Greetings fellow citizens of Lincoln! For the third time this year, I stand before you to ask for your trust and support in elected office. However, this time I am running to be your next governor. I appreciate the support I have received from you in my bids for the federal senate, but personally I'm ready for a change of pace. And more importantly, I believe the federal government will be in good hands without me. Right now, with governor Oleg retiring, and the secession crisis behind us, Lincoln finds itself at a crossroads. It is time for us to choose the path our region will follow into the future. In several conversations that I have been a part of, a perceived crisis of activity has been an issue of importance recently, with activity levels unsurprisingly hitting regions the hardest as many opt for more lucrative federal positions. However, I still believe in Lincoln and in the regions even if things don't leak great. I stand here today to represent the path of prosperity in Lincoln, and I hope that we can come together to enact a plan for said prosperity.
Regional EngagementAs I stated earlier, activity has been an omnipresent issue for the regions as of late, and this is an area where I will be seeking a major improvement. Though serving in the senate has admittedly been a bit draining, I have held up my commitment to keeping my voice heard as your region-wide senator, and I will continue to uphold that commitment as your governor with reinvigorated energy as I move into a new role. I can promise you right here and now that no legislation on my desk will go unnoticed. On top of that, I plan to act as a legislator in my own right. I will ensure that my policy proposals are seen by the general court, and I will work closely with the general court. I believe that an active gubernatorial voice will encourage more activity in the general court, and I won't be afraid to hold our deputies to a higher standard of service. I will especially capitalize on my good working relationship with speaker Weatherboy, who I hope to see retain his position after this month's elections, to make this a reality. Regional engagement will go beyond maintaining a functional government. I also hope to see more interest from the citizenry at-large. I will always keep more door open to everyone in the region, I plan to be proactive in engaging with stories from the game engine on a regional level, and I will introduce system for citizen's initiatives in Lincoln to give everyone a voice and a chance to make change for the better.
Crisis PreparednessOver the past few years, Atlasia has unfortunately proven to be quite susceptible to crises of man-made and natural origin. Whether it be Kansas, secession, Covid-19, or wildfires, all sorts of emergency situations have plagued us recently. If we are to move forward into a new golden age, we need a regional government that is ready and capable of handling these threats. I believe that I have proven my capability in crisis management in my capacity as a senator and member of the cabinet during the secession crisis. I successfully worked as a member of the team which kept our union together and passed new protections to prevent something like that from happening again in the future. I will provide a steady hand to the region should another issue like that come up, work in conjunction with our region's legislators and statesmen, and build on a legacy of strong DA leadership in Lincoln. I will also introduce legislation to improve our ability as a region to respond to natural disasters. We may associate wildfires with Fremont and hurricanes with the South, but the truth is that these sorts of things can and do affect Lincoln too. I especially believe that we need to step up our game with firefighting and forestry management. I will create a forest protection service based right here in Lincoln that can take preventative measures and respond quickly to fires within our region. If it can happen in Quebec, it can happen here too.
Focus on InfrastructureInfrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. I know I sound like a broken record when I talk about it, but its just that important. This is an area where our nation has lost its once leading role in recent times. Fortunately, we still have all the resources we need to turn that around, we just have to put our minds to it. As we seek to be more environmentally sustainable, green infrastructure is highly important. A big part of that is transportation, especially public transportation. Our region has made a lot of progress on this front with the high speed rail network and the Lincolnbus service, but I still see a place for another type of service, with higher speeds and capacity than buses that can reach the many gaps not served by high speed rail. Indeed, the final piece to our regional transportation system will be a robust convention passenger rail network. I will expand Lincolnrail to connect even more of our region, and do everything in my power to bring rail lines in Lincoln up to the standards needed for high quality service. In keeping with the green theme, I will also make it certain that Lincoln makes the transition to fully clean energy, I will prevent nuclear power from being closed and replaced with fossil fuels, and I will make sure that the Quebec to New England power trunk line is built. Beyond that, there's other work to do still. We need to get rid of the lead pipes, improve the reliability of the power grid, and its about time we did something about rural broadband access like the other regions have. Under my leadership, we can get it done.
A New Deal on HousingAnother one of the pressing issues we face, especially for our younger generations, is the price and availability of housing. The price housing in some cities like New York and Boston is just ridiculous, and homeless population is unacceptably high. Everyone ought to be able to have a decent home that isn't a massive financial burden. It's just the truth that in order to make this happen, we need more housing stock. The amount of new housing in our cities is at an all-time low right now. That means that we need to allow more construction. The demand is there, and its time to lift onerous restrictions that prevent the supply from meeting in. The region has made a good start on that front, in large part thanks to my friend Weatherboy, and I will see it through to the end so that everyone can afford a home within a reasonable distance to their job and so that you can have more choices in what type of home you live in. On top of that, I'll increase funding to social housing and temporary shelters to help those who are most in need get back on their feet, and I'll implement a regional land tax to further encourage more housing construction.
Revitalizing the Rust BeltA large swathe of our region, in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan have gotten a bad rap and been given the name "rust belt," a name which conjures images of gloomy cities and abandoned industry. It is true that these areas have historically suffered from disinvestment, poverty, and declining populations. But they aren't dead yet, and I still believe that all parts of Lincoln can shine. Rust belt cities still have good things going for them, such as milder summers and generally having good "bones" to work with. I believe that by patching up infrastructure, providing better educational opportunities including more scholarships, community college, and trade schools, and building plentiful housing with good transportation connections, we can make the midwest an attractive alternative for people and businesses to increasingly hot and expensive sunbelt cities. Even if the task seems monumental, bad times don't have to last for forever. Cities can and do make comebacks. So let's bring prosperity to all corners of our region.
A Beacon of Hope and LibertyI am a firm believer in the shining city on a hill; that we should strive to be a beacon of hope for the world and that Lincoln can be that beacon. We must all keep the faith that the new prosperity is achievable, that we can confront our issues and defeat them. We can have a booming economy, affordable housing, world class infrastructure and a clean environment. And in following the advice of our own Lady Liberty, we ought to share in the prosperity. Whoever in our nation or in the world seeks new opportunity or freedom from persecution ought to be welcome here. In doing so we will enhance our economy and enrich our culture. We can accommodate our fellow Lincolnites outside of our borders. Together, we will make Lincoln an active and prosperous region that will be an example for all others to follow. Thank you for your time.
