Office of Mideast Sernator Barnes

[Barnes]

I have recently returned to Atlasia because I feel it would be improper to comment on political developments - and in particular, the ConCon - and not be a citizen.

Many of you know me and know that when I have not had to take a break due to school (none of which should really be a problem now) I have been both extremely active and effective in every position that I have held.

The Mideast, just as the rest of Atlasia, is in desperate need of those qualities at the present. Our present senator is currently the subject of an expulsion motion due to inactivity and with the present state of affairs, having active officials is paramount.

I will upload a comprehensive manifesto once I am able to access my computer; for now I'm happy to take questions that I can answer over my phone.

[tmthforu94]

What is your stance on whether or not regions should have the right to secede, should the federal government attempt too much overreach and infringe on the right's of its citizens?

[Barnes]

Like I said, I'm on my phone atm, but the short answer is that having every region clamoring for secession at a regular basis would be absurd and fatal to the health of the game which we are trying to revive.

That being said, I do think the ConCon has wasted a needless amount of time on this issue and many of its members have completely abdicated campaigning in the actual Northeast independence referendum which is coming upon us very quickly.

We have seen very little campaigning in the public sphere about why the country should not split asunder. In that vacuum, it is no wonder that the movement has progressed unabated.

I further agree with the points made in the Convention debate that it would be fatal to establish draconian rules for every conceivable prospect of someone clamoring for independence.

At most, I would suggest following the model shown out in Canada by the Clarity Act that any referendum must be held on a clear question and pass by a clear majority which would then compel the federal government to negotiate with the respective region. This would not automatically lead to independence, however.  Any referendum that does not meet these standards would be invalid and not bind the federal government into negotiations.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Endorsed enthusiastically. In these times of crisis, the Mideast needs an active, constructive representative in Nyman, and I can think of no better man for the job. I look forward to working with you come November!

[Barnes]

Endorsed enthusiastically. In these times of crisis, the Mideast needs an active, constructive representative in Nyman, and I can think of no better man for the job. I look forward to working with you come November!

I am so happy to have your support, Truman!


I have just completed a comprehensive interview with the Courier and I look forward to its publication.

Beginning tomorrow, I will outline my policies and goals for office.  Until then, please enjoy my new campaign banner.

[Blair]

By far the best candidate for the Job, endorsed!

[Barnes]

Men and women of the Mideast, I stand before you today as an old Atlasian that has once again come home.  I stand before you today as a private citizen that knows our country needs action, and it needs it now.  I stand before you today to declare my candidacy to be your senator!

It's time to elect leaders that will get Atlasia and the Mideast moving again.  It's time to hold elections, campaigns, and debates that will inject life and vigor into our democratic institutions.  Simply put, it's time for leadership.  I am that leader.

I want to establish a new compact and a new understanding between the Senate and the people.  I want to ensure that you feel connected and involved in the decision-making processes that affect you, our region, and our nation.  I want to be you champion and advocate to the delegates of the Constitutional Convention.  And finally, I want you to have a senator that you know will always demonstrate the courage of his convictions and the leadership ability to stand up for what is just and what is right.

There are many issues in this campaign, but above them all is a fundamental issue: leadership.  This is a truly critical moment in the life and future of our nation.  We cannot possibly afford to have senators that are out-of-date, out-of-touch, and palely list from one election to another.  We must have senators who bring renewed vigor, candor, and passion to Nyman to represent you.

As the Constitutional Convention has begun its work there has been a dangerous lack of activity in the Senate, and our regional senator is currently facing an expulsion motion.  This cannot be allowed to continue, because no matter what solution the Convention eventually produces, what will it matter if our democratic institutions have been allowed to wither away?

First and foremost, we must show immediate leadership on the economy.  While delegates pontificate and postulate, the national unemployment rate has reached 8.8% and the Mideast rate is at 7.3%.  These figures are a national waste and are totally unacceptable.  We must restore confidence and investment into our economy and our businesses again with immediate investment in what remains of the Atlasian middle class with targeted investments in infrastructure, health, and education.  We must provide an immediate tax cut to low and middle class families, and well as tax incentives to small business owners and startups.  

Our businesses--whether they are local or international--require a true feeling of confidence in Atlasia and our economic leadership.  For over a year now, our standing in the world community has rapidly deteriorated and we must have a massive course-correction now, or we face a truly bleak future.

Secondly, we must show leadership and a sense of purpose on the international arena.  For weeks our leaders played a humiliating side-show over whether to recognize the existence of the newly-minted Republic of South America.  When President bore decided to act, the Senate attempted to pass reactionary and constitutionally suspect legislation to sink our heads deeper into the sand.  The blow to our international standing has been significant during these events because we have completely abdicated our chance to lead.

We must re-connect with the global community.  We must take bold leadership in the upcoming Paris Climate Conference scheduled for this December.  Climate Change will be the defining issue of our lifetimes and the choices that Atlasia makes in just a few weeks can have an impact on decades to come.  

We must open Atlasia up again to international business investment and be position ourselves as the higher education super-power of the world.  We can do all of this by showing that we have a stable, strong, slate of leaders in every section of our government.  

Finally, we must ensure that the Constitutional Convention is kept to task and produces a comprehensive and substantial reform of our nation.  Over the past week, the Convention has slipped into a nearly inane debate over regional rights of secession.  This has been allowed to totally supersede the actual debate on the Northeast referendum.  

As your Senator, I will hold a close watch over the Convention and work with my many friends who are delegates to ensure that the debate is always focused on the full debate and a complete plan and vision for the future.  I do not have to be a delegate to effect change at the Convention; I need to simply show leadership and use my voice.

I am submitting myself to the will of the people because the stakes have never been higher and I am confident that I have the vision and leadership to revitalize the Mideast and Atlasia.  

The road ahead will not be easy, and it will take hard work.  I am not naïve of the challenges, but I am equally confident in my ability to lead with your support.  We can do this if we do this together.

My fellow Mideasterners, my friends.  It's time for leadership, and I will provide it.  Thank you and forward to victory!

[Barnes]

[NeverAgain]

Endorsed, and sigged

[Adam Griffin]

I am glad to see you back - just remember, "you're here forever"!

With that being said, I do have a serious, non-lowball question.

You have rejoined as an independent, which obviously means you and I are not in the same party. However, the Mideast is the most Labor-heavy region, and even despite the national turmoil and the ever-encroaching success of the Right in low-turnout affairs, the Labor Party has largely held on in this region.

You have regularly abandoned interest in the game and the offices you hold with alarming predictability. I seem to recall early on in my time, you were VC with me of the Labor Party & Senator, and then disappeared. There was a similar situation when you were a cabinet member (I believe in this administration). A lot of criticism came your way during the Governor's contest against sawx, in which you didn't campaign much and I seem to recall a rather dismissive PM from you when I asked about when you planned to campaign (I cannot recall specifics, and maybe I am wrong).

In short, in order for me to endorse you, I have to write-off any chances for my party to field a candidate in its most dominant region. However, there have been many instances in which you have left the Labor Party (and broadly-speaking, me) hanging when you would disappear. How can you reassure me that this won't be like the other times, and that my party should forgo running/electing a Senate candidate - which is on the verge of having literally 0 Senators - in its most dominant region?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Endorsed

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

How can you reassure me that this won't be like the other times, and that my party should forgo running/electing a Senate candidate - which is on the verge of having literally 0 Senators - in its most dominant region?

Jammer4Senate!!!!!!!

[Barnes]

I'll refer you to recent comments that I delivered to the Peoples' Party:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The times in the past that I decided to leave the game where due to me giving school my full priority -- especially when I was in my senior year of high school in 2013 and working on university applications.

I seriously hope that no one in this game would have a problem understanding my reasoning there.  However, since I returned to the Forum in June 2014, I have been both consistently active and productive; most recently as SoIA where I enacted a large amount of programs and initiatives that unfortunately went unnoticed by the Senate. 

[Barnes]

Position on current legislation before the Senate:

Justice System Reform Bill 1 2015: I am in favor of the bill as it presently stands and I see it as a very good first step in overhauling the justice system.  upon entering the Senate, I will work with my colleagues for a further bill that will address the fundamental role and purpose of incarceration -- in particular for inmates charged with non-violet crimes.  I have always supported transitioning the roles of our prisons into a place of rehabilitation.

Modern Health Education Act: I strongly support this bill, and in particular the provisions relating to establishing Gay-Straight Alliances in schools.  With regards to that provision, I also understand the need for Senator Yankee's amendment and would support it.  I would also propose amendments that allow for dedicated school lunch options for students who are vegetarians or vegans, as well as students who have religious dietary concerns.

Student Loan Reform Bill: This is a very good bill and would have my enthusiastic support.  However, before it goes to a final vote, I would introduce an amendment that would eliminate the collection of interest on federal student loans by the federal government, and the cancellation of interest payments on current loans.  I would introduce a further amendment that only requires a student to begin paying back their loans once they have are at a full-time job and making no less that $40,000 a year.

[Maxwell]

Will you continue to support shipping our jobs to South America and China?

[Barnes]

Will you continue to support shipping our jobs to South America and China?

I reject the basis of this question. 

The only way to achieve true and sustainable economic growth in Atlasia is to invest strongly and boldly in our middle class and small and medium sized businesses.  Additionally, we must, in our democratic and constitutional institutions, adopt a sense of leadership and stability that has been abdicated by so many of our leaders for so long.

[tmthforu94]

Will you continue to support shipping our jobs to South America and China?

I reject the basis of this question. 

The only way to achieve true and sustainable economic growth in Atlasia is to invest strongly and boldly in our middle class and small and medium sized businesses.  Additionally, we must, in our democratic and constitutional institutions, adopt a sense of leadership and stability that has been abdicated by so many of our leaders for so long.

As the Governor of the candidate who asked, I would also be curious for an answer to his question.

[Barnes]

Will you continue to support shipping our jobs to South America and China?

I reject the basis of this question. 

The only way to achieve true and sustainable economic growth in Atlasia is to invest strongly and boldly in our middle class and small and medium sized businesses.  Additionally, we must, in our democratic and constitutional institutions, adopt a sense of leadership and stability that has been abdicated by so many of our leaders for so long.

As the Governor of the candidate who asked, I would also be curious for an answer to his question.

I'm sorry, an answer from myself (again) or from Maxwell?

[tmthforu94]

Will you continue to support shipping our jobs to South America and China?

I reject the basis of this question. 

The only way to achieve true and sustainable economic growth in Atlasia is to invest strongly and boldly in our middle class and small and medium sized businesses.  Additionally, we must, in our democratic and constitutional institutions, adopt a sense of leadership and stability that has been abdicated by so many of our leaders for so long.

As the Governor of the candidate who asked, I would also be curious for an answer to his question.

I'm sorry, an answer from myself (again) or from Maxwell?

An answer to future Senator Maxwell's question.

[Barnes]

Well as I said, I have just now answered the question, but I suppose there is no harm in stating it again.

I reject the claim that I have supported policies to outsource Atlasian jobs to foreign countries.

The present state of our economic affairs is dire and completely of our own design through legislation that has placed a stranglehold on growth and development and a severe decline in our standing and prestige on the world stage due to repeated political and social instabilities.

The way to address these problems is not by merely burying our heads in the sand, but to take quick and aggressive action to bring down unemployment, boost our global competitiveness, and restore confidence to investors looking to our nation.

To do this, I have already proposed tax cuts for the middle class and small and medium sized businesses.  Further, we must make further efforts to turn our tertiary education system into one that goes without parallel in the world in order to attract entrepreneurs and investors from not just around Atlasia but globally. 

[Barnes]

I would like to welcome JCL to the Senate race.  I welcome the competition and excitement which is the most important thing in Atlasia.

However, we cannot allow for a return to radical and aggressive conservative policies in this region.  We must elect a Senator who has his main focus on activity, leadership, and positive plans for the future.

[Adam Griffin]

Endorsed!

[Barnes]

Endorsed!

I'm thrilled to have your support, Griff!

Also, I've been sick and busy at schhol this week so I won't be makikg another campaign announcement until tomorrow.

[Barnes]

However, in the meantime you can check out my interview with the Mideast Record-Courier.

[Barnes]

I was honored to accept Governor VPH's gracious offer of filling the remainder of the current Senate term.

I hope that the Assembly will act quickly to ensure that the Mideast has a strong voice in Nyman.

I am very honored to accept the Governor's nomination which I did not solicit and he graciously offered.

Regardless of the outcome of this weekend's election, I will be an active and involved champion for the Mideast for the balance of this term.