MASTERPRENN posted:Why should Coreliia pay for your inability to protect yourself? I fail to make the connection, sweetheart.
I motion that we put these criminals to work, with wages and under house arrest out of work, with an eye towards commuting their sentences if they do so. Dangerous criminals - having committed murder or being predators - should not be released to do this unless they've shown considerable improvement. In this definition, criminals would be defined as anyone forced, by normal criminal sentences and law, to be placed in a prison for a duration of three months or more. Community service will thus also be redirected towards reconstruction efforts. For the purpose of commuting their services, I motion that their term by reduced by 10% if under ten years, 20% if over ten years, and 30% if life imprisonment (25 years or over). I don't see the need in commuting it immensely, or we could release dangerous criminals early. Enough to be an enticement - especially with the fact of house arrest placing the criminals in their family home being a key enticing factor. Considerable improvement, for the terms of this motion, would be defined by the wardens of the office. With existing markers allowing repeat offenders to apply for a reduction in service, all the motion will do is thus add the fact that the reduction would come about by forms of reconstruction community service - ReCom, so to speak.
I thus motion that we, as I said earlier, lower the general tax burden for the Republic, while raising the tax burden in the purposely created tax havens to compensate for the lowering burden. By increasing the numbers of tax havens for corporations, we can make sure our income is not cut, and in-turn assign the Jedi Order and Judicials to keep an eye on the corporations. The lowering of the tax burden by 0.5% on Hyperlanes to 2.5% is the cornerstone here, but the poll tax and energy consumption tax should remain the same. The definition of a Tax Haven, with a tax rate of 3% on businesses - lowered by 1% - would include any world which is acknowledged as having suffered damage during the war. That fact should be common sense, and be referred to the Supreme Court if need be. The Republic will not be cheated by a world that lost a single building. Shipyards and capitals of sectors will also be included, in lieu of increasing commercial and consumer activity throughout the Republic. In relation to assigning the Judicials and Jedi Order, I petition to the Chancellor that a single Jedi be assigned to each tax haven zone, or at least two fully-trained Jedi a sector, with support from the Judicial sector forces if need be.
Hope is springing in many war-torn areas today, as a new source of cheaper labor is available for reconstruction efforts. Passage, and signing, of the Criminal Burden Act has allowed criminals of non-serious crimes to reduce their sentence through service to help rebuild these devastated areas. Early estimates have 25% of all eligible prisoners volunteering for service in the program. Plans are to integrate these prisoners into the reconstruction work force over the next three months, possible faster if the program continues without a hitch. Public reaction to the program has been positive thus far. Many citizens who spoke with reporters indicated they were happy, but surprised, to see the Senate actually doing something useful.
In response to a half-percent decrease in Hyperspace taxes, two Mon Calamari ship building companies have announced they will not relocate to Kuat. Dac Designers and Ocean Spirits have announced they will stay on-planet, citing a change in the tax codes as the primary reason. Dac Designers, manufacturers of private luxury yachts, said that they realized the cost of relocation would no longer be offset, with the ability to save tax money now available on Mon Calamari, as well. Their released public statement said that they appreciated the effort to help companies such as themselves, who want to keep jobs on Mon Calamari, but that they hoped efforts would not end here. Ocean Spirits, manufacturers of military-class vessels, stayed as a response to the staying power of Dac Designers. A spokesman for the company said that while they were not satisfied with the changes, they recognized them as a step in the right direction, and realized that two large companies, such as themselves and Dac staying on-planet could do wonders for morale. Tiat Thiang, the Prime Minister of Mon Calamari, simply stated he was happy to have trapped the two companies on Mon Calamari. He refused to comment on rumors of the Mon Calamari considering leaving the Republic.
Rioters on Korriban have quieted in recent days. But that is not good news, for Korriban. The Religious Terrorists, calling themselves "Sons of Sith", have overtaken the government buildings and set up their own government on the planet. They have petitioned the Senate to recognize them as the legal government of Korriban, and pledge their support to the greater good of the republic, as well as the destruction of all who oppose them, and their ideals: both within and outside of the Republic. Nayt Noonar, the Devaronian leader of the mob who had tried to fight back against the Sons of Sith is currently on display on Korriban. He has been attached to a primitive torture and detainment device and is on display in the public square as an example to all who might oppose the Sons of Sith. The Sons of Sith have also requested that Korriban be declared a war disaster zone, and that they receive help in reconstructing the planet, including the rebuilding of ancient temples.
A random, legal inspection of Corellian armed forces have revealed some startling facts. Earlier this year, Corellia reported having an army roughly twice the size of the Galactic Defense Force, the Republic's only standing central army. Inspectors touring military facilities on Corellia yesterday discovered the Corellian armed forces to actually be ten times the size of the Galactic Defence Force, five times larger than originally reported. These verified numbers also do not include a large number of off-world Millitary-class Naval vessels currently being used by Corellia to investigate the Unknown Regions. There are outcries from all over the galaxy. Some are upset that Corellia lied. Others are upset that Corellia has such a large standing army. Others yet are simply upset that the Republic would even conduct such an investigation.
Farmers on Dathomir are being left to fend off predators on their own, because their Rancors are not available to protect the land as they were bred to do. Bizarre raids have been occurring on Cholganna, with Nexu being taken from the planet by the shipload. Similar raids are taking place on Vendaxa. Here, Acklay are being ripped from the planet by the hundreds. A similar tale is being weaved by citizens of all three systems. They all claim that the Hutts are sending in mercenaries to steal the wild beasts. The reasons vary as to why the Hutts would want them. Some claim they only want them for entertainment. Others claim for protections. Some claim some juxtaposition of the two, while others claim they are mounting an effort to overthrow governments and expand their smuggling and drug enterprises to new systems. This newspaper is proud to report these allegations are false. The Hutts are not behind and conspiracy to abduct dangerous predators. Perhaps the citizens of these planets are forgetful, and do not remember how many animals there were, or where they last saw them? That is the conclusion this news agency believes to be most likely. (Full disclosure: this story originally appeared in a Hutt-owned newspaper)
Greetings, members of the Republic Senate. I am Aitch Seven Dash Two Eight, proud property of Prushah The Hutt, the greatest and most feared of all Hutts. The great and powerful Prushah invites all of you, or any representative of you, to investigate our living space. You will find no Rancors, no Nexu, and no Acklays. You will find no trace of any of these mighty species here, either. The wise and magnificent Prushah has no need for these animals, for business or for pleasure, and he highly doubts that any of the other Hutts he does business with has a use for the either. It is the suggestion of the marvelous and magnificent Prushah that you do not besmirch his good name, nor harm his business in any way without proof of his involvement in any wrong doing, if any such wrong doing actually exists. I will be glad to host a representative of the Senate in an inspection of any property belonging to the fabulous Prushah, as well as any of his associates. We would even welcome the Jedi to help with the investigation. You will find that the mighty Prushah has nothing to hide, and that allegations against him, or any Hutts, is a waste of the time and resources of the Republic.
