The Maya Crisis...

drothgery wrote:

Armed Neo-Bob wrote:Funding:
I think the League can raise funds the same way our government does-with Treasury notes and bonds, until they recover from the shortfall. They can also look into "discretionary funds" of their own, raised from their transtellar "friends". As long as they can convince people they will survive the crisis, they can raise funds without taxes.

If it were easy for the League to borrow large amounts of money, it would not have any short-term financial problems (it might have long-term financial problems, but you can worry about those later if you still exist). Ergo, either it cannot or it's very difficult.

Armed Neo-Bob wrote:Funding:
I think the League can raise funds the same way our government does-with Treasury notes and bonds, until they recover from the shortfall. They can also look into "discretionary funds" of their own, raised from their transtellar "friends". As long as they can convince people they will survive the crisis, they can raise funds without taxes.

Armed Neo-Bob wrote:You know, Jeff, looking back over your post some, I think my understanding of Barregos' position may differ from your own. I see Barregos as someone sent to Maya as OFS commissioner (like Verrochio) who allowed the "legitimate local regimes" to actually be legitimate regimes, enforced regulations every other OFS person was willing to ignore, organized a much more politically integrated and industrialized sector, and THEN was popularly elected "sector governor" in ADDITION to being OFS commissioner. In other words, he actually is both the OFS Stooge, and their local "legitimate" regime. OFS could remove him from office, but he would still be there as local governor, and he knows too much to be cut loose

At least, that was my reading of why he was "unassailable", as Verrochio put it. Also, why he is "Governor" instead of Commissioner, like Verrochio, or that fellow Floyd in Genovese, who sent Pyun to Zunker. They not only did not organize their sectors into multi-system polities, but couldn't have gotten elected to dogcatcher.

SWM wrote:I don't believe the League can issue Treasury notes. The League is prohibited from borrowing money like that, and they are not permitted to levy direct taxes. Their sources of revenue are very strictly limited by the Constitution. According to RFC, the only sources of funds for the Solarian League government are: "import duties, customs fees, direct assessments for naval spending, etc., plus additional voluntary contributions." Extorting money from the transstellars is possible, of course.
http://infodump.thefifthimperium.com/en ... gton/200/1

SWM wrote:

Armed Neo-Bob wrote:Funding:
I think the League can raise funds the same way our government does-with Treasury notes and bonds, until they recover from the shortfall. They can also look into "discretionary funds" of their own, raised from their transtellar "friends". As long as they can convince people they will survive the crisis, they can raise funds without taxes.

I don't believe the League can issue Treasury notes. The League is prohibited from borrowing money like that, and they are not permitted to levy direct taxes. Their sources of revenue are very strictly limited by the Constitution. According to RFC, the only sources of funds for the Solarian League government are: "import duties, customs fees, direct assessments for naval spending, etc., plus additional voluntary contributions." Extorting money from the transstellars is possible, of course.
http://infodump.thefifthimperium.com/en ... gton/200/1

JeffEngel wrote:

SWM wrote:I don't believe the League can issue Treasury notes. The League is prohibited from borrowing money like that, and they are not permitted to levy direct taxes. Their sources of revenue are very strictly limited by the Constitution. According to RFC, the only sources of funds for the Solarian League government are: "import duties, customs fees, direct assessments for naval spending, etc., plus additional voluntary contributions." Extorting money from the transstellars is possible, of course.
http://infodump.thefifthimperium.com/en ... gton/200/1

Lots of luck getting cash out of the transtellars - when someone suggests that where they can hear it, they'll be bailing on the League so fast it'll look like a new drive type.

munroburton wrote:

JeffEngel wrote:Lots of luck getting cash out of the transtellars - when someone suggests that where they can hear it, they'll be bailing on the League so fast it'll look like a new drive type.

It's called the costs of doing business. With a defeated or capitulated League, the transtellars can no longer exploit the Verge at their leisure.

Don't want to pay taxes? Ok, no more OFS favours, no more FF backup and no more looming BF to keep the neobarbs in line for your corporation's bottom line. Kiss that gravy train goodbye.

I figure some of them will agree, if grudingly. Others with access to their own muscle(in-house security forces or mercenaries) or influence over a powerful SDF and a potential secessionist may do otherwise.

JeffEngel wrote:Oh, I agree as far as that goes. I do think that any of them that do agree will do it grudgingly, and exactly as long as it takes them to get the muscle to do otherwise. They've had OFS and FF personnel in their pockets for so long, they can convert them to outright mercenaries. Verge systems they own they can take over outright if they get that muscle, and/or make arrangements to keep others from muscling them out.

No one is loyal to the League, transtellars least of all. If the price of doing business goes up - and if they start to lose confidence in BF's ability to cow the Verge anyway, the "service" the League does them - they'll be entirely open to any option available, including making some sort of peace with Manticore or secessionists and setting up a position as "neutrals" neither side wants to push in bed with the other.

kzt wrote:The transstellars are not HQ in the verge. That's a tiny little piece of most of them. Their leadership and stockholders live in the core.