Office of ZuWo

[ZuWo]

In the next days, I will announce my running mate. This will become a strong, cross-regional ticket. Stay tuned!

[ZuWo]

Thank you! If only there were a Secretary of Defense cabinet post in Atlasia, you would get it. (And since I can't ruin my hypothetical chances for SoFE Ben's vote, I can't appoint you for that job, either )

Feel free to make him Secretary of Federal Elections - I'm the SoEA

Oh, that's almost a Perry-esque blunder! When I wrote SoFE, I was thinking about "Foreign Affairs" ... but that still doesn't explain everything.

[ZuWo]

Thank you Senator MOPolitico and JerseyRules for your support!

Regarding your question, JerseyRule: I'm not a member of any party in Switzerland, but I usually vote for parties and candidates on the right.

[ZuWo]

ZuWo/Jbrase: Leadership, Reform, Results

Dear Atlasian citizens,

I am absolutely thrilled to announce former Senator Jbrase from Texas as my running mate. Jbrase has been an independent voice in the Senate, a strong defender of regional rights and supporter of business-friendly policies. I am looking forward to campaigning with him!
Later today, Jbrase is going to give a short speech.

ZuWo/Jbrase - that's leadership, reform and results. We will fight tirelessly for a reform of our current tax system in order to make Atlasia more competitive. Likewise, we will tackle the issue of game reform with all our energy in order to make the game more interesting.

ZuWo/Jbrase is also a bipartisan ticket: I'm an RPP member and Jbrase is in the JCP. Indeed, we are convinced that some of the main problems Atlasia faces can only be solved satisfactorily if there are solutions that are backed by people from diverse political backgrounds. Bold solutions require the support of a large part of the Atlasian population. In fact, the ZuWo/Jbrase ticket is neither a ticket for the right, nor for the left - it is a presidential ticket for all Atlasians.

I invite you to join our campaign, to make contributions of any kind, to ask question and, most importantly, to believe in the future success of Atlasia!

Sincerely,

ZuWo

[ZuWo]

Sorry if you've already covered this, ZuWo, but do you have a position on the upcoming vote to dissolve the JCP and RPP?

Good that you mention this, as I have not yet commented on it.

In the initial phase of bgwah's proposal to dissolve both major parties I was skeptical. I like being part of the RPP. I like the other guys in the party and I am fully aware of how important a big-tent party on the right is to help conservative candidates get elected. Also, I was convinced that it was still possible for third parties to emerge despite the dominance of the JCP and the RPP, and I actually believed the NLP or Blue Party could become a successful enterprise. However, the quick fading of the NLP (no offense to Pingvin here, who is doing a remarkable job in keeping the remnants of the party alive) as well as the previous failure of the CID have shown me that I was wrong on this, and I now believe not much will change in the near future.

Thus, I have now reached the conclusion that a fresh start isn't such a bad idea. It would be exciting to have numerous small parties pop up after the two big players are gone, it would make elections more competitive. So in a way, I have grown to like the dissolution proposal.

So to answer your question: if such a vote is held, I may very well vote "aye" on the dissolution proposal. Even if I like the RPP very much.

[ZuWo]

Exactly.

I'm actually kind of surprised at how non-aggressive he's been on that actually.
Or maybe I'm just too lazy to search through a few pages to find it.

It's not that Jbrase and I have fundamentally different views. In fact, our similar views on taxes and the economy are a strong foundation of our campaign. But another thing that unites us is our common pro-life ideology, which is the most important social issue to me.

[ZuWo]

I love this.

Endorsed!

Thanks!

From now on, everyone who endorses this ticket and then goes on to vote for it gets Swiss chocolate for free. 20RP12, you're the first one to benefit from that offer!

[ZuWo]

Well, I'm good friends with Snowy, and I dislike your obsession with banning pot, but I'm good friends with Jbrase too, so I can say for now you'll, uh, not be having my vote in the upcoming election.

(My endorsement is, shall we say, non-coveted).

Wait until we unveil our tax plan - you'll definitely prefer our plan to the current tax rates.

Pot is an issue in a region like the Mideast, but I am realistic enough to accept that it is no issue on the federal level. That's why Atlasian potheads do not have to fear my presidency.

The reason why I would have vetoed the "Right to Treatment Act" as President is a constitutional one  - as I pointed out, it is in my view a violation of regional rights.

[ZuWo]

Federal Taxes

Atlasia shall remain a stable country which is able to function as a democratic state and maintain basic government programs. Therefore, it is unavoidable that a certain amount of taxes is levied by the federal government. However, the current federal tax rates are excessive. Have a look at the current tax rates as specified in the “Tax Code Bill 2011” and draw your own conclusions:

Current Tax Code
 
Corporate Taxes, Income

12%    $0 - $50,000
23%    $50,000 - $75,000
30%    $75,000 - $100,000
31%    $100,000 - $335,000
33%    $335,000 - $10,000,000
34%    $10,000,000 - $15,000,000
35%    $15,000,000 +

Income Taxes, Single Individual

0%      $0 - $9,500
13%    $9,501 - $35,000
24%    $35,001 - $80,000
28%    $80,001 - $170,000
35%    $170,001 - $367,700
41%    $367,701 - $1,000,000
50%    $1,000,001 - $2,500,000
60%    $2,500,001 +

If one factors in the taxes that are levied by the regions, it becomes apparent that the tax burden for an individual, especially if that individual is wealthy, is extremely heavy. As a result, Atlasia’s competitiveness is put at stake since these tax rates encourage both corporations and individuals to dislocate to countries which offer better conditions. Indeed, lower tax rates will make our country more attractive for wealthy individuals and corporations, which will lead to higher tax revenues; let’s follow the example of countries such as Switzerland, where this fiscal strategy has proved to be very successful. By pursuing such a strategy, the initially lower revenues will be compensated and, eventually, increased.

Concretely, we are of the opinion that it is unacceptable that there are federal tax rates which exceed 50%. Likewise, corporate tax rates that force corporations - even those that do not have a high income - to pay (nearly) a third of their income are undoubtedly over the top. In fact, a ZuWo/Jbrase administration supports a tax code that enables individuals and corporations to pursue a path towards prosperity and does not hamper their competitiveness. The following tax code was put forward by Senator Jbrase in the most recent debate on federal taxes and shall highlight how a ZuWo/Jbrase administration intends to proceed in order to ensure that our country is on a path towards growth and prosperity. In fact, our administration will attempt to cut taxes for people of different income levels and for small and large corporations. Help to make Atlasia more competitive! Support our tax plan!

ZuWo/Jbrase Plan for Prosperity

Corporate Taxes, Income

5%              $0 - $50,000
20%            $50,000 - $75,000
25%            $75,000 - $100,000
27%            $100,000 - $335,000
28%            $335,000 - $10,000,000
29%            $10,000,000 - $15,000,000
30%            $15,000,000 +

Income Taxes, Single Individual

0%            $0 - $29,999
10%          $30,000 - $44,999
15%          $45,000 - $79,999
20%          $80,000 - $199,999
30%          $200,000 - $399,999
40%          $400,000+

[ZuWo]

I think we should also begin discussion in Government on giving a 0% tax rate to a business during its first year, and a significantly lowered rate for business that moves here from over seas.

I believe this is a necessary step to make Atlasia truly competitive in the global market.   

I actually like this idea.

Will proposed spending cuts be proposed soon?

Yes. We will abolish three federal ... oops!

Jbrase and I are going to discuss spending cuts in the upcoming days. While I can't go into details right now, our general goal is to make spending cuts where the federal government is doing too much.

[ZuWo]

May I ask what "the liberal alternative" means?

It is an utterly mean confusion campaign on my and Jbrase's part. We count on leftist voters who are uninformed about Atlasian affairs and vote for us because they think we're the socialists in the race. Makes sense, doesn't it?

Alternatively, read Jbrase's reply.

[ZuWo]

'Kay cause I was kinda worried about whether you might be moderating or liberalizing.

No, such a move would be completly unauthentic. I have my views and I stick to them. I'm not suddenly turning into a person who supports abortion or wants to raise federal taxes.
 
At the same time, however, I'm fully aware that running for President is something else than running for ME Assembly. The priorities for the ME are different from the priorities for the entire country. Issues that may be of importance in the ME are not appropriate for Atlasia as a whole and vice versa. That's why I do not focus on stricter laws on drugs on the federal level, but instead concentrate on taxes and game reform.

[ZuWo]

Here's a less colourful but more straightford (read: boring) campaign banner for those who are confused by our "liberal alternative" slogan.

[ZuWo]

One measure of the health of Atlasia is of course the turn out during elections. So to promote greater turn out and participation in our democracy we propose the following change:

The SoFE, and 3 or 4 temporary deputies picked by the SoFE, take the list of registered voters and each take a section. Each person shall send a PM to every voter on their list with a link to the voting booth and when it officially opens and closes. Anyone who sends these PM's with any additional info with the purpose of swaying voters one way or another would face punishment.

What kind of 'punishment' do you have in mind?  Anything specific?

We have not discussed much about punishment. It would likely be during the senate debate when a specific punishment is finalized, which I would imagine including losing voting rights for X amount of time, band form holding office for X amount of time, and of course prohibition from being allowed to perform that duty in the future.

Or are you referring merely to the SoFE and his deputies who will be charged with the informing of the elections?  If that's the case alright then no complaints!

That's what we had in mind. Ordinary citizens can of course still PM anyone they want and tell them whatevery the want. We just want to make sure that if the system Jbrase has outlined is implemented, the SoFE and his deputies (if there are any) do not try to influence voters in any way.

[ZuWo]

Might I ask your position on civil liberties, such as the PATRIOT ACT?

Sorry for the slightly belated reply.

First of all, I must admit I have never read the Patriot Act in full though I have read up on the most important parts of what the Act says. Generally, my opinion is that there is no clearcut answer. On the one hand, a government has to do as much as necessary to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, and therefore our authorities need some leeway in order to work effectively. On the other hand, the protection of civil liberties is of a great importance as well. Thus, I cannot say outright "I completely support" or "I completely oppose" the Patriot Act. I believe there must be consensus that federal anti-terrorist units require some of the additional competences stated in the Patriot Act but they have to be supervised at the same time so that there is no misuse of powers.

I gladly pass this question on to my running mate. I am aware that he may have a differing point of view.

[ZuWo]

Sorry about all the questions, but What do you think about roe v. wade?

I strongly oppose Roe v Wade. I think life begins at conception, and am therefore against abortion in every case. In the same way the state should not have the right to take the life of a person by captial punishment, I believe it should not permit the killing of the unborn. I reject the reasoning that abortion has anything to do with a woman's right of privacy, since in the case of an abortion not only a woman's but also a child's life is affected.

I am proud that the ME Assembly passed an abortion ban while I was serving. Even though this has resulted in a still ongoing court case, it has been a landmark decision.

[ZuWo]

On Kal's Amendment (aka the Separate Election of the Vice President Act)

The ZuWo/Jbrase campaign strongly supports the so-called Kal's Amendment, which is currently debated in the Atlasian Senate. It is our conviction that, since Atlasia is primarily an election simulation, additional elections will have a positive impact on the excitement Atlasian citizens feel for the game.
However, we are aware of the problem that the vice presidency in its current form should be reformed. Indeed, the office of VP is rather meaningless at the moment since, unless there's a tie in the Senate, there's not much for him to do. We therefore welcome suggestions such as making the VP a Senator or increasing the competences of the Vice Presidency.

ZuWo/Jbrase - the only reform ticket in the race.

[ZuWo]

Welcome to the race, Oakvale!

While the President's announcement not to seek re-election has not come as a huge surprise to me, I am glad to see that Oakvale has formed an exploratory committee to run for President. Even though I think Oakvale is going to be a stronger and more active opponent (=even harder to defeat) than the sitting President would have been, I am happy about Oakvale's entrance into the race because it makes it possible for us to get a real debate on Atlasia's future started. Wherever this debate is going to lead us, I will do everything I can to make this a respectful and entertaining campaign.

Therefore, I agree with my opponent's wish to have one or several presidential debates. In fact, I am willing to participate in seven 3-hour debates!

My and Jbrase's record and campaign promises are out there as well. We will fight for economic prosperity and for sensible game reform issues. Under my leadership, the White House will get back on track in terms of activity, transparency and accountability. Let's make the office of President more meaningful again by electing an active President. And let's help to give our future Vice President Jbrase more competences, and support the Separate Election Amendment as well as other reforms of the Vice Presidency that have already been put forward or are going to be proposed in this very reform-friendly Senate.

ZuWo

[ZuWo]

Formation of new Parties/Presidential Race

Both presidential candidate ZuWo and vice-presidential candidate Jbrase welcome the impending dissolution of the two major parties, the JCP and the RPP. We are hopeful that the spark of enthusiasm among Atlasians, as witnessed by the formation of several new parties, will be long-lasting.

At the same time, we would like to emphasize our readiness to participate in presidential or vice-presidential debates, that is, as soon as one or several opponents step forward! Since the constitution states that presidential elections must begin on the second Thursday/Friday of February, which is February 9 or 10, we are already in the final two weeks of the presidential campaign. We are convinced that Atlasia needs a vivid political debate between the candidates running for President and Vice President, so we hope that our potential opponent(s) will not jump in at the very last moment.

[ZuWo]

Will you support a tax policy that ensures the wealthy, i.e. incomes of $1,000,000.00/year and over, pay a minimum of 30% tax?

Jbrase and I have put forward a tax plan which, in our view, will help Atlasia get back on a path to fiscal sanity and prosperity. Since Atlasian citizens are taxed quite massively both at the federal and the regional level, we believe the tax burden must be lowered.

Here's our tax proposal that we introduced a while ago. As you can see "the wealthy" would still pay a substantial amount of taxes according to this plan, but less than under the current system:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[ZuWo]

Separate Election of the Vice President/Popular Election of Cabinet Members

It is unclear whether the Senate is going to pass the Separate Election Amendment or not. As I and Jbrase have made clear, we are in support of the proposal to elect the Vice President of Atlasia separately and, if we are elected President and Vice President, intend to have this proposal re-introduced in the Senate during the next term.

An idea which has come up in the recent debate on the separate election of the Vice President is the popular election of cabinet members. This is a suggestion I and Jbrase are going to have a discussion about in the following days. In general, we symphatize with proposals that strenghten democracy and give the Atlasian people more opportunities to participate in elections.

[ZuWo]

A Stark Contrast

Dear citizens of Atlasia

With the entrance of Polnut/Tmth to the race, the ZuWo/Jbrase ticket is toast. But we will be a crispy and buttery toast with several drops of honey. In other words, we will carry on and put on a good fight.

Atlasia faces a stark contrast. On the one hand, we have a ticket with two politicians of outstanding merit who have done a lot for Atlasia. Yet, what that ticket offers is just more of the same. A vote for that ticket does not only mean that the office of SoIA is once again left vacated, but it also means that we elect a President who barely two weeks ago announced his farewell from elected office before he decided to run for Senate before he decided to run for President. One is tempted to ask: will he decide to run for Governor in two days?
While I respect Polnut for his past achievements, I believe Atlasia needs a President for the future. A President who knows that he wants to be President and who has sticked to his plans from day one of this campaign.

Indeed, the ZuWo/Jbrase ticket offers fresh blood, real change. But at the same, time Jbrase and I have been consistent during the entire election campaign. What we say today will still be of value tomorrow. We are the ticket of change and accountability. We are not afraid to stand up for unpopular ideas if we are convinced that these ideas are the best solutions for our country. We have a clear plan to boost our economy and to lower the tax burden of the Atlasian people. We are committed to game reform.

Atlasia is going through a phase of change. In such a crucial period of time, our country needs energetic new leaders.

It's up to you. Vote ZuWo/Jbrase.

[ZuWo]

I respect Polnut but as I have said from the start of your campaign.... Go ZuWo!!!

Thank you BigBadFab and clarence.

Clarence, your election result in your match-up with Polnut is a foretaste of what I should expect. I will rate it as a success if I exceed your result.

[ZuWo]

I am very pleased to endorse the ticket of ZuWo and Jbrase.

New leadership for a new Atlasia.

Thank you, Winfield. Your endorsement means a lot. A steep climb is ahead of me and Jbrase, but a response like yours encourages us to move forward.

[ZuWo]

More opponents about to enter the race

It is great to see the renewed enthusiasm people from all across the political spectrum have for the presidential election. As it seems, the election is not only going to be a race between ZuWo/Jbrase and Polnut/Tmth, but there is also EarlAW/Dr. Cynic as well as potentially a Labor Party and an Individual Freedom Party ticket. And that might not even be the end! This is going to be an exciting election, and I am glad everyone agrees to have a debate before this crucial election. The fact that so many new candidates have entered or are about to enter the race also makes our campaign more hopeful of winning. We, ZuWo and Jbrase, have a unique message of fiscal and game reform and economic sanity, and we are confident that we will be heard by the Atlasian people.