Office of Senator Joseph Cao
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Joseph Cao
Rep. Joseph Cao
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« Reply #100 on: March 27, 2021, 11:58:21 PM »

[The following speech was delivered as Mr. Cao continued his eastward swing across the Badger State under masked and socially distanced conditions in Kaukauna, where he attended a town hall with several other state legislative candidates before speaking to a limited audience. Part of it was live-streamed by the Nyman Federalist Party’s website and social media in addition to those of Wisconsin’s Federalist Party.]

Honored to be here in Kaukauna today – the Fox River Valley is a beautiful place, and by masking up and continuing to socially distance, you good folks have demonstrated the same fundamental care for your citizens as Nature has clearly done for your surroundings. Make sure to go get the vaccine if you haven’t already – it is an essential part of the final leg on this struggle back to normality we have all been running for a year.

The regional government has been picking up its previous slack on matters like these, I’m happy to say. As vaccinations continue, the Lincoln Council has begun laying the groundwork for schools to reopen –  a cross-partisan effort that the school district here in Kaukauna has famously been a fierce proponent of over the past week. I can also report that your Councillors, particularly our own Brother Jonathan who’s spent much of the past few days in Vermont in deep discussion with the good folks there, are doing their jobs and consulting with their constituents so as to put their safety and wellbeing first. That doesn’t belong to a specific party. When there is good to be done, in preserving the lives and livelihoods of the people we serve, we in the Federalist Party will most certainly do what we can to achieve it – as I have every confidence our counterparts will do.

Unfortunately, despite actually being relevant to the lives of millions of Lincolnites and all you folks here in Wisconsin, there is a good chance that this will get lost in the shuffle of invective being hurled around. And a lot of the rhetoric we’ve heard from politicos recently is based in artificial opposition, emphasis on “artificial.” The reason women’s rights are under attack is because the big scary Federalists are busy gutting Planned Parenthood. The reason you’re out of a job during the pandemic is because the Federalists helped special interests get even richer at your expense. The reason the very real racial divisions we have in Atlasia still exist is because the Federalists are raging racists. And on and on and on it goes. Never mind that the attacks are entirely fact-free and impervious to correction – those making the attacks will continue to throw mud at the wall and see what sticks. I trust the voters will recognize desperate attacks when they see them and vote accordingly.

The same folks will then tell you with their next breath that we’re all in this together, which is where they have it exactly right. We are all in the same boat for practical purposes, all have a voice in the way our country is steered through the crises besetting us, and all have needs and problems in our own communities that need to be addressed. This argument is raised in service of asking everyone to vote for them, and them only. Not so! We may be a political party, but we are going to tell you the truth even if it kills us politically. The beauty of the Federalist Party is that we won’t be cut adrift if people attack us in the rarefied political sphere from which these attacks have come. And the idea that we are somehow acting out of fear of “the people” – the shield used by the same operatives who have decided to pull the wool over the eyes of Indianans and Oklahomans – is laughable. We are very proud of the work we’ve done among you good folks and on behalf of you citizens of Atlasia, and we urge you to vote your conscience – for whoever has done the best job at representing you, solving the problems that crop up in your community, and putting forth a concrete vision rooted in their understanding of how politics can and should work.

We Federalists here, in Wisconsin and in Lincoln, have done our level best to stay out of attacking others, and frankly the atmosphere is bad enough as it is. But the people Wisconsin once showed that they will not tolerate lies and accusations made up out of whole cloth, hurled at those who serve our nation in governments across Atlasia, and I believe they will do so again. Thank you very much, Kaukauna, and as I have said, and I’ll repeat: vote your conscience. Vote for, at long last, a sense of decency in our politics so we can focus on what matters – working for you the people.
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Joseph Cao
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« Reply #101 on: March 27, 2021, 11:58:45 PM »

[The final stop on the eastward swing came in Two Rivers, where Representative Cao rendezvoused with a promising young state assemblyman attempting to make the leap to the state Senate. Masking and social distancing rules were strictly enforced.]

Well, it is very much a pleasure of mine to finally be back here with you all on the shores of Lake Michigan! Thanks for having me here, both now and about a month ago when I decided to visit incognito as I often do to stay connected with ordinary folks on the ground rather than cooling my heels in Congress. I have no doubt that this has been an edifying election season for you all, and I urge everyone here to give the same consideration to their choice tomorrow as you have done in continuing to mask up and socially distance.

That lake looms large in Two Rivers’ community, in the source of its very name, as it does in the minds of the public servants who represent it. I have had the chance to speak to a number of them, and I think I see some of them here today, leaders of all parties and ideologies who can nevertheless see past them to work on what the people need. And one of them, a Federalist who you may know is running for the state Senate, can count Lake Michigan as the impetus for precisely the sort of innovative policy the Federalist Party fights for across Wisconsin and the nation. I will leave it to him to expand on that policy very shortly – though the reports in the Lakeshore Chronicle seem to have kept you all fairly well-updated on how it can help keep Lake Michigan free from algal bloom and other things of the sort – and note that this could not have become reality without the extensive input of his fellow state representatives and the city manager here in Two Rivers and scientists, architects, and fellow citizens who all have necessary viewpoints on policies like these. I want to be clear about what it means to govern: nobody is solely responsible for an agenda, something I have stressed time and again on the campaign trail as I and others with me give due credit to the work our friends from other parties have put in when they likewise help the governing process along.

Lake Michigan isn’t the responsibility of any one state. The efforts of your Federalist assemblyman here are only one among the many such efforts pursued by different leaders of different states and communities in different ways. And as governing must needs force us to pay attention to what our community needs, so it brings us into contact with other people who need to be worked with. The assemblyman’s efforts have included a tougher pollution standard for industries operating locally which has necessarily compelled him to work with local leaders and industries in making sure they can hit the targets set into policy. It has placed him in touch with like-minded environmentalists from other states with an eye towards preserving the natural beauty and potential of one of the largest freshwater lakes in our country. These have included fellow public servants in other states, the Labor legislators from Gary, the Mayor of Chicago, the Liberal state representative from the Upper Peninsula, all united by this common effort. And as we work between parties, between states, with industries and organizations, it leaves behind the animosity that has tended to dominate the campaign trail. Political campaigning is an artificial environment, one that doesn’t hold a candle to the real environment here that needs to be preserved. It is in the real world that our responsibilities lie.

So just as we have striven for cleaner rivers and a cleaner Lake Michigan, we also look forward to a cleaner political scene that will likewise help our communities view the work their public servants have accomplished with clearer eyes. The people of Two Rivers, home to one of the premier museums dedicated to printing, that industry that launched the information revolution, will not need reminding that information is power; that bad information is likewise much more detrimental to the way we function in our connected world; that it falls to all of us, public servants included, to provide good information that gives our citizens the power they need to fulfil their constitutional duty. And when you all go to vote tomorrow, remember that it is your vote and your voice that must decide the outcome of this election – not us, not other parties, not anyone other that yourselves and your communities. Thanks for the time, Two Rivers, and as promised, here to talk about that policy of his is your next state Senator!
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Joseph Cao
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« Reply #102 on: March 27, 2021, 11:59:05 PM »

[Representative Cao made a final eastward swing across Wisconsin, stopping in Ripon to visit local Federalist leaders and oversee their GOTV coordination, before delivering the following livestreamed speech to a masked and socially distanced audience not far from the Little White Schoolhouse.]

In the Federalist Party’s long history, people have questioned the value of the regions and of regionalism. It has receded somewhat today, but there are still fundamental misunderstandings at work in our politics and it is long past time to set some of them straight. Wisconsinites deserve leaders who will tell you where they are coming from, what basic principles they are grounded in, and we will do our best here in the birthplace of one of our former political parties to make that case on behalf of the Federalists.

At risk of again inviting the cries of “platitude” for making a basic observation, our states are products of specific communities that have specific needs. It is all very well to argue for local control, as other parties have learned to do, and the fact that we have worked closely with them for the good of our constituents to achieve the very same results they tout should be a sign that we are quite willing to put our work where our mouth is on these matters. But the laboratory of democracy that we call Wisconsin is very different from those other laboratories called South Carolina or South Dakota, the results we seek must needs be achieved through different means in different states, and that is something that has been severely lacking in campaigns from across the aisle thus far.

Our states multiply the loci of power within Atlasia and, in doing so, bring that power within reach of the people; they provide a path for that power to flow from the bottom up. If Labor insists on referring back to the exact same record in every city and every state they visit, and in creating little replicas of our federal government with exactly the same approach to policy in every state across the union, then it does not matter how loudly they emphasize local control if that local control is subsumed to the agenda of the people in the federal government. Our policies here in Wisconsin are brought directly to you from our state legislators and our local candidates for precisely that reason: it is the people who actually originate it who are best served to talk about it to the people they serve. The researchers hard at work here in this particular laboratory of democracy, and in others across the country, don’t need higher-ranking researchers kicking down the doors and telling them what results they should get.

And the other pillar of federalism is very much a recognition at the root of everything that you can’t kick people out of the tent. Each community is a tent that officeholders must learn to navigate. Wisconsin is a big, magnificent state that contains multitudes of such communities and needs leaders who understand that basic state of affairs and what is needed at any time. Atlasia is a big tent, a marketplace of ideas and a melting pot where people may disagree – may even hate what the other has to say – but will defend to the death their right to state their case. It is imperative that we learn to agree to disagree even if we can’t reach a common solution. The party-above-all-else mindset that drives so much of politics today is a cancer – a stain on what politics can and ought to be. There is no reasonable excuse to drive wedges between our citizens, to tell people in different parts of the tent that they ought not to associate with each other, or to attempt to purge the tent of everyone except people of your own party.

I have long advocated for the primacy of principles over party. It is highly dangerous for politics when we put loyalty to a party over adherence to our principles, and that weird worship of one party which springs up in the heat of campaigning on all sides of the aisle is something I generally try to avoid – as do the Federalist candidates here in Wisconsin and in other states across Lincoln. It would, moreover, be intellectually dishonest to say that one party is the arbiter of these principles. What has been erected here is a reminder that even long-dead parties of nations past, which lost their way by leaving their principles at the door as they entered the halls of power, must needs have their root in the principle reaffirmed on that cold day in 1854 that all men are created equal and all are endowed with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It falls to the public servants in communities like Ripon all over Wisconsin to follow those guiding principles and to develop them as they see fit in a way that assists every last Wisconsinite – the proposal by your own candidates for tax credits that don’t leave dependents out in the cold is merely one among the many examples that our candidates up and down the state have proposed, a rich diversity of the kind that can come only from a common understanding of the value inherent in this laboratory of democracy and all its disparate communities. Here at the site of a declaration of intent and of principle, I hope all of us regardless of party can rededicate ourselves to truly serving the people, in this artificial hothouse called the campaign trail as well as in the seat of government and in communities all over Wisconsin. Thank you, folks, for having us, and remember to get out tomorrow and vote for federalism!
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Joseph Cao
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« Reply #103 on: March 28, 2021, 11:37:30 PM »

[The final Federalist event in Nyman, livestreamed nationwide on Federalist websites and social media, saw the attendance of Representative Cao alongside the Governor, her fellow Councilors, and some party luminaries, although former Governor West_Midlander's absence was noted as he had been taken ill shortly beforehand. The Representative's speech at the masked and socially distanced event is reproduced below for public release.]

My thanks to the Councilor – and folks, as good of a speech that was, my unwanted opinion is that it has been dwarfed by his actions in the Council over the past term. You know the record he has built up – it is a matter of public record, one that we have all been very proud of here in the city – so it is your call now as you head to the voting booth, still masked and socially distanced as you are currently doing.

In any case, you’ve have heard much, much more than enough from us regional and national officeholders over the past month to go on with. So if I may be allowed to register my own selfish opinion for the moment, I will be very glad when Election Day comes and the honest unfiltered opinions of you folks are finally able to dominate the narrative. You are all good citizens who have no doubt at this point what the parties have to say, so I will begin by thanking you all, as I have done in casual conversation with other ordinary citizens across this nation, for fulfilling your duty as a citizen in staying informed. It does not end with one election, as you very well know; most of you folks will continue to respond actively to the twists and turns of the political process and keep your officeholders’ feet to the fire over what they have promised you. The Nyman Federalist Party understands quite well that they will be measured by their work over the past six months. All I can say about that, at this point when you all should be the ones taking control of the narrative, is that the work your officeholders have carried out during this term have been an exemplary example of how local politics should be done if it is to benefit you the people.

Governor Spanier’s administration has been accused of being, at various points, either platitudinous or reactionary. I know the folks here in Nyman have heard them, and I know we have made our case for why we don’t put much stock in the validity of those attacks. It is unusual for an administration that has cut waste in state projects, reformed the metro system, and made great strides toward universal pre-K to be accused of being reactionary. It is rather more unusual for an administration, from the Governor down to the aides working for our Councilors, which has negotiated heavily with all other parties over these initiatives – most prominently the metro overhaul, where one of the DA councilors’ suggestions have been instrumental in improving the efficiency of our plan – to be accused of being platitudinous. If we were either of those things, we would not have the record we have to stand on today. Getting through the tangle of politics, its limitations and tradeoffs, and crafting legislation that we constantly seek your input on is exactly what we wouldn’t be doing if we wanted to feel good and coast on public opinion or wait for everyone else to agree with us. The Governor and others of her party know how difficult it is to get anywhere without acknowledging that you don’t always get what your most partisan supporters want. That is instrumental to setting aside the mentality, as we Federalists here in Nyman have done, that the people exist to serve politics – your own politics – rather than the other way around.

There is such a thing as a public servant still, in politics, despite everything that has gone on this month. I don’t believe there has been a single instance where our officeholders here in the state of Nyman have made a policy decision without also laying out their rationale, their justifications for it, which have always been rooted in what the people of this state need in the middle of a pandemic and the multitudes of other crises afflicting our nation. The people of Nyman are not looking for ideologues who will see a bunch of problems that confirm their priors about what should be done and use them as an opportunity to ram through their pet policies. The record of our Federalist officeholders here has been anything but ideologically driven. And as long as there continue to be problems to be solved here in the city and the state which we serve, we will not cram ideological square pegs into these round holes.

Most importantly of all, there is no one single public servant responsible for anything that gets done here in Nyman or anywhere else. If I have been willing to give due credit to what the other parties have helped us, it is not out of convenience; nobody expects this sort of gesture to be repaid, at least not on the part of the political operations we’ve seen this month, and nobody expects it to be done in exchange for guaranteeing political safety. Why should officeholders care about being politically expedient over the needs of their constituents? Governor Spanier told you all in her inaugural speech that she would govern on behalf of every single citizen of Nyman regardless of what they thought of her. And she has done exactly that, as have our Federalists on the Council. We know that the people’s need for a better living standard, a better education system, better jobs, and a better means of getting to those jobs trumps anything that partisans may think of how politics ought to operate. The people were and are our first priority, and they will continue to be if you reelect Governor Spanier and our Federalist Councilors, who have shown time and time again that they are very capable of living up to their promises, in delivering concrete results for Nyman, and in working to improve the lives of all Nymanites regardless of race or creed or ideological leaning. You all have seen that record, and we have been honest about how that record has been achieved: by the officeholders representing you the people, of the needs of you the people, and for the lives and livelihoods of you the people.

Get out and vote, folks, and stay in tune with what your leaders have done and how it measures up to what you need done – we will always put the people first in everything we do and in every part of the political process we engage in, and our words and actions in and out of the political sphere have always backed that up. I’ll hand the stage now to Governor LT, who will then pass it on to Governor Spanier for the last word; Dave bless you all, folks, stay safe, and please go vote!
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Joseph Cao
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« Reply #104 on: April 08, 2021, 01:03:48 AM »

[Following another brief absence, during which he once again visited constituents on the ground in a road trip covering multiple states, Representative Cao made his first public appearance in several days in Rensselaer at a general rally for the Governor of New York and area Federalist state legislative candidates. A copy of his speech at the masked and socially distanced event is reproduced below for public release.]

Good afternoon, Rensselaer! It’s great to be here, great to have spent the past few days back on the road incognito among the fine citizens of Dave’s country, and especially great to be with you all and with your governor here as we kick off his re-election campaign this month. There are many, many wonderful people here in the state of New York who, in addition to displaying the sound good sense to continue to mask up and socially distance as you all are doing now, have sound good values which we here in the Federalist Party have done our best to serve and emulate over the past term.

You know your governor’s track record. He helped to resuscitate New York’s healthcare system from the initial body blow it suffered in the early stages of the pandemic. He’s laid the foundations for infrastructure upgrades – to roads, to buildings, and to those all-important public utilities – that will better serve both upstate and downstate needs. And, of course, he has given our national effort against COVID-19 a much-needed shot in the arm. But he couldn’t have done all that without the legislature, without the dozens of public servants under the Federalist banner in this state who have been dedicated first and foremost to helping their communities and their constituents, or without working across the aisle and looking past party lines to the other leaders who serve the people of New York. If a community needs help, we will help – and we trust our state legislators here in New York to cut to the heart of the issues affecting them and help their constituents in any way possible.

We know the parties here in Lincoln, and here in New York, are not going to operate like their counterparts in other states. The Governor and our Federalists in the legislature, for one, have done their best to operate based on what New York needs rather than what our national leaders think of any one issue. And it appears to me that they will continue to operate as they have always done throughout their term and assume likewise of their fellow legislators in other parties. We Federalist here in Lincoln have tried to build bridges and always have; there’s no other way to get the needs and voices of the people here in a community like Rensselaer across the river to Albany where they can be heard and acted on by those in power.

Now, I had a call earlier today with your governor here in his role as chair of the Federalist governors’ association, which he has done an amazing job with by the way. The task of promoting a nationwide vision of government that prioritizes the needs of the community and policies that preserve local control and a chance for individual citizens and families to thrive and grow is no easy feat for anyone at the best of times, and even less so at times like these. We were very pleased to welcome Governor Bunsen of Wisconsin and we trust he’ll do his best in serving his state, and extremely gratified to hear of his pledge to likewise work with all parties in his legislature, and let it not be said that people never learn anything from politics – it is vital that the people, whether of Wisconsin or of New York or of Lincoln more generally, have leaders in power who will be willing to put people over party and govern over partisan concerns. And it was my express hope on that call that the legislators of Wisconsin, of all parties, could bring that same mindset to the table that their new Governor has brought.

Why am I bringing him up, you may ask? After all, the Governor of Wisconsin has little to no impact on what New Yorkers need. But it is that same dedication to putting people over party, to governing soberly and without letting ideological blinders cloud your vision at the helm of government, to a real focus on legislative results which benefit everyone and build the communities up into a position to drive Atlasia’s growth – it is that same dedication that will bring the same good governance to the people of Wisconsin that you all have enjoyed here in New York, that you heeded when New York elected an unlikely ticket to the Governor’s office seven months ago, and that I believe you all here in Rensselaer and across this great state will bring back to the helm of government this month. We are greatly looking forward to talking in more detail throughout this month about the fruits of that dedication, about our plans for the term ahead, and here to begin that, please give your warmest welcome to the Governor of New York State!
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Joseph Cao
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« Reply #105 on: April 09, 2021, 01:51:19 AM »

[The Representative made a morning stop in Ames to join the Governor and a number of legislative candidates at a masked and socially distanced rally, at which he delivered the following speech.]

Thank you, folks. Thank you all for coming, and thanks for having us here with you today – masked and socially distanced, no less. And a very good morning to you, Ames! Glad I could make it here. It is always an honor to be out here with you all.

In fact, as a member of Congress, it is very much a personal prerogative of mine that I keep in touch with the people regularly. The only drawback of doing it for extended periods of time is that I get cut off from important happenings in politics. So while you all have had a few days to digest the news, I was rather saddened to hear last night of the recent deregistration of your former Senator and regional luminary Scott. He has been a great statesman, a deeply dedicated public servant who time and again managed to return to serve the people despite great personal struggle, and a friend to all those who served alongside him in Nyman and in Denver. It was a pleasure legislating with him, and I can only hope you good folks and the rest of the people of Frémont will be able in the future to once again have him fighting for you in the public sphere.

I am, of course, aware that harsh words have been traded in the past on the campaign trail between Scott and ourselves here in the Federalist Party. But I think we speak for the people of Iowa, for citizens all over Atlasia, when we say that that matters very little in comparison to what Scott has actually done and what we have actually done. My legislative work with the former Senator has brought us into contact many times. Have we butted heads on some of them? Of course. But that headbutting is precisely how bad bills become good bills and good bills become better bills, because we are forced to the table and to come up with solutions that will keep our economic situation running without pulling a fast one on the little guy, that create a fairer working environment for our manufacturing and service workers across the nation, and that put the community’s efforts at the forefront of our push for renewable energy and a better environment. These bills and this lawmaking process help far more people than the mudslinging we encountered in recent months possibly can. Infinitely many more, in fact, since mudslinging helps no one. That mud is distracting, unnecessary, and it gets in the way of what actually matters in politics, and I think my record will bear me out on the matter of putting my campaign where my mouth is.

If it isn’t already clear, I’m not a big fan of mud in politics. You know who else isn’t? Your Governor right here, who is on record as not hating anyone, and who throughout his tenure has done his best to bring results and Light to the state he serves. And it isn’t just him; the legislators of the Federalist Party here in Iowa, like my own fellow Feds just across the Mississippi, know the value of keeping your head down and working for the folks who need your help – it’s easier to avoid the mud being thrown overhead that way. They haven’t shied away from working with other parties either; tearing down legislators on the other side of the aisle harms the Iowans who elected them just the same as it would if the roles were switched. So we have worked closely with Labor representatives, most prominently on a farm bill that protects the livelihoods of farmers and ensures their work isn’t wasted. We have worked with the DA on crafting fairer housing practices in Iowa’s cities and towns, and with the Liberals on maintaining water quality and similar efforts that, like many other things at the state and municipal level, tend to get lost in the national conversation. And led by the Governor, we have tried to keep to the spirit of cooperation among all legislators that has yielded tangible results for Iowans and will do so again if you get out and vote to reelect Governor Engle and the Federalist legislature this month.

The people of Iowa have lives to live and know better than to go around being mad at people because of their political differences, and frankly a lot of Beltway discourse would be better if it was more like the ordinary Atlasian’s conception of politics: as a way for stuff to get done for the people who put us into these positions of power, nothing more. That has been something the Federalists of Iowa have taken to heart and then some, and we have the results to show for it. To talk more about one of those results, I’d like you all to join me in welcoming an ordinary citizen like yourself who found herself elevated to just such a position in the legislature, and how she has made use of it on behalf of the people of Ames and communities like it – your state representative, everybody!
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« Reply #106 on: April 10, 2021, 01:24:44 AM »

[Representative Cao returned to New York City to campaign alongside legislative candidates and the mayor, who took time off from his busy schedule to give the opening speech at a masked and socially distanced rally that closed off a day’s worth of COVID-compliant campaigning and doorknocking in the neighborhoods of southern Queens. The Representative gave the speech immediately following the mayor’s; a copy is reproduced below.]

Thank you for that. Folks, that was your mayor with the policies and the plans he has pursued since you all gave the very great honor of reelecting him in February with the help of our fine public servants in Albany. And warm greetings, Ozone Park! It’s great to be here with you all and to see everyone still masked and socially distanced. Keep it up, folks, and go get vaccinated if you still haven’t done so!

I had the honor of appearing alongside your Governor recently, during which I was very proud to highlight the excellent work he has done for New York and the credit to other governors across the nation which he has been. And so it is once again my pleasure to be here with Mayor Silver to do likewise for our nation’s cities; to highlight the responsible Federalist leadership which he proved possible all the way back in July and now sees Federalist mayors governing many of the nation’s major metropolitan areas. Yet, as he has just told you, he is not the main focus of that story, and neither is the Governor nor the state legislators and candidates on behalf of whom we are gathered here today. That story focuses on you the people, and as long as the highly capable Federalist public servants here are in office that will continue to be the case.

Cities are communities, plain and simple. Leaders like Mayor Silver wouldn’t be governing right, and in point of fact wouldn’t be standing here to talk to you all, if we didn’t make absolutely sure that every community gets a say in how they are run and what would be best for them and their people. There wouldn’t be a vaccine effort that has been the envy of the nation if distribution was not equitable, specifically tailored to prioritize high-risk groups, and meticulously stress-tested beforehand. There wouldn’t be additional help for our public schools here and in the Bronx and across this city and this state if we had not taken the calls of our teachers and kids and parents seriously and done our best to offset the toll that the pandemic has taken on our children’s futures. There would not be improvements to New York City’s economic landscape, now more welcoming for small businesses of all kinds and for economic opportunity to bloom with COVID-19 almost beaten, if we had not acted on the experiences of our business owners: the family-owned stores and those privately focused on tending to different corners of NYC’s melting pot, some corners affluent and others struggling to get by, many with the support of their local communities, and all with their own contributions to New York and more than deserving of help during this tough period.

Working closely with the Governor and with Albany on all this on behalf of the people of New York City, and getting successful policy for you folks out of it, would be a cause for ego-stroking in lesser leaders. But the mayor, like our other Federalist mayors across the nation, does not forget who entrusted him with the position he holds. And it would not serve the people of New York well if he had fallen into the old trap of seeing this city as a stage to exploit rather than a massive collection of communities and people to serve. The unprecedented cooperation between the mayor and the Governor has been a big reason behind the success of the vaccination program, the economic reforms, and the rest of the governing process which New York City and New York State has seen over the past months. Letting petty rivalries or any other such considerations get in the way of that might have soothed personal egos but would be very bad for the people of New York; that is why the both of them have defied the historical dynamic and, in doing so, more than proved their worth as public servants both in name and in action. I want to be clear – there can be adults in the room, people who you can absolutely trust to place the people ahead of themselves, as rare as those might have seemed in New York’s political scenes past. One of them is right next to me, several others are here onstage and running for the legislature, and yet another currently sits in the Governor’s chair. That is the record of the Federalist Party, ladies and gentlemen: good governance driven by the need to put you all first and seeing where your needs will lead us, rather than the imposition of a prearranged agenda – a square peg into a round hole – that ignores what New Yorkers and their communities need.

We will continue to look after the community; we have and will continue to give you the power, wherever possible, to stand up and argue your needs and your issues with the confidence that you will be heard and understood by governments that in the past have hardly always demonstrated their capability to do either. That is the promise that the Federalist Party has made in Chicago, in Miami, right here in New York City – and as you voters did in the past, so we are now asking for you to consider again: to place your trust in a party that has proven itself time and time again in standing up for your needs and pursuing a government where you get the say you deserve. Thank you, Queens, for having us; it’s my pleasure to now welcome the next state representative for Ozone Park!
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« Reply #107 on: April 15, 2021, 01:52:07 AM »

[Representative Cao was seen yesterday evening at a public rally with the Governor and state legislative candidates in Midwood as part of a multi-day campaigning and GOTV effort by Federalist leaders in the city's neighborhoods. The speech he gave at the masked and socially distanced rally is reproduced below.]

Thank you for that. Well, folks, I’m very happy to be back with you good people here in Midwood and to see everyone still masked up and socially distancing. It was our pleasure to stop by back in February to talk to you all about what the mayor had done and would continue to do with the office he holds, and now it isn’t just the state legislators and the governor who are here, but also yours truly and the rest of the regional and federal offices up for election this month. I understand Mr. SN will stop by here soon ahead of this weekend’s elections. And while Sunrise is no longer running, he certainly looks to continue fighting for the communities here in Lincoln.

Talking of Lincoln, I’m sure we have all heard the ruckus up at the Daniel Moynihan building where the Council is busy debating a change to our regional Constitution. As many of you do, I am very happy to see the Governor’s dedication to a fairer form of government: one that preserves the checks and balances that will keep our government accountable to each other and above all to the people, while also not confusing the living daylights out of all of us poor folk who can’t dedicate our whole lives to following the minutiae of Lincoln’s politics. Nevertheless, as your state senator has very rightly said, you are all highly encouraged to continue giving your thoughts on this matter to the Governor and the Council – especially to New York’s own Chancellor AGA and to the other members of the Council who serve this tri-state area.

But while that is an important issue that more than ever underlines the need for you all to get out and vote in the Council elections this weekend, that’s not what I wanted primarily to talk about today. The workings of government are one thing; what we do within the community, independent of what the bureaucracy imposes upon us, is another. And it can generally be much more impactful if we as a community put our minds to it. We talk a lot about making sure no one gets left behind, so I and others are very glad that the community leaders here in Brooklyn have taken pains to back that up with concrete and innovative actions that more than justify the bids for higher office which some of them here have launched this month.

Take your next state assemblyman here, for example. You’ll hear from him shortly about the work he has done with local leaders, not just within the neighborhood but all across Brooklyn thanks to his work with the Food Bank of New York City. That role has given him the opportunity to help make sure the underprivileged of our city are getting the food and essential goods they need, an you can rest assured that he will continue to fight for them in the Assembly. Thanks to his focus on providing the necessary equipment for our city’s smaller food banks, things like pallet jacks and mobile refrigerators which have been in great demand as more New Yorkers have become dependent on their services, the workers at food pantries across this city have made sure the generosity of New York’s citizens don’t go to waste. He’s suggested similar innovations and helped to implement them in the Food Bank’s own work across NYC, which have now become standard policy for food pantries across the state who have their own urban poor to feed and care for.

In this he’s found assistance from the city councillors who serve their own communities with the same problems, from the mayor who knows well the issues faced by the charity workers of this city and acted quickly to provide assistance back when he first won the mayoralty last July, and last but not least from Albany. Because of Governor Denniston’s persistent public advocacy on the matter, and the resulting legislative debate during our budget negotiations in which the Federalist assemblyman for Staten Island played a leading role, we have managed to get much-needed grants out to nonprofit aid organizations of all kinds, like NYC’s food banks, which have continued to run during the pandemic – grants that will enable them to continue working, get them the resources and support they need, and allow them to continue supporting their communities and their neighbors.

There is much that the communities here in New York City and across this great state can do to uplift each and every one of their members, in large part because they can assess those needs far more accurately and intimately than a government hundreds of miles away and occupied with the needs of other communities can possibly manage. So it has been our honor and pleasure as part of the Federalist Party to help to bring community needs to the forefront of what we do; to give those communities a greater voice in the policies of Albany; and to ensure that the New York we build under the administration of the past seven months is a government truly of the people, by the people, and for the people. Thank you, Midwood, for your time, remember to get out to vote – and please give a warm welcome to your next state assemblyman!
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« Reply #108 on: April 16, 2021, 10:54:33 AM »

[Alongside the state assembly candidates and state senator for the area, Representative Cao headlined a townhall and public fundraiser organized by the Federalist Party in downtown Syracuse yesterday before beginning an afternoon’s work of voter outreach in surrounding neighborhoods of the metropolitan area. Their efforts concluded with a general event in Brewerton (which was masked and socially distanced as were the preceding events), where the Representative gave the following opening speech.]

All right, folks. Thanks so much. And thank you, Brewerton, for having us this evening! It’s always a pleasure to see everyone out here doing your civic duty in keeping masked and socially distanced as well as taking the time to grill your candidates here at that town hall earlier. The better that can be done, the more you all benefit: from nearing the end of the pandemic as we all get vaccinated – and please book a vaccination appointment if you haven’t done so yet – to a greater understanding of what it is that you all will be dealing with when you get out to vote this month. That goes for the Council elections, for the federal elections where I will be facing you all once more on the ballot, and for the gubernatorial and legislative elections here in New York State.

To turn to the matter of the Lincoln Council for a moment, I hope you have been doing your best to stay informed and abreast of the debate over a new regional Constitution. The Council’s deliberations are a matter of public record, and as the press in the back will no doubt agree, there is no better way to educate yourself than to go directly to the source of the news. And as a matter of fact I would like to thank the Governor here for doing his part in furthering the effort to keep the people of this state informed by getting his office to include a summary of the previous day’s takeaways from the Council in his daily press release. It is a practice I hope will continue; the Governor has a public platform that can easily be used for the good of the people if the person occupying it is so inclined. Good government shouldn’t limit itself to being quietly competent. It should also make abundantly clear why it’s doing what it’s doing, what other parts of the government are doing, and allow the people they serve to see what works and what doesn’t – without that sight, you folks can hardly be expected to make the best possible judgements for your futures and the futures of your friends and families and communities and for New York at the ballot box.

As those of you who read the Governor’s latest press release will know, the Council has just returned to the debate around regional voting requirements. Now I have previously communicated my own concerns regarding the new Constitution to the Council, and expect to continue doing so. And it would be very good of you, as upstanding citizens, to make sure they likewise know your thoughts on the matter – they do serve you, after all. But that same obligation also works in the opposite direction. It is incumbent upon the Council themselves, as aspirers to good government (or better government than our region has seen in the past, at the very least) to make sure their efforts do not serve only to confuse the citizens they are meant to help. I was happy to see our own Councillor Brother Jonathan deeply involved in fielding the local concerns raised during meetings he has held with the citizens of his own home state of Vermont, where he has sometimes been joined by Governor KaiserDave and his own efforts toward the same end. It is all a welcome change from a Council which decided in previous sessions to overcomplicate our voting rights to the detriment of Lincoln’s citizens, including many right here in New York.

Throughout the swings in our regional policy, New York’s Governor and Federalist legislators have tried to keep this state aware of these changes and accommodate the fundamental right for our citizens to vote and to exercise that right fully no matter what election they are voting in. We were very pleased to help overhaul the State Board of Elections recently and eliminate byzantine regulations in New York’s election laws that have resulted in a number of notorious and nationally infamous episodes of grossly incompetent electoral mismanagement. Utter foul-ups, if you will. Voting is a serious matter for all citizens, enshrined in our Constitution; one far too important to be stymied by lack of communication or cooperation between our county, state, regional, and federal levels of government. The state senator here, in particular, has led the charge for reform to the election laws from his experience serving in Oneida County’s own Board of Elections – and with very good reason too, to judge his prior record as county administrator. Could you imagine if your county – the unit of government about as close to the people it serves as you could get – somehow failed in its duty to accurately count the votes of its own citizens? Me neither.

The Federalist Party’s legislators, and your own state senator here, may be particularly outstanding in this regard. But it is not a partisan issue to demand an electoral system that don’t confuse the living daylights out of all of us. The work of your state senator in pushing for better administered state elections; of Governor Denniston’s public and sustained dedication to informing the people of New York of such matters; of prospective Councillor Nyssus as a public advocate for you all right here in Syracuse; of New York’s former Representative Poirot’s pleas for elections that better serve the people, and my own continued advocacy for the same on the floor of the House; and of the President’s own involvement in the Council debate – this long list of public servants of all parties at all levels of government – should make clear the depth and breadth of the commitment to making sure that, at the end of the day, the laws we make are laws that help and serve you the people. And it is my firm belief, bolstered by the good work they have done over their past term in office, that that will continue to hold if you reelect Governor Denniston and elect your Federalist candidates for the state legislature. The people of Brewerton, of Cicero, of Syracuse, and of New York need good governance more than ever, with the experience required to steer New Yorkers through the change in our region and the nation. Here to tell you all directly about his efforts to do so, as he has consistently done over the past term, is the Governor himself. Come on over, Patrick!
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« Reply #109 on: April 17, 2021, 02:20:53 AM »

[The Representative accompanied a number of state legislative candidates on a series of townhalls and general events (held under COVID regulations) across northwestern Iowa, where the candidates fielded questions regarding their own legislative work over the past months and laid out their visions for the next term. One event in Spirit Lake saw the following speech, which is reprinted below for public release.]

Good afternoon, Spirit Lake! And it is my very great pleasure to see everyone out and about and still masking and socially distancing. The good people of the Midwest enjoy the privilege of a peculiarly sound good common sense that flourishes out here among the farms and plains, born of the confluence of the rivers’ fast-moving compulsions and the moderating influence of the land and its natural cycle, and it is heartening to note that that continues to be put to good use.

You did well in exercising that same common sense last election when you all here and your fellow Iowans across the state came together to evaluate the options before you and your ballot and elect a Governor that has consistently placed the people first. (Whether or not that had anything to do with all the names on the ballot being Engle, I have no idea.) Lest anyone in power run away with an inflated sense of their importance, it is highly commendable that you also returned a finely divided parliament to match Iowa’s finely divided politics. It is of the utmost importance that those in power, myself and the others gathered here included, be constantly reminded of our political mortality. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve joined Federalists at all levels of government in keeping close to the people we serve, and the Iowa Federalist Party has in turn given much thought and put much effort into respecting Iowans’ decisions and working with the other parties and the people they represent.

The Iowa Federalists may have some secret sauce of their own, that of a more fundamental understanding of their state and its citizens born of their proximity to Iowa’s interests and local issues, and stand apart from the national party in that sense. But they still hold true to the principle that has guided the Federalists from the party’s conception: our dedication not just to government of, by, and for the people, but also to the laws and institutions that have kept a framework in place to guarantee the success of government of, by, and for the people. That same tension is nothing more and nothing less than a reflection of the famed politics on a knife’s edge that the statehouse has seen over the past term, despite which – no, because of which – the people have seen the results that it can yield. Your state representative has just told you about the success of his fight for the farmers and small business owners and industry workers of northwestern Iowa during the long debate over the contents of the farm bill, and I think your next state senator will have more to add on her efforts in Dickinson County’s administration on that front when she comes before you all shortly. As they and the rest of the public servants here have demonstrated, balancing on that knife’s edge can be easier when those in power aren’t straining to catch the passing sounds of outside interests but have their ears attuned to the voices of the people who elected them to represent their communities.

It is very necessary, for them and for the other Federalists here who have time and again stressed the need for Main Street to have a say in its own governance, to be clear about their duties. We do, after all, serve in the political system we have because of a foundational system of laws that owes its authority to no one person who might be able to revoke it, or bend the rules to their will; it is that system that ensures even the ability of a naturalized citizen with a funny name to have the same voice with the same right to be heard as any of the others in this great nation which has been built on that foundation. And at the same time it remains the case that government by the people must bear the same moral compass that drives the people if it is to be a government that lives up to the animating principle which the Founders harnessed in that foundational system and which we continue to strive toward today – and let us be clear; it is an enormous triumph for this country that we have that principle, which has driven us so far, further than most every other developed nation to date, and yet reminds us of how much we can still do to fulfil its promise.

A late senator just across the state border from here once spelled that moral basis out in no uncertain terms, emphasizing the duty of our citizenry to care for those in the shadows of life, those in its dawn, and those in its twilight. It has been the privilege of our own national leaders under the Federalist banner to join in the bipartisan work that went into the healthcare bill that continues to cover each and every citizen of Dave’s own country. It is still the privilege of the Federalists here in Iowa to have worked with the Frémont Parliament in implementing the numerous other provisions upholding the constitutions of the young, the old, the sick, and the weak which have passed through Denver. It will, we hope, continue to be the privilege of Governor Engle and the Federalists in our legislature to continue working with all parties in this state in ensuring local needs are met for our kids’ education, extend the protections that have kept our care homes safe even during COVID-19, and expand the reach of job grants to fully accommodate Iowans who need work and have been held back through no fault of their own. That is the Federalist dedication – one that extends to the dawn and the twilight of all our lives; one that doesn’t flag or waver in its dedication to give the people and communities of Iowa the chance to express their needs and drive this ship of state.

We have and we will continue to persist in standing up for you all, and it will soon be up to you to stand up and make your decision as to the course of the next term. Make sure to inform yourselves and make the best decision you can; in the meantime, to assist with that, please give a warm welcome to someone you know has fought for you tirelessly here in the county government and who will keep that fight up in the legislature: your next state senator!
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« Reply #110 on: April 21, 2021, 01:56:25 AM »

[Following a prolonged absence from the public, during which he attempted to recuperate from a nasty head injury at his home in Bloomington, Representative Cao returned to southern Iowa to join the Governor and an assortment of state assembly candidates at a masked and socially distanced event at Chariton. The Governor’s remarks about the coming election, briefly summed up as follows,
echoed the theme struck by other speakers at the event.]

It is good to be back out here in Iowa and on the trail with you all, after that brief injury I suffered some days ago which has kept me at home trying to rest up. Frankly, it is somewhat embarrassing to admit this in a state where much more severe injuries have been shrugged off by the farmers and laborers of its past, where you have not let minor medical conditions prevent you from continuing to wear masks and socially distance, but it was impressed upon me that I was to avoid “overexertion” of any sort after my concussion. So you’ll be relieved to hear that I am keeping this brief on doctor’s orders. More than a couple of upstanding folks across the aisle who have been making hay out of the length of my speeches will be pleased too, no doubt.

Speaking of folks across the aisle: even as we welcome Scott back to public life, I – and others here in Frémont, I’m sure, who know how much she has done for the region on a much deeper level – will be sorry to see Speaker Siren take a step back after the conclusion of her current term. It is always the case that officeholders who stay in touch with their constituents have a better ear for what the people need, and it is thankfully rare here in Dave’s own country to see an officeholder place their own job security over the security of those they serve. Those of us gathered here today are no exception. It is important for myself personally and for my fellow officeholders to stay in touch with the people, which is why the Federalist Party here has been rousing people across the state to prepare to do their civic duty and vote this weekend for federal and regional elections.

Governor Engle, too, far from being the rumored “Eternal Governor,” knows very well that he holds his job because of the voters and no one else; he is answerable to the people of Iowa and nobody else. That was the reason for his focus on expanding rural broadband and working toward the goal of giving every town and every county in Iowa the opportunity to reap the benefits of the Internet, for job opportunities as well as education; it has provided the foundation for Iowa’s candidates of all parties to propose policies for our digital future. That was the reason for the attention paid to the rising problems with mental health issues and everyday illnesses, of much more seriousness than a mere concussion, that have been shunted out of the public eye by COVID but which remain closely monitored and acted upon thanks to the work of a multipartisan team of legislators led by the state senator who has just spoken to you. From the very beginning the Iowa Feds have campaigned on issues facing Iowans alone; our communities are a source of pride to Iowans all over the state, to us Federalists, just as they are to Chariton. And I would venture to add that while others have strayed into discussion of Beltway rumors that bear no relevance to your daily lives – myself, too, on occasion – the Iowa Federalists have not wavered from the path set for them by the needs of their constituents.

Let us be clear: the Iowa Federalist Party has consistently assumed the best of others and worked with them on boosting our infrastructure and healthcare and the livelihoods of our farmers and laborers and service workers here in this state. If we believed that was a failed strategy, we would not be pursuing it. That, fundamentally, is what we here in Iowa have done over the past term and it is what will push this state to greater heights in the months and years to come. And if you believe that is best accomplished through Federalist leadership, Governor Engle and your local state House and state Senate candidates would appreciate your support. Please join me now in welcoming a friend and a public servant, one of your most prominent advocates for the problems faced here in Lucas County: your next state representative!
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« Reply #111 on: April 21, 2021, 02:28:50 AM »

[En route back home from Nyman, Representative Cao stopped in Wheeling to attend the Governor’s masked and socially distanced event, which ended a day of coordinated campaigning by the Federalist Party of West Virginia by state legislative candidates up and down the state. The speech he delivered is reproduced below.]

Wheeling! It’s great to be here with you all this afternoon. There’s no denying that this state has a great deal of beauty to offer, its people as well as its natural scenery. And that is made even clearer when you all come out and continue to keep masked up and six feet apart. It’s very largely the individual choices of West Virginians and others all over this land who have done the work of stopping and reversing the spread and getting Atlasia into a position to emerge out the other side of COVID. And I say very largely because there is something I want to get back to in a minute.

West Virginia owes its very existence to this same principle of individual choice. From its birth in the fires of civil war, your state has been a shining testament to the power of this kind of self-determination, of what happens when people stand up and say that they want no truck with what is being forced upon them from overhead if that is unjust or ignores the needs of the people, and Governor Rhodes and the Federalists in the legislature have continued to live up to that standard set by that group of delegates here in 1861. I have talked about this, but it’s easy for some to see the Federalist label here for an office like lieutenant governor and come to the conclusion that West Virginia’s Federalists are the same as Virginia’s Federalists are the same as Federalists in the Southern Chamber or Congress. And they could not be further from the truth! The Governor and his fellow Feds here are answerable to the people of West Virginia; not to regional interests, or national interests, or any of the special interests that have used West Virginia for their own ends. Through all its history West Virginia has seen itself as exactly the sort of community we Federalists have done our best to uphold – one which best enables us to empower the individual and those around them.

I have spoken with many of the fine public servants here today, and more across this great state, and it is clear that their service to their constituents is deeply rooted in a fundamental desire to get things right. There is no adequate service, no genuine means of helping your community, if they don’t have the communication and capacity for a genuine conversation with people that will focus on what they need – nothing more and nothing less. There may be Federalists out of state who agree fully with every one of the policies held by the Governor, or the state senator for communities like yours in the northern panhandle, or the prospective state representative right here with us in Wheeling tonight, but for the sake of West Virginians I think it is good that most of us have our differences. It proves that your state representatives and state senators here, and your Governor of course, know your needs to a more detailed and intimate degree than those of us stuck miles away in Nyman can hope to consistently reach.

Governor Rhodes has made a name for himself in insisting that companies in this state adhere to a stricter system of laws that protect the workers of West Virginia, a policy backed by many in the legislature across party lines, precisely because he understands this unique dynamic. We said last year that it was high time the resources of West Virginia were put to use by the people who worked with them rather than see all the wealth siphoned away from the state, and the Governor has made very clear that this state is not a strip mine to be plundered at will by out-of-state interests. West Virginians have a public servant in the Governor’s office who has taken back the standard for self-determination which this state embodies above all others, and a party in Charleston that will hold all its public officials, from the Senate Majority Leader to the lowliest county officer, to the standard of standing up for their community and their neighbor. They are proud to bring the conversation back to West Virginia and its interests, to what is best for West Virginians, whether that is a federally initiated COVID policy or a regional push for job creation or otherwise – all of these depend on cooperation from you and your good judgement on whether these help you and your community survive and thrive.

Our government has a duty to stick up for us, but there is only so much that can be done – and the success or failure of what can be done lies in the hands of the people of West Virginia, you who will continue to decide the direction that this state takes based on your needs and thanks to a state government that makes a point of keeping this same power in your hands. It was in your hands in 1861, it is today, and if you come out this month to vote for Governor Rhodes and the other fine public servants of his party on your ballot, it will continue to be in your hands tomorrow and for the next six months. Thank you, Wheeling, and please join me in welcoming your next state representative!
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« Reply #112 on: April 23, 2021, 10:57:49 PM »

[Representative Cao joined a group of state legislative candidates in the Jackson metropolitan area for an afternoon of door-knocking and get-out-the-vote efforts ahead of Election Day, which were punctuated by several brief speeches such as the one given below at a masked and socially distanced event in downtown Madison.]

Thank you all for coming. And a sincere thank you to the state representative for her speech, because I think all of us badly needed to hear it. It’s good to be out here on this exceptionally fine day with you all down here in Madison – made all the better, I may say, for seeing everyone still masking up and socially distancing.

Yes, I did come just to talk about the weather. Mississippi experiences this fine weather today having only just come out of a series of winter storms and flooding, before heading into a summer that will without a doubt bring more storms and flooding with it. This has gone on for years. The infrastructure here in Madison, all over cities and towns across Mississippi and even out in the rurals has been built on utilities that have suffered an enormous amount of damage from the annual disasters. Whenever water systems or electric grids fail, the state government here has done its best to respond on hand, to get generators and clean water and essential supplies out to the people cut adrift or washed out by the storms. And it is a credit to the road crews and the relief workers and emergency responders at all levels of government here, right down to county crews, who prepare themselves for these eventualities and brave difficult conditions to keep Mississippians safe.

These disasters come and go and while we’re stuck in the middle of them people’s attentions all over the state will be focused on the fallout from the storms and flooding. As they should be! Mississippians are a resourceful lot and have kept an eye out for their neighbors and others in need this past winter as they have throughout disasters past, but the people can’t be hung out to dry by their government. That wouldn’t be the Federalist commitment to looking after our communities. It is because of this that the Governor and the legislature have been diligent in keeping their eyes on the ball with what needs to be done in responding to disasters in more ways than just reacting to how many people need help in their aftermath. They know very well that Mississippi’s communities deserve better than that.

What has been needed for a very long time is a long-term commitment at all levels of government to maintaining the infrastructure and the measures that will prevent the extent of the damages we’ve seen and thereby continue to keep the people of Mississippi out of danger during natural disasters. That must spring from the dedication to the health and safety of our communities upon which the Federalist Party was founded. So even as your state legislators here have stayed firmly in touch with their communities, as others in the legislature have done all across this state, they have put in the work to prioritize infrastructure upkeep and public utility maintenance in cities like Madison as well as in rural areas where our communities are even more vulnerable to bad weather and response times are slower. It is in fair-weather periods like these that the government needs to act and your representatives need to act before the next storm hits. Their service to you as public servants depends on it. And I’m happy to say they have made excellent progress on that precisely because they understand what their communities need and because you folks have made it clear to them.

It is not glamorous work, or the sort of work that gets publicized and wins you book deals and awards. This goes on every day and Mississippians deserve to know the full extent of what their public servants have done to uphold their commitment to those they serve, from the President to the regional and state and county governments, whether or not it ever sees the light of day. But if you citizens continue to engage in the public square and lay the long-term foundation for a better Mississippi with every call you make and every vote you cast and every question you pose to your candidates and leaders, it is my confidence that this state and its close-knit communities will weather any storms that hit this state. Thank you for having us, Madison, and for his remarks on the extent of what he’s done to prepare for disasters, natural or otherwise, please now welcome your state senator!
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« Reply #113 on: April 24, 2021, 12:31:55 AM »

[Alongside a number of Federalist leaders, Mr. Cao proceeded south to Hattiesburg to join the governor, who had been holding a town hall with voters there. The governor later headlined a masked and socially distanced indoor event with limited seating, streamed live on party websites and social media, for which Cao delivered the opening speech.]

Hattiesburg! A very good afternoon to you all and to those watching this live. Thanks for taking the time to listen in on us. Wherever you are, I hope you’re staying safe and making sure to keep your mask on and socially distance, as the audience here with us physically has very commendably done.

I spoke earlier in Madison about the disasters that have afflicted all parts of the state just as they afflict the people of Southern Mississippi, who in many ways get the brunt of the impact of those summer storms that have battered the Atlasian South year after year. And part of the wider preventative response that had to take place – which legislators such as your state representative here have spearheaded thanks to pressure from their community – was a reckoning with the upkeep of our bodies of water. Not a massive surprise for a state named after one of those bodies of water, perhaps, but an integral part of the Federalist plan to tackle the flooding issue has been a closer look at the problems with our rivers and lakes which have widened the impact of the flooding here in Mississippi.

We have in the past had serious problems with the upkeep not just of our river infrastructure, the dams and levees that protect our communities along the Mississippi and other rivers, but of the rivers themselves. The state government, supported by the Governor and other leaders from the Delta region, has heavily invested over the past term in better maintenance and restoration of the infrastructure that protects those communities, including an ongoing program to locate and reinforce old and damaged levees. Dredging Mississippi’s rivers, restoring their original depths and thereby eliminating one of the main contributors to rivers bursting their banks and damaging not only the aforementioned infrastructure but the lives and communities which are protected by them, has further been a priority of the government’s effort to focus on flood preventation and mitigation before the next natural disaster hits.

Longer-term disasters have not been ignored either. Coal ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants, has been an ongoing threat to our communities for a variety of reasons. Its presence and buildup in rivers alongside other sediment contributes to the likelihood of flooding and infrastructure damages, yes. But the groundwater and rivers around those plants has always been at risk for higher concentrations of the sort of toxic substances found in coal ash. Thanks to the leadership of your representative right here in Hattiesburg, who pushed for the measures on behalf of the people and communities like his own across the state at risk of similar issues with pollution from power plants near them, the state legislature has successfully implemented a number of common-sense measures including stricter pond lining and quality checks that have all but eliminated the potential for groundwater contamination.

Close on five years ago, the regional governor and a candidate for president spoke to a crowd a little way west along the coastline about the integral role played by its environment and its rivers and lakes in the development and identity of the South. We stand by that today in the wake of Federalist presidential administrations which have tackled both disaster relief and environmental upkeep with an energy that successive administrations have rightly emulated, as you all here in the South go to the polls once again to make your voices known regarding the initiative shown by a regional government and a Mississippi state government on the same issues. Earth Day may have been yesterday, but regardless of who wins, I and the rest of the Federalist candidates here urge you all to continue to speak up for your communities and the environment and natural resources which have shaped the development of communities up and down the state; even of Mississippi itself. Be sure to go vote when the time comes, folks, and kindly give a warm welcome to the Governor of Mississippi!
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« Reply #114 on: April 24, 2021, 10:58:24 PM »

[Hudson, New York, the best small town in Atlasia]

It’s good to see you all. And I’m glad to be here and coming to you live from Hudson, the best small town in Atlasia, this evening.

You have all heard much from our state legislative candidates this month on how the Federalist administration in New York has consistently governed for New Yorkers. I trust you saw the summary of our record on small businesses in Ithaca recently, and of the presentation of our vaccine and healthcare record which Mayor Silver has been talking about in New York City alongside the candidates there, to name a few. It may be trite at this point to say that we look out for the small towns and small businesses in our state – after all, every party is doing it – but please allow me to try and tell you about how we have tried for a different model of government that has yielded the fantastic results we see today, one genuinely linked to the small towns like Hudson here.

New Yorkers have a wide, wide variety of opinions on the issues to match the diversity of their needs. And that is perfectly acceptable in politics! The parties in the legislature have been a fount of good policies. We have our own progressive Feds and conservative Feds here in the state party, both of whom have their day in the legislature with the policies that their constituents need as befits a party that has served New Yorkers well. As the party has welcomed opposing views and the debates they engender, it has been better off for the experience. But regardless of these debates over party or ideology, I believe there is no better encapsulation of the path New York can take during the next six months than your Assembly candidate right here in Hudson.

You know him, of course, as one of your very capable city council members. Down at the city level, partisanship matters far less than higher up the political ladder. And in his time serving in an executive position on the council he has not just pushed for fairer and better education of our kids, but also of the people of New York as to their role in the political sphere. He has given voice to the need for more inclusion of members with opposing views to give voters a choice and a chance to educate themselves. The lesson of Hudson, a lesson we have tried to heed since you entrusted us with the leadership of this state seven months ago, is that the driver behind the healthy political scene here in this city and others like it can drive a healthier body politic all across the state. In governing New York, the Federalists have turned an eye to fostering debate and bringing everyone to the table so as to produce the good policy that has led this state to the front of the pack in so many respects.

Coming into town I happened to notice a sign posted over by the bank across the street in support of the Liberal candidate. It seems they are all over social media by now, so I believe you all have some inkling of what it says – in any case, I was rather touched that it described the Federalists as “past it.” Because, you know, that is exactly what we have striven for in a lot of ways. We are glad to be past the sort of partisan muscling in the legislature which has been carried out for partisanship’s sake many times in New York's history. We are very proud to be past the old mentality of governing for New York City alone, or placing the Upstate over downstate interests, and we are proud to be out here in support of an administration that for the first time in a very long while has done all it could to bring all of New York up together. And I think that when voters go out to make their voices heard this weekend, you will be past the attempts to return to that muddily partisan norm which other states have seen on the campaign trail.

The Federalists respect the communities of New York and of states across the union, where everyone benefits when we govern like we mean it. It is that governance that will be on the ballot for you this weekend, New York, and it is the small towns and cities like Hudson who have shown the way forward for that. I must thank the people of New York State for your time this month; it has been a pleasure to be here with you all. Dave bless you all. Thank you, and good night.
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« Reply #115 on: April 24, 2021, 11:57:55 PM »

[In the afternoon, Representative Cao and several state legislative candidates gathered in Ithaca for a livestreamed event which was virtually attended by the Governor and legislative candidates from all over the state, dealing with a comprehensive review of the administration’s actions over the past term. The closing speech he delivered is reprinted below.]

A good afternoon to you all, Ithaca! Thanks for coming out still masked and socially distanced – it is all very well for us to talk about what the government has done on the COVID front, but it would hardly have been successful without the people having taken the initiative of keeping themselves and their neighbors safe.

We came before you all six months ago with Mr. Old School Republican’s tour of the state to talk about where the Federalist Party stood on the economic measures. We maintain now, as we did then, that small businesses are the backbone of New York’s economy in employment and a host of other factors, and the record will show the steps we have taken to keep our small businesses here in the state afloat all the way up to now as we come tantalizingly close to the light at the end of the pandemic. Towns and cities across the state remain in business thanks to the tax cut for small businesses and the Forward Loan Fund extension which formed the first and second points of our statewide plan. And in taking a leaf from the hugely successful vaccination effort, to prepare for the six-month deadline approaching in May the state board has been busy beefing up its online infrastructure to handle the expected wave of aid reapplication requests. You all will know firsthand the stellar performance of our vaccination application process – and if any of you don’t, please go get vaccinated and protect your family and friends! –  so we have every confidence in the fruits of this careful forethought and planning which has become the hallmark of Governor Denniston’s administration.

Don’t let the “statewide” label fool you into thinking about the plan as a product of Albany, either – as with all our policy this has been an undertaking nearly beyond the usual bounds of what might be called a group effort. In developing the program we have made sure to stay in contact with county governments and leaders like the mayor and city council here in Ithaca, with the concerned citizens of cities and towns like , as a gauge of what you the people need. And that cooperation has been enormously helpful in getting those same concerned citizens and leaders to bring the policy back to the people who needed it, both here in smaller towns and cities like Ithaca and in the Big Apple downstate, as county governments have stayed deeply involved in handling the mechanics of the plan and consulting with local health experts in getting the pre-pandemic economy back off the ground through reopenings and gradual easing of some of the more stringent COVID measures at speeds that vary by county. As befits a party with a fundamental dedication to working with all levels of government, the Lincoln Council has naturally been a great help in this regard.

All this rhetorical focus on small businesses may seem out of proportion, and they naturally are just one component of our economy and the plans we have implemented to keep New Yorkers’ livelihoods intact, but they are the best and most direct way to help the people; small businesses, despite perhaps being a more visible part of everyday life here in the Upstate, employ a similarly large proportion of people even in the source of what were once derogatorily termed “New York values.” Thanks to the clear and unambiguous new regulations on the books, the product of an extended overhaul undertaken by a multipartisan team of legislators, big corporations no longer have unfair leverage over small businesses like the ones here in Ithaca. Putting Main Street over Wall Street can be a big crusade for politicians on the campaign trail, but for the Federalist Party which has lived and breathed this principle at all levels government throughout its history, it is something far more consequential than anything we can hope to say here.

Our policies over the past term have been geared, as we have done our best to make clear, toward an elimination of the old dynamics that kept back one part of this state or another: the swing between the fortunes of upstate and downstate can be and is being rejiggered by the breath of fresh air which the Governor and the Federalist legislature have provided in doing the part of public servants and not letting their egos get in the way of what their communities need. That has been the case with the vaccine distribution and with our COVID response over the past months; that has been the case with our fight to put the small businesses of Main Street over the corporate giants of Wall Street; that has been the case with our education policies, our electoral administration reform, our conservation of New York’s natural beauty and culture, and more besides. But the final word on all of that – on whether we have done as good a job as we believe we have – lies with you, the voters of Ithaca and all over New York State. So get out to vote for the policies you feel have best lifted your communities up, the upstate and New York City, the big and the small; get out to make your voice heard on the direction this state can take in the next six months, and on how you believe states and nations can be built. Good luck, folks, and thank you all for coming and tuning in. Dave bless you all.
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« Reply #116 on: May 07, 2021, 02:06:29 PM »

[Having missed her opening rally owing to an urgent family matter, Representative Cao made his way up to Vermont to introduce the Federalist gubernatorial candidate at a masked and socially distanced event in Starksboro. The speech was livestreamed on party websites and social media.]

Thanks, everyone! And sincere greetings to you all here in Starksboro; great to see you this morning. I hope you’ll excuse the battered look – we’ve been through a lot recently, all of us. Normally this would be the point where I give some formulation on the communitarian spirit that animates us all, but it seems unsporting to do so when Councillor Brother Jonathan has already done that far better than I could. I am glad, however, that you’re all continuing to mask up and socially distance.

As Jonathan has said, and as the government’s legislative record has attested, this community called Vermont is presently in good hands, though not for precisely the reasons that a partisan might imagine. The mark of respect for the communities we serve is the debate to be had among themselves – debates we have had in plenty. Now many of us will be thinking particularly of one such debate. That infamous showdown over the regional COVID rules bill ended, as you all know, after a mere thirty-six hours with the Governor acquiescing to the wishes of Vermonters and her party’s legislative leaders. Hardly the policy juggernaut it’s claimed to have been. Perhaps it might have appeared as such to the national media based off of a five-second soundbite, and perhaps other parties want you to think it continues to be that, though that may say more about their priorities when it comes to paying attention to either the national media or the actual track record Vermonters have experienced firsthand.

We do not lay claim to being a monolithic party; we never have. It may strike others as both a blessing and a curse to have the diverse range of voices that we have in the party on economic matters, on the matters of housing and public infrastructure, on the ways to preserve Vermont’s natural environment and culture of hard work and helping each other. That depends, I think, on whether they believe in the value of debate and in a party that cultivates a spirit of the same independence that has animated Vermont’s history time and again. For instance, I would much rather be in a party where mistakes are called out, sharp, by fellow party members, than in a party which has styled itself in public as a party of “the people” – if “the people” all vote Labor, subscribe to exactly the same laundry list of policies as the Labor ticket, and never disagree with each other or show a willingness to self-correct.

So it strikes me as oddly fitting, in a way, Labor’s insistence that Federalists are the party unrepresentative of the communitarian spirit of Vermont. Vermont Labor has spread one message with abandon thus far: if you’re a Federalist, you’re bad; if you’re with Labor, you’re good. No debate about it. My way or the highway. The campaign trail is of course a medium that makes you say and do outrageous things – the same outrageous things Governor KaiserDave is at present accusing us of doing. Whether we in the Federalist Party have been governing or out on the campaign trail, on the other hand, we’ve made every effort to bring all parties to the table. We haven’t forgotten the uniqueness of the race last season and the four-way tie we had for most of the race. Every party has had their say in the agenda. Goodness or badness is not conditional on what party you belong to or vote for; Vermont’s public servants, Labor and Federalist and DA and Liberal alike, know this very well.

If there is anything Vermont has demonstrated in its history – if there is anything the Federalist administration has sought to emulate with its internal and external debate, by helming one of the most multipartisan governing efforts in this nation – it is nuance and a willingness to focus on the bigger picture, both qualities I am sure you all will show throughout this month and come Election Day. Community thrives on them; debate sustains them; and there is no value in a governor or a government that shuts down debate before it can begin. Which is why I am very proud to welcome the woman who spoke for Vermonters during that high-profile debate and during countless others in the legislature, a deeply plugged-in local public servant in her own right: the next Governor of Vermont, Elaine Stone!
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« Reply #117 on: May 07, 2021, 02:08:57 PM »

[The afternoon brought Representative Cao to a series of towns across north-central Vermont in the company of several state legislators and legislative candidates. The following speech was delivered in Wolcott; like the town hall held immediately before it, it was livestreamed and subject to limited seating, masking, and social distancing rules.]

A very good afternoon to you folks here in Wolcott. It was a pleasure getting to see democracy in action just now with your participation in the town hall and your grilling of the candidates for the state legislature – the same democratic process that remains alive and well and will, I firmly believe, remain alive and well no matter who wins that race or any of the others up and down the ballot. The health of our body politic does lie with the people, after all. I think most of our leaders can agree on that, not least my good friend Governor KaiserDave.

Now, I like and respect KaiserDave. I served alongside him, I proudly voted for him, and I think he has been doing an excellent job handling the duties of his office. I have said as much, as have others on the trail with me both here and in other states, numerous times. That kind of crosspartisan understanding should not be remotely controversial, or even all that hard to display, but it seems that the campaign trail forces a different set of pressures on our leaders and it seems to have been beyond his reach and beyond the reach of other parties on the trail thus far. He has attacked Governor Campbell in no uncertain terms, and beyond that? Hard to say for sure.

The Labor Party is asking you now to believe that the Vermont Feds are, in sum, a party responsible for every bad thing under the sun. These attacks would perhaps be believable if they had not also used exactly the same lines against the Iowa Feds and the Massachusetts Feds and the Nyman Feds and the New Jersey Feds. Listen to them – it’s the same generic attacks about being out of touch, recycled from halfway across the country and with the amount of sincerity you can expect from that. I know as well as they do that they are intelligent folks who know the differences between Vermont and Frémont. But they don’t seem to think you have the intelligence for it or that you deserve to know that. Vermonters are nothing if not perceptive, and the contrast with the legislative actions of the government could not be clearer.

It seems that the Lincoln Governor prefers to spend most of his ammunition against Governor Campbell personally, because he cannot point to a single policy that has actually been passed by the administration out here in the real world rather than the bogeyman he seems to believe is living in the shadows of Bridges House. He claims the administration has cozied up to big corporations while leaving small businesses to die, when our campaign pledge last October to bring those very small businesses to the fore through the provision of grants and loans has pressed forward and been fulfilled with excellent results from around the state. He claims a systemic disregard for the common man; his own party’s Senate leader was a major player in the composition of Vermont’s budget, and by all accounts we have had incentives aimed at helping most everyone apart from the big monopolies hiding under his bed. He claims a whole lot of other things. Now he is welcome to continue doing that if he wants. It is, after all, a free country. But Vermonters ought to know what that signifies: a commitment, on his part and on the part of every Labor apparatchik who peddles the same recycled talking points, to talking past all of you.

The people of Vermont deserve better than a party that has shown no hesitation in slapping on its rose-colored spectacles and attacking strawmen. There may be value in doing that on the campaign trail. But who cares what happens on the campaign trail? It’s what goes on in the governing process that matters. And the state has been led by very capable leaders who have put their all into governing on behalf of the people who elected them and nobody else; who have actually paid attention to their communities, know that Vermont is not Federalist country any more than it is Liberal country or Labor country or DA country, and have governed accordingly. That is the record of state Senate Majority Leader Stone, of Governor Campbell and of the Federalist legislators who stand before you and the rest of Vermont today, and as we welcome your state representative to make her case, I urge you all: vote for the party that you believe has governed well and shown a commitment to fixing Vermont’s problems instead of tough-talking for the cameras. Thank you, Wolcott; watch your leaders well, and go vote!
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« Reply #118 on: May 07, 2021, 02:13:41 PM »

Coming back to RL for a moment, RL comes first. I am going to have to take a formal LOA of sorts owing to finals, projects, an impatient advisor, and some bureaucratic things having all come together at once to be dealt with. It won’t be a complete leave of absence – I'm very cognizant of having just sworn in, and I will do my level best to keep up with the votes – but that is probably all that I can commit to for the foreseeable future with anything related to Atlas. Consider this to be me dropping to around, say, razze or Deadprez levels of congressional engagement.

Scott, KaiserDave, OBD, and a couple other folks will no doubt be very happy to hear this news, so I won’t overstay my welcome. I will be unlikely to respond to Discord messages but my PM inbox is always open if you need to contact me.
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« Reply #119 on: June 06, 2021, 11:57:12 PM »

[Shortly after his campaign launch in Bloomington–Normal, Representative Cao headed north to join the Federalist mayor’s own re-election launch in Hermosa at a limited-seating event livestreamed on party platforms and social media; masks were optional for verifiably vaccinated attendees and required for all others. The Representative’s opening speech is reprinted below for public release.]

Chicago!!!

It is good to be back. And it’s great to see you all out here tonight! I must say it’s a welcome change to see that enough of you have been vaccinated; all credit to the administration in Lincoln for what in the end was a beautifully smooth rollout. As the representative who brought the federal vaccine rollout effort through the House, it’s an especially important demonstration of what politics can be.

And on that note, if you haven’t heard, I am in fact running to return to Congress; this isn’t the last you’ll see of me over the next two weeks. But I’m not the focus this evening. That honor lies with a leader who has shown the same commitment to solving problems for the people of Chicago, who I’m honored to be with here at our joint campaign launch this evening. The Mayor’s track record on guiding this city through a succession of crises is a credit to Chicagoans, and the strides we’ve made under this administration in rehabilitating our vulnerable communities is exactly what this city needs as it emerges from that pandemic, from the economic fallout, from the social fragmentation we’ve seen firsthand in this city and this state. We’ll continue laying out the actions your Mayor has taken in events to come, but I want to make one thing clear to begin with. This progress has been made because of Mayor Hernandez’s belief in federalism as the best means to bring about all the possibilities of politics on behalf of the individuals and communities it prioritizes. This was an administration that extended far beyond what would have been possible with only the mayor at the helm; it’s been, as close as any government can credibly claim, an administration by, of, and for Chicagoans.

I don’t doubt that the national media will fall all over themselves in making vague accusations against the mayor; they seem to be doing so already. But Chicagoans are a pragmatic lot and don’t swallow that stuff easily. The pundits seem to want to believe that the most active campaign Illinois ever saw was spearheaded by an invisible mayor, and in my unasked-for opinion they’re more than welcome to do so. It’s a free country! I hardly think, however, that the people of Chicago and the communities that have seen frequent visits from the mayor will agree with them. If the campaigns of the past months are any indication – if the current conventional wisdom about this race is any indication – we’re going to see a lot more of this airheadery in the coming weeks focused on bashing the mayor for unsubstantiated allegations and caricatures of scary out-of-touch fat cats. But this administration has overseen a new day for Chicago grounded in the conciliatory and optimistic tone we struck last November, and if others need a fresh reminder of what that means we will be more than willing to give it. We don’t want any more us versus them! And it we can help it, there will be no outside attempts to artificially divide Chicagoans and pit them against each other; we’ve had more than enough of that in the past.

Mayor Hernandez here isn’t a stranger to overcoming huge partisan deficits, or defying the conventional wisdom with one of the largest polling swings this nation has ever seen. And in the weeks ahead we’re going to do just what Chicago needs: reach out to all inhabitants of this great city, all communities regardless of their situation or who they support, because that’s just what’s expected of a public official elected to serve all of Chicago. It’s certainly my hope that the next weeks help Chicagoans make a more informed choice about the races on their ballot – mine, the mayor’s, the presidential and regional races – and if that happens, regardless of the outcome, it’ll be the result I hope for. The mayor as well, I am sure, though don’t take my word for it: folks, please give a warm welcome to the Mayor of Chicago!
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« Reply #120 on: June 06, 2021, 11:59:38 PM »

[The afternoon brought Mr. Cao and the mayor east to Streeterville and adjacent areas near the north side of the Loop for continued voter registration efforts, which concluded with another small event in the neighborhood at which the mayor gave the opening speech. Mr. Cao’s own speech is reprinted below.]

Glad to see you folks here. And my thanks to the Mayor for that excellent speech regarding the actions taken on the pandemic and other crises which Chicago has braved in recent months, actions which wouldn’t have been possible without the people having spoken loudly and clearly on them and the mayor’s classical Federalist determination to giving the communities of Chicago what they need.

It’s D-Day today, and after the muted celebrations we had here last year it’s been good to watch the commemorations return to full public view. We have precious few WWII vets left with us to tell us what they went through, less still of those who were present at Normandy; their stories and testimonies of what the war was have become even more important as a result. Not just for historians either – we as a society came out the other side of that war having learned some important lessons which guided us through the next several decades, lessons we may soon forget as these times of trial for our nation fade out of the public consciousness. We ignore those lessons at our own peril; at risk of once again, as the old saying goes, learning nothing from history; in danger of finding ourselves unable to fix the human impact these wars have had on the people who lived and sacrificed and suffered through them.

Streeterville’s just one of the many areas of Chicago whose history has been shaped by the wars of the last century. You can see it in the landmarks, the ebb and flow of its industries, and the stories our fellow neighbors and institutions can still tell. Before its move down to the Loop the Military Museum did a fine job of providing the history of the war on your doorstep, and others like it continue to do that crucial job for Chicagoans and the rest of the Atlasian people. I say crucial because this nation’s past actions continue to affect our policies and visions today in a big way; it’s important that we maintain a good handle on our past in order to understand just how we got here and how we can move forward into our future – to build a bridge to our collective march upward which doesn’t abandon our fellow Chicagoans and doesn’t get trapped by the pitfalls of previous mistakes.

In this we aren’t just talking about WWII any more. Chicago has seen much more than its fair share of conflict over the wars that came after it, for which many more people remain around to testify to the impact they’ve had on our fellow citizens. I’m sure Vietnam stands out in this regard to many of you; it certainly does for me personally. But whether they served in that particularly infamous war or not, the fact remains that many more men and women who have seen war firsthand are still around, detached from society in varying degrees and in many cases still carrying the physical and psychological burdens of their time in uniform. The veterans who served in Vietnam and all the wars before and after that theater remain in need of assistance; we’ve seen this at the federal level most recently with a bill written by my fellow Illinoisan and Chicago’s own former Representative Beeman. But at lower levels of government, particularly here at the state and city level, there’s much more to be done.

The human impact has been at the forefront of the Mayor’s thinking as the administration works to upkeep our hospitals and housing projects and move this city’s public services toward greater functionality and effectiveness for each and every Chicagoan. Just last week, at the mayoral commemoration of Memorial Day, we had a timely report about the actions taken to support veterans under this administration and the problems that still remain to be tackled. And believe me when I say they will be tackled one way or the other. As Mayor Hernandez has just told you, and as I will repeat again because it happens to be a sentiment I fully agree with, the very best way to thank veterans for their service and the least we can do to repay the sacrifices they made is to make sure they get to experience firsthand the fruits of the nation they fought for. And if Atlasia is to remain a great nation, this must become true: not just for veterans, or veterans’ families, but for every marginalized community in this city and across this land.

That’s what Chicago needs, and it’s the kind of people-oriented policy Mayor Hernandez has consistently displayed over the past seven months. I urge the people of this great city to evaluate the candidates as best as you can: not least the candidate who learns from Chicago’s past to help Chicagoans of the present and the future, the mayor who’s fought to help vulnerable communities across this city, and the leader who embodies the best of what the Federalist Party stands for. That is Mayor Hernandez, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Streeterville, and please register and get out to vote!
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« Reply #121 on: June 10, 2021, 11:49:35 PM »

[Representative Cao’s presence in Dunning was the result of a concerted push on Thursday morning to assist local precinct captains and volunteers for the Federalist Party in turning out votes in a historically overlooked Chicago neighborhood. The speech given to conclude the canvassing operation, where he was joined by Mayor Hernandez following morning duties at the mayor’s office, served much the same purpose. Participants were either masked or required to show proof of vaccination and the speech was livestreamed on Federalist websites and social media.]

Happy to be here, folks. Thanks to the community leaders who invited us to speak this morning; I know your time is of value, so I’ll do my best to keep my remarks brief. I won’t tax your patience when all of you have been so good as to either mask up or bring your vaccination cards with you today.

A couple of days ago I talked about the problems that continued to face our veterans and other vulnerable members of Chicago’s community. Paramount among these has been mental health, an issue for which the stigma has only recently become marginally less painful and which remains one of those things that causes a great deal of suffering in the people they afflict, and they’ve been especially pernicious as the pandemic ravages our social connections and the means by which they might be treated. How do we get medical attention out to the people who need it? And the fact that our medical dispatchers on the ground have found success in treating an increasing number of mental health-related issues despite this should be nothing but a credit to their abilities.

There have been and are bipartisan efforts to combat the malign effects it has on our citizens, as a recent widely-publicized House bill has shown. That effort has created great strides at the federal level for measures to augment and extend our healthcare system; to lend its capabilities to our continued effort to live up to the preservation of Atlasians’ health as part of our collective life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. But there’s more to be done on the lower levels of government where this stuff actually becomes concrete policy and comes within your view. As we Federalists are fond of saying, there’s value in making sure the governments closest to your daily lives are well-run and serve the people – as best they can, and as far as they can, for as long as they can.

Here in Chicago, the suggestions and cooperation of local leaders and the mayor’s leadership in getting this effort off the ground has resulted in a much better, pandemic-tested system for managing our public hospitals’ responses to places where their services are needed. It’s early days, but we’ve seen much better response rates to all these urgent health needs that the far corners of Chicago put up at all hours of the day. And that’s just the start. In the coming months, the mayor’s got plans for a permanent wage increase for our hardworking, hard-pressed doctors and nurses to formalize that temporary pay raise they had last year, and to begin a full integration of University of Chicago-developed diagnostic tools that our hospitals and medical personnel will be able to make use of in the course of their fight against disease and injury, physical and mental alike.

It’s all a far cry from what Dunning’s name used to be synonymous with: a mental asylum that became a byword for this part of Chicago and the people it attracted. Things change, don’t they? A beauty of this city is just how fast that has happened. Chicago has a long history as one of Atlasia’s premier beacons and attracted many, many hardworking people who have contributed greatly to the city we inhabit today. Our city’s management has belied that sometimes – no, many times. It’s arguable whether we have been able to adequately take care of them and honor their sacrifices and commitments in return; as a thriving community we should have been able to do so then and we should be able to do so now. That’s been something the Mayor has thought long and hard about, which you can see reflected in the policies that this administration has pursued over the past seven months and plans to pursue in the coming term if you re-elect the hard worker here beside me this morning, whose every hour as Mayor has been committed to putting the people of Chicago first.

That forms part of the Federalist commitment to looking out for everyone in the city – this community we all live in and guide into the future together. As long as Mayor Hernandez is able to work for you all in the mayor’s office, that will be the law of the Windy City and you can take that to the bank, to the bar, and most importantly to the ballot box. Thank you all; please now join me in giving a warm welcome to the Mayor!
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Joseph Cao
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« Reply #122 on: June 10, 2021, 11:51:26 PM »

[Federalist leaders including Representative Cao spent the afternoon in attendance at a roundtable with the Mayor and community leaders of Humboldt Park. Following the meeting, the Representative delivered another speech outside in the park to a limited masked and/or vaccinated audience, the text of which is provided below.]

Well, thank you to the Mayor for another excellent speech. May there be every success where the city’s situation is concerned! Plans like those just talked about are just that – plans – so we’re going to make sure, as we’ve done in the past, that they pass muster with you the people of Chicago. It’s something the people have taken upon themselves just as you all have shown up protecting yourselves one way or the other, by vaccination or by mask, and I applaud you all for it.

As far as that goes, we are especially focused in on what can be done for the communities the mayor and others are serving here – the Federalist philosophy of public service demands it. And the continued growth of neighborhoods like Humboldt Park must bring long-term benefits for the people who live and work in them. What Mayor Hernandez has been doing here in Humboldt Park, in Hermosa just next door where they’re very proud of the decades of service and advocacy the mayor has undertaken, and in like-minded communities united by the idea of Chicago and its people, has been stimulation and rehabilitation of the potential in their inhabitants: ordinary folks like you all and your friends and families.

We have to say, by the way, that this wouldn’t have taken the form it has now without the much-needed input and cooperation of our fine community leaders and the various watchdogs and advocacy groups who have identified a need in their communities and worked toward it. There isn’t a much better example of that here than the library expansion which members of the community and the local alderman have consistently lobbied for. What made it all the more urgent besides the dire state that some parts of Humboldt Park are in economically was the notice that the library wasn’t able to enforce social distancing during the initial months of the pandemic and had to close for an extended period. So the fact that the need was there and extremely present, and that it dovetailed very neatly with the broader goals of this mayoral administration to invest further in rejuvenation of the South and West Sides, in a smart targeted way rather than simply throwing money at the problems as others have done in the past, was a very good outcome that we were able to get onto almost as soon as the rejuvenation effort began this past December.

The leaders have been able, first of all, to get a reasonably detailed picture from residents here about what they need in the proposed expansion, particularly those near or below the poverty line who stand to benefit most from an additional landmark in the community; the resources and the additional rallying point for the community which this library can better provide from now on will be – indeed, already have been – of invaluable help in helping our kids up the socioeconomic ladder. The library commissioner has been a needed voice from the perspective of needing to balance all of Chicago’s library management issues. And as far as the mayor’s office has been concerned there hasn’t been a single problem with spearheading this. Obviously the West Side has had some experience with Mayor Hernandez’s previous work as a community activist, and some of you may perhaps recall a protracted struggle over educational funding that resulted in much the same result as we are getting over here and in other neighborhoods all across Chicago. And I think that speaks for itself, really, and shows pretty clearly where the mayor’s priorities lie.

Mayor Hernandez’s history of activism from the streets of the West Side to the mayor’s office has had a number of common threads, none more prominent than education and what can be done to reinvigorate poorer communities. So rest assured that we aren’t going to stop until we can say with certainty that every community in Chicago has the resources and drive they need to lift their inhabitants out of the poverty spiral and the rut that changing industrial patterns and the economy and the pandemic have left them in. Libraries like the one being expanded here in Humboldt Park aren’t simply symbols of big important projects, though there is no denying that they may play that role; they impact their communities in a big way, they provide resources that people can use and a safe space for all members of the neighborhood, families and students, young and old folks, people of all walks of life. They are the leading edge of what Chicago’s current rejuvenation program can do to breathe fresh potential into our neighborhoods.

We’ve been proud to support the cause of better libraries, better institutions, and better leadership for Humboldt Park and all across Chicago. There is a rainbow coalition of concerned citizens, community workers, aldermen, council members, all the way up the leadership ladder who agree with it and with what Mayor Hernandez has done to lead it over the past term, and we hope you’ll join them – our communities have benefited tremendously and there’s more to come. Thanks, Humboldt Park, for your time; get out and vote, tell your friends and family, and make your voice heard!
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Joseph Cao
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« Reply #123 on: June 11, 2021, 11:54:24 PM »

[In the morning, Representative Cao joined the mayor and Federalist precinct leaders for several hours' canvassing in the South Side's neighborhoods, which culminated in a speech in Avalon Park which was livestreamed on Federalist Party websites and social media. Masks were required for attendees without proof of vaccination.]

Good morning, Avalon Park. Glad to see you all out and about, and for those of you who I still see masked up, I do hope you’ll get your vaccinations soon – feel free to talk to the volunteer over there if you’re still hesitant about it; she’s a former vaccine skeptic who can tell you exactly what she found out about the pros and cons of the available vaccines.

Though the fact that not too many of you are still wearing masks, and that a lot of you are jabbed and ready to resume normal life, is a good sign of how far along with the return to normality we’ve managed to get. At this point, I may say, we’re pretty close to the barrier we talked about during a congressional debate over the vaccination incentives bill which passed some time ago: the issue of the final small proportion of people who have their concerns about the vaccine itself. I’m not going to lump them all into the anti-vaxxer herd, not with the broad latitude of views on display here in Chicago alone which would make any broad-brush painter reconsider that action. But even anti-vaxxers start their decline with a basic trust deficit in the people who tell them what to do, even if that distrust is misplaced.

We do have a much broader trust problem here in Chicago with the police force and the broader institution of law enforcement, and it is something Mayor Hernandez has devoted a lot of time to trying to unravel in concert with Chicagoans, with police watchdogs and people in the judicial system, and with law enforcement agencies. The Mayor has approached the policing problem with the knowledge that any reform needs to bring the police as an institution back to its function of keeping people safe and making them feel safe. There’s no denying that the South Side still needs the protection and the rapid response which a good policing system can provide. But that goes out the window if people feel as threatened by a militaristic police as they do by shootouts and kidnappers and abusers. So what the Mayor has done first has been to work with force training in deemphasizing the practice of hostile confrontations beyond times when it becomes absolutely necessary – in the most violent of situations taking place on the most violent of streets. Starting at the root of the issues that face new officers when they step into the academy sets us up for the next part of the reform that the Mayor’s office has undertaken.

The next step has been to reorient the police force around the neighborhoods that they serve, assigning officers to areas that they know and where their presence will be as familiar representatives of an institution rather than strangers assigned to treat their neighborhood as a war zone. We’ve heard from many communities, not least those of you here in Avalon Park, that it has had the effect of reducing tensions further. The response to 911 calls has been something we’ve focused on as well, adding more crisis workers to the response to urgent non-criminal activity-related calls such as medical emergencies, epileptic fits and seizures and the like, that don’t need the unnecessary escalation of armed police officers handling the scene. We now try to make sure that every opportunity for injurious or lethal escalation in the force’s actions on a typical call or response is avoided.

The trust issue is a big one that we still haven’t solved in its entirety, which is why the importance of bringing all parties to the table can’t be overstated – we are trying to foster a better relationship wherever possible, including the oversight and repeated opportunity for better interaction that implies. The watchdogs have been important; the members of the force have been important. But most importantly, the role played by the people of Chicago, ordinary folks like you all who are gathered here today, cannot be overstated, and it is emblematic of where this administration’s focus lies. Reelect Mayor Hernandez, and the mayor’s office will most assuredly continue down the same path of bringing Chicago into the loop that you all have seen on display in the administration’s every action over the past seven months. It is progress for Chicago, and it can improve still further under the Mayor’s continued leadership. Thank you once again, folks, and remember to get out and vote!
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Joseph Cao
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« Reply #124 on: June 11, 2021, 11:57:20 PM »

[The mayor continued campaigning in southern Chicago neighborhoods as the afternoon wore on; the final (masked and limited) stop of the day came in Burnside, the smallest community area in the South Side, where the mayor delivered a speech summarizing the day's themes which the Representative followed up on with his own speech, a copy of which is reproduced below.]

Thank you, Burnside; great to be here! It really is remarkable to be back here after having seen so much of Chicago and of the South Side; to see for oneself how the artificiality of some of the boundaries we erect within Chicago doesn’t extend to the people who live within them – people who come masked up and who are skeptical of muddy politics, who know their neighborhood and their acquaintances well, just like the millions of others across this great city. It gives me hope, as I’m sure it does for the mayor here and for others who are here with us today.

Part of that perhaps can be put down to how well-defined of a community Burnside has been throughout its history, and how that has both increased and limited its potential. The fact that it happened because of its physical boundaries, the roads and railroads that enhanced transportation for everyone outside of Burnside but not those living within it, might have charitably been described as a historical accident if it hadn’t resulted in the passing over of opportunity after opportunity for this neighborhood. And goodness knows they were needed in the past fifty years. But in the face of its historical shunning by its surrounding neighborhoods and the city, the people here in Burnside built their own institutions and learned to compensate for all that was located outside the tracks: schools, educational programs, churches and other gathering points for social circles to spring up. Burnside’s history speaks to what can be done as a community when people stick alongside each other and focus on making the neighborhood great – its people and its opportunities.

Burnside today isn’t much easier to physically reach if you’re coming from outside the neighborhood. But the days of its being passed over for influence, for opportunity, for any of the services or rewards that the rest of Chicago has gotten are receding into the past. That’s partially thanks to the mayor’s hard work in promoting this neighborhood and its surroundings as a centerpiece of the South Side’s redevelopment program. It has brought a new mobile health center within Burnside’s boundaries, one that will better serve the people who need it here and link Burnside to the neighborhoods around it; we’re hoping that the projected growth in the coming years will strengthen those links and bring up all parts of the South Side together. The police reform we talked about over in Avalon Park is just one other piece among the ways we’re trying to combat the uprootedness that people feel and the feeling of being cut off from others who can help.

And more than simply linking Burnside up physically, we’ve wanted to bring the economic opportunities experienced by others in Chicago over here and over to the rest of the South Side. Part of that has been what I believe has been independently assessed as a promising mentoring program between small businesses, individually owned enterprises here in Burnside and all over the South Shore, and the Fortune 500 companies and corporate philanthropic orgs that have been the national faces of Chicago’s economic growth. The program’s targeted nearly two thousand such small businesses in Chicago, the bulk of them – many of the best success stories, in terms of improvement to their outlook – concentrated in the South Side, and several of them right here in Burnside who you may know about. I had the good fortune to speak to one of them earlier at the community meeting, a lovely woman who works in data aggregation and has benefited from the advice offered to her by Chicago’s most prominent data management enterprises. She’s just one of the stories Burnside has to offer and can still offer with the opportunities now afforded to it.

With Mayor Hernandez in office, the entire city – right down to the smallest neighborhood here in Burnside, right down to the least hopeful and most overlooked area – has been able to feel the benefits of what can happen as we ease out of this pandemic and look toward a better era of growth that lifts all of us up together. That’s the legacy of the Mayor’s first term, and it is my fervent hope that you good folks will weigh the options carefully when you go out to vote this month. Thanks very much, Burnside, and please welcome the Mayor for a few words!
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