Nejiro Government
Nejiro Founders Day 8 July 2756 (official Landing day)
Approximate population 37.8 million on planet plus 2.9 million in the stellar system
Each solar day on Nejiro is twenty eight hours. There are seven solar days per week (Monday - Sunday), thirty one solar days per month, twelve solar months per year (January - December).
Nejiro is a constitutional monarchy with broad powers and a unitary parliamentary republic. The monarch is chosen from within the ruling family - the Saganami - by both primogeniture and merit by the Saganami Dai Ichizoku Chorohyogikai {elder council} and is officially titled Chiji {the Governor}. There is a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities (which covers human rights without distinction - life, liberty, dignity, free speech, religious freedom, childrens rights, workers rights, universal healthcare, universal social welfare, public education, clean air, clean water, clean food etc.) applicable to all citizenry (born and naturalized) that originates from the Founders Agreement, a document that lists all the rights, responsibilities, regulations, legislation and laws of the ichizoku, the government, the judiciary, the military, and the citizenry.
The Founders Agreement is a comprehensive and multi-volume document created over a ten year period by the Sankaku {the triangle - the original Founders (Saganami, Zakharovich,Tikhonovich)} (and researched for more than two decades before a word was written), and other participants (e.g. Pluoton Metals, the indigenous leadership of the stellar system, Traders Trust etc.) of the Founders Project with the Founders Institute that lays down regulation, policy, and procedure for the Nejiro Government. It includes tax regulations, parliamentary procedures, the creation and dissolution of ichizoku, immigration, citizenship, laws, procedures for revisions and ammendments (though some things noted in the document are immutable, enduring, and unchanging), military and militia operational guidelines, court procedures, justice procedures and precedent, law enforcement operations and procedures, prison operational guidelines, fair business practices, strict environmental protections, safety standards, educational standards, election procedures, statecraft and policy, diplomatic boundaries, and others.
Nejiro is a member of the Izar Cluster Free and Fair Trade Bloc. Other members include Torpenhow, Brightwood, Windermere, Balvoir, Saberedge, and Scaretta.
Nejiro maintains Favored Nation status with the Draconis Combine.
Nejiro has a green market economy.
Current active political ideologies are green, labour, scholar, moderate, conservative, and progressive. There are no organized political parties at this time, but there are a few semi-organized voting blocs that depend more on similar goals, Chiku borders, and/or like environments than ideologies.
Nejiro
Honor Duty Benevolence Loyalty Respect Courage Honesty Righteousness
{trespassers may be shot, survivors will be prosecuted}
Founders Agreement Mission Statement: To ethically advance our economic security, to maintain our defense, preserve our resources, and enrich our community culturally and academically.
Crown (political title Chiji {Governor}): the ultimate administrator, arbiter, and enforcer of the Founders Agreement, the fount of Judicial and Parliamentary authority.
Ichizoku {clan}: a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship, for material, emotional, and economic assurance, a secure way for extended complex 'family' groups to maintain community, equality, and culture, within which members behave in a close and mutually supportive way
Ko Ichizoku {small clan}: Parliament's primary method of attracting groups of skilled and knowledgeable settlers in the early days of Nejiro's founding, it worked to a truly satisfactory degree. Twenty five ko ichizoku were formed in twenty years, fifteen of those still exist today. Soon many of the residents of Nejiro desired the amenities of a ko ichizoku, and the procedures for creating a ko ichizoku were amended. Now in addition to an invitation by Parliament and/or the Crown, the prospective ichizoku may use a process similar to becoming a citizen with some significant additions. The group must have a 35% ratio of Nejiro Citizens, the founding and potential leadership members of the group must pass written and oral language, etiquette, and civics tests, the group must complete a background and security check, with interview process, the group must deposit a 350 million Ryu guarantee with the Imperial Bank of Nejiro (this will serve as the basis for a line of credit as well as collateral for loans to establish the ko ichizoku, it is deposited into an interest bearing fund and several accounts to cover ichizoku expenses), the group must take the oath of Allegiance to Parliament and vow to uphold, protect, and defend the Founders Agreement, the group must petition to, and interview with the Monsho Saibansho {heraldic court}, if approved the Crown may bestow Letters patent granting the provisional status of Ko Ichizoku, Delm, and Matrona. The new Ko Ichizoku then has a ten year probationary period to prove themselves capable of meeting their obligations.
The following are the Ko Ichizoku obligations:
Leadership - the group must establish the leadership and hierarchy positions of the ichizoku, and must also decide how these positions will be filled in the future. The ichizoku may choose matrilineal or patrilineal inheritance; election and term limits, if any; or appointment by a previously identified party within the ichizoku; or any combination thereof. Positions may be created as needed, but the positions of Delm, Matrona, the Militia Commander, and Founders MP must be decided before the petition is presented to the Monsho Saibansho.
Delm, the leader of the ichizoku, keeper of the safety and prosperity of the ichizoku. The Delm is responsible to and for the ichizoku. The Delm is responsible for the arbitration, enforcement, and administration of the Founders Agreement, and for the communication, and implementation of Parliamentary Edicts and Mandates on the ichizoku landhold and properties. The Delm is responsible for assuring all the ichizoku obligations are met. The Delm is responsible for the supervision of the external facing affairs of the ichizoku (for example defense, survey, infrastructure, public safety, energy, transportation, commerce, diplomacy, emergency management), and revenue collection.
Matrona, keeper of the happy, healthy ichizoku. Responsible for the mental, physical, and spiritual welfare of the ichizoku membership. The Matrona assumes management of the ichizoku ie and the principle family household(s), supervises mediation between members, and is responsible for the internal facing affairs of the ichizoku (for example education, public health, budget, community enrichment, culture, faith, traditional trade, finance, logistics, agriculture, environment). In the last several decades society has evolved to no longer expect the Matrona to be the Delm's spouse or relative, nor are they expected to be female.
Militia Commander, leader and administrator, of the volunteer or professional organization that protects the resources of the ichizoku, especially the members. They supervise the design, construction, and maintenance of any ichizoku fortifications. They must ensure there is proper equipment, supplies, training, and discipline. The ichizoku must allocate at least two percent of its budget for equipment, supplies, and training the militia.
Founders Member of Parliament {MP}, the ichizoku voting seat in Parliament, their primary duty is to act in the national interest, in a manner outlined in the Founders Agreement, but they must also advocate for the ichizoku, and assure that the interests and needs of the members of the ichizoku are well represented and taken into account.
Spokesperson, advises the ichizoku leadership on public affairs and news media, helps to maintain a positive public image, manages internal and external communications, manages the spread of information between the ichizoku and the public, and makes public announcements. The position may be created at any time the ichizoku leadership feels it is necessary.
Advisory Council, a group of individuals who meet on a regular basis to support the effective functioning of the ichizoku, and offers input and advice to the ichizoku leadership. The group may be established at any time the ichizoku leadership feels it is necessary, or whenever the body of the membership feels it is necessary. They are usually formed from the leadership of the subordinate families and senior members of the primary families. {in general, non lineal families are subordinate families; the families and groups that are adopted into the ichizoku are subordinate families; families who are present at the creation of the ichizoku who do not take the ichizoku name as a surname, usually for brand and recognition purposes are subordinate families; primary ichizoku families are the perceived kin groups present at the creation of the ichizoku and who have taken the name of the ichizoku as their surname (ichizoku name, family name, identifier), lineal family of the inherited leadership of the ichizoku - primary family members generally get a larger portion of budget surplus, and are considered senpai - some primary families do keep their original surnames and use the ichizoku name just as a title, in the European style formal manner, but they are in a small minority}
Commerce - the ichizoku is responsible for establishing legitimate, viable businesses and trade to ensure the prosperity of the ichizoku.
Transportation - the ichizoku is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and safety of ground, air, and water traffic; the construction and maintenance of highways, bridges, tunnels, roads, railway spurs, stations, landing strips, ports, waysides, pedestrian walkways and crossings, tolls, signs, and lights at national standards on the landhold; the ichizoku is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of public transportation throughout the landhold.
Education - the ichizoku must establish infrastructure, administration, instruction, scholarship, and maintenance of public schools and libraries, physical and digital, from day care to bachelor degrees, at the national standard on the landhold.
Defense - the ichizoku must organize and maintain a militia, voluntary or professional, to ensure the safety of the residents and resources of the landhold at a national standard. The ichizoku must use at least two percent of its budget to maintain the militia to the national standard. The ichizoku are prohibited from engaging in combat against other ichizoku.
Public Safety - the ichizoku must establish, organize and administrate the services of law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency management, and weather reporting organizations at the national standard; or contract them for the landhold. The ichizoku is responsible for constructing and maintaining bunkers and/or shelters that the residents may use to shelter from severe weather, raids, or combat.
Public Health - the ichizoku must establish, organize and administrate public health clinics, emergency clinics, and ambulance services to the national standard, or contract them for the landhold.
Utilities - the ichizoku is responsible for establishing or contracting clean water, power, communications, and sanitation services at national standards for all residents, public works, and businesses on the landhold.
Civil Service - the ichizoku is responsible for establishing, managing, and maintaining the infrastructure from which the Ministry of Civil Service may operate to offer and maintain services on the landhold such as veterans affairs, licensing, exams, inspections, safety education, legal services, elections, social welfare, public television and radio etc., the ichizoku retains a percentage of all fees for services offered on the landhold.
Community Enrichment - the ichizoku is responsible for the establishment, management, and maintenance of public squares, parks, playgrounds, sports fields, public institutions, community centers, venues for entertainment, sport, art, culture.
Revenue Collection - the ichizoku is responsible for organizing and maintaining a system to collect the proceeds from ichizoku income sources to support the budget and prosperity of the ichizoku, which may include taxes from personal income, business income, corporate income, property, sales, excises, severances; lotteries; licenses, leases, rents, tariffs, fees, tolls, interest, dividends, and grants. Three percent of the Ko Ichizoku Income is taxed by Parliament in lieu of property tax of the landhold.
The following are the Ko Ichizoku benefits:
Landhold - 650 sq. km of lands set aside by Parliament or occaisonally the Crown for the establishment of ichizoku, to use and develop as they need within the guidelines, statutes, and regulations of the Founders Agreement.
Charter - the ichizoku may charter villages, industrial parks, and towns on the landhold.
Seat - the ichizoku is granted one voting seat in the Founders House of Parliament. Delms (if they do not already occupy the seat) may observe any open session of Parliament they choose, and any closed meeting they have clearance for.
Shizokugyo {clan house row} - to maintain ongoing relationships in the areas of political alliances, trade, and cultural ties the ichizoku is granted ten acres of land in the city of Yousai in Shizokugyo to establish a residence.
Legislation - the ichizoku may write and enact local legislation as long as it does not contradict the Founders Agreement Declaration of Human Rights, or preempt the Founders Agreement statutes, ordinances, or regulations.
Magistrates Court - the ichizoku may organize and maintain a Magistrates Court at the national standard. All Citizens have the right to appeal to a higher Court.
Taxes - the ichizoku may levy taxes, and tariffs, as long as it is current in the payments of its own.
Colors - the ichizoku has the authority to posses, use, and display unique kamon, hanko, seals, badges, flags, and banners registered by the Monsho Saibansho. The ichizoku may also register a unique kimono and/or tartan pattern.
Budget Surplus - legitimate surplus is portioned out to the ichizoku emergency fund, the ichizoku slush fund, the hierarchy of the ichizoku, the Matrona, the Delm, the members of the ichizoku as tax free income.
Credit - the ichizoku receives higher interest rates at Nejiro banks and financial institutions, it also receives preferred loan rates from Nejiro banks and lending institutions due to the initial guarantee.
Audience - the Delm and/or the Matrona may request an audience with the Crown to air grievances or to discuss issues of import to the ichizoku.
Members - the ichizoku may invite and adopt individuals as members at will, the ichizoku may invite and adopt subordinate families and/or groups at will.
Assets
Most established Nejiroan (planetary and stellara very few of interstellar origin} public and publicly traded business have at least one percent ownership by the State via the Crown and/or Parliament. Dividends received from these shares are used to contribute to Parliaments Annual Budget, to contribute to the Crown's discretionary fund, to acquire new and additional shares, to the budget of the Chiku the business resides and/or operates in, and directly to the citizenry as an annual tax-free incentive. If the government has board seats in your company you have done something extremely well or awfully dreadful, be on the correct side of the equation.
There are several businesses wholly owned or majority shareholder owned by the State via Parliament or the Crown as different types of Crown Corporations. The first are Fenix Consortium companies that were started by the Sankaku for necessary services and infrastructure such as the Nejiro Postal Service, Nejiro General Hospital, the Nejiro Mint, the Nejiro Treasury, the Imperial Bank, the NPO (Nejiro Peace Officers), the Nejiro Port Authority, Nejiro Via Rail, Nejiro Customs Authority, the Nejiro Fire Brigade etc., of which any dividends or profits not reinvested in upgrades and improvements (most are) are split equally between the Sankaku. Others (Crown Corporations) are established by an act of Parliament and report to the body via the relevent Minister. They generally provide required public services, and are involved in everything from regulating activities, to distribution, to use and price of goods and services, to energy development and resource extraction, to public transportation, to educational bodies and intelligence services, to land and property management. Some are foundations designed to provide finances through grants and other programs, to promote Nejiroan products, culture, and scientific research, to foster the commercial, cultural, agricultural and industrial success of Nejiroan products, and to stimulate the demand for these products. They are owned by the Crown as the institutes sole legal shareholder, this follows the legal premise that the Crown holds all properties of the State. They are operated at arm's length from the Government with direct control only exerted over the company's budget and through the appointment of board chairs and directors through Parliament. (e.g. Red Cross, Nejiro Broadcasting Company, Blue Water Bridge Authority, Global Nature Organization, Ignenium Museum of Science and Innovation, Kiiroi Hoshi Enerugi to Shigen {yellow star energy and resources}, Yousai Arts Council, Fenikkusu Zaidan {phoenix foundation}, Imperial College Yousai, Tairiku Capital Commission, Telefilm Nejiro etc.) Last are companies that have suffered catastrophic damage or failure from raids, disasters, criminal actions (fraud, embezzlment, graft etc.), poor and unfair business practices, bankruptcy etc., but Parliament and/or the Crown has been successfully petitioned (usually by the employees) that the business is vital to the community and rescue is necessary. Some Crown Corporations are expected to be profitable, most are not, of those that profit - at least half is reinvested into the company for upgrades and improvements, the rest goes to Parliaments Annual Budget.
Militia Oases are automated military supply depots. Oases are constructed like small bunkers, many are camouflaged, and some are partially or wholly underground. Many have areas suitable for landing VTOLs, some have docks for patrol boats. They have fuel and water dispensers, power stations, and communications. Some have vending machines but they are only stocked with non-perishables, candy, and snacks. There are secure lockers with munitions, weapons, armor, trauma medical kits, rations, refit and repair kits, parts, tools, even boots and uniforms to refit and repair units as necessary. Right of way is obtained only with the proper encrypted access cards, codes, and biological data in some cases. The militia oases were first built along, or near the tollways to serve the Nejiro Defense Troop. These oases are maintained through the budget and personnel of the Nejiro Defense Troop and the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Military. In the present, all Ichizoku Militias, and some NPO (Nejiro Peace Officers) units may access these oases, with their access cards and codes providing tracking for budgetary concerns. Also in the present the militia oases system has greatly expanded as the Nejiro Defense Troop and the Ministry of Defense have added classified locations to the militia oasis system that are only accessible by the Nejiro Defense Troop, and pre-screened personnel with the correct clearance levels. The NPO has built their own oases for their SRU and emergency response units. Most Ichizoku militias have also built their own oases on their landhold, on territory they regularly patrol (these must receive the permission of the Chiku they occupy), and possibly on other properties the Ichizoku own. Many of these are known only to the individual militia who build and maintain them.
Waysides are automated rest stops mandatorily located every seven hundred fifty kilometers on tollways and primary highways. avg. fuel range for semi trucks is 2300 km They can accomodate up to fifty vehicles, all equipped as overnight bays. They may have small landing areas for aircraft, a few have docks. They may have scenic overlooks, weather shelters, or traffic buffers. The amenities include phones, fuel dispensers, vehicle charging stations, toilets (with japanese style bidet), shaded picnic tables, maps, and weather boards. There are a large number of touchscreen vending machines selling a wide variety of products like hot beverages, media (light novels, tv-shows, magazines, music etc.), hot meals, ice cream, canned coffee, movie and game rentals, snacks, ice, sneakers, gashapon, candy, umbrellas, electronic gadgets, ties, fresh farmstand products (e.g. eggs, honey), condoms, fortunes, computers and accessories, toys, souvenirs, t-shirts, fresh flowers, masks, business cards, fresh baked pizza, instant ramen, manga, canned bread etc.. They also have wifi, emergency satlinks, waste receptacles, recycling receptacles, robot cleaners - both for the facility and vehicles, water, first aid kits, repair kits, and power stations for heat, ac, tablets, smartphones, small appliances, etc.. There are also small parts and tool lockers. All transactions at waysides are through electronic payment methods. They are maintained by the Chiku or landhold they occupy, but are generally operated by corporate contractors that refill the dispensers, maintain and repair the machinery, and clean the facility. Waysides have alpha numerical designations referring to their location and build date.
Laws
Nejiroan (planetary and stellar) citizens, ichizoku, businesses, and residents are taxed based on their income in a flat percentage of three to twenty percent.
Gambling is legal and regulated. Establishments (both digital and brick and mortar) must be licensed and adhere to the established rules that are monitored by officials of the Ministry of Games and Wagers.
Firearms are legal to own and operate with a license. All firearms (ballistic, energy, optical, flechette) must be registered, as well as certain classes of crossbows and tasers. Individual licenses may be obtained after completing a clean background check, a clean physical and mental wellness check, and completing and successfully passing vigorous safety courses, maintenance and operation courses, and coursework demonstrating the individuals knowledge and understanding of the established rules and legal ramifications of operation and ownership (e.g. defenders and assaulters are financially responsible for any damage incurred during an incident, defenders may face involuntary manslaughter charges for any innocent party killed in an incident) administered by the Civil Service Ministry or the Ministry of Public Safety. Classes are generally available at most shooting clubs and firing ranges, as well as many public and private schools. The licenses are issued at different levels (sport shooting, hunting, personal defense, security service, law enforcement and justice departments, military service, and firing range/shooting club), you must qualify at each level (which all have their own laws, procedures, regulations, and restrictions) an individual may be fined or jailed using a weapon outside its licensed purpose. Licenses for sport shooting and hunting are available to citizens beginning at age 14. There are regular requalification exams. Licenses for retail and wholesale shops and storage, for manufacturers and workshops, for makers and tinkers must also be obtained and operate within the established rules and standards that are monitored by officials of the Ministry of Public Safety and local law enforcement. Many public venues enforce weapons peace-ties for blades and firearms.
Prostitution is legal and regulated. Individuals and establishments must be licensed and adhere to the established rules and standards that are monitored by officials of the Ministry of Health. Licenses for individuals are issued at different levels from street walker to courtesan, from zashikimochi to tayu, from live models to adult film players, to males and females who have reached the age of consent and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the body of information on comprehensive sexuality education available from Nejiro's Ministry of Health, and traditional arts and etiquette with tests similar to apprenticeship and civil service exams. Licensed practitioners and establishments are eligible to join the Saisho no hana Guild {first flower} which also offers apprenticeships.
The legal age of majority is 25. The average life expectancy is 97 and the peak average is 123.
The legal age of consent is 18, at this time it is required you vote in your local and Chiku elections - you may be fined, jailed, or expatriated for non-compliance.
At 14 you may begin to take part in the civil service exams and guild-apprenticeship exams. You may sign an apprenticeship contract, take a part time job (for a maximum of two hours daily during non-school hours), you may obtain an agricultural or off-road leisure driver license, you may obtain independent rental accommodations in a co-living house or flat, rooming house, or dormitory, you may claim universal benefits (health and social), you may receive independent medical advice and treatment and give limited consent.
Purchase and consumption of alcohol and other available and legally regulated mind-altering substances such as cannabis and tobacco are legal at 20. Smoking is illegal in non-designated areas and is subject to fines or jail time. Beginning at 16 alcohols (beer, wine, cider) may be consumed at a restaurant or pub with a meal if accompanied by an adult.
Every Nejiroan citizen suspected or accused of a felony level crime must have legal representation during questioning and other legal proceedings, it can not be waived.
Every Nejiroan citizen and permanent resident (and some temporary or limited residents) is issued a picture electronic identification from birth or naturalization with a unique identification number and secured authentication key (you are issued an invitation to create a PIN from age 10 for limited and educational access and again at 14, 18, 20, and 25 for increasing levels of access). The card is updated yearly until you reach the age of majority (after which it is updated every five years) and may include your address, place and date of birth, physical characteristics, biometrics, dependent and emergency contact information, school and job statistics for minors, professional status?, academic status?, security clearance level?, licenses?, guild status?, health alerts!, transit passes, library passes, secure digital signature and hanko, secure family and/or ichizoku mon, government services access pass, universal benefits access, secure debit card service access pass, online authentication and {secure} access.
Legal advertising is restricted to law directories, informational brochures, calling cards, identification and/or business cards, and websites giving only basic information about the names and specialties of lawyers in the firm, contact details, basic billing details, and areas of practice.
To be elected to political office (from village mayor to MP) you must be a citizen over the age of majority and have lived in good standing for at least three years in the Chiku you wish to run in. Except in the case of Environmental MP seats which require you to be Meritous and in general good standing for five years. Elections are funded by the State and accepting or soliciting campaign contributions is illegal and may lead to fines, jail, or expatriation.
The Nejiroan Civil Service Exams have their roots in the keju system first developed by Confucius, but have been adapted for the needs of Nejiro since being written into the Founders Agreement, and consequently over time developed into the backbone of Nejiro's civic and corporate culture. The Exams are designed so that participants may demonstrate their knowledge and practical ability in several fields: math and science, civics, calligraphy, leadership, tactics and strategy, physical fitness, ethics, the arts and humanities, critical thinking, diversity of thought, analysis and problem solving, public communication, negotiation and debate, logistics and management of resources. Usually it is given over the course of four days, or 112 consecutive hours (depending on the proctors and level), and always comprises several parts - the physical, the written, the oral, the interview and discussion. All successful participants are then known as Meritous. The entrance exam is offered freely by the Civil Service Ministry every three years in the last week of August to any participant fourteen and older, and study materials are available through every public library. Many schools make The Exams a mandatory part of their educational program. The Exams, in general, are also available for a fee and appointment at every Shimin Shukaisho {citizen civic assembly hall}, Chiku Jimusho {district office}, or Choyakuba {town hall} system-wide. The Exams then have various levels, scales, steps, and grades representing breadth of knowledge and allowable use of authority and discipline. Standings are important as well, better results will garner more and better offers, and sometimes assist in deciding the 'better' candidate for a position between similarly qualified persons. Most non-elected government positions (from librarians to license clerks to mail carriers to sanitation workers to Nejiro Peace Officers and Fire Brigader's to secretaries for Commissioners and Councilors to cafeteria workers to Government Agency administrators, agents, and directors, and others) require that you are Meritous, and promotions depend upon you moving through The Exam levels before being considered. Only the Meritous are considered for appointments to the Ministry and some Parliamentary positions. Higher Courts also require that candidates for Judges are Meritous. Corporations as well as small businesses on Nejiro commonly use a similar system or even the Exams themselves to hire and promote. The Exams are also important to elected officials, though not a requirement, many electoral bodies and citizens on Nejiro will not consider a candidate unless they are Meritous.
The most important and influential political bodies on Nejiro, besides the Crown, the Courts, the Ministry, and Parliament are the Civil Service and the Guilds.
The following roadways may be constructed and maintained by any private owner, or chartered village, industrial park, town, city, metropolitan area, or chiku that needs them. They are maintained through the budgets of the authority that built them, sometimes with the assistance of a toll or other user fees. Names are at the discretion of the authority that built them.
Roads are roadways that travel to destinations, through destinations, and connect highways and tollways to other destinations. Roads generally have at most three lanes in either direction, and are not heavily reinforced. Some roads have special lanes for motorcycles, atvs, or agricultural vehicles. Most roads only have pedestrian footpaths, and/or cycle paths in residential areas, and sometimes in agricultural areas.
Avenues are wide multilane roadways, some with meridians, that travel through locations and connect to roads and streets. Large cities, and metropolitan areas may have avenues with as many as six lanes of traffic in either direction. They have wide pedestrian footpaths on both sides of the roadway, many have special lanes for bicycles. Landscaped, tree and foliage lined avenues are called Boulevards.
Streets travel through locations, and connect to roads, avenues, other streets, and lanes. They have a maximum of two traffic lanes in each direction, with pedestrian footpaths on both sides. They are lined with buildings in commercial or industrial areas, and with trees in residential areas. Many have special lanes for bicycles.
Lanes are narrow residential roadways, that have at most one lane of traffic in each direction, with wide pedestrian footpaths and special bicycle lanes. They are always heavily lined with trees and foliage to buffer traffic noise.
Paths are unpaved roadways (sometimes covered in gravel, and occasionally cobblestone) that are found largely in agricultural areas, or tulou { large circular enclosed fortified 'earthen' buildings with very thick walls (some with transmetal domes over the interior) up to five stories in height - housing as many as eight hundred residents in the interior buildings, found mostly in the agricultural areas of Nejiro}. Paths are used at large scale, long term construction areas, mining areas, and within leisure and recreational areas. They are also used in urban residential areas, usually as hutong {narrow alley} within and around siheyuan {chinese quadrangles}.
All cities, almost all towns, and most villages on Nejiro have some sort of rail station, but a large number of villages and a very small number of towns have only unpaved roadways.
While rail is the backbone of transit on Nejiro, roadways are an important part of its intermodal freight transport system.
Nejiroans drive on the left side of the roadway. The civilian speed limit is 130kph, urban/town roadways have a speed limit of 70kph, residential and school zone roadways have a speed limit of 45kph. Roadways are patrolled by the NPO, the Nejiro Defense Troop, Ichizoku militias, and by local law enforcement units. Most civilian vehicles are electric or are hybrids that use hydrogen fuel cells. All roadways must meet or exceed the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Transport, and by the Ministry of Public Safety.
Tollways are the heavily engineered and reinforced road system designed to move multiple heavy military convoys quickly across the continent of Tairiku. 29.8 million sq km = 11.5 million sq miles They are designed to be easily accessed and/or exited at most any point of the roadways by the planetary militia, the Nejiro Defense Troop. The road system was designed by Shuji Sugai - Izanagi, then built on the advice of the Nejiro Defense Troop leadership, with the advocacy of the Military Ministry, and the Ministry of Defense, and the blessing of Parliament. They are constructed of prefab sections that contain a geothermal earth loop system to prevent ice; solar panels along the edges to support the fiber optics and electric wiring for the programmable RGB lights that are also along the edges of each section to communicate traffic, weather, and other road hazards with symbols (generally kanji), and colors; and a multilayer compound road surface with armor, skid resistance, drainage and shock absorption. The tollways also have a variety of sensors and cameras running along and within the prefab sections to identify road hazards. Tollways have a maximum of three extra wide lanes in each direction, with no meridians. The Nejiro Defense Troop, Ichizoku militias, emergency response, and law enforcement vehicles are the only vehicles exempt from tolls, and only in the course of their duties. The tolls are collected via rfid passes connected to electronic payment methods and are used to maintain the road system. Major repairs and upgrades are covered by a fund, The Tollway Project, that is contributed to from the budgets of the Ministry of Defense, the Military Ministry, the Nejiro Defense Troop, and also the Chiku, and landholds they occupy. New construction of a tollway must be authorized by Parliament. Tollways are numbered in the order they are constructed.
Highways are wide multilane reinforced roadways with meridians and a maximum of eight lanes in each direction. They are designed to connect tollways to other roadways and destinations, to facilitate civilian convoy travel, and to connect far away destinations to each other. They are constructed to withstand a high volume of heavy vehicles. They may be built, alone or cooperatively, by any of the chiku, metropolitan areas, cities, landholds, towns or industrial parks that need them. Many chiku require the authorization of the office of their Common House MP to build highways. They are constructed and maintained by the budget(s) of the land(s) they occupy. They are also sometimes funded by tolls, or by government, guild, and/or foundation grants. There are several classes of highways: primary a convoy route, expressway a fast moving, efficient route from location to location; motorway a commercial commuter route; parkway a scenic, tree and foliage lined route to, or through leisure and recreational destinations; and dual carriageway a roadway designed with increased safety features, that has trees, foliage, and fences lining the sides and meridian of the roadway as traffic buffers. Highways have alpha numeric designations that refer to their class and the order in which they were constructed, though they often have colloquial names derived from the designer or builders project name.
Road Stations are greatly condensed service plazas and are for the most part owned and operated independently. They rarely accommodate more than seventy five vehicles. Many are found along Nejiro's many rivers and lakes. They often house their own, or local agricultural farmstands and/or fish markets. Many include campgrounds or primitive camp sites. Road Stations mostly keep to electronic payment methods. They are customarily located along or near tollways and highways, but their are outliers, such as remote locations central to several nearby agricultural villages. There are also a number of independent road stations owned and operated by corporations. There are also some independent road stations owned and operated by villages. Names are at the discretion of the owner or Charter holder.
Service Plazas may accomodate cars, but cater to trucks, rv's, and buses, - especially convoys and digital nomad caravans, and must accommodate at least two hundred vehicles. Some of the larger service plazas accommodate as many as one thousand vehicles. They are located where tollways and highways connect or cross, at major traffic outlets, along high volume convoy routes, and near recreational and commercial destinations. Their amenities may include separate service stations - both full service maintenance and repair stations, vehicle wash services, barbers and/or salons, laundrey facilities, lending libraries, private showers, vehicle showrooms, gym facilities, toilets (with japanese style bidet), motels, restaurants, pubs, izakaya (japanese style casual bar), convenience stores, farmstands, retail shops, scales, load boards, power stations, theaters, arcades, casinos, game rooms (billiards, darts, mahjong), media and entertainment lounges, pleasure quarters, quiet lounges, prayer rooms, stables and kennels, health clinics that treat people and animals, business centers, sento {public baths}, news boards, and weather boards. Like waysides all transactions are by electronic payment method. Service Plazas also honor the programs and accounts of fleets and convoys. They are built and maintained by the Chiku, metropolitan area, or landhold they occupy, but are operated (for the most part) by corporate contractors, sometimes several different ones. Names are at the discretion of the Chiku, landhold, or metropolitan area they reside in, but many have courtesy names provided by the contractor, and a few have art names given by their patrons.
Charters are the official grant issued by Parliament, through the Chokkyo-jo iinkai {Royal Charter Committee for cities and metropolitan areas, or the Letters Patent Committee for other population centers}, to an individual or group of people that have petitioned to start a chartered population center. To obtain a charter you must first register your intentions with the Civil Service office, and the Jimusho {district office of the MP} of the Chiku in which you plan to establish your settlement. After the proper documentation is completed and presented to the Committee; similar to the obligations of a Koichizoku; and thorough planning of a future population center is successfully presented, negotiated, revised, and approved, with any additional provisions or exemptions made by the Committee, the Charter is issued. A Charter may be revoked; by Parliament or the Crown through the Courts; for committing a material violation of any of the conditions, standards, or procedures set forth within the charter, failing to meet or make reasonable progress toward achievement of the standards identified within the charter, failing to meet the accepted standards of fiscal management, or violating any provision or law from which the charter leadership and population was not exempted from. A Charter may also be issued by the Ichizoku for road stations, villages, towns, and industrial parks within their landholds.
Chartered communities have a different tax base, and land purchase pricing index, most often they come with significant discounts and incentives compared to private ownership.
Chartered Nejiroan population centers are:
Road Stations generally have a resident population of fifty or less and have mixed economies
Village with a full time resident population of one thousand or less, they usually have an agricultural and/or recreational and tourism based economy
Town with a full time resident population of twenty thousand or less, and usually has a mixed economic base, but there are a few dozen resort towns
Industrial Park with at least two industrial and/or commercial endeavors, with a resident population of five thousand or less (some of these have small residential populations - usually guard gated, some have small campuses with dormitories etc.)
>>>factories on Nejiro generally employ a few dozen to a few hundred operators or craftspeople whose pay rate starts at twenty two ryu an hour; a few dozen technicians to maintain and repair equipment (e.g. robots, machinery, etc.) and software whose pay rate starts at twenty eight ryu an hour; a couple of engineers to diagnose, repair, and upgrade equipment and software; a small janitorial staff; a couple of emergency response staff; a security contingent; a small managerial and/or executive staff; with employees and staff generally working a nine hour shift (one of three) with an hour for lunch on a four day on, three day off schedule, they all receive at minimum - two weeks of paid vacation, two weeks of paid sick leave, and two weeks of personal days per annum <<<
City with a full time resident population of more than twenty thousand, they may only be chartered by Dai Ichizoku or Parliament and have mixed economies
Metropolitan Area with a full time resident population of more than seventy thousand, they may only be charted by a Dai Ichizoku or Parliament and have mixed economies
Free Cities develop from a small group of geographically close chartered and/or private population centers that have grown into a population, and economy that exceeds the minimum population of a city for at least ten years. After a request from local civic authorities, Parliament may come in and negotiate a City Charter with local civic leadership.
There are also privately owned guard gated communities that are usually near resort areas and other scenic locations. There are also privately owned industrial parks, they are usually located near or in cities or metropolitan areas.
Nejiroan Members of Parliament (MPs) consider and propose new laws, amendments, regulations, and taxes which must be passed by both the Founders House and the Commons House. MPs also consider and report on public policy. They can scrutinize government policies through the actions of committees, with legislation, via the media with statements and debates, or by questioning Ministers and members of government either publicly in Chamber (during the weekly sessions of Questions to the Prime Minister which is broadcast live in front of the press, or during Questions to the Cabinet - departmental Ministry questions, which happens less frequently), or MPs may also put down Written Questions to Ministers which must receive a written reply, thus providing a means by which an MP may examine any issue and develop a line of investigation.
Nejiro's Parliament is in session twice a year from 1 March through 31 May and from 1 September through 31 November.
Founders House Members of Parliament are representatives of the Ichizoku of Nejiro. They are the founding parliamentary house and at one time the only house. (The Commons House representatives were not called until the population grew enough to require their necessity. In 2877 the Crown called for elections, after the recommendation and successful petition of the Founders House in 2876, and on 1 March 2878 the first session of the Commons House of Parliament was opened.) Founders House MPs are designated by their Delm, in the method of their choice, in lifetime appointments to the Founders House, except for egregious errors. Each Dai Ichizoku sends two representatives from each Delm. Each Koichizoku sends one representative from each Delm, including from each of the Koichizoku on Pluoton {Corvae, Yamana, Teck, Barrick, Sugano, Rokuda, Kase, Yap, Erdeli, Tsaplin, Xu, Wen, Durchenko, Ciar, Moon, Zhang, Seagha} and the space based Ryokosha Koichizoku {traveler} (the independent crew, family, and dependents of the Sankaku {Phoenix Mercantile, Horizon Tradeships, Neptune Orient Lines} and other interstellar fleets based in system), and one representative from each major space station and habitat. There are also at least another fifteen representatives appointed by the Crown (as needed) as advisors, as subject matter experts, as investigators or troubleshooters, as ethnic, cultural, or religious delegates and/or envoys, some are limited in term, some have extraordinary or emergency powers. The Guild Master, Traders Trust, The Spacer League, Pluoton Metals, and the Enclave Trade Council all each appoint one representative to the Founders House. Votes of the House are by a supermajority of two thirds. The Founders House is led by the Speaker {Esther Hohki} an internally elected position.
As well as legislative duties and responsibilities the Founders House MPs also have obligations in the judiciary to sit on the Founders High Court, of the Keijihoin {Crown Court} on the Monarchs Bench divisional court to make decisions on Ichizoku matters (e.g. business law, family law, equity, constitutional law, peer review etc.), to hear appeals, to hear petitions, and to hear and make decisions on high crimes (e.g. treason), and impeachable offenses (e.g. maladministration).
The Founders House Assembly Hall on Parliament Hill in Yousai is architecturally both traditional and eclectic (from byzantine to gothic to baroque then mixed with shinden-zukuri, songnic, and hanok) as it was built to combine and honor several different styles and cultures. Most find the whole quite harmonious and aesthetically pleasing, but some find the details together somewhat jarring. The Chambers where the Founders MPs come together with their cut and thrust debate style can be quite loud on many occasions as it was designed to have perfect acoustics and resonates frequently during passionate debates. The Chambers were constructed as a sunken ampitheatre with enough space to hold up to one thousand Members of Parliament, plus the Cabinet and the Privy Council. Currently only a few levels of the ampitheatre are revealed, enough for the current numbers of the combined Houses of Parliament and their guests. The floor of the Chamber, covered in a bordeaux pattern parquet floor made from a selection of native woods, is a stage lift that may be risen or lowered to reveal more space for seats as needed, which have open boxes with room for Pages and others to move freely between them, and stairs at the cardinal points to ease movement between levels, with the back wall of the box paneled in native Nejiroan woods in a beadboard pattern and the writing desks at the center of the box are custom crafted by artisans in stratosphere ironwood in individual executive styles for each Member and combined with Sheraton style chairs. The walls of the Chamber are paneled in a tongue and groove pattern in a pleasing variety of native woods and lined with artisan crafted Windsor style chairs for Pages, Clerks, and guests. The floor has an elevated wooden bench with the Founders House monsho carved into it that serves as a desk for the Speaker of the House on one side of the floor, and the other holds the royal seat of the Crown - most often used during ceremonial moments (official open of Parliament etc.) but the Crown may attend any session without notice. In between are several boardroom style tables for the Cabinet Ministers and the Privy Council, and several smaller tables for Pages and Clerks, with space for several different styles of presentations, and clear lines of sight for the Parliamentary Guards and the Ministry Security Services. There is a double mezzanine surrounding the Chamber, the first level holds three hundred opera style balcony boxes for the Delms and their guests. (The unclaimed boxes are sometimes used by favored members of the press, award winning students, advisors, consultants, VIP guests, - Parliament sometimes auctions the use of these boxes in support of various charities.) The second level gallery holds space for the press and first come first serve theater style seating for the public to quietly observe the public business of the House (the Weekly Questions are especially popular). Surrounding the Chamber are sixteen custom framed cathedral sized stained glass windows with a flamboyant gothic rose window representing Nejiro's sun and stars taking center stage. The sixteen windows each have a theme representing Nejiro: the lands, the flora, the fauna, the oceans, the Indigenous cultures, the Founders cultures, the Guilds, the flag of Nejiro, Parliaments monsho and coat of arms, the Founders House monsho and coat of arms, the Ichizoku mon, the stellar system ports and facilities, the Spacer League, Nejiro's raw resources, Nejiro agriculture, and Nejiro industry.
Currently there are two hundred fixed voting Nejiroan planetary Commons House Chiku {district} (each approximately 1.8 million square kilometers) one hundred in each hemisphere - north and south. (There are an additional one hundred Crown Land parcels and an almost equal number of non-voting Parliamentary Chiku which hold reserves and parks.) (Nejiro's surface is more than eighty three percent water.) Unpopulated, underpopulated, and voting Chiku over open ocean all have environmental seats chosen through national elections in the same cycle as regular seats. These Members represent the overall planetary health and welfare, they speak for the wilderness flora and fauna. There are also seats for the in-system stellar bodies and facilities - Pluoton, significant asteroid facilities and ports, habitats and stations (Mene Limani, Buda Port, Minerva, Pluoton Emporia etc.). The stellar system is divided into sectors and each sector votes to elect a Commons House Member of Parliament (there are currently twenty six voting sectors). Commons House MPs are democratically elected by a first to post majority in a five year election cycle and have a three term limit to represent their individual Chiku and the general population of Nejiro. Campaigns are overseen by the Civil Service Ministry which are government funded (via the Parliaments Annual Budget and the Election Fund), all candidates receive the same amount of funds, airtime amounts on tv and radio, and resources for Town Hall meetings, debates, and public soap boxes. It is forbidden to accept or solicit additional campaign contributions; this will permanently disqualify you from holding any public office on Nejiro and most likely will involve criminal charges. Campaigns are run from the second week of December thru the third week of February. Elections are held the fourth week of February. The Commons House is led by the Speaker {Zakhar Illarion} an internally elected position.
As well as legislative duties and responsibilities the Commons House MPs also have obligations in governing their Chiku. They are responsible for administrating and enforcing the Founders Agreement in their Chiku. They oversee agencies and executive leaders, manage the budget, lead response to emergencies and disasters, communicate with the Crown and Parliament, and act as spokesperson for their Chiku.
The Commons House was built across the Okina Hiroba {grand square} from the Founders House Assembly Hall on Parliament Hill in Yousai, near the entrance of the Sodaina Odori {sodai - magnificent, splendid boulevard} (Sodai Boulevard runs from the Okina Hiroba - which hosts all the Parliamentary buildings plus boutique shops, a large public square, a public park, sidewalk cafes, fountains and statuary - through the finance and embassy wards (west) and the diamond and garment wards (east) then through the boutique ward (east) and downtown office ward (west) then passes through the temple ward and tunnels under Mercury Stadium and continues through the tech and ethnic wards (north) to the Genbu Gate at the most northern point of the city.) In contrast to the Founders House the Commons House architecture is more modern structural expressionism with clean lines and curves featured in the glass, steel, and composite concrete building that reflects the more formal and 'polite' debate style of the House that myriad times has reached Shakespearian levels of wit and satire. The front of the building, which faces 'The Square' {Okina Hiroba} features a ten meter high by three hundred meter long wall of shatterproof glass (rated for level six typhoon winds and debris) that holds painted glass images of the Nejiro Flag surrounded by the monsho of Parliament and the Commons House, and then further surrounded by custom made sections representing each voting Chiku and Sector each with replacable pieces of glass bearing the hanko and signature of their current Member of Parliament.
Assigned by the Nejiroan Civil Service Ministry to both Houses of Parliament are the Head Clerk of the Founders House {Serika Miura, Meritous} and the Head Clerk of the Commons House {Hyacinth Thistlethorp, Meritous} the principal constitutional advisor to the House on all its procedures and business, archive history and parliamentary privilege. They command a staff of clerks, advisors, scholars, and subject matter experts that frequently appear before Committee and Staff. The Serjeant at Arms Founders House {Kenneth Akizuki} and the Serjeant at Arms Commons House {Fumie Hamada-Garin} are in charge of a contingent of the Parliamentary Guard and responsible for keeping order during all meetings and also for the physical safety of the House, its environs and Staff. The Lead Pages of the Founders House {Jayje Jissoji} and the Commons House {Teru Kokawa} provide supplemental administrative support and messaging services with a staff of runners, gophers, data entry and filing clerks, researchers, telephone operators, and couriers and are constantly seen both in the Halls and the Chambers, the Libraries and Archives, the Parliamentary offices, and around the globe and stellar system at large.
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