Join the new world

There seems to be a lot going on right in eCanada, and sadly it would seem to be that none of it is worthwhile or productive in any form or fashion. Right now there seems to be some huge kafuffle about the CEP/NCEP/whatever the acronym is for the new new party. I decided to take the time and look back and see what Alastar Aingleis wrote in his campaign announcements, but it would seem that his entire back history of newspaper articles have been deleted. So in all honesty what I can say from the outside is that things do not look good for the CEP, which means pretty bad given their rocky at best road so far.

Meanwhile, in the media there seems to be a motion to improve congress. Great, congress could use some improvement. We need more active and involved people, and we need people operating in an honest capacity. The motion seems to almost entirely settle upon the concept that the CAF should not be allowed into congress though, and I have heard it said, by extension the TCO. Personally I don’t know how good an idea that is, since as has been said countless times, the TCO and the CAF members are often the most involved members in our community. I know from my own experience that the CAF was instrumental in getting me as involved as I currently am. Could the current situation stand some change? Yes of course. Several months ago if you were in congress you were in the “Reserves” which meant you got less guns than the rest of the CAF because you were not really a full member so to speak because you were unwilling to move. V2 changed this organization though and the reserves went the way of the dodo. Myself, I have quite intentionally not received funding or weapons from the CAF since the V2 change. Has it been expensive for me, yes it has, but it gives me some measure of moral authority in a situation just like this. I suggest that those members of the CAF that are in congress be moved to a new formation of the reserves, and be given less funding from the CAF than regular soldiers. I also suggest the exact same be done for the TCO. Perhaps when a battle of important significance (Military Preparation levels 4 and 5) breaks out, the funding these members see be raised to an equal state as the others for the duration of the battle/battles. This suggestion btw also means that those in the TCO and congress do not get raises at their jobs to compensate the funding cut and thereby negate the cut. On a small aside though, I am curious, just how much does the TCO charge for a days work, or a battle, or however you guys work out payment schemes, since you are mercenaries and all?

Also at the moment seems to be a question about the Long Sword Revolution (LSR). I myself was around when this happened (April 22nd, 4:21pm. I keep everything, EVERYTHING) and played a very small part in it. I was the head of the 31st Flying Monkeys Reserves platoon. I received word about the LSR from Chucky Norris that a protest move was being organized, and that anyone whom would like to participate should join them on a channel in IRC. I had trouble joining the IRC room and asked if I was to pass along word of this to my troopers and was told, this is a protest move, nothing more, and that I should play along, and ask my soldiers too. I believe I posted one message in our forums and left it at that. I was fairly sure things were going to go badly one way or the other though, so remained pretty much un involved, not changing my icon or anything of that nature. I passed along word, that is about the extent of my involvement. Anyways, I know that Chucky and someone else, I do not recall, were demoted when everything ended and stripped of some measure of responsibility, media whipped up a lot of attention and threw a lot of stones, and we all moved on.

Earlier this week there was a “break in” on the CAF forums and some members of the TCO decided to “graffiti” them up. Some measure of punishment was ordered of the accused TCO members and that should have been it. Instead it seems the TCO has decided to go to war with the CAF by bringing back this spectacle of the LSR. Also brought along on this ride has been Coda’s Support a Platoon Program (SPP). I will be honest and say I do not know the specific details of this, but from what I have been able to figure out, Coda (head of the CAF) runs a company in which she sells her weapons at a loss to herself and the organization, and sells them principally to the CAF. Myself, I do not see how this could be a bad thing, but some has cast that this is at the very least a conflict of interest. I would have to respond by saying that erep is full of those kind of scenario’s. Is it also not a conflict of interest for members of Parliament to own and operate companies at the same time as they control the taxes? Is it not a conflict of interest to have a sitting Prime Minister own and operate companies? Is it not a conflict of interest to have the head of the TCO (I believe TemujinBC is the head, if not I apologize) come to congress and say that we should lower taxes on a particular weapon to help out the TCO, or that we should increase TCO spending? By it’s very nature erep pushes us to have a large number of conflicts of interest by allowing every citizen to run for congress and Prime Ministerial rank regardless of anything save citizenship. For my two cents, it will never happen in eCanada that we avoid such scenario’s since our active population is not large enough to do so properly. A compromise was reached long ago in congress on this particular idea though when a monthly topic was created in which each member layed out ways in which they could possibly have a conflict of interest. In this manner, we are all made aware of the various motivations and rationales that could be possible for said person to be making an argument one way or another given the situation. I believe this creates as fair and balanced a system as one can come to expect in this game. As to the SPP, my thoughts are that if it does not turn a profit (as all indications have been made), and the CAF is getting more guns for less money than it would otherwise, how could this possibly be a bad thing, conflict or not?

As to the notion that the LSR question has not been settled, I would suggest a particular course of active. I believe that a truly neutral third party operator should be given access to the thread which is under so much discussion and they should report back to say whether they believe that there is anything left to talk about in said thread. The problem as it stands at the moment in regards to opening up the thread is that currently people are screaming at and threatening the CAF to do something, and if the CAF does said thing, then they will be bowing to the pressure put upon them. This would not go well for the future of honesty and forthrightness within the High Command thread for they would need to be afraid and careful to the extreme of what they said. It is akin to the idea that should the government pay just one ransom to return someone, it sets a dangerous precedent. It also reminds me of a line which Jacobi used when we were at our dinner: “No one involved would ever get elected again, ever”. I am paraphrasing, but that was the general gist of it in regards to a particular course of action he was nearly forced to take.


Votes:

26) Tax change: Hospital: Income Tax 11% to 15%? This is a continuation of the motions that started last month in which we in congress voted to increase the various income tax rates of all the respective markets in eCanada to help us recover from the losses we suffered a couple of months back. Canada also has one of the lowest income tax rates in the world at the moment, so it is generally thought that this should not have any particular impact on our economy. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

27) Tax change: Defense System: Income Tax 11% to 15%? More of the previously stated income tax changes. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

2😎 Tax change: Oil: Import Tax from 99% to 30%, Income Tax from 11% to 15%? This particular motion I am opposed to because of the import tax rate change. I personally am a believer in operating in a closed system and do not support the lowering of our import taxes. In part as evidence of this, has anyone noticed a particular change in the cost of food lately? Q1 and Q2 food prices have not altered in the least from my observations. Voted No. Motion Passed.

29) Tax change: Titanium: Import Tax from 99% to 30%, Income Tax from 11% to 15%? Please read motion number 28. Voted No. Motion Passed.

30) Do you agree to transfer 467 HRK from the country accounts to National Bank of Canada? I have been saying for a long time, we in congress are always attempting to move foreign currencies out of the treasury so we can put this money to good use for Canada. This is one of those attempts. Voted yes. Motion Passed.

31) President of Spain proposed a mutual protection pact with Canada? Spain, one of the most powerful countries in the eworld for a long long time, and a good and solid ally of Canada’s. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

32) Do you agree to transfer 24060 CAD from the country accounts to Canadian National Defense? The prescribed CAF funding for the week, as well as the prescribed TCO funding which comes out of this particular number. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

33) Tax change: Rifle: Income tax from 11% to 15%? A further increase in the income tax rate to level out the playing field of all markets. Currently more necessary than ever as fighting styles have been eliminated and we are all equally good at all weapons. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

34) Tax change: Artillery: Income tax from 11% to 15%? See number 33. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

35) Do you agree to transfer 370 UAH from the country accounts to National Bank of Canada? The treasury just keeps getting cleaner and cleaner, though it really doesn’t because we are constantly getting more foreign currency at the same time. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

36) Tax change: Tank: Income tax from 11% to 15%? See number 33. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

37) Tax change: Air Unit: Income tax from 11% to 15%? See number 33. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

3😎 Do you agree to transfer 349 HUF from the country accounts to National Bank of Canada? I said, cleaner and cleaner didn’t I? Voted yes. Motion Passed.

39) Do you agree with the proposal to issue 30000 CAD for 150 GOLD? This was an emergency printing to help try and stabilize a wild ride the market went through. By the time the money was printed and handed over to the National Bank of Canada, the ride was already over and had stabilized itself. As such, I folded this particular 30k printing into the intended one that was to come in the next budget. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

40) Citizen fee change from 5 CAD to 7 CAD? Powerown64 put this motion forward, as well as the one below immediately before leaving congress. I am unsure why he left congress. Voted No. Motion Failed.

41) Minimum wage change from 1.2 CAD to 30 CAD? See number 40 above. Voted No. Motion Failed.

42) Do you agree to transfer 30000 CAD from the country accounts to National Bank of Canada? This would be the transfer of the 30k that was just printed into a viable organization so that it could be placed onto the market. The process of printing and transferring money takes at a minimum 48 hours. Voted yes. Motion Passed.

43) Do you agree to transfer 1040 GBP from the country accounts to National Bank of Canada? Clean clean CLEAN! Voted yes. Motion Passed.

44) Do you agree to transfer 44594 CAD from the country accounts to CAF Reserves Supply Branch 1? This one I really have no idea why Dr.Pain did because it gummed up our system with a donation to the CAF preventing us from starting the motion directly below, which was to give the proper amount of money to the CAF and the TCO as was dictated by the budget. Dr.Pain also quit congress at this point, and I have no idea why that happened either. Voted no. Motion Failed.

45) Do you agree to transfer 27600 CAD from the country accounts to Canadian National Defense? Weekly CAF and TCO funding. Voted Yes. Motion Passed.

46) Do you agree to transfer 700 RON from the country accounts to National Bank of Canada? Clean damnit! Voted Yes. Motion Passed.


Congress:

Most of what has happened in congress lately I have already discussed above.

Welcome Message: The executive and congress have been working together for a little while now in the hopes of crafting together a new welcome message for new citizens when they join the game. Things were advancing quite nicely and a message was proposed, and rejected by erepublik. It seems it was too long, though it should not have been. Since this time, I have come to learn that the Prime Minister even proposed a two word new welcome message, and was told that the welcome message was once again, too long. So it would seem that the welcome message is bugged, and cannot be changed for a little while. Personally I do not know how much of a loss that is since I don’t even remember seeing a welcome message when I first joined.

Budget: The budget was proposed and passed this week. I took the time to craft the budget and put it before congress. It involves printing a decent amount of money, and increasing slightly the funding of the CAF, while at the same time doubling Canada’s funding of the TCO. The public budget can be found here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AiqJdLt5DugkdFBIUGMyaVFYNGtoY19ud0tEa0c5Snc&hl=en&authkey=CIqagPAE


Other Stuff:

Not a lot to talk about down here since a lot of it is up there at the beginning. I understand that we are all different people with different outlooks on life, and different wants, but is it really too much to hope that we work together, that we attempt to get along, that we remember that others out there have hopes and dreams, and that we not exploit one another all in the vague desire to increase ourselves? I try and live by a philosophy of not harming anyone else, and for the most part I live a happy and comfortable life, both real and not. Bickering and talking about things is one thing, but when we get to the point of yelling and arguing that is a whole other matter. Sometimes the best approach is to step back and let things cool down.

A weird thing happened to me a couple of weeks back, I was asked when I was going to run for Country President. I will admit, it kind of through me for a loop. I have for the bulk of my elife tried to sit back and just be the calm, quiet hard working individual in the background, so to have someone ask that felt a little weird. I would be lying if I said I was not seriously considering the matter since I know I would bring hard work and integrity and openness to the job. Anyways, I felt the need to put that out there since it really was a weird moment I had lately.

Major Congressman etemenanki, Minister of Finance.

P.S. It would seem the media was bugged most of yesterday and we were unable to post any articles, which sucks. Of course now that your reading this it means they have finally fixed this, but I hope there was a good reason for it being down.