Earn Brownie Points (A riddle)

[Mahnarch]

Riddle me this.
Riddle me that.

Who's afraid of the big, black bat?



That's a Batman reference - and, like Batman, I am awesome.

I also like to wear form-fitting, nipple cast body armor (like, who doesn't?).



Here's a plan I've been thinking and re-thinking over the past few weeks.
I've been running over the pros and cons and can't find any cons with it. Particularly involving unemployment or benefits.

Show me the pratfalls, please.



1) I abolish the 16th Ammendment which allows the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on Census results.
(Through Executive Order because Congress will not give up their power).


2) I enact, either through Congressional proposal or through Executive Order, the Fair Tax so that you keep what your earn (on average $150-$400/wk extra, depending on your income and tax bracket).


3) I urge factories/shops/etc to shorten "regular" shifts to 6 hours, instead of the usual 8 hours.

4) I encourage HSAs, IRAs, 401ks, 529s.*


i) With no Federal Income Taxes coming out of your weekly paycheck, you make the same (or more) during a 6 hour shift as you would during an 8 hour shift.

ii) Making the same money, you get to spend less time at work and more time at home.

iii) Factories aren't paying overtime.

iv) Employees aren't being overworked - and therefore more productive - and happy.

v) The 'Fair Tax' is a truly "voluntary" tax system, and so you, the citizen, have complete power.


I) I've just shortened the working shift from 8 hours to 6.
II) Three 8 hour shifts equal 24 hours.
III) Three 6 hour shifts equal 18 hours.

7) Brownie points to the first person who figures out what I just did for there...






*though; taxes wouldn't be relevant for any of these plans but, the interest would be better than a regular savings accounts.

[Geekthras (The Gizmo of Yore)]

Here's a plan I've been thinking and re-thinking over the past few weeks.
I've been running over the pros and cons and can't find any cons with it. Particularly involving unemployment or benefits.

Show me the pratfalls, please.



1) I abolish the 16th Amendment which allows the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on Census results.
(Through Executive Order because Congress will not give up their power).
This is your first error. There is no way for you to do this through "Executive Order" without essentially ignoring the Constitution. According to Article VI (V? VII? I forget), the state representatives need a 3/4 majority before an amendment can be passed. You could say that you had destroyed or nullified this amendment, but there's no way for you personally to actually change the Constitution according to the rules put forth within it; to do so would be a logical absurdity.
2) I enact, either through Congressional proposal or through Executive Order, the Fair Tax so that you keep what your earn (on average $150-$400/wk extra, depending on your income and tax bracket).
So you want to replace all taxes with a sales tax? It would simplify things more, true, but you're also proposing that everyone gets to keep 150+ dollars a week more? If that money isn't going to the government, but staying with the people, that's another two trillion dollars per year that the government isn't getting. More on this later.

3) I urge factories/shops/etc to shorten "regular" shifts to 6 hours, instead of the usual 8 hours.
I understand the sentiment, but how do you expect to get paid the same amount for 6 hour days that you do for 8 hour days?
4) I encourage HSAs, IRAs, 401ks, 529s.*
These are all ways of giving money back to the people, putting more pressure on the government

i) With no Federal Income Taxes coming out of your weekly paycheck, you make the same (or more) during a 6 hour shift as you would during an 8 hour shift.
More money from the company for less work from you? There's a problem here
ii) Making the same money, you get to spend less time at work and more time at home.

iii) Factories aren't paying overtime.
Who says they won't be? If you're having people work 25% less, how can you reasonably expect the same amount of work to get done?
iv) Employees aren't being overworked - and therefore more productive - and happy.
They'll be expected to the same amount of work in less time? And this is easier for them?
v) The 'Fair Tax' is a truly "voluntary" tax system, and so you, the citizen, have complete power.
This is precisely the kind of things the founding fathers of America wanted to avoid. The entire point of the three-branched system was to avoid the pitfalls of an absolute monarch who would inevitably become a despot (ex. England), a total republic which would become an oligarchy (ex. Rome), and a full democracy which would fall prey to the self-serving interests of the people (ex. Athens). Note that all three of those empires collapsed completely in the end. I'm not trying to say that this new tax system will lead to the downfall of America, but it would contradict the principles that it was founded upon.

I) I've just shortened the working shift from 8 hours to 6.
II) Three 8 hour shifts equal 24 hours.
III) Three 6 hour shifts equal 18 hours.
IV) There's a 6 hour lay over, there......
At which time no work is being done.
MMIX) Brownie points to the first person who figures out what I just did there...





*though; taxes wouldn't be relevant for any of these plans but, the interest would be better than a regular savings accounts.
The best way to look at the flaws with this entire scheme is to consider it as a system.
We put a certain amount of work into the system and get a certain amount out as 401ks etc as well as road work and other government-funded projects. Your proposal removes work and tax money that would otherwise go into the system and expects more money to come out of it with everyone remaining happy and productive.

[Mahnarch]

IV) There's a 6 hour lay over, there......
At which time no work is being done.

I'll get to the rest, later but, my point is:

I've just created an entirely new shift.

New shifts equal more jobs.

More jobs equal less unemployment.

That's my brownie point answer.



Also, if you're not paying Federal Income Tax, you'll be receiving the same(ish) sized check for a 6 hour day as you would for a Federally Taxed 8 hour day.

[You'd probably come out ahead, actually].

Whadaya think?

[Geekthras (The Gizmo of Yore)]

There are plenty of ways to create jobs for people that don't involve forcing people to work shorter hours which has the problem that either you cut wages or force employers to pay the same amount for less work. Sure, maybe if you don't pay income tax you'd get close to the same amount, but then how does the government get enough money?

[Mahnarch]

The government doesn't need money.
Municipalities do (City Governments)

The only thing the Federal government does need money for is to pay it's employees and military expenses (to protect it's citizens from the 'marauder, whether foreign or domestic').


Why is Senator SoAndSo proposing a bill to fund renovations for an intersection in downtown Yourtown?

That should be the concern of the Yourtown Mayor.


Creating shorter work days is a benefit to the individual for life and family reasons.
Sans FICA, Federal Income, SS, etc taxes the individual comes out even (or ahead) at the end of each week.
It's basically a raise to every employee - without the company losing a penny (no overtime).


If individuals have more money they spend more money.
That's were there Fair Tax comes in. It's a 'truly voluntary' tax system.

If you were to win $1,000 on the lotto, wouldn't you be more inclined to buy a big screen TV? A new fishing pole? Stickers for your car?



Oh, and I wasn't suggesting "forcing" shorter hours. I was only saying that they 'could' - without sacrifice.

Same thing as me giving all citizens automatic Concealed Carry Permits
Just because I say you can[/b] doesn't mean you have to[/b].


Does that clear anything up for you?
I don't want to be too confusing - and the face to face stuff helps me with future interactions.