buncha pansies.

I ask my Senators to oppose the efforts of this clear anti-progressive.

In specific regards to the Comprehensive Energy Reform Act, that bill is a duely needed piece of legislative that will advance the great cause of energy independence and improve the state of this country greatly in the long term.

My suggestions on what to do with the budget: Repeal the prescription drug benefit, for one.  That program is being slowly revealed as a clear failure.  To offset potential problems with that, introduce some kind of tax credit on drug costs of course; but that bill should be repealed.  I also recomend reinstating the estate tax and repealing the past tax cuts on investment taxes.

Are you in the senate?
If not this is not the place for you to be attacking me asshole

[The Dowager Mod]

We have a thread for that, you are nothing special that allows you to disrupt senate bussiness.

[The Dowager Mod]

If the Defense budget must be cut, the Missile Defense Initiative Act should go before the other two acts that were suggested. The Appropriations acts are more important to the war we are in at this moment and figure to be for the forseable future.

I do not support an immediate 10% cut in the defense budget, but am certainly open to some sort of cut.

No cut will happen because the wingnuts will not allow it.
No tax hikes will happen either.
When you have a senate run by 7 wingnuts and 3 normal people we will continue to be in bizzaro world.

[The Dowager Mod]

Oh and i withdraw my proposal.
you guys ed it up lets see you fix it.

[The Dowager Mod]

If the Defense budget must be cut, the Missile Defense Initiative Act should go before the other two acts that were suggested. The Appropriations acts are more important to the war we are in at this moment and figure to be for the forseable future.

I do not support an immediate 10% cut in the defense budget, but am certainly open to some sort of cut.

No cut will happen because the wingnuts will not allow it.
No tax hikes will happen either.
When you have a senate run by 7 wingnuts and 3 normal people we will continue to be in bizzaro world.

So all who aren't on the left are wingnuts? Interesting Senate discourse here.

Well you seem to be afraid to cut the necessary spending like one.

[The Dowager Mod]

Nay.

[The Dowager Mod]

I'm happy to approve this Preliminary Budget as it stands. A 1.4% cut in defense spending is within reason though it is mostly as a result of Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts, which were for the FY 2006 only

I'm presiently working on legislation, however, that if approved and signed into law would have a profound impact on the Housing and Urban Development Sub.- Dept.. I've earmarked a provisional $5bn of funding, which I hope will be appropriated from the budget as it stands. I don't, particularly, want to increase spending or taxation. I've also earmarked a provisional $2bn from the Labor Sub-Dept. budget to fund an Amendment to the Welfare Reform Act, which I will shortly be introducing

Given that the major departmental spending increases are in the Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration Sub-Dept (aside from the Treasury Sub.-Dep), I urge that the Senate seek ways and means thrrough legislation with the goal of keeping costs to the tax-payer down, while safeguarding the entitlements of the most needy Atlasians

Should the Senate reject Senator Bell's motion to accept the Preliminary Budget as it stands, I'll be willing to listen to any reasonable proposals that any of my esteemed colleagues shall put forward

With due respect to Senator TexasGurl's previous proposal, defense budget cuts totalling around $95bn were not reasonable. A number of industries are heavily reliant on defense spending and cuts to that extent would cause socio-economic trauma for the thousands of Atlasians who work in defense-related industries. The maximum cuts in defense spending I'd, possibly, be willing to accept is 2.5% tops (including the 1.4% as it stands) and, if enacted, I'd seek that efforts be made towards diversifying local economies, wherever they are located, where the defense sector is a major employer. Furthermore, the fact that we are at war and our national security is under threat from global terrorism, such cuts would not serve the national interest as things stand

Therefore, I vote Aye on Senator Bell's motion to approve the Preliminary Budget as it stands for the FY 2007

'Hawk'

BTW, I hope my request to waive my salary and expenses as a Senator has been permitted

1.4 is not even close to enough.

[The Dowager Mod]

1.4 is not even close to enough.

Most of the states in District 1 may enjoy higher than average state per capita personal incomes, most of mine don't. All of the states you represent bar Maine (34) is in the national top 25. In District 4, only Virginia makes the top 10 and Florida just scrapes in the top 25 (at 24), while Alabama, South Carolina and Mississippi are in the bottom 10

The defense and its related industries are major employers in my neck of the woods- and I 'd say it's pretty important in parts of yours too. Connecticut, Maryland and Massachusetts just might be able to cushion the negative impact of defense cuts, but I don't think most of the states I represent could

I'm thinking of the little guy who works hard to support his family, here

'Hawk'

It is not our bussiness to be in the corporate welfare bussiness, perhaps it is time for the military-industrial complex to wean itself from atlasias teat.
We do not need a 500 ship navy.
we do not need another dozen B-2 bombers.
And we sure as hell do not need another division every year just so the arms industry can get even bigger profits.

[The Dowager Mod]

I'm not talking about a 95bln cut i withdrew it but 1.4% is ludicrous especially with no one having the guts to raise taxes.

[The Dowager Mod]

I'm not talking about a 95bln cut i withdrew it but 1.4% is ludicrous especially with no one having the guts to raise taxes.

First of all, we'll see if Senator Bell's motion to approve the Preliminary Budget is passed or not, then we'll take things from there

I don't intend to propose any tax increases but if any are proposed, I'll consider them on their merits. I'd been thinking of a tax cut. Given that most pipe tobacco smokers are elderly, I think the 4% National Sin Tax is too high

We should really be focusing on doing what we can to foster economic development and regeneration. I'm working on an idea at the moment but I want to consult with the governors before I introduce it. I'm investigating the feasibility of other ideas too

'Hawk'

Ya right more tax cuts.

[The Dowager Mod]

And the special interests win again.