Ministry of Infrastructure and Domestic Affairs (MIDA), Term X

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Frustrated with the lack of passage of a budget or special bill to purchase the Interprovincial Highway System, MIDA Loic de Fourgéres looks around for alternatives, decides to create a government sponsored enterprise to begin the task while the appropriations languish. A press release is prepared.

To facilitate the acquisition and expansion of the Interprovincial Highway System, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Domestic Affairs is establishing the Interprovincial Highway System Trust, to be funded by debt financing initially, which will be repaid by tolls, government appropriations, and specific taxes on fuel and vehicles.

 

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Wanted posters, unfortunately without any photos, go up in the post offices for a 'Senor Rio' in connection with the ECB bombing, with what limited description was available from the intel reports and the date of his arrival at the New Lancaster City International Airport. In commentary, MIDA Loic de Fourgéres adds:
"He probably used various aliases, and will certainly stop using this one now, but he may have used this one once or twice, particularly immediately after his arrival. We are basically hoping someone who heard that name can enhance our description, or let us know a place and a time where he was so we can find his image from a security camera tape. Remember, there is still a half million ducat reward to be shared."

 

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Updated wanted poster for Señor Rio, featuring a photo, appear in the post offices. MIDA Loic de Fourgéres addresses the handful of reporters that hang out at MIDA.
"Using the alias of Francisco J. Rio, this man," points to photo on screen behind him "...is believed to have met with Cuban agents and killed two people in Buenos Aries, Argentina before boarding a flight for New Lancaster City International Airport, where he subsequently eluded the surviellance. He was not not know to FLEA or our intelligence services before the bombing at the ECB. He is wanted for questioning regarding his involvement with the bombing. We do not know his nationality. He is to be considered armed and very dangerous. Please report his whereabouts to the FLEA or the local police. Do not approach him."

 

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Contracts are awarded for security retrofits on 28 out of the 31 MIDA buildings for which proposals were sought. One of the buildings, the central post office in Neuwestbaden is thought to be too vulnerable with a standard retrofit, and a more extensive reworking could be as expensive as new construction. Temporarily, 90% of the workers in the building and most of the functions are transferred to other facilities including some trailers, the building becomes little more than a place for people with existing post office boxes to pick up mail. The building, a glass walled structure designed by a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, could be considered a landmark building, although not officially listed as such, is put up for sale. It is an adaptation of the design of the S. C. Johnson Administration Building in Racine, Wisconsin which was built in 1936 (this building was built in 1939) with thin central concrete columns, but unfortunately with a tendency for the roof to leak. If a buyer can't be found who will pay a least the land value and will agree to preserve the historic character of the building, then it will likely have to be torn down. The other two buildings (the FLEA field offices in Huntington and Kirby) had minor issues in the security retrofit bidding process and new requests for proposal for that work are published, with minor modifications to resolve the difficulties encountered in the first round of bidding.

 

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MIDA Loic de Fourgéres contacts Ricado M. Sammuelson, V.P. of Foreign Operations of P.E.T. Corp., the owner and operator of the toll road system.
“Senhor Sammuelson, it has been a long time, much longer than I thought it would be. It is very difficult to get the legislature to do anything. Therefore, I was obliged to take an alternative approach to be able to close this transaction, on May 3rd. The price that was agreed in the previous administration was four hundred million US dollars. Considering the passage of time, and ‘time is money’ according to the saying, we will increase the purchase price by twenty million dollars to $420,000,000 for the portion within our borders. I have informed Tilapia that we are ready to proceed, although their portion of the price would be unchanged. Are we agreed?”

 

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MIDA Loic de Fourgéres goes into the auditorium that doubles as a press briefing room.
"I have a statement regarding the activity on the coast southeast of Hurteau.

At (time) units of the Eutopian Navy intercepted a freighter, the Hainan Star, 45 days out of Shanghai, that was underway with no navigation or running lights, heading directly for the shore where some signaling device was operating. The ship refused to stop when ordered. The navy fired a shot across her bows when she was less than a mile offshore. The ship stopped but people on board began heading to shore in small boats (some carrying cargo in addition to passengers), while others began swimming ashore with floation aids. FLEA dispatched some agents to investigate and to begin the processing of any irregular attempted immigrants. For reasons that I would suggest you ask the Navy, tomorrow at 2200 when Admiral Tulp will give a press conference, firing began and has since ceased. Somewhat over 300 people attempted to come ashore, all of them appear to be of Asian ancestry. In the firing there were approximately 100 casulties among them, but I am unaware of the exact breakdown between killed and wounded. Some of those killed were carrying AK-47 assault rifles. MESA has dispatched medical teams which are at the location now. The Navy has requested that a health quarantine be maintained in the area until MESA can perform preliminary health screenings to rule out the possibility of various highly contagious diseases. Therefore, civilians, including the press, will not be permitted inside the cordon surrounding the area being maintained by local police supplemented by security personnel from EML and volunteers from Vermieul Club Sportif, which have this Ministry's thanks. The smuggling of people is a serious enough offence, so the ship is being impounded and its records will be searched to determine who was behind this. The crime was compounded by the failure to obey the Navy's instructions. The people who set up the signaling device on shore are wanted for questioning in the same matter, but have not yet been apprehended. That search is on-going. I will answer questions, but have already let you know as much as I do. The FLEA agents who were on the scene will be available to the press tomorrow or the day after. I expect that Admiral Tulp and they will be able to provide more details. I am just as interested in finding out all about this as you are, but I think we will all have to wait a bit longer."

 

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MIDA Loic de Fourgéres contacts Ricado M. Sammuelson, V.P. of Foreign Operations of P.E.T. Corp., the owner and operator of the toll road system.
“Senhor Sammuelson, it has been a long time, much longer than I thought it would be. It is very difficult to get the legislature to do anything. Therefore, I was obliged to take an alternative approach to be able to close this transaction, on May 3rd. The price that was agreed in the previous administration was four hundred million US dollars. Considering the passage of time, and ‘time is money’ according to the saying, we will increase the purchase price by twenty million dollars to $420,000,000 for the portion within our borders. I have informed Tilapia that we are ready to proceed, although their portion of the price would be unchanged. Are we agreed?”

"Sure," says Sammuelson after his secretary wakes him up.

 

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Loic confirms the payment details, and thanks Senhor Sammuelson, saying he will have signed contracts readied and sent by express the next day. After he hangs up he sees to the getting the contracts prepared, signed, and sent to P.E.T. Corp, so they can sign and return a copy in order to get paid on the hand over date of May 3rd.

 

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The reporters that hang around MIDA are informed that there will be a press conference shortly. VP and MIDA Loic de Fourgéres goes to the auditorium that serves as a press briefing room.
"I have statements on two unrelated topics. Afterwards, I will be available to take questions.

The purchase from the foreign owners of the Inter-Provincial Highway System originally agreed last term will be completed on May 3rd. To celebrate this important part of our patrimony returning to our ownership, there will be a toll holiday from May 4th through May 8th, during which time no tolls will be collected. The toll collectors will recieve on day's paid holiday on May 4th, and will begin training and other activities in preparation for new lower tolls to take effect on May 9th. Details of these will be made available at a later time. The construction bidding process for the extension of the system to Uxbridge will begin next month as well. This will be a significant investment in our infrastructure, and should increase employment in that region.

While that is important, it is not as likely to grab headlines as the following:

FLEA agents, in Eutopia City, have arrested the foreign agent Francisco Rio, who was wanted in connection with the bombing at the ECB. He was discovered by chance, when a FLEA agent who was going to ask some questions about another matter of Cornelius Dank recognized Senor Rio from the wanted posters that have been displayed. He was in a bar owned by Per Dank, who was present at the time. The FLEA agent called for back-up, and a SWAT team responded, taking both Rio and Dank into custody. Cornelius Dank has refused to answer any questions 'on the advice of counsel'. The office of the Commissioner of Justice is still determining what additional charges, if any, should be filed against Cornelius Dank. This does not mean that the threat against our domestic tranquility has ended, because there were undoubtedly others involved, but it should make it clear that we are making some progress in this matter. As it was a FLEA agent who was instrumental in Rio's arrest, the half million ducat reward, made possible partly by the generosity of former President Al'Aeshir, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the ECB bombing is still available.

I would be pleased to take any questions at this time."

 

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MIDA Loic de Fourgéres contacts the companies that supply the remote toll sensing systems in the US and Europe to find out about having it installed on the toll roads in the UPE.

 

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FLEA agents, in Eutopia City, have arrested the foreign agent Francisco Rio, who was wanted in connection with the bombing at the ECB. He was discovered by chance, when a FLEA agent who was going to ask some questions about another matter of Cornelius Dank recognized Senor Rio from the wanted posters that have been displayed. He was in a bar owned by Per Dank, who was present at the time. The FLEA agent called for back-up, and a SWAT team responded, taking both Rio and Dank into custody. Cornelius Dank has refused to answer any questions 'on the advice of counsel'. The office of the Commissioner of Justice is still determining what additional charges, if any, should be filed against Cornelius Dank. This does not mean that the threat against our domestic tranquility has ended, because there were undoubtedly others involved, but it should make it clear that we are making some progress in this matter. As it was a FLEA agent who was instrumental in Rio's arrest, the half million ducat reward, made possible partly by the generosity of former President Al'Aeshir, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the ECB bombing is still available.

I would be pleased to take any questions at this time."

Moreau-Dumont stands up with a notepad in his hand

Monsieur Moreau-Dumont for La Voix.

Do you have any information on how many members the Friends of Durrti have, how well armed they are, and if they were planning any other attacks? And has there been any foreign help for the group, considering they had a foreign agent working for them? Do you also consider them a threat still?

 

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Merci, Monsieur Moreau-Dumont.

This is an on-going investigation, so what I can say is limited. From reading their manifesto, it would seem that this group had expected to make additional attacks. Are they now headless or merely missing someone high up in their leadership? We don't yet know. In either case, I would consider them still to be a potential threat, as there were clearly more people involved in perpetrating the ECB bombing that survived it than we have arrested. Our intelligence services, which are under MDIS, are tracking down the involvement of foriegn governments. We are not sure if Francisco Rio was acting with or against the wishes of his government.

 

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Outgoing MIDA Loic de Fourgéres sorts through the personal items and momentos, arranging for their transfer to the Diamond Office, including the commemorative gold medal from the Queen of Tilapia. A dinner with the heads of departments and close associates is arranged at a fine restaurant. Most of them will be remaining at MIDA, but he offers a position to the aide who dragged him away from the townhall podium a position as press secretary at the Diamond Office.
"You have all done an excellent job under difficult circumstances. That has made me look good, and thus is why I will be doing a different job next term. I assume this was all a plot to get a more pliant boss."
Loic laughs at his attempt at humor.
"Well it has worked, so I thank-you. Feel free to contact me if you need a reference."

OOC: This thread is now closing, so please don't post here. The Term XI MIDA thread can be found here.