NationStates

Vecherd wrote:If the weather is so rough, why do people choose to stay?

That is a curious and excellent question, but one that Seculartopia cannot exactly answer. Its peculiar in itself that billions choose to live in a harsh arctic environment, and immigrants continue to flock into the nation.

Seculartopians however, would argue that to them, its their nation's environmental beauty, their feeling of multicultural community as it was built from nothing but an arctic expanse.

Seculartopia is proud to host a very large community of refugees, general displaced persons and immigrants. Seculartopia has no native or origional inhabitants- we simple have People from all imaginable walks of life.

We guess people must like it here despite the bitter cold.

Most Seculartopians get uncomfortable with temperatures above 65 degrees Farenheit.

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Numertiy did have a different policy, when he was D-P he allowed immigration, but completely sealed of emigration. He also abducted and exploited displaced persons and practically forced them to come to Seculartopia against their will. When Seculartopians found out, they were so incredibly outraged that the Numertiy Administration fell overnight. To this day it still gives Seculartopians nightmares.

What are some of the most popular occupations in Seculartopia?

Maraque wrote:What are some of the most popular occupations in Seculartopia?

Some of the most popular occupations include those in Law, as well Evolutionary Biologists or Scientists in general. Historians, Geologists, Ecologists,Engineers all make the top Census list. Seculartopians are always fascinated about learning new things, both about the past,present and future, and value each person's unique choices in occupation equally.

In your budget figures you indicate an income tax rate of 100%, and you indicate you have private consumption. How do you have any private consumption?

The 100% Tax Rate was simply a post of the stats as the Calculators say it. I hardly have a 100% tax rate. It's more around 10-12% varying.

How do you ensure that some of your educated manage to even stay in the country?

Roughly how many people in Seculartopia have full or partial Maraquean ancestry?

Maraque wrote:Roughly how many people in Seculartopia have full or partial Maraquean ancestry?

47% are estimated to a least have a relative within five generations of direct Maraquean ethnicity.

Do Seculartopians have a mandated amount of vacation time each employee is entitled to? If so, does it depend on the size of the company? Or are all entitled to that same amount? Is it earned based on how many hours they've worked, how long they've been employed, or immediately given upon employment?

According to the Employment Fairness Act of 1947, all employees must have a minimum available vacation time of 2 weeks per year, and must receive at least 75% of their normal pay if they must take off work for civic duties or required, defined things under the law. (if they volunteer, say, to help during an election during a working day). Parents must receive a minimum of 3 1/2 weeks of excused time per year, and must receive full pay during said civic duties or defined things under the law.

It also protects worker's rights from unreasonable loss of a job due to reasonable absences that are not overly excessive, based of course on the situation.

(e.g. If a person has cancer, they cannot be fired for missing work, because it is reasonable that they will have to miss lots of days due to their condition.)

Additionally, the right to religious holidays or absences is protected, but no pay is protected by the government. (So, people wouldn't want to take off a month of time for "religious purposes", as it would likely be considered excessive and the employee would receive no pay)

In most Seculartopian businesses, it either increases from the minimum based on hours worked or it stays the same for all workers. The length of time being at an institution getting you anything extra is really unheard of in Seculartopia. We consider "experience" to be of work and character, regardless of a time,date or age.

The minimum is given to all employees, but it can increase from the minimum depending on the business's practices, just like a system of minimum wage.

And does the government have a directory of labor, particularly a subdirectory that deals with the employment of handicapped or impaired individuals that may not be suitable in a traditional work environment but otherwise are able to work in some capacity, such as means for them to find work in a suitable environment, whether it's in the private sector or a menial job for the government?

Thoe service of that originally was under the Directory of Industry and Commerce, but that directory itself was streamlined to solely deal with the maintenance of construction grants and civil engineering. It has since been transferred to the Directory of Social Welfare, which main service is to help people find the needs of a normal life, no matter their conditions or backgrounds.

In 2000, we basically whacked all of the directories on the head and said "THIS IS YO JOB, DO IT."

Splendid.

And what kind of security, if any, is there at Seculartopian airports? What does one need to go through in order to board a flight?

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS: A person must go through an infrared/x-ray dual detector and place all metallic objects in a tray to be inspected. Carry-on baggage is not inspected through the detectors, and neither are shoes. Liquids are allowed. But we cannot speak for the nation in which the flight goes to.

Cargo is inspected with an x-ray and infrared machine before it is loaded onto planes, only looking for firearms or worse, smuggled animals.

Incoming passengers are waved to, and simply go through a booth where they fill out certain information to get an ID card and show a passport/documentation, and voila, are permanent residents. No background checks required.

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS:
A person walks through a simple metal detector, and boards ze plane. Maybe waves to the officer.

At what age can someone obtain a learner's permit to drive? And what, if any, prerequisites exist to get a driver's license afterwards?

There really are no such things as "Learner's Permits" and "Driver's Licenses". Although there is a Driving Test, and if one would want to drive for a career it would be required, and it is fairly popular with those that need extra practice with snowy conditions.

In schools, however, "Snow 101" covers many subjects off of winter weather, and it's pretty much applied in lots of aspects of Seculartopian life.

And how popular are home versus hospital births?

Hospital is profoundly more popular. Home births are considered extremely risky and are only found in very desolate parts of the Tundra, where likely the best place to have a child would be in your own home.

Do police officers need to obtain a specific level of academic achievement before they are eligible to apply such as an undergraduate or graduate degree? If not, what kind of requirements are there for people who aspire to become a police officer?

Maraque wrote:Do police officers need to obtain a specific level of academic achievement before they are eligible to apply such as an undergraduate or graduate degree? If not, what kind of requirements are there for people who aspire to become a police officer?

Those who desire to be an officer need a Bachelor's of Law and Psychology. Then, there is a requirement of a Rehabilitation Technical School, wherein a year of training is undergone showing particular scenarios and the study of the mentality of those who break the law.

Does Seculartopia have self defense laws wherein if someone breaks into a residence and the intruder dies as a result of the owner defending his or her property and family, the homeowner is cleared of any wrongdoing?

Maraque wrote:Does Seculartopia have self defense laws wherein if someone breaks into a residence and the intruder dies as a result of the owner defending his or her property and family, the homeowner is cleared of any wrongdoing?

It is a gray definition, usually it is acceptable if the owner acts with equal force (A person shooting a person who stole a flower out of one's garden is not self-defense) and was unable to pursue any alternative. (Unable to contact police, Cornered, Suspect is about to kill/harm/abduct someone).

Any notable laws in Seculartopia that aren't really enforced?

The coastline safety rule of not skating on ice in Seculartopia Harbour. Hal Newton himself has skated on it as Dictator-President, so its not enforced at all.

Does Seculartopia have a show similar to Tsvarchi's Got Talent or Tsvarchivan Idol?