Draft 2: Shifted the premise to cover the granting of access to meteorological data to private corporations (a point of controversy in the US, at least).
Cloud Atlas
Validity: Must allow private industry.
Description
Seeing a prime business opportunity amidst a slew of inaccurate, overly broad, and terribly animated National Weather Service forecasts in recent months, a group of entrepreneurs and corporate representatives have approached you to request that they be given access to the government's meteorological data.
Validity: Must allow computers.
Option 1a
"Your data combined with our supercomputers and industry contacts will ensure that farmers across @@NAME@@ receive accurate and personalized weather reports relevant to their harvests- for a fair price, of course," says McSanto spokesperson @@RANDOMNAME@@, grabbing a mirror off your desk to examine @@HIS@@ sleek and efficient hairstyle. "You need to make government meteorological data free to all who request it. Imagine the innovation! Imagine the profits!"
Effect: the military's new intelligence gathering satellite is the nation's worst-kept secret
Validity: Must not allow computers.
Option 1b
"Your data combined with our infrastructure and industry contacts will ensure that farmers across @@NAME@@ receive accurate and personalized weather reports relevant to their harvests- for a fair price, of course," says McSanto spokesperson @@RANDOMNAME@@, grabbing a mirror off your desk to examine @@HIS@@ sleek and efficient hairstyle. "You need to make government meteorological data free to all who request it. Imagine the innovation! Imagine the profits!"
Effect: the military's new intelligence gathering satellite is the nation's worst-kept secret
Option 2
"What's next, charging people for water?" scoffs your bloated Director of the National Weather Service, crunching the numbers on his abacus. "Profit-minded corporations should never be given access to something so essential as weather forecasting. Give a healthy boost to the Service's budget, and there won't be any question as to our capabilities for a good long while."
Effect: the seven-day @@CAPITAL@@ forecast is "swampy with a chance of tax hikes"
Option 3
"The weather outside is... sunny!" mocks Minister of Finance @@RANDOMNAME@@, looking out the window. "I sure didn't need any fancy forecast or data to know that! All this weather hoopla is nothing but a waste of our time and the taxpayers' money. Cut the entire Weather Service, and let private companies develop their own expensive infrastructure if they really want to. No skin off our backs."
Effect: @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ rely on tarot cards and astrology to plan trips to the beach
Alternate: @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ are weathering the storm of nonexistent weather forecasts