Eighth discussion

Topic " Should we introduce sales tax system?"


Agree side: Alex and Anna
Disagree side: Rie, Rachel and Amy(I)

Rie
He thought it's not fair for less income people to pay sales tax because sales tax is equal to everyone. And the income tax is better than sales tax because income tax is


Rachel
She also disagreed with this topic and there are both the rich and poor. And we can't distinguish whether the rich or poor when we went shopping. Even if the sales tax rate depends on the income, we can't find low income or high income.


Amy (I)
I thought inspite of not changing our income, if we introduce it, we'll come not to buy many things and Apollon's economy may decline. Besides, as a doctor, we people who work at the hospital need to buy big medical instruments. They cost a lot of money without sales tax.


Anna
She thought sales tax system can gather a lot of money from everyone easily. And we can use the money for Sunflower festival.


Alex
Her son will enter the elementary school and if sales tax system is introduced, they don't have to cost a lot of money for education fee.


<Question>
Q: What do you think about sales tax's unfairness?
A: We should separate the tax rate between the rich and the poor by showing their income something like paper.


Q:In spite of not changing our income, we have to pay more money. What do you think about it?
A: I agree, but we have a lot of national debt and we have to pay more money.


Q: What percent of sales tax do you want to decide?
A: 3%


Q:What kind of taxes are in Apollon now?
A: Excepting for sales tax and income tax. For example, resident's tax.


<Conclusion>
We couldn' decide whether we introduce income tax or sales tax. But if we introduce sales tax, we'll set 3%.


In fact, I couldn't understand same side panelist's idea, so I couldn't support it. Besides, I couldn't express my opinion clearly and qustioned other panelists because of my shyness. It was very bad point of me, so I want to change myself. The moderator Kate summarized everyone's idea and worked hard. I want to be the panelist who can support the moderator next time!

Seventh discussion

Topic "Let's make point-system in Apollon."
Moderator was Belle.
<Information>
If we do something good for Apollon, we can get points.

How we can collect points

Jack
Tour guide volunteer →People have to attend the program to get knowledge about guide and tour company should hold it.

Tama
Sunflower festival's staff →If someone work as volunteer on the Sunflower day, they can get points. Sunflower day is very important for us.

Mac
People who buy Apollon's food

Jack
People who participate in photo contest of Sunflower festival

Angelina
Recycle box →If we trash the garbage into recycle box, we can get points.

Where can we use the points?

Jack
Bus or train, something like transportation or public utility

Mac
Shopping center →Because we use money there.

Angelina
Except for amusement or hobbies →Because we get points by doing good thing.

Laura
Amusement or hobbies →The number of people who do good thing will increase in order to get points.

<Conclusion>
We'll make point system. -public transportation fee and charges for public services.-

Today's discussion style was different from previous discussion because every panelist gave opinion without seperating agree side and disagree side. As for discussion, I didn't understand the reason why apply the system and I worried about the increasing of people who do good thing just for getting points. At the end of the discussion, I got a little confusion because they decided to make the system one-sidedly.

Sixth discussion

Topic: We should make a national holiday, Sunflower day.

<Information>
Now, there is no national holiday. Saturday and Sunday are holiday.

Members were Lucus, Hanna, Carol, Allie, Kofy and Finnian. The moderator was Lucus.

Agree side: Finnian, Kofy and Allie
Disagree side: Carol and Hanna

Finnian
Sunflower is Apollon's symbol. So we should use it to make Apollon famous and if so, the number of torist to Apollon will increase.

Kofy
We should aware of Apollon's symbol more and more because we tend to forget the national flower. Besides, she is a writer, so she can advertise by making pamphlets or using the Internet.

Allie
She agreed with this topic. Her job is actress and she can introduce Apollon to many people. And she thought holding the sunflower festival. If  we make Sunflower day and hold the festival, people can celebrate it and they will be closer.


Carol
She didn't agree with this topic. If we make it and hold the festival, we need a lot of money, people and place. Besides, Saturday and Sunday are enough for children, so they should go to school except for Saturday and Sunday.

Hanna
She also didn't agree with it. Young people including her are not so interested in sunflower as the national flower. So she thought we don't have to make the sunflower day.

<Question>
Q: What is the definition of Sunflower day?
A: Students don't have to go to school and workers depend on their own companies.

Q: How long does it last?
A: Only one day.

<Conclusion>
We make sunflower day on July's last Saturday and have the festival on the day.

At first, I couldn't understand what did they want to decide whether making sunflower day or holding the sunflower festival. But from the middle of the discussion, they controlled it. They expressed their opinions actively. So I want to follow them.

Fifth discussion

Topic : "Do we associate with other country?"

The moderator was Emily Thoma.They didn't want to make a law, just idea.

Agree: Lucy, Ashley and Sara
Disagree : Sophie and Isabela

Lucy
She thought it's good for Apollon's development because they come to import many things and have opportunities to know other cultures if they associate with other country.

Ashley
She said if we associate with other county, we can introduce other's good point like technology. Besides, if some disaster happens, we can help each other.

Sara
She is a photographer and now she can't find many other country's photo books in Apollon. If we associate with other country, she can sell pictures or items and she can enjoy them.


Sophie
She thought we don' have to associate with other country because now we can live without association. Then, if we introduce it, some problems will happen and our lives can be disturbed.

Isabela
She also disagreed with this topic. If we associate with them, we have to help each other such as war. Besides, she worried about disappearing our own cultures.

In the middle of the discussion, they focused on business.

Emily: What kind of merit of business do you expect for with association?

Lucy thought only torism is unstable for Apollon. And the number of people who come to Apollon will decrease in near future, so we should have association in economics and so on.

Emily: How do we develop without association?

Isabela said we have to build something enjoyable for visitors.
Sophie thought holding original event is good such as attracting for visitors.

In contrast, Ashley thought having association is good because the number of people who know Apollon will increase and visitors also increase.

Conclusion
We should try to have association for torism and economics.

I think it was good they said they wanted to express just idea not making law. But in the middle of the discussion, I came not to understand why they thought only torism is unstable and what they were talking about. So if they have more information before, it was better, I think.

Fourth discussion

Topic : "Should elementary school students have their own cellphone?"


Members were Amy Green(I), Alex Bell, Anna Jones, Rie Chein, Kate Hail and Rachel Williams. The moderator was Anna.


Agree : Alex and I
Disagree : Rie, Kate and Rachel


Amy(I)
The number of crimes relating to children during going to school is increasing. Then, if they have their own cellphone which has crime prevention buzzer, they can prevent crimes from happening. Besides, I think many students will come to have their own cell phone in near future. So I'd rather teach them the correct way to use them from young age.


Alex
She has a son and both of she and her husband are working. When some emergency happen, she wants to contact with her son. Cell phones have the function of GPS, so she can always find out where he is. Thanks to cell phone, she feels relieved.




Rie
He worried about cell phone's bad influence on children. For example, it's not good for thier eyes and they come not to play outside. In short, it can be unhealthy for them. So he disagreed.


Kate
She also disagreed with this topic. She thought using cell phones is waste of time. And getting along well with people is more important than using them.


Rachel
She thought that cell phones have the risk of accessing to dating site, because they are very convenient for them.

Our conclusion was to make family rules which depends on their situation.

This was my first discussion as a panelist. I couldn't express my opinion positively. Even in Japanese I don't get used to saying my thinking, so it was very hard for me in English. Besides, in the middle of this discussion, one of citizens asked us the basic question; do we decide law or rules? We didn't define it and I felt sorry for citizens because we couldn't make them understand it. So I will practice hard to express my opinion positively. And I think Anna did very good job. If I was decided as the moderator, I want to lead discussion like her.