The Atlasian Sentinel

[tmthforu94]

The Atlasian Sentinel

JBrase off to Strong Start in Special Election
By Tmthforu94

I think we all expected this to be an unpredictable election, with neither of Atlasia's two largest parties having a candidate on the ballot. The campaign featured a libertarian Independent in JBrase, who many thought would have a hard time finding a strong coalition due to a tense relationship with the RPP, and TexasGurl, someone who hasn't hidden her distaste for Bgwah and the JCP. Additionally, Homelycooking, the Independent Speaker of the Northeast, and Meeker, a JCPer, ran write-in campaigns.

The election, thus far, has gone extremely well for JBrase. Similar to how I was able to win in February, JBrase is winning due to a divided and bickering left, though it's working even more to his advantage as it's happening during the election, while the bickering in my race happened weeks before. JBrase is winning over many of the "swing voters" needed to win a race as a righty in Atlasia. If turnout remains strong on the right and RPPers continue to vote for JBrase, I think we'll have a pretty good idea who's going to win this race hours before polls close. Current tallies have JBrase up by 7, with a large number of RPP members yet to vote.

[homelycooking]

Jbrase leads by ten votes (31-21, or 58%-40%), with 53 votes in.

[tmthforu94]

The Atlasian Sentinel

So I can say we projected the results before polls closed...

The Atlasian Sentinel projects that JBrase will win the at-large Senate Special Election over TexasGurl in the final round by a comfortable margin. This is certainly a huge victory for the right, as they now hold a majority of at-large seats, for the first time in, well, as long as I can remember. It will be interesting to see if they can keep them all in the Senate at the August elections.

[homelycooking]

Jbrase leads by nine (36-27, or 55%-41%), with 66 votes in. That's presumably the final result.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

WE NEED MAPS!!!!

[homelycooking]

I'll get on it soon.

[tmthforu94]

The Atlasian Sentinel

Mixed Results for President Polnut
By Tmthforu94

Earlier in the month, the Atlasian Sentinel did a poll showing President Polnut with very high approval ratings, with over 60% of Atlasians approving of his job. However, that didn't quite translate into successes in head-to-head matchups, as there is still an obvious partisan divide in Atlasia.

President Polnut has posted strong leads over former Senator RowanBrandon, former President Tmthforu94, and Mideast Governor A-Bob, but none of these candidates are likely to run. The two strongest candidates, both who have been potentials in the past, are Yankee and Duke. President Polnut posted a narrow, 4 vote lead over Senator Duke. However, against PPT North Carolina Yankee, Polnut finds himself trailing the popular Senator. Other polling firms have confirmed our results on this as well.

If Polnut keeps it up, he should be safe for reelection...that is, as long as North Carolina Yankee isn't his opponent.

[tmthforu94]

The Atlasian Sentinel

President Polnut Releases Tax Plan - Wants to CUT Taxes
By Tmthforu94

I want to open this thread straight up for discussion regarding the President's proposed taxes, will add my insight throughout the debate. Needless to say, this is a step in the right direction, but I believe more spending cuts are also needed.

ps... forgive formatting.

PRESS RELEASE

The President's Tax Policy

Please note that further economic modeling has meant some change

Corporate Taxation
At a time when unemployment is a huge weight on our ability to rejuvenate our economy, we need to make sure that business, and especially small businesses are able to direct more funds towards bringing on more people and ending the cycle of low business confidence.

The current system

Corporate Taxes:
Percentage of:   Taxable Income
15%             $0 - $50,000
25%            $50,000 - $75,000
34%            $75,000 - $100,000
39%                   $100,000 - $335,000
34%              $335,000 - $10,000,000
35%            $10,000,000 - $15,000,000
38%            $15,000,000 - $18,333,333
35%            $18,333,333+

The new proposal

Corporate Taxes:        Percentage of:   Taxable Income 12%                  $0 - $50,000 23%                  $50,000 - $75,000 30%                  $75,000 - $100,000 31%                  $100,000 - $335,000 33%                  $335,000 - $10,000,000 34%                  $10,000,000 - $15,000,000 35%            $15,000,000 +

There is understanding that many will not be pleased by any reduction in corporate taxation, but I ask that two considerations are undertaken.  The first is that we need jobs to be created in the private sector, we can only do so much from Government. The second is that these cuts will not be instituted until the Senate has passed a Bill closing corporate tax loopholes – so the practical Budgetary impacts will be minimal in relation to physical government revenue.

Personal income tax

Percentage of:     Single Individual 0%                    $0 - $8,025 14%                   $8,026 - $32,550 25%            $32,551 - $78,850 28%                   $78,851 - $164,550 35%                   $164,551 - $367,700 41%             $367,701 - $1,000,000 50%                   $1,000,001 - $2,500,000 60%             $2,500,001+

Proposed changes

Percentage of:   Single Individual
0%           $0 - $9,500
13%     $9,501 - $35,000
24%           $35,001 - $80,000
28%    $80,001 - $170,000
35%    $170,001 - $367,700
41%      $367,701 - $1,000,000
50%*   $1,000,001 - $2,500,000
60%*   $2,500,001+

*I am anticipating reducing those top two brackets to 49% and 58% respectively, but not until the economic situation has stablilised.

These rates and brackets will be carried across to apply equally to couples who file their taxes jointly - however, they do not apply to those couples who file separately.

I have decided to not raise taxation on those two upper-levels. Further modeling has determined that this would have a negligible impact on the Budget.

The short-term impacts of these changes may mean that the deficit may be increased ever-so-slightly, but the medium-long-term impacts are to provide incentives for business to get hiring again- and that can only have a positive effect on our economy and the country’s prosperity going forward.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I have made my spending-cuts clear - that work is currently being carried out at a departmental level.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Why should we cut taxes while we have a deficits issue ? And why should we cut spendings while we are under the threat of a recession ?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I should stress, what I stressed in all of my speeches about this - I directed that government spending cuts would be strategic - they could not lead to lay-offs and could not end effective stimulus programs.

There is method to my madness - we are on the way to lower deficits, but we have some broader issues

- high unemployment, the private sector is depressed and needs more incentive to hire - Government stimulus can only do so much. Also, we need to encourage more people into paid employment.

- Consider the corporate tax cuts will be matched with closing the loopholes, so the Budget impacts will be balanced.

I've thought long and hard about these options, and I've thought about what would address that I think are the key economic issues

1. Increase business confidence
2. Lower unemployment
3. Maintain reduction in the deficit
4. Lower the debt

[Antonio the Sixth]

Makes sense. Aren't there some government sectors (like social security, even though my bill is probably dead right now) where a spending increase would actually be necessary ?

[tmthforu94]

The Atlasian Sentinel

Announcement: The Atlasian Sentinel will soon be conducting an exclusive (and I believe first since he became President) interview with President Polnut. It should be posted publicly in the coming days.

[tmthforu94]

The Atlasian Sentinel

Snowguy Introduces a Good Bill!

(Sorry, went brain-dead on a title )

By Tmthforu94

Submitted on behalf of constituent Tmth:

Campaigning for Invalidation of Votes Act Amendment

Section 1 of the Campaigning for Invalidation of Votes Act shall be amended to read:

1. It shall be a crime against the Republic of Atlasia for any citizen to instruct or encourage a voter who has already cast his or her ballot to take an action that would have the effect of invalidating the ballot.

2. For the purposes of this statute, federal election shall extend to (but is not limited to) any election for President, Vice-President or Senator, any federal impeachment vote, and any public vote sanctioned by Law which requires that an officer of the federal government administer it.

3. The instruction or encouragement of a voter shall be interpreted to include any action which indicates the possibility of invalidating a vote to affect a federal election.

^^^This was a bill I had brought into discussion about a month ago, but I never really took it past that. I reckoned earlier tonight that this is something I should bring back to attention, and thankfully, I got a Senator to sponsor this for me.

What does this bill do? Essentially, it makes it illegal for anyone to campaign for the invalidation of votes, not just the election administrator. If campaigning for the invalidation of votes is so bad for an administrator to do, why should a regular citizen be able to do the same thing? I looked to the original thread of passage to the bill, and I saw what I expected - a couple Senators said they supported it, no real debate occurred or possible amendments, and it was passed (Only Sam Spade voted against it). Unfortunately, the original sponsor, Sensei, hasn't been around for quite some time, so we may never get a full explanation of why he only included election administrators.

Now, I understand there will probably be fresh attacks on me over this, after all, this all came to light over "Invaligate". Despite what you may think of me, I do have a passion for this game and want to see it improved in every way possible. I'm willing to take several hits likely to happen from certain people if Atlasia is improved as a result of this. Though small, I think this would be an improvement in the way the game is played.

Any discussion regarding this proposed bill is welcome in this thread, as it will likely not make it to the Senate floor for a while.

[ZuWo]

If I were a Senator, the bill would have my vote. It will help to spare us future scandals connected with federal elections.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Isn't it already illegal to campaign for invalidation ?

[tmthforu94]

Isn't it already illegal to campaign for invalidation ?

Only for election administrators. I could do it now and it would be perfectly legal.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Isn't it already illegal to campaign for invalidation ?

Only for election administrators. I could do it now and it would be perfectly legal.

That's weird, I remembered it was illegal for anyone.


If you want I can introduce this bill on your behalf.

[tmthforu94]

Isn't it already illegal to campaign for invalidation ?

Only for election administrators. I could do it now and it would be perfectly legal.

That's weird, I remembered it was illegal for anyone.


If you want I can introduce this bill on your behalf.

Yeah, I originally thought that too, but then when I looked closely at the wording, it appears to be only for someone who could be an election administrator. Snowguy has already introduced this for me.

[tmthforu94]

The Atlasian Sentinel

Interview with President Polnut
By Tmthforu94

Today, Tmthfour94 sat down with President Polnut.

Describe the period of time between February and May, 2011. You had just lost a gubernatorial race against someone whose campaign wasn’t nearly as active as yours. What was your plan going forward?  Did you consider leaving the game? What led you to run for President?

I certainly was not anticipating winning in the Northeast - I honestly believe I did as well as I could have in that region at that time.

I never considered leaving Atlasia because of losing a pretty much un-winnable election. I left the Northeast and moved to the Pacific, that was my only real reaction to the loss.

Well, I had run unsuccessfully for President before, so I know what it took to run. I had made the decision probably by late March that I was ready to run again and that I had the pragmatic agenda I felt the country really needed.

Unless I simply missed it, I believe no Senator has introduced your tax plan yet. Can we expect that to be introduced within the coming days, or are you waiting for a later time to do such?

I released my proposal, as sort of an exposure draft. 'Here's what I'm proposing to do, I'm going to give you all a chance to read over it and see what you think'. I'm still having discussions with people about those proposals, just to make sure that it will have the best possible chance of passing. I imagine the Senate will be looking at it formally shortly.

Currently, several African nations are considering petitioning to join the GTO. Would you be supportive of their entrance?

I believe GTO admission is a great thing for a country's future, and assuming they intend to adjust and make changes to ensure that they follow the principles of the GTO's mission, then I'm fully supportive.

One thing your campaign promised was making the GTO Ambassador solely appointed by the SoEA, not just a recommendation with the President’s approval required as it is now. Will you make sure this passes soon? And on the subject of GTO Ambassador, would you have signed a recently debated law abolishing the position?

While I understand this is of great concern to you and the SoEA, this is not a major priority at this stage. It would be primarily an issue of symbolism as most recommendations from the SoEA to the President are supported. But I will be negotiating with Senators to put that before the Senate before the end of the my current term.

I would not have supported the Bill if it had passed.

While we’re on the subject of foreign policy, what’s it like to have a SoEA who is very different from you, ideological-wise?

Ben and I have different views on foreign policy sometimes. I certainly had some people ask me why I asked him to stay on as SoEA when there are such stark differences. But Ben and I respect each other and the positions we hold. I also kept him on because he really has enthusiasm for the role.

When there is a disagreement, Ben has every right as my key foreign policy adviser to advise me, in fact I ask for his input and expect it. But as a part of the team, I expect him to support and advocate the decision I've made as President and Commander-in-Chief. He's done a great job, and I thank him especially when it must have been difficult for him.

Senate elections are starting to get boring. At the regional level, every region is pretty locked in at least which type of ideology their Senator will have, minus the Northeast. Little campaigning has been done in recent At-Large Senate elections, and it appears the same is shaping up for this election. Any idea’s for ways we could possibly shake up the way we elect our Senators?

I think regional and political polarization are big issues for the future of the country.

The Northeast is an interesting example, it was only when Eraser won last year that there was a small crack in what was seen as an impenetrable POP wall. I think in some ways you need to accept the stagnation that inevitably comes along from time to time. In most liberal democracies, there are very few genuinely competitive elections - especially when you're talking about for a legislature.

I think finding more ways to 'mix-up' the game sometimes prevents you from playing it... if that makes sense.

The political dynamics will always change, it's just sometimes it takes longer than we'd like.

What are your current thoughts on your Vice President’s activity level?

The Vice President has been active, just not always publicly. We have pretty regular discussions and he's been engaging positively in the Senate.

Who would you say is your favorite Senator, currently? Who has disappointed you the most?

That's a loaded question, lol.

It's also more personal than I generally approach politics with. I can't think of a Senator that I don't think is a decent person who wants to work hard for their constituents. I certainly disagree politically with many over some issues, from both left and right.

While I hope the Senators support my agenda, it's really not my place to say who I think are good and not so good at their jobs, that's for their constituents to say.

I personally won't comment on that, considering we have pretty varying opinions there.

Regarding the election of Senators, would you personally rather have an active Senator who may disagree with you often ideology-wise, or a less-active Senator who’d vote however you wanted him to?

I think debate is important, and this Senate has been incredibly active on that front. I think opposition that isn't constructive is a bad thing for the country, but I generally don't see that.

I understand some ideological immovability, I know the debate over our troop deployments has given opportunities for the left  and libertarian right to advocate we leave ASAP. When you're president, you're mindful of the duty you have to every single citizen, also to the armed forces, our allies and the people of the country you're involved with... it's a really tough balancing act. What I think as a person is largely immaterial in comparison to what I HAVE to do.

While it would be easier as president to have a Senate that just agrees with you, it would be a very bad thing for our democracy.

Generally speaking, what is your opinion of the Northeast Region now, and do you think the region has a chance at becoming stable and successful?

I have a real soft-spot for the Northeast, I was in the Assembly for two terms and Speaker of the Assembly for one of them. I think you've seen in the last nine months a slow unraveling of the 'one-party state with token opposition' that the Northeast was for so long.

There are great people from across the political spectrum who really want the place to work, not just provide a political safe-haven for their party. I think this is the best chance the region has had in years.

Now, whether you want to think about it or not, October is just a couple months away. Have you given any thought to your future plans, specifically whether or not you will run for reelection?

As you know, the decision to seek reelection is one that has to be made carefully.

I know a lot of people would have expected me to just say 'of course I'm running again' - but I won't say that. My mind really hasn't turned to that issue yet.

As president, you need to be active and you need to be able to devote a lot of time to the job.

So I suppose as I get closer to the time I would be asking myself some questions
Can I maintain my levels of activity?
Have I been as effective as I wanted to be?
If yes, can I keep it up?
If no, can I make a difference to that?
What can I offer the Atlasian people?

I am anticipating making an announcement, one way or another in early September.


Special thanks to Polnut for seeking us out on the interview and responding quickly. Hopefully we'll be able to interview him again in the future.

[tmthforu94]

I changed my mind!

Instead of creating a new thread to discuss the Senate Debate, I figured we might as well save some space and do it here.

So yeah, feel free to give your input on how the debate is going.

[Junkie]

I read that you wanted all comments on the debate in this thread.  I have to say, amazing debate.  The last round of questions were great and wide-ranging and the responses by all the candidates informed and thoughtful.  I actually have a problem.  The questions covered a wide range of topics.  During each candidates response I found myself saying "totally agree" and thought maybe I had my first preference.  Then later within those same answers found something that I disagreed with and decided that maybe someone else should be number 1.

I am left with a real issue.  I agree with each candidate on a issue very important to me and also disagree on an issue very important to me.  Great debate, great candidates.  Honestly, I kind of want to first preference everybody and also not first preference everybody.  This honest and thoughtful discussion really makes this game for me.

Great job everyone.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I read that you wanted all comments on the debate in this thread.  I have to say, amazing debate.  The last round of questions were great and wide-ranging and the responses by all the candidates informed and thoughtful.  I actually have a problem.  The questions covered a wide range of topics.  During each candidates response I found myself saying "totally agree" and thought maybe I had my first preference.  Then later within those same answers found something that I disagreed with and decided that maybe someone else should be number 1.

I am left with a real issue.  I agree with each candidate on a issue very important to me and also disagree on an issue very important to me.  Great debate, great candidates.  Honestly, I kind of want to first preference everybody and also not first preference everybody.  This honest and thoughtful discussion really makes this game for me.

Great job everyone.

I've been pretty disappointed by it, but I guess I always am. I think nearly everyone in the debate opposed every specific proposal from the reform committee save one or two, which is what pretty much always happens the second you go from talking in game reform generalities to talking about specific changes. And thus, we'll end up with our current system for eternity.

[Junkie]

I read that you wanted all comments on the debate in this thread.  I have to say, amazing debate.  The last round of questions were great and wide-ranging and the responses by all the candidates informed and thoughtful.  I actually have a problem.  The questions covered a wide range of topics.  During each candidates response I found myself saying "totally agree" and thought maybe I had my first preference.  Then later within those same answers found something that I disagreed with and decided that maybe someone else should be number 1.

I am left with a real issue.  I agree with each candidate on a issue very important to me and also disagree on an issue very important to me.  Great debate, great candidates.  Honestly, I kind of want to first preference everybody and also not first preference everybody.  This honest and thoughtful discussion really makes this game for me.

Great job everyone.

I've been pretty disappointed by it, but I guess I always am. I think nearly everyone in the debate opposed every specific proposal from the reform committee save one or two, which is what pretty much always happens the second you go from talking in game reform generalities to talking about specific changes. And thus, we'll end up with our current system for eternity.

That is one area where I don't agree.  But as far as discussion of the issues, and questions that are wide ranging and force disagreement, the dabte has been great.

By the way, I am little angry.   Just saw your proposal to eliminate the joint Pres/VP ticket.  It is something that occurred to me last night.  Was going to mention something about it, and saw your proposal for the first time.  I am just not  quick enough.  Great idea though.

[Napoleon]

I read that you wanted all comments on the debate in this thread.  I have to say, amazing debate.  The last round of questions were great and wide-ranging and the responses by all the candidates informed and thoughtful.  I actually have a problem.  The questions covered a wide range of topics.  During each candidates response I found myself saying "totally agree" and thought maybe I had my first preference.  Then later within those same answers found something that I disagreed with and decided that maybe someone else should be number 1.

I am left with a real issue.  I agree with each candidate on a issue very important to me and also disagree on an issue very important to me.  Great debate, great candidates.  Honestly, I kind of want to first preference everybody and also not first preference everybody.  This honest and thoughtful discussion really makes this game for me.

Great job everyone.

I've been pretty disappointed by it, but I guess I always am. I think nearly everyone in the debate opposed every specific proposal from the reform committee save one or two, which is what pretty much always happens the second you go from talking in game reform generalities to talking about specific changes. And thus, we'll end up with our current system for eternity.

Apparently not only Senators have this problem.