Further down the communist yellow brick road...

[hvp05]

Toward a People's Budget: Vermont Adopts New Vision for State Spending and Revenue Policies

In the wake of an impressively large and diverse May Day rally for human rights, the state legislature passed an unprecedented amendment to the budget bill that takes steps toward grounding Vermont's budget and revenue policy in human rights. Adopting a key demand of the People's Budget Campaign, run by the Vermont Workers' Center, Vermont's budget is now mandated "to address the needs of the people of Vermont in a way that advances human dignity and equity."

Once again, the idea is that putting more government over us and guiding us towards being more dependent on said government will make us freer.

The new provision specifies that public money must be raised and distributed with an explicit focus on people's fundamental needs, requiring that "pending and revenue policies ... recognize every person's need for health, housing, dignified work, education, food, social security, and a healthy environment." These human needs lie at the root of social and economic rights protected under international human rights law, which to date have been largely ignored in the United States.

All of those 'needs' provided for by the government... for free! What a deal! Seems international laws now trump the Constitution, because international folks are so much more civilized and all.

While public spending is normally planned on the basis of whatever revenue happens to be available, a more rational and just People's Budget process would require spending plans to take into account people's needs and the cost of services and infrastructure to meet those needs. Revenue measures would then be designed on the basis of such a needs-based budget, not vice versa. In other words, a People's Budget would identify and, if needed, raise the resources required to meet people's fundamental needs.

In other words, historically governments collect money then decide how to spend it, hopefully staying within the bounds of what is available. This way, they will decide how much to distribute first, then work out how to raise said money. Therefore, if income taxes need to go up by XX%, or business taxes or the sales tax needs to go up by XX%, it's all justified because the government is obligated to ensure everyone has a certain standard of living. The ends justify the means, however brutal said means are. And this is "more rational and just"!


This is frightening. If other states (e.g., MD) aren't careful, this could be coming your way soon.

 

[EmptyTimCup]

This is frightening. If other states (e.g., MD) aren't careful, this could be coming your way soon.

Que UN Peace Keepers in your neighborhood to ensure Equitable Distribution of resources .... that is after Sustainable Living Initiative Forces you inside the beltway, so the suburbs can be abandoned to return to nature

 

[EmptyTimCup]