(above) The Doa, Doatia’s currency.
Following the abrupt removal, via a successful vote of confidence, of former Chancellor Bernadino and the selection of Shuri Recardo as Chancellor-elect, an election was held yesterday, on August 16th.
Prior to the election, the EJP was polling with 46% support, with the CP coming in second with 41%. The DN had dropped to a staggering 3% popularity. The PLP sat at around 10%.
This coming after an aggressive PR initiative to reinvigorate the EJP, including the party’s base. This includes a series of huge rallies, an increase in phone banks and door-to-door canvassing, a ban on corporate donations, and a massive fundraising push. The party has also updated most of its agenda with increasingly progressive policies, including expanded universal healthcare, a stronger carbon tax than the one recently repealed by the CP, tuition-free college, investments in affordable housing, an expansion of eligibility for Doatia’s social safety net, including increasing eligibility for food stamps, affordable housing, and unemployment. It also calls for a minimum 15% decrease in military spending, the creation of a Special Counsel to provide oversight over the actions of the monarchy, the creation of a taskforce to look into avenues to limit the monarchy’s authority, and a increase of the Doatian minimum wage to $22 Doa/hour. It also includes investments in small businesses, increased regulations of the utility industry, and partial privatization of the manufacturing sector.
The agenda has seemed to gain steam, as closing results for last night’s election have not only granted the EJP a majority, but one much larger than both the recent CP majority (+2, 2019-2023), and the recent EJP-PLP coalition administration, the last time the coalition governed with a majority, albeit extremely slim (+3, 2017-2019).
Results (351 + majority. Chamber has 700 seats)
EJP – 362 (+12 majority) (up from 230 seats, first noncoalition liberal majority in nearly 6 decades, +132)
PLP – 22 (down from 110, -88)
CP – 307 (down from 348, -41)
DN – 9 (down from 21, – 12)
After the results were certified, Queen Aiyisha arrived late into the evening to swear in the newly elected Chamber. The Chamber immediately votes to reconfirm Shuri Recardo to the seat of Chancellor (404/296), this time not as Chancellor-elect, but as “Supreme Chancellor of the Doatian Republic”. The Chancellor’s first act in her post was to call for an emergency session of the Chamber for early this morning, the first day of the Chamber’s summer break. During the emergency session the Chancellor submitted her budget proposal to the Chamber.
The Chamber had voted on multipartisan legislation last week, garnering support from most members of most parties, with the notable exception of all members of the Doatian Nationalists, to keep the government funded through August 17th.
The Chamber voted to pass the Chancellor’s proposal, 389/311. It is arguably the most progressive economic legislation passed by the Chamber in several decades. The summary of the proposal is below:
“Doatian Federal Fiscal Budget 2023-2024”:
Education: $489 Billion (+15%). Summary: Creates a taskforce to research a new federal curriculum, give teachers a 10% raise, renovate or rebuild all existing public schools, invest in school security and transportation, give indigenous communities more authority over courses in their communities, banning all funding for private and charter school, prohibits religious schools from being a student’s primary school, invests in mental health professionals and care, hires additional schedulers for schools, as well as counselors and faculty members, and investing in making school lunches nutrious and tasty. Increases funding for universal school breakfast and lunches and creates a summer breakfast and lunch program nationwide.
Foreign Affairs: $281 Billion (+6%). Summary: Funds the construction of a military academy in Roucourt. Gives all diplomates raises and increases diplomatic staff. Funds the construction of an embassy in Roucourt. Declares an official “Global Threat of Poverty” and commits $30 Billion Dao to combat it globally each year.
Health and Humanities: $589 Billion (+28%). Summary: Invests $100 Billion in renovating and constructing affordable housing. Covers an additional 10% (total 70%) of tenants rent, and increases region’s duty by 5% (10%), raising government assistance to cover 80%. Makes tuition free for all medical degrees. increases pay by 15% for medical professionals working in understaffed areas. Increases funding to hire more staff to shorten wait times and improve overall care. Eliminates “care deserts” by constructing a medical facility in each current care desert.
Defense: $550 Billion (-8%). Summary: Eliminates the “Striker” project. Delays the “Fortitude” project by 5 years. Decreases military procurement by 10% every decade. Cuts the “Denato” project in half. Sells jets, guns, tech, and equipment to Roucourt. Increases intelligence funding by 12%.
Labor: $200 Billion (+8%). Summary: Creates a subsidy program to grant relief to small businesses with the increase in the minimum wage. Develops a corporate oversight panel to break-up monopolies and enforce corporate and finance law. Transitions to “union friendly” policies.
Agriculture and Environment: $600 Billion (+32%). Summary: Increases taxes and oversight of “big farms” (corporate farms). Increases subsidies to small farms. Funds drought relief and prevention. Funds water security and renewal. Funds reforestation. Funds the creation of more small farms. Funds community gardens. Funds “urban renewal” and “rural renewal”. Funds “suburban integration”. Eliminates subsidies to all fossil fuel industries. Bans fracking in Doatia. Invests in electric vehicles, public transporation, and a hyperloop. Invests in reef and coastal restoration. Invests in hurricane relief and prevention.
Veterans Affairs: $315 Billion (+11%). Summary: Invests in PTSD treatment. Invests in veteran job location, veteran healthcare, and veteran housing. Increasing the monthly veteran benefit to $2,500/month from $2.250/month.
Parks and Recreation: $235 Billion (+6%). Summary: invests in park improvement, statue renovation, trash removal, protecting endangered species, and enhancing indigenous communities. Constructs additional public pools and playgrounds.
Transportation: $435 Billion (+18%). Summary: constructs a hyperloop. Makes public transportation free. Transitions to all electric public transportation. Expands public transportation.
Equality and Justice: $311 Billion (+6%). Summary: Doubles the number of public defenders to decrease case load to 1:10, from 1:55. Renovates all incarceration facilities. Bans the death penalty, excluding treason, rape, and murder. Orders the reevaluation of all sentences every 3 years. Bans sentences exceeding 10 years, excluding sentences for rape or murder. Increases the general welfare of inmates. Bans private prisons. Constructs 3 new federal incarceration facilities.
Energy: $315 Billion (+11%). Summary: Updates the electrical grid. Reduces dependence on fossil fuels. Increases the gas tax to $.15/gallon, from $.10/gallon. Constructs new windmills and solar panels.
Treasury and Taxation: $215 Billion (+3%). Summary: strengthens tax enforcement, and hires more staff to process tax returns faster. Transitions to online tax returns.
Taxation: Increases corporate tax to 32%, increases capitol gains, inheritance, and customs taxes. Establishes a new income tax (we’ve also calculated the estimated average tax burden impact across the income bracket):
$0-$25,000 : -0.5% (-1%)
$25,001-$35,000 : 2.5% (-1%)
$35,001-$55,000 : 5% (-1%)
$55,001-$75,000 : 7% (-1%)
$75,001-$95,000 : 9.5% (-0.5%)
$95,001-$115,000 : 11% (-0.5%)
$115,001-$135,000 : 13% (0%)
$135,001-$155,000 : 15% (+.5%)
$155,001-$175,000 : 17% (+.5%)
$175,001-$195,000 : 19% (+.5%)
$195,001-$215,000 : 21% (+1%)
$215,000-$415,000 : 23% (+1%)
$415,000-$650,000 : 25% (+1%)
$650,001-$900,000 : 27% (+1.5%)
$900,001-$1,250,000 : 35% (+1.5%)
$1,250,001-$10,000,000 : 40% (+1.5%)
$10,000,001-$50,000,000 : 45% (+2%)
$50,000,001-$200,000,000 : 50% (+2%)
$200,000,001-$500,000,000 : 55% (+2%)
$500,000,001-$750,000,000 : 60% (+4%)
$750,000,001-$1 Billion : 65% (+10%)
$1 Billion and $1 + : 75% (+30%)
Recreates a Payroll Tax:
$0-$50,000 (1.5%)
$50,001-$100,000 (2%)
$100,001-$300,000 (4%)
$300,001-$500,000 (7%)
$500,001-$1 Million (9%)
$1 Million and $1- $10 Million (11%)
$10 Million – $500 Million (13%)
$500 Million and $1 – $1 Billion (15%)
$1 Billion and $1 + (20%)
Establishes a total federal taxation cap at 90% of income.
Establishes a expenditure of: $4 Trillion, $535 Billion ($4,535,000,000,000) Doa
Establishes a revenue of: $4 Trillion, $215 Billion ($4,215,000,000,000) Doa
Deficit: $320 Billion (up from a surplus of $11 Billion)
