SPERANZA MAYOR ISSUES NEW DECREE
Any Raider returning with more than 50 kg of cargo will have to pay an "Elevator Maintenance Fee"
SPERANZA In a move that many are calling "the second worst thing the mayor has ever done", Mayor Hallowell has announced the implementation of an "Elevator Maintenance Fee" for any Raider returning to Speranza with more than 50 kg of cargo.
The fee, which scales based on how much a Raider is carrying at the moment of entering the elevator, is reportedly intended to fund the repair and maintenance of Speranza’s old hydraulic lifts. However, Raiders and critics point out that the elevators have been failing since 2160, and no amount of credits has changed that yet.
Speranza's citizens have shown their disapproval of the new decree. Most of them are planning to protest in front of the town hall. (IMAGE TAKEN FROM https://arcraiders.wiki/)
Our team of journalists at The Speranza Gazette has been offered a interview with the Mayor of Speranza to discuss the new decree:
The Speranza Gazette: Mayor Hallowell, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. Can you explain why you decided to implement this new fee?
Mayor Hallowell: We are seeing unprecedented levels of greed topside. Our elevators are designed for the brave, not the greedy. If you want to bring back a full Queen's leg and three crates of advanced ARC Powercells, you have to pay for the strain on our cables. Physics isn't free, people.
The Speranza Gazette: But Mayor, the elevators have been failing since 2160. Why now? Why this fee?
Mayor Hallowell: Well, we had to start somewhere.
The Speranza Gazette: Are you aware of the common disapproval from most citizens of Speranza? What is your response to that?
Mayor Hallowell: I am aware of the brewing protests, yes. But the people of Speranza need to know this measure is for the good of ALL of Speranza.
Mayor Hallowell: And to those Raiders who oppose this measure, I assure you that the credits that will be collected, are going to be used to build new elevator lines and maintain and upgrade the existing ones.
The Raider's reaction has been less than peaceful. Several squads have reported "dumping" non-essential items like medical supplies and ammunition just to keep their bag weight at 49.9kg to avoid the tax.
"I had a hard time getting to the extraction point. I got to the lift, saw the Auditor with a scale, and I just threw a bag of high-grade ARC Coolant into the abyss. I’d rather the Ticks have it than the Mayor."
"They expect us to fight 40-meters tall death machines and then come home and do math? I can barely read, let alone calculate a 15% tax."
The Mayor’s office reminds all citizens that "Speranza is a privilege, not a right" and that those who cannot afford the fee will face penalties like more wait time for elevators or denial of access to Raider Hatches.