[PRIVATE] TERM XI Cabinet Room

[unmerged(33865)]

Not too much in the current issue of NEWSLINK that the cabinet needs to deal with or am I missing something?

MDIS - If we happen to find out more about what is going on in New Bengal, I wouldn't mind hearing, but I don't think it is worth running an op to find out.

MIDA - Good news soon on the Friends of Durruti coming up.

MESA - not in NEWSLINK, but the GA is voting on the recapitalization of Omnicare, you will have to come up with a settlement program for any outstanding claims linked to the ECB bombing.

MTIA - I have already given orders to comply with the UN resolution on the Hainan Star incident. As to Tulp, no matter what the outcome of the court, I don't trust him to command anything. Please see that he is moved to a staff role if he stays in the Navy.

MERL - see if Amric needs any help commericializing his new invention.

 

[unmerged(33865)]

Josephus, I got your note about Omnicare. I don't know the answer either, but there is no obvious reason why the state should be involved in providing ordinary business insurance. For other areas, like health and auto insurance, there could be good reasons. I don't want to dictate a solution, I was just providing an alternative you might not have considered.

 

[Josephus I]

You're right per president.

I will study exactly what Omnicare controls and have a report in to you early next week.

Josephus

 

[Josephus I]

Mr. President.

Some of this you've seen already in a personal message I've sent you; some is expanded.

My study into Omnicare is in its initial stages. But right off the bat I see we have an obvious problem.

The biggest problem that Omnicare faces is that it is too huge and bloated a monster.

I recommend first of all that Medicure becomes a separate entity. All the money currently collected through taxation will go towards this. This gives us the added benefit of increasing direct Medical Insurance without raising taxes.

Next, the government-state run non-medical insurance becomes Homcare or some other name. This will be a state-run insurance along the lines of private insurance companies. We provide all sorts of insurance policies at premiums.

This, as you suggested, could be further subdivided into various types of insurance. Auto, home, life, etc.

Third we consider setting up a plan to open up this second part to private insurers within the next 10 years. The problem with this is that all global insurance companies are currently run by a handful of powerful American and offshore corporations. We need, at first, to limit the amount of foreign investment.

The problem with this is that the minute we open up our insurance companies to foreign investers, it is not, as you intimated to me, money invested here. Rather it is our peoples' premiums being directed to offshore accounts. In a sense, given that private insurerers are out to make money, more money would leave the country than come in.

I therefore am against privatizing the insurance industry. We may have to take out insurance on our insurance companies with a major underwriter abroad in order to cover ourselves.

Note, this is just a preliminary draft of my inquiry. I thought I'd run it past you so you get an idea of the scope of the problem.

JLS
__________________

 

[unmerged(24047)]

A message arrives from the MIDA:

Per President, Pers Ministers,
this message is to inform the other members of the Cabinet that the issue of the improvement of the infrastructure system of Eutopia will be my priority in the following period. This is a problem often coming up to attention, i think we finally have to cut it down.
I will probably have to ask the collaboration of other Ministries, mainly the MERL and the MESA, and i'm sure to receive all the help needed.

 

[unmerged(33865)]

Good start, I assume you are speaking mostly about the rail system, as I didn't pay any attention to that. We should be able to propose an appropriate bill to address any deferred maintenance.

 

[unmerged(24047)]

I would like to explain the first conclusion i have arrived to.
The situation is not that bad. I mean, Eutopia survived with few underfunded railroads and entire regions with no highways for years, the situation could hardly get worse.
Thhe last budget approved (in Term IX) assigned to the transportation system 36.4 billions Ð. That sum included two una tantum expenses: 0.4 b. Ð for the Highway aquisition program and 21 b. Ð for the renewal of the infrastructure.
I don't know if those funds where enacted, but for sure something went wrong, because those ducats haven't changed much the situation (OOC: the budget of Term IX seem to have passed, but not officially, see here ).

My idea would be to move in multiple directions, and with your help and advice we can set the priorities:
1)finish the aquisition of the highway system, i think a sum of apporx. 0.8 Ð would be appropriate.
2)link a few cities with the highway system (expecially in the Jacobia district, Harton, Kurby and Gilford, plus the already planned Uxbridge connection), that is a priority, as already promised many times.
3)power up the rail system. If we want to create a solid industrial relaunch, we can't bet on highways, railroads are cheaper, and causes less pollution.
My plan would be to implement two Great Corridors, a sort of "rail highway", of high intensity transportation system able to provide fast and cheap movements for the goods and the passengers:
-the Corridor 1 Eauze-Neuwestbaden-Gilford-Dunwich-Harton-Kirby, it would cut roughly North-South central UPE, and terminate in the port facilities of Kirby.
-Corridor 2 New Lancaster-Witney-Huntington-Neuwestbaden-Eutopia City, advantaging from the port facilities in New Lancaster.
A great investment must be enacted, it would be good to plan a multi-annual investment (5 or 10 years, for example). I think approximately a total of 50 b. Ð would be mor than sufficient, using the actual infrastructure as a basis.

 

[unmerged(33865)]

Rail maybe cheaper if we already have it, but adding on significantly to rail lines would not be something I would favor. By all means maintain the existing lines and upgrade the tracks so the trains can go faster or more safely. But you are the MGA, so put together something that you think will pass, and won't create an unsustainable deficit. Spread it out over several terms if need be.

You are right, that old Term IX budget was found not to have been debated sufficiently, and so was deemed unconstitutional. Your figures for buying back the highways from the Trust I had created to buy then from the Portuguese look about right.

By all means start the planning an costing for further extensions to the highway system, but they can't all be up north.

 

[Josephus I]

Would this government be interested in passing some anti-smoking legislation.

Josephus lights a cigarette

I propose something to the effect that we ban smoking in all work places and public buildings like malls.

Other countries are also banning smoking in bars and restaurants. Not sure if that's too harsh.

Josephus exhales.

Whatcha think?

Josephus

 

[Erc]

*Talbott emits a hacking cough*

As much...*cough*...as I'd support that, didn't good ol' Capt. Martinez try that back in my Presidency? The tobacco farmers didn't like it, the smokers didn't like it...although we've lost a number of those, haven't we.

It could work, but we need to get the language right--because it was really just a clause or two that brought that down (and allowed me an escape clause, thank goodness).

 

[unmerged(33865)]

Josephus, didn't you get the nicotine patches I had sent over? Or are you wearing a patch and smoking as well? That is like buring the candle at both ends and pointing a blowtorch at the middle! If you want to have a chance with that young lawyer, you will have to stop smoking.

I would favor the smoking ban in the places you mentioned, but it will be up to rest of the UMP to decide whether it goes anywhere. You could have your MGA propose something, or you could sound out the speaker first.

 

[Josephus I]

Mr. President, sir.

I trust you have seen the latest Eutopian Today? What is all this about?


Josephus

 

[unmerged(24047)]

Per Sergei, i'm glad you raised the question. I would really like to know what is going on with that case...

 

[unmerged(33865)]

This is a serious matter, in three ways. First there is the matter which the newspaper speaks of. I had already spoken to the MDIS about this, and may need to replace him. Do either of you have any suggestions about who I could name as his replacement? I had hoped this wouldn't come out, but I am not going to cover it up.

Second, the existence of this article indicates that there has been a violation of the Eutopian National Secrets Act. It was never piece of legislation I liked, but we can't pick and choose which laws we enforce, can we? The two other serious matters are the source that leaked it and the paper that printed it. We can't trust just anyone in FLEA to investigate either, because the most likely source of the leak is within FLEA, possibly at the top. MIDA McGrath, I am going to have a word with Hedgar Joover, and offer him an appointment as our ambassador to the UK, or some other plum job, but no longer in charge of FLEA. If he accepts, great, you can review the internal candidates as promote from within. If he doesn't, well we can talk about that later. Then perhaps you can get someone uninvolved within FLEA to investigate. This is not the first serious leak from within FLEA. I suspect that someone tipped off Cornelius Dank that someone was going to spill the beans well before the ECB bombing, when we could have prevented it. I don't think those two leaks are related, but in both cases it has been detrimental the United Provinces of Eutopia.

About the last item, I will have a word with Amric directly, so he doesn't print any follow-up articles. Don't ask for any details about the actual incident, I would violating the law if I told you.

 

[unmerged(33865)]

Per McGrath, would you be willing to change roles and take over the MDIS? I have lined up a possible replacement for you at MIDA, and I may need to dismiss Per Truman shortly. If you are not comfortable with the post, then I can look at other possibilities, but it would be quite convenient if you could see yourself in that role.

 

[unmerged(24047)]

Yes, Per Truman is in trouble, i still can't realize how deep. I'm ready to step at the Quadragon, as i said a few months ago, my background suggest that as my ideal chair.
I hope my successor at the MIDA can continue my work.

 

[unmerged(33865)]

Thanks, Thomas, for your willingness to serve. I will make the announcement shortly. Once you are in the office, I will drop by an brief you on the background.

 

[aussieboy]

The new MIDA steps into the cabinet room, with a series of maps of Eutopia:

Per President, I'm planning on a new highway to the WET. I propose giving to contract to Amric Al'Aeshir. also, I am planning to give him a contract to repair the railroads and make an expanion into Uxbridge and Landfall. Do you object to that?

 

[unmerged(33865)]

Glad to see you on the job so promptly, Per Hapsburg. Building a highway to Western Eutopia is probably a good idea. You should check with MERL Talbott, as he may be building a pipeline as well. We are already building an extension of the highway system to Uxbridge, so adding a railroad as well would be overkill. There was some talk of building a 'Colonial Eutopia' theme park at Landfall, which would increase traffic demands somewhat, but again, I would expect that we would get more out of road than a railroad. It is not up me to decide, though. Publish draft plans and invite public commentary, that makes it look like this is a democracy.

As to awarding the contracts, it has to be done by competitive bidding. I expect Amric's firm will win some of the contracts, but by making him bid, we will get a better price than if we just tried to negotiate it with him one-on-one.

 

[unmerged(24047)]

Pers Ministers, Per President, an idea came across my mind, maybe it's a bizzarre one, but it could be interesting.
How about a "Eutopian Republic" festival, with maybe a military parade in Eutopia City and other cities? Something like the 14 July in France.
It could be the day Monarchy passed away.