Lieutenant Governor Debate

[minionofmidas]

I ask everybody, especially the citizens of the Pacific Region, to pose questions to the candidates for the office of Lieutenant Governor, in this thread. These will be answered by King and me.

[King]

Bump, nobody has any questions?

[StevenNick]

How do each of you feel about the proposed smoking ban?

[King]

How do each of you feel about the proposed smoking ban?

Tests have shown that no smokers who spend time around smokers have the same chance of getting lung cancer as those who do smoke, but businesses would hurt in some respects. Smokers are more likely to stay home if they can't have a cigarette with their meal and/or alcoholic beverage. What we need to do is introduce some sort of tax credit for these businesses that encourage then to have smoking bans...

[minionofmidas]

How do each of you feel about the proposed smoking ban?

I am opposed to a smoking ban in restaurants and bars.

If you want to change current tobacco legislation, cutting subsidies for tobacco farmers is the place to start.

[Akno21]

Do you favor lowering the drinking age to 18 or possibly lower than that?

[King]

Do you favor lowering the drinking age to 18 or possibly lower than that?

I think that is more of a question for the President or Senate. I don't think our Region should interfere with the issue, but personally I think it should be left as is. Unless our under 18 Senators say otherwise.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

As General Secretary of the AFL-CIO, I'd like to ask the candidates what their positions are regarding:

a) The ongoing "Lumber Wars" with Canada (especially the Province of British Columbia, and especially all of Vancouver Island north of the Victoria Metro)

b) The Butte-Anaconda area

c) Taft-Hartley

And as Chairman of the C.E.S, I'd like to know the candidates positions on the electoral systems of

a) The Western Region

b) Nationwide Elections

[King]

As General Secretary of the AFL-CIO, I'd like to ask the candidates what their positions are regarding:

a) The ongoing "Lumber Wars" with Canada (especially the Province of British Columbia, and especially all of Vancouver Island north of the Victoria Metro)

b) The Butte-Anaconda area

c) Taft-Hartley

And as Chairman of the C.E.S, I'd like to know the candidates positions on the electoral systems of

a) The Western Region

b) Nationwide Elections

AFL-CIO:

A) I am unaware of this "Lumber War" but hope we can come to some sort of trade agreement in the future...

B) What about the Butte-Anaconda area? That they voted Democrat since the 50s? Its a major city in Montana, big cities like Democrats...

C) I don't think the Lt. Gov has a say...

C.E.S. (not to be confused with the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show):

A) First of all, we are officially the Pacific, and I do support regional preferential voting as a way to better understand our Democracy....

B) I think we should be able to vote on Supreme Court Justices or at least have a non-binding election that tells our Senators who they should vote for...everything else is fine...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Not to do with politics: I mean economic (and other) regeneration, cleanups and so on.

[minionofmidas]

Do you favor lowering the drinking age to 18 or possibly lower than that?

I favor lowering the drinking age to 18 for spirits and to 16 for beer and wine.

[minionofmidas]

As General Secretary of the AFL-CIO, I'd like to ask the candidates what their positions are regarding:

a) The ongoing "Lumber Wars" with Canada (especially the Province of British Columbia, and especially all of Vancouver Island north of the Victoria Metro)

b) The Butte-Anaconda area

c) Taft-Hartley

And as Chairman of the C.E.S, I'd like to know the candidates positions on the electoral systems of

a) The Western Region

b) Nationwide Elections

a) I am not familiar with this "Lumber War". I am familiar with the unemployment and poverty of Washington lumber towns, however. We will have to find ways to create a more diversified economy in these areas.
b) Montana has recently been added to our region. That whole Butte area is pretty toxic. I am not familiar with the details of copper mining and with the means of regeneration. But I promise to look into the matter.
c) The Taft-Hartley act should be repealed. However, as my opponent has rightly pointed out, the Lt.Gov. doesn't have a say.

Politics:
The Pacific Region currently uses traditional fptp voting. We have a ballot measure coming up to introduce preferential voting. I don't need to remind you I had a role to play in making this possible, and so did Governor Wildcard, something I want to express my thanks for.

On a national level, I am in favor of maintaining the current system.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The AFL-CIO endorses Lewis for Lt Gov of the Pacific

[minionofmidas]

The AFL-CIO endorses Lewis for Lt Gov of the Pacific

That doesn't belong in this thread.