Office of Chairman TNF: Red Army takes NM, UT, ID, AZ

[PJ]

I already did this on my campaign thread, but you have my very enthusiastic endorsement.

[TNF]

I was unaware that at age 14, Atlasians can already purchase pornographic materials. Huh. Guess you can strike that out of my overall criminal justice reform proposals, then. Later today I'll be posting something as far as the economy is concerned, with my own blueprint for economic growth and development to follow. Stay tuned!

[windjammer]

I have two questions:
-Who is the guy in your picture?
-I think, like you, that we should modify our imprisonment system, but could you be more precise please, it's really interesting me!

I don't agree with all your views, but I appreciate that your programm is really developed and worked.
I hope you will be elected, good luck for your campaign.

[TNF]

I have two questions:
-Who is the guy in your picture?
-I think, like you, that we should modify our imprisonment system, but could you be more precise please, it's really interesting me!

I don't agree with all your views, but I appreciate that your programm is really developed and worked.
I hope you will be elected, good luck for your campaign.

To answer your questions winjammer,

The person I'm using as my avatar in the game is Earl Browder, who was general-secretary of the Communist Party, USA from 1936 to 1946, when he was ultimately expelled from the party for not towing Moscow's line. I chose him not because I'm a communist (far from it) but because I admire his style of dress and I couldn't find someone better looking with a pipe. Also, that 1940s style of mustache is clearly the best.

As for prison reform specifics, the kind of rehabilitation center I envision replacing all prisons is kind of like a center for reforming those individuals who broke the law and preventing them from reoffending, rather than simply punishing them and then not giving them any way of breaking the cycle of prison recidivism. To put it simply, it would be a lot like the Scandinavian model of restorative justice rather than the Anglo-American model of retributive justice. Persons housed in the rehab centers would not sleep in overcrowded concrete rooms. Rather, they would have communal living with their own rooms, furnished with beds, televisions, computers, etc., all the things they would normally have access to were they free. It would be far less structured than existing prison systems in the United States, with those in rehab allowed to enroll in education courses, learn a trade, or even go and visit one another's living arrangements, whathaveyou. Men and women wouldn't be segregated, though there would be considerable segregation between exceptionally violent and less violent offenders.

I wonder if that helps or not. Would you like more detail?

[TNF]

BUILDING A HIGH-WAGE SOCIETY


Cartoon courtesy of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), which merged with the Atlasian Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO.

Chronically high unemployment has been a problem in Atlasia for some time, in spite of the best efforts of President Marokai and our regional executives to address this greatest of ills in our society. The fact remains however that employment is depressed because wages are depressed. We have adopted a 32 hour workweek without requisite increases in pay. We have raised the price of a gallon of gasoline as well without requisite increases in pay. The labor movement, no doubt, has been able to win pay increases at the bargaining table, but these increases are piecemeal and do not go to the whole of our wage-earning workforce. Senator Napoleon's act increasing the minimum wage to $12.50 an hour by January 1, 2014, is a good bill, but still leaves much to be desired, as does the current scheme of inflation adjusted raises for the minimum wage.

To build a high-wage society, we must first attack the source of depressed wages: unscrupulous employers. Employers who have benefitted from massive increases in productivity over the past four decades have not shared the resulting increases in profit with their employees. We are kidding ourselves if we think they will do this out of the goodness of their hearts. Much like minimum wages had to be made the law of the land in the 1930s, so today guaranteed increases for productivity growth must be made the law of the land. Atlasia should require, by law, that if productivity increases as a percentage, wages should increase by that same requisite percentage. For example, if the Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that in the economy last year overall worker productivity was up by 2%, then wages, across the board, should go up by 2%.

The most telling example of the failure of the current system to increase wealth for workers as it increased wealth for the bosses comes in the knowledge that had the minimum wage kept up with productivity growth since 1968, today it would be worth around $22 an hour. I don't think that $22 an hour is too much to ask for in a society as rich as Atlasia. That is why I have advocated in my platform and will continue to advocate an increase in the minimum wage from the current $10.50 an hour to the proposed $12.50 an hour to eventually that very number - $22 an hour. It must be done gradually as not to upset the whole of the economy, and I understand this quite well and will author legislation in the Senate providing for that gradual transition, but it is something that must be done. At that point, we should continue allowing the minimum wage to adjust for inflation and for increases in productivity, but we should never allow the minimum wage to fall below half the hourly median wage in terms of purchasing power.

This isn't rocket science. We have the tools to make these things happen automatically and we should make use of them. But increasing the minimum wage itself will not spur wage increases across the board. That's what unions are for, and I'm a big, big fan of our labor movement in Atlasia and a card-carrying member of the Atlasian Education Association (AEA). I commend the work that so many of our party members have put into regularizing the situation regarding unions in Atlasia to that of a developed, industrial democracy. We have in Atlasia free workers, but too often, the freedom to join a union and for unions to act in concert is inhibited by law or employer intimidation. That is why I have proposed a ban on 'scabs' when workers go out on strike, as well as a repeal of anti-labor legislation like the Hatch Act and some provisions of the Landrum-Griffin Act. Unions are the democratic organs by which working Atlasia is given a voice. I will do everything in my power to ensure that the voice of labor is the voice of Atlasia.

One of the suggestions that has come to mind, recently, is to allow for collective bargaining on an industry-wide basis. At present, Atlasian law does not provide a mechanism for industry-wide collective bargaining. I believe this should change. If 30% of workers at a jobsite can petition the National Labor Relations Board for an election, why can't 30% of union workers in a given industry petition for a mandated, across the board collective bargaining agreement in the industry itself? For example, let's say that the Atlasian coal industry has 60% union density, that is, 60% of coal workers belong to a union, whereas 40% do not. That 60% should be able to bargain for wages, working hours, and working conditions for the whole of industry. Those non-union members would benefit from this arrangement and would of course pay a small fee for the services of the union or would themselves become union members as the coal miners' union set up shop and the men and women already organized would not be undermined by non-union mines dragging down their wage and working hour demands. Even industry would benefit, in that ultimately, industry-wide collective bargaining would eliminate duplication of effort in individual contracts and would on the whole provide for more stable production and industrial peace.

I am also a firm believer in the principle of co-determination. In Germany, employers with over 2,000 employees must have representatives of labor comprising half their corporate board. I see no reason why Atlasia shouldn't adopt a similar law, with labor representation on corporate boards determined on a sliding scale with regard to size. I also support the expansion of existing Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) and support making it easier to form worker co-operatives.

That's all I have for now. Thank you, and Dave bless!

[TNF]

My entry on wages is finished, if anyone is reading. Feedback, thoughts, questions, comments, or concerns? Any requests about what I should write about next? I was thinking about labor standards or perhaps a piece on social welfare.

[Maxwell]

Currently, in the Midwest Althing, there is a debate going on about legalization of prostitution. What are your views on prostitution, and if it is not fully legalization in which you view it (as I do), than what sort of middle ground solution do you have to the issue, and does it look like what is currently being proposed?

[TNF]

Currently, in the Midwest Althing, there is a debate going on about legalization of prostitution. What are your views on prostitution, and if it is not fully legalization in which you view it (as I do), than what sort of middle ground solution do you have to the issue, and does it look like what is currently being proposed?

Governor Maxwell,

Thank you for contacting me regarding this issue. Sex work (I prefer the term to 'prostitution' personally, as it helps us remove the social stigma associated with it) should be made a legitimate means for earning a living in the Midwest, and ideally in Atlasia as a whole. My reading of the latest version of the proposed bill in the Althing at the moment is that while the bill is certainly a step forward, it leaves a lot to be desired and could use a bit more fleshing out as far as details are concerned. The current proposal, for those who are sitting in on this discussion, reads as follows:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I agree with Article 1 for sure. Persons who wish to become sex workers should be allowed to without fear of reprisal or arrest. I believe that those sex workers should be able to do business independently, through a private agency, a co-operative, or in some cases, through a publicly owned facility such as what windjammer has mentioned here. I do not believe that we should, as a society, punish those who frequent sex workers, meaning that I am in complete disagreement with Article 4. I believe that those who wish to spend their money in this manner should be allowed to do so, and those that are abusive towards sex workers should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Article 3 I believe needs to be fleshed out a bit more. First and foremost, I think that limiting the activity to persons over 21 is a mistake. If you can vote at 18, you should be able to be employed as a sex worker at 18. I believe that sex workers should be licensed and operate under a regulatory regime similar to what has proposed here, with frequent STI testing, income reporting, and taxation requirements.

Basically, if I were rewriting this bill, it would look something like this:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I'm not sure if that answers your question or not, but I hope it helps with the forward march of the Althing in legalizing, taxing, and regulating sex work, Governor.

Dave Bless

[TNF]

I would enjoy hearing about your views on social welfare.

Consider it in the pipe. I'll probably post something on social welfare either tonight or tomorrow, Senator.

[Maxwell]

Thank you very much, Senator-elect . I think sex work is one issue we have complete agreement, and I like the detailed version of the bill you have up. If it's okay with you, I may bring it before the Althing to see if there is any reaction from our Representatives.

[TNF]

Thank you very much, Senator-elect . I think sex work is one issue we have complete agreement, and I like the detailed version of the bill you have up. If it's okay with you, I may bring it before the Althing to see if there is any reaction from our Representatives.

Fine by me!

[TNF]

I posted five new citizens initiatives today, which you should totally go sign if you like paid holidays, higher wages, and a shorter workweek for everyone. If not, well, I'm just going to introduce them as actual legislation at some point, provided that I defeat Governor Maxwell in our upcoming Senate contest. Speaking of the Governor, he recently introduced a modified version of my sex work proposal in the Althing, and it got a vote, but unfortunately Atlasia has apparently already legalized prostitution, making the whole thing moot.

At any rate, a few days ago I promised that I'd get something up and written about social welfare policy, and that's a promise I intend to keep. So, without further aideu...

...TO EACH ACCORDING TO THEIR NEED
An Atlasian social insurance system we can be proud of.



A poster for the Social Security program, produced in the late 1930s

Social insurance is the bedrock of any society built upon the notion of human rights. Those of us on the left recognize that human rights are not merely a laundry list of things we have access to, but duties we have to one another as human beings. The most basic duty we have to one another is the duty to care for one another and to help one another out in times of need. I am a firm believer in the New Deal-Fair Deal-New Frontier-Great Society tradition of social insurance programs. I believe that social insurance should be universal, not means-tested, and I believe that it should be generous, not stingy.

First and foremost, we as a society must provide security for those in the dawn of life. I applaud the passage and implementation of our very own National Health Care program in Atlasia. This program has no doubt and will no doubt continue to provide young Atlasians with the care that they need from cradle to grave, as well as help young parents in the difficult time of pregnancy and childbirth. To support young Atlasians, we must support parents. This means that Atlasia must adopt paid parental leave for the parents of newborn children. This means that Atlasia must adopt tougher fair pay laws, to help women raise their children on an equal standing to that of men. This means, above all, that Atlasia must adopt policies that promote stable and fulfilling environments for our children to grow up in. Young Atlasians need guaranteed access to child care facilities, regardless of how much their parents make. We need to adopt education reforms that put our children, not standardized test scores, first.

Atlasian adults need security, too. Much has been said and much done about marriage equality in Atlasia, and there is a very good citizens initiative, which I have signed on to, sponsored by President Marokai calling for the abolition of all civil marriages in favor of civil unions for all. I support this initiative, but ultimately, I believe that families come in all shapes and sizes and believe that we should stop attaching fundamental rights, such as inheritance, hospital visitations, etc. to an institution with a 50% failure rate. These rights should be available without a marriage certificate, period. Atlasians need security from economic forces beyond their control. This means repairing our broken unemployment insurance system so that it retrains workers for the jobs of tomorrow. It means enacting tough protections for Atlasians afflicted by credit card debt, and cracking down upon unscrupulous credit card companies. It means nationalizing our energy sector so that Atlasians aren't victims of price gouging energy companies. It means banning payday lending. It means ending exploitation for profit, and it means protecting those who need protection the most. That's what I believe in, that's what the Labor Party believes in, and that's what Atlasians believe in.

We also musn't forget elderly Atlasians, who face some of the toughest challenges of all. Social Security, originally devised as an old age insurance program, should be reconstituted as a universal pension program. This means adjusting the minimum Social Security benefit to a living benefit, adjusting it periodically with inflation, and adjusting it when overall worker productivity increases. Retirees should be able to purchase annuities from the Social Security Administration and they should be able to retire at age 55. Tax-favored private pension plans, like the 401(K) and Roth IRA, which are expensive and wasteful, should no longer be tax-favored, and should eventually be phased out. In addition, elderly Atlasians should have a right to death with dignity.

The fundamental crux of developing a just and humane social welfare system, however, is the immediate establishment of a universal basic income. A universal basic income is the strongest possible policy that we could enact as a society in recognizing that every person is deserving of value. Far from encouraging dependency, the results of real life universal basic income experiments, like the 'Mincome' experiment in Dauphin, Canada, was that only young mothers and teenagers dropped out of the labor force in significant numbers. Senator Nix is calling for a basic income policy in his presidential campaign; I want to make it clear that while I am in tentative support of the Senator's policy, I do not believe that a basic income should serve as a substitute for existing social welfare programs. Rather, I believe that a robust basic income policy should serve as an addition to existing social insurance and social welfare programs. A basic income policy that keeps everyone above the poverty line, combined with a high minimum wage, will force employers to raise wages and better compensate workers for their work. It will also allow for those who wish to simply drop out of the labor force and pursue other avenues of personal fulfillment, like entrepreneurship, the arts, or the like, to do so. Put simply, the adoption of a universal basic income as a supplement to existing social supports, would mean the greatest expansion of human freedom to date.

That's all I have for now. Questions, comments, concerns?

Thanks, and Dave Bless!

[windjammer]

Thank you for your answer!

[TNF]

STATEMENT REGARDING THE SITUATION IN SYRIA

I would like to make my position known as far as the situation in Syria is concerned. With reports from the External Affairs Dept. that tensions are "rising," I want to caution the leadership of this nation against acting hastily or engaging in activities that would lead to Atlasian intervention in the conflict, be it direct or indirect, be it intervention or arms sales. We do not have a dog in this fight, my fellow Atlasians. The only people who stand to benefit from Atlasian intervention in Syria are the arms and weapons manufacturers, not the people of Syria, who are, at this time, caught in the crossfire between a murderous regime and murderous rebels who seek to establish an Islamist regime. Neither are worth our support, and neither should be given our support. We must stand against the human rights abuses of the regime by working with the international community to quarantine Syria through sanctions and effective action to cut off the flow of supplies into Syria that allow this murderous conflict to continue, not by opening the conflict up or expanding it further.

[TNF]

STATEMENT CONCERNING THE PACIFIC

I wish to congratulate those members of our party and our friends in the National Movement "Aliya Mustafina" in their successful liberation of the Pacific from the existing structures of inactivity and oppression. The Wolfentoadist state has been abolished in favor of true democracy. In the Senate, I will fight my hardest to prevent reaction from depriving The People of their right to self rule in the manner that they see fit.

[Хahar 🤔]

In a time such as this one where the politically expedient decision seems to be rejection of the will of the people in hopes of judicial fiat, it is heartening to see such a steadfast display of support for popular democracy.

[Adam Griffin]

Congratulations, Senator-elect! You've been one of the brightest stars in the Labor Party as of late and your focus on policy is a refreshing take on the often catty commentary in which we engage. Do us proud, my fellow Southern socialist rube!

[TNF]

Congratulations, Senator-elect! You've been one of the brightest stars in the Labor Party as of late and your focus on policy is a refreshing take on the often catty commentary in which we engage. Do us proud, my fellow Southern socialist rube!

Thank you Comrade Griffin! And thank all of you for your endorsements, your votes, and your support!

[windjammer]

Congratulations TNF!

[TNF]

Congratulations TNF!

Thank you Comrade Windjammer. I hope that we can work together in building up the Midwest in the future!

[TNF]

VICTORY SPEECH

Wichita, Harmony - Comrades, I would like to thank you all for your support over the course of this campaign. Governor Maxwell provided us a good challenge and I thank him for giving me the opportunity to have a competitive, fun race in which the issues were put first and the petty politics put last. I encourage Midwestern voters to re-elect our Governor while the polls are still open.

This thread will henceforth serve as my transition and later Senate office. If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them here from this point forward.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Congratulations, TNF!  I look forward to working with you in the Senate!

[TNF]

Congratulations, TNF!  I look forward to working with you in the Senate!

Thank you for your congratulations, Senator-elect Scott! I look forward to working with you as well.

[TNF]

I would like to note my steadfast opposition to The "Cocaine Shouldn't Be Legal" Bill. Recriminalizing cocaine will not solve the problem of cocaine addiction anymore than recriminalizing alcohol would solve the problem of alcoholism.

[TNF]

While it hasn't come up for a vote yet and likely won't until I am a Senator, I want to make known my support for Senator Napoleon's bill to repeal the Late Term Abortion Restriction Act.