View from Benacia/Issue 87: dStryker Makes An Appearance
This imported article was originally posted at http://viewfrombenacia.blogspot.com/2005/05/issue-87-dstryker-makes-appearance.html at 05/12/05.
Onetime Shirerithian, former economics god and library namesake dStryker made an appearance in the General forum; old-timers may remember him well. Whether you're an old-timer or a total n00b, go visit his thread and say hello! PAY PROPER RESPECTS TO THE ALMIGHTY GOD OF THE ECONOMY! Bring your Polish language textbooks. Speaking of Economics...
As the Minister of Trade, Scott Alexander has proposed his plan for attempting once again to have a micronational economic system in Shireroth. He summarized it as follows: "All current accounts and funds will be wiped clean.
All citizens of Shireroth will receive fifty erb to do what they like with.
All new citizens of Shireroth will receive free accounts, but no free money.
All foreigners may purchase an account for ten erb. A Shirerithian with whom they are dealing will have to provide the initial start-up money.
The Ministry of Trade will open all new accounts itself, by request. No one may open their own account without going through the Ministry.
The procedures of the Landsraad will be changed. A commoner may speak or propose legislation for ten erb. Ze may purchase one vote for ten erb (for a total of twenty erb to vote - ten for the vote and ten for the post in which the voting takes place). This is not cumulative - ze may not get five votes for fifty erb. All money collected in this fashion will go to the Treasury.
Certain officials - the Kaiser, the Minister of Trade, and the Landsraad by majority vote - may reward individuals who make exceptional contributions to Shireroth with money from the Treasury. Ministers and other officials will not be paid a regular salary."
While (not unexpectedly) some have opposed this idea as an infringement on the Landsraad's traditional status as a haven for nobles, another possible hole has been noted; the Landsraad forum is accessed by being a moderator, and granting moderator status to anyone and everyone who could pay would presumably not only be extremely time-consuming, but could also increase security risks.
Meanwhile, in MiniInfo-land...
In a vaguely related story, Moose, the Minister of Information (with whom Scott traded jobs), is also starting to get his Ministry cooking.
After an announcement in which Moose unveiled his page-editing wizard for Ministries, he established a list of further things to do which, aside from tweaking the wizard, also included some sort fo Landsraad page for Praetor Hypatia, a means for Duchies to easily edit their webpages, and a "Shireroth Database System". Reportedly, this has also inspired MiniInt Gryphon to start making a few tweaks in the forums as well.
Controversy in the Landsraad
The Landsraad is roaring with debate over a series of reform-oriented bills, mostly the work of Duke Scott of Hyperborea. The four bills left to be passed are:
-the Duchy Reorganization Act. This will dissolve the current Duchies and replace them with three: Brookshire (including Goldshire, Elwynn, Automatica, and Lac Glacei), Kildare (including Hyperborea and Lothlaria), and Yardistan (including Jaris and Cognito). It seems the most likely of the four to pass.
-the Feudal Holdings Act Amendment I. This will raise the number of residents for subdivisions to be compliant. There are concerns that there aren't enough people to allow compliance.
-the Feudal Holdings Act Amendment II. This will allow citizens who haven't filled out the census regularly to be classified as "denizens", and to cause them not to count toward FHA requirements. There are concerns that this interferes with the duties of the MiniImNat.
-the Feudal Holdings Act Amendment III. This will establish a routine in which nobles and Ministers are ousted at the end of a Kaiser's reign, to be replaced (or, presumably, reaffirmed) thereafter. There are concerns that such frequent oustings are a recipe for instability.
