(Kainien Morel - Paper #2)

To my fellow Athenians, I greet you all!

I come before the Assembly to speak on the state of our democracy. Our democratic government of the Assembly is one of our most sacred Athenian traditions and one of the marvels of our world. That we have managed to sustain such a system of equality among men through crisis and conflict is a tribute to the superiority of such fundamentally Athenian ideas such as self-rule and fair government. Truly, our government, like Athens itself, is blessed by the Gods.

It is our duty as citizens to ensure that this blessing is not wasted. To ensure the fairness of representation at our Assembly, I propose that all citizens who attend the Assembly be compensated for their time spent away from their normal occupations.

Some of you might charge, "Is it not an Athenian's duty to participate in civic government if he is a citizen? Why should he be compensated?" Do we not compensate our soldiers fighting in Athens' defense, even if it is their duty as warriors? Compensation for citizens is a way to assure that the presence in the Athens assembly is a true representation of our entire polis. Many citizens are unable to voice their concerns at our assembly simply because they cannot afford to make the long journey there or to be absent from work during an Assembly session. Farmers—the lifeblood of any society—must often make the decision to participate in the Assembly or work their fields in order to secure their livelihood. As citizens, they should not be forced into such a predicament! In a democracy, those of us who can afford the luxury of leaving our homes for the Assembly should not have a greater voice than those who must balance their livelihood and democratic participation.

An allowance to all citizens who attend Assembly functions would help address this problem. Naturally, accepting the allowance is not a prerequisite for attendance: anyone of means who would not benefit from the allowance, or simply does not wish to accept the compensation for other reasons, is in no way obligated to accept it. Indeed, a patriot who is blessed with wealth by the Gods and is able to attend all meetings of the Assembly without financial consequences should understand that this allowance is not for him!

The fund that would supply these allowances would be monitored by a treasurer appointed by the Assembly, naturally. There are many options to help pay for this fund—a small portion of a two-percent import duty on products coming into the Peiraeus would cover the fund itself, the rest of the duty going to other projects. A tax imposed on the purchase of certain luxury goods is also a viable option.

I am confident that the costs associated with the establishment of such a fund would be outweighed by its ability to encourage participation across a broader scope of the population. Above all, this is the strengthening of democracy in Athens, and is it not democracy that we have gone to fight for and even die for in the past? Let us strengthen Athenian government, to honor the legacy of our polis, our ancestors, and our patron-goddess Athena!

- Member of the Radical Democratic Faction