The Mercury Messenger Congress legislation establishes a federal Historic Preservation Service; Reform applauded by history buffs and enthusiasts
"This a very important step for the preservation of important historical sites in America," says John Hollister, chairman of the American Historical Association and a Professor of American History at Binsey College and also brother of Ben Hollister, the mayor of Boston "we are exuberant to know that the government has recognised the need to preserve the important historic sites of our nation. It is imperative to preserve such sites, for example Fort Jersey or the Homestead of Francis Acheson Lee, in order for us to pass the history of our nation to our children smoothly."
And indeed, the Congress has shown almost the same spirit of enthusiasm; The 'Act to further the Preservation of Historic sites', or the Historic Preservation Act, has been approved with six out of six votes unanimity , with thirty five out of thirty six delegates voting in the affirmative; only delegate Franklin Wilcox of Montgomery voted against.
The act places the Historic Preservation Service under the executive branch, headed by a five directors body to be appointed by the president for once-renewable seven year terms. The Historic Preservation Service is not to assume responsibility over any historical monument directly but only share the management and budgeting over those sites which are of importance to the entire nation with the local state historic agency. What is deemed 'important to America as a whole' is left to the president to decided as policy, and president Dixie has described as his own policy in a press conference;
"The Historic Preservation Service is to share management and provide additional funds for those sites which are of importance to all of America, which under this presidential policy be various sites associated with the Marquen-American Trade War, sites associated with the foundation of America and the Union, the tombs of all American presidents, and military graves. The issue of presidential tombs was rather sensitive, so it is executive policy to respect the wishes of families in that matter. Thank you all for your time.."
In other news..
:!: General Hans Schnauzer, Chief of the Federal Militia, tours the federal military installations of the Union Forces of the Chesapeake Theatre in the Chesapeake Islands and the bay coast on the mainland after a similar tour in the the Northern Theatre. General Schnauzer, newly appointed, seeks to examine the readiness of what's possibly the most important theatre together with the federal soldiers stationed at the Meribian border. There are over twelve thousand federal militiamen in active service stationed at the Chesapeake Theatre, and General Schnauzer has expressed a desire to meet some of the enlisted men as well.
The Mercury Messenger Congress approves uniform military standards; Some state militias protest
After a house-carrying speech by General Hans Schnauzer, Chief of the Federal Militia, an approval from President Dixie and a de-facto supporting abstention by the Secretary of Defence, William Taft, the 'Act to standardize all American Military forces ', or the Military Standardization Act, has passed in Congress. The Act, as its name suggests, sets uniform equipment, training, nutrition and general quality requirements out all of American military forces.
While the Congress has passed many military-related legislation, this is the first time the Congress has legislated regarding the state militias, beyond establishing the federal government's authority to call on them. The Act imposes the provisions of the Federal Militia regarding all the affairs of soldiers' welfare and equipment on the state militias and a minimum standard of training and service on these militias of 'one weekend a month, two weeks a year'; Common militias (id est, lower-commitment militia forces) serve on a 'five weeks a year' basis and have lower equipment standards.
While most state militias will only have to make minor amendments, the states of Kansas and Montgomery will have to make major improvements in the quality of their militias. Indeed, the 'Opposition Group to Military Standardization' has established headquarters in Providence, Kansas and unites the opposition to the act, which exists for a variety of reasons; The first reason, which applies to all states, is that it is the encroachment of the federal government on the state militias, and the second is that the state governments of Kansas and Montgomery are relatively poor, as their states are, and they are forced the fund the same military standards as more wealthier states, like Picardie and Manitoba.
All state governments have decided to comply with the new standards after a claim of the State of Montgomery in the Superior Court of Arbitration regarding the encroachment of the federal government on the states' military forces was preliminary rejected due to the federal government's supreme authority in all military manners. Both 'opposing' states, Montgomery and Kansas, re-designate some militias as common militias and cut parts of their service to avoid an unbearable increase in expenses.
This resolution by Congress is expected to greatly contribute to the coordination of military efforts during war-time and aid the intra-state military harmony in the American Union. However, despite the state forces being held mostly to the standards of the Federal Militia, the state armed forces remain separate and are still not federally mandated, which complicates their ability to be sent overseas and exempts them from provisions such as the defence obligations of the Union to the Alliance for Greater Europe.
The Mercury Messenger The Congress revises welfare benefits systems, establishes a sovereign wealth fund
Under the enthusiastic support of President Dixie, the Assembly of Boroughs and the Conference of States have both approved an important economic legislation today, the 'Act Revising the federal welfare Benefits' (Benefits Revision Act of 2010). Due to President Dixie's support and speeches by him, supporting politicians and economists invited to speak in support of the Benefits Revision Act, the aforementioned legislation has passed with unanimity in the Conference of States and a super-majority in the Assembly of Boroughs.
The 'Act Revising the federal welfare Benefits' (Benefits Revision Act of 2010), is a major overhaul of all the employment-related welfare benefits system in America; It cancels all federal welfare employment-related benefits provided by the government and instead shifts the responsibility to the individual trade unions, who, from now on, will provide for their members' unemployment benefits, help them in the case of employment disabilities, and more. In turn, the government will also cancel the National Insurance rate, which has been paying for these benefits; Workers could now opt to insure with their trade union and/or receive benefits from it, or take their money and purchase an insurance policy from a private insurance corporation.
Indeed, after the transitory period (the end of which is to be decided by executive writ, once the President deems it wise), the government will bear no responsibility towards the unemployed and will pay no subsidy to those no longer able to work. Provisions in the law, however, mandate that trade unions won't be able to dump unemployed members or members disabled during work and instead provide for their welfare, if that is (or was, before the member's injury or unemployment) union policy to take care of them; Also, there is at least a forty days transitory period between the decision on a change regarding the union's welfare policy and the time it will take effect and all trade unions must insure themselves against bankruptcy, or the possible event of self-dissolving.
Some see the Benefits Revision Act similar in purpose to the Salary Superannuation Act of 1971 (An Act mandating Salary deduction for Superannuation), which enforced a secretion of funds directly from one's wages to a pension fund, privatizing governmental functions, instead of the government providing for the unemployed or the retired directly using a special tax (a National Insurance rate in the case of the former and a Superannuation rate in the case of the latter).
Since the National Insurance account no longer has a welfare-related use, it has been decided to turn the National Insurance scheme into a sovereign wealth fund; The National Insurance will be completely restructured, and probably most of its welfare-related bureaucracy workers will move to the private market to work for those who now assumed responsibility for the workers' welfare and benefits (trade unions and insurance companies).
The National Insurance will distribute its very large cash reserves in various ways; To those who do not receive welfare from it, a financial remuneration will be issued with a set amount of money for the amount of years one has been paying money unto the National Insurance scheme. For those currently receiving various payments from it, the National Insurance will purchase equivalent policies from private insurance companies (for example, for those unable to work due to an in-work injury) or manage the payments through an external body until they are over (like with unemployed benefits, the last of which from now will be paid in four months, at the max). What's left of the National Insurance's cash reserves, not much, though, will be used by the restructured National Insurance, an investment company, which will utilise the cash reserves to purchase securities in America and abroad and enlarge the stock of American federal, state and municipal governmental obligations the National Insurance holds currently; the President spoke of an "investments and surplus fund which, hopefully, will rival our national debt, improve our credit rating, and create a strong reserve fund we can rely on in the case of emergency." A totally new board of directors will be appointed to the National Insurance board, suited to its new task as the nation's sovereign wealth fund, and it is expected the purchase of securities, besides the governmental obligations the National Insurance already holds, will begin in the next few months.
The Mercury Messenger The Congress reorganises the Federal Militia and orders its enlargement; Institutes a conscription list
Yesterday the Congress has finally answered the calls of President Dixie to approve his defence reform. The 'Act to Reorganise the federal Military institutions', or the Military Reorganisation Act of 2010, introduces significant reforms to the federal military establishment. The Federal Militia, previously an organisation forming the army of the Union, would be reorganised into several military formations. The commander of them all, beneath the Commander-in-Chief, would still be General Hans Schnauzer, who would now be deemed Chief of Defence.
First, the Sentry Corps, a regular land force maintaining the border outposts and patrolling the borders themselves, providing security for VIPs, serving as honour guard and the like and augmenting the federal or local police forces when needed. The Sentry Corps is not destined to be a large fighting force nor it possesses a large reserve, beyond replacements. The Sentry Corps is the only fully active Federal military formation at peacetime, and as such its members serve all-year-long, beyond holidays etcetera. The Sentry Corps has its own small attached reserve replacements formation, who's members train on a weekend every two months basis. The Sentry Corps can be augmented by the border patrol militias of the states.
Second, the Regular Militia, a military force which, unlike its name, is actually a reserve force, and its members serve on a 'one weekend a month, two months a year', meaning two months (not in tandem) a year they serve throughout the month and every 'non-regular month' they serve one weekend; this service quota, however, is the maximum they have obliged themselves to serve, and most times they will receive a partial service exemption, since they're not needed. The Regular Militia's role is to serve as an instruction corps for conscripted formations and regular militiamen are more trainers than soldiers; The instruction staff at the military academies are also inducted to the Regular Militia, and some scientists working for the military, depending on the circumstance. The Regular Militia not only trains recruits and conscripts for the basic soldier roles, but also the more complicated ones, like military engineering and military medicine (although in these complicated roles they are predicted to often collaborate with universities). Also, the Regular Militia will manage the new Selective Conscription Database and Records and will call all possible conscripts to between three to six training sessions, not including a the first session, which is called the 'preliminary session', lasting five days. Each of these training sessions, with the exception of the 'preliminary session', lasts three days. Registering, examining, interviewing and training the conscripts takes the majority of manpower and efforts of the Regular Militia. Because of its non-combat nature, concentrated on instruction and administration of conscription, the Regular Militia's commanding officer is titled the 'Adjutant General', and not awarded a regular rank.
The third formation is that of the Professional Reserve, men who are divided into pre-determined formations, which may be recruited as a whole, and will require little or no training to suit themselves to the military environment in war or peace. The Professional Reserve is, in essence, a rather small, 'first echelon' combat formation, who is to be composed of one airborne brigade, two infantry brigades and one light infantry brigade; The airborne and the light infantry brigades composed of six 1,000-men companies, while the regular infantry brigades are composed of eight 1,200-men companies; Also, the Professional Reserve will include a small armoured component, composed of two tank companies. The Professional Reserve, is, in essence, America's land army if conscription is not executed, partially or wholly.
The fourth 'formation' is simply the conscripted units. All American citizens between the ages of seventeen to twenty six are registered with the 'Selective Conscription Database and Records'; All citizens are required to sign-in at the age of seventeen and during the following year are invited to several physical and mental tests, performed by the Regular Militia. At the age of eighteen, if one is eligible to service, one will be called to a 'preliminary session', during which the prospective conscript experiences five days of military boot camp. After which the conscript will be freed and will be called up to between three to six training sessions in his age of eligibility, each lasting three days; usually, better physically fit citizens will be ordered to more training sessions, since they are more physically qualified and likely to be called up first in a possible future conscription. Conscripts can be exempted from service (but not training) for a variety of reasons, including pacifist beliefs, occupation in a war industry or being an official deferred by law (i.e. legislators, cabinet members). Note, however, that the term 'age of eligibility' is misleading. Entries are not deleted from the database until one is forty-five years old, and the Regular Militia could still call a possible conscript older than the age of twenty six to a training session through an executive command, if the president feels war or emergency may be imminent. People older than twenty six, however, cannot be conscripted unless a state of war or emergency is actually declared, as opposed to people in the 'age of eligibility'.
The Mercury Messenger Four Muslims residents awarded the first death penalty in a Carolinian court in twenty-one years for murdering an apostate in Phoenix
For the first time in twenty-one years, a court in the State of Carolina has awarded the death penalty, for what the jury described the 'the most abhorrent crime done for the most abhorrent cause'. Four Muslim residents of the city of Phoenix, the capital city of the State of Carolina, were convicted in 'malicious murder', a legal offence under the Phoenix County Criminal Statute, and 'enforcement of unlawful religious directives', a rather archaic offence of the Carolina Criminal Statute. The four Muslims, one with a work permit and three with student visas, were convicted for murdering an acquaintance of theirs who converted to Christianity.
Two years, the four Muslim students arrived at Carolina to study at the University of Phoenix to study with their student visas. As it is now discovered, three of these students held vague Islamist beliefs who strengthened during their stay in Phoenix. One of these four students was appalled by his friends' increasing adherence to radical Islam and found himself closer and closer to Atheism. He moved out of his friends' shared apartment under some false pretence, but one of his now-radical friends overheard him on the street renouncing the existence of God. Then, they met with another Muslim residing in Phoenix, a man in his fifties working in an industrial firm, who together with the three perpetrated the murder of the apostate. Two days later they ambushed him outside of his home in a dark alley, tortured him and then stabbed him to death. A Phoenix local passing by overheard his screams and called the Phoenix Police Department, who in turn arrested the four. Evidence was gathered, the trial ensued, and the four were convicted.
President Calvin Dixie, talking about the case, gave a speech in a Congress regarding the conclusions one who could reach from this saddening occurrence; "How could it be that here, on American soil, where freedom of religion and non-religion are granted to every citizen, a person was murdered for his decision to deny the existence of God? Have we grown so inept as a society, that temporary residents who are here not by right but thanks to our hospitality give themselves the privilege to revoke this fundamental right of anyone? If we do not react harshly to these kind of events, we might find residents actively forcing their lifestyle on not only members of their close, foreign community in America but also on American citizens. In my duties as president, the protection of the American people is of the most solemn circumstance and cause. It is the right of Americans to feel safe and secure from fanatics who seek to force their lifestyle upon them, but it is not their right alone, and to protect the American people, we must also protect the foreigners residing here, who are at the forefront of fighting harassment from their own community. Therefore, using my powers as the president of this great union, instead of allowing those fanatics to prosper evading the hand of justice, I have authorised several steps to protect the citizens and temporary residents of this Union, including.."
The President outlined his basic action plan, composed of two main points: Prior to receiving a work permit or a visa of any kind, the applicant will understand that the civil laws of the Union effect him and the entire community of foreigners in America as well and that no other set of laws is enforced in America involuntarily; Also, embassies interviewing foreign citizens for 'longer-stay visas' including work permits, student visas or resident visas, will obtain information from the local government regarding the applicant's membership in terrorist or radical organisations, as deemed by the local government. The President also plans to strictly enforce the policy of deporting foreign residents for conviction in 'conscience-related criminal offences', such as coercive attempts at proselytizing, encouraging action against the rule of law and inciting hatred (the latter only applicable to foreigners), and by doing such the President hopes to get rid of those elements in the community of foreigners in America which hurt both American citizens and members of their own close community by their actions and the entirety of foreign residents in America, by damaging the community's reputation.
The Mercury Messenger A treaty of cooperation signed with the Archduchy of Austurland
Today, after returning from the final negotiations with the Austurlander government, President Dixie gave speech to a national broadcast regarding the cooperation treaty signed with Austurland. At first, as with any solemn, non-urgent presidential broadcast, the national anthem, My Country Tis' of Thee, was sang by the Congressional Choir. After the choir finished, President Dixie regained the floor, reading out the recently-signed Declaration of Friendship between the American Union and the Archduchy of Austurland;
"The American Union and the Archduchy of Austurland are two free states, neighbouring nations who share the ideals of democracy and liberty. Being that they have no earthly conflict, and the relations between them are amiable and friendly, let it now be known that these two nations, in their accords and actions, pledge to mutual understanding and to being trustworthy partners of one another."
The president then shared the elements of the treaty, already approved by the Congress of the Union, with the public. The treaty itself is in fact a compound of various documents, amongst them a free trade agreement, guaranteeing that American products will be processed free of tariffs in Austurland and vice-versa. The free trade agreement also contains provisions and rules of origin to prevent malicious re-exportation. Also, another document mentions that 'the relevant ministerial organisations will further cooperation between the two nations, especially in the fields of student exchanges and cooperation between the respective armed forces and the military establishments.', thereby fostering the cooperation between the respective national militaries and encouraging student exchanges, though making no further provision about the issue rather than a recommendation to the relevant governmental organisations.
There is also a document, circulated amongst the national executives and defence establishments of both nations, regarding certain joint naval exercises. This section has been hid from the public due to its covert military nature; It is speculated that together, America and Austurland could spread a naval network over the North Sea.
The Mercury Messenger President Dixie presents a list of demands before the State of Kansas, threatens with financial penalties
It could be said that following his latest decision, the numerous Kansan-originating protests, shuns, excommunications, demonstrations, public disobedience, violent events against federal officers and even his burning effigies, once numbered as 'anti-Dixie' cases, were far too more than being enumerated. After the public release of the 'Executive Memorandum to the State of Kansas regarding the funding of religious academic degrees', or Executive Memorandum No. 1700z, hell broke loose at Kansas. The Conservative League of Kansas, a socially-conservative Christian political party holding the government in Kansas and 'the' dominant political party, issued an official protest, encouraged its supporters to go to the streets and even sent an official delegation to the President. Anti-Dixie demonstrations filled the streets of all Kansan major cities and every local god-fearing establishment sent letters of protest to the Office of the President; Claims by Kansan citizens that the memorandum violated their religious freedom were flooding the Supreme Court chapter at Providence and some burning effigies of him could be found at the Providence Central Square.
Essentially, Executive Memorandum No. 1700z does several things. Before all else, it decrees that the State of Kansas will abolish its Statute of Churches,
containing provisions as to 'registered churches', which mandates the religious denominations recognized by the State of Kansas and therefore enjoy some financial benefits (such as being recognized as a charitable institutes for state tax reasons) and provisions regarding the 'established churches', which receive support from the state; The latter provisions only recognize Baptist denominations as 'established churches'. Since Kansas is a very religious state, this affects very much the financial situation of the religious establishments there. The variety of Baptist denominations form a majority of the population of Kansas, approximately seventy-percent, but the remaining population, mostly Catholics, Episcopalians and Jews, are financially discriminated against. The Jews suffer greatly than the former two because they are not even recognised as a charitable institute for state tax reasons (but they are, like the other non-Baptist denominations, devoid of state support).
Then, it decrees that the Kansas state government will avoid subsidizing religious academic studies. The President, in his memorandum (written entirely by him), tells the government of the State of Kansas that "Frankly, it is outright criminal that a state who's education system in shambles, where one public high school or elementary school of an acceptable quality and standards couldn't be found, who's public universities are a sham on one's résumé, will even consider, not to mention actually fund religious-oriented academic studies at both its private and public universities, and even more controversially to a degree between two thirds and eight tenths of the cost of the tuition, while it doesn't give a single cent to funding other academic degrees. This is extremely worrisome, and this could be likened to a third world state funding its citizens academic studies of history and poetry in developed countries, while making no steps to develop universities and schools at home. I have no quarrels with the studies of history, poetry or religion, but it couldn't be that we would discriminate against those who want to study mathematics, chemistry or engineering. I find the woeful state of the Kansan education system as one of the important reasons, if not the most important reason to the fact that the Kansan economy has failed to become a knowledge economy, and, if I may be as bold, that Kansas has failed to fully reap the fruits of the Information Revolution and the economic progress it has brought with it. These words are harsh in a radical manner, but they are only written as a result of genuine care to the prosperity of my fellow Americans."
Thirdly, it ordered the State of Kansas to strike down all state blasphemy laws, which restrict the freedom of expression and state sodomy laws, which, even though not enforced, are deemed 'undemocratic'. It also requires the state government of Kansas to equalize governmental funding between public religious and secular schools, as ordered by a Supreme Court verdict; For years, the public secular schools of the State of Kansas are in an inadequate, deteriorating state, even more so than the Kansan religious-oriented schools. The Kansas state government made no appeals as to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Union regarding the funds' equalization, but simply done nothing about that; Their ignorance of the verdict was sharply criticized by the court, which then punished the Kansas government by demanding immediate repayment of one half of the Kansan state debts to the federal government, causing a budgetary crisis in the state legislature, and costing the State of Kansas hundreds of millions of dollars.
The President to demand the repayment of the other half of Kansan state debts to the federal government, removing charitable status of the Baptist churches under the Charitable Institutes Act of 1921, and a variety of other financial penalties. While the Kansan government is known in its often verbal resistance to federal policies, it certainly cannot furnish enough money to answer the financial penalties threatened by the president, so they'll most likely relent to presidential demands.
The Mercury Messenger Kansas government 'surrenders', abolishes controversial legislation
Despite the public support to the Kansas government, the Governor of Kansas was seen today entering the presidential residence, presumably for discussions with President Dixie, after a meeting of the Kansas State Cabinet. Twenty minutes later, a spokesman of the State of Kansas released a message that Kansas has decided to implement the changes the president has suggested. As such, the Kansas Elected Assembly, the legislative body of Kansas, has passed all of the president's suggested reforms in a bundle, named simply the Reform Act of 2010; This includes the repeal of state blasphemy and sodomy laws (even if rarely used) and abolishing the Statute of Churches, simply granting tax exemptions to all religions. No longer, however, will the Baptist churches receive support from the state. The group which profited most from this move were the Jews, who's donations to synagogues and the like are now recognized as charity, and the losers, of course, are the Baptist churches, who will no longer get state funding.
The equalisation of funding between religious and secular state school was done by executive orders issued by the governors, reorganising the budget of the Kansas Department of Education. The equalization of funds was achieved more by abolishing governmental support to religious academic degrees and transferring the money to the secular education system rather then transferring the money outright from the religious schools. This eased the blow on the religious blow, however the churches protest heavily due to their hypothesised future lack of ministers. While the president's stand in line with the republican, secular principles of most Americans, comprehensive opinion polling revealed that in the State of Kansas, thirty-six percent of the population support the president's actions (as far as related to the memorandum to the State of Kansas and the ensuing affair) and sixty-three and a half percent oppose the president's actions. Only half a percent had no opinion, which indicates the strong partisanship and divide the issue has created in Kansan society. However, in the rest of the Union, there is a very large consensus of support towards the president's actions, and that 'victory' of republican, secular values over the State of Kansas would certainly enhance the president's ability to win the next elections.
The Mercury Messenger New presidential plan for more American settlements in Kexholm
As he promised he would do when he was elected nearly two years ago, President Dixie has unveiled a new plan for more American settlements at the Kexholm Territory. The president's new plans are rather expansive, and they call for the settlement of seven thousand Americans on the island through what the president called 'shock settlements'; Fourteen American settlements of five hundred people each to be made solely of pre-fabricated buildings, arranged in pre-set plans.
While all of these will be placed in the areas where American settlements have been constructed so far, in the southern portion of the island, five settlements, of two hundred people each, are going to be built in the northern portion of Kexholm, an area which until now was exclusively Suionian. These settlements will be built near existing militia facilities, to provide for their security (and their prosperity). Also, the plan includes directives for the deportation of about a thousand Suionians from the southern portion of the island to the north, making the south exclusively American-populated. Some said that these plans signify a change in the American settlement process in Kexholm; The southern portion was cleansed of all Suionians while American settlement begun in the northern part. Of course, it will be a long and virtually impossible process if the president really wants to Americanize the entire island of Kexholm.
Amongst his plans, the president has appropriated more funds to enlarge and strength the Territorial Militia, the militia organisation of the American settlers on the island. Since due to actually being located in another state's territory the government cannot provide for the settler's welfare directly, instead it funds the Territorial Militia, who's members enjoy generous wages, comparable to the regular American soldier, various welfare allowances and land grants. The president will also appropriate more funds to the Territorial Watch, a confederation of American sentry organisations, defending American settlements. The federal funding to the militias does not only make sure that the American militias in Kexholm are well trained, but also forms an essential part of the local economy. Therefore, it is expected local economic prosperity on the American part, as well as helping the militias.