We are working on a brand new version of the game! If you want to stay informed, read our blog and register for our mailing list.
Bill: Big Government Advancement act.
Details
Submitted by[?]: Socialist Party of Kalistan (SPoK)
Status[?]: defeated
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: November 2702
Description[?]:
| SPoK promotes expansion of Government resources into many areas of our society. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change The banking system.
Old value:: The government operates large, national banks, but small community based private banks are allowed.
Current: The government operates a central bank and all other banks are private.
Proposed: The government operates and owns all banks.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change Protection of original works of technology and arts.
Old value:: Works of techology and art have limited copy protection.
Current: Technology and art are part of the commons and are not protected by copyright.
Proposed: Technology and art are part of the commons and are not protected by copyright.
Article 3
Proposal[?] to change Tax percentage of the profit made by corporations.
Old value:: 57
Current: 1
Proposed: 61
Article 4
Proposal[?] to change Licensing of food sales.
Old value:: Anyone may sell food, but shelf lives of foods are enforced.
Current: Anyone may sell food, but shelf lives of foods are enforced.
Proposed: Food may be sold by licensed vendors only, and shelf lives of foods are enforced.
Article 5
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning genetically modified (GM) crops.
Old value:: All activities related to production, selling or researching of GM crops are allowed.
Current: Research and selling imported GM crops is allowed. Production is prohibited.
Proposed: All activities related to production, selling or researching of GM crops are banned.
Article 6
Proposal[?] to change Radio stations.
Old value:: The government subsidises a national radio station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised radio stations are allowed.
Current: All radio stations are owned by independent non-profit-making cooperatives which receive no subsidies from the government.
Proposed: All radio stations are owned by the state.
Article 7
Proposal[?] to change Television stations.
Old value:: The government subsidises a national TV station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised TV stations are allowed.
Current: All TV stations are owned by independent non-profit-making cooperatives which receive no subsidies from the government.
Proposed: All television stations are owned by the state.
Article 8
Proposal[?] to change Health care policy.
Old value:: There is a free public health care system and a small number of private clinics, which are heavily regulated to ensure they treat their patients well and provide good care.
Current: There is a free public health care system and a small number of private clinics, which are heavily regulated to ensure they treat their patients well and provide good care.
Proposed: Health care is entirely public and free; private clinics are banned.
Article 9
Proposal[?] to change The regulation of higher education.
Old value:: The government allows private higher education but regulates it to meet nationally set standards.
Current: The government allows private higher education but regulates it to meet nationally set standards.
Proposed: The government does not allow private higher education institutions.
Article 10
Proposal[?] to change Government policy towards the cloning of human beings.
Old value:: Research in cloning technologies is not regulated.
Current: The cloning of human beings is illegal.
Proposed: Research in cloning technologies is legal, but regulated.
Article 11
Proposal[?] to change Policy concerning industrial hemp.
Old value:: There are no regulations on industrial hemp.
Current: There are no regulations on industrial hemp.
Proposed: Only regulated agribusinesses may produce industrial hemp.
Article 12
Proposal[?] to change Government policy on industry and subsidies to industrial operations.
Old value:: The government acts as an investor of last resort, by nationalizing failing industries that provide vital goods or services.
Current: Certain industries are owned by the state, all others are under private ownership.
Proposed: The state owns the commanding heights of the economy and all major industries, but private ownership is allowed in the minor industries.
Article 13
Proposal[?] to change Government policy towards giving aid to foreign countries.
Old value:: The government gives moderate aid to countries in need.
Current: The government only gives aid for disaster relief in foreign countries.
Proposed: The government gives high levels of aid to countries in need.
Article 14
Proposal[?] to change Tort reform on non-civil lawsuits.
Old value:: There is no cap on monetary damages awarded to patients in lawsuits.
Current: There is a cap on monetary damages awarded to patients in lawsuits.
Proposed: Lawsuits may only provide money for medical and legal expenses.
Article 15
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy regarding regulation of media content.
Old value:: There are laws against the publication of false information; everything else may be published freely.
Current: There are laws against the publication of false information; everything else may be published freely.
Proposed: There are no content regulations; the media may publish anything, even proven falsehoods.
Article 16
Proposal[?] to change National service.
Old value:: There shall be no mandatory military or civilian national service.
Current: All adults upon completion of schooling must serve either a term in the military or a lesser paid term of civilian national service, at their option.
Proposed: All adults upon completion of schooling must serve a term of civilian national service.
Article 17
Proposal[?] to change The government's stance on the source code of software.
Old value:: The government has no stance on the source code of software.
Current: The government requires that all source be opened.
Proposed: The government requires that all source be opened.
Article 18
Proposal[?] to change Government policy concerning the use of pesticides.
Old value:: The government approves and regulates agricultural chemical use.
Current: Chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are banned.
Proposed: Chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are banned.
Article 19
Proposal[?] to change Policy on the organization of police/law enforcement
Old value:: There is a national police department funded by the national government and there are local police departments, funded by local governments.
Current: There is a national police department, funded by the government.
Proposed: The government does not operate or fund any police.
Article 20
Proposal[?] to change Government regulation of pollution in industry.
Old value:: The government enforces moderate pollution restrictions.
Current: The government enforces highly restrictive industrial pollution standards.
Proposed: The government enforces highly restrictive industrial pollution standards.
Article 21
Proposal[?] to change Positive discrimination.
Old value:: Hiring policies are regulated by local governments.
Current: No form of positive discrimination is permitted.
Proposed: The government sets compulsory quotas for hiring women, minorities and marginalized groups.
Article 22
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning the post office
Old value:: There is a nationalised post office. Private post office agencies are allowed to exist, and the services provided by them are not regulated.
Current: There is a nationalised post office agency. Private post offices are allowed to exist but the services provided by them are regulated.
Proposed: There is a nationalised post office agency in the nation. Private ones are banned.
Article 23
Proposal[?] to change Pre-school education.
Old value:: The government maintains a system of free publically owned nurseries alongside heavily regulated private establishments.
Current: The government maintains a system of free publically owned nurseries alongside heavily regulated private establishments.
Proposed: The government maintains a system of free publically owned nursery and pre-school educational centres.
Article 24
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.
Old value:: Prisoners of war must be treated well, according to internationally-accepted standards.
Current: Prisoners of war are immediately returned to their own government.
Proposed: Prisoners of war are immediately returned to their own government.
Article 25
Proposal[?] to change The education system.
Old value:: There is a free public education system and a small number of private schools, which are heavily regulated to ensure they teach adequate skills and information.
Current: There is a free public education system and a small number of private schools, which are heavily regulated to ensure they teach adequate skills and information.
Proposed: Education is entirely public and free; private schools are banned.
Article 26
Proposal[?] to change The patenting of software techniques.
Old value:: Software patents can be obtained from the patent office.
Current: Software designs, techniques, formulae and algorithms cannot be patented.
Proposed: Software designs, techniques, formulae and algorithms cannot be patented.
Article 27
Proposal[?] to change The funding of sports clubs.
Old value:: The government funds some sports clubs side-by-side with private ones.
Current: Local governments decide the funding policy of sports clubs.
Proposed: All sports clubs are government owned and run.
Article 28
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy on tree plantation.
Old value:: The government requires tree plantation at replacement level for all logging or clearance operations.
Current: The government requires tree plantation at higher than replacement levels for all logging or clearance operations.
Proposed: The government requires tree plantation at higher than replacement levels for all logging or clearance operations.
Article 29
Proposal[?] to change Waste disposal responsibility.
Old value:: The government is responsible for waste disposal.
Current: The government is responsible for waste disposal.
Proposed: Private companies are responsible for disposing of their own waste. The government disposes of residential waste.
Article 30
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning the export of weapons to other nations.
Old value:: The government must approve all arms sales on a case by case basis.
Current: The government must approve all arms sales on a case by case basis.
Proposed: The government does not allow arms to be exported.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 20:29:58, January 27, 2009 CET | From | Ananto Separatist League | To | Debating the Big Government Advancement act. |
| Message | I find it obnoxious to propose legislation of this many proposals. |
| Date | 20:32:44, January 27, 2009 CET | From | Socialist Party of Kalistan (SPoK) | To | Debating the Big Government Advancement act. |
| Message | The point is to advance a big government agenda, but make it impossible for other big government parties to vote for it. It may be obnoxious, but it is effective. And to be fair, SPoK supports every single one of these positions. |
| Date | 20:36:11, January 27, 2009 CET | From | Socialist Party of Kalistan (SPoK) | To | Debating the Big Government Advancement act. |
| Message | If I split this up into 15 little bills, I would have to poison pill each one of them to keep other big government parties from gaining more exposure at the expense of my policy proposal quota. It is the political desire of SPoK to strip big government votes away from other big government Parties to return to control in Ananto. But as long as our two new Parties seek to position themselves between SPoK and our traditional base in that district, SPoK needs to continue to advance omnibuses. Therefore, we see this type of bill as a politically defensive move, and happily encourage other Parties on the left to take a smaller government position. |
| Date | 22:59:02, January 27, 2009 CET | From | Ananto Separatist League | To | Debating the Big Government Advancement act. |
| Message | I would encourage the government of this nation to allow for freedom of though and opinion, thereby such extreme and detrimental measures would not be necessary. |
| Date | 14:45:17, January 28, 2009 CET | From | Socialist Party of Kalistan (SPoK) | To | Debating the Big Government Advancement act. |
| Message | SPoK's goals are to promote socialism in Kalistan. The best way it can do this, as an actor in the legitimate government of Kalistan, is to increase its seat count in the government, then use those seats to outvote the opponents of socialism. Since this is unfortunately a zero sum game, those seats must come from somewhere, and I would prefer them to come from non-socialist parties. If there are no non-socialist Parties, those seats must come from somewhere. As we explicated before, it is not the number of choices Kalistan has, but the quality of that choice. SPoK believes that qualitatively better options are far more important than an increase in the number of choices. We also agree with freedom of thought and opinion, but our supporters demand that their agenda is promoted, and that socialism becomes real. As the character of the government is now socialist, our supporters insist, and the members of the Assembly from the SPoK agree, that socialism of the variety reflected by the provisions of this omnibus deepen. To do that, we need to have the power to promote this agenda, and to do that we need to increase our seats, which means necessarily that we need to employ tactics that will further this goal. After all, politics is only a tool. It is nothing personal. |
| Date | 14:48:09, January 28, 2009 CET | From | Socialist Party of Kalistan (SPoK) | To | Debating the Big Government Advancement act. |
| Message | Besides, if these proposals are so detrimental, we encourage the members from the ASL to oppose this measure, rather than abstain. Or, if they would rather abstain and preserve their claims to the voters in Ananto, perhaps they will inform SPoK which provisions they find offensive, so SPoK can craft a series of shorter legislations which perfomrs the same function. |
subscribe to this discussion - unsubscribe
Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||
| yes | Total Seats: 156 | ||
| no | Total Seats: 453 | ||
| abstain |
Total Seats: 141 |
| Random fact: Players are expected to behave in a courteous, co-operative manner and make a reasonable effort to act with the consent of all players involved, even where the rules do not make consent strictly necessary. In particular, players have a responsibility to take reasonable care that other players are not misinformed either about the role-play or the Game Rules. |
| Random quote: "If God had wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates." - Jay Leno |