Zeitgeist Magazine, 2 July 301 AP

Zeitgeist Magazine's Utania This Week
July 2nd, 301 AP

New tax deal

President Okarvits unveiled on Monday evening a "revolutionary" new tax scheme of cooperatives in which twelve adults can pool their income together, take an equal share from the pool and only pay the personal income tax on that equal share, rather than corporate tax. The opposition have slammed it as the "quickest way to bankrupt government coffers" and, predictably, opposed the idea as "unworkable".

The President was also embarassed by the accidental release of a report that says that the Ramali river should be "seriously considered" for a major hydroelectric scheme which would power 7 million homes and provide 50,000 jobs, but would have an adverse impact on life along the river. The President has since refused to "rule out" the project as a possibility, gaining the ire of Ramali yannists (anti-development campaigners) in the region.

The opposition also complained that the President was engaging in campaigning, and retaliated this weekend with a flurry of quickly produced TV advertisements asking voters "What has he done for you lately?" while a pop tune plays and the President's picture is displayed. In response, all parties used this weekend to display all of the old advertisements from the September 300 campaign on the television again.
See: http://www.jaggedblue.com/utania/U_Display_TV_ads.html

And if the agreement was off, said the media, then here's a poll. The poll showed the country is even more divided than in September between north and south, or east coast and the rest of the country, or, most disconcerting of all, between Utani and non-Utani. Such divisions will only polarise the country into political extremes, said analysts, and benefit no one.

The President also confirmed that there would "probably be" a shake-up of his cabinet as a result of the election, but refused to say whether Cabinet MPs who manage to hold their seats would be removed from cabinet, including several underperforming ones.

Trial by Media

The Utan Krysaror Mana newspaper has named the three-dozen people under close scrutiny by federal police for their part in the May 14th collapse of a new housing block for former slum-dwelling people that killed thirteen.

The government this week agreed to negotiate with Mr Atosu Savante, the complainant in a case for Û2 billion in shares in the Savant Motors Corporation, which Mr Savante's family used to hold a 25% stake in. The case has attracted massive media attention in Utania as the issue goes to the core of recent Utanian history under the previous Tsarist regime. However, those who claim to have been defamed by Savante want their day in court and oppose the negotiations asking the judge to put a stop to them. He refused.

Luka Central FC are looking at a season unbeaten if they can overcome Richmond and Utan Krysaror over the next three weeks in the premier league, but the Richmond coach claims his team is looking stronger than ever. The clash Saturday week is set to see a crowd of over 80,000.

The government web site moved from its traditional host this week to JaggedBlue.com. However, the move has not occured without a hitch -- technical difficulties in the design of the trasition have lead to several errors in the web site. While there is "no going back" according to Minister for government information services, George Kopani, it is a significant embarassment for the government.

The latest #1 hit single in the country, "Rock superstar" is a warning about the pitfalls in the music industry by Westrian rap-rock fusion band Cedar Hill. However, with the word "shit" and references to a "rape charge" in the lyrics, radio in Nystonia state has been forced to censor the single. The album CD has also effectively been banned by the state's censors, as the record company has refused to re-press a new version of the CD without the tracks deemed by the censor as "unnecessarily crude". Sales in Lasanne state border towns has been brisk.