Public Office of the Pericles Administration (Farewell address)

[Pericles]

Economic stimulus speech

My fellow Atlasians, we are living through worrying and uncertain times. Like you, I am worried about my friends and family at this time. I also share your concern about how our society will cope, even if we can act together to reduce the severity of the coronavirus. In particular, you need financial security too-and right now I'm afraid many Atlasians have just the opposite.

First, I need to be honest with you about the challenges ahead. That's how I can best serve you as your President. It is clear that we will take an economic hit, potentially a severe one. A recession is likely, and I don't think that we can fully avoid Atlasians losing their jobs. There is a large downside risk. While I don't believe we're headed for an economic depression, that is a scenario my administration had to consider. This has influenced my economic response.

Therefore, the economy is in need of a large and bold stimulus. That is what I am proposing-I introduced the Emergency Economic Stimulus Act of 2020. This bill gives every adult $3,000 a month and gives out $1,500 a month per child to every applicable household until October, at which the stimulus will gradually reduce. I also believe we need to cut income taxes for most Atlasians and small businesses, and to provide financial relief to businesses most affected by this crisis.

I expect that there will be worries about whether we can afford this. This bill is a big investment, but I believe it is one we need because our economy is under threat. The wimpy old establishment approach simply won't do. Atlasians need help and they need it now. Stimulus like this is the proven way to save an economy-deficit spending in recessions works. Years of stagnation and recession will not only harm hard-working Atlasians, but harm our public finances too. Our priority right now has to be saving the economy, and only once the recovery has taken place can we really deal with public finances. Ultimately, it's not a question of whether we can afford this-the question is whether we can afford not to act. The evidence clearly says the answer there is no.

As the crisis is urgent and worsening, I call on Congress to pass this bill as soon as possible. With Atlasian families looking for and needing help, playing partisan games is absolutely unacceptable. If we come together, we can and will overcome this challenge. I know that difficult times lie ahead. Now is the time for us to rise to the challenge, we have come through great challenges even stronger before and we must do so again. With the public health crisis, you can expect further measures from me soon on this and I continue to take responsibility for our efforts here. In the mean time, I have this advice for you-stay strong, be kind, and unite against coronavirus.

Thank you very much
Dave Bless Atlasia

[Pericles]

I have just nominated a new Game Moderator to replace Ninja0428. Ninja's deregistration came as a shock, I send him my best wishes and I hope he returns to Atlasia and once again makes a great contribution to the game. Right now, we need an active Game Moderator to avoid the GM Department suffering the same dysfunction as it has in the past. I also wanted someone who would be fair to all sides. The clear choice was Lumine Von Reuental, who has made stellar contributions to Atlasia over the years and now I am sure he will shine in this new position. I hope the Senate swiftly confirms him so he can get to work.

Lumine Von Reuental is nominated to the role of Game Moderator.

[Pericles]

Midterm elections statement
Voting has just started for the Atlasian midterm elections (and will last for 72 hours). I want to wish good luck to every candidate, who deserves to be commended for running and I hope we have an exciting weekend. Regardless of who wins, I am ready to work with the winners to make the game better.

However, I do think that some outcomes will be better than others. Today, I signed into law an assault weapons ban and a progressive economic stimulus. We need a strong Labor majority to ensure Atlasia comes out of this coronavirus crises fairer and more prosperous. My administration is providing the strong leadership we need to get through the current crisis and lead us to a better future. To support this, please vote for Labor (and Peace) candidates this weekend.

[Pericles]

Election results statement
Congratulations to all the winners in the midterm elections. I'm glad that the left retained our majority in both houses of Congress and now control all 3 regional executives. I look forward to working with the new Congress to get things done. We are going to continue to work to overcome the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis, but more than that I hope we can work to creating a fairer Atlasia where everyone has the opportunity to get ahead. I invite everyone to join me in this mission.

[Pericles]

thumb21 is appointed to the Domestic Policy Council

[Pericles]

Statement on ACLO strike
As an ACLO member, I voted against the proposed strike. I would also like to note that there is an extremely flimsy mandate for a strike, given it tied with mediocre turnout and one member publicly switched his vote afterwards but this was not recognised by the ACLO leadership. In any case, the strike is the wrong action at this time on its merits. As I said at the time, that the federal government is working towards the goals that PSOL has set, and a strike would cause unnecessary disruption to the economy and health system. We have taken a pro-worker approach to getting Atlasia through this crisis and to a fairer future. Going on strike makes this mission significantly harder, by hampering our efforts to save people's lives and the economy. In these circumstances, it is a really radical measure that should only be used when there is a dire need for it. This is not the case right now, indeed the government is already on your side. So I of course won't be striking, and I hope all Atlasians ignore this strike. If you're already going to work, please keep going to work.

[Former President tack50]

Excellent speech Mr. President, and one I fully agree with!

[PSOL]

Statement on ACLO strike
As an ACLO member, I voted against the proposed strike. I would also like to note that there is an extremely flimsy mandate for a strike, given it tied with mediocre turnout and one member publicly switched his vote afterwards but this was not recognised by the ACLO leadership. In any case, the strike is the wrong action at this time on its merits. As I said at the time, that the federal government is working towards the goals that PSOL has set, and a strike would cause unnecessary disruption to the economy and health system. We have taken a pro-worker approach to getting Atlasia through this crisis and to a fairer future. Going on strike makes this mission significantly harder, by hampering our efforts to save people's lives and the economy. In these circumstances, it is a really radical measure that should only be used when there is a dire need for it. This is not the case right now, indeed the government is already on your side. So I of course won't be striking, and I hope all Atlasians ignore this strike. If you're already going to work, please keep going to work.

The strike will end fairly quickly if our demands are met in a speedy manner through Congress or EO. The fact of the matter is that it took a fair amount of brouhaha to bring about the now passed bill for subsidized wages—and considering that proper protections to workers during this crisis are still inadequate across the private sector, the trouble with producing and distributing PPE, the lack of protections and acknowledgement of migrant labourers that are left to fend for themselves and work in unsafe conditions or face deportation and destitution, and the plight of homeless individuals still without a proper place of residence that plagues this nation—I’d say a strike was necessary given that the current government has shown itself to not have a proactive response to this crisis.

Instead of realizing this, there has been a smear campaign of saying something on “low turnout” or “technicalities”. This is clearly hypocritical given the immense timeframe the union has allowed people to vote in, the already democratic structure of this union, and the fact that there was no easy way to break this tie. Ultimately, these statements are just a way to say something when one has absolutely nothing else. I cannot speak for the A.C.L.O., but what I can say for certainty is that plugging your ears and covering your eyes in a monkey show while flinging nonsensical s••• at the union is not a winning strategy in ending this strike.

[Pericles]

Update on coronavirus response

My fellow Atlasians
We all know that recent weeks have been very hard. Tragically, we have lost many lives to this horrific virus. My heart goes out to the families of all the victims. I want people to know that we are doing everything we can to protect our people and save lives. Thanks to the strong government response and the determination of the vast majority of you to do whatever it takes, we are flattening the curve and saving lives.

However, I must level with you. We are not out of the woods yet, in fact this is perhaps the moment of maximum peril. Yes, cases and deaths are going down, but there are now three options that we face. The first option-reopen the economy immediately, abandon social distancing and perhaps aim for a 'herd immunity' strategy. This would lead to an even deadlier second wave of coronavirus infections. Letting that happen is immoral and no responsible administration could do so. Furthermore, it would not even help the economy. The economy cannot possibly run at full capacity if coronavirus is running rampant and claiming hundreds of thousands of lives, many people will stay at home anyway. Then there is the second option-to remain in total lockdown until we have a vaccine that can be widely distributed. This would lead to less coronavirus deaths, but would be economically and socially devastating. This simply isn't practical either.

So then there is the third option. That is to put in place a mass testing and contact tracing system, to control and isolate new cases before they escalate exponentially. This will enable us to come out of full lockdown and restore the vast majority of economic activity, while still adhering to some social distancing practices. This maximises positive economic and health outcomes. Therefore, this option is the one my administration has chosen, and indeed are already putting into effect.

We are using the Defense Production Act to rapidly ramp up production of tests and PPE. We are ordering more tests, more PPE, and recruiting contact tracers. Yesterday, a new 'DefeatCoronavirus' app was launched. This app will be key in helping us trace contacts of cases and stop the spread of the virus. You need to do your bit and download the app, in order to save lives.

However, here is the bad news, we are not ready to come out of lockdown right now. Firstly, active cases are far too numerous for any testing and tracing system to manage. Secondly, we still lack the necessary testing and tracing capacity to implement this option immediately. So here's how we're going to solve it. I am today setting testing targets for us to reach, and at each target restrictions can be gradually loosened until we reach our ultimate goal. On the latest data, we are testing 280,000 people per day. This needs to be scaled up within the next 20 days to 1 million people per day. Then, it needs to be further scaled up to 2.5 million people per day within 40 days. Finally, we need to reach 5 million people tested per day within 60 days. These are ambitious goals, but they simply have to be achieved. The cost of failure is too high. Once we have achieved these testing goals and new cases are much lower than they are right now, we can come out of lockdown and return to something close to normal life.

In the meantime, the federal advice is unchanged. We need to keep on social distancing. This applies to the entirety of the Republic of Atlasia until confirmed otherwise. I strongly warn against regional or local governments loosening restrictions until we confirm that we can control any new outbreaks, and if restrictions are loosened please stay at home anyway. I am also very proud of the vast majority of people who are adhering to social distancing advice, and your collective unity and spirit. I know you are being asked a lot and it is a sacrifice, but we are beating the virus together. Finally, just remember this advice-Stay home, be kind, and save lives.

Thank you very much

[Pericles]

Update on Presidential position on bills
There are several important bills that I'd like to make a statement on for the public. I also invite people to give their own thoughts on these bills, and get involved in the debate on these policies.

I worked with Senator tack on the Extending Quarantines for New Arrivals Act. While the Senate seems undecided on this bill right now, this is an important measure to keep Covid-19 cases down. While we do have a testing and tracing system, we need to take other measures too to minimise case numbers, especially so that the system does not get overwhelmed. If that happens, we would lose all hope of controlling the virus without another strict lockdown. This bill will help us contain Covid-19 and keep Atlasians safe.

I strongly supported Speaker thumb's Social Security expansion bill, which I introduced into the Senate administration slot. Too many seniors still live in poverty. We need to protect our seniors and ensure they have a secure retirement.

I am still deciding what my position is on the Atlasian Economic Security Act. Currently I am sceptical of a permanent UBI, but I am open to being persuaded otherwise.

I also confirm that I will veto a repeal of affirmative action (link), should Congress pass it. As I said in the Senate debate, "Affirmative action continues to serve a valid purpose and grant opportunities to those who deserve and otherwise would not get them. It is wrong to pretend we have a color-blind society where everyone has the same opportunities regardless of race. We are trying to work towards such a society, and passing this bill would be a step backwards which is why I'd have to veto it."

[Pericles]

I have two important pardons to make due to miscarriages of justice in both these cases.

1. Mr. Eugene Victor Debs, of Indiana, is hereby granted a full and unconditional pardon posthumously for his 1918 conviction in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on an indictment charging violations of the Sedition Act of 1918 due to that law's unconstitutional punishment for Mr. Debs's free speech.
2. Mr. Leonard Peltier, of North Dakota, is hereby granted a full and unconditional pardon for his 1977 conviction in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota due to the numerous questionable and often unconstitutional actions taken by the prosecution in his case.

[Pericles]

Applications Open for DPC

As a vacancy has arisen in the Domestic Policy Council (see EO 49 #013), I will be accepting applications for one new member to the Council. I will just reietrate standard practice with the applications process. To apply, either post below or send me a PM (either Atlas or Discord are fine). Please justify why you think you would be suitable for membership on these councils and what you think you could add. And just as a reminder, I will be judging these based on merit, no political deals will be made. I hope to have this sorted in the next few days ideally, so the sooner you apply the better.

[Pericles]

Ted Bessell is appointed to the Domestic Policy Council

Applications are now closed. I am proud to welcome Ted onto the team, he is an active progressive leader in Congress and throughout his time in Atlasia, and a very qualified individual. I'm sure that together he will help us move forward with our agenda.

[Pericles]

Nomination of a new Comptroller General
Regrettably, due to the UK's Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, Clyde1998 has been unable to be active in his role as Comptroller General, and told me that I should find someone else for the role. It turns out that Blairite is good at economics and has the necessary skills for this role. Therefore, I am excited to nominate him for this role.

1. Clyde1998 is dismissed as Comptroller General, effective immediately.
2. Blairite is nominated to the role of Comptroller General.

[Pericles]

Covid-19 response update

My fellow Atlasians,
We are now reaching a new phase in our response to Covid-19. First of all, I want to thank you for your hard work, for staying home and saving lives. We are seeing the results of your collective action. We have flattened the curve, and saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

Now, we have the ability to test, trace and isolate new cases, which in most cases should prevent us needing to return to lockdown. In light of this, the federal official message shall change from "Stay home, be kind, save lives" to "Be Responsible, Save Lives." We can start to return to normal life, but with necessary social distancing measures.

Going forward, we shall have a new system of alert levels. This shall be non-binding guidance to assist states, regions, and perhaps counties in reopening their economies and societies safely. The recommended measures for each alert level are a full lockdown under Alert Level 3, social distancing and contact tracing requirements under Alert Level 2, and broadly normal life except for some international border controls under Alert Level 1. The criteria for these alert levels is as follows-

Alert Level 3-Widespread community transmission of Covid-19 is occurring, with a significant increase in new cases over a 14-day period. More than 5% of tests come back positive. Finally, over 50% of hospital beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.
Alert Level 2-Limited community transmission of Covid-19 is occurring, with a significant decrease in new cases over a 14-day period. Less than 5% of tests come back positive, and 50% or less of hospital beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.
Alert Level 1-No community transmission of Covid-19 is occurring, with negligible numbers of new cases over a 14-day period. Under 0.5% of tests come back positive, and 1% or less of hospital beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

This relates to the issue of school re-openings. I regard physical schooling as a vital part of children's learning, and I know remote learning is hard and not a full replacement for physical schooling. However, we need to keep children and staff safe. So the federal recommendations are that states that meet the Alert Level 3 criteria should have fully remote learning and avoid physical schooling. States that meet the Alert Level 2 criteria should have limited physical schooling. The administration will be enforcing mandatory social distancing in schools where possible, and masks for all students and staff where this is impossible. Staff shall be required to wear masks in schools. 2/5ths of a student body may be allowed in school at any one time, so there will be 2 days of physical schooling per week and 3 days of remote learning for states under the Alert Level 2 criteria. Finally, this was the most difficult choice, but high schools shall remain closed except if a state reaches Alert Level 1. Students below high school level have the greatest need for physical schooling and are the least vulnerable to being infected with Covid-19 or spreading it to others.

As further reopening guidance, schools should be prioritised for reopening over things such as bars and indoor restaurants given schools are both more socially beneficial and pose a lower risk of spreading Covid-19. Finally, as general advice which is not necessarily applicable to schools, as the spread of Covid-19 is much less outdoors, outdoor options should be prioritised wherever possible over indoor options for activities.

I will have an EO shortly that will make a few other changes. I plan to lift the travel ban on Iran, South Korea and Japan, as these countries no longer pose significant risks of Covid-19 infection. The travel ban on the Schengen Area and the UK shall remain, and furthermore Brazil and South Africa shall be added to the travel ban, as these countries have severe Covid-19 outbreaks. Elective surgeries will resume in 7 days time in states where 50% or fewer hospital beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients, as the healthcare systems in those states can now handle increased pressure.

Finally, a federal mask mandate bill shall be introduced into Congress shortly. One of the provisions of this bill will allow states to formally request an exemption to the mandate from the President, and so if the states do not need mask mandates then I will grant that exemption. However, by starting with a broad mandate we ensure that masks are worn where they are needed to contain the spread of Covid-19. Masks are one of the easiest and most effective ways to stop the spread of Covid-19. An important point about masks is that it is primarily about preventing you from spreading Covid-19 to others. We can't act like we're 100% sure that we have Covid-19, because then we'd have to self-isolate. However, if we all collectively act with awareness of the risk that we have it and so seek to avoid spreading it to others, this will reduce transmission of the virus and save lives. In turn, this will mean we don't have to do more economically and socially devastating lockdowns. This is what being responsible means.

We are on the right track, but we are not out of the woods yet. As a nation, we have to be responsible, and reopen safely. We have come so far, now we must lock in the gains we have made. A second wave that claims thousands more lives and forces us back into lockdown must be avoided. I can't prevent that second wave on my own, so I am counting on all of you to ensure we get this right, not just for yourselves, but for your loved ones, your friends and our entire community.
Thank you very much
Dave bless Atlasia

[fhtagn]

[Pericles]

Statement on Southern Schools COVID-19 Reopening Act
I raised several concerns to the Chamber of Delegates regarding their regional school reopening bill, however these were not properly answered or addressed and the bill has now been passed in the South. I therefore want to make several points clear. Firstly, the federal standards-which were clearly set out-only allow 2/5ths of the student body to be in school at any one time, and are designed to have 2 days of schooling a week rather than one week with physical schooling and one week without. The bill directly contradicts this by pushing for 50% of capacity to be used at any one time. Therefore, the federal standards will continue to be enforced. Secondly, the bill is unclear as to what actually happens with schools in level 2 areas.

1. Southern primary and secondary public schools located in Federal Alert Level 3 and 2 areas must operate fully remote.

2. Southern primary and secondary public schools located in Federal Alert Level 2 areas may operate in a physical location, but must practice strict social distancing guidelines, require the use of masks and operate at no more than 50% of total capacity at any given time.

What are we supposed to do with this? The best we can do is to keep following the federal standards for Alert Level 2, so some physical schooling, and if the CoD did not intend this then they should clarify it as soon as possible.

Additionally, high schools have not been reopened federally, even though the bill tries to do this. Therefore, high schools will remain closed and operate fully remote for Alert Level 2 and 3 areas. Finally, I expect it will be a challenge to both operate at full capacity and practice social distancing as the bill requires for Level 1 (which we should remember is where community transmission is basically eliminated). However, there is no legal issue here and so the government will attempt to implement that clause.

I hope the other regions learn from this experience and if they feel the need to legislate separately from federal standards, that they do a better job of it.

[Pericles]

Midterm elections statement
A preliminary congratulations are in order for all the winners. With the budget and renewal of the stimulus coming up, along with our general legislative agenda, we must all come together and put country before party. I look forward to working with the newly elected Congress, and please feel free to contact me now so we can get an early start on what should be a productive relationship. The people of Atlasia are counting on us to deliver.

I also thank Sestak for his services to the game and service as Vice President. I will consider who the most qualified individual for the role is and make a decision in the coming days.

[Pericles]

As requested by Southern Speaker tmthforu94, the federal government is stepping in to help the people of Louisiana. To people in the affected areas, please follow evacuation orders and other instructions from the local authorities, this threat is serious and we are all doing our best to keep you safe.

1. Effective immediately, the the following counties/parishes in the states of Louisiana and Texas are designated as federal disaster areas-
a) In Louisiana, this declaration shall apply for the parishes of Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe  Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.
b) In Texas, this declaration shall apply for the counties of Aransas, Bexar, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Liberty, Matagorda, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, and Willacy.

[Pericles]

Based on the latest Covid-19 pandemic update, I can now officially clarify for legal purposes where the alert level 3, 2, and 1 guidelines are in effect for school reopenings. Other aspects of the reopenings can be left up to the states, a state can have different levels of restrictions to what the federal criteria suggests for their situation. This action will also specifically allow states to have tougher restrictions with regards to school reopenings, in part due to the difficulty of enforcing conflicting standards. However, where the local standards are looser the federal standards will be enforced.

At this stage, only Atlasian Samoa is encouraged to move to Level 1 restrictions. There, and in any states that can move to Level 1 in the future, the federal government expects that strict quarantine requirements will be in place to preserve their Covid-19 elimination status. If we find this is not the case, we will have to consider reimposing restrictions. In states where the trend in case numbers is 'contained' but not yet 'favorable', and all the other level 2 criteria are met, reopening of physical schooling will be delayed until 14 September. This will give us more time to be sure that things are really on the right track. I remain very concerned about the situation in several states-in particular in Arizona, Texas and Nevada. We are examining what options we have to improve the situation there.

1. Effective immediately-schools, except for high schools, are permitted to resume physical schooling in the following states-Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington state, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Nyman DC, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and the Virgin Islands.
a) In these states, schools with physical schooling must abide by the following requirements-
i)  A maximum of 40% of the student body is allowed in the school at any one time.
ii) Mask-wearing shall be required for all staff members, except those with special medical exemptions.
iii) Social distancing is to be practised where possible. Where social distancing is impossible or too impractical, all students shall also be required to wear masks, except those with special medical exemptions.
2. Effective on 14 September, schools, except for high schools, are permitted to resume physical schooling, with the same restrictions as set out in 1a, in the following states-Colorado, West Virginia and New Jersey.
3. All Schools in Atlasian Samoa are permitted to resume physical schooling without the restrictions set out in 1a.
4. Nothing in this order may be interpreted to change the federal requirements for entirely remote schooling in all states not listed above.
5. Nothing in this order shall prevent regional, state and local authorities from imposing stronger requirements to the federal requirements.

[Pericles]

Statement on October 2020 presidential election

I want to make clear to the Atlasian people that I will not be running for re-election in the upcoming presidential election. I never had any intention of doing so. As I would have had over two terms as President by November, it makes sense to follow the usual two-term precedent and I see no reason to go against it. I am proud of our accomplishments so far, having provided strong progressive leadership to Atlasia since February, along with having helped Adam Griffin to do so since September 2019 as Vice President. In particular, I am proud of our work in containing Covid-19 and saving lives, and to defied the long-standing consensus against gun control in the game to pass the Assault Weapons Ban. Going forward, I will be focused on continuing the good work and fighting for hard-working Atlasians. After the October election, I will do everything I can to facilitate a smooth transition of power to the new administration. I am hopeful that this administration come from the Labor Party. From what I am hearing, Labor will be delivering a great ticket to build on the good work of my administration and yes, craft their own vision of how to move the game forward too. If a different candidate is elected, then I will work with them too to facilitate a smooth transition and set them up as well as possible to serve the people of Atlasia. I am not announcing my future plans at this point, that is a decision and announcement for another time. Finally, I am very grateful for the support of the Atlasian people in the last two presidential elections and everyone I have worked with that has helped make the most of 2020 for Atlasia. Thank you all very much, and Dave bless Atlasia.

[Continential]

Who are you going to appoint to the NSC?

[Pericles]

Farewell address

In just a few hours time, we will complete the process of the peaceful transition of power. In our great democracy, the will of the people is sacred and must be respected. And so I am proud to hand over to the next President MB, Ted Bessell, and the new Congress. I know that Atlasia has elected quality office-holders. By showing bold leadership and working together, our best days are still ahead of us.

Let's take this opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made this year. Covid-19 has been a huge challenge, and the suffering it has caused has been a real tragedy. We have pulled together through it, we have been responsible and saved lives. I am so proud of the sacrifices that the Atlasian people have made and are making, and this is worth it. However, we must keep up the work, the new administration must be extremely dedicated and go hard and early against any second wave. This could be a very tough winter, and it is up to everyone to contribute to protecting our communities and saving lives. It is so important that people follow the rules. Together, Atlasia will get through this. I am also proud of our legislative achievements, such as the assault weapons ban which continues to save lives. We have been a responsible administration and have strived to make Atlasia fairer, so that all Atlasians have the chance to get ahead. I am confident that this legacy will live on.

Thank you again to the Atlasian people for your support in two presidential elections, and in your continued confidence in my leadership. I do plan at some point to return to an active role in the game, but this is the time for new leadership to take the stage and set the direction for Atlasia. I also have one final act as President coming up with the Order of Atlasia awards, so stay tuned for that. Dave bless Atlasia.