Senator HagridOfTheDeep—Nyman Office

[Goldwater]

FWIW, you're always seemed pretty moderate on social issues to me.

[ZuWo]

SSM isn't a burning issue in Atlasia, just saying.

[Sopranos Republican]

I'm glad you're on this side Hagrid! I agree with Goldwater, I've always thought you are socially moderate.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

One day you'll be just like me! Only a matter of time.

[Supersonic]

... and now Hagrid.

I thought you had already endorsed SSM anyway.

I haven't really talked about it much, and I probably won't talk about too much from this point on either. I figured I'd clarify. To be honest, though, I'm glad I've been giving off the vibe that I support it. I always get the feeling that people percieve me as this hard-ass so-con, which I'm honestly not.

No that's me.

[Donerail]

SSM isn't a burning issue in Atlasia, just saying.

Not since 2005, I believe.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

That's why I didn't say I want to push for it to be legalized.

It's tough trying to make a real life statement in the context of Atlasia, but I decided I'd do it down here because I identify much more with you folks than the ones up above (despite the overlap).

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Good to hear, Senator!

[Lumine]

Excellent news, Senator!

[HagridOfTheDeep]

—Third Time’s the Charm—
Senator HAGRIDoftheDEEP

Hey there Atlasia—

I’ve already done quite a bit of campaigning, so I figured I should probably kick things off here before it’s too late. I’m very happy to say that I’m seeking a third term in the senate!

To be honest, I don’t have some super-platform that I’ll be unveiling—I feel like you folks already know what you get with me. I’m not the biggest ideas guy in the world, but as I’ve said in other speeches, I feel like I often provide sober second-thought in what would otherwise be the coronation of certain bills. I’ve come together with Senator Nix and other colleagues to craft what I think are some pretty good compromise bills, but I’m also not afraid to be the lone dissenter on an issue if it means standing up for what I believe in.

During my tenure, I’ve worked to find creative solutions for our most pressing problems. I introduced a bill that taxes gun sales in order to fund mental health initiatives; I introduced an amendment to Senator Nix’s environment that will create real incentives for developers to build walkable neighbourhoods; and I supported new standards for the humane treatment of animals in Atlasia. Some of these initiatives may seem very liberal, but I’d say they are merely pragmatic: It’s unlikely that these bills will cost us jobs, but they’ll still champion social justice in a real way. That’s the approach I want to keep taking if I’m re-elected. The government isn’t inherently bad—we just need to be smart with how we do things. We can accomplish a lot if we’re only pragmatic with taxpayer dollars and stay out of people’s lives where we can’t do any good.

So with that out of the way, I hope I can count on your support. If you’ve got any questions, I’d be more than happy to answer them here or in a private message. I may seem a bit snippy in the senate (things have been heating up a lot lately! ), but I honestly really like getting to know people. If you ever want to talk, shoot me a message. I’ve made some great friends here, and more can never hurt.

Thanks folks,

Hagrid

[tmthforu94]

Have I endorsed you yet? If not, 100% endorsed!

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Thanks, Tmth!

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Have I endorsed you yet? If not, 100% endorsed!

[ZuWo]

You're a near-perfect conservative Senator - endorsed, of course.

[TJ in Oregon]

Endorsed Hagrid! You are an excellent senator!

[Maxwell]

Possibly the best Senator we have, endorsed.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Thanks! I hope you'll all follow the ongoing debate hosted by spamage. It looks like it'll be a good one.

[HoosierPoliticalJunkie]

Endorsed! 

[HagridOfTheDeep]

—Education in Atlasia—
Senator HAGRIDoftheDEEP

Hi everyone. I made the following statement in the at-large senate debate, and I figured it was substantive enough to bring over here. The following paragraphs outline some of my positions on education reform.

Where I stand on education is pretty straightforward: I stand on the side of Atlasian students, and I believe our governments can do more to improve the quality of our schools. I’m sure my fellow candidates believe the same, but where we may disagree is how to actually enact these improvements. In all honesty, I actually think the federal government has accomplished a lot on this front. For example, I was happy to play a very large role crafting the Atlasian Institute of Teachers Act back in December. Basically, the AIT is a self-funded organization meant to ensure that teachers meet basic professional standards—do they know the course content? Do they know how to solve inter-student conflicts? The recently passed Gaining Excellent Teachers Act will also reward the best teachers for their excellence in the classroom. In sum, we’ve already passed a solid framework for improvements in education at the federal level. That’s why I believe it would be more appropriate for the regions to take up this issue and make the necessary improvements. For one, I amended the AIT Act to ensure that the regions would have an integral role setting their own educational standards (so, from the beginning, it was recognized that they are the real executors of education policy), and, secondly, the regions are just that much closer to the issue—they know where work needs to be done and where things seem to be working.

I think one thing the regions need to be willing to do a bit more of is to challenge the teachers’ unions on certain issues. Keep in mind that I’m actually pretty “pro-union,” but we’ve given a lot to teachers in terms of benefits and good pay—the unions need to be willing to give a little in return and let go of those teachers who have proven unsuccessful. The AIT and the GET Act help make sure that quality teachers will grace our schools—I don’t want that work undone.

So there’s the issue of teacher quality out of the way. I have less to say on the general quality of a school, but I think it’s also an important issue for the regions to address. One thing to consider might be the implementation of magnet programs at struggling schools—arts or business or technology programs could really revitalize those institutions. I’m also in favour of increased school choice, provided that local students are given priority to their local schools. I know the going argument is that no one will choose to go to the crappy schools, so the crappy schools will continue to decline, but I actually believe that these schools could benefit from smaller class sizes and actually use periods of low enrollment to rebuild. Again, though… different solutions might work better for different regions.

Again—we’ve already made progress federally. I don’t want to overstep our bounds, so let’s leave the issue to the regions where they can deal with education best. As long as everyone puts the students first, I'm optimistic.

[Wisconsin+17]

Hagrid likes pretty hispanic ladies almost as much as I do.

[Maxwell]

Is it too early for a congratulations?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Is it too early for a congratulations?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

There would need to be at least another ten voters, none of whom gave Hagrid a first preference for him to not make the quota. and that doesn't even take into consideration transfers.  He's won, and he's the only person I'm prepared to say that about.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Haha, thanks everyone. I'm pretty confident. I appreciate all of your support.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Is it too early for a congratulations?