The Saga Of Wax Superior - Prologue 1, "The First Term"
The Wax Superior Herald
June, Year 4
FORT SIMIAN: THE FIRST TERM
Author: Brent Seward
As the first elections of Fort Simian near, the Herald takes a look at the founding years of the city.
As the summer heat kicks in, throngs of people crowd Sizzle Beach to revel in the sun and surf on a dry 30 degree day. Groups of teenagers take photos of each other in strange poses, young adults float among the waves, and young children scoot about whilst their parents lay with their hats covering their heads for some much needed respite from the work week. Taco, churro and soft drink vendors meander through the crowds with small stands. Though they make the occasional sale, the vendors appear to be enjoying the great June weather as much as the revelers. As I shift my gaze from the vast ocean expanse to the city hovering behind, a small stage is being prepared where the sand meets the dirt. Tonight the annual music festival, dubbed Simianus, will begin the two day party to mark the end of the June showers and usher in the real summer.
Sizzle beach.
In just two years, a mishmash of high and medium density developments have taken root in the downtown area situated behind Sizzle Beach. The past year in particular has seen the foundations of a high density commercial and residential district appear at a rapid pace, at times often outpacing the delivery of supporting resources. Water shortages in the six months to June have been frequent, with intermittent fixes provided by the construction of public water towers struggling to keep pace with urban development. The commissioning of the Fort Simian wastewater plant earlier this year has ameliorated concerns that sewage treatment was similarly ill-equipped to deal with a growing population, however, the government has received harsh criticism from the opposition that it was an unnecessary burden on the public purse that they say could have been remedied by the expansion of the existing outflow pipes. Similar concern has been voiced over the reopening of the Fort Simian wind plant, which the opposition claims is an excessive expense aimed at addressing the misguided concern of rising air pollution in the fledgling city.
Water towers such as these have sprung up rapidly in the past year to accommodate increasing demand.
The wind power plant, closed down in Year 2 to make way for the recently commissioned coal power plant, was reopened in Year 3 to meet unexpected growth in energy use.
Despite vociferous opposition, however, mayor Clare Bevan enjoys stratospheric approval ratings at 90%, attributed largely to the buoyant state of the economy. The commissioning of the Simian coal mining operations saw net government revenues soar, as market prices for coal hovered at almost $5,000 per tonne. Local analyst Michael Reed believes it was this coal boom that allowed the city to develop so rapidly. "The local operations came online as the market soared to all time highs, and although there were some hiccups early in the game, the supply chain eventually got up on its feet and provided a sort of trickle down effect", says Reed, who believes that the boom may soon be at an end. "There's no doubt that services in the city have benefited greatly from all the income being generated from the coal industry, however, global market gluts suggest that this won't be maintained for long, and I wouldn't be surprised if the price dropped $500/tonne or more in the coming months".
Local business owners are similarly concerned about the future of the Fort Simian economy. Sizzle Towers executive Bruce Morrison believes that over reliance on the coal mining industry and the lack of a real definable CBD in the downtown area may fail to bear fruit during mining downturns. "We've seen all this investment in residential towers, apartment buildings, flats, you name it... but we are sitting here paying 9% tax with mediocre margins on the commercial side. On top of that, we have an industrial tax system that makes freight management unreliable. I will stand here and soil myself if the coal price drops below $4,500 a tonne, because that is all it would take to really hoon local commercial interests". Morrison's investment bank and media interests have been very vocal in their concern of government deficit, in agreement with the opposition, who claim that it will eventually lead to city wide economic ruin.
Downtown Fort Simian, June, Year 4.
Others have been more optimistic, citing potential growth from rumours of government plans to attract tourists and open up new transportation options. Hu Tse, owner of the Owners Group in the old town, claims that government policies and "top down" urban planning have resulted in an environment that is likely to be resilient to changes in industrial circumstances. The Owners Group is a commercial interest that oversees low wealth commercial interests in the old town, and is tightly linked to local industrial unions. "We have seen strong consumer confidence throughout the first term of Fort Simian, and we see no signs that this will change. Industrial taxation policies have certainly been a burden, however, it is one that we can live with" says Tse, whose group has opened an additional office building to accomodate growth at the low end of the market. "If the government's plans for a tourist hub on Table Mount go ahead, then we will be ready to provide for the commercial needs of a tourist market. We are flexible".
Birth of a region
Fort Simian is set to reach the landmark population of 30,000 citizens as the upcoming election swings into action. This will mean the granting of funding for an additional government department, which is sure to ignite fierce debate as to the future directions the young city will take. Though the majority of the population reside in the downtown area, the old town is set to be the voter battleground, where an eclectic mix of low and middle income swinging voters reside.
The Old Town looking out towards the ocean.
The old town was the first residential area in Fort Simian, occupied largely by Welsh, Scottish and Chinese immigrants. The street names bear out their heritage, with such names as Gwrthddatgyslltiadaeth road, Aidle Crescent and Bu Chi Dao street. Fort Simian's oldest commercial establishment, The Idle Taqueria, still operates, serving Scottish and Welsh tacos to the industrial workers that make up the large proportion of local residents. Across the main avenue the oldest industries continue to operate, including a machine shop, piping and fittings factory, and the MacGregor whisky distillery. William MacGregor, distillery owner and founder, is upbeat about the future of Fort Simian, particularly under the stewardship of Clare Bevan. "This place has had it's hiccups, that's for sure, but Clare has seen us through it. When she lowered the commercial tax rate, demand for our whisky went sky high. And believe you me, when she is re-elected and continues with the coal mine expansions, our taxes will come down too. I've got a feeling".
View of the old town, with the downtown area of Fort Simian in the background.
Old town, looking towards the interstate.
Rick Green, Blue party leader in the local parliament, has started his 'meet and greet' campaign today at the Idle Taqueria. Opinion polls in the old town show this is the area of least support for Green, with some puzzled as to why he chose to personally step in for the Blue party. "Our local member Shang Tsung is well liked" says local burger vendor Tom Jones, who believes the Red party under the leadership of Clare Bevan has failed to live up to the expectations of locals. "When downtown expansions go ahead, who do you think is the first to have their water cut off? When the wind plant was shutdown in Year 2, I was out of a job. My neighbours were out of work. She can't just play with us like this". Like many in the old town, Jones believes that the rumours of a Blue party policy to develop Fort Simian into a bustling trade port is the best way to ensure the economic well being of the city. "Clare Bevan goes on about small business owners here in the old town, and how low the commercial taxes are, and how they help out the businesses here, and she thinks they respond to that. But really they are not supporting her policy. They just don't want to have to compete with the new goods that will be entering our ports when the Blue party has their way".
Others in the old town feel differently, citing the proximity of services to the old town as a driving factor in their view on the city governance. The placement and management of services, however, are not without criticism. Local GPs claim that the city clinic will soon outlive its usefulness, pointing to alarming statistics showing the monthly death rate on the increase, and calling for the establishment of a department of safety and the commissioning of a hospital. Similar increases in crime and unattended fires have been seized on by the opposition as evidence that government must change.
"Health clinic inadequate", says local GP organisation Doctors without Bordellos.
Milestone achieved
As the fourth anniversary of Fort Simian is celebrated, citizens will be pondering the two radically different views the government and opposition are putting forward for the future of the city. As we await the start of the week long campaign, we will at least have all weekend to ponder these questions over a Welsh taco and an industrial dram.
Nouvea Riche in the latest downtown development.
The Herald will be issuing special election editions starting Monday, covering resources, economy, taxation policy, public services and regional issues.
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