RZ25 - The New Numismatic Naming Act

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

Fellow members of the Cosâ,

The esteemed Senator for Atatürk having expressed his disagreement with RZ25, I rise briefly to address his stated grounds for objecting to the proposed bill.

The esteemed Senator said:

ian said:

I'm voting Contra on RZ 25 because 1) we do not actually have physical money and, having none that exists, why bother with all this? Until money is going to be minted, printed, exchanged, whatever, having a money exist legally which does not exist in fact is superfluous and I might add a tad ridiculous. 2) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should ANYTHING be named after the treacherous and treasonous former monarch.

Regarding the first point, I note that legal authorization ought to precede the physical money, rather than the other way around. When the United States Congress enacted the first system of coinage under that nation's current constitution in 1792, the copper coins authorized by that act were not minted until 1793, the silver coins not until 1794, and the first gold coins were not struck until 1795. A previous system of coinage supposedly adopted by Congress under the Articles of Confederation in 1786 approved two coins - the mill and the double-dime - that were never minted at all.

Regarding the second point, I note only that the Ben as a unit of Talossan currency is current law. RZ25 does not change that, and neither will rejecting RZ25.

I yield the floor.

[Lord Q]

Honored colleagues,

We can go back and change the name any time.

If I may, let's take a straw poll. Who here has issue with Mr. Metáiriâ's objection?

I agree with my fellow Senator; while the name "Ben" is undeniably part of our rich and colorful history, it should stay exactly there - in the past. I don't think that if/when we do adopt a currency standard that we should give him such an honor as to have an everyday thing bearing his name whether it be coin, paper, or electronic.

I apologize for getting off track slightly, but while his statement may be off target in regard to Mr. Siervicül's proposed bill, I believe that Senator Metáiriâ brings up a topic that ought to be discussed forthwith.

I yield the floor.

[Trotxâ]

Honored colleagues,

I rise in support of 35RZ25, which I have placed before this body and the Senäts for consideration.

Please excuse my nervousness as I address this august body for the first time. A first speech to the Cosâ should ring the rafters, and unfortunately, I'm am not sure that I'm up to the task. I beg the Cosâ's ear for a few moments.

I start by thanking Mr. Siervicül for his remarks. In fewer words than I could manage, he makes the case for this bill.

However, since I introduced 35RZ25, The New Numismatic Naming Act, I feel obliged to speak a few words in its defence. If I may, I'd like to address the objections of the good Senator for Atatürk.

As Mr. Siervicül has pointed out, due to statute law 25RZ35, The Royal Bank & Post Charter Act, the name of the Kingdom's currency is, as it were, already cast in iron. The money of Talossa is already, to use the good Senator's words, "named after the treacherous and treasonous former monarch." If this proposal fails, then all of us, including the esteemed Senator for Atatürk, will have only one way to refer to our money. If this proposal fails, we must continue to call our currency, "the Ben."

One advantage of passing my proposal is that it gives those citizens who share this particular view of King Robert another coin of the realm that does not require them to stretch their lips to utter THAT name. Those who still support King Robert will still be able to shout the name "Ben" when they want. The point here is that the passage of this act gives our citizens more options, options they can use to pursue happiness by putting THAT name in the past. For this reason, this proposal should be passed.

The esteemed Senator for Atatürk is correct in noting that we do not have physical money. The word missing from his statement is, "Yet." One reason we don't have cash in hand is that the previous law is quite restrictive about the process for producing currency. This proposal would grant the Royal Bank & Post additional abilities to deliver the coins of the realm to us, the citizens of Talossa. Before the RB&P can do anything, they must be given the authority and oversight. My proposal gives them that authority and oversight. For this reason, this proposal should be passed.

For these reasons, ladies and gentlemen of the Ziu, I ask you to vote "PËR" on 35RZ25. Senator Metáiriâ, I ask you to vote "PËR" too.

I yield the floor.

[Duke Ian von Metairia]

I have already cast my votes and stand by my original statements.

I will never - EVER - support anything named after a treasonous, lying ex-monarch in Talossa - and this bill had the opportunity to change the name of the existing currency and failed to do so.

The fact remains - there are no plans whatsoever to mint currency or make any use of same whatsoever. I would have, in fact, supported a measure simply to accept reality and abolish the "Ben" altogether.

'Nuff said.

[Hooligan]

Lord President of the Senate, my fellow Senators, honoured guests.

Before I begin my remarks, I wish to state that I consider the sounds of polite debate emanating from the hallowed chambers of the Ziu to be a very welcome one to my ears.

Sir Ián states that there are no plans whatsoever to mint currency, but this is not precisely true. Although nothing has yet risen to the level of a "plan," a number of subjects of the King are very interested in this topic and have been discussing the creation and issuance, by the Royal Bank & Post, of the currency of the realm. This would, essentially, be analogous to the "Disney Dollar" and other forms of scrip.

As for the name of the coin, I understand that it is for some citizens of the Kingdom an irritant. However, I would not favor changing it -- my own feeling (at least at this time) is that Talossa cannot and should not completely disown its past, and its traditions. It shall always be the case that the nation was founded by its founder, that he was its first and longtime King, and that he has left his impression on his Kingdom. I realize that the analogy is a huge stretch, but to me, renaming the coin of the realm would be like taking George Washington off the quarter because we found out that Parson Weems was wrong about Washington never telling a lie. Like I say, I know it was a stretch; don't assume I equate the two personages that closely. In a sense, though, no matter what may have happened later, the founder of the nation should receive his due.

I think this points up a need for more cross-party communication. The NNN Act was drafted by a RUMP member and was vetted by, and modified through, discussion among party members. It then was posted for its full term in the Hopper before being clarked. I admit that it surprises me that this objection is being raised by someone of your magnitude across the aisle. I wish it had been raised during the time when the bill was hopping.

In another thread, a thought hit me that the coin could be called a "bent" (taking advantage of the similarity to the word "cent"). Personally, I do not see the omission (from the NNN bill) of a renaming of the smaller coin as a reason for me to give it my negative.

Instead, I intend to put my Erik Estrada beneath a Për vote for that act. It is my belief that the recent rise in the interest in working on the economy of the Kingdom, in minting coins, attending to the much-in-need Royal Treasury, and so forth, should be encouraged. The creation of a multi-bence currency is, I think, an important step forward in this process and without it, conversations about Talossan money would have to be made in terms of hundreds of thousands of bence rather than in thousands of louise.

I wish to assure the chamber that I understand Sir Ián's concern, and would certainly consider any act proposed for our consideration which he believes would address it. For myself, I consider it important to take what steps we can to progress toward a working economy, and to encourage those who are indeed taking action in that direction. The creation of the Lou is one such important first step.

I yield the floor.

[Duke Ian von Metairia]

So Ben is the George Washington of Talossa? I suggest you compare Ben's actions with those of George and you'll find he acted more like King George than President George Washington. We have FREED ourselves from him and he has likewise divested himself from us, declaring the sitting PM to be a liar and traitor - as well as anyone who remains in a Talossa he has declared "dead," in which he has stymied and tried to destroy and would destroy if he had such power. This is NOT someone that anything should be named after.

Our situation is analogous to Iraq after Hussein, Russia after Nicholas II, Germany after Hitler, etc. etc. He behaved like a corrupt despot desperately clinging to power and in the very end tried to steal the election and have dozens of citizens thrown out of the country.

And in memorial to this person we continue to have money (albeit non-existent money) named "Ben."

[Hooligan]

Hey, like I say, I wasn't comparing the two guys THAT closely!

As you know, I have sent you (and many others) mail privately concerning getting together an effort to rename the smaller coin, to propose to the Ziu next month. I liked the plan you mailed me, echoing your past performance as PM....

Hooligan

[Duke Ian von Metairia]

Indeed... this posting was made early this morning when I was in slightly less gentle humor.
And before we commenced with our e-mailings on this very topic.

[Lord Q]

Rwowr! *hiss*

Although I did say that it can be changed at any time, I think I'll wait until it actually *is* changed before I vote Per.