The LAME DUCK CONGRESS Game! [View All]

[alcibiades_mystery]

Let's play a DU Game! The object is simple. There are two categories of what I'm calling wants: the stuff you want, and the stuff the counterparty wants. Your job is to get as much of the stuff you want as possible or desirable. I've listed the wants below. To play, simply state your best "offer" given the rules.

Disclaimer: Yes, it is much more complicated than this, and I'm treating negotiations in isolation. Fine. If that's your point, go somewhere else. This is simply a fun exercise in bargaining.

Your Wants
Tax cuts extended only to $250,000/yr; unemployment benefits extended 12 months; Making Work Pay credit ($60 billion); repeal of DADT; Dream Act passed

Counterparty Wants
Tax cuts made permanent for all incomes; ZERO months unemployment extension; ZERO Making Work Pay Credit; NO repeal of DADT; NO Dream Act passed

Rules:

1. You can let all tax cuts expire, but then you get no other wants.
2. For the tax cut extensions, you can work in increments between "tax cuts expire" and "all tax cuts made permanent;" these can include time increments (time of extension), income increments ($250,000; $500,000; $1 million; etc.), or a combination of the two.
3. No increments are allowed for the Making Work Pay Credits: it is $60 billion or ZERO.
4. Particular wants will default to the Counterparty if they are not included in the offer (put another way, removing these wants registers as a Counterparty win, to the extent that the Counterparty simply has a negative want, and will consider it a one-time deal); these are:
a) DADT Repeal
b) DREAM Act

Object:

Determine your best offer for getting as many of your wants as possible (or desirable) within the next three weeks.