The Imperial Dominion of the South's Legislature

[Zanas]

[ x ] Adam Griffin
[ ] Ben Kenobi

[JerryArkansas]

[ ] Adam Griffin
[ x ] Ben Kenobi

[Associate Justice PiT]

     It's been three days and yet only three of the five Legislators have voted. Bacon King and Duke haven't. I see that Kenobi wins among the voting Legislators, 2-1.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Far be it from me to try and tie it up like last time. Give Ben the speakership. I'm eager to welcome his reign!

[Wisconsin+17]

Wow. Thanks guys!

[Wisconsin+17]

Per former Speaker of the House SJoyce:  

New bills should be posted here:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=112611.150

If you want to introduce a bill, PM me with the content of the bill, and I'll put it up on the order paper. I'd like to get through most of the backlog from last term before tackling the stuff from this term.

[Wisconsin+17]

IDS OFFICIAL ORDER PAPER:

1. Abolition of Income Tax
2. Congressional Elections Act
3. Clean Power Act
4. Invasion of Tamaulipas and Coahuila
5. Bacon King revisions bill
6. Zanas Clean Bill

[Wisconsin+17]

Hello, ladies and gentlemen of this erstwhile legislature.

I don't intend to make you wait long as I'm sure you'd rather get down to brass tacks. I thank you for appointing me Speaker and demonstrating your confidence in having me direct traffic for the IDS. We have some excellent bills that are up this term, and I am looking forward to some excellent discussion in hashing out their merits. We have before us today  a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.

We faced this last election with an attempt to revise and change the entirety of what the South stands for, and the people of the South have resisted this attempt. Instead we offer today the end of government that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the public's money. This is the continuation of a House that respects the values and shares the faith of the American family.

Like Lincoln, our first Republican president, we intend to act "with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right."

I thank you all!

[Wisconsin+17]

Bill number 1:

Abolition of Income Tax act.

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Is now read for this legislature.

[Wisconsin+17]

This bill is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. It stems forth from a very simple preposition. We want to encourage the people of the IDS to seek gainful employment. The best way to do this is to structure the tax system of the IDS such that we tax people for what they consume, now what they produce.

The fewer barriers we place on people enjoying the fruits of their labour, the better, as it will incentivise people to work. Things are tight enough as they are for people today and the more we can lessen their burden and lessen the size of the IDS state on the people, the better.

My goal with this bill is to get our employment levels up so that we are the envy of the entire nation of Atlasia. And it starts here with this bill.

[Bacon King]

I'm away ftr, bad flu has be bedridden

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Just hypothetically speaking, if we abolish the income tax, where will government revenue come from? Are you advocating increasing the sales tax? Cutting spending to the bare bones?

[Wisconsin+17]

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Combination of both. I'd like to cut spending and shift tax revenue to consumption taxes. It works well for Texas, I don't see why it wouldn't also work for the IDS.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     This reminds me, I should be putting the 2013 budget together. That won't take long, and it will give us an idea of where we stand.

[Zanas]

Wouldn't it be necessary to include the measures to ensure government financing in the bill ? As is stands, the bill just abolish income tax, with nothing replacing the massive hole it would create in the regional budget.

I really don't see how anyone wan vote in favor of that as it is. Heck I don't even see how we can seriously discuss it. Maybe if it would be expanded to include counter-measures, we could discuss it to demonstrate its utter and foremost idiocy.

[Wisconsin+17]

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Craft another bill for it.

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There's nothing stopping you from putting up a bill that you feel will address this.

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You may feel this way. Speak for yourself and not for the others.

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Ooh, such collegiality, and cogent opposition. Do you have any legitimate concerns? We can work out the budget consequences in subsequent bills. I'll ensure that gets done before this session is out, if this bill passes.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Well, as it stands, we would have to add a lot to this bill before it should be voted on. If we followed a model like Florida, for example, which also does not have an income tax, I sure the size of this bill will at least double.

But it would be reckless to pass it in its current form. And I don't really favor steep cuts in government spending, especially all at once.

[Donerail]

Since I like to remain involved in the Legislature, an amendment to make it more legislation-ey and to maintain some taxes:

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Also, I'd be interested in legislation creating a sovereign wealth fund for the region.

[Wisconsin+17]

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Sure! I would love to emulate Florida's or Texas's model. That's the purpose of this legislation.

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Well, that's something we can hash out. That's kind of why we are here.

[Wisconsin+17]

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I'll accept ex-Speaker SJoyce's amendment as friendly.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I fear that an 8.5% business tax would negatively impact our ability to compete with other regions. We currently have a 5.8% business tax, which is already higher than that which exists in the Mideast.

[Wisconsin+17]

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Ok, how about this then, incorporating SJoyce's and PiT's suggestions?

[Donerail]

    I fear that an 8.5% business tax would negatively impact our ability to compete with other regions. We currently have a 5.8% business tax, which is already higher than that which exists in the Mideast.

Alrighty; I was looking at states that didn't have an individual income tax, and New Hampshire's was at 8.5.

[Wisconsin+17]

Texas has zero. If we want to outcompete the mideast - we should consider emulating Texas on our corporate tax rate or at least splitting the difference between the two.

[JerryArkansas]

What we need to do is lower all of the tax rates to 4% flat.  It is a simple easy code that we all can agree on.