How Much Tax Is Enough?
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by Leroy Combs
The current budget that Congress is working to approve is based on percentages. This means whatever taxes are collected go straight to the line items in the budget. Two reasons for doing it this way are that it becomes easier for the Congressional Budget Office to process disbursements and it is easier to administer when revenue goes up or down week to week.
Since a percent budget spends all the funds taken in from tax payers surely there are caps on how much each line item can get, right? We wouldn’t want to have unlimited spending, right? Wrong. The only caps that exist are caps on the two smallest items in the budget. Guess what these are for. New player assistance. We wouldn't want to help the lower skilled players now would we? You know, the ones that could use the help the most.
The current budget being passed is designed to spend every cent we take in. Is it possible to take too much money from the taxpayers? How will we know we have taken to much? Most of the people that receive our tax money don't pay the same amount as normal tax payers, except for low skilled workers that haven't learned the ways of tax evasion. How much is to much to take from the low skilled workers in our country? Remember, these are the people who need our help the most. These are the people we should want to encourage to stick around. Why would they want to do that when they get robbed to pay for the rich?
How much should we give the military? Is 50, 70, or 100 USD per soldier enough? How much should we spend on Milita's? Milita members don't pay much in taxes either but they sure can't get enough of our taxes. I really don't want to pick on the military because there is a reserve fund built into the budget and it will get a share. But the problem is that we will probably never know how that money is spent because congress as a body doesn't get to see how it is spent (and there are good reasons for it).
I do not favor a cut in taxes. I just wish there was a way to determine how much is enough. The current budget gives you no idea how much is to much, nor does it direct funds to where we need it the most. I guess as long as people keep electing people that don't have the time to adjust a budget then we will never know.
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Voted.
Vote
Viva Israel!
Voted
First step: eliminate militia funding.
You're on to something.
Another good article Leroy!
I would be all for getting rid of Militia's. The only exception being ST6 as they have been around the longest and contributed the most and deserve to be recognized for it.
Voted. I would definitely vote to defund militias. Not that militias are a bad thing, but government support to militias defeats the purpose.
No taxation without full information!
You have dumbest tax system in the eWorld
You are pushing your workers away because high income taxes and company owners with low import taxes 😒
agree with upstairs
ST6 was Frost's recruiting tool for USWP. Why should tax funds go to party-based entities?
The more money the better, imo >😃
also sadbagface at no emoticons in comments
I think ALL militia funding should be cut with ST6 -which is actually the USWP's militia- being folded into the military. Then just like we have limit (level 21 and below) on who may get funding from the new player retention organizations we should put a limit (25 and above) on who may receive help from military funding. Also our taxes should be 20%-8%-10% to help protect our markets and to force business owners (who can avoid taxes completely) to pay their fair share.
Good read! Voted.
Considering how unenjoyable our military make participating, I sure hope militias, which don't take themselves as seriously, can continue to get funding.
-Now- I remember why leaving the eUSA was a good idea.. Nice people, cool articles, but high taxes and demanding military participation.
V+S
What Dsokre said. Hell of a job Leroy, but I think we should cut taxes. Less money in the governments hands=less of the b/s you mention.
wat he said
Nice article Leroy, I appreciate your dedication to the issue, and I certainly agree on transparency.
"...I just wish there was a way to determine how much is enough. ...I guess as long as people keep electing people that don't have the time to adjust a budget then we will never know."
AMEN!
Jesus christ... bill hook is still butt hurt. get over it son. Nobody cares.
If you got a Romanian job and bought untaxed Romanian imports then you would be a lot better off. There are incentives to buy imported forign goods (they are cheaper as lower income tax and very low import tax) and get a better wage making a company more profit in Romania, or any country with low income taxes. Listen to Dsokre, he has the most newspaper subscriptions in the world and is on your team.
>This again.
Bring facts, not morals to the table. Tell me why lowering taxes would benefit the country. USE ACTUAL DATA.
Lower your income taxes to 10% and raise import taxes to 15%
And workers won't go to other countries, and company owners would open a country in the USA and from them you'll earn even more - income and VAT
Krems
I got some actual facts for you MORON. If the budget is percentage based with NO LIMIT, then you all will continue to try and justify our outrageously high tax rate. Why? well because its all budgeted of course.
Quit giving taxpayer money to tax evading militias. If you actually read Leroy's article you would see that he flatly states he doesn't think taxes should be lowered. He favors limits on the percentages.
I want taxes lowered because the less money we give you and your little crowd the more money the rest of us have to do as we see fit with. Our tax system is b/s. Why don't you give some ACTUAL DATA instead of labeling those of us who wish to keep our money as Populists.
I've argued for over a year on this stuff and you all scream for data, well thanks to your "convenient" percentage based budgets, that data is right in front of your face. The military will still get 75% or w/e of the total income. The point is when is enough enough?
Of course it will never be enough, reasons and uses for the wealth of our citizens will always be "found" so you can justify this backward approach to the game.
Keep raping the citizens, you guys have got it down to a science.
dSokre
Common sense is not allowed in this debate, have you not noticed? lol.
I think that if they don't lower our taxes, there should be a percentage put in for a surplus/savings account.
Then add ALL of the surplus to the new citizen programs (or any additional programs that might pop up)for the next budget and start it over again.
No person in RL or on Erepublik is prudent unless they save something for the future...
St Krems: 'Bring facts, not morals to the table. Tell me why lowering taxes would benefit the country. USE ACTUAL DATA.'
When will you provide data that shows why our taxes need to be what they are right now. You keep telling us to use actual data, well, how about you use some actual data and prove that you need the taxes and do not say that it is top secert. Of course someone like you with no morals wouldn't care about morals, all you care about is being able to screw the American public like you did with the PENIX and T'jelle debacle.
"Dell Fargus - ST6 was Frost's recruiting tool for USWP. Why should tax funds go to party-based entities?"
Actually incorrect. It was Frost's tool to help players who weren't able to get into the Military, due to the TD being fooking broke for three months, to have some fun and go on deployments messing around all over against PEACE.
Also worked very well to get himself elected CP due to massive amount of damage done by him and 6.. combined with a positive media blitz, worked quite well.
As far as being linked to USWP.. we have a high USWP contingent but mostly that's due to being used as blockers by them for over a year now in congressionals.
If you ask ST6 I'd bet 75% or more would say they don't have a party and don't care about party politics.
There are also current Fed/UIP/SEES/Lib members and Congressmembers, past Party Presidents from multiple parties, Foreign Congressmembers and ex-foreign CP's in membership.
Not really a one party trick pony.
Back to the OP, I've been for a percentage based budget due to the simplification of it. If the income level of the eUS drops, guess what.. everyone gets paid less. If it rises, everyone gets more. Seems simple.
As far as hiding the income or it not being clearly noted... that is posted weekly to see by the people tracking it for the CBO. Or just check and see what they pay out since they post every time the CBO sends weekly funding out.. you can see it Leroy, I knows ya can, seen ya post in there before.
"Joseph Dinero - I think that if they don't lower our taxes, there should be a percentage put in for a surplus/savings account."
There is a 14% reserve in the budget plus anything else unused. Meaning if DoI doesn't need its funding for the week, that goes into the reserve.
@ Speedcat - how often do they not use "the surplus?" I would think that it is similar to RL where they try to make sure they use their whole budget so they at least get the same amount (in this case 😵 or more. I also feel that it would be better used being put into the new citizen programs.
On a side note...this continuing debate has me thinking that I should step-up my game and go for congress. As Albert Einstein said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
How about Joe DaSmoe for POTUS, folks? I say this very seriously. I have known the man for over 2 years, and have never seen him treat anyone unfairly and he helps anyone who needs it. Joe is definitely Presidential Material, perhaps more so than many who have served.
I like what he says, I am all for giving him a try, straightening out this mess we have called the United States.
Just my two bits,
loft
Honestly, the way the budget has been (post V2) things were so low that a 'good' week at MoW would suck all the DoI funds out. That said, they did an audit a while ago (few months) and sent a ton of extra funds, for some reason people who quit the game send MoW random currency, back to the CBO.
Arm America hasn't drawn funds for three weeks I believe (might be longer), as without ads its unable to really get peoples notice (shame really) and they had enough to hold them over.
Also, good luck with your Congress run! Congress can be fun, can be a drain.
Cold Hearted Snake: "When will you provide data that shows why our taxes need to be what they are right now. You keep telling us to use actual data, well, how about you use some actual data and prove that you need the taxes and do not say that it is top secert. Of course someone like you with no morals wouldn't care about morals, all you care about is being able to screw the American public like you did with the PENIX and T'jelle debacle. "
I havent seen you do anything. Have yo uheard about OMB? Remember how much money that took from the government? 😛 Just try to think about it a lil.
"Jesus christ... bill hook is still butt hurt. get over it son. Nobody cares."
Some of us don't think we're actual commandos or soldiers just because we can click a mouse in some crappy game. I didn't get enough out of the eMilitary to make kissing some loser's ass worth my while. If it helps you live your fantasy life, then whatever works for you, speaking of not caring. Hooah!!!!!!!!!
You'd be surprised how hard it is to give shit away. Those programs are capped because they don't use most of their budgets now. There's no reason to pile money up there, that never turns out good.
I'm not opposed to across the board caps though. The CBO has pushed for larger reserves for months now.
Voted
No one country have import tax on all products 1%. Why USA have import tax on all products 1% ?
Although American language is not my native i enjoyed reading this.Great article.Vote & sub
HAIL USA
HAIL BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA
hey everyone, i just started playing.
anything I need to know?
lower this damn income tax to 1 % . RIGHT NOW !!!!
Crucifixpandaninja: 'I haven't seen you do anything. Have you heard about OMB? Remember how much money that took from the government? Just try to think about it a lil.'
If you mean the 'Office of Military Budget' then all you have done is add fuel to my argument. I have thought about it and IMHO our tax gold is going to players who need it the least so they may tank in battles that are meaningless allowing them to rank up even higher, while new players are allowed to die.
geez CHS.. you can't get anything right. Spew your hate but never know wtf you're talking about.
OMB was Operation Monkey Business. Run by Colin Lantrip. Out of his own pocket. ZERO tax dollars were spent on it. 0, nada, zip, zilch. In fact due solely to OMB our peg was stabilized at 0.20 since Colin singlehandedly bought all USD that was offered below that point.
Obviously everyone has an opinion, you are more then free to spout hate and anger wherever you want but for the love of whichever deity you wish to use, at least try TRY to be informed prior to "rabble rabble rabble"
I mean, its a game. I don't understand how you can be so angry on a game. I honestly don't think I've ever seen you post something upbeat and/or non-aggressive since you've been playing. Is your rl so terrible? If so you have my complete and total sympathy.
First of all, the OP left out the fact that the original budget that was passed was not all percentage based. This emergency all-percentage budget was passed because the recent econ module change resulted in a serious decline in tax income, and we wanted to be sure that all programs would still be able to receive the bare minimum funding to provide the services that they were designed for. Most programs are now getting around half of the funding they received a few weeks ago. Once the market stabilizes, and reliable weekly tax income numbers are available, congress will be better equipped to tackle the tax issue again (for future reference, members of the CBO post weekly tax income amounts in the congress boards, so we are never unsure of how much money different programs are being given.
Second of all, I always find it odd when people bitch about taxes, because all this money comes back to the people through government programs. As for military funding, having well funded military and militias makes us one of the most productive countries in the world, and allows us to maintain regions with all the resources. I’d much rather give a few extra percent of my money to the government than lose those productivity bonuses.
Voted
Great article, but why so much rage from every one else? If you dont like it step your game up.
OMS, MILITARY and other defense spending = DMG
If you want a fooking peaceful game then go join farm town.
if you want to play around with money, than go get good at those online poker games.
If you want to win battles then you have to spend money on winning battles, it doesn't get any simpler than that.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that most people are here to enjoy the fact that eUSA wins battles, or have we all suddenly turned into freaking peaceniks; let's either play FTW or rename this game eCommune and stop the fooking whining.
Yanno, many of you cry babies don't ever fight, some of you need to do some training and fighting once in a while... spend a few bucks on some guns and food, actually participate in the economy and the heart of the game - eating the bad guys as snacks!
Or, would you prefer the Url to farmtown?