Mideast Assembly Thread

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

EMERGENCY MEASURE TO AMEND THE MIDEAST ELECTION CONSOLIDATION STATUTE.

Effective immediately, the Mideast Election Consolidation Statute is hereby amended as follows:

Section 2: Determination of the Winner
1. If any candidate shall gain the greatest number of highest preference votes, then that candidate shall be declared the winner of the election. In Assembly elections, the candidate that receives a plurality of highest preference votes shall be elected to the Assembly. The candidate for the Assembly that receives the greatest number of combined highest preference votes and second preference votes and that has not already been elected to the first seat shall be elected to the Assembly. The candidate for the Assembly that receives the greatest number of combined highest preference votes, second preference votes, and third preference and that has not already been elected to the first two seats votes shall be elected to the Assembly. The candidate for the Assembly that receives the greatest number of combined highest preference votes, second preference votes, third preference votes and fourth preference votes and that has not already been elected to the first three seats votes shall be elected to the Assembly. The candidate for the Assembly that receives the greatest number of combined highest preference votes, second preference votes, third preference votes, fourth preference votes, and fifth preference votes and that has not already been elected to the first four seats votes shall be elected to the Assembly.

Ok let's not make this take longer than it needs to.

Let us vote. 

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

 
  Aye


The bill passes with an unanimous aye, and is transmitted to the Governor's desk for his signature or veto.


Nice to have that out of the way. Good work on getting this passed quickly, everybody.

Don't forget BBF's amendment. If there is no further debate I'll have to bring it to a final vote soon. Also I intend to introduce another bill later tonight, so stay tuned.   

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

So after a very long period of waiting, with some appreciated help from my good friend Badger and our Game Moderator's analysing and advice, I can finally introduce to you ... drumroll please...

The Mideast Save the Sinking Ship That Is Our Economy Act

Section I: The Assembly recognises the need for a lower regional corporate tax, in order to stimulate our economy and help boost employment. We therefore will offer tax cuts to businesses that are successful in creating new jobs in the region. 
Definitions: "Workforce compensation" is the value of benefits paid to employees, both full and part time, whether in form of salaries/wages or the dollar value of fringe benefits such as health insurance, etc.
   1)   Effective 1/1/10, every Mideast business, company, and corporation that is successful in increasing their overall workforce compensation, regardless of whether said increase is due to additional employees being hired or increased compensation to current employees or a combination thereof in this region with at least 5 will get a 25 % tax cut reduction equivalent to double the percentage increase for employee compensation in their corporate tax rate for 2010, up to a maximum reduction of 50%. (i.e. A 3.5% increase in employment/compensation will result in a 7% reduction in corporate taxes. 5% increase will result in a 10% tax cut, etc.)
   2) Any increase of total compensation for individual employees salary and/or benefits above $100,000 per year is excluded from calculating any reduction of corporate taxes pursuant to Section 1 above.

Section II: The Assembly proposes that a number of 10 billion dollars be used in programs designed to extend and repair the region's infrastructure, such as building new roads, bridges, tunnels and railroad, increasing and promoting train activity, and renovate decayed roads.

Section III: The funding for public schools and universities will be increased with 7 % the coming two years.

Section IV: The region's funding for science for new effective and green energy will be increased with 5 %.   

Section V: The funding for the initiatives in Section II, III, and IV will be drawn from the 32 billions handed to the Mideast Region through the Regional and Local Fiscal Relief Act.

The bill has been signed.  I'd like to thank the Assembly for their quick action here.

Also, if you guys can get the Amendment through the Assembly before Thursday, we can get it on the ballot along with the Assembly elections.

Thank you for your quick action as well Governor.

I'm positive that there will be a final vote on BBF's proposal before Thursday. 

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

So since no one has attempted to debate or argue my economic proposal, should I asume that y'all support it?

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

So since no one has attempted to debate or argue my economic proposal, should I asume that y'all support it?

I have some objections but am very busy today. Could you wait until tomorrow ?

And I'll answer to Peter's and Badger's clever objections. I already thank them for this.

Don't worry, you at least have until Monday. I won't be here for the rest of today, or tomorrow.   

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

So since no one has attempted to debate or argue my economic proposal, should I asume that y'all support it?

"y'all"?? Oh, that's right. I forgot you're from southern Sweden. :-P

People from South Sweden actually speaks Swedish with a very thick odddifferent dialect, and here in Stockholm people have trouble understanding what I'm actually saying and think I sound like a hillibilly


I'll try to get the amendments to a vote as soon as possible, Mr Governor. I'm sure we'll be done with them before Thursday now that BBF has submitted his final proposals.

(BBF I'll reply to your critc of my bill in a seperate post)

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Ok, let's begin.

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Section III: The funding for public schools and universities will be increased with 7 % the coming two years.[/quote]

I believe we might have misunderstood eachother, but a 7 % increase over the period of two years are exactly what I have in mind, not a 7 % for each of the years. I think we are on the same page on this issue.

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A 50 % increase would indeed be outragous. Which is why I proposed a 5% increase not 50%

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Green Energy is an highly important area when it comes to new science and technology for our region. We have a huge Auto-Industry that depends on selling cars. In this modern day and age, when buying gas will ruin you, more and more people are looking for cheaper alternative energy. If we want our car industry to continue to be competive on an national and international market they need to have access to the newest and best energy science. As it is now Germany, Japan, Sweden, and even the Czech Republic is outrunning Atlasia in this area, something that will very likely hurt us badly in the future. It might actually be a vital part in tackeling our high unemployment. And I think it's important they get the funding they need.

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Yes, and I think it's good you ask. Badger also wanted a calculation of the costs of the proposlas in Section 2-4, and therefore asked Game Moderator Purple State make a prediction.

I can't repost the PM exactly, as that would be against Atlasian law, but unless PS or Badger has any objections I am of course more than willing to forward the message to you.

In the numbers PS gave us however, he predicted it would cost us between $17-22 billion over two years. Even though it would most likely turn out to be more costly than originally predicted (as most often happens in RL) we are still within limits of money given to us by the Senate.

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This is a very good point, and I'll try to find time writing an amendment dealing with it. I also agree with the order you think we should priority.

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I'll make sure it's in the final bill.

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Ugghh, no that appears to be a mistake on my part that I overlooked. I'll do something about that as well.


Thanks for your oppinion and advice. It's always much appreciated.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

One final note: I think we owe it to the citizens of the Mideast to pass this important and necessary legislation before election day this week, so let's all try to make resolving and finalizing any amendments or corrections here our top priority. OK? Great! <hands in the center, on three: 1....2....3> GO TEAM MIDEAST!!

The session doesn't end until Friday next week, so as long as we're done with it before then I'm happy, no need to stress it in order for it to pass before Thursday.

So, I'm going to intervene only on section IV.
What I stated is that 5% of increase on public spendings that are very low is little thing.

But when you have 5% of something which is very small, it's still very, very small (see, Mideast's public funding of science for new effective and green energy is VERY small; the main amount of money spent for research in these areas is of private origin, even in universities).

That's why my 50% isn't outrageous, because the basis on which you apply this 50% may not exceed 500m$.... Imagine 5% of this!

Oh terribly sorry, I completely misunderstood what you meant. I thought you were saying I was introducing a too big increase.

5% increase might indeed be a too small number to actually have much effect. To amend it to be 50% would probably be too much, but maybe 10-15% instead.

I urge our Assembly to vote this bill before the next elections, so that our new Assembly will be able to begin this assessment work in January.

   

As I told Badger, session doesn't end until Friday next week, so you guys don't have to worry about getting this passed before Thursday. We have almost two full weeks. It's the amendments we need to hurry with, so that Inks is able to put them on the ballot.   
 

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

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Amendment accpeted as friendly unless BBF objects.


There hasn't been any debate on Big Bad Fab's amendments for 24 hours, so I herby move to vote on them.


Protection of Human Life Amendment to the Third Mideast Constitution

The clause 1. of Article V of the Third Mideast Constitution is amended to read:

"1.  Human Life shall not be removed under any circumstance, except by law enforcement officers when allowed to use deadly force to protect threatened innocent lives and by soldiers when allowed to use deadly force against enemies in time of war. No person shall be denied of Liberty or Property without due process of Law, Nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of Law."


Protection of Private Property Amendment to the Third Mideast Constitution

I. The words "private properties," are included after the word "houses," in the clause 11. of Article V of the Third Mideast Constitution.

II. The clause 13. of Article V of the Third Mideast Constitution is amended to read:

"13. Private property shall not be taken or used by another private legal entity. Private property shall not be taken by a public legal entity for public use, without just compensation."


Right to Education Amendment to the Third Mideast Constitution

The clause 18. of Article V of the Third Mideast Constitution is amended to read:

"18. All persons under eighteen shall have the right to a publicly funded, well-balanced education. All persons under fourteen are required to receive education along lines and minimal requirements set by Law, in public or private institutions or in families."

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Oups, I haven't seen our Governor's objection on my first amendment.

Sorry to put more mess, but, even if I think the word "removed" implies a notion of intent and will that is not in self-defense, I think our Governor's remark should be taken into account.

I'm deeply sorry, Mr. Speaker, but could you submit again the first proposal with my own and -last...- amendment, written as follows ?


Protection of Human Life Amendment to the Third Mideast Constitution

The clause 1. of Article V of the Third Mideast Constitution is amended to read:

"1.  Human Life shall not be removed under any circumstance, except in case of self-defense, by law enforcement officers when allowed to use deadly force to protect threatened innocent lives and by soldiers when allowed to use deadly force against enemies in time of war. No person shall be denied of Liberty or Property without due process of Law, Nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of Law."

What happened to "This is the last version of this I'm writting no matter what."?

Don't worry. I'm not sure I'm actually allowed to do this... but oh well.

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 ^^^ Unless Badger has any objections, this proposal is temporarely withdrawn from voting on request of it's sponsor to be further amended. The voting however continues on the other two amendments.

Unless it is further debated, I will be able to open a vote on the new last version, around 14.00 today Central European Time.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Protection of Private Property Amendment

   Nay

Right to Education Amendment

   Aye


With one vote in favour and two votes against, the Protection of Private Property Amendment fails.

With two votes in favour, and one against, the Right to Education Amendment pass. Inks you know what to do.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

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Since Badger didn't have any objections, I move to a vote on this amended version of the Protection of Human Life Amendment.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

As for your first objection, well, in French, "légitime défense" legally includes defense of your own family, of those whom you are legally responsible for;
but, if "self-defense" hasn't the same meaning in English, I'm sorry again that my bad legal English weakens again my proposals here...

English is a bloody comlicated language. I too assumed self-defense included defense of a third party as well, otherwise I'd have pointed it out earlier.

I think it might be wise to table this amendment and return to it once we've dealt with the Economy Act, as well as your other bill, so that we can work on this in debth. I would for example like to explorse how this proposal would affect current euthonesia legislation.

However since it is unlikely to happen before the next Assembly, I'll leave the final decission to you, as that Assembly might very well be more negative to such legislation.   

 

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

The Protection of Human Life Amendment to the Third Mideast Constitution is withdrawn from voting and temporarely tabled to be discussed further after we've dealt with the other matters currently debated by the assembly.

   

Unless Badger and Big Bad Fab, has any more concerns that have yet to be adressed about the Save the Sinking Ship That Is Our Economy, I'd like to proceed with that bill.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Since Big Bad Fab didn't have any objections, the amendment is accepted as friendly.

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I'm ready when you guys are ready.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

The Mideast Save the Sinking Ship That Is Our Economy Act

Section I: The Assembly recognises the need for a lower regional corporate tax, in order to stimulate our economy and help boost employment. We therefore will offer tax cuts to businesses that are successful in creating new jobs in the region. 
Definitions: "Workforce compensation" is the value of benefits paid to employees, both full and part time, whether in form of salaries/wages or the dollar value of fringe benefits such as health insurance, etc.
   1)   Effective 1/1/10, every Mideast business, company, and corporation that is successful in increasing their overall workforce compensation, regardless of whether said increase is due to additional employees being hired or increased compensation to current employees or a combination thereof in this region with at least 5 will get a tax cut reduction equivalent to double the percentage increase for employee compensation in their corporate tax rate for 2010, up to a maximum reduction of 50%. (i.e. A 3.5% increase in employment/compensation will result in a 7% reduction in corporate taxes. 5% increase will result in a 10% tax cut, etc.)
   2) Any increase of total compensation for individual employees salary and/or benefits above $100,000 per year is excluded from calculating any reduction of corporate taxes pursuant to Section 1 above.

Section II: The Assembly proposes that a number of 9 billion dollars be used in programs designed to extend and repair the region's infrastructure, such as building new roads, bridges, tunnels and railroad, increasing and promoting train activity, and renovate decayed roads.

Section III: The funding for public schools and universities will be increased by 7% the coming two years.

Section IV: The region's funding for science for new effective and green energy will be increased with 25%.   

Section V: The funding for the initiatives in Section II, III, and IV will be drawn from the 32 billions handed to the Mideast Region through the Regional and Local Fiscal Relief Act.


I call for a vote on this proposal.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

The Mideast Save the Sinking Ship That Is Our Economy Act

Section I: The Assembly recognises the need for a lower regional corporate tax, in order to stimulate our economy and help boost employment. We therefore will offer tax cuts to businesses that are successful in creating new jobs in the region. 
Definitions: "Workforce compensation" is the value of benefits paid to employees, both full and part time, whether in form of salaries/wages or the dollar value of fringe benefits such as health insurance, etc.
   1)   Effective 1/1/10, every Mideast business, company, and corporation that is successful in increasing their overall workforce compensation, regardless of whether said increase is due to additional employees being hired or increased compensation to current employees or a combination thereof in this region with at least 5 will get a tax cut reduction equivalent to double the percentage increase for employee compensation in their corporate tax rate for 2010, up to a maximum reduction of 50%. (i.e. A 3.5% increase in employment/compensation will result in a 7% reduction in corporate taxes. 5% increase will result in a 10% tax cut, etc.)
   2) Any increase of total compensation for individual employees salary and/or benefits above $100,000 per year is excluded from calculating any reduction of corporate taxes pursuant to Section 1 above.

Section II: The Assembly proposes that a number of 9 billion dollars be used in programs designed to extend and repair the region's infrastructure, such as building new roads, bridges, tunnels and railroad, increasing and promoting train activity, and renovate decayed roads.

Section III: The funding for public schools and universities will be increased by 7% the coming two years.

Section IV: The region's funding for science for new effective and green energy will be increased with 25%.   

Section V: The funding for the initiatives in Section II, III, and IV will be drawn from the 32 billions handed to the Mideast Region through the Regional and Local Fiscal Relief Act.


I call for a vote on this proposal.

  Aye


The bill pass and is transferred to the Governor's office for his signature or veto.

Yay

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Ok less than a week left, let's move on to the next subject.

The Periodical Assessment of Statute Laws for a Better Accountability of our Government Bill

I. Each year, the Assembly reviews the Statute Laws which came into force 5 years earlier, in order to check their lasting usefulness, to scrap Statute Laws that have become useless or to amend Statute Laws that have more downsides than upsides.

II. To that aim, an Assemblyman shall submit an "Assessement Report" to the Assembly regarding each law referred to in clause I.
After having consulted the Governor's office, every accurate administrative entity, the other members of the Assembly, the Atlasia Game Master and a number of citizens, and having checked the overall and additional costs, the financial implications and the results of the law, the Assemblyman writes an "Assessment Report".

III. The "Assessment Report" shall give a statement:
a. on the overall and the additional costs of the law,
b. on the current risks and the possible future risks (at least in the following areas: constitutional risks, safety and human risks, security risks, financial risks),
c. on the upsides and downsides and on the efficiency of the law in comparison with its original aims and with the means it uses or its implementation implies,
d. on its compatibility with the Constitution and with other Statute Laws.
The report shall conclude whether the law can be let unchanged or needs to be repealed or amended, due to incompatibility, to uselessness, to excessive risks or to excessive costs.
The Assemblyman who has written the report shall introduce at the same time a bill to repeal or amend the law if the report concludes so.

IV. Each year, before the end of January, the Assembly by a majority vote or its Speaker if no majority is reached shares out between the Assemblymen (including the Speaker) the reviewing work of all the Statute Laws which came into force in the preceding 5th year.


The title of my proposal seems to be clear: we must review periodically our legislation, in order to simplify it, to amend it, to improve it, as reality changes, evolves faster and faster, as our financial resources are under strain, as our Government needs to remain not too big and to act humbly and moderately.

The assessment of legislation is almost as important a work than the vote of new legislations. I think our fellow citizens will agree on that and my fellow Assemblymen and the candidates to the Assembly are already aware of this.

With our Assembly soon extended to five seats, it will be easier to perform this task of reviewing the laws.

I urge our Assembly to vote this bill before the next elections, so that our new Assembly will be able to begin this assessment work in January.

Of course, I'm open to all your objections, critics, improvements on this bill.

I thank you for your attention.

Ok the first thing I'd like to address with this bill is the following

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I believe some clairification on this is needed. Do you mean five actual years or do you mean five months? Here in Atlasia we often use months as years, for example we have four month long presidential terms instead of four years, so I'm asuming this is what you mean. However the bill should still say five months earlier, not five years. But then since you say:

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I guess that you very well mean actual years.

I want to clear this up before making my other points on this legislation.


     

     

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

I too think five years might be a bit too long.

As you pointed out, five years is how long Atlasia has existed at this point, a very long time in other words. Few RPGs live this long, and it is very likely that this game has long been ended at the point it's time to review the statue laws we pass today. Therefore to make the time from a laws passage to the time it will be reviewed five years, would be way too long if you ask me.   

I also believe most statue laws that was passed in the Mideast in 05 has already been changed or altered in some way or another. If we were to dig up the statue laws from then, two-thirds would most likely be afterwords amended or repealed. Not to mention that before we had an active assembly, there wasn't as much regional law made as there is now. So the number of laws from 05 that actually would need a review is probably pretty small.

I would instead suggest two years. It's not a too short period, nor a too long.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

I too think five years might be a bit too long.

As you pointed out, five years is how long Atlasia has existed at this point, a very long time in other words. Few RPGs live this long, and it is very likely that this game has long been ended at the point it's time to review the statue laws we pass today. Therefore to make the time from a laws passage to the time it will be reviewed five years, would be way too long if you ask me.   

I also believe most statue laws that was passed in the Mideast in 05 has already been changed or altered in some way or another. If we were to dig up the statue laws from then, two-thirds would most likely be afterwords amended or repealed. Not to mention that before we had an active assembly, there wasn't as much regional law made as there is now. So the number of laws from 05 that actually would need a review is probably pretty small.

I would instead suggest two years. It's not a too short period, nor a too long.

I'm open on this and 2 years may be well;
still, there is the "stock" of laws passed in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Should we review them throughout the first year of implementation of my proposed bill ?

Or do you intend to make the bill effective only for future statue laws ? That wouldn't be fair and would miss a big part of the aims of this reviewing.

I will have to look it up to be entierly sure, but considering we didn't have an assembly in 05, 06, and 07 I think the amount of statue law to review from those years are about as big as the amount from 08 when the assembly was introduced, so I think we'd be able to review all the statue laws passed those years in one year. 

I'll have to look how many statue laws from those years exactly we have however.

And no, the point of the bill is obviously to get all our old statue reviwed, so I do of course support the bill including legislation passed in previous years and not just be implamented in the future.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

May I add that my proposal will also be a way to (push everyone to) ensure that we've got an updated and complete list of our Laws and of their text ?

Something we truely need. Everytime I need to search for a Mideast regional law, I envy the tidy and orderly list with legislation past and present the Senate has for federal law.

 

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

I have complete trust in Peter to be an impartial and fair judge. He has a long record as a legal expert in Atlasia, for example as a Surpreme Court Justice, and I have never heard that he  would ever have been biased in any of his decissions before, so I really doubt that he's gonna start now just for a single Assembly seat.

Like the Governor, I have confidence that Peter will not allow his own political views play any part in the decission between two candidates that are both far from his own views.

Therefore I'm glad to say that I approve of the Governor's nominee.

  Aye

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Peter is herby confirmed as Superior Court Judge of the Mideast Region with the vote 2-0.

Good luck with the case Peter

Now, Friday is coming closer, so let's get back on topic.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Ok so it's unfortunatley apperant that there'll be no resolve on this issue this session. I'm sorry as I know you wanted this to be dealt with before the new Assembly is seated BBF, but there's obviously much more to be debated before this bill is ready for a final vote.

Feel free to keep debating until later today when I adjourn the assembly, but it will have to be tabled after that until the new Assemblymen are seated and a Speaker elected.

BTW, I'm assuming that the last seat will just remain vacant until the court has decided who it really belongs to. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

   

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Really sorry for being a bit late. I was out enjoying my last full day in Stockholm.

Anyway, let's do this thing.

The 8th Assembly of the Mideast Region is herby adjourned Sine Die. This session is officially ended.

It's been great working with you guys and I will enjoy continuing it in the next Assembly with the additional help of Giovanni and whoever comes out on top from the court case.

Omnis Tuus Castra Sunt Inesse Nos (What ever that means)