Thoughts from the Wikipedia...

I've been reading the Wikipedia's entries about Social Democrats, et al., and have a few ideas to throw out.

I draw these from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social-Democratic under the heading "In general, contemporary Social Democrats support":

1) Private enterprise, but strongly regulated to protect the interests of workers, consumers and small enterprise.

I personally don't think that every item sold in the city should be required to have been made by at least two people. I honestly don't see that requirement has protecting the interestes of workers, consumers or small enterprises. If anything, it just makes selling and creating more tedious and labor-intensive.

2) An extensive system of social security network, although not to the extent of democratic socialists (see welfare state), notably to counteract effects of poverty and to insure the citizens against loss of income following illness and unemployment.

This is an interesting one. If someone's vendor isn't doing so well, by this common belief of Social Democrats, they should be compensated, since in SL not selling anything is sort of like unemployment. I guess that just having the vendor could be considered employment.

I will revisit this issue in the next point, too.

3) Ensuring good education, health care, child care, et cetera for all citizens through government fundings.

My idea is that the city hire some of SL's best scripters and crafters to teach members of the city, so that members of the city can then begin to set up their small enterprises (protected in point one) and become employed.

Additionally, the city could have crafters and scripters that turn over rights to the things they make to the city so that the city can sell them. The city then gets the profits and the person who is making the products draws a wage, rather than a profit from the sales. This would create a worker class that would literally be supported by the city.

4) Higher taxes (necessary to pay for the former), especially for higher income groups.

I think that personally-owned vendors should be scripted in such a way so that the tax level is not fixed, but fluctuates based on 1) the size of the sale and 2) the total of all sales in a specific time period.

Jane Doe should pay less tax on a L$10 sale than John Doe should pay on a L$500 sale. But if Jane Doe sells hundreds of L$10 items, and John Doe only sells a few L$500 items, then the tax burden should shift over to Jane Doe.

5) Extensive social laws (minimum wages, working circumstances, protection against firing).

Anyone doing ANYTHING for the city should get a wage. Coverd by the taxes.

6) Environmental protection laws

Doesn't really apply in SL, I guess except to prevent really ugly builds and maybe noise pollution? Oh and particles. I guess there is pollution in SL.

7) Anti-xenophobic and non-fundamentalist legislations

I believe the aformentioned Constitution will handle this nicely.

A foreign policy supporting multilateralism and international institutions

Perhaps we could strike up merchandising deals or tourist attraction deals with some of the private sim owners?

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That's my observations right now. Rip 'em to shred or elaborate on them. Won't bother me either way!

My goal is to make the entire city a collaborative effort. I don't want to make it another mall where individual artisans move in to sell products because it's advantageous to them to do so. This isn't a social democratic principle, just a wish of mine. It should be strongly encouraged but not enforced.

This is great. Can you expand on it more so I know exactly where you're coming from.

So far, I like this idea very much provided the city does not become a corporation which owns the intellectual property of the people who originally created it. Ownership should always remain with those who created it and outside artisans should always get a share.

What I want to avoid is the creation of a class system where a group of workers (the proletariat) is exploited by the property owners (the bourgeoisie). In this society I want all ownership to remain directly with the artisans themselves with the city receiving only a small share of the sales in the form of tax to facilitate the efforts of the artisans.

This is the fundamental difference between capitalist and socialist ideologies. If we ever do allow incorporation, we have to do so in a way that doesn't permit exploitation. For now I'd like to avoid it but we should definitely address it in the constitution.

Good stuff!

This has been brought up in a different thread too. It's the question of whether or tax should be regressive, progressive, or flat. As I currently have it, it is a flat tax but I am strongly in favor of a progressive tax where those who sell the most products pay a higher percentage of the tax. I believe initially it will have to be flat due to technical limitations of the vendor but I believe moving to a progressive tax where higher income generates higher taxes would be desirable.

I'd like to see those who sell very little be exempt from all tax.

I'm a huge fan of a stipend for all members of the city and payment for those providing services. If we are successful financially, we'll have to work out a budget which allows us to give a return on land investment, pay artisans and citizens, and invest in city development. If we are not successful we might not be able to afford it.

Yes! I'm also hoping that if we are successful with this city that there will be more of them. Those with experience could go forth and become founding members of the next experiments. Between these cities we could work as a team.

~Ulrika~