Adam Griffin Senate Campaign HQ - Chattanooga, TN - The Southern Candidate

[Donerail]

     I probably should address all of your platform points together, but the special election point particularly intrigues me, so I will feel free to talk about it now.

     Back when we had the post of Viceroy, we were required to hold special elections for vacancies. They were rather dreadful affairs, and along with monthly regular elections contributed to a sense of election fatigue. I think the increase in partisanship now would lead to more interesting special elections, but I do think that there can be too much of a good thing, and that applies to elections too.

     The issue I see is that regional executive has been a traditionally useless post in Atlasia. The advent of the elected legislature has helped in this regard, but I've still had to work to make the post be as relevant as possible. A nice upside of legislative appointments is that it makes executive control play a role in legislative control, as the Emperor has the power to tip the scales of the Legislature in his favor. With the fast timescale that transitions of power can occur on in this regional government, appointment gives the executive a precious opportunity to implement his agenda, whereas special election is more of a double-edged sword.

I'd also argue that the way PiT has made appointments has been extremely smart. For the most part, he appoints new members who would have otherwise had a hard time winning elections. It's because of PiT that these members are able to get their foot in the door and make a bit of a name for themselves. I do see the downside of this power if we ever get a completely opportunistic governor, but I really think it's been a force of good, at least as long as I've been here.

This, this, this. I got an appointment pretty soon after I registered; I doubt I would have otherwise won an election, having absolutely 0 name recognition. The real point of the legislature is to introduce new folks to how this whole thing works, and the appointment system lets that happen more often than I'd believe a special election would.

[Adam Griffin]

In regards to proposing special legislative elections, I believe that this has served as a good way to introduce people to elected politics for quite some time. When dealing with a region where there are less than a dozen active individuals, it makes sense to proactively introduce new faces to the Legislature through appointment.

However, as our region continues to grow, this action could become tinged - in my opinion - with the scent of nepotism and partisan favors. While it is alluring to be able to appoint individuals to the Legislature whenever there is a vacancy, I will resist such temptations. We will continue to have the same number of offices while having more and more fresh faces contending for seats. It will become impossible to "referee" the cycling of Legislators in regards to giving them experience. I would argue that we already have enough active citizens to fuel such a strategy. It also seems to work well in other regions that have our levels of population and activity.

I also believe that the culture of the South can allow for fresh faces to be introduced into politics without the petty bickering that sometimes manifests. I will remind everyone that I was initially elected without appointment and had no partisan allies in the region at the time. I believe understanding how the game works and how people must continuously cycle into these seats will allow the same results we all desire: activity, competition and growth.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I do agree that special elections work better with more people. They are not really conducive to getting new members elected, though fundamentally neither is appointment. Both systems depend on the people with power having the guts to try new, untested faces to reach their true utility. Historically, elections with large electorates have tended to enforce an old boy's club in Atlasia, where only well-known, well-respected candidates have a shot at winning. I acknowledge that that does not always have to be the case, and I posit that we can help ensure that that is not the case by creating more opportunity to advance.

     Along those lines, your comment about "We will continue to have the same number of offices" made me think. It occured to me that, as our region grows, we may want to increase the size of the Legislature further. In the November elections, we had 23 people vote. That's 23 people who have the potential for activity. Despite this, we only have seven regional offices. Some of those people hold federal offices as well, but many are just voters with no current office to hold.

     In order to keep people active for the long-term, you have to keep people interested. Getting them running and into office is an excellent way to do this. I think that we could easily increase the number of seats and find the candidates to have competitive elections. More people and more offices leads to a richer discourse both on the campaign trail and in the Legislature, and also positions the region to better sustain its current population growth.

[Donerail]

In the Pacific, the number of Council Seats is proportional to the population, so for every six citizens, a new seat emerges. I know that in the South, the number is locked, but can be changed by statute. Why don't you implement the proportional system?

This, or I know the Northeast has created a cabinet system (or we could expand the Legislature and have each Legislator hold a cabinet position as well).

[Cincinnatus]

In the Pacific, the number of Council Seats is proportional to the population, so for every six citizens, a new seat emerges. I know that in the South, the number is locked, but can be changed by statute. Why don't you implement the proportional system?

We had such a system in the Northeast at one point.  Assembly elections were consistently boring under a proportional system, and so when we discussed the change to a locked 5, it was meant with great support.  The only question in this region is.. Is 5 still too many..?

[Donerail]

In the Pacific, the number of Council Seats is proportional to the population, so for every six citizens, a new seat emerges. I know that in the South, the number is locked, but can be changed by statute. Why don't you implement the proportional system?

This, or I know the Northeast has created a cabinet system (or we could expand the Legislature and have each Legislator hold a cabinet position as well).

I read your constitution, because I was curious of the legality of BK and Seatown's claims, and I read you already had a cabinet, of a Lottery Commissioner, and a Transportation Commissioner, among others. The Northeast Cabinet is vacant with the exception of Bore. You may want to bring back the position of Viceroy, if you want something new. The problem with Deputy Executives, however, is that there is no appeal to run for them, and while they are more prestigious, they are functionally useless, so that's why we had to abolish the Pacific Lt. Governor position, finally.

Those have been abolished under the End To Superseded And Unenforceable Laws Gumming Up The Books Act of 2011.

[Northeast Rep Snowball]

In the Pacific, the number of Council Seats is proportional to the population, so for every six citizens, a new seat emerges. I know that in the South, the number is locked, but can be changed by statute. Why don't you implement the proportional system?

We had such a system in the Northeast at one point.  Assembly elections were consistently boring under a proportional system, and so when we discussed the change to a locked 5, it was meant with great support.  The only question in this region is.. Is 5 still too many..?

no

[Adam Griffin]

I think there is real potential to stimulate and augment the level of political/regional activity by considering the addition of offices, but I tend to lean toward the idea that we could consider roles other than the Legislature. I understand that there may be some precedent suggesting that these offices are not useful, but my mind keeps wandering back to a modified example of the Imperial Scribe role that was created in the Legislature some months back - but as an elected office. I am sure that with a region's worth of input, we could come up with a couple of other, less-intensive positions to give citizens their first chance to contribute.

I find it undesirable to devalue the role of the Legislature by adding more generic seats. I think 5 is still a good fit for the region. To some extent, this can be a mechanism to generate regional growth. We immediately saw growth begin to manifest in the Pacific once an elected council was created. Still, I tend to sympathize with what Cincinnatus said; maybe if we had 45+ citizens, an addition of 2 or so seats would be justifiable. In other words, it should be a little difficult. Nevertheless, I believe we can create separate, additional opportunities for citizens to begin their political careers.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I agree that differentiated offices are a better goal than adding more Legislative seats and, if done right, would greatly add to the richness of the regional government. In my time in Atlasia, I have been a consistent proponent of more variety and more experiences available to the citizenry. When some people wanted to eliminate the regions and replace them with a universal lower house, I allied with Marokai and Purple State to stop that from happening.

     The inherent problem that I see is making these differentiated offices interesting. In the past couple years we abolished the Viceroy and also created and abolished the IDS Attorney General, because both offices were generally uninteresting and few people were willing to take them on. The Viceroy was left to watch Legislative business and not take active part in it, and I sensed that holding the position in fact caused many Atlasians to tend towards inactivity rather than activity. IDS Attorney General, a precursor to the Defender of the Realm, was an elected position with few responsibilities, and generally proved to be useless. As it happened, we were not sued often enough to sustain interest.

     Ultimately, it would be nice to have new and unique offices that people could run for. However, many options for such offices would be counterproductive and useless, whereas more Legislative seats is a surer recipe for success. In the time it takes to try out different ideas, we could end up losing several citizens to inactivity that we wouldn't otherwise. Electing an Imperial Scribe is an interesting idea, though I will point out that it's a purely ministerial position and would have limited potential for ideological use, making it a typically boring race where there is no reason for one party to contest another party's control of the office. It wouldn't be useless by any means, but it would all too likely end up on the backburner and largely forgotten.

     In the end, I would love to see that sort of idea be implemented, but I warn that it will be difficult. Many good efforts to make it happen have failed in the past and years of Atlasian history at both the regional and federal levels seem to suggest that the legislative branch is simply the most interesting branch of government.

[Adam Griffin]

I'd like to apologize for not being active the past couple of days. This time of the year always proves to be busy and time-consuming, so I do not feel that bad when I see that most of Atlasia seems slower than normal.

Or, maybe the absence of the magnanimity of The People has caused this realm to silence itself.

[Associate Justice PiT]

I'd like to apologize for not being active the past couple of days. This time of the year always proves to be busy and time-consuming, so I do not feel that bad when I see that most of Atlasia seems slower than normal.

Or, maybe the absence of the magnanimity of The People has caused this realm to silence itself.

     It's alright, I've been busy with school myself...or maybe we're both just too busy working for the good of the region to actually campaign.

[Adam Griffin]

HIGH TREASON IN THE SOUTH

The recent actions of "IDS Legislator" Ben Kenboi attempting to secede a portion of the South from its native home are disgusting. Those of us in the South who believe in a unified region look upon him with disdain and know for certain that history will remember this moment negatively.

After discussing these events with several - including the Emperor - I believe that the situation is stable for now. However, if the situation changes, I will use my full power as a citizen, Legislator, Co-Speaker and Party Chair to make sure that such an event does not manifest in its entirety.

That is all.

[Adam Griffin]

It looks like I'll be running in the at-large Senate election to fill the vacancy of Labor's own Senator Barnes! I'll take a brief amount of time to make a generic statement about how great of an opportunity this is for Atlasia to advance progressive values, as well as wish all the other contenders a marginal amount of luck.

While I'm straightening up this humble abode, I'll accept any questions from the great citizens of Atlasia.

[LastVoter]

Endorsed

[Adam Griffin]

==================
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Senate candidate Adam Griffin speaks to supporters at first campaign rally

February 6, 2012 - Walnut Street Bridge, Chattanooga, TN

Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! I'd warmly like to thank those who have bothered showing up here today to no doubt listen to me go on another of my long-winded rambles about Atlasia and its future. Over the past several months, progressive causes have fought for our ideals consistently across this great country and have won many battles.

With that being said, the political climate in Atlasia is at a crossroads. Recently, we have seen progressive values being chipped away at in regions and at the federal level - alas, our clout is not as strong as it was in previous months. As some of you may know, I do not demonstrate humility or concede on just about anything - but I will set aside my shortcomings in order to address a very real situation.

Progressivism is under attack - whether that be directly or indirectly - all across this country. Through the strengthening of the once defunct Atlasian right, the growth of a bloc of individuals seeking outright majority control of the Senate, established political interests seeking to re-enter the fray for their own gain and a seemingly impending political shift in the identity of the major movements in this game, we face the very real possibility of progressive values being destroyed via a death of a thousand cuts.

In the coming days, I will be outlining a vision that consists of the preservation of the ideals that we truly hold dear - in addition to proposals for comprehensive game reform that must be a part of Atlasia's future dynamic in order for all of us to succeed. The future that this game deserves is one that involves basic, yet comprehensive reforms and I am ready - as always - to lead the charge.

I welcome questions from the audience and look forward to discussing my vision in broader detail in the days to come.

[Gass3268]

Endorsed!

[Northeast Rep Snowball]

Endorsed

[Adam Griffin]

Endorsed

Endorsed!

Endorsed

Thanks guys! I encourage everyone to also keep an eye on the current Senate Town Hall Debate, which is just getting started.

[opebo]

Endorsed

[McGovern]

Endorsed

[Zanas]

Endorsed. But will you still be paying us a visit deep down in the South now and then ?

[Adam Griffin]

Endorsed

Endorsed

Endorsed. But will you still be paying us a visit deep down in the South now and then ?

Absolutely. It'll be like I never left.


Since this campaign will be short and I expect most discussion to occur in the town hall debates, I am going to copy over my responses to various questions so everyone can filter out all my competitors.

Lately, there seems to have been a very alarming behind-the-scenes trend towards personality cults and de facto political machines that, in this Senator's view, are one of the greatest unspoken threats to Atlasia today.  Many Atlasians have expressed concerns about this to me, yet they will not go public for fear of reprisals.  Thus, I will try to give a voice to these voiceless citizens. It is on their behalf that I ask each of the candidates the following question: How have you demonstrated that you are truly your own man throughout your political career and how will you fight personality cults if elected?  The People want a Senator who will speak truth to power, not a puppet of any one individual or party and The People eagerly await your answers

I admit that I must walk a careful line here. While I have been at the helm of Atlasia's (until very, very recently) largest political party, I do not consider myself to be part of the entrenched system that threatens the future of this game.

In the eight months that I have been a part of this game, I have worked my way up from a lone Laborite in the IDS seeking election and re-election twice to the Legislature, to a candidate for Emperor and also the Chairman of my Party. In this time, I have fought against entrenched, aristocratic interests in my own region and sought to replicate the efforts through other avenues across this country. My "political career" has not been so much a result of me pursuing my own elected dreams, but rather working to ensure a new crop of citizens have their shot at elected office. In many ways, I have used my devotion to this game as a means of giving others - who have not been part of this for years - a chance to have their voices heard throughout legislative and executive establishments in Atlasia.

However, my fight alone has not been enough. I feel that there are concrete steps this country can take - in addition to the Senate as a body - to make sure that the status quo never feels comfortable. One example is term limits on federal offices (i.e.: any one individual cannot serve more than 24 months in federal office in any 36 month cycle), which may help relieve the bottleneck we have in regards to new citizens wishing to move forward in their careers but cannot due to "unbeatable" contenders.

Personality cults are difficult, by definition, to eradicate as they are built around either an actual person or abstract idea. I feel that in the IDS, I can cite the perfect example of what this actually looks like; in many ways, the regional struggle for power has been as much "old versus new" as it has "left versus right". There are multiple ways - whether it be federal or individual action - that can be used to limit the power that any one party, movement or cult can exert over a region or this country, but individual personality cults - those drawing their aura from a specific person - are much more difficult to eradicate. There is, in my opinion, no easy solution for that.

Where do the candidates stand on education reform?

As someone who spent literally months collaborating on a large regional education reform package, I have had first-hand experience with many of the arguments presented on the subject. We reduced class sizes, created additional opportunities for gifted children that compares to the Governor's School Act and its Mideast protege, required students to explore foreign language in order to broaden their horizons, guaranteed fair access to internet and computers, as well as introduced a tax mechanism that allows for additional funding of select school activities.

When it comes to education, I believe we must level the playing field as much as possible while still allowing venues through which both extraordinary and lackluster students can also better themselves. One area in which I often disagree with the status quo ideology is on the subject of teachers: we must adopt strategies that ensure we are focusing on quality more than quantity. I also believe that it is fair game to remove from the system teachers whose students under-perform consistently through a variety of metrics. If that means we have to increase educational funding to procure highly-qualified teachers for every position, then I feel that it is a price we must pay.

One thing I've found to be the case during my tenure as senator is that once the elections are over, the senate comes together as a team. We have our disagreements, but we work together in a respectful way. I wonder if the candidates could speak to their qualifications as team players. What do they bring to the table?

Despite my hard-line partisan attitude on the political stage, most with whom I have worked (maybe even you? ) will tell you that I often adhere to the common principles that in an establishment, we must all work together and only let our ideological views fuel the debate, not obstruct the process.

My voting record on a variety of regional affairs demonstrates that I am fully capable of compromise when there is no fundamental disagreement on the values and intent of any given legislation. As Co-Speaker, I operated the chamber in a completely non-partisan fashion, introducing bills in the order in which they were sponsored - all while ensuring an orderly flow of process. Unfortunately, the immediate predecessor could not adhere to the same ideals and was essentially forced out of office.

What measures will you propose or support to reduce - or, even better, eliminate - poverty in Atlasia?

I believe - at the moment - that Atlasia has a solid social safety net. This, however, does not mean that there are not other areas in which improvement can be made. The first notion that comes to mind - and something that had been discussed with increasing frequency in regional and presidential debates - is the nationalization of our energy sectors.

Energy is not a job-dense industry; with just a few hundred thousand workers, energy companies can essentially drain dry all the natural resources in this great country. The result is very little competition, high prices, accumulation of liquidity and in some cases, downright hoarding - all of which lead to a volatile, unnecessarily expensive scenario in which potential economic growth is ignored in the idea of the "free market", something of which does not exist in the slightest in the energy sector.

By eliminating the concept of profit from the equation - and only breaking even on labor/operating costs - we could potentially free up 1-2% of GDP instantly for direct injection by consumers into other aspects of the economy - where profit actually equates job growth. Such a move over the long-term would provide an additional ladder for millions with which they can climb out of poverty and be a part of a thriving, healthy economic engine.

[Adam Griffin]

Lately, we have seen strategic registration perhaps become more accepted than it was several years ago when Hamilton created his "little army" in the game. Personally, however, as someone who was around the last time it occurred, I think strategic registration (And I mean a party specifically bringing all of their recruits to one region, despite RL registration, in an attempt to seize power of the region. This isn't referring to a couple folks moving to an inactive region to try and bolster activity) is a great threat to the region.

Where do you personally stand on the issue of strategic registration? Do you think it is a threat to our game? If so, what ideas do you have to try and bring strategic registration to a halt?

I personally see no problem with it and I have advocated such a position for months. Being completely open about the endeavor and being nearly six months out from its inception, I can optimistically report that the IDS has grown from 23 citizens to 41 as of the last Census. Uncontested offices are no longer a problem in this region. Debate is lively and at times polarized, but the political process of this region has kept moving along without hindrance. People continue to move here to this day, and just recently the IDS surpassed the Mideast as the second largest region. By all accounts, I do not think the world has collapsed.

I'd also like to take some time to address something that has fundamentally bothered me for months: every party in this game right now is doing it. That's right. Whether it's Labor, Federalist, Liberal or TPP, there is strategic registration going on at this very moment. What's even funnier is that it was ongoing even before it become the latest fad. I often look at data from this game, and I'd like to share one of my creations with everyone below:



This shows weekly growth by region over the past year (well, up until mid-December anyway). Oddly enough, comparing the growth in the Mideast over the summer versus the growth in the IDS over the fall, you come to a strange conclusion: average weekly growth over the largest 12-week period of recruitment in the Mideast is actually higher than the average weekly growth over a comparable 12-week period in the IDS. So, this leaves two possible scenarios:

• Elements in the Mideast were strategically recruiting at a faster rate than any effort in the IDS
• Real growth occurred that was stronger than strategic registration, proving that strategic registration is not a true threat
  

In addition to this observable trend, I have been informed of several efforts over the past months that involve concepts such as the Federalists reinforcing their Southern positions (something that is also directly observable in past voter reg) as well as Liberals holding down their Pacific domain through strong recruitment efforts. The game is more active, resilient and competitive because of it. Like I said, I have no problem with it: I just wish the hypocrites would stop being such.

Time for some substance, do you support making the Vice President a Senator or an unreasonable facsimile thereof?

I have heard excellent arguments from both sides, but at the moment I am lean-yes.

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As I understand, this system would guarantee a minimum pension for every Atlasian veteran. Under the current system, that appears not to be the case. For any time served in the military under contract, I believe there should be a commensurate pension allocated for the individual's retirement. Ideally, I'd like to see a bit more restriction on exactly how the funds can be transferred to prevent predatory market practices from taking advantage of our veterans, but it is a step in the right direction.

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I support the current system, for I do not believe current Senate ailments and lackluster participation could be cured by such a transition. The operation of the Senate should by and large remain a non-partisan affair.

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I'd like to think that I am a person of action. I'd also mention again that I am surprisingly fun to work with if given the chance. Taking up big tasks at hand has been something I have consistently involved myself with in this game and I see no reason why those efforts could not be utilized in the Senate.

I will not be inundating the Senate with bills; rather, I see myself focusing intently on crafting proposals that are substantive and not piece-meal. It is understandable, though, that the inevitable process of the Senate will work its magic on any bill. I understand the need to compromise, but I will lobby vigorously on behalf of my proposed legislation and be an active participant in seeing it passed. Activity will not be a problem.

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Theoretically, how many committees exist? GOR & IA, going by the ones currently active. I would honestly expect committee work to be more difficult in regards to maintaining a consistent level of activity, but I assure you that I will apply myself fully. I've had the unfortunate circumstance of being a part of and managing sub-committees in real life and it's just an awful experience getting people on the same page.

All candidates: How would you vote on the Labor Rights Act?

I see nothing about the Labor Rights Act that is unacceptable nor unreasonable and would wholeheartedly support it in its original form. This bill would fundamentally guarantee citizens the right to collectively bargain without fear of intimidation and will be of great benefit in improving the lives of millions of Atlasians over time.

Where do you stand on the Freedom to Eat act?

As a social liberal, I feel it is none of my business to dictate to others what they can or cannot ingest. I do have reservations about allowing Atlasians to consume dogs, but ultimately I have reservations about lots of things - as do many. It's not necessarily justified to intervene on each matter of personal preference, though.

I feel an acceptable compromise in this situation would be to allow the consumption of dog meat procured from inferior countries to be imported while maintaining protection for all of Atlasia's dominant canines.

[Adam Griffin]

I'd like to thank all of my supporters for making the Senate race such a close and contested affair: something we thought was impossible at the outset. We tried to hold back the hordes of Northern Aggression, but at the end of the day, there were just too many Yankee candidates to defeat. The battle for our vision lives on, and I hope those disappointed by these results will not lose hope of the greater plight we all share.

[Gass3268]

We can't win them all!