{"data":{"id":15684,"title":"Showdown: \"Economic Imbalance\"","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/en\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/15684-Showdown-Economic-Imbalance","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/15684","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/15684","channel":"Spectrum Dispatch","category":"Undefined","series":"News Update","images":[{"id":4593,"name":"Showdown_FI3.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/giq0zrj0fs26sr\/source\/Showdown_FI3.jpg","alt":"","size":617227,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2016-02-02T21:46:47+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/4593","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/4593\/similar"},{"id":26463,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/weozjmuuh3hwh\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":843046,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-19T15:49:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463\/similar"},{"id":27892,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/w3o9r4zgppm77\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":900916,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2021-09-06T14:48:40+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892\/similar"}],"images_count":3,"translations":{"en_EN":"SHOWDOWN!\nAuto-Transcript for S&P and NFSC Submission\n\nEP:61:12 : \u201cEconomic Imbalance \u2026\u201d\nERIA QUINT: Hello and welcome to Showdown, the political program that tackles pressing issues from different perspectives. I\u2019m your host, Eria Quint. Today, we examine a recent report from the Senate Committee on Interstellar Commerce (CIC) that highlights the increasing economic disparity around the Empire. Though UEE prosperity reaches far and wide, there are still far too many who struggle to eke out a living.\n\nVarious government programs and non-governmental organizations have tried and failed to properly address this issue individually, leaving many to wonder if a combined effort \u2014 careful orchestration between private and public sectors \u2014 is what\u2019s really needed to raise the living standard for billions around the Empire.\n\nMy first guest has spent much of her career dealing directly with these issues. Senator Octavia Beate represents the Ferron System, which has known its fair share of economic hardships, and she is a senior member on the Senate committee that released the report. Senator Beate, we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Of course. The government is doing a lot of good work on this issue that goes unnoticed. Glad to be here to outline some of the actions we\u2019ve taken.\n\nERIA QUINT: And offering a perspective from the private sector, we have with us Kavan Aarset, the CEO of Economic Advancement for All (EAA), a non-governmental organization focused on ensuring economic equality. Welcome, Mr. Aarset.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Looking forward to a spirited discussion on a problem we can all agree deserves more attention.\n\nERIA QUINT: Let\u2019s start with you, Senator Beate. It\u2019s been about one hundred years since most major mining operations abandoned the Ferron System, a move that your home planet of Asura is still reeling from. The report from the CIC claims that two-thirds of the system\u2019s residents are unhappy with their current economic condition. What does the government need to do to provide your constituents with more economic opportunities?\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: The unfortunate truth is that this issue isn\u2019t isolated to Ferron. This issue affects people everywhere from Hyperion to the blocks of Terra. There are billions in the Empire that are in need, and the government has to be creative to try and change things. A problem of this magnitude demands an equally big solution.\n\nERIA QUINT: Are there any \u201cbig solutions\u201d that you\u2019ve found to be particularly effective?\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Absolutely. I\u2019ve been an outspoken supporter of large-scale military and infrastructure expenditures. Projects like the Retribution and Synthworld require resources and labor from across the Empire. These government expenditures not only generate economic growth that trickles down to the people who need it most, but also help improve and protect the fabric of the Empire that we all hold so dear.\n\nERIA QUINT: Mr. Aarset, how would an NGO like the EAA address the economic distress in Ferron?\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Not with platitudes, which is unfortunately so often how Senator Beate chooses to respond. This is an issue-\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: I beg your pardon.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: These so-called \u201cbig solutions\u201d only serve as a bandage. To really address the root of the issue, we need to take specific action based on the careful examination of a system\u2019s population, economy, resources, infrastructure and a myriad of other factors. Solutions must be tailored to the individual system to guarantee results. So that\u2019s what we\u2019d focus on first and foremost: truly understanding the people we\u2019re trying to help.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Mr. Aarset\u2019s goal of personally diagnosing and addressing the specific issues of every system is, well, it\u2019s an admirable mission, but also an infeasible one. Not even the UEE government can accomplish it, which is why we instead compile reports like the one just released.\n\nThe people of the UEE need help now. These people need jobs and opportunities, not to be the subject of another academic research paper. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve worked hard to direct government resources to these disadvantaged systems, and to do it now.\n\nERIA QUINT: Mr. Aarset, what specific actions has the EAA taken to help those being left behind?\n\nKAVAN AARSET: We have a strict policy that any credits spent in a system must go directly to local businesses. The problem with Senator Beate\u2019s massive spending plans are that they\u2019re nothing more than a huge payday for mega-corporations. A small, family-run company in Ferron doesn\u2019t stand a chance of landing a Synthworld contract when up against multi-system conglomerates like Shubin or ArcCorp.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Mr. Aarset is being deceptive here. He knows that most of these massive projects require large corporations to hire local contractors and mercs. That pumps a huge amount of credits into the local economy. That\u2019s in addition to all the credits their workers spend in the system going out to eat or catching a game at the local Sataball arena.\n\nERIA QUINT: Let\u2019s move on. Also included in the report was a list of systems in need of the most economic help. The list is strikingly similar\u2014\n\nKAVAN AARSET: I\u2019m sorry, Eria, but mega-corps hiring contractors isn\u2019t a recipe for economic success for those most in need. It only makes the economic disparity worse. You don\u2019t need to look any further than the planet of Hurston to see an example of this.\n\nA recent investigation by the Terra Gazette revealed the insultingly low pay and deplorable conditions contract workers on Hurston experience. Large corporations like Hurston are interested in their bottom line, not in helping the economically underserved. Actually, it\u2019s in their interest to keep wages depressed, so they can hold onto a greater percentage of the profits.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Using Hurston as an example is nothing more than a red herring. As we all know, the planet of Hurston is owned by the corporation and completely under their control with its own labor laws, rules and regulations. I may not agree with all of their policies, but the company is well within their rights to govern their planet as long as they adhere to the Common Laws of the UEE.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Which haven\u2019t been updated in how long?\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: If contractors on Hurston aren\u2019t happy with their pay, living conditions or whatever else, it\u2019s completely within their rights to move someplace else.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Except many of them can\u2019t afford to because of the suppressed wages and the strong-arm tactics of local company security. The last military expenditure Senator Beate sponsored included billions in contracts that were awarded to Hurston, so don\u2019t go saying there\u2019s nothing the government can do to apply pressure. Denying government contracts to companies that treat their workers inhumanely would be a great place to start.\n\nERIA QUINT: This is a fascinating discussion, but we need to take a quick commercial break. When we return, I\u2019ll challenge Senator Beate and Kavan Aarset to set their ideological differences aside and see if they can agree on a way the public and private sectors can work together to help those that are economically disadvantaged.\n\nThat, and more, when Showdown returns.","de_DE":"SHOWDOWN!\nAutomatische \u00dcbertragung f\u00fcr S&P- und NFSC-Einreichungen\n\nEP:61:12 : \"Wirtschaftliches Ungleichgewicht....\"\nERIA QUINT: Hallo und willkommen bei Showdown, dem politischen Programm, das dr\u00e4ngende Themen aus verschiedenen Perspektiven behandelt. Ich bin dein Gastgeber, Eria Quint. Heute pr\u00fcfen wir einen aktuellen Bericht des Senatsausschusses f\u00fcr den interstellaren Handel (CIC), der die zunehmenden wirtschaftlichen Unterschiede um das Imperium herum aufzeigt. Obwohl der Wohlstand der UEE weit und breit reicht, gibt es immer noch viel zu viele, die darum k\u00e4mpfen, ihren Lebensunterhalt zu verdienen.\n\nVerschiedene Regierungsprogramme und Nichtregierungsorganisationen haben versucht und vers\u00e4umt, dieses Problem individuell anzugehen, so dass sich viele fragen, ob eine gemeinsame Anstrengung - sorgf\u00e4ltige Orchestrierung zwischen privatem und \u00f6ffentlichem Sektor - wirklich das ist, was n\u00f6tig ist, um den Lebensstandard f\u00fcr Milliarden im ganzen Reich anzuheben.\n\nMein erster Gast hat einen Gro\u00dfteil ihrer Karriere damit verbracht, sich direkt mit diesen Themen zu besch\u00e4ftigen. Senator Octavia Beate vertritt das Ferron-System, das seinen gerechten Anteil an wirtschaftlichen H\u00e4rten gekannt hat, und sie ist ein hochrangiges Mitglied im Senatsausschuss, der den Bericht ver\u00f6ffentlicht hat. Senator Beate, wir wissen es zu sch\u00e4tzen, dass Sie sich die Zeit f\u00fcr Ihren vollen Terminkalender nehmen.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Nat\u00fcrlich. Die Regierung leistet in dieser Angelegenheit eine Menge gute Arbeit, die unbemerkt bleibt. Ich freue mich, hier zu sein, um einige der Ma\u00dfnahmen zu erl\u00e4utern, die wir ergriffen haben.\n\nERIA QUINT: Und mit einer Perspektive aus dem Privatsektor haben wir Kavan Aarset, den CEO von Economic Advancement for All (EAA), eine Nichtregierungsorganisation, die sich auf die Gew\u00e4hrleistung der wirtschaftlichen Gleichstellung konzentriert. Willkommen, Herr Aarset.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: In Erwartung einer lebhaften Diskussion \u00fcber ein Problem verdienen wir alle mehr Aufmerksamkeit.\n\nERIA QUINT: Fangen wir mit Ihnen an, Senator Beate. Es ist etwa hundert Jahre her, dass die meisten gro\u00dfen Bergbauunternehmen das Ferron-System aufgegeben haben, ein Schritt, von dem Ihr Heimatplanet Asura immer noch \u00fcberrascht ist. Der Bericht des CIC behauptet, dass zwei Drittel der Bewohner des Systems mit ihrer aktuellen wirtschaftlichen Situation unzufrieden sind. Was muss die Regierung tun, um Ihren W\u00e4hlern mehr wirtschaftliche M\u00f6glichkeiten zu bieten?\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Die ungl\u00fcckliche Wahrheit ist, dass dieses Problem nicht auf Ferron beschr\u00e4nkt ist. Dieses Problem betrifft Menschen \u00fcberall, von Hyperion bis zu den Bl\u00f6cken von Terra. Es gibt Milliarden im Imperium, die in Not sind, und die Regierung muss kreativ sein, um zu versuchen, die Dinge zu \u00e4ndern. Ein Problem dieser Gr\u00f6\u00dfenordnung erfordert eine ebenso gro\u00dfe L\u00f6sung.\n\nERIA QUINT: Gibt es \"gro\u00dfe L\u00f6sungen\", die Sie als besonders effektiv empfunden haben?\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Absolut. Ich war ein unverbl\u00fcmter Verfechter gro\u00dfer Milit\u00e4r- und Infrastrukturausgaben. Projekte wie die Vergeltung und die Synthworld ben\u00f6tigen Ressourcen und Arbeitskr\u00e4fte aus dem gesamten Imperium. Diese Staatsausgaben erzeugen nicht nur Wirtschaftswachstum, das zu den Menschen sickert, die es am meisten brauchen, sondern tragen auch dazu bei, das Gef\u00fcge des Imperiums zu verbessern und zu sch\u00fctzen, das uns allen so am Herzen liegt.\n\nERIA QUINT: Herr Aarset, wie w\u00fcrde eine NGO wie die EAA die wirtschaftliche Notlage in Ferron angehen?\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Nicht mit Phrasen, was leider so oft der Fall ist, wie Senator Beate reagiert. Das ist ein Problem -\n\nSenator OCTAVIA BEATE: Ich bitte um Entschuldigung.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Diese sogenannten \"gro\u00dfen L\u00f6sungen\" dienen nur als Verband. Um die Wurzel des Problems wirklich anzugehen, m\u00fcssen wir spezifische Ma\u00dfnahmen ergreifen, die auf der sorgf\u00e4ltigen Untersuchung der Bev\u00f6lkerung, der Wirtschaft, der Ressourcen, der Infrastruktur und einer Vielzahl anderer Faktoren eines Systems basieren. Die L\u00f6sungen m\u00fcssen auf das jeweilige System zugeschnitten sein, um die Ergebnisse zu gew\u00e4hrleisten. Darauf w\u00fcrden wir uns also in erster Linie konzentrieren: die Menschen, denen wir helfen wollen, wirklich zu verstehen.\n\nSenator OCTAVIA BEATE: Mr. Aarsets Ziel, die spezifischen Probleme jedes Systems pers\u00f6nlich zu diagnostizieren und anzugehen, ist, naja, es ist eine bewundernswerte, aber auch eine unl\u00f6sbare Mission. Nicht einmal die UEE-Regierung kann das erreichen, weshalb wir stattdessen Berichte wie den gerade ver\u00f6ffentlichten erstellen.\n\nDie Menschen in der UEE brauchen jetzt Hilfe. Diese Menschen brauchen Arbeitspl\u00e4tze und M\u00f6glichkeiten, um nicht Gegenstand einer weiteren akademischen Forschungsarbeit zu sein. Deshalb habe ich hart daran gearbeitet, staatliche Ressourcen auf diese benachteiligten Systeme zu lenken, und zwar jetzt.\n\nERIA QUINT: Herr Aarset, welche konkreten Ma\u00dfnahmen hat die EAA ergriffen, um denen zu helfen, die zur\u00fcckgelassen werden?\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Wir haben eine strenge Richtlinie, dass alle in einem System ausgegebenen Kredite direkt an lokale Unternehmen gehen m\u00fcssen. Das Problem mit den massiven Ausgabenpl\u00e4nen von Senator Beate ist, dass sie nichts anderes sind als ein riesiger Zahltag f\u00fcr Mega-Unternehmen. Ein kleines, familiengef\u00fchrtes Unternehmen in Ferron hat keine Chance, einen Synthworld-Vertrag zu erhalten, wenn es mit Multi-System-Konzernen wie Shubin oder ArcCorp zu tun hat.\n\nSenator OCTAVIA BEATE: Herr Aarset t\u00e4uscht hier. Er wei\u00df, dass die meisten dieser gewaltigen Projekte von gro\u00dfen Unternehmen verlangen, lokale Auftragnehmer und S\u00f6ldner einzustellen. Das bringt eine gro\u00dfe Menge an Krediten in die lokale Wirtschaft. Das ist zus\u00e4tzlich zu all den Credits, die ihre Arbeiter im System ausgeben, um zu essen oder ein Spiel in der lokalen Sataball-Arena zu fangen.\n\nERIA QUINT: Lasst uns weitermachen. In den Bericht wurde auch eine Liste von Systemen aufgenommen, die die wirtschaftlichste Hilfe ben\u00f6tigen. Die Liste ist auffallend \u00e4hnlich -\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Es tut mir leid, Eria, aber die Einstellung von Auftragnehmern f\u00fcr Mega-Corps ist kein Rezept f\u00fcr wirtschaftlichen Erfolg f\u00fcr die Bed\u00fcrftigsten. Es verschlimmert nur die wirtschaftliche Ungleichheit. Du musst nicht weiter als auf den Planeten Hurston schauen, um ein Beispiel daf\u00fcr zu sehen.\n\nEine k\u00fcrzlich durchgef\u00fchrte Untersuchung der Terra Gazette ergab, dass die beleidigend niedrigen L\u00f6hne und bedauernswerten Bedingungen f\u00fcr Vertragsarbeiter auf der Grundlage der Erfahrungen von Hurston entstanden sind. Gro\u00dfe Unternehmen wie Hurston sind an ihrem Endergebnis interessiert, nicht an der Unterst\u00fctzung der wirtschaftlich Unterversorgten. Eigentlich ist es in ihrem Interesse, die L\u00f6hne niedrig zu halten, damit sie einen gr\u00f6\u00dferen Prozentsatz der Gewinne behalten k\u00f6nnen.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Hurston als Beispiel zu nehmen, ist nichts anderes als ein roter Hering. Wie wir alle wissen, befindet sich der Planet Hurston im Besitz des Unternehmens und steht vollst\u00e4ndig unter ihrer Kontrolle mit seinen eigenen Arbeitsgesetzen, Regeln und Vorschriften. Ich mag nicht mit allen ihren Richtlinien einverstanden sein, aber das Unternehmen hat das Recht, seinen Planeten zu regieren, solange es sich an die Common Laws der UEE h\u00e4lt.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Welche wurden wie lange nicht aktualisiert?\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Wenn die Auftragnehmer auf Hurston mit ihrem Lohn, ihren Lebensbedingungen oder was auch immer nicht zufrieden sind, ist es v\u00f6llig in ihrem Recht, an einen anderen Ort zu ziehen.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Au\u00dfer, dass viele von ihnen es sich nicht leisten k\u00f6nnen, wegen der unterdr\u00fcckten L\u00f6hne und der starken Taktik der lokalen Unternehmenssicherheit. Die letzten Milit\u00e4rausgaben, die Senator Beate sponserte, enthielten Milliarden in Vertr\u00e4gen, die an Hurston vergeben wurden, also gehen Sie nicht sagen, dass es nichts gibt, was die Regierung tun kann, um Druck auszu\u00fcben. Regierungsauftr\u00e4ge an Unternehmen zu verweigern, die ihre Mitarbeiter unmenschlich behandeln, w\u00e4re ein guter Ausgangspunkt.\n\nERIA QUINT: Das ist eine faszinierende Diskussion, aber wir m\u00fcssen eine schnelle Werbepause einlegen. Wenn wir zur\u00fcckkehren, werde ich Senator Beate und Kavan Aarset herausfordern, ihre ideologischen Unterschiede beiseite zu legen und zu sehen, ob sie sich auf eine M\u00f6glichkeit einigen k\u00f6nnen, wie der \u00f6ffentliche und der private Sektor zusammenarbeiten k\u00f6nnen, um denen zu helfen, die wirtschaftlich benachteiligt sind.\n\nDas und mehr, wenn der Showdown zur\u00fcckkehrt.","zh_CN":"SHOWDOWN!\nAuto-Transcript for S&P and NFSC Submission\n\nEP:61:12 : \u201cEconomic Imbalance \u2026\u201d\nERIA QUINT: Hello and welcome to Showdown, the political program that tackles pressing issues from different perspectives. I\u2019m your host, Eria Quint. Today, we examine a recent report from the Senate Committee on Interstellar Commerce (CIC) that highlights the increasing economic disparity around the Empire. Though UEE prosperity reaches far and wide, there are still far too many who struggle to eke out a living.\n\nVarious government programs and non-governmental organizations have tried and failed to properly address this issue individually, leaving many to wonder if a combined effort \u2014 careful orchestration between private and public sectors \u2014 is what\u2019s really needed to raise the living standard for billions around the Empire.\n\nMy first guest has spent much of her career dealing directly with these issues. Senator Octavia Beate represents the Ferron System, which has known its fair share of economic hardships, and she is a senior member on the Senate committee that released the report. Senator Beate, we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Of course. The government is doing a lot of good work on this issue that goes unnoticed. Glad to be here to outline some of the actions we\u2019ve taken.\n\nERIA QUINT: And offering a perspective from the private sector, we have with us Kavan Aarset, the CEO of Economic Advancement for All (EAA), a non-governmental organization focused on ensuring economic equality. Welcome, Mr. Aarset.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Looking forward to a spirited discussion on a problem we can all agree deserves more attention.\n\nERIA QUINT: Let\u2019s start with you, Senator Beate. It\u2019s been about one hundred years since most major mining operations abandoned the Ferron System, a move that your home planet of Asura is still reeling from. The report from the CIC claims that two-thirds of the system\u2019s residents are unhappy with their current economic condition. What does the government need to do to provide your constituents with more economic opportunities?\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: The unfortunate truth is that this issue isn\u2019t isolated to Ferron. This issue affects people everywhere from Hyperion to the blocks of Terra. There are billions in the Empire that are in need, and the government has to be creative to try and change things. A problem of this magnitude demands an equally big solution.\n\nERIA QUINT: Are there any \u201cbig solutions\u201d that you\u2019ve found to be particularly effective?\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Absolutely. I\u2019ve been an outspoken supporter of large-scale military and infrastructure expenditures. Projects like the Retribution and Synthworld require resources and labor from across the Empire. These government expenditures not only generate economic growth that trickles down to the people who need it most, but also help improve and protect the fabric of the Empire that we all hold so dear.\n\nERIA QUINT: Mr. Aarset, how would an NGO like the EAA address the economic distress in Ferron?\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Not with platitudes, which is unfortunately so often how Senator Beate chooses to respond. This is an issue-\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: I beg your pardon.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: These so-called \u201cbig solutions\u201d only serve as a bandage. To really address the root of the issue, we need to take specific action based on the careful examination of a system\u2019s population, economy, resources, infrastructure and a myriad of other factors. Solutions must be tailored to the individual system to guarantee results. So that\u2019s what we\u2019d focus on first and foremost: truly understanding the people we\u2019re trying to help.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Mr. Aarset\u2019s goal of personally diagnosing and addressing the specific issues of every system is, well, it\u2019s an admirable mission, but also an infeasible one. Not even the UEE government can accomplish it, which is why we instead compile reports like the one just released.\n\nThe people of the UEE need help now. These people need jobs and opportunities, not to be the subject of another academic research paper. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve worked hard to direct government resources to these disadvantaged systems, and to do it now.\n\nERIA QUINT: Mr. Aarset, what specific actions has the EAA taken to help those being left behind?\n\nKAVAN AARSET: We have a strict policy that any credits spent in a system must go directly to local businesses. The problem with Senator Beate\u2019s massive spending plans are that they\u2019re nothing more than a huge payday for mega-corporations. A small, family-run company in Ferron doesn\u2019t stand a chance of landing a Synthworld contract when up against multi-system conglomerates like Shubin or ArcCorp.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Mr. Aarset is being deceptive here. He knows that most of these massive projects require large corporations to hire local contractors and mercs. That pumps a huge amount of credits into the local economy. That\u2019s in addition to all the credits their workers spend in the system going out to eat or catching a game at the local Sataball arena.\n\nERIA QUINT: Let\u2019s move on. Also included in the report was a list of systems in need of the most economic help. The list is strikingly similar\u2014\n\nKAVAN AARSET: I\u2019m sorry, Eria, but mega-corps hiring contractors isn\u2019t a recipe for economic success for those most in need. It only makes the economic disparity worse. You don\u2019t need to look any further than the planet of Hurston to see an example of this.\n\nA recent investigation by the Terra Gazette revealed the insultingly low pay and deplorable conditions contract workers on Hurston experience. Large corporations like Hurston are interested in their bottom line, not in helping the economically underserved. Actually, it\u2019s in their interest to keep wages depressed, so they can hold onto a greater percentage of the profits.\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: Using Hurston as an example is nothing more than a red herring. As we all know, the planet of Hurston is owned by the corporation and completely under their control with its own labor laws, rules and regulations. I may not agree with all of their policies, but the company is well within their rights to govern their planet as long as they adhere to the Common Laws of the UEE.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Which haven\u2019t been updated in how long?\n\nSENATOR OCTAVIA BEATE: If contractors on Hurston aren\u2019t happy with their pay, living conditions or whatever else, it\u2019s completely within their rights to move someplace else.\n\nKAVAN AARSET: Except many of them can\u2019t afford to because of the suppressed wages and the strong-arm tactics of local company security. The last military expenditure Senator Beate sponsored included billions in contracts that were awarded to Hurston, so don\u2019t go saying there\u2019s nothing the government can do to apply pressure. Denying government contracts to companies that treat their workers inhumanely would be a great place to start.\n\nERIA QUINT: This is a fascinating discussion, but we need to take a quick commercial break. When we return, I\u2019ll challenge Senator Beate and Kavan Aarset to set their ideological differences aside and see if they can agree on a way the public and private sectors can work together to help those that are economically disadvantaged.\n\nThat, and more, when Showdown returns."},"links_count":0,"comment_count":58,"created_at":"2017-01-25T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"9 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-06-02 20:58:29","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":15683,"next_id":15686}}