I am not pretty enough for this, but....
Trekker Tlumac
My portrait...
Please pardon the odd title. It is true, I am not pretty. That is not the reason I called you here today. It was merely a clever (or not so clever) ruse to get you, dear reader, to come read my thoughts on a matter most important to me. I wanted to be sure that people would read the following words before actually making a prejudgment on the merit of my cause. I trust everyone to read my words with an open mind, but it helps to keep an open mind if the reader is not led to a subject by the title exposing too much.
With that said, I thank you for reading the following:
I write to you tonight (fore it is night as I write this, 1:03 am to be exact) in hopes that I may gain your support in a goal of mine. At this time all I ask of anyone is to just consider my opinion. Consider it and make a decision on its merits later.
This month in congress, I want us (congress members) to lower the work tax from 10% to 8%. In fact, there is already talk of this among members of congress and sides are already being drawn. There are at least two articles (from opposing sides) currently on the subject published in the past few days. This will make another one.
The forces that oppose this lowering of the taxes are well rehearsed and have all their talking points honed from months of debate on the subject. They also know that getting to people early is key in victory. I have utmost respect for these colleagues, it is in their example I am trying to come from the opposite spectrum. I will outline my personal thoughts on the matter and hope to garner not only public support, but the support of voting members of congress.
I am only in my second term in congress. Last month I spent most of my time reading up on the eUSA forums, reading article in-game, and watching the banter between the congressional members. It is a spectacle that all should aspire to see one day. However I am told it was a rather boring month to be in congress. This month already proves to be more interesting. We shall see. My point here being that I admit that I am not yet a seasoned legislator and I am not pretending to be.
However I am moderately intelligent, decently articulate, excellent in observation and highly passionate. I have not spent the last month idly. I have learned a lot. I continue to learn more every day. I am not that far removed from being on the mean streets of eRepublik and am still closely representative of what it means to be an “average” citizen of eUSA. Taxes are always something I have felt strongly about and have lived with the impact of their changing. More than anything else I can cite that makes me at least as justified as anyone else in making my opinion heard.
Now down to business:
We should lower taxes, by 2%. I am not asking for the world, just 2%. The following paragraphs will outline why I believe this.
1) Taxes were raised to their current level after the war. The 10% rate was put in place with the exclusive reasoning that the eUSA had to replenish the treasury that was emptied fighting a losing war. This was to protect us from the next war that could wipe us. eAmericans were asked to make this sacrifice for the betterment of the country. There is merit to this. I admit that I probably would have voted for the 10% at the time myself. National defense is something that we must be ever vigilant about.
That war is over and the global climate has settled. Today we enjoy peace. It will not last forever, nothing ever will; this is especially the case in a game that has a new cycle every 28-31 days. But it is here today. We have refilled much of this debt that we had incurred, now is the time to start thinking about lowering the taxes to a lower rate.
2) The “average” player in the game is generally irritated by the tax rates. By average I mean the mode; the average of the most common type of player. That player is largely faceless to the people who will fight over and ultimately decide the tax rates.
These are the players that make up the bulk of the population. The low-income players that do not “pay to play” and probably never will do so. They are the two-clickers; they are the players that hop on a few days a week while at work during break; they are the guys that produce goods for the highly active players; they are the players non-involved in the meta game; they are the often silent majority of the game that is easily overlooked. And many of them are angry about the taxes.
I know not everyone over look these players, but somehow their needs get pushed to the side as less important. These people are the bread and butter of the game. They are the future. They are leaving the eUSA or the game in general.
There is a lot of argument that this simply is not the case. They game is dying anyways and that taxes do not affect the rate at which we lose players. This is complete hogwash. It does play a role and anyone too blind to see that should look in the mirror to reevaluate their motives. Are they looking out for eUSA, its citizens or their own biases?
It has been stated, as a reason not to lower, that the general public have no problem with the current tax rate. I disagree with this. I have a message sitting in my inbox from earlier this week that is from a citizen asking me to lower taxes. It has come up in IRC and in forum threads. To say that no one really cares about the tax rate is ignorant and arrogant. People do care and they do speak up. I would be amazed if I am the only congressional member to get a message about lowering taxes. Is that not what congress is for? To listen to the needs and want of the public and dictate law based on this? That was the fundamental function of a democracy last time it was explained to me. The masses delegate the job of running the country to the elected few, with the understanding that the few will take care of the masses. That is basic civics.
It is an unfortunate happenstance that only the vocal minority get represented effectively. That is not the function of democracy, but all too often it is the sad truth of modern democracy.
3) There is discussion that lowering the taxes would not make an impact. This argument follows two trains of thought.
A ) The first being on a eGlobal level and the second on a personal level. That the exodus from the game and eUSA is unrelated to taxes. On the larger scale, this is true. The game is dying regardless to the tax rate. So by definition, the eUSA is dying without the help of the current tax rate. That is something largely out of our control.
B ) The personal level is where it really matters. It is the players that lose out on money every day with higher taxes. These are the players that either quit or move to another eCountry. It may be nickels and dimes to the active “Pay to play” players, those with government connections, or players that have their needs met elsewise. But nickels and dimes do matter to the poor of our country. It might not matter to all of them, but it makes a big difference to some. I have been in this game long enough to watch eFriends die or move away. Not all of these were due to game tax. Most of them were not. There were some though, some of my friends or comrades, that have left this country because of the taxes. They cannot be the only ones that have done so.
These are the primary reasons behind my first argument to lower the taxes. Each of these reasons can be countered and will be. So allow me to head off some of the counters with the reasons I feel they are valid.
One of the most common statements I hear against lowering the tax rate is that we will suddenly find ourselves undefended.
The next war is coming, eventually. This will always be true. To suggest that 2% off our taxes will be the difference between winning and losing is silly. We have funds squirreled away. They will not be enough. That assumption can be made; defense is expensive. The cold sad fact of the matter is that we will never have enough for the next war. War is pricey, dirty, ugly, and any other negativity you can throw at it. One approach is to miser away an ever growing stack of money until our defenses are tested. That is effective and I am not arguing against that. Defense of our homeland is important. But it does not have to be defended during peacetime at a 10% tax rate. We would still profit and continue to add to the treasury at an 8% tax rate. It would just be a slower growth.
Cutting the taxes would however keep more money in the pocket of all the citizens. The most common argument against this ideal is that the 2% will make no difference to the players. Merely nickels and dimes to be saved by each player. I restate that to some players, such little amounts make a difference. I further state that if nickels and dimes mean so little, why should they be turned over the government via taxes?
I have heard it stated that there is no one calling for lower taxes outside of congress. That the sheer silence exhibited by the “every-man” bears proof to an indifference on the subject. This is completely misconstrued. There are people calling for lower taxes. If there were not, this discussion would not come up every congress. Yet somehow it does. It is usually quelled quickly, but it does come up. This is not just from partisan bureaucrats that want to look good for constituents. Normal people, as in non-governing, want lower taxes and they complain to those in charge. As stated earlier, I receive such messages. I am a junior congressman. If even I get messages, surely others do to.
Another likely rebuttal is the background of the players who do complain. It has been stated that many of them are just griping about money and are the same lot over again. This may be true for some of those who do speak out, but does their dissent not at least warrant a closer look? There are plenty of players who do not speak out and will not speak out. This is the nature of society. Some will feel apathetic even if lower taxes would benefit them. Some will believe they are not important enough to speak out, whether through lack of experience or through inference by others that they have no right. Some will just leave without saying anything. Some just fade into the darkness. It can be easy to be overwhelmed by the ideals of the more active citizens and it is not always clear to know where to turn in a game where there can be a big division between old and new. So the silence can be understood to an extent.
It is likely the argument will be made that these citizens should have spoken up or asked for help, from one of the many programs out there to help them. These programs are great and serve a purpose, but scope is limited only to the people that directly interact with the media mechanics of the game. That is a very small percentage of the game. Or it would not be possible to get a Top 5 article with less than 30 votes.
That is all I will address at the present. I will address further logics later on.
So in conclusion I am not asking much. 2% off taxes will not break the bank now nor leave us glaringly unprepared to protect ourselves.
This is a democracy. The congress is here to serve the people. Let us serve them. They call for lower taxes; we want to keep defenses up. Let us lower taxes 2%, still run a profit, and show the eAmerican people that we are listening while still preparing for the eventual day (in a distant future not yet determined) that our peace will end. Let them enjoy the peace while it lasts.
-Trekker Tlumac
Votes/Shouts/Shares Appreciated
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/2360006/1/20
Together we can do this.
A final thought to all my fellow congressional members:
Pleas note: I edited this article to put pictures in for dividers instead of the line breaks. I chose cute baby animals because, as it was stated to me early, that if we must fight: Might as well go "awe" between our quarrels. The original content of my article remains unchanged, except for this explanation and the words "My Portrait" at the top of the article.
Comments
Rock on!
I exist outside of the system, being completely self sufficient in what I regularly require to use my daily fights and train. This means that tax changes do not particularly affect me. I don't mind paying 10%, but I'd take the few dollars I'd get back from it being lower.
All that being said, you speak about the 'faceless' and 'silent' masses that the rest of us apparently ignore, so I'd like to know who they are, where they are, and why they don't speak up. I've played this game for over six years and have in that time spoken with a lot of the 'two clickers' who have passed through the game. They aren't shy about messaging the President when they want something or are bothered by something (and I say that from personal experience). They certainly don't have any historical problem taking the things taxes provide (again, having personally administered interior, education, mentoring, and military government programs). And at times it has been the 'two clickers' who have been the difference maker in elections, voting for the populist candidate promising them more money and/or a dumb war. Their peak in activity is, oddly enough, the summer and early fall months.
So, given all that time interacting with the players in this game, what am I missing which you're seeing? What super quiet group of players came to you personally to be their spokesman? It appears to me, just as it does to you, that each 'side' in this debate has their argument polished, and they trot it out every so often to try and win the day. Today, it's you doing so, next week it will be someone else, but the argument will be largely the same. You speak for the 'silent masses', and the other side is advocating for 'fiscal responsibility' and 'long term planning'.
Best of luck in your endeavour, and next time put pictures in your article. People need to have the text broken up into bite sized pieces or they won't read it all.
I appreciate the input, especially the bit about breaking up the article with pictures. It is 3:45 am here and I am not prepared to reply to all of your comment. I stayed up much longer than I should have writing this tonight. I will state that I do not see how fiscal responsibility and long term planning cannot still be met with dropping the tax rate. We will still be running a profit and still will be able to put money aside. The rest I will address once I get some sleep.
You don't see them because you're to busy kissing your own ass, they don't speak with you because you are too busy calling the names; in the 6 years you have played this game you have done nothing but tell us how terrible it is and that we should stop playing it -IMO over the last 6 years you have been the one bad thing about this game...
"They certainly don't have any historical problem taking the things taxes provide (again, having personally administered interior, education, mentoring, and military government programs)."
To be fair, none of those are funded by taxes except for the military. Not disagreeing with your overall argument though.
They aren't NOW. That is only the case in very recent history, all things considered. Not to mention that it is typically the same people paying the largest tax bill who also give the most to government fundraisers.
Henry: of course it is NOW. And we are discussing what to do NOW, when government is putting tax money in a reserve and not funding other programs. You are quite correct that the rich pay most of the taxes and give generously. They are not, therefore, correct. Wealth, dedication, and activity can induce a false assurance of wisdom which is resistant to contrary evidence. The wealthy well meaning planners, fiscally responsible players, gave the eUS massive policy failures such as CNTL and "let's give up bonuses on purpose" etc. Policy is not "better" or "worse" because of the wealth or good intentions of its proponents. To like effect, it isn't very persuasive for the author of this article to say "they are all silent but I know what they are thinking 'cause I just know it must be so".
I apologize for the delay in a full response, RL inhibits eLife abilities sometimes. I am just not able to sit down and give your response the attention it deserves:
Well first I would like to point out that I did not say that the rest of the government does "apparently ignore" most of the populace. In fact I state that I know that not all of congress overlook the citizens. And you are quite right is saying that no singular entity of "the masses" have asked me to be their spokesperson. This is because there is no such group. If there were, they would not be voiceless. And organized group starts running into an interest group.
I am speaking of the people who are by definition less organized and connected. And since they have no voice, they cannot speak out. As part of a functioning Democracy it is our duty to, at the very least, entertain their wants and needs.
Your vast and long experience is paramount. Your name is referenced often where ever I go in this game. I personally do not know you well, but you have always been respectful to me in our interactions. I appreciate that.
But the eUSA has 4,624 active citizens. So that is 4,624 eAmericans that have logged into the game in the past 30 days. That is a lot of people to know. How many have you spoken to in the past 30 days, beyond a cursory greeting? No how many of those that you have had meaningful interaction with are not involved congress, the administration, and any other function that would require meta-game?
I do no claim to speak for every person in eUSA, nor was I saying that no one else has their interest in mind. I stated that earlier.
To reference your last bit, lowering taxes to 8% would allow us to continue on a trail to fiscal responsibility while allowing citizens to keep more money. It is a win-win situation. I am not asking to cut the taxes to 1%. I am asking for us to be fiscally responsible and prepare for the future and allow citizens to enjoy the present a little more.
As someone said elsewhere, the Top 5 is peppered with articles that link to programs to simply THROW free things at people. If they can't be bothered to read any media ever, respond to the spam I know they get from their parties (or the people trying to get them in a party), or the people in their MU, on their friends feed, MU feed, etc. Well, a few pennies a day isn't going to keep them, nor make them the super duper future leader you imply they will be.
January Presidential election - 965 votes
December Top 6 PP elections - 721 votes
November Congressional election (skipped Christmas) - 1165 votes
We don't have 4624 active citizens, we have about 1000. 1200, max.
...and when we had 3000 citizens vote for President how many did we have active then? How many of those have you and your 'Pfeifferist Cabal' driven away from the game?
Every time some one of your stature says, 'This game is dead. I don't know why I even keep playing.' ; someone else leaves.
So tell us Mr Arundel why are you still playing?
HPA: Here is a hint, not everyone wants to spend more than 5 minutes a day on the game. It is kind of arrogant to assume that everyone relates to the media circuit. I did not take part in it under two months ago. Something changed, I am here now. Before that I did not see jack for articles, half of them were RGR or anit-RGR articles and most of the rest were party papers, the top 5 is not always peppered with "Here! Take this stuff now!" So that argument is flawed.
I'm a 2 clicker and I never read this kind of thing.
Are we being taxed?
Is there a war?
Was there a war?
voted
Currahee!
\0/
An alternative idea to improve the lot of the new/poor player:
1. Encourage a change in philosophy amongst MUs such that selling supplied weapons is encouraged or at least permitted.
2. Encourage new players to fight barehanded and sell their supplied weapons.
3. Encourage new players to plan for long term self sufficiency instead of quickly running after rank.
4. Encourage new players to understand the difference between strength and rank and their respective effect on battlefield damage.
As a recent (~7 months ago) poor new player, I mistakenly did some of the things you suggested - like fight without weapons - which caused my rank to go up faster (taking more food fights per kill) and my rank to increase slower (less damage)
When the WAM tax came it was a major impact - I was producing food using my Q1 Food Factory & my 3 little FRM. With WAM tax it became more expensive to make food that to buy food. I ended up dissolving the FRM plants to get buy.
Fighting without weapons will increase your LEVEL (and division) and slows your acquisition of rank. But here is the thing (I assume). New players aim to complete 25 kills/day. Weapons make that easier - even possible. Why? why 25 kills/day? why run after rank? I know the obvious answer, and it is this obvious- correct answer which can be re-examined by the MUs of the country. Put another way, MUs might wish to clear a path to economic self sufficiency for their new players, trusting that this will build loyalty, retention, and long term fighting ability to be used when it is needed instead of daily when it is wasted. Tying supply to the daily order or putting emphasis on damage/kill counts is counterproductive to long term success. Wasn't always so, but the game changes. The weekly challenges have changed things markedly.
The game also changed with the introduction of WAM many months ago. The initial 25% rate, and horrendously large average wage, caused some real hardship. Today, no one should be considering dissolving a raw material plant as they are all profitable. Indeed, there is a dirty little secret. The weekly challenge thing means that long term players are awash in money - the money is in the raw.
@olivermellors: How are long term players "awash in money"? I returned nearly 2 years ago and still have nothing to my name. Those who are awash in money are those that are willing to buy gold to set themselves up or who acquired that wealth during another module and are not self-sufficient and profiting. And it misses the point anyways. Lower the tax rate is not aimed at helping the players already "awash in money" it is geared towards helping the younger players that are not yet rich and may never be. The older players are not the ones likely to quit, the younger ones are.
Education is important. This is an excellent suggestion, but it is only going to the help the new citizens that get exposed to the media and are willing to dive into the meta aspects immediately. These things take that for granted. I was back in the game for over a year with no help before I began to enter into the meta-game aspects. I did not even know these aspects of the game existed at the time.
And here is the kicker, no one approached me to tell me there was a meta-game or that there were education, food, weapon and strength programs out there. So the system is flawed to some aspect. It is great for those that get involved, but excludes those that do not get spoken too or are not ready to commit to being involved in the meta (parties, MUs that supply, government programs).
Without a major war to fight, it seems ridiculous that the eUSA government is still taking the most money possible from the citizens. I would understand paying 10% during a war but why now?
Greed under the disguise of preparedness.
Sounds like the real US Government!
And that is one of the arguments I make. Thank you for reading. 🙂
The most is actually 25%, but I understand your concern as a new player.
I have seen repeatedly the statement that everything is profitable with current WAM. As Olivermellors indicated in the reply to my comment above.
However this is not true - not today
A grain farm produces 56 FRM with current bonuses at a cost of 1.78 + 10 Energy
Market price for FRM is .03 or 1.68 value or a loss of .10 + 10 Energy
Then you have a much better argument for reducing the tax. Evidence is king. You might also want to estimate average wage for a future period to determine if the situation is likely to deteriorate further. I suspect it will.
You might also keep in mind that lowering the tax will mean the rich pay less also.... quite a bit less... and they are awash in money from the weekly contest thingy. As an adjunct, therefore, maybe consider additional ways to assist new players (see previous comment).
This is a reply to your reply below
Yes the rich will benefit from lower tax but not as much as they would if they left the country - which some have done
And while the rich may have benefited from the recent run up in cost so has the government (sales tax)
In addition to the rich moving out of the country I know some folks that take jobs out of the country because after tax they make more than in the eUS - e.g. $30 in eUS is a net of $27
Where say $28 in eCanada would net 27.44
ahhh... now we are starting to get actual evidence instead of the original author's "it must be so ".
Saving 34 cents isn't going to persuade people to leave or stay. Players can avoid the effect of tax by taking jobs in other countries (no change of citizenship required). The economic attraction of other countries like Turkey is the bonuses and the eUS is working to improve in that area. The attractions of the eUS include language, camaraderie, working for a common cause etc and these seem to be worth more than 34 cents.
Save up and start working toward economic self sufficiency - a push for policy that makes this possible is more important than arguing over 34 cents or bragging about rank and damage.
The tax on your salary is based on the country of the job - not your country. So it is not a big deal to take a job in another country - just need to be in that country.
With the new FF medal there is a lot more traveling going on.
Great article, voted.
FIST
Needs PIE Charts or Graphs.
Great read! I believe myself to be a middle income ecitizen but I also agree that the 10% tax is quite harsh. My daily profit from working as and employee and managing my companies total to about $12. This tiny amount of money barely allows me to afford about 100 Q2-3 food without making me lose money. I dislike the fact that it will take forever for me to become financially secure. I really do hope that the tax rates will be lowered to a more agreeable amount.
Davi😛 you are likely working for $1/day in return for which you get supply. Your companies don't contribute much. Does it make sense to start a conversation within your MU about permitting/encouraging players like you to sell your supply. That would increase your daily income by ? 10x ?. Your prospect of financial security would improve dramatically. When it was time to fight for something worthwhile you would still be here. Seems like a clearer path than making an extra 36 cents/day from tax reduction. The downside is your rank will not increase as quickly. The weekly tournament thingy would permit you to increase your strength (much more important than rank) significantly at the cost of experience. In short - there are possible solutions to economic despondency but they require discussion and a change of paradigm. Give it some thought.
Out of curiosity, is it you plan to troll everybody into submission? I know it is an effective tactic, but hardly honorable. And people wonder why not everyone speaks up about their opinions. Trolling articles to giving dissenting attacks on half the positive comments is a rather blunt intimidation tactic. Wonderfully done.
Granted it is not the only reason people do not speak up, but you have given us a excellent demonstration of what happens to those that do speak up. I thank you for that. You have helped prove one of my points.
And before you complain about me trolling you, you are on my page trolling my guests. Of course I speak up about that. 🙂
And what do you care? You do not even have eAmerican citizenship! What benefit do you run for interfering in eAmerican politics with foreign citizenship?
Hmmmm.... nothing in any of my comments is unfavorable to your suggestion to reduce tax. You may be a bit defensive.
1. Players who set economic self sufficiency as a principle goal are the ones who are awash in money. They have been able to grow their military ability as well. This is now more difficult. Saving new players 35 cents/day will not markedly improve their prospects. I have therefore suggested a different/adjunct approach. It starts with individual players asking "why am I running after rank/damage" and continues with high ranked players asking "why are we encouraging them to run after rank/damage". Self sufficiency is, nevertheless, a very long term play.
2. It is not possible to significantly enhance the experience of players who don't read any media, don't respond to any messages, don't wish to participate in any MU or government programs and who have no support network. I doubt that describes many. I suspect most new players would be very appreciative of outreach programs, especially those which offer the promise of eventual self sufficiency and wealth. Not so much if all that is on offer is 36 cents/day.
3. You will notice I am not an eUSA citizen/team member. My interest is in suggesting a new paradigm combined with curiosity about how new ideas are received and spread. I have now made the suggestion, satisfied my curiosity and should remain silent except to say thank you for the fruitful conversation and leave you with my regards.
o7
Voted, and I agree with your whole saying !
The only argument I ever hear against lowering the work tax is "It's only pennies, it doesn't matter".
If it doesn't matter, why fight so hard against it?
Precisely.... 🙂
Because those pennies add up when everyone pays them, if taxes drop 2% i get an extra $1 per day. $1 means very little in this game but everyone giving that dollar to the government adds up to lots of money for supplies for the military.
But cutting the tax would not eliminate the income. We would still be taking in money for military supplies. Let the tax payers keep that extra dollar or what every it comes out to a day (as it would depend by person and what they do for work). That change adds up for them too. We can have fiscal responsibility and moderately lower taxes. There is no need to be exclusive here.
Pfeiffer is just SOOOOOOO much better than me right? Great taste
Who is John Galt?
Well for starters he does not call me a traitor at every given opportunity. And if you read closely, you will see that I do not personally know him all that well. Further, you will notice that I did not back down when he spoke. Is he "SOOOOOOO" much better than you? I would assume that depends on how you want to be compared to him. Are you any good at "Go Fish"?
Fluffer almost lost to a guy labeled a Serbian PTO candidate. That month we had a 17% upswing from Congress to CP Elections and only lost by 8% because it was against him.
Okay, so how does that relate to you and him? Not really getting that part? I thought you were on here to moan about how he is not better than YOU?
(Mind you, you are the one that suggested he was better than you. So I am not really sure what the whole point is anyways. Could you explain that too? Thanks.)
I am a silent member of the eUS. By OP's definition I'm probably slightly more than a two clicker, but not much. The tax rate does not cause me undue hardships, but as a player who is trying to move up the ladder and maybe at some point be completely sufficient by what I manufacture the tax does set me back some. Never has it crossed my mind to change citizenship until recently as it would be nice to keep whats mine, and the eUS doesn't help the quiet majority like myself. As a real US citizen this is hard for me to swallow considering I have a great amount of pride for living and being a citizen of the real US, but at some point I guess I realize its just a game and I should do whats best for me. A slightly lower tax rate would be nice. If the current tax rate is a necessity then I suppose my opinion won't matter, but the eUS does nothing for me and I put my resources towards further their agenda whether its good, bad, or indifferent.
Perhaps some epoliticians will read this post and reconsider. Perhaps they are like real politicians and have their heels dug in. Either way, is having a huge reserve really going to help that much against a super power like we've seen in the past, or is that going to simply buy us a couple more days from being wiped? Every time we've been wiped our reserves have been too, and when eUS's reserves get wiped my personal reserves get wiped just the same because I don't want to see some else's color all over our map.
What do you say eUS, help us small fries out and let me keep more of whats mine, after all I give it all to you anyways. Let me control my own resources and destiny. I'm nobody special, but I do sign on, do my damage, leave a pile of bodies, then go home from work for the day and do the same the next day.
Thank you for speaking out and proving people like you exist out there. 🙂
I don't know how many of us are out there because "we" don't do the chat thing and its a huge deterrent for me to sign on to offsite forums to read about nothing important to me. I'm no merc, I have pride in where I'm from and want to use my little fictional character to help how I can. I feel I should be able to keep as much of my resources as possible because after all they are mine, and what I do with them and how I "invest" them will undoubtedly go to help the whole group.
Agreed. And that was the point, because you and others like you are less connected to the meta game aspects, it seems easier to be overlooked by those who do mostly meta game activities (such as the highly active players in political leadership). I do not want to over look constituents like you for the sake of the rich and powerful. I was in a similar position, not too many months ago, before getting involved. I remember what that was like and agree that the people should be allowed to keep more of what they have, especially in times of peace, as the eUS is in right now.