United Left Party activist Freedomburns announces candidacy for governor
by T.W. Bulldog Jones
USEA Atlasia capitol reporter
United Left Party (ULP) activist Freedomburns of Oakland, CA announced his candidacy for governor today, August 8, at the Capitol.
Freedomburns, 36, spoke of the need for better environmental protection, improved healthcare services, affordable housing, and election reform. Specifically, Freedomburns called for an Election Day regional holiday, with all employees getting the day off to encourage voting. Also, he vowed to repeal the five-year limit on welfare and called for “cradle to old age” healthcare. Saying these ideas are actually mainstream, Freedomburns argued that improving healthcare would encourage business because healthcare costs would be lower for them.
Freedomburns — saying it would only cost between one to two percent of the Western Region’s budget to address the needs of the neediest — envisions shifting regional taxes to more identifiable sources. Saying the region's sales tax unfairly burdens the poor, Freedomburns said he prefers using income tax as a revenue source because it’s better known who’s paying the tax. He also speaks of a luxury tax, on furs, expensive cars, other luxury items.
Having never run for governor before, Freedomburns, as presumed nominee from the United Left Party, says he anticipates an uphill struggle against the incumbent, Governor Wildcard, in the upcoming election. Freedomburns also said if he earns the United Left Party endorsement at the regional convention in Kauai, Hawaii, and raises sufficient campaign funding on his own, he could be eligible for matching Federal funds campaign contributions. Regardless of the outcome of his efforts to receive public funding in the current election, Freedomburns raised high expectations among supporters of reaching the five percent of turnout used as a threshold to guarantee receiving matching funds in the next election cycle.
Early rumors that had been circulating about his intention to run for Senator in the Pacific Region were put to rest today. Freedomburns denied ever having considered the possiblity of running for the Senate this year and endorsed the Senatorial campaign of ULP nominee PlatypeanArchcow.
