The Office of Former President & Senator Polnut - Deregistration

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Polnut Plan for Improving Atlasia's Energy Sector

1. The Senate to create the National Energy Fund (NEF)

2.  All energy producers/fuel suppliers must provide a minimum of 20% of all pre-tax profits towards research and development, including renewable technology and innovations in energy-efficiency. This can be a verified in-house program or funding to a recognised and accredited third-party. Failure to do so, will permit the Federal Government to impose a tax penalty of 20% above their existing Federal corporate tax liabilities. Any funds collected through these tax measures will be put towards the NEF.
 
3. 30% of funds collected through the national carbon tax, to be placed directly into the NEF.

4. The NEF will fund
4a. Increases to the value and expansions of eligibility of low-income energy supplements.
4b. The provision of 'Household Energy Credits', to enable households to undertake energy-efficiency activities, including installation of solar panels, double-glazing or improved insulation.

5. A full independent inquiry into the energy sector be undertaken. With recommendations to form a longer-term plan for Atlasia's energy sector. The terms of reference are to include the option for partial or full nationalisation as well as options to expand nuclear, natural gas and renewable power.   

I'm not sure the companies will stand for giving up more of their profit to the government willfully or forced given the hefty some they already give. Don't they already give close to 50% in taxes and various regulatory fees to the government? I'm all for r&d to cut down on what needs to be cut down but I'm not confident using governmental force is the wise approach here. It will only serve to hurt consumers and I, like many Atlasians, have a concern about that.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

If they invest in those areas, then there will be no tax penalty.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

If they invest in those areas, then there will be no tax penalty.

If they invest in those their taxes should be cut. No penalty for non-participation. Taxes both individually and on business are still rather high as it is.

Household energy credits sound a lot like carbon credits to me which is an automatic non-starter. I will give you one aspect of my energy plan right now. The carbon tax dies and the government must make restitution with intrest for the years it exacted it against the business and the people.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I support a mandated price on carbon, it works. Full stop, end of story.

Argue otherwise, but no (real) data will back you up. I won't take part in any discussion that scales that back an IOTA

You'd think supporting people to take on measures themselves to reduce emissions and their energy costs would find favour with you. Ah well. But if I recall, I'm pretty sure you don't think there's actually any need to reduce carbon?

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I support a mandated price on carbon, it works. Full stop, end of story.

Argue otherwise, but no (real) data will back you up. I won't take part in any discussion that scales that back an IOTA

You'd think supporting people to take on measures themselves to reduce emissions and their energy costs would find favour with you. Ah well. But if I recall, I'm pretty sure you don't think there's actually any need to reduce carbon?

Why won't you look at the data that opposes carbon taxing fairly? If conservatives and libertarians are willing to examine the carbon mandates with an open mind shouldn't you give them the same? My opinion of wether or not we need to reduce carbon emissions doesn't matter. Some of what I will advocate if used to their full potential will actually reduce carbon emissions. I will discuss some of these ideas later but since I'm willing to take part in a discussion regarding the carbon mandate then you should be willing to take part in a discussion in scaling it back. I really like the R&D part but I have problems with using the government as a tool of force on environmental issues.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I  have long-standing experience on the data and policy development behind carbon pricing. I'm not walking with a closed mind. I've seen data from across the swathe of options. You best not paint me with broad strokes, I've mined the data for years. Pricing carbon works. Proposing to scale it back sends us back. It removes the price signal and the price signal is one of the most effective methods to reduce emissions. Saying I'll engage in a discussion when the evidence clearly and strongly supports one direction would be a lie and a distraction.

Frankly, whether or not you believe in the need to reduce carbon is important.

I understand your concerns on the role of government here, but I disagree strongly.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

University of Colorado - Denver CO

It's fantastic to be here and welcome to the freshmen who are starting their college lives today. It's such an amazing experience you're about to undertake. You'll meet life-long friends, do some things you probably shouldn't but while you might not know what you want to do with your lives, hopefully, you'll have a clearer idea as to who you are.

Our political discourse over the past few days has been very contentious and very fraught. I would say that I don't apologise for being very clear about these issues. I know I have irritated people on my own side of politics for asking those difficult questions, but frankly, those questions needed to asked and a genuinely critical eye passed across proposals. I believe it has demonstrated why we need a Senate that is focused on its job of representing Atlasians, not their own ideological goals.

I was walking around over there a little while ago and I had been planning to talk about something else, but a question was asked about an issue that I have actually been thinking about for a while, so I'm going to talk about that instead.

The issue you might have heard about, are Atlasian organisations traveling to countries, such as Russia and Uganda, to advocate for horrific and brutal movements in those countries against gay and lesbian people, up to and including the death penalty.

Now, this is not the same issue as same-sex marriage or adoption. This is whether or not we acknowledge that gay people have a fundamental human right to be who they are and love who they want, without needing to hide in shadows.

During my second term as President, I pushed hard for a national anti-bullying program and got it passed by the Senate. It dealt with all kinds of bullying, but there was a special focus on protecting kids who were dealing with issues of sexual and gender identity. Because, the reality is that LGBT youth are three times more likely to commit suicide than their non-LGBT counterparts. This isn't because the queer brain is wired for this, it's because there are still people out there who are afraid to be who they are. In Atlasia in 2014, this cannot stand. It doesn't matter if you're 14, 44 or 84, no person should be ashamed to look themselves in the face or to look someone else in the face.

Therefore, if most of us in this country have realised the error in denying our brothers and sisters equality before the law, then we must not support those who wish to advocate stripping even the most basic of rights from them.

Therefore, if I'm elected to the Senate, I will put forward a bill, to ensure that any Federal support for any organisation that advocates for these draconian laws will be cut, up to and including a full examination of their status under the tax code.

But I need your votes and preferences, this election is going to be very close and no one can anything for granted. If you want a Senate that believes it works for you, then I'm asking for your support.

Thank you all!

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Didn't we ban reparative therapy nationwide a year or two ago?

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Yes, we did. And I cast a reprehensible vote on the issue. One of the few I regret.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I am deeply appreciative of this vote of confidence and understand how difficult it must have been to do.

[Gass3268]

ENDORSEMENT

This weekend, I will cross party lines to cast my first preference for Polnut. I encourage like-minded members of the liberal left to do the same.

I support environmental protection, civil liberties, a foreign policy that promotes human rights and human development, and a robust anti-poverty agenda. However, confronting these issues requires that we understand the policy problems that underlie them. That's why I worry when I see well-intentioned but poorly informed or ideologically motivated proposals on the Senate floor. When these efforts fail, it is the least well-off who suffer the most. Not the rich, and not the privileged.

Polnut is the single left-of-center candidate in this race who's shown an interest in solving real problems rather than chasing utopia. He's the most likely to achieve the results that he promises, and that makes him the best choice in this race.

I agree with a lot of what Former President Nix states here. You have my endorsement for a top 3 preference.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

As the campaign heads into its final days, Former President Polnut will be delivering policy positions on foreign affairs tonight in Chicago and on healthcare tomorrow evening in Scranton.

[Adam Griffin]

Where do you stand on the VP confirmation situation?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Chicago Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Chicago IL


Good evening Chicago

I'm very happy to be back in my old home town and my old home region... the Governor-less region it seems. 

We are in the final stages of, at least for me, what has been a very long but deeply rewarding campaign. I've crossed the country and have spoken to so many of you about the issues we as a nation, but also those that we face as a global community.

Right now, our interconnected community of nations faces many great challenges. The impacts  of an increasingly unpredictable and changing climate, the need to focus on the education and equality of women and girls across the globe, the continuing AIDS epidemic and the difficulty so many people have in finding clean drinking water and enough to eat.

I want to take this opportunity to talk about our place in the world.

Now, with the horrible events taking place in Iraq and Syria and everywhere else, the scale of the horror can be overwhelming. We look at the situation and think about what we as a nation gave to Iraq and say "this has nothing to do with me or us". I understand that. I understand the fear and uncertainty that brings up to Atlasians. But I applauded the Administration's decision to take limited action against ISIS rebels in order to protect Atlasian interests and to protect innocent civilians who faced brutal treatment and even execution.

Again, I understand the concerns about 're-starting' the Iraq War. Limited action, without a troop deployment, is not that. This is not 2003, this is not a wild goose chase. I was the president who put in place the withdrawal plan, a plan I do not regret. If I'm in the Senate, I am not going to authorise troops to return. We can assist the Iraqi military and Kurdish forces, in concert with friends and allies from across the entire Middle East, but our time as a full-time military presence in Iraq needs to be relegated to the pages of history. 

Atlasia cannot stick its head in sand because of mistakes of the past. We do not exist in a bubble and Atlasia is a global force for good and human dignity. As President and as Secretary of External Affairs I worked every single day to change the perceptions of Atlasia abroad. We engaged more, we negotiated more and we talked before we acted. We didn't buy into the hysteria and baseless allegations about the United Nations. I will challenge anyone to look at the record of achievement of the WHO, the WFP, UNICEF and UNESCO to tell me global cooperation doesn't work. But by all means, look at one hyper-politicised organ to judge them all. The global issues I noted earlier require organised global action. The attitude of "I've got mine" doesn't exist in the global context.

As President I reduced military aid and increased humanitarian aid, and that military aid had human rights standards applied. It was to make clear, that if we are assisting you in your defence, you need to show all of your people decency and respect.

While we cannot be so naive to think that threats to us do not exist, or somehow they're all our fault, we need to reassure the world that we are citizens of the world. There is space between "global police officer" and "ostrich" - it is not our place to solve the world's problems, my actions speak to my commitment to that end. But we cannot ignore that what happens or effects one part of the world, for good or ill, will eventually impact us. The world has heard Atlasia's voice, not just our guns or missiles, and that voice needs to be heard and be part of the conversation. I do not come at issues of foreign policy from a place of theory or ideology. I respond to the world as it is with hope of a better future.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Where do you stand on the VP confirmation situation?

I admit this whole situation has been a bit of a mystery to me.

I would vote for Tyrion, but I think there are legitimate concerns as to the direction of the Administration and the lack of clarity in position, argument, message from both the President and Senator Tyrion as his nominee for Vice President, particularly on the energy and fuel nationalisation proposal. It is a massive, massive reform, on almost every level... but there was a disturbing lack of understanding of its impacts both short and long term.

But on topic, I would vote for confirmation, albeit with some hesitancy.

[Simfan34]

I will have to consider that...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Commonwealth Medical College, Scranton PA


Good evening everyone,

Thank you so much for coming. Election weekend is nearly upon us. Throughout this campaign, we have heard so much across a wide range of issues. It's been passionate and based upon some genuinely held beliefs and principles. Despite some terse moments, I believe this campaign has generally been a positive one.

Before voting starts at midnight, I want to touch on one of those issues that is literally at the heart of all of concerns, healthcare.

We've been over the debate of private versus public for too long. My views are clear, I support public healthcare as a method to provide the fundamental element, access. The greater your access to the system, the greater the outcomes for all. A healthier population boosts productivity and therefore helps the economy.

But I want to touch on two areas directly related to healthcare costs and outcomes.

The first is prevention. I am always deeply distressed to see so many people suffering and dying from conditions that are completely preventable and avoidable. These are diseases of lifestyle. Terrible diets, physical inactivity and an over-reliance on medication mean that too many people, very often at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, are left vulnerable to many conditions that affect them and those around them.

Now, you can say "that's their choice". That's true. But I will always stand up against those who say it is not the Government's role to assist and intervene to improve public health. I believe, it is one of Government's most important jobs. We have not done enough to both advocate healthier practices and lifestyles and absolutely nowhere near enough to assist people on lower incomes, in particular, to get access to healthier food and practices.

The second issue is mental health. This is an issue I have a long history and record on. Way back when I was Governor of the Mideast, I put in place the nation's first comprehensive mental health system. I worked as president to put mental health issues on the same level and physical health issues. You are not considered weak because you get a cold, nor should you be sidelined and ignored because you're depressed. We don't dismiss the cancer patient not should we dismiss someone with a chronic mental illness. We need to do more.

If elected to the Senate this weekend, I will work with whomever wishes to get this done. To increase support for preventative health measures across the country and do what we can to assist people on income support to get access to cheaper fresh food and encourage healthier practices. I will also work with fellow Senators to further develop the integration between our traditional physical health networks, with those managing mental illness. We cannot fight the perceptions of mental illness, if it still looks like we're treating it as something apart from mainstream medicine.

These are not ideological reforms, they are proposals based on knowledge, experience and above all else, best-evidence. We have seen many through this campaign twist evidence to suit desired public policy outcomes, this is not how I work, I will tweak public policy to suit the evidence.

But this doesn't happen without you. I'm running in this election because I want to get these things done. I'm tired, and I'm sure you are too, of feeling like the Senate is focused too much on itself and its goals, not yours. We can begin to redress the balance this weekend, and I need your help and your votes to do it.

Thank you all!

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

DO NOT VOTE YET... ATLAS IS ONE-HOUR BEHIND... SO 1AM USEDT.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It's great to see votes starting to come in, it's going to be a close one and every single vote and preference will matter.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'm honoured by the trust placed in me so far in this count. But there still a long way to go and every vote will matter. As I've stressed for quite a while now, the Senate belongs to you, the people of this country and it is your will that matters above all.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

It's long overdue The People have a senator back in the Senate. Hopefully the current results hold and Their banner will be flying over the Senate once again!

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I wish my friend Scott best wishes in whatever his future endeavours might be.

[Simfan34]

I congratulate the Senator-elect on his victory; truly it is one for all The People!

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Congrats. We may not always agree but you ran a great campaign.

[GAworth]

Congrats good sir. It was a pleasure running with you.