Giant

Homicide Investigations (A Mystery Detective RP)

Although much time hasn't passed, @pteroform has been inactive for a bit and three people have kind of dropped out. So... should we give it for dead?

By the way, for anyone reading this. There's open spots.

The Shifting Sands of Politics

@gowia Alright. By the way, I posted my Party Sheet on the CS section because I was replying to a post made there but I didn't get your approval. :/ Is my sheet alright? If it isn't, I'll edit the post there, because I can't delete it.

The Shifting Sands of Politics

The party that wins a majority of seats in the House of Commons will be the party that gets to form the government. The party leader will become the president. And with the abundance of parties I'm just going to withdraw mine and make an MP for a party.

@Byrd Man

Make a batshit crazy fundamentalist for the CDP. You know you want to see Parliament burn.

also prime minister not president

The Shifting Sands of Politics

Party Name: Christian Democratic Party

Party Acronym: CDP

Party Motto: Guiding ourselves by faith.
Party Logo:

Party Ideology: The CDP has a very loose ideological agenda, although adhering strictly to the idea of Christian values, the interpretation of these varies from MP to MP. But throughout the years, the party has formed a focus around social welfare, religious freedom, conservatism (albeit only ideological) and recently, a focus on enviromental legislation. However, the doctrine is not strictly enforced within the party, which causes a lot of clashes between conservative and liberal MPs.

-Government Involvement: A central point in the CDP's agenda is solidarity between neighbors and the help to the disenfranchised. The CDP supports a heavy net to cover the needs of the people, albeit with some controls, to allow them to stand up back on their feet. Whether it is unemployement subsidies, social housing, food stamps or job-seeking (and training) programs, the CDP has always (almost) unanimously supported heavy government involvement to cover the needs of many.

-Economy: The economy must be in service of humanity instead of humanity being enslaved the economy. Albeit there is some divisions on whether nationalization was the right choice, most of the CDP MPs agree on a small degree of nationalization of the current market in order to generate enough revenue to carry through the fiscal year without pushing too much of a burden into the average tax-payer. The greatest split in regards to economic matters is between the degree of regulatory measures in the economy; about half of the party believes light regulations would ensure increased investing (both from international investors and nationals) and a growth in economy, while the other half believes that ensuring a fair, equal competition would revitalize opportunities for (mainly) national investors instead of foreigners while ensuring both big and small business treats their workers fairly.

-Taxes: Almost all of the party members agree that the current income tax is equal to extorsion to the people, realizing the clear disparity between the weight carried by the general populace in comparison to the powerful and rich. There is division and doubt as how to fill the gap that would be left with a greatly reduced income tax but several propositions are appearing slowly yet clashing with one another (corporate tax v. loose regulation, concessions of natural resources v. increasing exports of nationalized industries, etc.). The consensus within the party points to a reestablishment of the Mansion Tax and the Millionare Tax, which wouldn't touch corporations, along with the removal of the recent Fast Food Tax which affects consumers, workers and companies alike.

-Military: Albeit a strong army is a priority in a nation-state, the times of peace in the region and the low spending on social issues has led to a majority of the CDP taking a more pacifistic approach. The growth of the army isn't considered necessary, albeit buying new equipment is, perhaps a more diplomatic approach can be taken and the Army slightly reduced to redirect resources to more pressing matters. The investment on intelligence services is a divisive matter, as reactionary members argue that Leftist clandestine organizations need to be destroyed, as terrorists.

Although reliance of international relations for defense has been a criticism on this position, the pacifist sector of the CDP argues that mantaining good relations diplomatically with neighbors and having allies ready to offer protection is not a bad deal for Civitas.

-Environment: One of the flags of CDP policy has been a conservation of natural resources and an investment in green energy, in order to avoid reliance on imports to keep the national electricity running. Strict enforcement and the closure of loopholes is a priority the whole party agrees on, even the more libertarian individuals. The main concern to the party is finding a balance between resource extraction, which may be necessary to keep the country afloat, and enviromentally friendly practices. A solution has yet to be found.

-Citizen Rights: The CDP was one of the parties that pushed the voting age up, under the argument of low political participation and swaying of the youth by mass movements. Aside from that, the CDP has also attempted several times to rise the age of consent to equate the age required to drink, some conservative members of the party arguing that it is immoral for the youth to do such acts at that age with the moderate sector arguing that at 16, teenagers have yet to reach financial security or a full awareness of their actions; youth pregnancy only adds to the economic struggles that a teenager must face.

Aside from that, in regards to minority groups, the CDP is almost evenly split. The more progressive groups have sided with LGBT minorities fighting for their rights while more conservative sectors have fought back, citing that it goes against Christian values and it affects children.

-Education: The CDP greatly praises the current educational system in place, although it recognizes the struggles of teachers. In order to fix that, the CDP has proposed to defer funding from the Military towards education, faced with opposition by some reactionary sectors of the party and other parties. Overall, the CDP cites education as a great national concern and has called for higher standards of quality and investment in teaching.

-Health-Care: The CDP has slowly shifted from the view of an entirely nationalized healthcare service to a semi-public health care service. The resources necessary to keep the current healthcare system running are not within reach (nor will they be, in the next fiscal year) so the stance of the CDP is one of a heavily regulated and monitored system, ensuring low prices and effective treatment for all while allowing companies to profit off a moderate monthly fee by medium and high income individuals. This would also serve to cover more costly and specialized treatments at a cheaper rate. Competition would ensure quality and accessible prices, accompanied by heavy regulation.

Albeit it's not an unanimous support within the party (a couple MPs go towards fully public, while others towards fully private), the idea has gained traction among members of the CDP.

-Emergency Services: The increase in spending necessary to fund the police into a more effective force would be one that the country can't afford, although it is one sorely needed. In order to make use of what can be increased, a centralized institution that can coordinate efforts between communities needs to be put in place; the coordination of investigations, operations and outreach can be maximized through cooperation between police forces, handled by a superior body. The funding of the firefighting forces could be, in some points, be decreased slightly and invested into a recruiting effort for the police but for the time being, not many MPs support this alternative and the CDP's position is one of keeping the funding intact.

-Immigration: There's a clear split in the CDP in regards to this matter. A majority of the party is pushing for deportations, more strict border security and stronger requisites to be able to immigrate into Civitas. A vocal minority decries this treatment as inhumane towards the right of the disenfranchised, arguing for naturalization and protection towards the men and women who can provide a stronger boost to the economy; although they also support more strict checks, they do not reject the idea of lighter requisites for immigrants to come into Civitas.

-Other:

The CDP is one of the oldest parties on Civitas. Originally founded by Jesuit priests as a way to represent the interests of religious communities on the country, the party became an umbrella for every Christian denomination (and some more secular groups) in the country. As such, a great variety of views is contained within the party which also explains the constant infighting and divisions among them; however, the party started as one of the strongest, given that at the time of its founding, the religious numbered into a great majority in Civitas.

The party has lost steam over time (as has religious participation in Civitas), particularly in the last five elections, but they still mantain a relevant force in the Parliament.

Before the UTCSP and the CPC-ML appeared, the CPD was the one to push the most progressive social programs from the electoral battlefield, with several of its prominent politicians being adherents of Liberation Theology. However, with the creation of these two parties which expressively denounced religion and a capitalist economy as opressive, the CDP has taken a more cautious approach to what are considered Leftist policies. However, the tradition of social interests has remained strong within its ranks, rejecting mostly the idea that capitalism can't be put to the interests of the people and that religion can be a barrier for progress.

Given this shift in ideology, in the most recent years there has been a split between the Progressive CDP members and the Conservative CDP members. The first, more adherent to the Left, a pacifistic approach to foreign policy and regulatory measures into the economy; the second, more adherent to lassez-faire, a nationalistic, traditionalist view and an agressive stance towards Leftist parties.

MPs

Roger Conelly, CDP Party Leader

MP Name: Roger Conelly

MP Appearance:

MPs Party: (Progressive) CDP

MPs Position in his/her Party: Party leader

Home Territory: UTC Northwest

Biography: Born and raised among the labor movements developing on the North, Conelly found himself vouching for charity and social justice at an early age, through the word of Christ. Elected as an MP at the age of 30, he immediatly gained the media's attention by his oratory skils, defending social reform in the Parliament; a factor that made him rise through the Party ranks eventually reaching the lead in a fiery combat against the Conservatives led by Thomas Steffano. He has always flirted with the more left leaning sections of Parliament, although this has earned the ire of a growing sector inside the CDP.

Thomas Steffano, CDP Vice-president

MP Name: Thomas Steffano

MP Appearance:

MPs Party: (Conservative) CDP

MPs Position in his/her Party: Party Vice-president

Home Territory: Central Eastern UTC

Biography: Born and raised in a fundamentalist family, Steffano achieved the position of minister in his local church at the young age of 24. From there, he saw the opportunity to launch himself into politics to represent his fray. Denouncing the influences that go against the founding values of the party, and the values of Civitas overall, Steffano has gained traction with older populations and more conservative members of the CDP. He has slowly started approaching parties aligned with the Right, taking the MPs that follow him along.

The Shifting Sands of Politics

Woop, that is one long post. I am possibly the party with the most inner conflicts right now, which some other party can use to sway the votes in Parliament.

Waiting for the GM's green light to post in CS section.

The Shifting Sands of Politics

Christian Democratic Party

Party Name: Christian Democratic Party

Party Acronym: CDP

Party Motto: Guiding ourselves by faith.
Party Logo:

Party Ideology: The CDP has a very loose ideological agenda, although adhering strictly to the idea of Christian values, the interpretation of these varies from MP to MP. But throughout the years, the party has formed a focus around social welfare, religious freedom, conservatism (albeit only ideological) and recently, a focus on enviromental legislation. However, the doctrine is not strictly enforced within the party, which causes a lot of clashes between conservative and liberal MPs.

-Government Involvement: A central point in the CDP's agenda is solidarity between neighbors and the help to the disenfranchised. The CDP supports a heavy net to cover the needs of the people, albeit with some controls, to allow them to stand up back on their feet. Whether it is unemployement subsidies, social housing, food stamps or job-seeking (and training) programs, the CDP has always (almost) unanimously supported heavy government involvement to cover the needs of many.

-Economy: The economy must be in service of humanity instead of humanity being enslaved the economy. Albeit there is some divisions on whether nationalization was the right choice, most of the CDP MPs agree on a small degree of nationalization of the current market in order to generate enough revenue to carry through the fiscal year without pushing too much of a burden into the average tax-payer. The greatest split in regards to economic matters is between the degree of regulatory measures in the economy; about half of the party believes light regulations would ensure increased investing (both from international investors and nationals) and a growth in economy, while the other half believes that ensuring a fair, equal competition would revitalize opportunities for (mainly) national investors instead of foreigners while ensuring both big and small business treats their workers fairly.

-Taxes: Almost all of the party members agree that the current income tax is equal to extorsion to the people, realizing the clear disparity between the weight carried by the general populace in comparison to the powerful and rich. There is division and doubt as how to fill the gap that would be left with a greatly reduced income tax but several propositions are appearing slowly yet clashing with one another (corporate tax v. loose regulation, concessions of natural resources v. increasing exports of nationalized industries, etc.). The consensus within the party points to a reestablishment of the Mansion Tax and the Millionare Tax, which wouldn't touch corporations, along with the removal of the recent Fast Food Tax which affects consumers, workers and companies alike.

-Military: Albeit a strong army is a priority in a nation-state, the times of peace in the region and the low spending on social issues has led to a majority of the CDP taking a more pacifistic approach. The growth of the army isn't considered necessary, albeit buying new equipment is, perhaps a more diplomatic approach can be taken and the Army slightly reduced to redirect resources to more pressing matters. The investment on intelligence services is a divisive matter, as reactionary members argue that Leftist clandestine organizations need to be destroyed, as terrorists.

Although reliance of international relations for defense has been a criticism on this position, the pacifist sector of the CDP argues that mantaining good relations diplomatically with neighbors and having allies ready to offer protection is not a bad deal for Civitas.

-Environment: One of the flags of CDP policy has been a conservation of natural resources and an investment in green energy, in order to avoid reliance on imports to keep the national electricity running. Strict enforcement and the closure of loopholes is a priority the whole party agrees on, even the more libertarian individuals. The main concern to the party is finding a balance between resource extraction, which may be necessary to keep the country afloat, and enviromentally friendly practices. A solution has yet to be found.

-Citizen Rights: The CDP was one of the parties that pushed the voting age up, under the argument of low political participation and swaying of the youth by mass movements. Aside from that, the CDP has also attempted several times to rise the age of consent to equate the age required to drink, some conservative members of the party arguing that it is immoral for the youth to do such acts at that age with the moderate sector arguing that at 16, teenagers have yet to reach financial security or a full awareness of their actions; youth pregnancy only adds to the economic struggles that a teenager must face.

Aside from that, in regards to minority groups, the CDP is almost evenly split. The more progressive groups have sided with LGBT minorities fighting for their rights while more conservative sectors have fought back, citing that it goes against Christian values and it affects children.

-Education: The CDP greatly praises the current educational system in place, although it recognizes the struggles of teachers. In order to fix that, the CDP has proposed to defer funding from the Military towards education, faced with opposition by some reactionary sectors of the party and other parties. Overall, the CDP cites education as a great national concern and has called for higher standards of quality and investment in teaching.

-Health-Care: The CDP has slowly shifted from the view of an entirely nationalized healthcare service to a semi-public health care service. The resources necessary to keep the current healthcare system running are not within reach (nor will they be, in the next fiscal year) so the stance of the CDP is one of a heavily regulated and monitored system, ensuring low prices and effective treatment for all while allowing companies to profit off a moderate monthly fee by medium and high income individuals. This would also serve to cover more costly and specialized treatments at a cheaper rate. Competition would ensure quality and accessible prices, accompanied by heavy regulation.

Albeit it's not an unanimous support within the party (a couple MPs go towards fully public, while others towards fully private), the idea has gained traction among members of the CDP.

-Emergency Services: The increase in spending necessary to fund the police into a more effective force would be one that the country can't afford, although it is one sorely needed. In order to make use of what can be increased, a centralized institution that can coordinate efforts between communities needs to be put in place; the coordination of investigations, operations and outreach can be maximized through cooperation between police forces, handled by a superior body. The funding of the firefighting forces could be, in some points, be decreased slightly and invested into a recruiting effort for the police but for the time being, not many MPs support this alternative and the CDP's position is one of keeping the funding intact.

-Immigration: There's a clear split in the CDP in regards to this matter. A majority of the party is pushing for deportations, more strict border security and stronger requisites to be able to immigrate into Civitas. A vocal minority decries this treatment as inhumane towards the right of the disenfranchised, arguing for naturalization and protection towards the men and women who can provide a stronger boost to the economy; although they also support more strict checks, they do not reject the idea of lighter requisites for immigrants to come into Civitas.

-Other:

The CDP is one of the oldest parties on Civitas. Originally founded by Jesuit priests as a way to represent the interests of religious communities on the country, the party became an umbrella for every Christian denomination (and some more secular groups) in the country. As such, a great variety of views is contained within the party which also explains the constant infighting and divisions among them; however, the party started as one of the strongest, given that at the time of its founding, the religious numbered into a great majority in Civitas.

The party has lost steam over time (as has religious participation in Civitas), particularly in the last five elections, but they still mantain a relevant force in the Parliament.

Before the UTCSP and the CPC-ML appeared, the CPD was the one to push the most progressive social programs from the electoral battlefield, with several of its prominent politicians being adherents of Liberation Theology. However, with the creation of these two parties which expressively denounced religion and a capitalist economy as opressive, the CDP has taken a more cautious approach to what are considered Leftist policies. However, the tradition of social interests has remained strong within its ranks, rejecting mostly the idea that capitalism can't be put to the interests of the people and that religion can be a barrier for progress.

Given this shift in ideology, in the most recent years there has been a split between the Progressive CDP members and the Conservative CDP members. The first, more adherent to the Left, a pacifistic approach to foreign policy and regulatory measures into the economy; the second, more adherent to lassez-faire, a nationalistic, traditionalist view and an agressive stance towards Leftist parties.

MP Name: Roger Conelly

MP Appearance:

MPs Party: (Progressive) CDP

MPs Position in his/her Party: Party leader

Home Territory: UTC Northwest

Biography: Born and raised among the labor movements developing on the North, Conelly found himself vouching for charity and social justice at an early age, through the word of Christ. Elected as an MP at the age of 30, he immediatly gained the media's attention by his oratory skils, defending social reform in the Parliament; a factor that made him rise through the Party ranks eventually reaching the lead in a fiery combat against the Conservatives led by Thomas Steffano. He has always flirted with the more left leaning sections of Parliament, although this has earned the ire of a growing sector inside the CDP.

MP Name: Thomas Steffano

MP Appearance:

MPs Party: (Conservative) CDP

MPs Position in his/her Party: Party Vice-president

Home Territory: Central Eastern UTC

Biography: Born and raised in a fundamentalist family, Steffano achieved the position of minister in his local church at the young age of 24. From there, he saw the opportunity to launch himself into politics to represent his fray. Denouncing the influences that go against the founding values of the party, and the values of Civitas overall, Steffano has gained traction with older populations and more conservative members of the CDP. He has slowly started approaching parties aligned with the Right, taking the MPs that follow him along.

The Shifting Sands of Politics

Are there any free spots left? I want to write up a Centrist party (Christian Democratic Party) but I can't do it until the afternoon. :l

Homicide Investigations (A Mystery Detective RP)

Sorry for taking so long. :S

Anyways, if you want to add more detail to the house or if you want me to fix something, I gladly will. Or if you want to add witnesses, or y'know, want me to not hype up the murder so much, I can do that too.

Homicide Investigations (A Mystery Detective RP)

Enrique followed Rhiannon into the BMW outside, comparing it in his head to his old crummy car. For one second, he felt envy but the seriousness of the task at hand brought him back to focus. "That's just Officer Pavlov, a bureaucrat of sorts. I don't know if he even ever worked on the field, but I would be surprised if that man didn't hate everyone in the station. Including you, in a couple of days. That's just the way he is, don't mind him." The temperature in the car was considerably warmer compared to the outside, almost as if they were in a beach. "Nevermind that, I am glad to meet you too, Miss Jones." His hand started searching for a lever to roll down the window slightly, given his discomfort due to the heat, finding himself with only a small button; Enrique immediatly pressed it and thanked the cold air coming into the car.

As the outside was clearer through the open window, Enrique spotted the exit ramp into the central highway of New Bath. Albeit the traffic from twenty minutes ago had cleared, the artery of the city kept flowing through it to lead further into Canada. "Take a right here, straight until we get to the 15th Street ramp." The engine of the car roared as the woman behind the wheel followed Enrique's instructions, joining the swift river of various cars streaming below bridges and between high-rise buildings that seemed to close on the vehicles. "I'm glad we have someone with experience in homicides and what-not in this division, let me tell you, it was more than late for this thing's creation. I don't know what kind of political hoops Guerra had to jump through to make this happen but it's not like homicides weren't happening here before. It was long due." The car ventured into the maws of a tunnel and the lights on the ceiling started flashing on the officer's faces every couple of meters they drove by. The grafitti on the walls, written under the guise of the night seemed fleeting before the spinning wheels. Dumb kids. Can't see the shit they tagged here.

"It is my first day on the division too but as I said before, been working here for a long time. The move was a little sudden but I guess they need all the hands they can get, right? I can think of at least three better choices for the spot but I ain't telling the Chief to move me from here." said Enrique, priding himself in not revealing anything compromising as to why he was really moved. He glanced out of the window, remaining silent as they drove past the tunnel, into a new landscape of identical houses. The bustling city center faded in the rear view mirror as the suburbs now surrounded the highway; some sections were projects were the poor and the vagrants spent their days, others were the perfect model of the 50s dream neighborhood, down to the trimmed identical grass and the smiling repressed housewives. The folks with enough money to get something above one floor, three rooms usually lived in Hillsbury Heights, far away from the noise and violence that could be found in the central areas of New Bath.

"Okay, this is the exit. Just a bit further." The screech of the tires suddenly finding themselves thrown into the narrow exit surprised Enrique; she had fast reactions. A secondary road opened towards the duo inside the vehicle, as a row of houses with perfect gardens stretched far into the horizon; the withering cedars decorated the road with an unusually eerie feeling, accompanied by the lack of people on the street at this hour. The only car on the road was the BMW. "Y'know, when I heard you were foreign I expected an American. Coming from across the ocean is a really long way. Why'd you move to this place? I know Canada's pretty but this city can get real ugly, real fast. I mean, it's no-... Ah, wait, we missed 13 Queen's." Enrique looked to the back of the car; the police cruiser parked on the corner behind them indicated the location of the Division's first crime scene. For one moment, he chastised himself for not paying enough attention to his job. It would be a waste of time to drive around the block. "Take a left, Ms. Jones, we'll just drive around." But the body would not run away, unlike a normal perp. There might be some things I like about this. Kind of wrong to like someone not moving for this reason, though.

As the car pulled up, the flashing lights above the two cruisers parked in front of the house shined on the otherwise usual neighborhood's windows. The house that now faced the task of being examinated, at least twice as big as the ones surrounding it, was closed off from all its sides by police tape. Aside from that, it didn't seem very out of the ordinary. It was a one story house, several windows on the front and sides and a single front entrance decorated by a small porch; the white paint that coated its wooden walls seemed to have worn off a bit, perhaps with the pass of time and weather but the sturdy tiled roof looked as good as new. A fence separated the open front yard from the back one, which had an entrance of its own, a wooden shed and patio furniture that decorated the otherwise empty piece of land. The front yard had a few dying potted flowers in front, possibly due to yesterday's tremendous rain. Albeit the street was deathly silent apart from the radios and chatter that came from the cruisers, a few old women could be seen peeking from behind the curtains of their own houses; curiosity that would turn to gossip for years to come in the neighborhood, perhaps.

Enrique climbed out of the car, feeling the usual New Bath cold hit his face like the scene and situation that now faced him. He had always been the man in the cruiser, that secured the area; the men who would come after that were always tired cops, clearly not up to the task. Now he was supposed to be up to the task. He recognized one of the men inside the police cars: a short Asian man who had been around 3 years patrolling in the streets, divorced and with one girl, rowdy drunk and avid fan of hockey; Officer Lewis. The man sat silently in the driver's seat, with his head looking directly at the pedals below him. Enrique briskly walked towards him, with the air feeling heavier by each step he advanced. Something's wrong. His fears were confirmed as he saw the vomit formerly hidden by the door of the patrol car, dripping off Lewis' pants into the cold pavement. The smell of breakfast in the morning coming back in the afternoon was not a pleasant one. Enrique's steps stopped as he directed his eyes to the house yet to be explored, his heartbeat rate increasing; he continued onwards towards Lewis. "Lewi-" "This is going to be one bad first day for you guys." said Lewis, as soon as he recognized Enrique's raspy voice. "A couple of witnesses are in the other car with Lieutenant Harper... It's a mess in there, man."

Enrique took a deep breath. "Alright. You rest, man." Lewis just moved his wrist to motion his desire for Enrique's retreat. Enrique spun on his heels, passing past Harper's car, not looking up to the windows as he already tried to piece together a plan to initiate the investigation, with a somewhat shaken resolve. Usually an officer sees and deals with some pretty messed up shit in the day to day. It's not like you can choose to ignore what is fucked up. Either the crime was repulsive or brutal; or Lewis hadn't responded to a murder yet... but I doubt that. Maybe we could split? One interviews, one searches the house... I don't know that much about forensics. Agh, fuck. Enrique brought his hand up to his head, the cold sweat from his forehead sticking to the palm. He finally reached Rhiannon, who had stood besides the car for the couple of minutes Enrique had traveled to Lewis. "Okay. The house is secure, the guys have already checked it. There's two witnesses in Lt. Harper's patrol car, four if we count the two responding officers themselves... Ms. Jones, I don't know what you've dealt with before but this one don't seem too nice. It messed up one man and that ain't very normal in this parts." Enrique wiped the sweat from his forehead and attempted to regain some of the compposure he had lost, standing up straight once again. "What's the procedure to follow, Jones?"

Homicide Investigations (A Mystery Detective RP)

I'll write a post tomorrow afternoon. (GMT -5:00) Gotta' visit my folks and stuff. Anyways, before I write it,@Jinxer, what's the kind of feel you want for the neighborhood around the crime scene?

Don't want to write us going into Downtown Financial if the crime scene is in a drug den. :S