Gentlemen, pick your Congressmen!
pure_evil
After two years of blissfully avoiding politics and press altogether, I've finally set up a newspaper and am writing my very first article.
Why?
Because of the last straw - the new tax increase.
There has been a lot said on the topic from both sides. The defenders of the taxation have gone all over the place trying to find a way to defend their brainchild - from building reserves to stabilizing the price of gold or at least downplay it's effect.
To quote the Secretary of Treasury:
If you are an active player, and still paying Income Taxes *you are doing it wrong!*.
The whole "debate" can be traced in the articles linked below. Anyway...
Here are the names of the people who agreed that YOU, the tax payer, should either:
1.) Avoid paying the tax by agreeing with your employer on alternative means of payment
2.) Join a commune
3.) pay a QUARTER of your salary to the state:
Originator: Eli Crownover
Approvals:
PigInZen
Eli Crownover
Aersidius
Kell Draygo
Drummer Mike
Firo Prochainezo
Deificus
Gnilraps
Vanek26
BoxOfAids
marten
code0011
aLalban
jon konning
Thanatos the Great
Yume Shinnyuusha
Leroy Combs
Portcolumbus
Project Psion
DanielCD
Dustin Walker
SGTRock
Mr. A. Smith
Those, who voted NO (There actually were people with your interests in mind in Congress):
Heero Blaze
Colin Lantrip
Stephen s
As election day is upon you... Do you want to have the same congressmen represent you this month as well?
Some useful readings on the subject:
10/24 Occupy the Capitol!
Welcome to the Soviet States of America!
Grand Theft USAF
and, of course, you have to see it to believe it - the Secretary of Treasury himself advising you to avoid taxes, among other things - like:
The only players that are affected are the inactive “work-train-fight” people, and the people who are too lazy to enter into salary donation contracts.
[Kemal Ergenekon] Explanation regarding the US Tax Plan
THIS IS TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
"A situation in which a government imposes taxes on a particular group of its citizens, despite the citizens not consenting or having an actual representative deliver their views when the taxation decision was made "
[http://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/tax_without_representation.asp]
That "particular group" is you, dear "inactive" "two-clicker" "doing-it-wrong-for-paying-taxes" "commune evader" "damage waster" "too lazy to do tax evasion" (did I miss something? Oh, yes... I believe you also qualify as a "VOTER").
But I sincerely hope, that before you click the vote button tomorrow, you'll see if the name which the pretty avatar belongs to rings a bell.
Um...that's why YOU elected people that would decide how to spend YOUR money.
- enderaggie, Day 1,430, 08:46
Comments
First denied.
Think BEFORE you vote!
For the record I also raised the vote to lower VAT on Food (and supported the move to lower VAT on Weapons) as well as lower the Import Tax on same.
The Tax plan as proposed is a good one.
And for the record I am not running for congress this next term since my state got hammered by Spain. But I do look forward to all the new congressmen, who as they come in and pick up the discussion (and put the subsequent HOURS of reading and studying in), change their tune as they realize that based on the fact that our eNation is smaller in size and power to our enemies, that this tax plan is absolutely the wisest course of action for the security of our Nation, for the security of the USD, and for the future growth of our military strength.
As for the rest of the names on that list, most of them were very active Congressmen this past month, and I would be most happy to see them all re-elected, including those who voted against these tax measures.
This is the true test of government.
When the state and it's people have diverging interests, a choice needs to be made.
They chose the state over the people. Why should the people choose them again?
And for the umpteenth time - taking more taxes means less damage today. As we're weak and small - doing less damage is considered a good plan?!
It's simple:
1.) Govt can do 100 k USD worth of damage daily (whatever that entails - weapons food etc.). No more.
2.) Total US damage = Govt-funded damage + "free" players.
3.) Less money for players - less damage done by them
therefore, overall US damage is decreased as taxes increase (import tax excluded)
In return, a tax buffer is established, thus keeping the govt damage "constant" (yeah, yeah, people in communes train, gain rank - so do we etc.) when tax income drops below 100k due to being invaded.
And - oh, look! - we're being invaded again... Methinks we need the damage NOW?!
Voted
This is just to much of government interfering in economy
v+s
[Repost]
Suppose tomorrow we wake up with two discoveries:
1.) Now taxes can grow to 50%
2.) Polish, Serbian and Spanish PTOers hold every last seat in Congress and now can hurt the country as much as they like.
What do you think they'll do:
a.) Raise to the limit! Suffocate the people!
b.) Leave them be. Our predecessors have done enough damage already.
c.) Drop them to 1%! Let's hit 'em where it hurts the most!
The idea that we raise taxes to 50% is a logical fallacy. I don't entertain slippery slope arguments, and I had to be convinced quite a bit to even vote for the 25%. Please quit grouping all congressmen who voted for this tax change (not increase since import and VATs went down)into the same box. We all had different reasons, and people choose not to question our motivation, only attack it.
Great, then let's change the experiment. The hypothetical Polish, Spanish, and Serbian PTOers are in the seats of current congress, before the tax change was implemented.
What do they do - go for 25%, leave it, or drop it to 1%?
What harms our nation the most?
Also, those congressmen voted FOR a tax - and, simultaneously, AGAINST a large group of the population. The justifications so far speak for themselves, Kemal being Nr.1 on the list.
It's also very fun to read the signing statements, quite appealing as only a "Ja Ja Ja Ja", "I'm awesome", "Sure, why not (YES)" and the ever so modest "Si" coming from an American Congressman can be. It's quite reassuring to think they might be back in power in their wisdom to rule again, with ever more clever plans to save the US.
Now, if you didn't want to be grouped with them - why did you group yourself with them? Why aren't you alongside Colin Lantrip?
What, because Colin Lantrip spends tons of RL money on Gold, he automatically becomes the centerpoint of wisdom with respect to eRep tax policy?
And before you turn Poland's tax system into a panacea, make sure you realize that every other portion of industry in their country is similarly diminished, making life there the almost exact equation that it is everywhere else. Plato's bot makes sure of that. It is not their tax plan that makes them stronger than us, it is their populace.
Ultimately, it's not intentions that matter when it comes to politicians - it's the results. I bet that [Insert name of favorite dictator and/or failed politician here] had the best of intentions when he [insert what led to his undoing and/or ruining his country].
Three people voted FOR most of the population.
The rest voted AGAINST them.
"It is not their tax plan that makes them stronger than us, it is their populace." - Precisely.
I dare to go even further, and say "It is not the tax plan that makes a country stronger, it's the country's populace".
Therefore, we made a tax plan that f* up our populace, hindering it's development and fighting capacity - and call it a good, sound plan?
Or, did it actually make life better and easier for our populace?
Face it - the decision was a bad move. Yet none on the list acknowledge that.
Therefore, the listed congressmen consider a bad move the right thing to do, thus are dangerous if in power again.
PS. I'm still waiting on the PTO thought experiment. A completely PTOed congress faced with the same decision - raise to 25%, keep, or drop to 1%. What would our enemies do?
" that this tax plan is absolutely the wisest course of action for the security of our Nation, for the security of the USD, and for the future growth of our military strength."
This is clearly and obviously not true. Glad to hear you're not running though, you absoltely don't deserve a seat.
Congress spends a lot of time debating taxes. I didn't agree with the raise because the debate basically broke down and Congress waited for the Economic Council to recommend a tax change. After the recommendation, debate did not resume. I've been in Congress off and on for a year now and seen taxes change at various points with different results. No one presented a convincing argument, in my opinion, to change taxes at this point.
^ This is precisely what a true Congressman's behavior should be.
Kudos and good luck in Missouri!
I understand you are upset the state was chosen over the people but it is the peoples state that was chosen. I am sure you would be happier with the tax plan Spain has going but not all of us feel that way.
I was a two term senator myself and saw alot of confusing and unpopular ideas go around. In my political career I have one every single election I have run in and the term elite=active I am definitely an elite.
Go ahead and put my name on this so called "black-list" of people not to vote for since if I had the time to run I would likely have voted for it too.
No offence,(I know I sound bitchy alot) but if you don't follow the forums you really don't get the whole story and if you are following the forums already then run for office.
Shit or get off the pot, others are waiting in line.
You would if you could - but you didn't (even though it's because you couldn't). It's results that matter - not intentions. I find you in no way responsible for the government appropriating a quarter of my salary and spending it on... NOTHING. (because of the cap etc.)
It's not about "elites", "unpopular decisions" or what have you. It's about doing harm both to the state and the population with nothing beneficial in return. And consequences for the Congressmen that did that.
Sorry, no blacklist entry for you.
Now, how's about a cup of coffee? I'm buying.