Local Office of IDS Emperor Scott - Salisbury, NC (Back in Business)

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Mr. Governor, what's your opinion on the recent events regarding your potential Vice-Presidential candidacy with Tmth?

Governor Tmth has already released a public statement in response to these allegations.  Likewise, I can confirm that I will not be on a Vice Presidential ticket in February, and that my priority right now is to serve the good people of the Northeast for the next six months.

[tmthforu94]

An anonymous source has informed me that the ticket will instead be Scott/Tmth. Can you confirm that?

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

An anonymous source has informed me that the ticket will instead be Scott/Tmth. Can you confirm that?

WHAT ARE THESE SOURCES THEY SPEAK OF!!!!!!!!

[Northeast Rep Snowball]

An anonymous source has informed me that the ticket will instead be Scott/Tmth. Can you confirm that?

WHAT ARE THESE SOURCES THEY SPEAK OF!!!!!!!!

Wolfy

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Announcement

I will be holding a townhall this Wednesday in Auburn, New York to address issues relating to our government, economy, infrastructure, and more.  At this point, I highly encourage Northeast residents to attend and state what they think could be improved in the region.

Stay tuned for an upcoming reflection on the previous session and what to plan for over the next two months, as was promised.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

* * *

Reflections on the 13th Assembly Session
(or the "State of the Region" Address)

So, here are my thoughts.  We accomplished a lot during my first two months in office, and in spite of a couple bills during the early part of the session, most of what was taken up by the Assembly passed with little disagreement.  And this kind of bipartisanship is crucial in a divided government, as no one party or ideology has control over the chamber.

We started our agenda with education reform.  I'll list the relevant bills:

• Year Round School Act
• Securing Teacher Excellence Act of 2012
• Governor's School Act
• The Bi-Lingual Education Act

Early on, the Assembly was very divided on this issue.  I vetoed the Year Round School Act and Securing Teacher Excellence Act of 2012 because I did not believe they were ways to properly remedy the problems in our education system, but we made common ground and passed the Governor's School Act, which was framed largely by Representatives Simfan34 and Barnes.  Thanks to this bipartisan legislation, the most brilliant and brightest students in the Northeast will have the opportunities to excel their education in this temporary school.  This gives students of all incomes and backgrounds the chance to go above and beyond their education.

And last but not least was The Bi-Lingual Education Act.  The costs of the initiative were later compromised, and schools now have the option of instructing a language secondary to English for students at a time when they are most able to learn one.

Afterwards came the budget.  We passed the quad-monthly budget with unanimous support from the Assembly as well as the 'Smarter Spending' bill to build onto our surplus at the end of the fiscal quarter.  This surplus is important to maintain in times of emergency, such as the recent Hurricane Sandy disaster, and times of economic decline.  Though the Northeast Constitution allows the government to not have a balanced budget during certain times, I wanted to continue the record of fiscal responsibility that previous governors have maintained.

This followed debate on how to invest in our infrastructure.  Current At-Large Senator Simfan34 introduced the Railway Electrification Act as well as the New Tappan Zee Bridge Act.  While I strongly support the intentions behind these bills, I did not endorse the passage of the legislation due to concerns over cost, and some of our Representatives rejected these on that basis.

We passed the Protect Our Babies Act of 2012 that was sponsored by Representative and Senator-elect Barnes which will investigate the causes for infant health defects and educate mothers and families about what infants need after birth and how those needs can be met.

Just recently, the Northeast has been amending its crime code.  Shortly after the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, we debated and passed the Omnibus Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 2012, and we are currently considering legislation that will protect victims of trafficking and deter those responsible.  Victims of crime need our support, and those who cause suffering in our region need to be put in jail for a long time.  Schools must be protected, and the streets of our communities must be cleansed of the criminals that defile them.  But we must take the responsible approach to stopping and preventing crime in our region.

During the next session, I will work with the Assembly and the Federal government to upgrade our infrastructure, and that includes expanding the St. Lawrence Seaway so that more boats and cargo are able to navigate between Canada and Atlasia.  Senator Nix said last week that in order for us to get the support we need for the project, we must make a clear economic case in its favor.  And we have one.  Our enhanced exporting abilities will yield a powerful effect on the economies of the Northeast and Mideast regions, and this will lead to growth across the board.  Of course, the costs for this project must be borne by all areas benefiting from it, and that includes the Northeast, Mideast, Federal government, and Canada as well.  The recently-passed BUILD Act will enable our regional bank to distribute the funds appropriately so that our share of the price tag will be covered, and we will fund this without cutting into the surplus that is expected to grow by the time our next budget is introduced.

We will create jobs and heighten our status as a competitive region.  I've proposed legislation that will give the Region the ability to negotiate for workforce training, capital investments, and other projects to help collaborate with businesses and manufacturers interested in locating or relocating their facilities in the Northeast.  We will develop a comprehensive energy plan that incentivizes the building of earth-friendly technologies.

We can and we must continue this culture of cooperation and political pragmatism in order to prosper.  I know that most of the candidates for the Assembly will do just that, and the incoming Speaker will continue Speaker Cincinnatus's tradition of competence and expertise.

I could not have accomplished what we've done so quickly had it not been for the diligent work of the Assembly and so many others. Together, we can move the Northeast forward and see to it that the Northeast and all her people will enjoy a very bright future.

Thank you, and Dave bless.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

It appears I have a primary challenge.  Well, in any case, I welcome former Representative Sirnick to the race and anticipate a clean competition.

[tmthforu94]

It appears I have a primary challenge.  Well, in any case, I welcome former Representative Sirnick to the race and anticipate a clean competition.

Must be the backlash of our Presidential ticket.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Townhall Meeting
Auburn, New York

Thank you for coming, ladies and gentlemen.

As I open my reelection campaign, I would like to open this forum to give you all the opportunity to send me your questions, concerns, suggestions, and feedback.  I encourage you to read my most recent speech on the state of the Region and how I feel the previous Assembly session went, then give me your honest opinions.  I will continue this meeting until people cease to speak, but you all may continue to contact me in my office or via PM as always.

Who would like to go first?

[Oakvale]

Governor, I'm not a citizen of the Northeast, but you have my full support and endorsement in your re-election campaign.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Thank you both for your support.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

If you're in Auburn, you'll receive a few questions about prison policy. Any thoughts on that? Plans for reform?

Well, I'm pleased to say that our latest crime bill includes a provision that addressed prison policy; that specifically being section five.  Thanks to the new law, convicts will have the opportunity to receive credits for exhibiting better behavior and for completing courses such as work and vocational programs.  I've always believed that the key to effectively deterring crime is through taking a hands-on and balanced approach to offenders while demanding full respect for the law.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Any other questions?

I realize you gotta be lucky for town halls to have a few (if any) questions...

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

This meeting is adjourned.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I would like to wish everyone a happy New Year and best wishes for a successful, prosperous 2013 for all Northeasterners and Atlasians.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I would like to announce that I will be taking a trip to Canada from January 9-11 to again meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper for further talks regarding specific expansion proposals for the St. Lawrence Seaway.  Although there has been little action thus far on the initiative, it is essential that we continue these talks to maintain international support.

[tmthforu94]

Thank you, I will be happy to accompany you on your trip.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I am pleased that Governor Tmthufor94 of the Mideast will be accompanying me on my trip to Canada.

Also, in another news;

Great news!

This isn't important yet, but with the passage of the Quick-Action Closing Fund Act, expenditures for the Economic development fund are estimated to increase to $76 billion, going by the Arkansas numbers.  If we distribute the extra funds to the surplus fund, our surplus will grow from $18.5 billion to $56.5 billion, and that's before we add the money saved by the Smarter Spending Act of 2012.  Therefore, unless my math is wrong, our surplus will more than triple by March.

This is a remarkable accomplishment that could not have been achieved without the help of the Assembly, and I hope to be in this office again when the budget for FY13 March-July is brought to this body.

[AndrewTX]

You've got my endorsement. Also, if you win, you will be the first Governor to serve more than one term since..me...back in 2010.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Thank you for your support, Big Daddy.  Being the first to serve a second term in three years would be an honor.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Great progress was made in our talks with Canada, and I thank Governor Tmthforu94 for joining me in the talks.  During the meeting with Prime Minister Harper, I raised the issue of environmental concerns that have been raised by several Northeasterners and Atlasians.  Harper agreed that the environment must be considered when pursuing expansion of the seaway, and offered his full support behind ensuring that the project is done in an environmentally-friendly way, even if that means chipping in a few more dollars.

Prime Minister Harper, Governor Tmthforu94, Senator Nix, and myself now have a job to do: make a clear economic case for this project, and garner the support of all figures involved.  The time is now to expand this seaway for a better, more prosperous economy, and that is why I'm calling on all Atlasians to do their part.  Write your senator, regional executive, or member of the legislature.  Let them know that we need action, and that this project must be completed in a responsible way.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I would like to announce that during my campaign tour, I will unveil my plan for education.

Education is an essential part of our economy that must be approached in a prudent manner so that the Northeast may remain a competitive force in our national, as well as our global, economy.  Yet in modern times, we have been framing the education debate the wrong way.  Too often do we discuss the merits of teachers, or whether more of our students belong in public or private schools, rather than how education exists in its current form.  Right now, we are in need of an overhaul, and I hope to lead the path for our region to become a model that the entire nation can look to.  We passed several education reforms during the last session, but the fight goes on.  And should I be elected to a second term, I am determined to not merely tweak, but completely revolutionize education in the Northeast Region.

Details of my plan will be announced at a later date.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

On the Mideast Gubernatorial Race

I write this special notice to all citizens of the Mideast Region-

My friends of the Mideast, in a couple days you will be faced with a very important decision.  Though it is not my place to tell the people who to vote for, it is my personal belief that Governor Tmthforu94 has been an active leader for your region these past four months and beyond, and he has thoroughly demonstrated his leadership abilities as I've had the pleasure of working with him for mutual benefit of the Northeast and Mideast regions.  While the Governor and I do not not seen eye to eye on every issue, it holds true that cooperation, not ideological purity, is what moves us forward and sets a good example for the rest of the world.

Therefore, while I respect his opponent's activity and contributions to the game, I would like to reiterate my endorsement for Governor Tmthforu94, as I feel the Mideast and the game as a whole will be best served with him over the next four months.  I very much hope that the Mideast voters this weekend will consider this.

Thank you.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I will be delivering a special televised address to our Northeast citizens tonight from the Governor's Office.  The topic of the address will be education.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

A Special Message
from the Governor of the Northeast Region

Good evening.

I'm speaking to you tonight to give you a report on the state of our region's education system.  I regret to say we've been on a downward slope for many years.  Initially, I decided to plan this address as a mere campaign speech, but I see that this is an issue which all Northeast citizens must be informed.

A few days ago I was presented with a report I asked for from the Department of Education.  You won't like it.  I didn't like it.  But we have to face the truth and then go work to turn things around.  But make no mistake about it, we can turn them around.

I'm not going to subject you to a number of charts, graphs, pictures, and all that jargon.  But instead, I will explain to you where things are.  And as I tell you my plans for the future, I speak not as a campaigner, not as a politician, but as your leader and governor.

To put it simply, grades have been falling.  Although the Northeast Region has been accredited for having the best schools and colleges a nation can ask for, we are one of the five regions that have seen a decline in test scores.  This, of course, reflects a national crisis.  But it is important that we fix this crisis one region at a time, and I believe the Northeast Region is indeed, the best region to take the lead in this education revolution.

In the last Assembly, we saw numerous education reforms considered, and I signed into law the ones that I believed would best serve our students, and vetoed the ones I believed would not.  And today I stand by those decisions, for it is not a matter of how much time our students spend in school.  It is not a matter of teachers being peer-reviewed.  It is a matter of how our education system is structured.

For too long, we have been teaching the wrong things.  Instead of teaching life skills, we have been teaching to the tests.  The way we teach in this country can be summed up in four words: kill, drill, bubble, fill.  This is a crime not only to our children, but to ourselves and to future generations.  Our failure to respond to this issue has also resulted in a persistent gap between students of different racial groups, as communities still remain segregated and certain ethnic groups are not being adequately schooled.  The gap persists even when we account for income.  Some suggest that these problem can be fixed by restructuring the tests themselves, but to those people, I say I very strongly disagree.

In most schools, writing is neglected.  Therefore, only about twenty-five percent of high school seniors were able to meet or exceed the proficiency level on the National Writing Achievement exam.  This is because the teaching of grammar in schools is mainly overshadowed by repetitive grammar drills.  Students know the tricks, and they know the rules, but their writing is simply not up to par.

And why is this?  Because students have been trained to cookie-cut four paragraph essays that are bland and are held to a formula that is unimaginative.

Math and science has been reduced to nothing but a game of memorization.  Instead of teaching students logic and valuable science skills, we teach them things largely irrelevant to their lives, and much material that is forgotten shortly after the unit test.  We must de-emphasize speed and memorization in our curriculum, and help our students have a broader understanding of these subjects and learn multiple ways of solving problems.

I say to our teachers and school administrators, do not teach the way that helps a few.  Teach the way that helps all students succeed in their own way.  And don't mark them wrong for using the way that helps them best.

The message we shall emphasize from this day forward is: whatever it takes.

In order to make this drastic restructuring of our education possible, we must have complete autonomy.  That is why I plan to work the current and, if I am still in this office next month, future administration on this issue.  I will request waivers from from federal education requirements, especially standardized tests.

My philosophy is that if it doesn't let our teachers teach and our students learn, do away with it.

Instead, we shall have one exam at the end of students’ senior year in high school, designed by the Northeast Department of Education.  All other standardized tests must be thrown out.

We must emphasize less on competition and more on equality.  Though I feel my plan will accelerate the Northeast's status as the education capital, we must demonstrate that the way to educate our students is by treating them as equals.

Let us provide three years of maternity leave and subsidized day care to parents, and preschool for all 5-year-olds, where the emphasis shall be on play and socializing.  Provide our students food, medical care, counseling and taxi service if needed, but let the parents have the final say on where their children attain these needs.

Let teachers design the unit tests, and give all classrooms complete autonomy over homework. 

Do away with letter grades, and instead let all students be promptly analyzed on how they are meeting life requirements -- and if they are not, what shall be done to fix it.

We look no further than Finland to see the success of these reforms, as they exceed the Republic of Atlasia in every field.  And they do so not because they blindly throw tax dollars at a broken system, not because they've failed to create a balanced environment between the government and their unions, but because they've done what works.  For too long we've been having a conversation over to the influence of our unions or the pay of our teachers, while the elephant in the classroom -- if you will -- has been largely ignored.

It is my belief that we can achieve these reforms without increasing a dime of spending on our education budget or cutting into our surplus, because all we must do is spend those education dollars on a better, more efficient system, so that taxpayer’s hard-earned dollars may go to a system that works and benefits all of us both short-term and long-term.  It is time we stopped kicking the can down the road.

I hope my words tonight will help spark a national conversation on how we can fix our broken school system.  And we must give every party, every group, ever individual, every teacher, every parent, and every student a seat at the table.  Together we can forge a new beginning for the Northeast, and regions abroad.

Thank you, and good night.