Snowguy/Bacon King for Atlasia!

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Snowguy716/Bacon King for Atlasia

I am happy to announce that I will be seeking election for the presidency in the October 2011 elections.  With Bacon King at my side, we will work hard to improve Atlasia through bold leadership and real reforms, rather than committees and red tape.  Bacon King has done an exemplary job as Vice President in the current administration, especially his hard work with the senate.  I am keeping Bacon King as a running mate because we need that kind of dedication to improve the game.

I believe this is an evolutionary game, not a revolutionary one.  Attempts to reform have failed because we spend too much time trying to set up committees, get everyone’s opinion, and then watch as the plan crumbles when we all disagree on certain aspects of the proposed reforms.  Instead, we need leaders who will implement changes and reforms first with opportunities to fine tune or repeal said changes afterwards.  While “shoot first, ask questions later” isn’t usually a good philosophy, it is a necessary one for reform in Atlasia.

Atlasia also has structural economic problems that have led to high unemployment, especially in the Pacific and my former home of the Midwest.  My administration would be focused on increasing meaningful, living-wage employment in order to reduce dependency on government and get people working.  We cannot stress enough the pride and sense of self-accomplishment that a paycheck can bring to a person and their family.  That is not to say there should be no safety net.  My administration would continue to work with the senate to improve, strengthen, and broaden the safety net where needed in order to prevent people slipping through the cracks.  By making jobs and employment focus number one, and ensuring that Atlasians have the basic support like housing, food on the table, and the skills needed to succeed, much of the economic malaise we have felt will, believe it or not, right itself.

My administration would also take a strong role in international trade.  We would take an active role in courting ally nations for mutually beneficial trade partnerships.  My administration would act as a “salesman” for Atlasian products and services.  We need an administration that will market our products to other nations in order to increase exports here at home.  While what we manufacture has changed, there is no reason we cannot find the market areas in manufacturing where we can excel, and do just that.

Education reform would also be a staple of my administration.  We need to drastically change the way we educate our students.  Children should be entering school earlier and finishing basic education earlier.  Trade/Vocational/Tech schools should receive a boost in order to train workers for jobs in their field of interest with a smaller emphasis placed on traditional liberal arts educations.  Those should still be the backbone for a professional career, but liberal arts programs can easily be pared back and fit into a vocational education that still teaches the value of life-long learning and critical thinking while training students for the career of their choice.

My administration will be an administration of ideas, of reforms, and of accomplishment to make Atlasia as well as the game more successful and exciting for everybody.

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Marokai deleted his post accusing me of completely changing my tune on game reform.  He also calls Bacon King a "token" VP candidate, when, in fact, he is the best VP this game has had in a very long time.

Obviously the approach to reform has not worked as it has been set up.  If you have a better way to implement reform besides the one I offer above, I'd be happy to hear it.

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Thanks, guys.

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Marokai deleted his post accusing me of completely changing my tune on game reform.  He also calls Bacon King a "token" VP candidate, when, in fact, he is the best VP this game has had in a very long time.

Obviously the approach to reform has not worked as it has been set up.  If you have a better way to implement reform besides the one I offer above, I'd be happy to hear it.

I did in fact! To deny that BK has become the JCP's token moderate candidate would be absurd. In my time in Atlasia he has been on the ballot for the JCP, mostly for the VP spot, at least four times. Five, if you count this. That's a total of over a year and ahalf, just in my time in Atlasia, that BK's been trotted out for an election as the safest, blandest, easiest choice you could possibly make. I just think it's a shame you guys don't have many good candidate prospects!

Also to deny the fact that your post here is a change of heart on game reform would also just be ridiculous. You've argued against numerous proposals, have implied we should go at it piecemeal, and have said reform isn't your "cup of tea." So to see you come out here guns blazing on your "we should just implement stuff and ask questions later, let's get stuff done" yeehaw attitude is a bit jarring. Welcome, but jarring.

I will let Bacon King respond to your accusations that he is a "token moderate hero candidate"... but I will say that Bacon King is one of my favorite posters on Atlas, and that my choice in him was because I was impressed with the level of research and dedication he has put into his duty as president of the senate.  There have been decisions I vehemently disagreed with.. such as the environmental protection bill authored by Napoleon that he defeated with his tie breaking vote.  But he didn't make that vote out of some wishy-washy moderate heroesque feel good premise... but after researching actual real life law.

As for my change of heart on reform:  The only change of heart I have is that holding committees doesn't achieve anything.  Reform will still have to be piecemeal, as I pretty clearly stated when I called the game "evolutionary".  I am not coming in here "yee haw", guns blazing.  I'm saying that we do need to make reforms, and that we need a strong leader who will pursue to those reforms without worrying about everyones' feelings before hand.  If it turns out to have been a mistake, it can be corrected... but to never get any reforms done because of a failed process is the worst route to take.

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I want to point out that I will be making education reform a top priority in the campaign as well as in office, if elected.

Our educational system, while not broken, is a bit like a 1980 Dodge Ram with the back bumper held on with duct tape.  It still runs and we've gotten a lot of good use out of it, but it's time to replace it.

This is a very simple list of areas that need reform:

Early childhood education:  Children should be entering school earlier.  All-day, everyday kindergarten should be standard in every school district and pre-kindergarten should be compulsory.

All children should be reading proficiently by the end of 1st grade.  Because reading is the basic building block of all learning, intensive remedial education should be required for students struggling with reading.  They should not be moving forward if they cannot read, but acknowledging the potential social damage holding students back can cause, non-traditional approaches should be encouraged (e.g. summer school).

The school calendar should be reworked.  All Atlasian students should be attending school at least 200 days per year, up significantly from the current 170-180 days.  While local school districts should be able to organize their calendar within that 200 day framework, the reforms should encourage a shorter summer break (for example, a 6-week summer break with the extra time allocated to other break periods throughout the year).

Science and math progress should be stepped up from grade 3 onward.  While Pre-k to grade 2 are mostly about basic building blocks and reading, grade 3 is when more complex science and math can be introduced.

The middle school and high school grades should be completely reformed.  Eventually, I'd  like to see the 11th and 12th grades largely integrated into our higher education system.  Students would be able to focus on a rigorous college preparation course or enroll in junior/community college or even technical college and earn credits.

The 11th and 12th grades would be designated for career focus rather than general education.  Many approaches would be taken.  Students could potentially graduate after the 10th grade and enter the workforce at age 16.  Students would also have the choice of completing a college preparatory program so they are ready for university when finished.  Students would also have the option of working with participating businesses for apprenticeships and with local tech colleges for technical training in various career fields.

Many of these things are already happening.  In my own school district, high school students have the option of taking AP classes, college in the classroom, school to work, and Post Secondary Education Option where students attend classes at the local university for credit, free of charge.  My proposed reforms would expand those options for every student by getting the basics out of the way earlier.

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This evening I will be holding a town hall event in beautiful Duluth, Minnesota.



I will accept questions from anybody who has something they'd like to ask.  It is an informal event and there will be a sloppy joe dinner served afterwards.

 At-will donations will go to "Growing Gardens, Growing Students", an organization that provides supplies and training to teachers, students, staff, and parents to create gardens on school property and use the produce in the school lunch programs.  Many gardens have already been planted at schools across Minnesota and children are enjoying the fruits of the volunteer labor they put in over the summer everyday at lunch.

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Good luck. I tried this a while ago and no one showed up. I guess I just don't have any real friends.

Me either apparently.  Well, in that case Duke.... come on over, I'll throw on some Porterhouses and crack open some nice fall ales.

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I'll make one last appeal to Atlasia to consider voting for my ticket in the election.  Please, if you have questions regarding my role as president, feel free to ask! 

I was recently asked by Polnut what I'd do to show spending restraint as president.  I can't say there are any specifics. 

I will, however, set a new policy as president.  All non-emergency spending bills In excess of $1bn Will be required to be paid for, or I will veto the legislation.  Exceptions can be made, but the case for such exceptions will have to be made.  Stimulus measures could be one such case, for example.

I look forward to your questions.

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I have a soft spot for most acts of civil disobedience, and would stand in solidarity with you...provided the aims are clear and it remains a bottom up, grassroots movement.

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I'm not really big on long speeches.  Thank you everybody for the votes.  It was a very close election so take comfort in knowing your vote counted!  I will work hard to improve Atlasia and the game in general!

I've been receiving PMs about interest in various cabinet positions.  If you have an interest in serving as a cabinet official, please PM me and let me know!