Vice Presidential Debate Debating Thread
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thumb21
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« on: October 11, 2019, 06:21:10 PM »
« edited: October 12, 2019, 04:21:05 AM by thumb21 »

October 2019 Vice Presidential Debate

Hello and welcome to the Vice Presidential Debate for the upcoming elections starting on the 18th! This debate will consist of 3 rounds: Opening statements, questions and then rebuttals.

Please welcome the candidates:
Secretary of State Bruhgmger2
Representative Fhtagn
Former Delegate HillGoose
Incumbent Vice President Pericles
Representative Wulfric

Candidates, you have 24 hours to make your opening statements!

(Voters, please don't forget to send me any questions you have for the candidates)

Note: Only the candidates can write here. If you want to comment, the commentary thread is here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=339174.0
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HillGoose
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« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2019, 06:51:54 PM »

Thank you my dude. This is a great opportunity for all Atlasians to witness the politics in public debate.

I was honored to be nominated for Vice President by Mr. John Dule and I'll tell you right now why I am the best candidate in the race: the man has taken too much of our lives for too long and I think we all need to begin saying "No!" to big government. If you want to cook crack or have massive orgies or sell banned industrial chemicals or open a brothel or unlicensed bank on your own property, who is the government to tell you not to??

Also I have a good plan to eliminate crime, a great plan actually, you know if nothing is illegal then we can't have any crime, right? That is why I am the tough on crime candidate in this race.

I am also running because I think the fact that our planet still isn't a post-nuclear cyberpunk utopia is a travesty. Together though, we can bring about the world that should be. A world where everyone is free, free from big government, free from taxation and free in general. A world where crowdfunding to pay a private military corporation to topple the government of a third world nation and bring them free market capitalism is applauded. A world where nobody cares that their neighbor has a 10 square mile peyote farm, because they themselves built a mile-high skyscraper that blocks out the sun.

If this sounds like paradise to you, you may just be a Dule/Goose voter!
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PSOL
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« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2019, 07:39:12 PM »

Thank you thumb21. I am on this stage today to show why a few write-in votes for the Peso ticket may be worthwhile even though it is technically defunct.

As a Vice President, I would deliver an invigorating decision when it comes time to in Congress. I’ve run in the past as someone who goes above and beyond in showing results. In times of peril, I would not rain death when such a task is not appropriate, nor deliver an agenda of austerity as other candidates have implied. I’m the type of guy that goes for doing what is needed instead of what is politically expedient.

With me as Vice President, I plan to serve Atlasia in my fullest capacity as an agent of change, so from that I urge you to consider a few write-ins.

Thank you moderator thumb21, and thank you Atlasia, I yield my time.
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Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon
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« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2019, 11:24:39 PM »
« Edited: October 11, 2019, 11:34:58 PM by Congressman Dwarven Dragon »

Thank you for hosting this debate.

There are three main tickets in this election - The Griff Ticket, The RC Ticket, and the AZ Ticket. What do they all have in common - they're filled with establishment politicians who really only care about themselves and their inner circle. Atlasia needs something fresh, an outsider perspective to bring real change to the game, in both engagement and policy.

While the Dule ticket does qualify as outsider, consider what it proposes - an ending of democracy, by nuclear warfare if necessary. This goes against the very fiber and being of Atlasia. Really, you cannot be a good atlasian and vote for an anti-people fraud like Dule. Enough said.

So, when three tickets are filled with establishment politicians on both ends who serve themselves and their core base first and the people as a whole last, and a fourth is opposed to democracy itself, you are left with the remaining choice, which is indeed the Winfield ticket.

Winfield has never held office before*, and this will allow him to bring the game into a new era of prosperity the likes of which has not been seen before, because unlike any of the three main tickets, he cannot be bought off by anyone. Unlike any other ticket on the ballot, we will act decisively to solve the gun violence program via buybacks and confiscation. We will work hard to solve poverty with real devotion because both of us live among the commonpeople, including real cuts to prescription drug pricing, while avoiding the failed "solution" of single payer health care. And if the Griffin Administration does not produce a budget in its final weeks, then we will produce one in a responsible and timely fashion, whether the game moderators are willing to help or not.

While I have served in office in several capacities, I have shifted in ideology during my time in the game, and have consistently demonstrated I can work with the other side in a real way and not just vote the party line. I believe this shows that I have not succumbed to the corruption that often infects Atlasian Officeholders.

As you listen to both of us throughout the debates, I believe you will come to the conclusion that the Winfield/Wulfric ticket is the best hope Atlasia has to have a strong future.

*pre-reset jobs are irrelevant for obvious reasons
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fhtagn
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« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2019, 12:09:42 AM »
« Edited: October 12, 2019, 12:12:53 AM by The C Word »

Thank you thumb21 for hosting this debate and getting in contact with everyone who is on a ticket.

The ticket that AZ and I provide is a promise to restore the Atlasian dream for everyone. The people do not want the government to provide all their basic needs, nor do they want a government that panders to meaningless social issues. They want a government that works towards a society that actually prospers, where there are opportunities for people to work hard and make something of themselves.

Under the current administration, we have lost our way. Rather than focus on issues that matter, the current administration has only created a larger divide, making no effort to bring us together to achieve common goals. The current President has gone out of his way to make false accusations about his political opponents, lied about his intentions, broken his campaign promises, and fostered an environment of shady backroom deals the only benefit himself and his party. The current Vice President has been complicit in this behavior, going out of his way to label an entire side as "extremists" with no proof to back that claim:


When our current President ran on a ticket just last year, even those on "his" side had strong words to say against him:
Griffin is a horrible choice. "Hesitant to re-emerge?" He last re-emerged to take back the helm of Labor and save the party. How'd that go?

He's extremely competent when he's committed to doing a job and finds satisfaction in the work. Probably the most competent the game has seen, and I've even started to like him. But I think it's a bit silly to pretend that he'll feel a personal stake in carrying out the job of VP.

Do I care? Nah. But from one has-been to another, it's just bleh.

The current administration is not someone who inspires, nor is it something Atlasia needs.

Still not convinced? Just look at the President's own words:

Barring a complete collapse or something equally deserving of the attention of a formidable and experienced leader, my time as President will conclude in early November (if elected this month).

we've seen the effects of guaranteed stability by there being no major crisis or scandal develop as a result of this administration

In his own words, there is no collapse, there is no crisis that deserves his attention. Atlasia does not need him. We deserve better than someone who is so willing to go back on his word, and do so openly and without apology.


What AZ and I provide is what anyone who has worked with us has known to be true: that we will work hard, that we will remain transparent  about our goals, that we will fight tooth and nail to keep our promises to the people, and that we will actually work for the people and for the game, not just ourselves and our party.
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Pericles
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« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2019, 01:00:47 AM »

Hi. Thank you thumb for organizing this debate, to the other candidates for participating in it, and for you the voters for reading it.

The Griffin/Pericles ticket is working hard for Atlasia, and offers the best vision for our future. Let nobody talk Atlasia down, we have truly historic engagement and I can say the game has definitely improved since my own run for President in February 2018. Atlasia is attracting more people to engage or re-engage with it, we have the highest population ever and plenty of new people are taking up the opportunity to run for office and actively contribute to the game. Policy-wise, our approach is delivering for Atlasians and we have been hard at work for you. Some key accomplishments are the minimum wage increase, raising the estate tax and signing into law a wealth tax. We are dedicated to tackling the inequalities and injustices in our society and ensure every Atlasian has the opportunity to succeed in life, this mission will continue if we are re-elected.

On my role in particular, I have been providing reliable and fair administration to Congress, helping it fulfill its mandate and deliver for Atlasians. I was honored by the trust placed in me by President Griffin when he nominated me for the Vice-Presidency, and by the Senate when they unanimously confirmed me to that position. I have done my best to encourage debate, and this Congress has seen good activity. I anticipate one of the participants in this debate will disagree with my statement here, I want to say in advance that their claims are false, and in my administration of Congress I have been fair to all and unbiased. They chose to respond with personal attacks to my established policy of extending votes in which a majority of Representatives had not yet voted in, this is a reasonable exercise of my responsibilities and I believe that a minority of the chamber should not override the majority of the chamber. If the voters of Atlasia elect me to a full term as Vice-President, I promise to continue to give 100% to boosting congressional activity and debate and be fair in my administration to all.

Atlasia faces an important choice in this election. The right-wing has become increasingly extreme, with moderates being driven out of the Atlasian right. We need an administration that will stop their agenda dead in its tracks, and stand up for the progressive majority of Atlasians. Only the Griffin/Pericles ticket can do that. In the remaining right-wing outpost of the South, we have seen the right try to ram through a Confederate flag, unsuccessfully try to gut all regulations (even civil rights regulations) in 'economic freedom zones' and push through a constitutional amendment on a partisan basis that made an Indiana 2015 style 'religious freedom' law apply in the entire South.  Representative fhtagn has sought to gut gun safety regulations, even those passed with bipartisan support under a Federalist administration, and has used all manner of dirty tricks to obstruct the administration and prevent us delivering on our mandate. This is no longer the relatively moderate right-wing of dfw, Yankee and tmth, that's for sure.

This election therefore is a clear choice, between the strong reasonable leadership of Adam Griffin and I, and chaos and extremism if the Federalists win. So please, let's come together and give us a resounding vote of confidence and a resounding rejection to the extremism of the right, so we can keep on serving you. Dave bless Atlasia.
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fhtagn
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« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2019, 01:26:51 PM »

In the remaining right-wing outpost of the South, we have seen the right try to ram through a Confederate flag

I think the Vice President has forgotten who his own party members are...

For the civilian slot:
Quote
Codifying and Obtaining a New Flag that Exemplifies Defending our Exalted Reality and Achieving True Enlightenment Act
Quote
Section 1; Title
1. This bill may be cited as the Codifying and Obtaining a New Flag that Exemplifies Defending our Exalted Reality and Achieving True Enlightenment Act, or alternatively, the CONFEDERATE Act.

Section 2; Substance
1. The Regional Symbols Act of 2016 is amended by amending the Flag portion to read as follows:
Quote
2. The flag of the South (The Flag) shall consist of a red St. Andrew's cross on a white background, defaced in the center with The Great Seal. a dark blue cross on a rectangular red background, the cross bordered with a thin white line, with three evenly spaced white stars in each of the four quadrants of the cross, and one in the middle, as shown here.

3. The Flag acknowledges the heritage and identity of the South in a historically relevant, inclusive and respectful manner and shall serve as a symbol of unity and pride for all citizens of the South.

4. The Flag shall be flown at all regional government properties that are accessible to the public or where government business is regularly conducted.

5. Where multiple flags are flown beside each other, no flag in the South Region shall be flown at a higher level than The Flag, with the exception of the national Flag of Atlasia.



Asking for sponsorship of this:

Quote
Respecting the Result of the Southern Flag Referendum Act

The following is declared to be the new flag of the South:


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Don Vito Corleone
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« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2019, 01:38:46 PM »

I would like to thank Thumb for inviting me here and I would like to wish all the other candidates here a good evening.

Someone once pointed out to me the responsibilities of the Vice President are almost entirely legislative, and so my experience as Secretary of State would not provide a good launching pad. And it’s true, yes, I do not possess much in the way of legislative experience, especially in comparison to the other candidates gathered here. One might ask what I bring to the table or how I expect to be a successful Vice President. To those who ask these questions and wonder how I will be effective, I will point to my excellent relations with many people on both sides of the aisle. Despite being a Federalist, when I was running for Fremont Parliament, I was endorsed by none other than the sitting chair of the Labor Party as well the sitting Labor Senator for my region and I received almost an even split of votes from Laborites and Feds. Clearly, I have demonstrated the ability to bring people together (and I am happy to say the other half of the ticket shares this ability to bring people together and get things gone; one needs only to look at his tenure as Governor for proof).

However, being able to bring people together for the persuit of an agenda is just one half of the picture. The other half is what’s contained within that agenda, and on that front I am confident in saying the RC/bruhg ticket has the best vision for Atlasia. On top of creating a new department for bringing people into Atlasia, an RC administration would vigorously pursue education reform, healthcare reform, gun control, and would push with all its might to reduce the amount of Atlasians living in poverty.

If you had to ask RC and me why we are running, we would say that we feel the way the system as it is playing out right now is ineffective for the people of this country. It’s time that we work to change the system and its environment. It's time to change the game!
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thumb21
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« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2019, 08:41:37 AM »

Thank you for your opening statements, candidates! We will now move on to round two of the debate!

Candidates, you have 48 hours to answer the following questions!

Economic Policy:
> What is your view on the role of unions and "right to work" laws?
> What steps could be taken to create jobs?
> How can infrastructure be improved?

Social Issues:
> What is your view of criminal justice reform?
> What should be done about climate change?

Game/Reform Issues:
> What makes you qualified to be Vice President and what sort of role in the administration will you take?
> What will be your approach when dealing with congress?

Individual Questions:
> To Bruhgmger2: In your opening statement, you spoke about healthcare reform. How would you like to see healthcare reformed?
> To Fhtagn: You have loudly attacked the President, accusing him of being a tyrant. Can you elaborate on your allegations?
> To HillGoose: You have advocated for research on how people can grow popsicles out of their feet. However, some fear that this power may be too much to handle, leading to the collapse of the cyberpunk utopia. How can this be prevented?
> To Pericles: In a speech, you attacked the "extreme right-wing opposition." How do you believe the right has become too extreme?
> To PSOL: You said in your opening statement that you want to be an agent of change as Vice President. More specifically, what sort of change would you like to see?
> To Wulfric: In your opening statement, you called single payer healthcare a failure. Specifically, what is your critique of single payer healthcare and how has it failed in the countries in which it has been implemented?

Note: Only the candidates can write here. If you want to comment, the commentary thread is here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=339174.0
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Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon
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« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2019, 09:40:20 PM »

Quote
Economic Policy:
> What is your view on the role of unions and "right to work" laws?
> What steps could be taken to create jobs?
> How can infrastructure be improved?

Unions are helpful to society and have won many important rights and protection for workers, and continue to do so. RTW laws are a regional issue.

Well, for one thing I would imagine a number of jobs would be created because of the need for additional law enforcement officers so we can ensure new gun laws are strictly enforced. I would also support investing in the creation of public works projects across the country, and would also be open to creating jobs by expanding the areas in which oil drilling is permitted, with the support of the region(s) concerned.

I would urge congress to increase federal funding for infrastructure while also motivating local communities to better invest. There are several decent infrastructure bills from RL that congress can use as a framework. Examples: HR 3210, HR 1428, HR 1429, HR 2705, and HR 4266.

Quote
Social Issues:
> What is your view of criminal justice reform?
> What should be done about climate change?

Atlasia should end all remaining mandatory minimum sentences, save for Murder, Manslaughter, and Rape. All nonviolent drug offenders should be enrolled in treatment programs rather than punished, even for so called "hard drugs". Any part of the real life First Step Act (S 756, 115th Congress) that isn't already in Atlasian law should be passed here as well.

Climate change is a serious problem that must be addressed immediately. We should double the federal tax on Carbon, with a special surcharge for the South (which has taken no action whatsoever to address the issue). We should also end all remaining uses of natural gas and coal, to be replaced with renewable sources. Further, we should stop importing oil from foreign countries, without exception. Either we replace that through coastal/Alaskan drilling or use other sources of energy.

Quote
Game/Reform Issues:
> What makes you qualified to be Vice President and what sort of role in the administration will you take?
> What will be your approach when dealing with congress?

I am qualified through my long tenure of legislative experience that makes me prepared for the administrative aspects of the Job. My experience includes the Pacific Assembly, the Fremont Legislative Assembly (Predecessor to the Fremont Parliament), the Lincoln Assembly, the Southern Chamber of Delegates (including being Deputy Speaker from November 28, 2018 to April 16, 2019), and of course the Atlasian House. I plan to take an active role in the administration, ensuring it is accomplishing all it can for Atlasia, and would not hesitate to leverage my experience and ability to work across the aisle to allow congress and the administration to have real accomplishments. That being said, I have little patience for members of congress who merely engage in embarrassing stall tactics and would insist any "big deals" come from a relationship of mutual respect rather than me just surrendering to the latest stall tactic from the ACP or Feds.

Quote
> To Wulfric: In your opening statement, you called single payer healthcare a failure. Specifically, what is your critique of single payer healthcare and how has it failed in the countries in which it has been implemented?

Single payer healthcare will take away tons of jobs in the health insurance industry, which rather than solving poverty as this campaign intends to do, would merely exacerbate the problem by adding to the number of homeless people living on the streets. Society is not able, and indeed will never be able, to replace the millions of jobs within said Health Insurance Industry.

Further, it does not work even taking aside the job loss it causes - the long wait times for  most procedures in the rl United Kingdom are evidence enough for this. It also goes against my ticket-mate's belief that welfare should be hand-up and not a hand-out - A healthcare system created by the government, for everyone, regardless of financial status, is the king of all hand-outs. Finally, without competition (as single payer bans all forms of private insurance, including things like Medicare Advantage), the government has little to no incentive to actually provide decent care.
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HillGoose
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« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2019, 10:01:24 PM »

Thank you for your opening statements, candidates! We will now move on to round two of the debate!

Candidates, you have 48 hours to answer the following questions!

Economic Policy:
> What is your view on the role of unions and "right to work" laws?
> What steps could be taken to create jobs?
> How can infrastructure be improved?

Social Issues:
> What is your view of criminal justice reform?
> What should be done about climate change?

Game/Reform Issues:
> What makes you qualified to be Vice President and what sort of role in the administration will you take?
> What will be your approach when dealing with congress?

Individual Questions:
> To Bruhgmger2: In your opening statement, you spoke about healthcare reform. How would you like to see healthcare reformed?
> To Fhtagn: You have loudly attacked the President, accusing him of being a tyrant. Can you elaborate on your allegations?
> To HillGoose: You have advocated for research on how people can grow popsicles out of their feet. However, some fear that this power may be too much to handle, leading to the collapse of the cyberpunk utopia. How can this be prevented?
> To Pericles: In a speech, you attacked the "extreme right-wing opposition." How do you believe the right has become too extreme?
> To PSOL: You said in your opening statement that you want to be an agent of change as Vice President. More specifically, what sort of change would you like to see?
> To Wulfric: In your opening statement, you called single payer healthcare a failure. Specifically, what is your critique of single payer healthcare and how has it failed in the countries in which it has been implemented?

Note: Only the candidates can write here. If you want to comment, the commentary thread is here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=339174.0

Economic Policy:

1. Unions are like whatever man you know people have the right to form a union but employers also have the right to fire people for joining a union if they want lmao

2. Deregulate the hell out of everything, big government red tape is killing business and it's just like, totally uncool. Who needs regulations on stuff. And also cutting taxes, during my time in the Southern Chamber of Delegates I proposed a total tax exemption for certain "innovation industries" that are the future of our nation, such as weapons manufacturers, petroleum companies, high-frequency securities trading, and the manufacturers and sellers of recreational drugs. Although that initiative failed, I maintain that the South would be far better off today had it not. I would still like to see this enacted in some way in all of Atlasia, but expanded to include casinos, strip clubs, dance clubs/bars, and brothels.

3. Letting private corporations fund tollways would be great for our infrastructure. It is a win-win for both the corporations (who receive funds from citizens driving on those proprietary tollways) and the citizens of our nation (who benefit from the far superior private funding of infrastructure as well as lower taxes)

Social Issues:

1. Too many people are locked up for doing stuff that doesn't even hurt anybody you know and that is really dumb. In my opinion nobody should be in prison or anything like that because the NAP provides all the answers for dealing with outlaws, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

2. Nothing lol you know that if the government deregulates businesses, they will find a solution much quicker than the government can. Honestly I know you guys don't want to hear it but the truth is, some corporations are going to find a way to stop climate change and make themselves (and everyone else) a whole lot of money in the process, and if they don't then we're screwed anyway so oh well!

Game/Reform Issues:

1. I am a fresh voice for all the people who haven't been represented through these past times.

2. Like the President's approach when he goes to Congress in that movie "Idiocracy"

Individual Questions:

1. With regard to the popsicle feet people, first it will be tested (in exchange for supplies) on public menace groups like anti-vaxxers, racial supremacists, NIMBYs, and others, who will be deported to uninhabited pacific islands/isolated locations in the deserts of Nevada and Idaho to form their own communities under the Dule/Goose administration. These tests will provide a good microcosm for how the ability to grow popsicles out of your feet will impact society as a whole. Fear not, the cyberpunk utopia will be more solid than any society that has ever existed in the history of the planet, since it will be forged in the fires of the global struggle for freedom on all corners of all continents, yes, even via nuclear war if necessary, and as such its very essence will be controlled chaos, led by individuals and not the collective, for which there is no more effective means of advancing humanity to a higher plane of material abundance and of morality.
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Pericles
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« Reply #11 on: October 14, 2019, 02:39:46 PM »
« Edited: October 14, 2019, 03:09:59 PM by Pericles »

Quote
> What is your view on the role of unions and "right to work" laws?
This is a pro-union ticket, and we believe unions have an important role to lift up wages and protect workers. We will protect unions and oppose 'right to work' laws, which are excuses just to attack unions and strengthen corporate power. I agree with 1184AZ when he said that the Federalists give "lip service" to protecting unions and "display an incredible amount of anti-union attitudes", and I think that the workers of Atlasia will be hurt if the Federalists win this election.

Quote
> What steps could be taken to create jobs?
Griffin and I are open to infrastructure spending and tax cuts for the middle class to boost our economy. More information from the GM Department would be helpful in this regard, I am very disappointed at the lack of activity from them (and Sestak's issues, while unfortunate, are irrelevant here as this was never supposed to be one of his responsibilities), and the inactivity from the GM Department can't be tolerated going forward.

I also think that we need to make sure that people don't just have jobs but they have good-paying jobs too. This is why it is so important that the minimum wage has been increased, as this will boost wages for millions of workers (and despite right-wing talking points there is no evidence that the minimum wage reduces employment). There are many other measures we are taking to boost incomes for hard-working Atlasians. We are on the side of hard-working Atlasians, not the top 1%, many of whom inherit obscene wealth while paying a lower effective tax rate than people who actually work for a living-I can assure you this cannot continue and we are ensuring that those at the top pay their fair share in tax so everyone else gets a fair go too. Income and wealth inequality cannot be solved in one election, but we are making good progress and if the Atlasian people elect us to another term the progress will continue.

Quote
> How can infrastructure be improved?
I think we have made good progress on infrastructure compared to rl, though this is certainly an area where further improvements should be considered. Once we have a budget, which again will need the GM Department to be much more active, then we can consider our fiscal position and responsibly invest in and upgrade our infrastructure. This is certainly possible in the next term.


Quote
> What is your view of criminal justice reform?
I think we have made good progress on criminal justice reform in recent years. I'm particularly proud of this bill of mine, which addressed many different issues in the criminal justice system. I'm open to further improvements in this area, though we are much better than the rl US and this is an issue where there is bipartisan agreement in Atlasia, so a lot of problems would have already been addressed. We do need to strike a good balance between punishment and rehabilitation, and simply locking people up is not the right solution. Being tough on criminals is not the same as being tough on crime, we do need to also address the causes of crime and work on rehabilitating people so they don't reoffend.

Quote
> What should be done about climate change?
Climate change certainly has to be a high priority for us. I regard this is as a climate crisis, and am open to Atlasia declaring a climate emergency-regardless I am determined that we will ensure Atlasia does everything it can to tackle climate change. We have an 11-year window to get emissions down, and the damage would be horrendous if globally we fail to keep temperatures under 1.5 or even 2 degrees Celsius. Remember, we are currently trending for 3-4 degrees in warming over this century. Inevitably, Atlasia has to take a leading role in this. The complaining about costs of action is missing the forest for the trees, quite frankly, because the cost of inaction would be far greater.

I'd also like to point out that this administration did not introduce a carbon tax, that was passed under fhtagn's presidency and I'd like to thank her for her leadership on this issue then. I am confused however about why her ticket is promising to repeal that carbon tax though. I would strongly oppose the repeal of the carbon tax, as AZ's claims that it hurts Atlasian families are false due to 70% of revenue being returned to them in Green Checks and the rest being used to fund renewable energy, and it is a necessary measure to meet our responsibilities and keep Atlasia safe from warming of more than 2 degrees Celsius. This is certainly an issue I feel very passionately about, and I am quite frankly appalled when people still refuse to face up to this crisis and so endanger our security and national wellbeing.

Quote
> What makes you qualified to be Vice President and what sort of role in the administration will you take?
I discussed this in my opening statement, but I'm happy to elaborate. I am of course the incumbent Vice President, so people can see that I will do a good job because I am doing a good job right now. I also have my experience as Speaker of the House, where I helped deliver the most productive Congress in history. With regards to my role in the administration, this is a team effort and Griff and I will work effectively together to make a second term a success, should the voters elect us to one. On tie-breaking votes for instance we agree a shared position. I do understand the President is of course the leader in the administration and so my responsibility is in a way to help him deliver on his mandate. I have consistently been very committed to my responsibilities and shown a great level of activity, I promise this will continue if I have another term as Vice President.

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> What will be your approach when dealing with congress?
I see myself as helping enable the members of Congress to fulfill their mandates from the people. So this fits in with my policy of ensuring votes have a majority of the chamber express themselves before being closed, and as I said this is a matter of fairness and upholding our democracy as I don't think a minority of the chamber should be able to overrule the majority of the chamber. I will continue to treat the entire Congress with fairness. In my administrative decisions I will not be biased or partisan, even though I often have opinions on the legislation Congress is debating. While I do have strong views, I can work effectively with members of other parties and have respectful interactions with them, something that isn't a given for all the candidates here. This is shown by the unanimous support expressed in the Senate for my confirmation.

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> To Pericles: In a speech, you attacked the "extreme right-wing opposition." How do you believe the right has become too extreme?
Well, I think that it's pretty clear, and a lot of people are picking up on this. I'll give a good rundown of examples. As I said, the economic freedom zones bill and the partisan pushing through of a religious freedom law in the South are good examples. The Confederate flag fiasco also shows this, and unlike what was said by fhtagn, this was pushed through by Federalist Governor YoungTexan. The process was rigged to force through a Confederate flag, as only flags with Confederate imagery were presented to the electorate, and then despite the referendum being declared non-binding YoungTexan loudly declared it was the 'will of the people' and had to be obeyed. fhtagn called this 'fake outrage', I disagree with her that citizens shouldn't be allowed to express their views on this issue and that people just have to accept the racist imagery of the Confederacy.

Another example is when thr33 made several racist comments on Discord, and this was relevant information for voters as he was running for election to the Lincoln Assembly. Representative fhtagn however thought that the problem was that comments from Discord were posted on Atlas and repeatedly tried to deflect from this issue. As North Carolina Yankee pointed out then, the right never would have rushed to defend thr in 2016, but in 2019 they sure did.

This is not a group that represents the views of most Atlasians, and they are certainly not fit to lead this great nation. So let's resoundingly reject their extremism and force them to clean up their act, because Atlasia deserves better, and you deserve better.
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fhtagn
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« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2019, 11:44:39 PM »

Economic Policy:
> What is your view on the role of unions and "right to work" laws?
> What steps could be taken to create jobs?
> How can infrastructure be improved?

1. I recognize the contributions that unions have made to our society as a whole, and what they do for working class people today. However, it is a fact that when left unchecked and with too much power, some unions can and will abuse their power and engage in unethical practices, for example, corruption and intimidation. I've worked with both sides in the past on issues regarding unions, for example, freeing unions of being required to represent non-union members. As with many things, I firmly believe that union membership is a choice that only the worker can make, and cannot support forcing people to join a union. Many people have legitimate reasons for choosing not to join a union, and right to work laws protect these workers and allow them to keep their jobs. I have asked this numerous times to supporters of removing right to work laws, and not a single person has taken the time to actually answer the question: If union membership was so great, why do you want to force people to join them? It should be the union's job to convince the worker to join, not push for policy that forces people to become members.
2. With technological advances being implemented that are removing the need for assembly line workers and cashiers, and pushes for cleaner energy that is reducing the need for coal workers, we have a great opportunity to push for more job training programs and pushing our youth to attend trade schools, arguably moreso than we have had before. We are going into a new era where we don't have enough people working jobs necessary to make our everyday lives more convenient. What we need to do is start by focusing these programs in areas where job loss has hit the hardest, where you have higher rates of unemployment, and empower these people to learn new skills, and be the leaders going into the next generation.
3. Infrastructure can best be improved by giving more power and control over it to the regions. They are the best equipped to understand their needs, and the best to implement solutions to solving their existing problems.

Social Issues:
> What is your view of criminal justice reform?
> What should be done about climate change?
1. My view of criminal justice reform is that we of course need more of a focus on rehabilitating those who have committed non-violent crimes. Our system should work to ensure that not only do these people do their time, but during that time, ensure that they have the skills to successfully reintegrate into our society.
2. I think we need to look at more practical solutions when it comes to handling climate change. Rather than implement policies that most affect our working class people, we need to go after those that are actually causing the most harm. This includes holding the countries we associate with accountable for what they are doing to the environment.

Game/Reform Issues:
> What makes you qualified to be Vice President and what sort of role in the administration will you take?
> What will be your approach when dealing with congress?
1. I've been in this game since late 2016, and in that time I've served in numerous roles within regional legislatures, federal legislatures, and within the executive branch. I have a well-established record of not only doing my job, but doing my job well, in every position that I've held. While the Vice President holds a very vital role in Congress, I plan to also play a large role within the executive branch and working as a team with AZ.
2. My approach to dealing with Congress will be much like my approach from my Speakership as well as Deputy Speakership last year. I've always been very strict when it comes to the rules, regardless of the partisan makeup in the legislature. I've also always been one that places a high priority in keeping things moving. Unlike the current administration, I don't see intentionally slowing the flow of Congress to be something worth bragging about.

Individual Questions:
> To Fhtagn: You have loudly attacked the President, accusing him of being a tyrant. Can you elaborate on your allegations?

We know for a fact that this President has gone out of his way to bus in old Atlasians who have made very clear they have no interest in the game only to vote for him. He's even gone out of his way on AAD to posting a thread titled "Come Back and Make Me President Again!". As predicted, none of these people he's brought in have contributed outside of voting for him, most of them haven't even participated in regional or midterm federal elections. Soon after getting elected, he's gone out of his way to ensure all aspects of the game favor him and his party only, even going as far as supporting unnecessary rules changes that caused more problems than they solved for the sake of giving his party more power. He's even privately discussed doing the same in the Senate, and only chose not to push for this because his party had a 2/3rds majority. When pushed on this issue, he resorted to calling those who were against him "terrorists". Shortly after taking office, he falsely accused political opponents of threatening his life, a dramatic attempt to gain sympathy from players in the game. We are coming up on 4 months under the Griffin Administration, and despite his egotistical claims about his "glorious" rule, he's had far fewer accomplishments than he has let on, preferring to spend most of his time in private chats with his own party members than actually leading Atlasia as a whole. We are now in the second Congressional term since he took office, and he has failed to actually engage with members of Congress on the floor. He promised the people that this would be his last term, and in typical Griffin fashion, he failed to live up to his promise, failing to provide a legitimate reason to run again, going as far as to force his own June running mate out of the race less than 24 hours after announcing. To anyone that isn't a partisan hack, and anyone who has bothered to pay attention, this isn't an administration that actually seeks to represent all of Atlasia. This is an administration that purely exists to stroke the ego of a man whose time has already come and gone, who has outlived his usefulness to this game, and who desperately wants to feel relevant again.
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fhtagn
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« Reply #13 on: October 15, 2019, 11:57:10 PM »
« Edited: October 21, 2019, 09:29:19 AM by Lumine »

The Confederate flag fiasco also shows this, and unlike what was said by fhtagn, this was pushed through by Federalist Governor YoungTexan. The process was rigged to force through a Confederate flag, as only flags with Confederate imagery were presented to the electorate, and then despite the referendum being declared non-binding YoungTexan loudly declared it was the 'will of the people' and had to be obeyed. fhtagn called this 'fake outrage', I disagree with her that citizens shouldn't be allowed to express their views on this issue and that people just have to accept the racist imagery of the Confederacy.
I'm sure that you've got so much on your plate as VP that you can't be bothered to read, but I highly suggest reading what I posted above. The only reason the Confederate flag came up was because your own party member, MB introduced it. The only reason there was a push to obey the results of the referendum was because another one of your own party members, Wulfric, introduced it and asked for it to be sponsored. You have not once publicly shamed them for doing so. It it fair for me to call it fake outrage when that is exactly what it is. If you were genuine in your frustrations with this, you would have called out your own party for being the reason it became a topic in the South to begin with. Until you do that, anything you say on this topic means nothing.  

Another example is when thr33 made several racist comments on Discord, and this was relevant information for voters as he was running for election to the Lincoln Assembly. Representative fhtagn however thought that the problem was that comments from Discord were posted on Atlas and repeatedly tried to deflect from this issue. As North Carolina Yankee pointed out then, the right never would have rushed to defend thr in 2016, but in 2019 they sure did.
I do not apologize for defending thr33. [EDITED] Allowing this sort of behavior leads to a very slippery slope that no one in their right mind would support. Would it be acceptable for me to find your RL information and post things you said for the purpose of dragging you? My guess would be no, however what you defended leads to exactly that.
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Pericles
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« Reply #14 on: October 16, 2019, 04:20:44 AM »

Well I have read quite well as to what has been going on, fhtagn always says that people who disagree with her aren't paying attention but can't seem to accept that people can simply interpret things differently and take a different view. This intolerant attitude would be unhelpful for her if she does become Vice President.

Anyway, the ultimate responsibility for the Confederate flag fiasco lies with the Atlasian right, and YT and Muaddib in particular. I don't approve of what the Labor Party members there did, but they were not the ones behind this botched process-YT chose to rig the process to try and force a Confederate flag on the Southern people. And frankly your approach to thr yet again is not good enough, because he did say anti-Semitic things and Islamophobic things, and that intolerance is wrong for Atlasia. I don't think much of an effort was made to find the information on thr, you seem to presume a lot of stuff that you don't have evidence for. In any case, it was good that voters saw thr's beliefs and they had a right to have that information and make a judgement on it. Do we really want a bunch of anti-Semites and Islamophobes holding office just because of some arbitrary rule against disclosing information seen on Discord? Of course not. You chose to excuse vile comments and beliefs, and that shows a lack of leadership and is yet more proof of my point. Rather than convincingly rebut my points, you're just digging yourself in deeper. It's clear here that the Atlasian right in this election is unfit to lead Atlasia and needs to be rejected.
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fhtagn
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« Reply #15 on: October 16, 2019, 05:26:00 AM »

Pericles you are simply blaming YT and Muaddib because it's convenient for you, not because it's factually correct to blame them. I say you aren't paying attention because that is exactly the case.

You claim that "intolerance" is wrong for Atlasia, but literally everything you have said about the Atlasian right is the very definition of intolerant. You've made ridiculous claims based on 3 instances (one of which you are intentionally blaming something that your own party is at fault for) and made them out to be much worse than they are for the purpose of manufacturing outrage. Much like when our current President uses these tactics, it's desperate and pathetic.
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fhtagn
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« Reply #16 on: October 16, 2019, 06:36:30 AM »
« Edited: October 16, 2019, 06:45:11 AM by The C Word »

It's worth noting that the ONLY reason that respecting the referendum regarding the Southern flag even passed was because LABOR delegates Elcaspar and TSA voted for it. In fact, here's what Labor delegate TSA had to say about it:
I agree with this bill, it's time this Chamber and government respected the results of the referendum, I wholeheartedly support his bill.


It's also worth noting that the one Federalist that voted in favor of the bill, is a black man.

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=325772.0

But once again, Pericles chooses to be dishonest about the facts.
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fhtagn
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« Reply #17 on: October 16, 2019, 06:13:35 PM »

I'd like to see Pericles actually address the question I asked in my responses, because having interacted with him since early 2018, he has still failed to provide an answer.

If union membership is so great, why do you support forcing people to join them? Shouldn't workers be given a choice?
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Pericles
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« Reply #18 on: October 16, 2019, 06:18:22 PM »

It's rather absurd to pass the buck on to the minority party, and your argument yet again is unconvincing-it's pretty clear that YT and Muaddib are to blame. And, unlike some people, I believe everything I say, and don't appreciate having my honesty attacked. Anyway, you're trying to deflect and drag this debate down rabbit holes.

The big picture in this election is clear-Griff and I are providing strong and reasonable leadership for Atlasia while the Atlasian right has gone off the deep end and is too extreme to provide good leadership for the game at this time. Everything that has been said in this debate, including by Representative fhtagn, helps demonstrate this to voters.
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fhtagn
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« Reply #19 on: October 16, 2019, 06:30:17 PM »

It's rather absurd to pass the buck on to the minority party, and your argument yet again is unconvincing-it's pretty clear that YT and Muaddib are to blame. And, unlike some people, I believe everything I say, and don't appreciate having my honesty attacked. Anyway, you're trying to deflect and drag this debate down rabbit holes.

The big picture in this election is clear-Griff and I are providing strong and reasonable leadership for Atlasia while the Atlasian right has gone off the deep end and is too extreme to provide good leadership for the game at this time. Everything that has been said in this debate, including by Representative fhtagn, helps demonstrate this to voters.

I literally gave you the link to the thread. Do you not know how to read?
The bill honoring the referendum passed with 3 votes. Two of them are Labor delegates, one of them is a Federalist that is black. Muaddib didn't even vote on that bill, and only sponsored it when one of your Labor Party members requested someone to sponsor it. That is a fact. You can try to spin it how you want, but that doesn't change the truth.

If you don't like your "honesty" being attacked, you should try being honest for once.
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fhtagn
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« Reply #20 on: October 16, 2019, 06:39:33 PM »

I thank Muaddib for sponsoring this for me. The flag displayed here is the option that the people chose, and the regional government should respect that in the interest of maintaining a consistent and reliable democracy. We may not all like the result, but that is poor justification for overriding the will of the people. This legislation is necessary because the original referendum authorizing statute did not provide for automatic adoption of the selected flag.
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thumb21
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« Reply #21 on: October 16, 2019, 06:58:20 PM »

Thank you for your responses, candidates! We will now move on to round three of the debate!

Candidates, you have 48 hours to do the following!

Follow-up questions:
The candidates are encouraged to answer their follow-up question:
> To Fhtagn: You mentioned that you think practical solutions need to be looked at when dealing with climate change. Can you elaborate on what some of these practical solutions might be?
> To HillGoose: Is big popsicle funding your campaign??
> To Pericles: You spoke about addressing the causes of crime. What are some of the key causes of crime in your view and what can be done about it?
> To Wulfric: You accused the South of taking no action on climate change, one area where they have moved is by setting up nuclear power plants. What are your thoughts on the nuclear debate?

Rebuttals:
The candidates can respond to their opponent's arguments and are encouraged to discuss back and forth as much as they want.

Closing statements:
The candidates are encouraged to make their closing statements.

Note: Only the candidates can write here. If you want to comment, the commentary thread is here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=339174.0
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Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon
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« Reply #22 on: October 17, 2019, 01:24:32 AM »

I believe that nuclear energy certainly can be part of the solution, but we must recognize that such power plants produce large amounts of harmful waste that Atlasia ultimately does not want. Perhaps in the short term it is okay, but in the long term we must step away from this radioactive source that is only partially renewable, and onto real renewable energy sources, like wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower. And on these real solutions, the South has taken no action whatsoever. It has instead taken action to make climate change worse, by writing into its statute a law that the legislature would first have to repeal before it could enact a highly necessary regional carbon tax. It's clear that the nuclear power bill is only a distraction meant to deceive the populace from the South's real intent: Not only have they failed to take any truly bold action to prevent climate change, they have actively helped to make it worse.


In closing, I again reiterate that the other tickets in the election are either filled with inflexible establishment politicians who simply cater to the whims of their partisan base voters, or filled with memes that either laugh at or directly oppose democracy. The only option to truly move Atlasia forward is the Winfield/Wulfric ticket.
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Pericles
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« Reply #23 on: October 17, 2019, 09:58:08 PM »

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> To Pericles: You spoke about addressing the causes of crime. What are some of the key causes of crime in your view and what can be done about it?

Well I meant that people aren't just born as criminals but that crime stems from social failures and so we also need to tackle the social conditions that help push people into crime. This can be done by combating poverty and giving people better housing and employment opportunities (part of this would be to avoid former felons being unable to gain employment opportunities and rebuild their lives). For instance my bill on criminal justice reform also sought to close the school to prison pipeline, and I think my other bills like expanding the child tax credit would end up reducing our crime rate too. If we simply build more prisons and stuff more people into those prisons then I don't think that will do much good.
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fhtagn
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« Reply #24 on: October 17, 2019, 10:00:46 PM »

establishment politicians who simply cater to the whims of their partisan base voters
That's literally what you do as a member of the Labor Party.
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