|
Dantooine Defense and Recovery Act
| |
| | |
| Eli_Fitzgerald | Date: Thursday, 19 Feb 2009, 2:03 PM | Message # 1 |
 Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 355
Status: Offline
| I want to begin by praising the sentients of the New Republic fleet and the Khoonda militia for their professional response to the recent Dantooine assault, and also Senator Ray and the people of Dantooine, who have remained resilient and steadfast in many trying times. As soon as the Imperial attack was repelled and the extent of its damage became clear, I asked Senator Ray, "What do you need?" And I think we've put together a balanced plan to assist the planet in its defense and in its recovery. There are two components to the bill; one material and one financial. In terms of material help, this bill calls for the construction of a Golan defense platform over Dantooine, to monitor ten new sensor beacons to be built around Dantooine's surrounding moons and airspace. This will give the planet better means to detect and deflect such attacks, of which it has seen too many. This bill would also station the medical cruiser Vesalius in orbit, to treat any victims of lingering radiation and to coordinate teams of New Republic decontamination specialists and their equipment, as they work to replace and irrigate the planet's soil. However, there must also be a financial dimension to this plan, because Dantooine is facing potentially trillions of credits of losses from contaminated harvests over the course of this year (depending on how long it takes to decontaminate its farms). Therefore, this bill also calls for the New Republic Bank to loan Dantooine the sum of 3.5 trillion credits, to be used for the repair and reconstruction of infrastructure, and to compensate farmers who will be required to scorch their fields. This would be a no interest, emergency loan, and would be due for repayment by 61 ABY. There's no doubt that this is a large loan, and as a conservative who favors financial responsibility and the self determination of New Republic worlds, I am reluctant. But when a Republic world is devastated, the Republic must share in the blame for its devastation and the responsibility for its recovery. These funds are necessary for that recovery, and I am confident (and Senator Ray has assured me that he is confident as well) that Dantooine will be able to repay this loan as soon as its harvests have been decontaminated and restored, which we believe will take on the order of 10 to 12 months. That said, it is my belief that the passage of this bill will put Dantooine well on the way to its recovery, and will manifestly bolster its defenses to guard against such attacks in the future. I vote in favor, and I encourage my colleagues to do so as well. I also encourage Senator Fowlkes of Mowgle, who expressed to me an interest in assisting Dantooine, to work out an arrangement with Senator Ray to provide for Dantooine's temporary shortfall of crops for consumption. Mowgle, as another agricultural world, is uniquely suited for this. Eli Fitzgerald
Chief of State
Eli Fitzgerald
Senator of Ralltiir (10 BBY—Present)
"I was elected to do some flamethrowing in the Senate. To a light a fire under those Senators and make it hot for them."
|
| |
| |
| Simon_Levi | Date: Thursday, 19 Feb 2009, 6:20 PM | Message # 2 |
 Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 395
Status: Offline
| *Kruus almost choked on his water as he heard the numbers being spoken, taking the floor after the Chief of State* Mr Fitzgerald! Do you have any idea how much 3.5 Trillion credits is? Are you aware that this sum alone could buy 636 Imperial Star Destroyers at market value? This sum could purchase the New Republic defense force and not even be dented. This is just simply too much to lend to one relatively small agricultural world. Ladies and Gentlemen, for this sum we could discover a verdant farming world and resettle the whole population of Dantooine, furthermore, we could probrably terraform Vjun or Tatooine and resettle the people of Dantooine there for a similar budget. I would propose a much more reasonable budget. A single Golan-1 Defense Platform - 26 Million
10 Monitoring stations - 100 Million (at the very highest) Removal of topsoil from affected area and filtration of air so far as possible - 5 Billion
Medical Aid - 1 Billion Aside from this the ecosystem of Dantooine just needs time to heal, as I see it money will be vastly less wasted if we just do what we can now, for a sensible price and allow Dantooine to heal naturally while we redirect most of these funds towards fighting the Remnant rather than on effectively re-constructing a world from stratch. I would question the Chief of State's theory on this of putting a Golan station here, surely a world like Neimoidia with its billions strong population and massive industrial output would be a vastly more tempting Remnant target... and yet it stands unguarded by the New Republic Fleet?
Moff of the Tammuz Sector
|
| |
| |
| Eli_Fitzgerald | Date: Thursday, 19 Feb 2009, 7:13 PM | Message # 3 |
|
Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 355
Status: Offline
| On your last point first, I would be inclined to agree, were it not for the fact that Dantooine has now been attacked by the Remnant twice this year, and also (unlike Neimoidia), the planet is in a much more volatile region farther removed from New Republic reinforcements. However, my office is open to you anytime you'd like to discuss Neimoidia's defense situation, as I'm sure Senator Ray's is as well. On the bill itself, before voting against the measure I'd remind you and all of the Senate that the 3.5 trillion figure is, of course, negotiable. With respect to the budget that you've proposed, all of those expenses are included in this measure. However, the vast majority of the expense is not so much for the immediate recovery, as it is to compensate Dantooine and specifically its farmers for lost profits from the destruction of contaminated crops that would otherwise have been sold on the market. Basically, I don't think we can tell farmers that we need to destroy their harvests and replace their soil and then not offer them some compensation. The exact number is negotiable, but Dantooine is facing what could be over 3.5 trillion credits in lost profits, and without its people earning their livelihood, it's a recipe for economic catastrophe on that world. And while I have conceded that 3.5 trillion credits is a large sum of money, this is exactly the purpose for which large sums of money should and must be spent. And assuming, also, that Dantooine recovers as a result of this measure (as we expect it to), it should be able to pay off the entire 3.5 trillion within three or four fiscal years. Otherwise, I agree with the rest of Senator Kruus' remarks and I welcome his and others input. Eli Fitzgerald
Chief of State
Eli Fitzgerald
Senator of Ralltiir (10 BBY—Present)
"I was elected to do some flamethrowing in the Senate. To a light a fire under those Senators and make it hot for them."
|
| |
| |
| Exar_Ray | Date: Thursday, 19 Feb 2009, 7:29 PM | Message # 4 |
 Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 353
Status: Offline
| I laugh at the points brought up by Senator Kruus on Dantooine. Allow me to remind you Senator, that it is Argicultural worlds such as Dantooine (which I assure you Senator is not small by any means.) that feeds your trillion of citizens that work in your factories that you clearly emphazise more on then anything. Granted Dantooine may lack a lot of factories and all that are associated with the planet, however allow me to remind you, Senator that we strive in natural resources that are probably USED in your factories to produce goods. Now granted this probably does make you a tempting target, but allow me to ask... why haven't you been attacked yet? And instead, why has Dantooine been attracting your valued attention? I did not mean for us to rob away Nemoidian pride on being attacked and give an aid package like the COS is offering. I would like to remind members of this senate, that while granted Dantooine has the means to no doubt overcome this contamination, what are the families of the hard working farmers suppost to do in this time of need? Stand back and receieve nothing for the hard work they had pulled, all because those Imperial cowards want to blow up ships in orbit? To this, I say no. When crops suffer, so does the one who grows them, and then it becomes a domino effect where it will eventually effect the government, both ecomonically and well... healthy too. To simply demand that we not give compensation is unreasonable, and I will not accept a deal where the farmers of Dantooine are simply left out of the picture. They are the ones that suffer the most, therefore it is my belief that they should be the first ones treated to some sort of relief. I speak for every citizen on Dantooine when I say, "Let the Farmers breathe easy." And as echoed, I will welcome any fresh and new ideas. Thank you. Exar Ray
Senator of Dantooine
|
| |
| |
| Simon_Levi | Date: Thursday, 19 Feb 2009, 9:22 PM | Message # 5 |
|
Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 395
Status: Offline
| Well, I feel the Chief may be running on a slightly skewed set of estimates provided by the currently leaderless economics committee (through no fault of his own) and should perhaps revise his in accordance with the numbers I have discussed with him in private? I feel much ground has been covered in our discussions which have been most productive. The aid package now in the works will be somewhat more moderate, however it will be fair and equitable to the citizens of Dantooine and will not result in the rest of the galaxy being unfairly treated at their own expense. We will work with the Citizens of Dantooine to improve their lives and situation, and in time we hope the economy will make a suitably healthy recovery from this temporary setback. While I am in broadly in support of this bill, there is one essential question I must ask to Senator Ray as head of the defense committee, will this stop such suicide attacks again? I am pretty sure that a Golan station would not stop such an attack... I hate to say this, but if such brutal and suicidal attacks are made, what, short of intercepting ramships or planetary shields can stop it? Perhaps this Golan station would better be replaced by perhaps half a dozen robot ramships which would deflect against such an attack as we have recently had, while the current planetary defenses (which I am lead to believe are extensive for a world of under half a million people) should prove sufficient in the event of conventional attack.
Moff of the Tammuz Sector
|
| |
| |
| Eli_Fitzgerald | Date: Friday, 20 Feb 2009, 11:11 AM | Message # 6 |
|
Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 355
Status: Offline
| It could be that the estimates I was given were too conservative, and I thank Senator Kruus for bringing that to my attention in our meeting this morning. While we must remain firmly committed to the recovery of Dantooine and the compensation of its farmers, I believe we can still accomplish it with a revised loan of 6.5 billion credits (that is, in addition to the expenditures for the Golan and sensors). This would mean compensation on the order of 38,900 credits for each farm contaminated, which isn't necessarily much, but it is adequate to relieve Dantooine's farmers of the economic burden of this attack. And so I remain in favor. With regard to this bill's potential to stop another such attack, we should understand that this was a brazen, unconventional and uncommon attack, and it could well be that unconventional and uncommon methods might be needed to combat its like in the future. It's something we should certainly look into, and quickly, but there's no doubt that this sensors package and the Golan platform would have much mitigated Natasi Daala's recent, conventional assault on Dantooine. While I remain in favor of this bill, perhaps Senator Kruus can work with the Defense Council in the immediate future to develop a more unconventional deterrent of the sort he's mentioned. Eli Fitzgerald
Chief of State
Eli Fitzgerald
Senator of Ralltiir (10 BBY—Present)
"I was elected to do some flamethrowing in the Senate. To a light a fire under those Senators and make it hot for them."
|
| |
| |
| Exar_Ray | Date: Saturday, 21 Feb 2009, 10:20 AM | Message # 7 |
|
Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 353
Status: Offline
| Unfairly treated Senator? Allow me to ask this. When Dantooine suffered a famine, an event that is still long lived on Dantooine despite the crisis over and done with, where was Nemoidian aid? I seem to recall not a single donate coming from you and many others, so do not speak about being unfairly treated because it is stands, Dantooine has become somewhat the red-headed step-child of a few Senators, so I would mind your tongue. And to answer your question, I believe it will, with a combination of the Starfighter wing on Dantooine from both the IMC and the New Republic, with the aid of the weapon platform, I believe the citizens can sleep soundly at night. That is all the planetary defenses Dantooine has at the moment, and we require the Golan to atleast hold our own till a New Republic fleet is able to assist us. Exar Ray
Senator of Dantooine
|
| |
| |
| Simon_Levi | Date: Saturday, 21 Feb 2009, 8:35 PM | Message # 8 |
|
Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 395
Status: Offline
| As I highlight Senator Ray, I am clearly in favour of this bill, simply not filling the streets of Dantooine with audiodium as previous drafts have. There is no need for ad-hominem attacks on me or my people, who have, you should recall offer to give aid if requested. Chief Fitzgerald, again, while I restate my support for this policy... I am more than in favor of making sure Dantooine is defended from conventional attacks, however, does the fact that even after a previous attack, Dantooine remains allegedly in need of more defense installations, surely this indicates a failing in the Chief of State, Defense Committee and the wider senate for not making sure that from the point Dantooine was attacked conventionally, it recieved sufficient protection from conventional assault. If it is safe, then all to the good and perhaps these defense platforms are not needed. If Dantooine is not safe from conventional assault, why has the Chief of State not stationed sufficient forces/ petitioned the Senate for funds earlier. Equally if they are needed to defend against conventional attack, why did the Senator of Dantooine not propose them sooner rather than wait to be shaken out of a malaise of inaction by a brutal terrorist assault on his world? I also call for the full logs of the battle to be made public so we can see how these events transpired.
Moff of the Tammuz Sector
|
| |
| |
| Exar_Ray | Date: Sunday, 22 Feb 2009, 11:16 AM | Message # 9 |
|
Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 353
Status: Offline
| Senator, I will assure you that I have no doubt pushed for additional defense, however that requires the vote of others in this Senate to confirm and authorize. However as it seems, some Senators have refused to voice their thoughts on the matter and simply given no vote on the issues. Do not blame the Chief of State for this mess, as he is following his mandate to make things legal so that others do not cry, "Empire!" again. And do not dare think to blame me or the Defense Committee, because all WE can do, Senator, is propose legislation and simply wait. Exar Ray
Senator of Dantooine
|
| |
| |
| Eli_Fitzgerald | Date: Sunday, 22 Feb 2009, 11:44 AM | Message # 10 |
|
Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 355
Status: Offline
| It might be hard to tell from the current debate that we are all, in fact, agreed on this bill. The discussion between Senators Ray and Kruus is apparently being continued here, but as far as this legislation is concerned, it appears that the bill passes unanimously. Regardless of our other differences, let us at least agree that we have today accomplished something great for the recovery and yes, for the defense of Dantooine and its good and industrious people. Eli Fitzgerald
Chief of State
Eli Fitzgerald
Senator of Ralltiir (10 BBY—Present)
"I was elected to do some flamethrowing in the Senate. To a light a fire under those Senators and make it hot for them."
Message edited by Airstrike_Fitzgerald - Sunday, 22 Feb 2009, 11:45 AM |
| |
| |
|
