The Miscellany Act (user search)
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Author Topic: The Miscellany Act  (Read 6934 times)
Peter
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,030


Political Matrix
E: -0.77, S: -7.48

« on: November 21, 2004, 04:10:50 PM »

Just to explain a few things about this bill:

Section 1:
Friday at noon was chosen simply because it is the first moment from which the new Senate / President are sworn in. It also helps the redistricting as much as the federal government can.

Section 2:
Its Harry's idea, so he can take credit. Certainly a good idea to ensure their contiguity for redistricting.

Section 3:
I want people to have bothered to do something in writing a platform.

Section 4:
The numerical definitions were brought up some months ago to ensure there is no confusion with the "British" defintions of billion and trillion, not that Britain uses those definitions anyway.

I am also generally declaring this to be an open bill - feel free to put amendments on it to define things in the Constitution that you feel should be defined, but aren't (no dictionary definitions please).
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Peter
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,030


Political Matrix
E: -0.77, S: -7.48

« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2004, 04:42:57 PM »

I don't mean to have a go at Texasgurl (mostly because I think she agrees with me), but having a party platform that says my platform is to get myself re-elected makes an a$$ out of the law - its clear that the original intent was for people to address issues of relevance and for it to be of some length. I think 200 words is on the short side, but I want to account for people who like to keep it sharp and punchy.
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Peter
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,030


Political Matrix
E: -0.77, S: -7.48

« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2004, 05:42:56 PM »
« Edited: November 21, 2004, 05:47:47 PM by Peter Bell »

I just noticed an error in the bill - Organised should be spelt with a 'z'. Sorry about that.
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Peter
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,030


Political Matrix
E: -0.77, S: -7.48

« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2004, 06:01:26 AM »
« Edited: November 23, 2004, 03:06:07 PM by Peter Bell »

A point that Ernest raised in another thread made me realise that another section would be useful for this Bill:

Section 5: System of Measurement

1. For the purposes of all statute, executive orders, judicial rulings, other official documents of the Atlasian government and for all acts of commerce, the International System of Units, as it stands at the passage of this bill into law, shall be the standard system of measurement throughout Atlasia.

2. Other, non-standard systems of measurement may be used, however, all quantities must be defined in the standard system of measurement alongside the non-standard system of measurement.

3. The sole exception to this Section shall be those distances that exceed 200 meters in length, where the mile may be used as a concurrent standard definition and temperature, which may be measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit as a concurrent standard standard definition. The survey Inch may also be used as a concurrent standard definition for surveying purposes only.


Its pretty straight forward, and most of us in here are at worst in our 20s, so we grew up on the metric system for the most part. The exception is given in Section 3 as I recall from my last visit to the US (ILV might still have been in dippers), all road signs are given in miles, and I don't especially want to replace every road sign in the US due to the cost and the inherent confusion it would cause. I would also like everybody to know the pain that I endured mis-spelling metre for this section.
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Peter
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,030


Political Matrix
E: -0.77, S: -7.48

« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2004, 01:18:38 PM »

I will not support this bill if it demands that the country use metric. That is an outrage. I say that this shoudn't be a part of this bill and I would like to ask everyone that if this is included to vote against this bill.

Nobody is forced to use soley metric under this system - companies are free to use dual systems of measurement as they wish. I just feel that it is in the best interests of consumers if they are able to compare like for like in one single system of units, rather than having to carry a calculator around with them to do imperial-metric conversions.

I oppose this. The imperial system is the symbol of the fight against internationalism. I also oppose this adding of items to bills to make them more passable.

I thought that Greenpeace was the symbol of the fight angainst internationalism, and besides there's nothing wrong with using one standard system of measurement the world over - it makes international commerce much easier.

I am not trying to add items to make them more passable, I'm simply trying to get them considered. Sections 2 and 4 have come up on previous occassions and they never got anywhere simply because they were such insignificant measures that the Senate wasn't very interested. The advantage of coalescing them into one bill is that things that are good to have on the statute books actually do make into law because the Senate is willing to consider them, especially with something as needed as the Census definitions.

That said, I support having the Senate vote section by section on the bill if they think this is in order so that nobody feels that any of the Sections have been bolted on to ride with the rest of the bill.

As to the concerns that Ernest raises:
I forgot about weather reports and cooking books. I'll draft something on it. I am slightly surprised to hear that construction still works in imperial, especially as the US does not have a uniform usage of the Inch as far as I am aware.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but does this bill require that all laws be written in metric? If so, that's fine.

Yes it does.
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Peter
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,030


Political Matrix
E: -0.77, S: -7.48

« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2004, 04:32:47 PM »

I was going to vote for this until you added section 5.
bring it in as an amendment to the bill.

Since this is far more controversial than I had expected, I don't want to endanger the bill as a whole (especially the census provisions), so I will introduce it as an amendment only.
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Peter
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,030


Political Matrix
E: -0.77, S: -7.48

« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2004, 01:08:14 PM »

You should also include the barring of titles of nobility from the government.

Considering thats in the Constitutional Amendment presently before a public poll, it is unnecessary.
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Peter
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,030


Political Matrix
E: -0.77, S: -7.48

« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2004, 10:26:04 AM »

Besides, the main reason I voted against this bill was because of the restrictions placed on political parties and platform writing.  This is a serious infringement of free speech rights.

Nobodies voted on the bill yet. This was just the metric measures amendment.
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