King Adam’s Speech from the Throne

HIS MAJESTY’S MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH TO THE PARLIAMENT OF ÜBERSTADT AT THE STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT, 22 JULY 2014.

Fellow Überstadtis:

Following six months of progress, our government will seek to broaden and deepen the accomplishments of the Kingdom in pursuit of greater Überstadti independence and identity.

Our government will maintain the structure of the national economy as it presently exists in order to maintain the efficiency with which it has operated in the past months. A cooperative will be founded to facilitate the production of Überstadti handicrafts and so carry on production past the end of the harvest.

Our government will educate our people and the American communities around us about the importance of the local watersheds. To further protect our ecosystems, measures will be taken to combat the spread of invasive plant species in our various territories.

The cultivation of national identity among citizens will be a priority. Our government will commission music and art from citizens to encourage the expression of our identity through artistic means. Every citizen who desires one will be given an Überstadti flag to publicly display their nationality.

In order to make more ambitious projects and purchases possible, as well as to develop in the near future a system of social welfare and foreign aid, our government will in this very session propose a 3% income tax on those citizens who are able to pay it. The stewards of the Royal Residency will, of course, remain exempt from taxation because of their generous contributions to the continued welfare of our nation.

Other measures will be laid before you.

Members of Parliament, may you act with wisdom.

Advertisement

Parliament opened as prince remains PM, major bills passed

ROSEWOOD – On Tuesday, the Sixth Parliament of Überstadt was opened by His Majesty the King, as Prince Aaron was re-elected Prime Minister.

The Fifth Parliament, the first session of the Kingdom’s legislature to meet as a direct assembly of the people, was dissolved following a final Question Time, in which Prince Aaron defended his government’s actions and policies of the last six months.

Following a secret ballot which unanimously reaffirmed the prince’s premiership, the King delivered the Speech from the Throne, laying out the new government’s policies. Among the bolder promises made were providing all citizens with a national flag and establishing a welfare system funded by an income tax.

The new cabinet was then confirmed unanimously, with the King remaining economy minister, the Prime Minister gaining charge over culture, and a new citizen, Dominique M., becoming the new environment minister.

The reassembled Parliament passed four acts.

The Creekbed Act highlighted Prince Aaron’s ideology of environmental expansionism, enlarging Creekbed Colony to increase the territory under the protection of the Kingdom’s environmental laws.

The Diplomatic Missions Act set aside land for the establishment of foreign embassies. The Socilivo Act, governing new aspects of Überstadt’s relationship with Sandus and granting Sandum citizens limited economic and political rights in the Kingdom, was passed 2-0 with the Prime Minister abstaining for reasons he did not express.

The bill expected to prove the most controversial, the Income Tax Act, was in fact received in the Chambers of Parliament with applause, an unprecedented event. This act established a 3% income tax on most Überstadtis, excepting the stewards of the Royal Residency and those whose necessary expenses consume at least 90% of their income.

The meeting closed with a brief address from the Dorian Grimes, Dictator of Doria, who also observed Parliament in June. Ms. Grimes thanked the Kingdom for its friendship and pledged future cooperation.

King visits Sandus; culture shared, alliance cemented

BRISTOW, Virginia – Today, His Majesty the King paid a state visit to Sandus as part of his tour of the mid-Atlantic. The most politically significant part of the day was the signature of a treaty cementing the Über-Sandum alliance.

The King arrived with the Sôgmô at the Palace of State shortly before 1100 EDT. They then proceeded to the Office of the Sôgmô, where light talk was made over beverages.

Diplomatic gifts were then exchanged. The King presented a box of smoked salmon from his native Pacific Northwest, a small display box containing soil from the grave of Emperor Norton of the United States, and a refreshing-scented sachet made of cotton dyed with Überstadti wildflowers and stuffed with needles from two trees of differing species growing in Rosewood. The Sôgmô presented a Hankook china mug bearing floral designs representative of Sandus and its Royal Family.

At noon, the Sôgmô donned his ceremonial robes and the King removed his state ornamentation to participate in a joint worship service. The King’s Christian portion of the ceremony began with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, followed by readings from the epistle of James and the gospel of Luke on poverty and charity. The King closed by praying for assistance and humility in combating injustice.

The Sôgmô’s portion of the service combined elements of Ancient Roman religion and Buddhism. At the Shrine to Athena, he hailed the goddess and praised her for her power and goodness. He then sang the famous Seven Line Prayer to Padmasambhava, an ancient Indian guru. The service ended with the recitation of the Dedication of Merit, expressing a desire for all beings to be free from suffering.

Following the close of the religious service, the monarchs signed the Treaty of Socilivo Statehood with the Kingdom of Überstadt in view of the Sandum media. The treaty, previously approved of by the Überstadti government and Saint Josephsburg Economic Council, granted Überstadt Socilivo status with Sandus, a type of alliance wherein Überstadtis may become partial citizens of Sandus.

The treaty is considered the culmination of diplomacy and cooperation between the two states. It was agreed upon not only to provide a formal basis for the states’ relationship, but also to support their economic development, as Überstadtis who apply for the Sandum nationality will have the right to do business with Sandus. This achievement, along with the recent establishment of the Austenasian Crown Dependency of Oregonia adjacent to Überstadti colony Creekbed, is one of the many recent developments that will enable the Kingdom’s economy to benefit from the formation of the Saint Josephsburg Economic Pact (SJEP) without joining it. Popular opinion, as well as that of the King, is at present firmly against joining SJEP due to concerns over economic sovereignty.

After the treaty was signed, the leaders proceeded to nearby Ellicott City, a historic landmark of Sandus. They toured its streets, taking in the architecture and atmosphere, and spent a short time in an antiques shop, where the King purchased a gift for the Dictator of Doria. The King and Sôgmô then lunched at a local Afghan kebab restaurant.

Upon returning to the Palace of State, dialogue on economic development, and especially the possible nature of future trade between the two states, as well as on the development of academic micropatriology, was undertaken. This dialogue continued as the Sôgmô drove the King back to the nearest Washington Metropolitan Transit station, where they bade each other farewell.

June economic report released

ROSEWOOD – The Ministry for the Economy has released its first monthly economic report for the month of June 2014, detailing the productivity of the public cooperatives under its supervision.

The report states that approximately 25.5 cups of bulk fresh produce were harvested by Rosewood Fruits in June, supplementing the diets of Überstadtis and Americans living near Rosewood. Strawberries proved the most successful crop during this period, contributing 60% of all harvested food by volume. 8 cups of snap peas were harvested, with small amounts of huckleberries and blueberries also produced.

The report also detailed the activities of Apotheker. This cooperative’s initial focus was natural medicines made from local foliage, but has recently shifted focus to natural dyes. Two successful dyeing experiments, one with fern spores and one with dandelion petals, were conducted in June, with further textile production intended for export to be completed in July.

New alliance formed as Doria founded

ROSEWOOD – This afternoon, friends of Überstadtis founded the Republic of Doria at a residence 2.3 miles from the Kingdom. His Majesty the King was present for the signature of the Dorian constitution, immediately after which a treaty was signed between the two states.

The foundation of Doria was led by a close friend of the King, Dorian Grimes, who was made the head of state upon the ratification of the constitution. Grimes bears the title of Dictator, inspired by the Roman Republic, and has been granted all legislative and executive power due to the small population of the new nation.

According to the King, Grimes has wished to establish a micronation for a very long time.

Because of the already-close relationship between the peoples of Doria and Überstadt, as well as the latter government’s trust of the leadership of the former, a treaty of recognition and alliance was signed on the spot. The treaty provides for the establishment of diplomatic missions, mutual defense, and preferential trade in wild fruit.