Democratic Alliance (+Allies) Local Campaigning Thread 2021

[Sirius_]

Friendly reminder that campaigning does not start tomorrow, I still want to continue the feedback process for a couple of days and make a few announcements.

I don't mind the event being re-posted later of course, but the January cycle has not started yet. I still need to finalize decisions on what the alterations to the system will be and, of course, end the feedback process.

I believe this is more of a tone-setting thing and a request for the parties follow suit, more than a traditional campaign speech.

[Sirius_]

Lincoln Kickoff in The Bronx

Took Place at the Parade Ground of Van Cortland Park
Masks and Social Distancing Required

Hello people of The Bronx! I'm so excited to finally be back out on the trail here to kick off DA's Lincoln campaign this month. You may find my choice of location surprising for a kickoff event, you'd probably envision something fancier in Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium or something like that. Instead I've come deep into the outer boroughs freezing outside in a public park in the winter. And it is completely worth it, because I get to talk to real working residents like you. You're the people that make the backbone of Democratic Alliance. It isn't powerful people in Manhattan penthouses, its you! And that's what this campaign is going to be all about: bringing things down to Earth from the recent political mayhem, connecting with people, and talking local policy.

You know I really have to give props to all of the Bronx residents who came out here because getting around is a bit of a pain. You have all those parallel subway lines going down to Manhattan but not much going across the Bronx itself. Yeah there's buses, but that isn't helping much. I'm not anti-bus, but having talked to people around here I can tell that you guys aren't fans of MTA's bus services. And sure you can drive, but for a lot of people in the Bronx that just isn't financially realistic. Not to mention that the highways built here for those cars like Interstates 95 and 87 are crowded, polluting, and split communities in half with no regard. That clearly isn't the solution. This is why DA supports the proposals  to re-establish New York's light rail network in the underserved areas of the outer boroughs, such as the Triboro RX. Light Rail is perfect for those areas that need higher capacity and better service than buses, but where it isn't financially feasible to build subways. Its a shame that New York abandoned its once extensive tram network. Beyond even that, we also need to expand the faster select bus services wherever we can. With DA leadership, we can have efficient, cheap, and clean transportation available everywhere in the city.

Another unfortunate financial struggle for so many New York residents is housing. Too many families here are left wondering every month if they'll be able to pay rent or not. This is why DA has long supported building more public housing. I know that public housing gets a bad rap in this city, but the truth is that there's no easier way to deal with homelessness than to do public housing and to do it right. Of course, the thought that immediately comes to mind in New York is where the heck we're going to put it. After all, almost every bit of land here is used up. That's why DA is officially unveiling our plan to finally close the prison on Riker's Island and convert it to a public housing island, complete with public transportation connections, green space, and shops that are all locally owned. On top of that, we're going to make sure that existing public housing is safe, up to quality standards, and easily accessible. And finally, we're going to actively reach out to those who need homes through our social workers. This will be a top priority for us, because everyone deserves a home.

I'd like to close off my speech here by noting an unfortunate fact that the regional Labor Party has already chosen to go negative as illustrated by their first ad run. I'm not going to spend this whole campaign going on about Labor, I'm honestly sick of it. But I do have to say that it seems like the old 2 parties aren't changing much, and if they won't change then how can you expect them to bring change? They can continue to shout buzzwords and sling mud if they want to, but we're going to be out here with the decent working people of Atlasia showing you how we'll bring real local progress to your area, whether it be New York City or your plot of farmland. Because that's the DA way.

[Sirius_]

Speech in Nashua, NH
Took Place at North Common
Masks and Social Distancing Required
Streamed Online

Greetings Nashua! I've just arrived in New Hampshire, and when I say that I really mean that I just barely arrived. Nashua is right on the border with Massachusetts after all, and that gives it a special cross-state relationship. Nashua is linked to Boston in many ways, and a growing number of people have been moving out here while commuting to their jobs in Boston. Now I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons why people choose to move out to this lovely city, but I think a lot of you here would agree that the long commute isn't one of them! Route 3 tends to get clogged with traffic and an already long drive can become immensely frustrating and stressful. Currently there isn't much other option, but that doesn't have to be the case! Across the state line the MBTA has been proposing an extension of its rail service from Lowell to Nashua. That's only a bit more than 10 miles, and would allow you to relax on a traffic free commute. Not only that, but its been shown time and time again that trains bring economic investment wherever they go. So why hasn't it been done yet?

I've had conversations with some people around here and I've noticed a trend that a lot of you haven't been happy with New Hampshire's incumbent government, and I suppose that this must be part of the list of local frustrations. By voting Democratic Alliance this month, you can vote for a government that will make progress at the state and local levels right now. Working with the MBTA and government of Massachusetts to establish the rail link will be one of our priorities in office, and it will be one of many ways that we get work done for you. There's no need to choose between the progressiveness espoused by Laborites and the localist style of Federalists this election. Instead you can vote for the party of real local progress, and that party is Democratic Alliance.

Town Hall Event in Plaistow, NH
Took Place Outside of Plaistow Town Hall
Streamed Online

Hello, I'm pleased to meet you all here this evening in Plaistow. This may be a little town, but it isn't flyover country in my eyes! In fact, I find your little town to be particularly fascinating as I've learned that this is a little town with a vision. A vision to become a model town for sustainable development and equitable transportation in a small community. I spoke with your mayor while coming out here today and I have to say that we're definitely on the same page. Ever since our founding we've been fighting for sustainable development as one of our bread and butter issues, and that applies to everywhere, not just big cities! There may be naysayers that such a thing is possible is Plaistow, but Democratic Alliance believes in the ability for small places to accomplish big things. And we want to make sure that there is a government in Concord that will lend whatever help it can in making that happen. So in order to best do that, I'm joined today by our candidates to represent Plaistow in the state house in senate, and we'll be taking questions and comments from you now. By the end of this, we want to fully understand your community, and take that knowledge to the government, so ask away!

[Sirius_]

To clarify, what I said about Plaistow is accurate, as long as the GM does not disagree.

[Sirius_]

Tuscon, AZ Speech
Took Place at Himmel Park
Masks and Social Distancing Required
Streamed Online

Good evening Tuscon! This state may be a long way from where I normally am but its just as important to me. Its also across the country from where my friend Weatherboy lives, so it surprises me that DA were the first to campaign in this state this entire month! He was then coincidentally followed by the First Minister who ignored this state for the entire campaign period until he felt threatened, and then came down to give one of his talking head speeches where he basically just calls everyone he doesn't like immature names and then leaves. Now I'm not going to do that nor am I going to dwell on this too long because Democratic Alliance along with several other leaders from various parties have made a commitment to make politics more civil again and less toxic as it was just recently ago. It seems though that the main leader of Fremont's Labor branch has not been able to move on from that for the greater good of Atlasia, and that is worth mentioning.

One of the states where the First Minister has spent a lot of time is Colorado, and there's a pretty important difference between Arizona and Colorado. Well actually there's a lot of them, but a big one is that Arizona can't be fully governed from Denver. The first minister hit on my friend earlier with transportation citing things that have been done in Denver, but the truth is that Denver can only do so much on that front because transportation is an inherently local issue that needs to be addressed by leaders who understand their area's needs. Not to mention that Denver is already taxing to the limit of what is possible and that will never change if they try to do everything themselves. This is why DA has always believed in progressive policies at the local level, we can combine Labor's willingness to use government for change with the Federalist devotion to localism so that you don't have to choose, and together they bring the best outcomes for the state government. We do need to make sure that leaders in Arizona take transportation seriously, because Denver can throw all the money they want at it but nothing will happen if Phoenix doesn't use it! We need to make sure that infrastructure out here in the suburbs is up to par with what you'd expect in urban cores. Just because your community has lower density doesn't mean it can't have world class infrastructure. We need to use all that available space you have in Arizona to finally give the homeless a home, it obviously wouldn't be hard to give them somewhere to go if we just built a place. And we need to accelerate the push to eliminate fossil fuels completely from Arizona's electricity and especially utilize this state's great solar producing potential. Clean energy policy needs to reflect what forms of generation are most feasible for local areas, so state leadership, and not just regional or national leadership, will be necessary. These are the things you'll get with DA in charge here in Arizona, so lets get out and vote for the party of local progress!

[Sirius_]

Laconia, NH Speech
Took Place in Opechee Park
Masks and Social Distancing Required
Streamed Online

Greetings Laconia! I always enjoy coming out to small cities like you, there's always so much character in them that so many politicians just fly over. Just as one example, the New Hampshire pumpkin festival is held here every year, not in the capital corridor! That's just the kind of thing that is uniquely Laconia. The majority of New Hampshire is made up of smaller communities like yours and together you make up a beautiful state. But for as lively as small cities can be, they can also be vulnerable to unfortunate deaths if we aren't careful. I've seen it before, a major employer in a local community leaves or a bad natural disaster strikes and it seems like the town might never get back to its former glory. That's why we need to protect small cities and make sure that they are sustainable. One of the important aspects of this is education, we need to make sure that students everywhere get education of the utmost quality. Too many small schools don't get the funding they need for the programs larger schools have, like in stem fields and the arts. That has to stop. The New Hampshire DA will ensure that every school can afford the opportunities equipment that students needs for success, and if a school is really just too small to have a certain class that city schools have, then those opportunities should be available online. Of course that requires that we make sure that every community has broadband, which we will do, and is also a key component in making small communities attractive places to live for the educated citizens who may leave otherwise.

We also have to put a big focus on local economies. Small cities like Laconia are run from Main Street, not Wall Street, and its best that we keep it that way. DA will support a vibrant Main Street in Laconia by incentivizing starting businesses in small cities, as well as encouraging them to contribute to the community and making the town walkable which only improves traffic to businesses. We'll also push for lower taxes on small businesses so that they can thrive while paying everyone a living wage. On top of Main Street businesses, Laconia also has an impressive local manufacturing sector*. Its great to see so many locally owned businesses producing goods for the nation here, and as it is such a vital piece of the economy we have to make sure that Laconia remains a great place for manufacturing. That comes with infrastructure, we have to make sure that the roads and rails are up to high standards so goods can come in and out, and keeping our often aging utilities up to date so that businesses can rely on them to operate. And we can further support these industries with the establishment of local vocational education. For students whose best option isn't college, they should be able to easily access trade schooling from which they can get decent jobs with no shame. Doing so benefits both the students by allowing them to exercise the fullest potential of their skills which may not be in college fields, and it provides the skilled workers the local economy needs. NH's Democratic Alliance has a clear package to help all of the many small cities and towns that dot the state. If you want a state government that will support your community, then vote DA this weekend!

*https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/profiles-htm/laconia.htm

[Sirius_]

The following will run as an internet and newspaper ad throughout the nation:

[Sirius_]

Speech in Kokomo, Indiana
Took Place at Kokomo Memorial Park
Distance Enforced & Streamed Online

Good evening Kokomo! Its my pleasure to be campaigning in Indiana for a 2nd time now, and its been very exciting seeing all the progress that has been made under DA leadership. I'm sure you all know that Kokomo has been hit hard for the last decade, and that a lot of the key blue collar jobs were lost. But we weren't going to let that be the end for the city of firsts! Back last August when common citiznes all over Indiana and all over Atlasia stoop up and voted for a change, that was a real turning point. You voted for local economic revitalization, you voted for infrastructure improvements, among other things, and you most importantly voted for people that cared about doing bold things for the community. And that's what we've been fighting for non-stop. Policies like the transportation grants I wrote have brought investment to Kokomo and made it possible for this small city to have a bus system which gets struggling people to work every day. Policies like the small business support act I sponsored that have brought business back to Main Street, and down south Tmth's successful policy to expand housing access can and will be implemented here.

That's not the end of it, I know that Governor Donelly has been working just as hard and probably harder for you. By encouraging the implementation of community revitalization plans that we've laid out, by making sure the funding is there for critical infrastructure to be maintained, and bringing more industry to Indiana instead of having more flee. Democratic Alliance has been consistent from day one to now in putting local communities first and helping the working man and woman, the struggling families, the homeless, and our middle class backbone. And it won't end there. As I mentioned before, Kokomo is known as the "city of firsts" and has had a long streak of great innovations. I don't want that to end there. More innovation is needed for the sustained future success of Kokomo's economy, and that required education, which is exactly what the Indiana DA's next priority will be. We're going to make sure that IU Kokomo has the funding needed to provide an education to all the young people here that deserve it, and we pledge to open a new vocational school right here to help everyone, not just straight A students, get a decent job and continue to fuel the vital blue collar economy. Let's not turn back on the real local progress the DA brings. Let's not vote in a new government that will cut our programs or neglect to care about you. Let's get out and vote for another term!

[Sirius_]

Speech in Fort Wayne
Took Place in Headwaters Park
Social Distancing Enforced
Streamed Online

Greetings to Fort Wayne! Have you been enjoying taking the train to Indianapolis? Well maybe you haven't yet because of the reduced amount of travel right now, but we have gotten it up and running. It was fairly simple actually, it was just a matter of building some platforms and put some trains on the already existing main line between Indianapolis, Muncie, and Fort Wayne to get a train service started. And while we're also working on ongoing grander infrastructure projects, I think that this first service shows that transit doesn't always have to be a big ordeal. It really makes you wonder why nobody in the past was willing to take that seemingly small first step. That's why DA is different, we're willing take those steps, and I'm happy to report that we're now on the staircase to a truly mobile Indiana.

You know before railroads were constructed, rivers were amongst the most important thoroughfares for inland states like Indiana. Rivers may not be as important for transportation these days, but the St. Mary's river behind us does still play an important role in this community. Its a big place for outdoor recreation and serves as a centerpiece of the city, and that's great. We have to make sure that these green spaces are maintained and that the environment around us is clean. In Democratic Alliance we've always prioritized the environment by building green infrastructure and subsidizing green energy. Governor Donnelly is now preparing a bill to improve water pollution is rivers as well so that everyone can enjoy recreational spaces like the ones on the St. Mary's. And we're now partnering with new allies who have been just as dedicated to the environment. Another term for Governor Donnelly is another term of progressive, green policy, and a vote your local DA candidate is a vote for local leadership that will put your community first. So let's keep it going!

[Sirius_]

Speech in Burlington, NJ
Greenlanders Park
Also Televised

Good morning Burlington, let's talk about transportation, for real this time because the last talk was an nonsensical mess. Its like every time somebody from DA mentions trains, these Labor people come in and make a whole tirade about "pork barrel rail", and they complain about us spending money on it, but then they turn around and tell you how much they're going spend on infrastructure. Which is it? How can you trust them, when they are so blatantly hypocrites who only want to improve your infrastructure when they can take credit for it? The result is incoherence.

They really show that they do not know what they're talking about when they make this claim that we only want to put trains everywhere, like we didn't know that other forms of transportation exist.
Really? Just let the record speak for itself. We actually research the local situation and consult with the populace before we unveil our plan for the town. When we go to a little town and say that it could use a train line, there's already a rail line going through it. And in other cases we've pushed for other modes, like buses or light rails, which you have right here in Burlington in the form of the River Line. Amazingly, the Vice President never mentioned your primary public transportation link while he was here giving a speech about transportation! Its a unique transit line for the needs of this community, and governor Baglieri has fought hard to maintain and improve it. I'd say that he either didn't know that it existed, or intentionally ignored it because it goes against his entire point. And if you thought that was bad, I don't even think he knows what county we're in, given that he talked about Camden County and not, you know, Burlington County.

What really shows the extent of how little they actually care about Burlington is how the Vice President wanted so badly to make this about Utah and not local issues. Do they really want to make this about Utah, where their governor let people die of Covid and where the Labor party has declared that everything outside of Salt Lake City is the middle of nowhere. That's like saying everything outside of Greater New York is nowhere. Sorry Burlington, you don't get to have equitable transportation, you nowhere dwellers, now get back in your car like a real Atlasian! That's the kind of rhetoric they're resorting to to make us look bad no matter what we do. I'm sure they'll try to spin it now in some other direction, but at this point, who do you trust? I'd put my trust in the party that's made up of your neighbors, the party that actually does their homework, and that's DA. And one more thing to end off on: if pork barrel rail means investing in local communities, then I love pork barrel rail.

Speech in Newark, NJ
Prudential Concert Grove
Streamed Online

Hello Newark! Its been great to be back home in New Jersey for a while, and its really been nice to see my fellow citizens here today. And I'm sure you're glad to have me back here to valiantly save you from the crazy rhetoric we've heard this month! Jokes aside, there has been a lot of mudslinging coming from a certain red political party, and it seems like now they're so focused on attacking our image that they've totally forgotten their own. Frankly, the Labor message right now doesn't make much sense. We have one person going around our state telling you that we're crazy gunslingers who won't do anything about guns getting into the hands of criminals, and at the same time somebody else talks about how much Labor loves guns and the 2nd amendment. If you want to let the record speak for itself, I've been one of the most consistent supporters of gun control in Atlasia, more so than the average Laborite or Federalist or Liberal. They lambast us for our "irresponsible pork barrel spending" whenever we dare do anything like improving New Jersey Transit, but turn around and go on about how great their own spending programs will be, as though this is their totally original idea that definitely isn't pork barrel. Once again, let the record show that we've been out their fighting for and implementing infrastructure and community improvement projects since day one of this local elections system, and I don't think you can say that same about Labor. And of course, the name calling and lying about us have once again cropped up, even after I thought we decided that we were better than that, that it wasn't good for democracy, that we're adults for god's sake! Maybe some people aren't better than that, but I believe that everyone here today is.

Labor is more interested in tearing people down than lifting them up. In fact, there is only one party out there right now with a clear and cohesive program and how we'll lift people up, and that is Democratic Alliance. All that irresponsible spending they're talking about is creating good paying, union jobs, it's granting mobility to the working class people who can't afford a decent car, it's putting a roof over people's head, they're breathing life into cities like Newark. Newark has had a tough time through the past few decades. There was a considerable loss of population. And now you all have had to deal with the covid pandemic and the terrible recession that came along with it, which was just devastating for a working class city. And now you have people who think you care about "pork barrel spending", or state budget deficits? How out of touch does it get? We're doing what needs to be done to help real working people's budgets, to help communities like Newark. Newark is in fact starting to grow again, and its looking a lot better than when I last came here. So do what do you want, a new governor that will do who knows what, or another successful term of Bryan Baglieri?

[Sirius_]

Nebraska Kickoff Rally
Muny Park
Cozad, NE
Streamed Online

Greetings Cozad! Thank you all for coming out here and bearing this summer heat today, I admire your dedication. Just by being here, you've already shown more dedication to the good of Nebraska than the governor and congressional coalition here! You guys really seem to be in a predicament now, a lot of you voted for one thing and got something completely different. And look I understand why a lot of Nebraskans voted Labor last time, they said that they would be the progressives, that they would stand up for the little guys and the local farmers. So why has Nebraska Labor completely turned their backs on that? Governor Nelson is sitting pretty in Lincoln slashing funding for local services when its already hard enough to access them in rural areas like this. He's giving big breaks to the corporations that Labor accuses us of being in bed with! He doesn't care what you guys voted for, and his congress is full of right wingers Labor, Federalist, and Liberal who aren't putting you first. And his excuse is that YT won Nebraska? He's gone further right than YT was. I don't buy it for a second.

Throughout all of this there has been one party and in particular one man who has been pushing back. In the state senate he's become the biggest voice for the people like you. A couple of years ago when he was a local farmer he was sued by Cargill after he blew the whistle on their unsanitary practices. He knows what its like to be the little guy getting pushed around by big interests. The same agriculture mega corporations that I'm sure are getting tax breaks and deregulation from the Nebraska Labor party, after they railed against them. He sure didn't join politics because he liked them, he did it because he wanted to stand up and protect people like you. He's fought valiantly, even when he's done it alone. I'm sure you guys already know him as a hometown hero and as your state senator. But today I'd like to introduce him for the first time as your next governor. Please give a warm welcome to Donald McHenry!