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By Project_Director, 07/03/2009 10:03 pm

SUBJECT: Economic dependency of Regional Governments
MISSION FILE : AG TEAM CA-7 – LAZY EIGHT RANCH – WESTERN REGION
DATE: 1/16/2161
LOCATION: Southern California Region

Compiled by Chief Economics Officer Charlot Jackson


OVERALL TRADE:


There is a lot of Trade with Bakersfield and the High Desert Federation Towns and the California Coast Republic. Even though the political sides might now like each other, the merchants do and all areas make a large amount from taxes and tariffs on each others goods.


 

Most of the Taxes take place at the border check points between the governments on the Major connection Highways. All vehicles are forced to pay a “Tax” to travel to each of the areas lands. This tax varies between the governments, with the highest with Bakersfield, and the lowest being with the High Desert Federation.


 

When the vehicle pays the Tax, it is given a special plate (much like a Old license’s  Plates  that allows the vehicle to travel on assign trade routes (Highways)for a given amount of time.


 

In theory these Taxes pay for road work on the trade routes, but this is different for each area, with the High Desert roads being in the worse repair.


 

SALVAGE:


 

With the HUGE amount of savage from the Deadlands, people have been looting the Los Angeles area for 150 years now. Because of this, it is big business for all three governments, and quite well organized. Each Government gives special salvage licenses to select companies to operate contracts for goods. These contracts are much sought after as the rewards are great.


 

It is not unheard of to have competing salvage companies sabotage each others teams or even attack them. Once the Teams leave the civilized lands, anything is up for grabs, though there are alliances and treaties between various companies.


 

Also some teams are known for cutting deals with local Los Angeles clans or gangs while others just move into an area and take what they want.


 

As a standard, most Teams are well armed and travel in large caravans then break into smaller teams when in a target area.


 

Metals (Copper + Steel + Almost anything else), Car Parts, Machinery, Heavy Manufacture Equipment, Computers, pumps, weapons, aircraft, tires, ect.


 

Because of this, there is not a lot of heavy industry in the civilized Lands as most of it has been taken from the Los Angeles area and no one has needed to make car parts or other machined parts.


 

Another side effect of this is that Most working electrical items are now made up of many different parts of different time periods and equipment. So a working radio might be made up of 3 to 4 different pre war radios. This is a nightmare for support, but there is many a handy man who makes there livings from knowing what parts go with what equipment.


 BAKERSFIELD COOPERATION COUNCIL:


 Bakersfield survived the war with a large surplus of refugees from Los Angeles Area who in time functioned as SERF slave labor. This means the large farms around Bakersfield are run much like the old southern slave plantations in character so manpower is not a problem.


 Thus Bakersfield does not use much in the way of mechanical devices for the plantations even though they do have them if needed.


 Bakersfield also by far is the most populous of the three areas but 60% of the people are serfs so they do not consume much in the way economic goods. The Top 5% of the population, the Bakersfield Elite (The Plantation Families, technical elites, and the Family heads of the council) consume most of the trade goods in the region.


 The Economy is a planed one with a highly conservative  autocratic view point. Because of the tight restrictions on commerce, Bakersfield economy is growing very slowly at best. Many of the middle class are watching all the wealth go to the elite, and are slowly be priced out of the society. This is causing a lot of strain in the society and there is talk of some sort of redress for the middle classes, but it is being fought tooth and nail by the ruling family council.


Bakersfield do have some factories left that combine old prewar equipment to finished lower tech goods


 Examples. Coffee Pots, Shoes, Cloth, wool, cotton, food stuffs, Meat, leather working, some electrical goods (toasters, washing machines (For the Rich Only), simple sowing machines (Foot Powered), Some Light Tools.


They do grow sweet wines as it is to Hot in the central valley to grow good red or white wines.


Because of the control of the Oil wells and the Bakersfield Refinery:
Tires, Oil, Diesel, lubricants, some rubber products.


 HIGH DESERT FEDERATION:


 The High Desert Federation is a very lose alliance of the Desert Cities. It does not have a per say economic policy as every area has its own rules. The One thing that all HDF members share, is no tariffs within its membership on goods within the HDF.


 The Economic power of the High Desert Federation rests in its Rancher Elites, Its Mining companies, Its High Tech Manufactories, and abundant amount of surplus power from its solar, wind, and geothermal power plants.


 The Major trade good for the High Desert communities is power. Most of the electricity that Bakersfield uses comes from the High Desert, while most of the High Deserts Fuel comes from Bakersfield. This causes large amounts of friction with the politicians, but the agreement has lasted over 150 years.


 It is also the closest to the Los Angeles Area, so it has the greater share of the Salvage goods.


 The High Desert areas also have the largest amount of prewar factories still in operation as climate and the raiding of Los Angeles keep them in operation.


Aircraft are still being “Built / Combined” in the area as well as other higher tech goods. There are factories (like Bakersfield) that combine old prewar goods with modern goods to keep systems in operation such as phone, electrical, radio, and most important water delivery.


 The High Desert was also the site of many secret company projects, research centers, and operational testing grounds scattered around Edwards AFB. Thus one might even find ultra modern equipment mixed in with older equipment.


The High Desert Trades:


Cattle, Horses, Leather Goods, pre war salvage, High Tech equipment, Aircraft, raw metals, power, some food stuffs, some manufactured goods. 


CALIFORNIA COASTAL REPUBLIC:


(Area of Coast from Ventura to past San Luis Obispo)


 This is more democratic in nature than the other governments. It still uses the Bill of rites, and the constitution, and most of the business is done by companies or partnerships. In many ways its is a Andrew Jackson styled government with light on government and more on the Citys to run things.


 It does not have the manufactory base of the HDF and is mostly agriculture based in character. Average level of Technology is 1940’s in the countryside and 1980’s in the cities with economies to match.


 San Luis Obispo still has an operational university (The Only one in any of the three governments)which is why the technology level is as high as it still is.


 It is the Major trading route for both Bakersfield and HDF to the outside world vial the Deep Sea Port at Port Hueneme, and Morro Bay.


There is trade with Hawaii, central American countries, and the pacific rim, though this has only really started to become a force in the area within the last 10 years.


 There is always the thorny issue of the pirates operating on the coast islands, and there leader, Dead John Parsons, but so far most merchants simply pay off the pirates rather than battle them.


 The only source of Coffee, Tea, Cane Sugar come from these trading ships.


The California Coastal Republic Trades:

Horses, Wine (Some of the best California wines before the war were in this area), Leather Goods, pre war salvage, Shipping, Oil, some food stuffs, some light (Pre 1940’s) manufactured goods.