Kalistani Major History

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National Government takes up the cause of Addressing Poverty
"This is the cause of our Lifetime," said Chancellor
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 15, 5458


Chancellor Johnson addresses Institutionalist Party meeting last week on Poverty

"Poverty continues to grow in Kalistan's Cities," declared Chancellor Johnson, last Wednesday at the weekly Institutionalist Informal Caucus, "and we as a Party must commit to combatting it. This is the cause of our lifetime!" During his keynote address at the coffee for Party leaders, Civic leaders and Student activists, Johnson laid out his government's plan for doing just that.

Johnson said that the Government will return to the cause of urban renewal and construction of new affordable homes. "For a long time, this government has relied on private capital to create homes for people. But the developers like to focus on creating high end housing to serve folks with lots of money. They like to focus on what the kids are referring to as gentrification. I regret to inform you, gentrification prices poor folks out of neighborhoods that they have long lived in, just because they can't afford skyrocketting rents and sharply increasing local property taxes." Part of the program involves a ₭500 Billion investment in increasing the housing stock in several cities in both Ananto and Kalistan, and then a strong push at the national level for rent controls. "The Empress herself has requested that we take definitive steps to get rents under control. This is a burden that we will bear, and we want property owners to share in it as well." The Chancellor committed to bringing a National Rent Control bill to the floor in the National Assembly within six months.

The Chancellor also wants to jumpstart the National MagLev rail construction program in Ananto. "We are looking for private contribution, from businesses and individual investors here in Ananto who would benefit in the long run from increased and improved infrastructure construction," said Johnson. "To seed the project, Her Imperial Majesty herself has pledged ₭10 million over the next 5 years and challenges both foreign and domestic investors to match her giving. This sustainable, clean and rapid mass transit will be a tremendous boost to the economic health and well being for the people of Ananto, and we need to start it soon."

Finally, the Chancellor has pledged to revitalize the National Service Program. "We would like to work with both public and private sector businesses to introduce into the NSP some skills prep for the work force. Over the years, while the NSP does serve as a public sector army of sorts for Kalistan's youth, there has been a growing skills mismatch between what the NSP provides and what businesses need. We need people who are engineers, people who are technicians, people who can give Kalistan an edge in international finance, in addition to the plumbers, electricians, surveyors, and general labor skills provided by the NSP. This proposal would layer a secondary skill set through the NSP, to give members an opportunity to exercise and train in other aptitudes in addition to the skills they currently acquire, so that employers aren't having to spend a lot of money on training. That money then can go to hiring more workers, or increasing salaries and benefits for workers who are already on the job."

The Chancellor was asked if the Government would tamper with ZPG strategies to encourage investment, and he was clear. "No. The Kalistani Ruble is rock solid, and we will stick with zero percent growth as long as I am the Chancellor. There is no reason to deliberately take a jackhammer to the foundation of our Nation's economy. Does it mean we miss out on some opportunities? Certainly. But fundamental conservatism around ZPG is not a bad thing. We should strive to reinforce what actually works in our economy, not cave to liberal siren songs about opening up to the world neoliberal economic order, or their gloom and doom scenarios about the imminent collapse of the Ruble-- how many centuries have they been trying to use their flawed models to predict the Ruble's collapse? And yet, because our currency and our banking system is built on the mitigation of risk, rather than the adoption of it, we strangely seem to avoid most financial crises that plague other nations? Miraculous-- not really, but why would this Government tamper with that?"

Overall, the Chancellor was quick to note, "These are only our marquee proposals for combatting Poverty, and this is really just a first stab at the problem. It will take a lot of creativity and a lot of time. But Her Imperial Majesty is clear: She requires us all to get to work on the growing plight of the poor in Ananto and Kalistan, and to spare no means to accomplish this gargantuan task. We hope you will all work with Her Majesty's Government in taking steps toward addressing the complex issues of poverty, and making a serious effort toward improving the lives of Kalistanis across this nation."