I, Rule (part III)

(And now back to a series that I stopped writing because my mate Anson would always destroy my ideal society in the comments. As he rarely comments here anymore, I thought it’d be safe for me to go on to part III. Here is part I and here is part II)

Welcome back to Sim Pixelonia. Today we have to discuss something that most of you probably find rather dreary: taxes.

Sim Pixelonia has a flat tax. Ten percent of everything you earn or consume is reserved for the government. This means that there is no tax forms you have to fill out and no precious money is wasted processing poorly rendered forms. Enforcement of taxation is automatic in most cases.

Should a non-student adult be unemployed for 6 months, a qualified social worker will be sent to see if he needs help. If the citizen is having difficulty finding a job, the social worker will assist in any way possible. This way we will be better match our workforce to our job market and catch any potential problems before they start.

If you wish to donate your tax money to charities, we have a list of nearly 1,000 approved, apolitical, non-religious, charitable organizations. If you go online, there is a form which allows you to specify where up to 50 percent of your tax money will go. This form will ensure that publicly supported organizations and charities are not at a lack for funds due to government mismanagement.

In return for your taxes, as part of our perpetual ‘agreement with the people,’ we will release details of all government expenses and income every year to curious journalists or bloggers. This way you can be sure where your tax money is going and we eliminate excess expenditures.

Donations to political parties are in a blind trust which is then sealed for 10 years. You can donate the amount of money you wish, so long as no political candidate is aware you donated to them.

Politics will be publicly funded with a two-term limit, and a psychological test and an educational requirement for all positions. The education required will vary depending on the position but will generally include economics, biology, management, political science, world history, philosophy, logic and geography. It is hoped that this will ensure a fair and representative democratic system with qualified, intelligent leaders.

Our education ranks worldwide as one of the best and we hope to move to No. 1 within a generation. Our first-class professors (see I, Kid part IV) are generally students of our own system who pay nothing for their higher education in exchange for two years (per degree) as a public school teacher in their chosen field. All students have the ability to study in any university for as long as they wish if they agree to this condition.

Everyone in Sim Pixelonia has access to medical help. Doctors who attended medical school using government money are allowed to open up a private practice after seven years at a public hospital. This will ensure freedom of profit as well as guarantee the welfare of our citizenry.

Defense spending will be consistent with other nations of our size and population, but our standing army will also partake in public works, so as to get the most from our investment while in peacetime.

Finally, your tax money will also fund the best transportation system in the world with effective, cheap, hydrogen-powered public transport.

It is our hope that you enjoy Sim Pixelonia. Although everyone hates dealing with taxes, we hope you understand the value you get for everyone’s combined cooperation is greater than the value we could each achieve if we were alone or in competition.

(And now back to a series that I stopped writing because my mate Anson would always destroy my ideal society in the comments. As he rarely comments here anymore, I thought it’d be safe for me to go on to part III. Here is part I and here is part II) Welcome back to Sim…