Office of Senator Talleyrand (Announcement)

[Talleyrand]

With the retirement of our longtime Senator, Bore, I will be throwing my hat into the ring for the opportunity to replace him in the Senate this February.

I been active in Northeastern politics for over a year now, and have served as a Representative, Speaker, Lieutenant Governor, Governor, and now Chief Judicial Officer. My recent term as Governor was among the most succesful in Northeast history, passing around twenty-five bills into law.

I will speak more on my positions/proposed policies starting on January 2nd, but if elected, my biggest priority will be to work on replacing the antiquated At-large Senate seats with either a second class of regional senators or some form of districts. This would certainly be the most realistic way we could revitalize the game at this time.

Ask away!

[Talleyrand]

Thank you all for your support!

List of Accomplishments as Governor

-Transferred responsibility for administering voting booths to the Chief Judicial Officer
-Liberalized laws regarding the possession of pornography
-Increased freedom to marry regardless of familial relationship
-Created a comprehensive anti-homelessness initiative
-Ended subsidies for and sold government-funded sports stadiums
-Removed inconsistencies regarding the appointment of the Lieutenant Governor
-Passed legislation to honor longtime Northeast public servants
-Renamed Interstate 278 in honor of baseball legend Jackie Robinson
-Legalized consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle for passengers
-Passed a budget with a $14 billion dollar surplus
-Allocated additional revenue for police cameras
-Ended the all-too-frequent Assembly special elections
-Created NESPA to focus on the preservation of endangered flora and fauna
-Legalized sexual activity for non-minors in enclosed, non-moving vehicles
-Ended subsidization and tax benefits for couples in unions
-Put Northeast tobacco regulations in compliance with federal law
-Standardized a new, more efficient template for future budgets
-Replaced a voluntary prayer period with a moment of silence in schools
-Repealed bans on eating while driving (etc.) and texting while walking
-Capped off forfeiture to police departments at 25%
-Set the purchasing age for alcoholic spirits and psychoactive drugs at 16
-Ended criminal prohibitions on adultery
-Put an end to the violent secessionist movement
-Legalized drugs including heroin, morphine, and cocaine
-Created an inclusive definition of marriage to be taught in schools
-Increased government support for 3D-printing technology
-Removed bizarre local restrictions on electronic apps
-Banned individuals for pretending to represent states of the Northeast
-Made attendance of A.A. meeting an option, rather than a mandate

I was consistently active and bipartisan as Governor, and worked with, and even appointed, members of all major political parties (Labor, Democratic-Republican, TPP, and Federalist) in the Assembly. In fact, out of the four Lt. Governors I appointed, two were Laborites, one a TPPer, and the last a DR.

While I make no secret of my membership in the Labor Party of Atlasia, I have consistently been willing to buck my party when I believe that is the right thing to have, and have worked across the aisle whenever possible.

[Talleyrand]

I think the biggest reason for the current state of affairs in the Assembly is pretty simple. Representative Winfield has introduced about forty frivolous bills calling for the repeal of laws he probably has not even read (as evidenced by his tendency to attack them in one-liners with no substance) and is obsessed with using ad hominem attacks on anyone who respectfully disagrees with him. Considering that virtually the whole queue is now a cesspool of this, it's definitely no wonder that individuals like former Lt. Governor, Barnes, Lt. Governor Matt, and Governor Sawx are pretty frustrated.

I've been fortunate to have worked with reasonable, courteous individuals during my positions in the Northeast government, and have made sure that if there is anything that threatens that atmosphere, something is done to stop it.

The issue with Winfield could be stopped immediately if the Speaker declared his bills frivolous and forced him to put all his various repeals in one or two bills. This is what I did when I was Speaker and Representative Butafly put about twenty different repeal bills in the queue, and what we've done at the federal level with omnibus "get rid of irrelevant laws" bills.

[Talleyrand]

Over the next two months, I will be unveiling my specific policy planks. Feel free to ask any questions.

International Biodiversity Aid



Pictured above are a Sumatran rhinoceros and her calf; less than a hundred of these gentle giants exist today, confined to treacherous mountain terrain in the islands of Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula.
Besides their innate majesty and imposing bulk, rhinoceroses serve as keystone mega-herbivores in the all ecosystems to which they are native. In the Malay Peninsula, Sumatran rhinoceros create pathways through the thick forest brush, which may then be utilized by smaller fauna such as tapir and deer. The African rhinoceroses feed exclusively on higher grasses, and thus allow the lower grasses necessary to the integrity of the savannas to grow; in lieu of their presence, the loss of up to half of all ground cover has been observed. The rhinoceros, in both continents, has been a hallmark of ecotourism, and produces billions in economic benefit to indigenous communities, and those tasked with ensuring their survival. These leviathans of land have endured twenty times as long as the human race; we have a duty to preserve them, or face drastic environmental and economic consequences.

In Atlasia we're fortunate to live in an environmentally conscious nation where we've taken many steps to protect the flora and fauna within our borders, while working to stop the spread of invasive species at the same time. On a regional level, we accomplished this during my last term as Governor, and a similar bill on a national scale was passed by Senator Polnut during the opening days of President Lumine's term. We have strict animal welfare laws, and have been proactive in stopping whaling abroad for many years. However, as dozens of species go extinct a day (an unprecedented number in modern human history, and one comparable to the Devonian and Cretaceous mass extinctions), we have a duty to expand what we have already done.

I propose the creation of an agency within the Department of External Affairs to be called the International Biodiversity Aid Agency, which will work in tandem with preexisting foreign aid agencies such as the International Development body. With an annual budget of 5-10 billion dollars, we can provide aid abroad as grants for organizations (governmental and non-governmental) which show a commitment to preserving the biodiversity of their lands. We can also create individual programs via a joint operation with the Peace Corps to create U.S. led programs in various conservation efforts (such as working with amphibians in Panama or elephants in Kenya).

With such an ambitious, well-funded program on a global scale, we might be able to inspire more individuals and nations to partake in the preservation of their native flora and fauna, while protecting biodiversity. With enough time and resources, we may be able to make a serious dent in the disappearance of life across the planet.

[Talleyrand]

Some thoughts on legislation before the Senate.

Recall Amendment

In general, I am no fan of recalls, which often tend to be ideologically driven and don't really reflect how competent an official has actually been. I have no faith that this would change much in Atlasia, but I do think that in extreme cases we need a recall policy for situations in which the expulsion or impeachment isn't necessarily an option. I currently support the Recall Amendment as it stands, but the requirement for 25% of registered voters in an affected constituency having to call for a recall is much too small. For example, in a region with only twenty-four citizens, six voters far out of the mainstream could force a special election upon someone totally competent. I would prefer that this requirement be raised to 50% to prevent this sort of frivolous nonsense.

Policy Report Act

I am excited about the potential that this bill, introduced by Senator Cranberry, has. Having an official responsible for giving one detailed update a month on some major policy area (e.g. education) is definitely a good idea, and I think that the responsibilities needed for this would be perfect for the Vice Presidency. In addition, I would also introduce an amendment to force the vice president to help maintain statue pages on the wiki, such as the categorical index of federal laws, which has gone many months without a definitive update. Having that section of the wiki up to date would be helpful as a reference for Atlasian policymakers across all levels of government.

Civil Rights Act of 2014 (2015?)

The current version (after the passed amendments) is a workable, though imperfect object. I support Senator Cris's amendment to replace land restitutions a fund to work on projects for affected peoples and their existing lands, but I think the amount he suggests $1 million, is virtually nothing, and should be increased. I also cannot in any conscience support excluding Native Atlasians from the terms that this Act proposes.

I am concerned about some of the minute, local restrictions that this bill forces (such as the equalization of juries and the removal of nearly all dress codes). Some of these are just unenforceable (as Senator Polnut has pointed out), whatever their intent may be. I support removing the latter section and amending the former to remove the clauses forcing regional and local governments to make steps for "proportionate" hiring, etc. At the very least, we need some clarification on what that means.

Finally, I want to clarify Section 3.5 a little bit. Does this mean anyone can use either gendered restroom? For example, one could claim to be "gender-fluid" and then use either restroom on whim.


As usual, thoughts, questions, and suggestions are welcome.  

[Talleyrand]

Endorsed

Thank you! It's nice to have a vote of confidence from someone who hasn't always seen eye to eye with me in the past.

And thank you too, Libertas.

[Talleyrand]

I would like to welcome Representative Matt into the race and thank Representative SirNick for his participation. I am still looking forward to having a good campaign.


Presidential Endorsement

I am pleased to offer my support to the Bore/Bacon King ticket. I have known both these gentlemen for over two years now, and both are among the most active and accomplished individuals in this game. I am proud to have been one of the first to encourage Bore to run for the Senate in 2013, and he has served fine excellent terms thing then. He has been a workhorse of a Senator, and one of the few to be consistently active while he has strived to make internal improvements in the working of this game. His recent terms as Speaker have taken away some of the unnecessary bureaucracy that was plaguing the game while making it far more enjoyable. I am confident he will succeed as President. As for Bacon King, he is one of the finest legal minds in Atlasia and has served four terms as President. His most recent stint in the Senate has dissuaded me from any worries I may have had about his activity.

This is not say that the POTUS/Maxwell ticket would not do a good job. Riley has taken his role as SoEA very seriously and redeemed himself for his mostly absent stint as Mideast Governor. Maxwell is one of my favorite individuals in Atlasia (though we probably agree on little) and he has left big footprints to fill in every position he has held. That said, my ideological differences and Bore's superior record over POTUS mean that I cannot support them in this race, though I would not despair were they elected.

[Talleyrand]

Representative Matt is a friend, but those increases are patently ridiculous.

A $20-25 dollar minimum wage over the next decade is an atrocious. It's been observed nationwide in the past that even something as small as a 15% hike in minimum wage can put 400,000 to 800,000 marginal workers out of a job, and I don't even want to imagine how many individuals would be put on unemployment by this bills and how many companies would choose to leave the region... The damage in terms of jobs would be in the millions, while economic losses could be in the billions.

[Talleyrand]

Thank you, Blair.

Some individuals have asked me whether I support the new public masturbation bill being debated by the Northeast Assembly... For the record, I oppose this. There are many (private) places where an individual can do this if they choose to, and I don't think they should disturb those who have actual need of the facilities of a public restroom.

[Talleyrand]

I am currently participating in a debate with Representative Cinyc and Speaker Matt here-

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=207039.0

[Talleyrand]

Thank you TDAS04 and Mattrose for the endorsements. I am looking forward to this election (only 5 days to go!)

[Talleyrand]

About four months ago, I came out of retirement to announce a run for office here in this great region. Though we sadly came up just a little bit short, that campaign changed our country forever. Today, four months later, another campaign for Northeast Senate is quickly coming to a close. And in my estimation, there is only one person in this race who I want fighting besides me in Nyman, day in and day out, on behalf of the People. That person is our exemplary Chief Judicial Officer, Talleyrand. Today I proudly endorse Talleyrand, and encourage all residents of the Northeast to join me in supporting him this election day.

Thank you for the kind words, Senator! I hope I will be joining you in a few weeks.

[Talleyrand]

Endorsed

Thank you Kalwejt.


Remember that the booth opens tonight! If you have any last-minute questions, PM me or ask me in this thread.

[Talleyrand]

Like Speaker Cinyc, I offer my condolences to Aaron Green and anyone else affected by the tragedy at the Census Bureau. Our nation's hearts are heavy tonight.

The voting booth is now open and the race is very close. I thank Matt and Cinyc for the respectful, friendly campaign. May the best candidate win.

[Talleyrand]

The results are in and it looks as if we have won. I thank all my supporters for their backing; I am forever grateful. I further thank Cinyc and Matt on running respectful, issue-based campaigns and hope they both remain active in the game. I will do my best to represent you in the game.

I congratulate Senators Cranberry, Windjammer, and TNF on being reelected, and Senator Hagrid on his election. I offer my commiserations to Dereich, Spiral, and Yankee, who all ran strong campaigns as well. I am very excited about Senator Bore and Senator Bacon King's victory for the White House. They will do a fantastic job and I have no doubt that Maxwell and Dallasfan would have done so too. I look forward to working with the new Senate and President in a few weeks.

[Talleyrand]

Thank you all for your kind words.


Like most Atlasians tonight, I was horrified by the brutal attack on Topeka yesterday and my thoughts are with the victims and their families. I strongly condemn this cowardly, destructive actions by these terrorists. We will not be cowed by such behavior.

I strongly support the actions taken by President Lumine and Secretary of Internal Affairs Hagrid in response to this. When I take office next week, I fully intend to work with the Senate to make sure those responsible for these crimes face justice.

[Talleyrand]

I have announced that I will be a candidate for re-election to the Senate this June. I have enjoyed my time in the Senate and feel like I could make a valuable contribution for four more months if given the opportunity to once again be your regional Senator.

I will talk more about my agenda later this week, but my top priorities will be game reform and environmental issues.

Ask away!

Endorsements

- Southern Legislator X
- Vice President Averroes
- Southern Governor Flo
- Northeast Governor Sawx
- Senator Polnut
- Former Vice President Dallasfan65
- Representative Cynic
- Assembly Candidate RGN
- Pacific Senator Cranberry
- Representative Clyde

[Talleyrand]

Thank you both for your support!

[Talleyrand]

I'm not a representative, BTW.

My apologies, RGN. Corrected.

I look forward to a strong campaign and a clear discussion on the issues that face the Northeast.

Welcome to the race and good luck!

[Talleyrand]

Thank you, Clyde and Cranberry.


I am devastated to hear about the knife attack on President Bore. He has been a paragon of public service and an inspiration to us all, and it is my hope he will make a full recovery. As Atlasians, we must not allow the vicious actions of a lone individual to cloud our commitment to democracy and the ideals our national was founded upon. I wish the President a speedy recovery.


I have also announced that I will be a candidate for the Speakership of Senate following the departure of Senator Windjammer. In addition, I would like to welcome CJO Rpryor into the race for Northeast Senate. Let's make it a good one!

[Talleyrand]

So this is announcement is a bit late, but I feel like it's necessary.

I am very happy to have won re-election to the Northeast Senate seat and thank the voters of the Northeast for the trust that they have put in me for another four months; I really appreciate this and am very sorry to let you down this way.

I will not be taking my senate seat on the commencement of the new Senate on July 3rd and will instead be resigning from the Senate that day. In all honesty, I've lost a lot of my interest in the body over the last month or so, and came close to dropping out in my re-election bid last week (I heavily regret not doing this now). I felt that I could probably revive my activity in a second term but I simply don't feel up to it at this point. It pains me to do this will the game itself lies in such a bad state, but I am simply unable to inject the enthusiasm into Atlasia that I have been able to provide in the past.

I will continue as Deputy Secretary of Federal Elections, assisting Homelycooking when necessary, and  vote in Atlasian elections, but I don't intend to run for electoral office in the future. For all intents and purposes, this is my retirement from active politics in this game.

I wish my successor the best of luck. Thank you all for your support.