Labor NPC Campaigns thread

[KaiserDave]

Keep Alaska Red: Fairbanks

Alaskans, countrymen, comrades and friends. I have greatly enjoyed my trip to Alaska. It is a good break from the politics of Lincoln. I must say I have greatly enjoyed my brief tenure as Governor so far, but the natural dysfunction of the Philadelphia system is tiring, and it's for that reason a new constitution is being drafted to bring clarity and greater democracy to the people of Lincoln.

But I am greatly enjoying this trip, to take in Alaska's clean air and the smell of the fish on the docks. In my time here I have spoken to a great many Alaskans. One of the Alaskans I spoke to was an Inuit man who in his late 60s. He retired only a few years ago after a lifetime of diligent work. He told me about how in 1983 he lost his job in the salmon cannery. It's a story I've heard often, it's no surprise. Our leaders didn't care much for the stories of the hard working Alaskan, for the plight of the unemployed in cities like Fairbanks. They looked at the bonuses of the big executives, of the profits of the well connected, they watched the wealth moved away from Fairbanks and concentrated in the hands of a few. They told the rest of us it would trickle down.

I'm proud to say Labor changed this, we as the great Hubert Humphrey said, recognized the immortal truth that the moral test of of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in shadows of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped. Government must tirelessly serve the people, and the focus of the national policy must be on how the working people are doing, how strong is the middle class, and how well off is the poorest among us. To that end Labor, in Alaska and across the nation tirelessly worked to better the conditions of these folks with jobs programs and support for labor unions. And I'm happy to tell you that that fine fellow I met acquired a job in one of these efforts, and retired with security.

Folks we must never go back. We must go forward! A future that is more fair, more just, and more green, and one whose prosperity we all share in happiness together, and that is why I'm asking you today to vote Labor up and down the ballot, because when you do so, you are voting for prosperity, and you are voting for progress! Thank you friends and patriots, and see you all again soon!

Socially distanced and masks mandated

[OBD]

Juneau, Alaska
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on AK Labor Website

Good evening, Juneau!

It’s great to be back in Alaska, where I made my first foray onto the local campaign trail. And, once again, Alaska’s elections have risen to national prominence, with multiple parties jockeying for position. It’s going to be a nailbiter here, and we’d love it if y’all could get out and vote for Labor candidates up and down the ballot. In elections like these, every vote counts, and your next governor Linda Murkonsky will need a broad legislative mandate to pursue a progressive, people-driven agenda for this great state.

I’m here today to talk about environmental issues. Lots of folks of all different political colors have come up to Alaska to make a play for former Green votes - but of all the parties standing for election, only Labor has a solid legislative record on renewable energy, conservation, and other policies that will help preserve Alaska’s natural beauty for future generations. In Congress, we passed the Red-Green New Deal, an aggressive package to put Atlasians to work against climate change and resource deprivation. And, in Denver, Fremont Labor has also been proactive in fighting for conservation. During my time as MP, I wrote the Green Futures Bill, which provides subsidies for renewable energy research and construction, and First Minister Truman has also worked tirelessly to both preserve Alaska’s unique ecosystems while punishing the Wall Street corporations that seek to exploit them for private gain. If y’all elect Linda Murkonsky and a solid Labor-DA majority to office here in Juneau, we’ll keep up the momentum and will work to promote a strong Green agenda for Alaska - through strengthening protections on existing wilderness and working to expand renewable energy infrastructure across the state. While a large part of Alaska’s economy is currently the fossil fuel industry, Labor will work with local governments and workers’s unions alike to ensure that no Alaskan is left behind in the transition to the energy grid of the future.

Thanks for having me, Juneau! Mask up, stay safe, and get out and VOTE up and down the ballot for Labor here in Alaska!

[OBD]

Naylor Gardens, Nyman
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on Nyman Labor Website

Good evening, Naylor Gardens!

I decided to take a quick trip down from the Vice President's office when I heard about some of the attacks the Federalists have been employing against us - they were courteous to drop one of these flyers by my own front door! Apparently, we've been accused of fearmongering - but frankly, our progressive, positive agenda of fighting for the little man here in the national capitol is not the one trying to stir fear in the population! The Federalists, the conservative old guard in Nyman, are running scared. They don't want voters here to send a clear message for a New South, where every Nymanian, regardless of wealth, skin color, or creed, is cherished and supported by their government.

While the Federalists seem content to lob platitudes and lazy attacks at us, Labor has a comprehensive plan to support the working class of Nyman. My good friend Councillor S019 laid out this vision in a speech earlier this week, and Nyman Labor will work from Day 1 to take on the difficult issues and work towards a more equal Nyman. We will address the issues of police brutality and uplift the voices of those who have been oppressed for so long. We will work to reduce poverty and food deserts, while also ensuring that Nyman's homeless population is taken care of. We will make sure that the Wall Street tycoons here in Nyman pay their fair share in taxes - instead of putting most of the tax burden on working families struggling to get by. And, as Federalists in Nashville prepare to undermine COVID restrictions, Nyman Labor will work with the federal government and neighboring states, like Maryland, to develop sensible, science-based COVID regulations to keep working Nymanians safe in the latter states of this pandemic. There is a clear choice this election - the status quo of vague promises and empty attacks, or a progressive future for a New Nyman - and I hope y'all will help Nyman make this decision by heading to the voting booths and casting a ballot for the Labor Party.

Thanks for coming out, y'all! Remember to mask up, stay safe, and VOTE LABOR this election!

[OBD]

Ardmore, Oklahoma
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on OK Labor Website

Hello, Ardmore!

There are social wedge issues that politicians use to divide voter for partisan gain. And then, there are bread-and-butter economic issues that can actually change the lives of working-class Oklahomans for the better. And frankly, it's rather telling that Federalist politicians are lobbing attacks using the former, while your Labor representatives instead choose to support their constituents by focusing on the latter.

My good friend - and predecessor as Vice President - Scott has belabored this point much, but given how the Federalists have doubled down on their divisive rhetoric it bears repeating. The Federalists would like to lump all of Labor into a vague left-wing box, but that couldn't be further from the truth! I've spoken to your Labor candidates here in Ardmore, across Oklahoma, and even in other states, and there is a wide breadth of ideological diversity. We don't all believe the same things! For instance, Bob Taylor, a beloved teacher at Ardmore High School who's also your statehouse candidate, is a staunch supporter of the right to life and the right to bear arms. When the Federalists claim that Labor will attack values that many Oklahomans hold dear, it is simply not true - it seems they do not understand that a party can care for and cater to its constituents, instead of being a vague monolith surrounding a rigid set of ideals.

But enough of that - let's talk about one thing Labor can do for Oklahoma. Here on the Great Plains, oil is a major economic driver - but the potential for renewable energy growth is sky-high. And while oil will eventually run out as wells trickle to a dry, solar and wind energy will reap dividends for the people of Oklahoma as long as the sun shines and the Earth turns. If y'all elect Hank Boomhauer and a Labor-DA majority to the legislature, we will work tirelessly to expand renewable energy while also working to help oil workers transition to good, well-paying jobs in a rapidly booming industry. We can make towns like Ardmore the powerhouses of both Oklahoma and Atlasia at large, and ensure that failures in fossil fuel infrastructure cannot turn out the lights here in Oklahoma. As what happened in Texas earlier this year shows, improving energy infrastructure is a must as the climate becomes increasingly volatile and unpredictable - and you can trust Hank Boomhauer and Oklahoma Labor to get it done.

Thanks for coming out, y'all! Remember to mask up, stay safe, and VOTE LABOR this election!

[OBD]

Lincoln Memorial, Nyman
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on Nyman Labor Website

Good evening, Nyman.

I'm here today to talk about a difficult issue - race. The events of the past year - and for members of our minority communities, years and decades earlier - have revealed a painful reality that currently plagues both Nyman and Atlasia. From the heart-wrenching instances of police brutality of last summer to the senseless killing of Asian-Atlasians in Atlanta salons just days ago, it is clear that we have a long way to go to ensure that every Atlasian, regardless of their skin color, is equal in this country. Here in Nyman, and across the South, this is especially true - due to centuries of oppression and legislated inequality, people of color often lack the opportunities their white counterparts enjoy, from education to wealth.

That's why Labor is committed to fighting for Nyman's minority communities, to at last bring an end to the remnants of racist Jim Crow policy and ensure equality of opportunity regardless of wealth, race, or creed. Nyman Labor will follow the example set by Labor's urban development act and will fight to ensure that every student in Nyman has equal access to a quality public education. No longer will the wealthy white trust-fund baby have a massive leg up on the poor working-class African-Atlasian in Anacostia - by shoring up funding disparities, we can work to create the equality of opportunity that Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and countless other activists across the centuries fought to create. And, Nyman Labor won't hesitate to take on corruption in policing and continued legal discrimination against minority communities. We will fight against racially discriminatory housing policy, and work to reform the police from within through improved training and diversity programs, purging discrimination from law enforcement once and for all. Minority communities in Nyman and across Atlasia are crying out for change - it's time to elect a government that will step up to the plate and listen to the People.

Thank you, Nyman! Let's get out this weekend and vote for Labor candidates up and down the ballot, and let's work to consign Jim Crow and legislated discrimination to the past!

[OBD]

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
drive-in mega-rally held at Oklahoma City Airport with social distancing and mask mandate enforced, streamed live on OK Labor Website and televised on local news networks

Good evening, Oklahoma City! It’s a pleasure to be here with Hank Boomhauer, your next governor, and various other Labor dignitaries. This state is hosting of of Atlasia’s most competitive elections, and we hope the Labor-DA coalition of honest, hardworking Oklahomans will give us a strong mandate for a New South here in the Sooner State.

Here in Oklahoma, there is much to be done. Even before the pandemic, the public education system in this state has struggled with issues of inequity and disparity in curriculum quality, and with schools shut down by COVID thousands of students are running far behind their benchmarks. It’s unacceptable - children are our future, and they deserve to receive the best education that we can provide them. That’s why Hank Boomhauer and Oklahoma Labor are committed to fight for a better public education system, one that provides equal opportunity to learn and prosper for all students across this great state.

We will end the legislated neglect of inner-city and small-town schools that the rich, conservative upper crust has pushed during their years at the helm at the State Capitol, and will ensure that both the working parent in Oklahoma City and the struggling farmer in Woodward can trust their public education system to give their children the same caliber of education that rich suburbanites already receive. Smaller class sizes, academic support systems, and mental health counseling, among others, are sorely lacking in many of Oklahoma’s struggling schools, and you can count on Governor Boomhauer with a strong Labor-DA majority in the Statehouse to bring these essential services to all Sooner State students.

We will work with school districts and unions to ensure that teachers, who work tirelessly to pass their knowledge to younger generations, are compensated adequately for their great contributions to our society.

We will guarantee that every Oklahoman, regardless of wealth, color, or creed, will have access to the higher education that they need to pursue professional success.

And, as the COVID pandemic continues to threaten the public health, we will work both with local groups and across state lines to ensure that schools can reopen safely, with both teachers and students protected from the deadly coronavirus. Rather than recklessly do away with sensible, science-based regulation, an Oklahoma Labor government will work with doctors and schools to keep students and teachers happy, healthy, and learning in the classroom once more.

And, as we saw in Texas just the other month, creating a robust and reliable energy grid should be a crucial priority here. Last October, I campaigned with Texan Governor Ramsey Bryant on improving the Lone Star State’s renewable energy infrastructure, and when the state’s existing grid nearly failed, solar, wind, and geothermal energy helped to pick up the slack. Here in Oklahoma, things are obviously different, but for the sake of both future energy security and job growth,  the lessons we learned in Texas should be applied here fullheartedly.

Oklahoma has been, and is, an oil state - but that valuable resource will soon run dry. Thankfully, though, Oklahoma also has vast potential for renewable energy growth. Sunny days over Tulsa can be parlayed into a nearly unlimited source of power, and when the wind gusts over the vast plains of the Panhandle, thousands of rural homes and businesses can be powered. And, through responsibly researching and constructing nuclear power facilities, we can harness the power of the atom to ensure Oklahoma’s energy grid won’t skip a beat when the last oil well runs dry. And, renewable energy construction across this state will create thousands of new, good-paying jobs, all while greatly reducing the risk of a complete energy grid collapse here in the Sooner State. From Day One, a Labor-DA government here in Oklahoma City will not hesitate to get right to work on renewable energy, and it won’t take a superstorm for the workers of Oklahoma to begin reaping the rewards.

From education to energy, poverty, and countless other issues afflicting Sooners, there’s clearly no time to waste bringing our grassroots movement for a New South here to Oklahoma. That’s why we’re working with the Democratic Alliance. While our parties have had disagreements in the past, they share our commitment to provide for the common man through erasing inequalities in law and improving the infrastructure that all Oklahomans rely on. Both Labor and DA want to see a New Oklahoma, where opportunity is equal and plentiful, and the prairie lights never go off - so, we’re working together to help make this ambitious vision reality. Some people have called this an alliance for political expediency, but I prefer to see it as an alliance to advance the interests of the people of Oklahoma. And it’s really quite curious that these same people would rather agitate on settled, yet still divisive, social issues, rather than working on plans to directly improve the daily lives of all Oklahomans!

There’s a clear choice here - vote Labor-DA up and down the ballot for a government in Oklahoma City that will work tirelessly on the kitchen-table economic issues you care about, rather than a government that will fiddle and virtue-signal for reactionary mega-PACs as COVID exacerbates the financial struggles of the common Oklahoman.

There’s no time to waste, Oklahoma. Hank Boomhauer, Henry Edmondson, and your local Labor-DA candidates are all counting on your vote to provide a broad mandate for our progressive, people-based New South agenda. So let’s all get out this weekend and cast our ballots for a brighter future for the Sooner State!

And now, it’s my great honor to introduce one of Atlasia’s most tireless fighters for the little guy - and my predecessor as Vice President - Scott! Let’s give him a warm welcome!

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
drive-in mega-rally held at Oklahoma City Airport with social distancing and mask mandate enforced, streamed live on OK Labor Website and televised on local news networks

Thank you, Mr. Vice President, for that kind introduction.

My friends, this is a critical time for Oklahoma. It is imperative that we elect candidates with the right ideas, and the right temperament, to lead the state forward.

Governor West_Midlander has been running his campaign in this state on his own alternative facts. Unlike the incumbent Federalist government, Labor has a plan to fix our broken education system as we begin to reopen our schools. To vaccinate our teachers. To raise pay for teachers. To reduce class sizes. To directly aid schools and communities where students fall through the cracks.

Hearing from the Federalists, you wouldn't know about any of this. The former Governor accuses us of misrepresenting the Federalist Party's positions while distorting the Oklahoma Labor Party to be the party that he wants to run against, and not the one he actually is running against.

I have long been consistent in my support for gun rights, and I also recognize that gun control is more popular in some states than others. The Oklahoma Labor Party didn't just change overnight; it was built as a party that supports working-class values and rejects petty culture war politics.

And this is not unique to Oklahoma. Labor governments in rural and culturally conservative states have spent their term addressing kitchen table issues and bringing people together by working across the aisle.

I can emphatically say that the Labor Party is not just the party of urban voters or nonwhite voters. We are the consensus party, and we've led Atlasia through this pandemic while saving the economy from a depression. That's what the people care about.

We're going to diversify Oklahoma's energy economy by investing in renewables, particularly wind and solar. We will be stewards of this environment, but whether a person works with fossil fuels or renewables, their economic security matters. Labor will never renege on that promise.

And that is what this election really comes down to: trust, and security. Security for the hardworking men and women of Oklahoma. Security for our neighborhoods. Security for our immigrant communities. Security for Native Atlasians, and security from racist anti-Asian hate speech and violence that we've seen far too much of over the last year.

Hank Boomhauer and Henry Edmondson share that vision for a stronger Oklahoma. Read my lips: a Labor-DA government is a government that will be accountable to all Oklahomans.

Now, I would like to introduce you to our next speaker, Frémont Senator FalterinArc. FalterinArc succeeded me in the Senate and has been a leading voice in Congress for expanding education opportunities and protecting civil liberties, and I'm so glad to have him with us here today.

[Left Wing]

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
drive-in mega-rally held at Oklahoma City Airport with social distancing and mask mandate enforced, streamed live on OK Labor Website and televised on local news networks

Hello Oklahoma! Great to be here tonight in such a great city. I wouldn't be here tonight if I didn't think that a Labor government was what's right for your state. But when you look at the record of accomplishment from our government, it is clear we can do better than what the incumbent governor has done. Their party seeks to drive lines down our communities, dividing us on culture war issues instead of standing up for their ideas because they know that in a serious debate, they can't seriously look you in the eye and say they're fighting for you. While in office the members of this opposition coalition have worked to cut taxes on the wealthiest in our society no matter the consequences of such a course of action. Oklahoma ranks near the bottom when it comes to income inequality, but they hope they can distract you from that by acting as if they are entitled to the vote of Oklahoman who is pro-life and believes in the right to bear arms. They engage in a myriad of these tactics which degrade our political culture rather than helping our communities.

Labor is truly the party of the common man, regardless of background. If elected, we will fight for all Oklahomans, passing the same strong economic policies on the federal level for the state of Oklahoma. That includes standing up for our unions like we have done with the recent Solidarity act, so that all working people receive the rights they deserve. Or with the Urban Investment act, which will begin to put to an end the ruthless cycle of poverty in our most disadvantaged communities.

If you elect a Labor-DA government in Oklahoma, they will go to work every single day to fight for you, not the wealthiest few. And the Federalists can't hide that truth with their misleading attacks on Mr. Boomhauer. The choice in this election couldn't be more clear, let's get a win for Oklahoma! Thank you! Now let me introduce a good friend of mine, newly sworn in governor of Lincoln, KaiserDave!

[KaiserDave]

Turn Oklahoma Red: Oklahoma City

Hello patriots and friends of Oklahoma City! I've just flown from the continuing budget politics of Lincoln, to return to the people. While politicians may negotiate in backrooms over byzantine budget politics, and make no mistake it is our essential duty to do so, we must always refocus on our most essential duty, to serve the people. I have had the honor of speaking to many of the people assembled here today. And there is a single concern that I have heard from all. People are hurting, people are struggling, and they know this election is how we start to change things.

Friends the Feds have a plan but the plan is bad. The plan is to put the well connected in the drivers seat, and know they have. We've watched them do it. It wasn't too long ago when the Federalist congressional delegation returned to that old, tried and tested failure, tax cuts for the rich. In the eyes of economists, in the eyes of the workers, this remains a complete and abject failure, one that moves wealth ever upward. Out of the hands of the workers and the struggling middle class and into the hands of the corporate colonialists, who would like nothing less than to seize Oklahoma's vast industry and abundant resources over entirely for themselves, and deprive the people of the fruits of their Labor.

I have always declared my belief in the free exchange of goods in the market. I have always detested the trumpery and nonsense of so called plan of "central planning." I have always detested the tyrants and murderers who have advocated it. But this system, which we witness here in Oklahoma, of putting the government squarely on the side of the well connected, is not a free market at all. It is a painful farce, and the pain is being felt by the workers, and the Sooners here are feeling it! It is the pain that we promise to end with a Labor government, that turns the power back to the people to which it belongs. So I urge you all, vote Labor up and down, up and down the ballot. Maroon up and down folks! And don't neglect to rank the DA second, so we can truly put an end to Federalist dominance of this state. Let us be clear my friends, only an overwhelming turnout can win the day, so tell your friends, tell your neighbors. Labor one, DA two! Together we can turn Oklahoma Red! Thank you friends, and good night!



Socially distanced and masks mandated

[OBD]

Sidon, Mississippi
Televising, or any form of recording, this speech was prohibited, for fear that sober OBD would deeply regret this later on in the campaign

PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI! IT IS I, YOUR VICE PRESIDENT!

I bring tidings of a GREAT HORROR from the NORTH! The WALL STREET FAT CATS and the COLLEGE CABAL are coming for the values that all working MISSISIISPIPIPSIANS hold DEAR! THEY WANT TO RAISE YOUR TAXES, TAKE YOUR GUNS, and KILL YOUR BABIES! The FRAUDULENT LINCOLN COUNCIL wants to IMPERIALIZE the rest of their nation with their SALT TAXES, POVERTY OPPRESSION, and MCDONALDS BANNING! I AM HERE TO SHOW THAT FOR ALL ATLASIANS, WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS! WE WANT OUR FREEDOM FOR THE WORLD! WE WANT TO SQUASH LINCOLN OPPRESSION, EAT THE RICH, AND GET SOME F---ING GOOD BURGERS AND FRIES! ATLASIA F*-* YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH *hic*

PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPI! THE LABOR PARTY BRINGS ITS TIDINGS! WE WILL FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI, trust me, LIKE NO GOVERNMENT HAS EVER DONE FOR MISSISSIPPI BEFORE! WE WILL CUT AND SLASH THE POCKETBOOKS OF THE NORTHERN ROBBER BARONS! WE WILL BRING THE WORKING PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPI SO MUCH PORK THAT WHEN WE LEAVE OFFICE THERE WILL BE NARY A PIG IN ATLASIA! AND WE WILL DROWN THE EAST COAST ELITES IN THE COLLEGE CABAL
IN NUCLEAR HELLFIRE, FOR MISSISSIPPI SHALL NOT SUFFER THEIR OPPRESSION! Say it with me! FREE ATLASIA! FREE ATLASIA!!!11!!1!!

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Sidon, Mississippi
Televising, or any form of recording, this speech was prohibited, for fear that sober OBD would deeply regret this later on in the campaign

PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI! IT IS I, YOUR VICE PRESIDENT!

I bring tidings of a GREAT HORROR from the NORTH! The WALL STREET FAT CATS and the COLLEGE CABAL are coming for the values that all working MISSISIISPIPIPSIANS hold DEAR! THEY WANT TO RAISE YOUR TAXES, TAKE YOUR GUNS, and KILL YOUR BABIES! The FRAUDULENT LINCOLN COUNCIL wants to IMPERIALIZE the rest of their nation with their SALT TAXES, POVERTY OPPRESSION, and MCDONALDS BANNING! I AM HERE TO SHOW THAT FOR ALL ATLASIANS, WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS! WE WANT OUR FREEDOM FOR THE WORLD! WE WANT TO SQUASH LINCOLN OPPRESSION, EAT THE RICH, AND GET SOME F---ING GOOD BURGERS AND FRIES! ATLASIA F*-* YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH *hic*

PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPI! THE LABOR PARTY BRINGS ITS TIDINGS! WE WILL FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI, trust me, LIKE NO GOVERNMENT HAS EVER DONE FOR MISSISSIPPI BEFORE! WE WILL CUT AND SLASH THE POCKETBOOKS OF THE NORTHERN ROBBER BARONS! WE WILL BRING THE WORKING PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPI SO MUCH PORK THAT WHEN WE LEAVE OFFICE THERE WILL BE NARY A PIG IN ATLASIA! AND WE WILL DROWN THE EAST COAST ELITES IN THE COLLEGE CABAL
IN NUCLEAR HELLFIRE, FOR MISSISSIPPI SHALL NOT SUFFER THEIR OPPRESSION! Say it with me! FREE ATLASIA! FREE ATLASIA!!!11!!1!!

[S019]

4/5/21
11:00 PM EDT
Scarsdale, NY

Speech given at socially distant event, live-streamed on Westchester Labor and New York State Labor websites


Good evening,

We have seen what has happened when the right is in control of government. Currently in the Lincoln Council, Councilors in the Federalist and Democratic Alliance parties are trying to take away critical protections for the right for a woman to make her own reproductive decision. A right that millions of women cherish here in New York. In fact, they are even using dishonest and debunked rhetoric like "partial-birth abortions" to take that right away. On the other hand, the Labor Party has always been committed to reproductive choice and always will be.

If elected in this month's election, we will increase funding for Planned Parenthood here in New York and we will build more abortion clinics here in the state, particularly in the rural north, where so few clinics exists, and it is hard for women to get care, but also here in the downstate region, where we know that the demand for reproductive healthcare remains high. One thing remains clear, under a Labor government, the women of New York will get reproductive healthcare from a licensed physician and not from a clothes hanger in a dark closet in their home.

The right is also trying to roll back key gun regulations that Labor implemented here in Lincoln. I led the charge to implement those regulations, because I believe firmly in keeping our schools and our communities safe. We have all seen the horror of mass shootings, in fact a couple of weeks ago, we saw a senseless act of violence in Atlanta, stricter gun laws keep people safe. The fight for gun reform Lincoln started as a small movement and an unlikely alliance, between me and then Councilor tack50, who went on to become a Senator for this region. Nobody said we would ever hope to pass a bill, but we got it done and nearly won a referendum to pass the law.

When I returned to the Council later that year, we got it done, and we passed the strictest gun laws anywhere in Atlasia at that time, at the regional or the federal level. Then our movement grew and a bill that I had submitted as a citizen ultimately became the federal Assault Weapon Ban. Our movement did what no one had before and took a stand against the gun lobby and helped protect everyday Atlasians. Unfortunately, every Representative of the federal Federalist Party voted to repeal that ban and put dangerous military-grade weapons back in the hands of criminals. That is irresponsible leadership and we must make it clear that we will not let it stand.

Unfortunately, now the Federalists and the Liberals are trying to roll back our regional ban. They want to make silencers legal, which would make it extremely hard for police to find violent criminals and could possibly allow shootings to go on for minutes or even hours longer before they are stopped, leading to a countless additional loss in lives. On gun control, Lincoln Labor has not just talked the talk, we have also walked the walk, and our party remains committed to keeping you and your family safe and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals, and it always has been.

Labor will never give up the fight for a better Atlasia, take a look at our record and then take a look at the record of the Federalists, Democratic Alliance, and Liberals and you decide which record is better for New York, the record that is proven to get things done or the record that wants to ignore problems that still exist in society. Thank you all!

[Left Wing]

Des Moines, Iowa
Socially Distanced, Mask Mandatory Event

Hello Des Moines!

Wonderful to be here today! I first got my start in campaigning for local candidates here in Iowa and I'm  very excited about the round of candidates we have coming this month. From the governorship to the state legislature, Labor is running candidates that care about working class Iowans. We're n your side, not the side of the one percent.

Now recently, an unwelcome presence has been felt here in Iowa. The governor of the South decided he could bear to step foot in Frémont to do some campaigning. His charge that the Labor candidate for governor is merely a pawn of the national Labor party is very rich coming from him, one who frequently slanders our fair region, then has the gall to come begging for votes here. The claim that the Federalist party is the party that will stand up for farmers is a nice campaign tactic, but if we look at the records of both parties, you will see just how wrong this really is. Frémont Labor has worked to help pass bipartisan bills like the Healthy Soil Act which directly make a difference in the wellbeing of our farmers. Our strong vaccine distribution has also allowed our production to come back, benefiting all our communities from rural to urban.

Look, when a party that disparages unions, pushes divisive culture war issues and seeks to only make life easier for the wealthiest among us, that's clearly not the party that cares about Des Moines, Iowa OR Frémont values. The people of Iowa do not consent to rule from Nashville and we will see this on election day. Thank you!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Sioux City, Iowa

Thank-you.

I just want to say I do appreciate you being here today, to stand behind me —as you have always stood behind me here in Iowa. In the first government it was your member of parliament, R. Fayette, who was one of the strongest supporters of my ministry, who I could always count on to support the many progressive initiatives which we have undertaken here in Frémont. Of course then he was a member of the Conservative party —but I have always had a good relationship with genuine conservatives, even if we sometimes disagree. Together we were able to reform public education here in Frémont, to end teaching to the test, reduce class sizes, and raise to date more than $1 billion to hire more teachers, expand school lunch programs, and pay for textbooks and classroom materials here in Iowa and across Frémont. Together we passed the Workers' Bill of Rights to guarantee the right of every Frémonter to join a union and to be paid a living wage.

And it was with the support of another of your representatives, Koopa D. Quick, that we were able to pass the reform of higher education just last year, so that the college admissions process is no longer a lottery stacked in favor of the wealthiest students, but a college education is guaranteed to every Frémonter who wants it as a fundamental right.

I have come here today because you have lately had some visitors from out of state, who have told a lot of lies about your government, and are trying to swindle you into voting for another six months of a dishonest, unresponsive, unrepresentative Southern Federalist government in Des Moines. With their remarks they have made clear how little they know about the people of Frémont, and how little regard they have for the facts. They have proved again and again by their actions the single object of the Southern Federalist party is to ruin the workers, ruin the small farmers of this state, and place you in subservience to the government in Nashville.

We are not going to let it happen!

A short time ago the good people over in Ames had a visit from the gentleman from Little Egypt. I am sure you found his remarks just as perplexing after he had rambled on for an hour or more as I did. But if you want to know what is the platform of the Federalist party, you have only to refer to the statement which the governor of the Southern Region and the vice chair of that party made at Nyman last month: the Federalist party is "the party of the South" and Southern interests.

I am sorry to say you have a real quack of a governor here in Iowa. They are one of the worst. And if you reelect them, you know exactly what to expect: more obstruction, more delays, more cow-towing to the Eastern financial interests at the expense of your own and your children's and grandchildren's future.

The people of Iowa are not interested in the pretentious intellectualism of politics in Nyman. They want a government that will put the interests of the small farmer and the working people of this state before the selfish money-lust of the Nyman-New York-Nashville elites. They want a government who will look out for local communities, and will give power back to the people, instead of hoarding it on the coasts. That is exactly what the Labor party proposes to do!

For the last four years, your government in Denver has been battling for the small farmers and the working people of Iowa against the corrupt Southern special interests. We have spent billions of dollars on improvements to rural infrastructure and rural broadband internet access, more money for rural schools and hospitals —more than $10 million in farm subsidies in the last two years alone.

We passed the Nebraska and Iowa Flood Relief Act to rebuild our communities after a terrible natural disaster —without which towns like those here in Woodbury County might never have recovered.

Since the last general election, we have passed the Rural Health Act to spend $2 billion in 2021 to solve the rural health crisis by hiring more doctors, nurses, and medical professionals in rural communities. This is the same approach we took in the vaccine rollout, investing a wealth of resources to ensure vaccines were available and accessible in rural areas as in big cities, with the result that Frémont has the strongest vaccination rate of any region, despite enormous odds.

Nor have we taken the view of the so-called Federalists, who believe that policy is best administered by a central committee of career bureaucrats, far away from public eye. That is why we have again and again legislated to give power back to the people, by reforming local government, allowing for free and fair elections, and ensuring local representation in regional entities like the FEA.

We have balanced the budget without cutting spending on essential state services, and without raising taxes on ordinary Iowans by so much as a cent. If you make less than $125 thousand a year, you pay no income tax to Frémont; and the bottom 90% of homeowners pay no property tax. When Southern politicians come here promising tax cuts, what are they talking about? There are no more state and local taxes, and no regional taxes for working and middle class families. [The recent Dispatch story is fake news.] When they talk about cutting taxes, they are talking about tax cuts for the rich and big business —those are the only taxes left to cut!

Indeed, that is what the right-wing corrupt Council majority in Lincoln is doing as we speak: eliminating the tax on their wealthiest citizens while working and middle class families pay some of the highest rates anywhere in the nation. In the South, the enormous tax burden on ordinary citizens is masked by passing the buck on funding schools and local services to the states. These are the policies which Eastern politicians want to import when they come here and lie about the financial situation in Frémont.

That is what your governor, who is running as the candidate of the party which calls itself "the party of the South" is trying to do.

I say, we will never allow our budget to be dictated by Southern politicians in Nashville or in Nyman. And we will never rest until the agent of Southerners is driven out of the governor's house, and a good Frémonter sits at the head of the government!

After four years, Frémonters enjoy the highest standard of living of any region in Atlasia. How much more can we achieve, if Iowa has a governor who will not fight against your parliament, but with it?

This election is not about the primped-out pretentious oratory of the Nyman elites. It is about the well-being of the farmers and workers of Iowa.

And I say that Iowa has never had but one friend in politics, and that is the Labor party!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Boise, Idaho

The people of Idaho recently had a visit from one of the leaders of the Southern opposition parties. I will not further embarrass that gentleman by repeating his name again here today. But this gentleman was very hard on your government, and brought with him a laundry list of accusations against your governor and against the Labor party. Unfortunately for him, they are all totally bunk!

The opposition say that if you install their man in the governor's house next week, they will reward your support with a large reduction in your taxes. What taxes? There are no more state or local taxes in Idaho, and have not been for some years. The average middle class taxpayer in this state who earns less than $125 thousand a year pays no regional income tax. The bottom 90% of property owners pay no property tax. There is no sales tax —despite the unyielding efforts of the opposition to introduce one. Our small businesses who earn less than $100 thousand in profits a year pay no corporate tax.

So when the opposition leaders come up here from Nashville and Charleston and Louisville and promise to cut taxes, it is not your taxes they will be cutting. It is the taxes paid by the very rich and the big corporations who run your mom-and-pop stores out of business and ship your jobs to Mexico. The opposition do not like it when I say this. But the alternative is that they are all totally ignorant of the situation here in Frémont and do not know the first thing about our tax code. Is that a better recommendation to be elected governor of this state?

This gentleman had something more to say. He accused this government, as he has many times before, of neglecting our small towns and rural areas. And I understand he made his usual pretensions to be representative of the party of local government. I have had the pleasure today of speaking to many of the fine people across this great state of Idaho. And whenever I put the gentleman's claims to them, they laughed and laughed until they were blue in the face! A Southerner, the voice of local government in Idaho! What a ridiculous lie. They were as I reminded of what the Southern emperor said at Nyman last month: that the Federalist party is "the party of the South." This is the truth of the matter, that there has ever been but one party in Frémont who speaks for the small towns and rural areas, who speaks for the farmers and the small business owners, and that is the Labor party!

It was not the opposition, but the Labor party who passed the expansion of public transportation. It was not the opposition, but the Labor party who took up the mammoth task of fully funding all state and local services —a task the Southern Federalists still have not gotten around to. It was not the opposition, but the Labor party who eliminated income and property taxes for working and middle class families. It was not the opposition, but the Labor party who expended billions of dollars for the improvement of rural infrastructure, rural broadband internet service, rural hospitals, and rural schools.

It was not the opposition, but the Labor party who last month raised $2 billion to pay for more doctors and better hospitals in rural areas —just as it was the Labor party whose vigorous vaccine rollout has produced the highest vaccination rate of any region in Atlasia, despite having, in the words of the official news bulletin, the most difficult job of any region.

For four years the Labor party have been the steadfast friends of the farmers and workers, the small towns and rural areas here in Idaho and across Frémont. Our communities are the richest, the freest, and the strongest in Atlasia —because while Southern politicians are busy touring the country drowning the airwaves with beltway nonsense, we have been busy in Denver delivering the best possible future for all Frémonters. We will not stop —we will never stop —until every man, woman, and child born in Idaho has their own roof over their head and food on their own table.

I do not believe that the people of Idaho are about to turn their back on the party that has given them higher wages, better conditions, and more local control than the lying oppositionists have ever thought to promise. That is why I believe you are going to vote to re-elect your governor next week. And you are going to re-elect the Labor majority in the legislature!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Mountain Home, Idaho

I am so pleased to see all of you here today. And I do not believe the quacks in the news media and the professional political class when they say you are thinking about voting the other way next week. The people of Idaho have been with me from the beginning: and I know when the time comes you will do the right thing, and you will vote to reelect your governor and the Labor legislative majority.

When you vote the Labor ticket you are not voting for me. You are voting for your own interests.

That is because the Labor party is the party of the farmers and the working people of Idaho. It is the party of the small towns and rural areas. It is the party of peace, prosperity, and the progress of the last four years!

Some of you may remember the mess we were in when I took over the ministry four years ago. The government of the first constitution was a paper government. It spared no concern for the common people, and the people shed no tears when it went away. It was replaced by a people's government, and a people's constitution. It is this constitution that we are endeavoring to defend today.

The great idea of our commonwealth is that government ought to be the instrument of the people. Government is not a source of employment for career bureaucrats and out-of-luck politicians. It is not a debating society. It is not a venue for dollar store intellectuals and beltway creeps to show off their best Sorkin impression. The first purpose, the only purpose, of government is to represent the people. That is what we are doing. That is what we will continue to do for the next six months.

The leaders of the Southern opposition parties have made their usual claims to represent the interests of local government. They have made many brave promises to cut taxes for middle class homeowners —promises they will not have to bother to keep if they are elected, since Labor have already cut their taxes to zero! The people of Idaho are not fooled. They remember what it was the Southern governor said in Nyman last month: the Federalist party is "the party of the South."

Let me remind you that there is only one party who can claim to have fought alongside the farmers and workers of Idaho these last four years, and that is the Labor party!

It was the Labor party that passed the farm bill to pay more than $10 million in subsidies in the last two years to small farmers here in Idaho and across Frémont.

It was the Labor party who broke the corrupt monopoly of Southern big agriculture and freed our farmers from the yoke of marketing boards and companies like Monsanto that want to strangle the small farmer and extract his wealth for the benefit of Eastern interests.

It was the Labor party who passed the Rural Health Act to spend $2 billion in 2021 to hire more doctors and nurses and build more hospitals and clinics in rural areas.

It was the Labor party who raised the money to pay for rural broadband internet access and improvements to rural infrastructure.

It was the Labor party who passed the local living wage and the Worker's Bill of Rights to guarantee to every Frémonter a fair wage and the right to sue their employer when he is cheating them.

I have full confidence that with a renewed Labor majority in the legislature and a reelected Labor governor in Boise, we will be able to carry on the fight —if necessary, for years —if necessary, alone. We will not rest —we will not retire —until every child born in Idaho has the right to live under their own roof and eat bread off their own table.

The struggle is just beginning.

We are going to win.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Gooding, Idaho

The Southern opposition leaders have lately made some appearances in this state to try and entice the working people here away from the Labor party and their government of the last seven months.

They are, if you will, endeavoring to sell an opposition government on prospectus. They have made many brazen promises to this effect, that if the people of Idaho will only vote for them and the Southern opposition candidates, that their taxes will go down, and imagined insufficiencies of our financial policy will be ameliorated.

It may be that their opinion of the people of Idaho is so low, that they believe you will be taken in by such obvious deceptions.

The fact is that when it comes to the issue of local control, there is only one party that has been the steadfast friend of the small towns and rural areas here in Idaho, and that is the Labor party.

It was the Labor party who passed the farm bill to pay to the small farmers $10 million in subsidies over the last two years, and to free them from the oppressive yoke of Southern big ag.

It was the Labor party who expanded rural broadband internet access.

It was the Labor party who invested millions to improve rural infrastructure, and particularly to improve local infrastructure and public transportation.

It was the Labor party who just recently passed the Rural Health Act to spend $2 billion in 2021 to hire more doctors and nurses and to build more hospitals and clinics in rural areas.

And let us not forget it was the leadership of the Labor party, and the Labor government in Denver, whose relentless efforts to distribute vaccines not only in the cities, but also in small towns and out-of-the-way places, through partnership with local pharmacies and the heroic efforts of our National Guard, has achieved what the federal authorities call the greatest success of any region, despite facing the greatest obstacles of geography and distance.

We have achieved all this, as I alluded to, not by concentrating power in the hands of some far-away central committee, but by giving power back to the people, and trusting in local communities to do what is best for them.

That is why the transport bill has money for grants to local governments instead of funding for select programs chosen by a regional authority. That is why the FEA includes representation for localities on its board of directors. That is why we fund school districts by student, not by lottery, and why we trusted local pharmacies to distribute the vaccine —not government bureaucrats.

The Labor party believes in local government because we believe in the people —and unlike the opposition, whose leaders are all Southerners, and who the governor of the South recently declared in Nyman are "the party of the South," we believe in government by Idahoans, for Idahoans.

We believe in the infinite capacity of the people to achieve prosperity better than any government can tell them to. And we will never quit until every child born in Idaho has the right to grow up under their own roof and to eat bread off their own table.

[OBD]

Lowell, Massachusetts
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on MA Labor website

Good afternoon! It's a pleasure to be here in historic Lowell.

Lowell was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution - the first place in Atlasia founded for and dedicated to the mass manufacture of goods. From locals to immigrants, thousands came to Lowell to work in search of a better life both for themselves and their loved ones - often putting in hours on the assembly line in atrocious conditions for meager pay.

While Lowell was where the economic power of industry was first displayed for all Atlasians to see, it was also where industry's cocktail of depravity - dirty, dangerous working conditions, paltry wages, and nonexistent advancement opportunities - first reared its ugly head. From the textile plants of the Northeast to the gray industrial behemoths of the Rust Belt, this suffering spread across Atlasia - while rich Wall Streeters and government officials enjoyed the new products reaped by an industrial economy, the folks who broke their backs to make this economy a reality were left behind, forgotten by the public officials who swore an oath to protect their interests.

Thus, it's no surprise that Lowell was home to the first union of working women. While outside observers admired the productive capacity of the Lowell mills, the long-suffering workers of said mills organized to fight for better working conditions. Despite having limited legal rights (not including the right to vote), these women were undaunted - they organized, they striked, and ultimately helped advance the cause of Atlasian Labor and gender equality both. Their work brought the ugly underbelly of the Industrial Revolution to light, and their cries for equality and rights for the worker are no less relevant today.

You can build statues and tell their story in the classroom, but the best way to preserve Lowell's long legacy of organized labor is to continue their fight for the working class of Massachusetts. While this state's economy is no longer based on heavy industry, many Massachusettsans still struggle in jobs that simply do not pay a living wage. That's why Governor Murphy and Massachusetts Labor is committed to fighting for the timeless ideals the Lowell women championed. Nationally, Labor has spearheaded the push for a $15 minimum wage, which will be a huge assist for poverty-stricken Massachusettsans , especially in the face of a pandemic. We will not hesitate to protect the rights of working folks here in Massachusetts, even if this means going toe-to-toe with the Lincoln Council - while Atlasia has come far since the first days of the Lowell mills, widespread poverty and continued mistreatment of workers by Wall Street conglomerates indicate that we still have a good ways to go. As the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be finally letting up, Massachusetts Labor will continue to champion a science-based approach to the pandemic - we'll reopen schools and commerce in a safe, healthy manner, while actively working to support small businesses and working-class Massachusettsans stricken by the pandemic. And, we will not hesitate to fight for racial justice - though previous Massachusetts governments have not been the worst on this issue, discriminatory housing and policing policy here have negatively affected minority communities regardless, and it is far past time to right these wrongs. You can count on Governor Murphy and the Massachusetts Legislature's incoming Labor majority () to continue fighting for you, the people of Massachusetts - they've been doing a great job, but their work for this state has only just begun!

Thanks for coming out, y'all! Remember to keep wearing those masks, and to get out this month and vote up and down the ballot for your Labor Party candidates!

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Fairfield, Iowa₁
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on IA Labor Website

Hello, Fairfield!

As I abandon my campaign for House, I am returning to the campaign trail to recruit and endorse great candidates for the Iowa Legislature. Here I have with me, Mary Ann Wilson, candidate for statehouse, and Ron Hogg, candidate for state senate. Mary Ann Wilson is a well-respected writer here, who wants to build our politics to be a pro-environment, pro-people consensus. My friend, Ron, is a humble farmer. He and Mary Ann share similar values, and these are are the values of Fairfield - which, I must say, is my favorite city in the state.

One of Labor's main priorities in government will be adaptation in the growing tech economy. We will invest in renewable energy, and we will aid new businesses that will hire STEM students. In this way, Iowa will retain its young people who have been fleeing the state. The "Silicon Prairie" plan will diversify Iowa's economy and make the state a leader in more than corn production.

Labor has repeated this plan with great success in all our agriculture-heavy states where both the rural and urban populations have been depleting. The Midwest needs a comeback, and Labor's leadership in Frémont has demonstrated our ability to lead the Midwest in a new direction.

The Federalists continue to adopt the same failed strategy that cost them a reliably conservative state in March: distraction from kitchen table issues in favor of culture wars, baseless accusations that we want to implement teaching of Critical Race Theory and indoctrination of our nation's students. The Federalist Southern Governor went to North Dakota to slam our First Minister for vetoing the abortion gag law - a law which the people of North Dakota and the Commonwealth soundly rejected in the referendum.

Federalists also use baseless and false accusations that Labor is not funding pensions, based on weak evidence that runs contrary to Frémont's budgeting practices. It is absurd to suggest, for example, that the people of Fairfield are paying too much in taxes to fund their own pensions, when individual state taxation was abolished and the power to tax and spend was fully transferred to Denver.

The Silicon Prairie plan will invest our state funds to building a new infrastructure for the state economy. That is Labor's plan for Iowa.

Vote for the party that has a plan, and runs on that plan as opposed to falsehoods and culture wars. Vote for the party that will lead Iowa to a new generation. Vote for Labor.

_{1. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/01/06/marianne-williamson-fairfield-iowa-093590}

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

TV and Radio Ad To Air Across Iowa
"Shrinking"
_{Paid for by the Labor Governors Association}

An elderly couple is sitting across a kitchen table, where the woman is reading a newspaper.

WOMAN: Sad to see, isn't it?

MAN: What's that?

A number of headlines and their citations roll across the screen, pointing to a record of rising unemployment and poor long-term prospects for the state economy.

WOMAN: The kids just aren't staying here anymore. They have bigger fish to fry out in Texas and Florida.

MAN: Evan's leave definitely hurt, but I can't blame him. It's just not the same economy you and I had growing up here.

WOMAN: And should it surprise anyone? Our schools and public universities are not competing with other states to give our students the tools to be successful in the 21st century!

MAN: Governor Engle has also sided with Big Tech companies like Amazon in their successful fight against unionization in other states.

WOMAN: I voted for Governor Engle last time, but you know, Harry, I think the "Main Street" Federalists have forgotten about shrinking towns like ours. I'm voting for Labor from the governorship on down.

BACKGROUND VOICE: I'm Ed Finkenhauer and I approve this message.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Bondurant, Iowa₁
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on IA Labor Website

I'm glad to be here with Ed Finkenhauer, the Labor Party's candidate for Governor, and Melissa Scholtz, Labor's candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

Ed and Melissa both have strong backgrounds in the private sector. Ed founded a farm that was established on the principles of ethics toward animals and the environment, and over time it has grown to be the largest employer in the city of Dubuque. Melissa worked with the Atlasian Department of Agriculture under various Labor administrations before running for State Senate last year.

Both understand the importance of business, and both are also lifelong supporters of unions. Unlike the giants within tech, Ed used tech to utilize efficiency and pay his workers a living wage. He has based much of his wealth on his hometown of Des Moines right across from us, and he knows how to make Iowa competitive in the jobs market once again.

Finkhenhauer Farms has also donated to efforts to unionize workers working for tech giants in the state, particulalrly here in Boundurant where an Amazon fulfillment sector was recently opened last year. As the unions recover from the loss on the ballot to unionize in the town of Bessemer, Alabama, Bondurant must have a state government that ensures labor policies are enforced. And should these workers desire to unionize, they ought to be allowed to without pressure corporate higher-ups.

What has the Federalist Party done to advance goals that most every other state in the Commonwealth under Labor governance and in Denver? Governor Engle may bag about the vaccine program, but this initiative was championed by our outgoing Speaker Siren and enacted First Minister Truman.

Here in Iowa, see an interesting spit in the controlling Federalist Party: roughly are split into what we like to call "the Louisville Thunder wing", and in the other what we like to call "the Joseph Cao wing". Unfortunately for the people of Iowa, the local and minstream news has reported far more on these cleaves between party factions. The Federalists themselves have little to brag about, because intra-partisan bickering has split the Iowa Federalists into something of a civil war.

Labor has embraced its role as a big tent party. We acquiesce not to culture wars that two Southern Federalist governors try to bait us toward, which at the end of the day serves to distract from the Federalists' lack of a record in the state.

Labor will expand opportunities for Iowa to become competitive again and economically diverse. We will build a new economy based on old labor principles: the right to a living wage and, if a workforce sees it necessary, fair and free elections to organize unions for benefits like our grandparents and great-grandparents enjoyed.

Vote for Ed Finkenhauer and Melissa Scholtz this weekend: the term that understands Iowa business needs, and will put Iowa workers first.

_{1. Courtesy of Amazon}

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Ames, Iowa Farm Forum
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on IA Labor Website

Good morning to the people of Ames, Iowa!

I'm your host, Scott. Over the years of served various capacities in the Commonwealth, including as your First Minister and Atlasian Senator.

Here I am with three very important people today: Ed Finkenheauer, businessman and Labor's nominee for governor, Dan Harkin, former Mayor of Ames and candidate for State Senate, and Justin Quinn, a public defense attorney and candidate for State House.

We're going to pass the mic around to our guests, who are all wearing masks.

Highlights from the forum

Audience member #1: Mr. Finkenhauer, what is your plan to sustain Iowa's status as a leader in agriculture?

Ed Finkenhauer: We need a competitive tax code to help Iowa's small farms, and given my business background, I would also like to incentivize farmers, both large and small, to adopt more environmentally friendly and humane practices for livestock. It is no coincidence that Finkenhauer Farms is a leading agriculture producer throughout the country under my business leadership, and I will lead other businesses in the agriculture industry to adopt similar policies by passing tax credits and requiring the humane treatment of animals.

Audience member #2: How will Labor address the issue of funding pensions when Denver has failed on this issue? How much will our taxes go up?

Dan Harkin: Unfortunately, there's been no shortage of misconceptions this campaign. Under a Labor government, Iowans will pay no more in tax than they do today. In simple terms, the GM report was wrong and contradicted by simple evidence. Iowa Labor will keep taxes low in this region while reinvesting in education as well as small and local business.

Audience member #3: How will Labor invest its tax dollars from Denver going forward?

Justin Quinn: We have a lot of money invested by Denver and Nyman sitting in state reserves. That gives us plenty of flexibility to boost the small businesses that were lost in the pandemic, and it is because of Labor that was have these funds available. As Mayor Harkin alluded to, the state is going to keep taxes low and inject stimulus funds from Des Moines. So we're not too very worried about the budget.

Audience member #4: How will Labor respond to addressing enforcing our immigration laws, and keeping Atlasian jobs in Atlasian hands here in the state?

Ed Finkenhauer: I'm glad you asked that question. It's not a question that comes up nearly enough in Iowa, but it is on the minds of many voters. Look. What I'm going to tell you is the truth: if all of Iowa's undocumented immigrants were deported tomorrow, the cost of food would skyrocket. Now we certainly don't believe that Big Agriculture should be writing our immigration laws, but nor we can ignore the role that immigrants play in a major state industry. We've seen a rise in the number of hate crimes, precisely against Asians, across the nation. As a state, we must come together in rejecting this rise in hatred and violence. We can only build our way out of this pandemic as one state, and that certainly includes law-abiding immigrants who keep our agriculture economy afloat.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Iowa City, Iowa₁
One Iowa Conference Center2
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on IA Labor Website

Thank you to One Iowa for having me here today!

You know, Iowa has a special place in history for the future of LGBT Atlasians. Its real life equivalent was one of the first states to legalize same-sex marriage. State Senator, Zach Wahl, is a proud Labor State Senator who is living testament to the fact that same-sex couples can be and are wonderful parents.

Iowans are forward-thinkers, and we need a forward-thinking legislature to aid Governor Finkenhauer in protecting LGBT state workers. The state needs its own Equality Act, no doubt. And Iowa Labor will recommit our state's welcoming reputation to people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

I will now let our candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Melissa Scholtz, as well as candidate for statehouse Linda Wing and candidate for state state, our first transgender candidate for state legislature, River Beckley-Cook.

<sub>1. https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2019/11/19/iowa-city-cedar-rapids-dubuque-score-highest-for-lgbtq-equality-inclusion/
2. https://blogforiowa.com/2018/02/11/action-alert-from-oneiowa/</sub>

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Winterset, Iowa₁
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on IA Labor Website

My tour with Ed Finkehhauer continues in Madison County: one of Iowa's most popular tourist destinations, for none other than the short romance novella The Bridges of Madison County. There are truly few other bridges throughout this state and country like there are here. But even something as simple yet beautiful as covered bridges put this county on the map in a state that is not generally known for tourism.

There is much more to Iowa than simply farms, although we take great pride in our reputation as the agriculture center of the Republic of Atlasia. But landmarks like these covered bridges are worth conserving, for the culture and character of the state. And they are landmarks that must be preserved, regardless of how much local land is used for commerce. Although such a symbolic location like Madison County defines the simple life and character of the state.

And while I can understand the skepticism of those who oppose investing in tourism, I say to those that nothing must be off the table. It certainly won't be in the government's economic diversification plan for Iowa, in the form of the Silicon Prairie and appeal to tech giants to share their wealth with Middle Atlasia.

For a robust with as robust an education system in Atlasia, we have the power to redefine our economy. Our scenic byways speak for themselves, and it is through tourism that we may attract future residents to the state of Iowa. People who move to our state do so because seek the benefits of small-town living across civilization. And a strong, competitive Iowa will rebuild the stage's image as the capital of the nation's breadbasket.

_{1. https://www.checkitofftravel.com/small-town-spotlight-winterset-iowa/}

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Dubuque, Iowa₁
socially-distanced event, livestreamed on IA Labor Website

Hello, Dubuque. I've spent a great afternoon in this city, directly speaking to Iowans about the issues facing them.

But I was personally touched by the story of one resident, a woman who lost her seventeen-year-old son towards the end of the year to an opioid overdose. The first thing that came to my mind for me was the loss of my mother last year, who also died of drug overdose. She explained how over the last couple years, hope for recovery became a lost cause for them. The pandemic, especially, prevented this woman and her family from giving their son the help he needed.

This story reminds me that COVID-19 has affected so many more lives indirectly. While the shutdown of our economy and most of our public services was necessary to combat the virus, these delays in services have had a lasting impact on many Iowans, particularly those who are low-income.

While efforts by the regional and federal governments to improve access to mental health and addiction treatment have improved under Labor leadership, we have a lot more work to do in this field as we slowly transition back to a pre-pandemic routine.

Part of that work is improving local access to drug rehabilitation services, and expanding them so that former addicts, and especially those with criminal records, can have a wider avenue to community college or university, to employment opportunities, to something that will give them a higher purpose in life.

The opioid epidemic has ravaged urban and rural communities throughout the state, and the various underlying roots must be addressed. Labor has a strategy for a post-pandemic Iowa that will help the least of us, and it starts by helping one community at a time and better facilitate communications between local governments and community institutions and those who are willing to put in the work and time to kick their addiction.

This is definitely an issue where all parties can find common ground. But if Ed Finkenhauer is your governor next month, the people of Iowa will have a First Lady whose mission will be to combat addiction head-on. As a lifelong substance abuse counselor in the state, Dr. Lynn Finkenhauer knows what needs to change in order to build a more responsive government. She also has a great record of advising on drug policy reform, and she has been heralded for her expertise in matters of counseling.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to welcome your next First Lady of the state of Iowa, Dr. Lynn Finkenhauer.

_{1. https://money.com/collection-post/dubuque-iowa/}