The Imperial Dominion of the South's Legislature

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Rather than continuing to focus on specific projects on the regional level, we could refer the remainder of the alotted funds down to the state level, allowing the make-believe officeholders there to dispense them as they see fit.

     After all, one of the major problems of real-life federalists is that they often will propose policy ideas as if operating under the assumption that the state & federal governments are the only two levels of government. Perhaps the region should just move the infrastructure funds to the next level down, since those folks are more in tune with what the people need.

So wait, we do have sub-levels of government?  I was under the impression that the region was the lowest? 

If so, that's a good plan.

     We don't have anyone playing sub-levels of government, though there is statute suggesting that they exist.

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The roads around St. Francisville, LA suck.

As in bumpy, poorly planned, clogged with traffic, or what exactly?

Bumpy to unpaved, mostly. A traffic light wouldn't hurt either. Roads in Louisiana generally suck, especially state roads.

And sub-levels of Government? If so, I would love to do some stuff with Arkansas (roads, monuments, parks, Little Rock urban improvement, etc.).

[Yelnoc]

Ok then.  I have to go or I would do this myself; in the meantime, if anyone wants to dredge up how much federal money will still have left for infrastructure we can draft a bill handing that money over to the states on the conditions that they use them on infrastructure projects.  Or something along those lines.

[Yelnoc]

Judging from the debate surrounding the Duke Greenway, I believe we have $600 million left from the Federal Government for infrastructure projects.  Since I don't like putting all my eggs in one basket how about we just give $300 million to the IDS states for miscellaneous infrastructure projects?  Here is a bill to get us started.

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[Associate Justice PiT]

     Sounds good, though we should release a specific amount to each state, based on need & population. I suggest:

Alabama: $15,500,000
Arkansas: $9,200,000
Florida: $60,600,000
Georgia: $31,100,000
Louisiana: $14,900,000
Mississippi: $9,600,000
North Carolina: $30,400,000
Puerto Rico: $12,400,000
South Carolina: $14,900,000
Tennessee: $20,400,000
Texas: $81,000,000

[Yelnoc]

     Sounds good, though we should release a specific amount to each state, based on need & population. I suggest:

Alabama: $15,500,000
Arkansas: $9,200,000
Florida: $60,600,000
Georgia: $31,100,000
Louisiana: $14,900,000
Mississippi: $9,600,000
North Carolina: $30,400,000
Puerto Rico: $12,400,000
South Carolina: $14,900,000
Tennessee: $20,400,000
Texas: $81,000,000

Sounds good.  I only put the second clause in because I wasn't sure about numbers.  Below is the amended bill.  Any other suggestions?

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Debate lasts 24 more hours followed by a vote lasting 48.

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I must inform the legislature that due to health, I will not be able to be on all that often over the coming weeks.

Yelnoc-

So if I'm not here and you are, consider me "absent" and go ahead and start operating the legislature.

Sorry, everyone, for this on such short notice.

[Yelnoc]

I must inform the legislature that due to health, I will not be able to be on all that often over the coming weeks.

Yelnoc-

So if I'm not here and you are, consider me "absent" and go ahead and start operating the legislature.

Sorry, everyone, for this on such short notice.

I am very sorry to hear that and hope you will get better soon.

Because we have run over the alloted time set for debate, naturally without any debate, I will go ahead and open up the voting which will close exactly 48 hours from the time of this post.

Aye

[Miles]

I'd like to see more funding for Louisiana.

We desperately need more infrastructure funding for our urban roads. 

[Associate Justice PiT]

I'd like to see more funding for Louisiana.

We desperately need more infrastructure funding for our urban roads. 

     I already increased Louisiana's funding by several hundred thousand dollars taking that into account. Louisiana is getting a larger share proportional to its population than any other state.

[SvenssonRS]

Seems quite reasonable. Aye.

[Miles]

I'd like to see more funding for Louisiana.

We desperately need more infrastructure funding for our urban roads. 

     I already increased Louisiana's funding by several hundred thousand dollars taking that into account. Louisiana is getting a larger share proportional to its population than any other state.

Okay, Aye.

[Yelnoc]

The III Act has passed unanimously and is awaiting your signature Emperor PiT.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     On the III Act: by the powers vested in me as Emperor of this region, I thus sign it into law.

     Be it resolved, X Emperor PiT

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Since nobody appears to have ideas for new bills at the moment, I'd like to draw everyone's attention to the stimulus bill currently being considered by the federal government. In it they are planning on allotting to our region the following:

       1. $5 billion for the construction and maintence of Roads, bridges, and highways
       2. $3 billion for Power grid upgrades and maintenence
       3. $2 billion to repair and improve Dams and levees
       4. $5 billion for education
                     A.  $3 billion for worker retraining.
                     B.  $2 billion to help needy students afford higher education.

     My hope is that we should begin discussing the matter of how exactly to invest these funds & begin drafting a bill towards that end, so we can act on it quickly when the Senate passes the bill in question.

[Yelnoc]

It's very nice of them to give us more infrastructure funds but we just handed out vast chunks of money for that very purpose to the states.  Anything we can think of they will alrady be working on.  The $10 billion alotted in the first three bullets should either be held in trust until new infrastructure problems arise or given back to the federal government to pay off the deficit.  The last $5 billion is quite handy.  I will write up an education bill when I get home if Svensson or Miles already hasn't by that time.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I'm guessing that the money allotted to the states probably isn't going to areas under regional ownership. How about we use the additional infrastructure funds to renovate the regional buildings in various cities throughout the IDS?

[Yelnoc]

     I'm guessing that the money allotted to the states probably isn't going to areas under regional ownership. How about we use the additional infrastructure funds to renovate the regional buildings in various cities throughout the IDS?

What "regional buildings"?  The capitol?  Most other government buildings are owned by the states.

I'll PM the other two, maybe we'll get some input later tonight.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I'm guessing that the money allotted to the states probably isn't going to areas under regional ownership. How about we use the additional infrastructure funds to renovate the regional buildings in various cities throughout the IDS?

What "regional buildings"?  The capitol?  Most other government buildings are owned by the states.

I'll PM the other two, maybe we'll get some input later tonight.

     I'll confess to not being an expert on the details, though in my experience higher levels of government usually have administrative buildings in major cities. Here in San Francisco, we have a state building & a federal building downtown.

[Yelnoc]

     I'm guessing that the money allotted to the states probably isn't going to areas under regional ownership. How about we use the additional infrastructure funds to renovate the regional buildings in various cities throughout the IDS?

What "regional buildings"?  The capitol?  Most other government buildings are owned by the states.

I'll PM the other two, maybe we'll get some input later tonight.

     I'll confess to not being an expert on the details, though in my experience higher levels of government usually have administrative buildings in major cities. Here in San Francisco, we have a state building & a federal building downtown.

Right but you don't have a regional building.  Do we assume everywhere there is a federal and/or state building there is also a regional building or do we close our eyes and throw money at it?

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I'm guessing that the money allotted to the states probably isn't going to areas under regional ownership. How about we use the additional infrastructure funds to renovate the regional buildings in various cities throughout the IDS?

What "regional buildings"?  The capitol?  Most other government buildings are owned by the states.

I'll PM the other two, maybe we'll get some input later tonight.

     I'll confess to not being an expert on the details, though in my experience higher levels of government usually have administrative buildings in major cities. Here in San Francisco, we have a state building & a federal building downtown.

Right but you don't have a regional building.  Do we assume everywhere there is a federal and/or state building there is also a regional building or do we close our eyes and throw money at it?

     The difference is that regional-level governments don't exist in the real-life United States. I don't think it would be much of a leap to assume that since Atlasia has a regional level of government the regions will have administrative buildings across their dominions.

[Yelnoc]

     I'm guessing that the money allotted to the states probably isn't going to areas under regional ownership. How about we use the additional infrastructure funds to renovate the regional buildings in various cities throughout the IDS?

What "regional buildings"?  The capitol?  Most other government buildings are owned by the states.

I'll PM the other two, maybe we'll get some input later tonight.

     I'll confess to not being an expert on the details, though in my experience higher levels of government usually have administrative buildings in major cities. Here in San Francisco, we have a state building & a federal building downtown.

Right but you don't have a regional building.  Do we assume everywhere there is a federal and/or state building there is also a regional building or do we close our eyes and throw money at it?

     The difference is that regional-level governments don't exist in the real-life United States. I don't think it would be much of a leap to assume that since Atlasia has a regional level of government the regions will have administrative buildings across their dominions.

Right.  I doubt it would take a lot of money to fund needed renovations.  Did you have a figure in mind?

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I'm guessing that the money allotted to the states probably isn't going to areas under regional ownership. How about we use the additional infrastructure funds to renovate the regional buildings in various cities throughout the IDS?

What "regional buildings"?  The capitol?  Most other government buildings are owned by the states.

I'll PM the other two, maybe we'll get some input later tonight.

     I'll confess to not being an expert on the details, though in my experience higher levels of government usually have administrative buildings in major cities. Here in San Francisco, we have a state building & a federal building downtown.

Right but you don't have a regional building.  Do we assume everywhere there is a federal and/or state building there is also a regional building or do we close our eyes and throw money at it?

     The difference is that regional-level governments don't exist in the real-life United States. I don't think it would be much of a leap to assume that since Atlasia has a regional level of government the regions will have administrative buildings across their dominions.

Right.  I doubt it would take a lot of money to fund needed renovations.  Did you have a figure in mind?

     Not yet, though that probably wouldn't be too difficult to arrive at.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     The problem is that federal buildings don't come under any of the specified categories.