Office of Chairman TNF: Red Army takes NM, UT, ID, AZ

[Maxwell]

Congrats TNF, and if I am elected (or moved into the position, it seems like things are a mess in the Midwest atm), than I hope we work together to fix this mess.

[Leinad]

Under a TNF administration, smokers shall be able to light up in public without recourse to a lecture from the anti-smoking health nuts.

Just curious, but how can the government protect people from a health-nut lecture? I agree with your socially individualist policies, restricting punishment for victimless crimes and whatnot, although I'm unsure about how you go about doing this.

[TNF]

CRISIS IN CHEESEWHIZ

Comrades,

The recent months of inactivity in the Althing constitute nothing less than a crisis of epic proportions in the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest. Constitutional reform, pushed by our outgoing Governor, Gass3268, hasn't been given a line in two months by the members of the Althing, who have neglected their duty as legislators for our fair region, all the while some of them continue to be active on other parts of the site and refuse to respond to personal messages from either the Governor or Archduke Dereich.

This is unacceptable. We cannot have democracy in a society wherein the legislators refuse to show up for work and fail to bring the issues of the public up for a public debate. We risk withering on the vine in the same manner of the old Pacific if something drastic is not done to correct this imbalance.

There have not been legislative elections in the Midwest since the month of March. This includes the election of an Archduke, which was supposed to likewise happen in May following the election of Dereich in a special election in early April 2015. Therefore, it would seem that there is, at present, no legally constituted legislative authority in the Midwest. As Governor-elect, I will make plain that I do not consider the persons elected in March, that have been derelict in their responsibilities to the people of the Midwest, as continuing on in legislative service at the present time, for their terms expired in May and were never filled with new representatives.

As such, my first act as Governor of the Midwest will be the appointment of a new Althing. The Althing will elect for itself a President Pro Tempore to temporarily serve as Althing until a special election can be held for both positions under the terms of the Fourth Midwest Constitution, which, to my knowledge, still stands in effect. Likewise, the poor state of the Midwest regional wiki is confusing enough (combined with the clear as mud constitution of the Midwest) that I'm not exactly sure when my term begins. I assume that, with a lack of a definitive start date in the Constitution, my term will begin upon the closing of the voting booth for Governor and my resignation from the Senate. If anyone in the Midwest would like to clarify this matter with me, please do, because I'd rather not wait around when we have no regional legislature to speak of.

If you are a Midwest citizen and wish to be appointed to a position in the Althing, please contact me via PM. I will consider only those citizens that promise to be active and participate fully in the affairs of our region for the duration of the emergency session of the Althing that their election will end ten days after being seated.

[TNF]

SENATE FAREWELL ADDRESS

Comrades,

Effective at 5 PM EST tomorrow, I will tender my resignation as Midwest Regional Senator. It is my great honor to have served the Midwest for the past two years and, I would contend, as having a record of unparalleled support for the class struggle in Nyman and the working people of not just our most serene republic, but our entire republic. During my term of office, I have worked with Senators of various persuasions to pass the most progressive legislation Atlasia has ever known, from guaranteed paid time off, to a ban on the use of scabs by employers during labor disputes, to the legalization of soft drugs, to the freeing of nonviolent criminal offenders from the Atlasian gulag we facetiously call a prison system.

I leave the Senate to different leaders, both old and new. New Canadaland and Blair represent the future of our party, the Labor Party, the party of the great working mass of Atlasians. While my successor, Snowguy716, is experienced enough to help guide the efforts of these young comrades to successful ends, in alliance of course with our Chairman and my personal friend (although we may disagree on the means of struggle, we invariably agree on the end goal - a world free of discrimination and exploitation), Lief. These leaders, I am confident, shall not only hold the line for the progressive legislation of Labor's past, but will, I hope, press forward in the struggle to construct a welfare state that makes the Sweden look as stingy as Mississippi.

There are, however, dangers. Activity levels are low, especially in the region that I have been elected Governor of. In the federal Senate, piecemeal efforts have replaced sweeping, reform legislation. Conservatism is creeping in. Parties are becoming sclerotic. Struggle is giving way to consensus. This is a world that may promise defeat for us if we are unable to adapt ourselves to it, to make the most of it, and to restore the activity levels of the past and extend them into an ever expanding future.

I am an optimistic person. I think that our nation's best days lie ahead. But they will not be achieved without struggle. And so, in this last speech of mine in the Senate, I call on the working class of this republic to struggle, through its elected representatives and in the streets, to create a better, and more just world. That world is not capitalism. It is not social democracy. That world of which I speak is a world free from the horrors of exploitation and oppression. That is communism, and that is what I will continue to strive for the achievement of.

We may not win it in our lifetime or even in the lifetime of our children, but we will win. History is on our side, this I believe more strongly now than ever. The exploiters of mankind will get their comeuppance. And it will be the great working masses that deliver that comeuppance and inaugurate, for the first time in the whole history of humanity, true freedom.

In solidarity,

Governor-elect TNF

[TNF]

I hereby appoint Snowguy716 as Regional Senator for the Midwest.

I hereby appoint Dereich and Maxwell to fill vacant seats in the Althing.

There remains one vacant seat in the Althing. If you are interested in filling it, please PM me.

[Maxwell]

With the appointment of Dereich to Althing, the role of Archduke is currently absent.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

With the appointment of Dereich to Althing, the role of Archduke is currently absent.

Wasn't it vacant already in the absent of a May election though?

[TNF]

With the appointment of Dereich to Althing, the role of Archduke is currently absent.

Wasn't it vacant already in the absent of a May election though?

Correct. I appointed Dereich to the Althing because I am working under the assumption that I do not have the power to appoint the Archduke, and so the new Althing has to elect a PPT until we can elect a new Archduke in nine days.

[TNF]

Executive Order #1

All previous executive orders issued by previous Governors of the Midwest are hereby rescinded.

Executive Order #2

All Midwestern government bodies are henceforth not to cooperate with federal agents of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement insofar as their cooperation would result in the deportation of an undocumented worker. Undocumented workers are to be granted safe haven in the Midwest, which shall treat every human being as a human being and no one as an 'illegal' person or persons.

Executive Order #3

All government documents printed by the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest shall henceforth be printed in English and Spanish.

Executive Order #4

All persons currently incarcerated for non-violent offenses (excepting 'white collar' criminals) shall have their sentences commuted to time served and shall be released from prison no later than July 31, 2015.

Executive Order #5

Henceforth, no employer that is (or is not) party to a labor dispute, may 'lockout' workers during contract negotiations (or for any other reason). Doing so shall result in a fine of no less than $250,000 per offense (adjusted annually for inflation), with an additional $500,000 fine for each day workers are not allowed to work on account of the intransigence of the company in question.

Executive Order #6

No police officer employed by the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest be utilized in such a way as to break a strike or attack a picket line, nor may police officers infiltrate labor unions or political organizations, for any purpose. Violations of this order shall result in a fine of no less than $25,000 (adjusted annually for inflation), termination of employment, and forfeiture of any right to a pension or other compensation otherwise owed to the officer in question.

Executive Order #7

The Most Serene Republic of the Midwest shall partner with organized labor to establish union-run hiring halls in impoverished areas. These hiring halls shall provide training and education to job seekers and shall allow for the fullest employment of those seeking employment on useful public projects, with an emphasis on employing persons of color, women, youth (persons under 25), and other historically disadvantaged groups.

Executive Order #8

The Midwestern Department of Internal Affairs is hereby directed to conduct an intensive study on segregation in the Midwest and present said report to the Governor and the members of the Althing no later than December 31, 2015, as well as present potential remedies to address social segregation.

Executive Order #9

The five (5) hour day is hereby established for all workers employed by the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest. Upon the expiration of existing contracts between the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest and private service providers, a condition of any future contracts enacted must be the observance of a 5 hour workday, with wage adjustments upward to guarantee no loss in pay for workers on contract. Likewise, the wages of regional workers shall adjust to guarantee pay equivalent to existing payrates under a shorter workday system.

Executive Order #10

The Department of Internal Affairs shall shut down any existing database that provides information to the public pertaining to the 'sex offender' status of any person, and destroy such information effective immediately. All sex offenders that have been released from prison and served their time shall no longer be cataloged into public databases or tracked on account of a previous conviction resulting in jail time that has been served. Police 'sting' operations directed at capturing 'sex offenders' via the use of entrapment are hereby prohibited, and the arrest and detention of persons for the viewing of any currently prohibited pornographic material shall likewise be prohibited. The last clause of this executive order shall not be interpreted as interfering with existing prohibitions on the production of said material, which shall continue to result in all appropriate and established legal penalties.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Would you consider printing documents in German (which is still spoken in rural Midwestern communities) and perhaps some Native American languages?

[Boston Bread]

Glorious news!

[Dereich]

I don't think you have the authority to do ANY of that. According to the current constitution, the Governor's power is limited to deciding on whether legislation passed by the Alþing is in complete compliance with this Constitution, serving as the ceremonial head of state and "Hugger in Chief," overseeing all elections, being a regional spokesperson, and counseling the Archduke on nominations "and other stuff".

The executive authority is still left in the Althing's hand, so I don't think you even have authority over government bodies.

[Senator Cris]

Dereich is right. Executive orders are not provided by the Midwest Constitution.

[TNF]

If you have an issue with my actions, I suggest you bring a lawsuit against me. As it stands I will consider my acts entirely within the implied powers of my office.

[TNF]

I hereby appoint Gass3268 as Most Serene Representative.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

With the appointment of Dereich to Althing, the role of Archduke is currently absent.

Wasn't it vacant already in the absent of a May election though?

Correct. I appointed Dereich to the Althing because I am working under the assumption that I do not have the power to appoint the Archduke, and so the new Althing has to elect a PPT until we can elect a new Archduke in nine days.

I sympathize with Dereich's circumstances as Archduke. When I was PPT of thE Senate there many instances when we had only five activie Senators, which when spread across 12 bills had the same feel as having just one active Althing member across two or three bills.

[TNF]

Executive Order #11

The Most Serene Republic of the Midwest shall henceforth be styled as The People's Republic of the Midwest. The title of Governor shall henceforth be styled Chairman of the Committee of People's Commissars of the People's Republic of the Midwest, and the Althing shall henceforth be styled as the Volkskammer. The official maxim of the People's Republic of the Midwest shall be Workers of the World, Unite!, the official song shall be The Internationale, and the official drink of the Midwest shall henceforth be Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Executive Order #12

The flag of the People's Republic of the Midwest shall be as follows:

[TNF]

As Chairman of the Committee of People's Commissars, I am calling on the formation of said committee. In lieu of a function legislature, the Committee of People's Commissars will act as a legislature in the interest of the toiling masses. If you are interested in joining that committee, please let me know. Otherwise, I will simply have to appoint interested parties from among our veritable NPC population as members of this most esteemed committee, until of course we are able to elect a functioning, responsible legislature.

Thank you.

[TNF]

Executive Order #13

All regional military forces are hereby styled as the People's Self-Defense Forces and are hereby placed under the direct command of the Committee of People's Commissars.

[Adam Griffin]

the official drink of the Midwest shall henceforth be Pabst Blue Ribbon.

[TNF]

Committee of People's Commissars Rehabilitation Initiative #1

In accordance with the committee's implicit goal of reviving the Midwest, it shall undertake the maximum possible efforts to rehabilitate (in true Soviet style) former Midwest citizens and current non-persons Snowstalker and LeBronFitzGerald. In order to carry this momentous task out, both will be introduced somewhat critically in Midwestern textbooks but overtime become less critically viewed and more accomplished and well-spoken of in their presentation. At this time, the Committee shall also generously offer a pardon of both for any crimes they might have committed while representing the Midwest.

In addition, the week of July 5 shall be declared 'Teens Week' in honor of former Governor and political prisoner LeBron FitzGerald.

[Lumine]

Governor, any chance I could request being portrayed as a bloodthirsty tyrant in said textbooks?

[TNF]

Governor, any chance I could request being portrayed as a bloodthirsty tyrant in said textbooks?

Your wish is my command, Mr. President!

[free my dawg]

Yes! Free LeBron!

[TNF]

THE TIME HAS COME!

Comrades:

Yesterday, scheduled elections for the Volkskammer were not called. While at first this may seem a simple oversight on the part of the Council of People's Commissars, it was not. Yesterday, I, as Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, ordered the occupation of all voting booths by members of the People's Self Defense Forces and the Nat Turner Brigade. For those of you who may have been confused by the inability to cast a ballot, this is why.

I made this order after careful deliberation and am making it public now because we can no longer afford to keep trudging forward in the same, sorry manner. Our Archduke, Maxwell, has resigned. Few people are even bothering to vote on the proposed constitution. The federal government is in disarray. The solution to all of this lies, of course, in the overthrow of the bourgeois state and the immediate establishment of a dictatorship of the proletariat.

To that end, I am now ordering the arrest of all members of the Volkskammer and am ordering a ban on all parties that oppose the seizure of power by the Midwestern proletariat, represented of course via the Council of People's Commissars. The Fourth Constitution of the Midwest is hereby declared null and void and all power is transferred to the Council of People's Commissars.

The People's Self Defense Forces and Nat Turner Brigade are, as per order of the Council, hereby merged into the Red Army and continue to be under the direct command of the Council. As Chairman of the Council (and thus, commander-in-chief), I hereby order the Red Army of the People's Republic of the Midwest to invade and occupy the Pacific region. If the bourgeois politicians in Nyman will not move to consolidate our regions by legislative means, the working class shall do so by the only means available to them.

The Council hereby also promulgates the immediate seizure of all factories and factory farms and all other facilities in which workers are employed by a boss for a wage and/or salary by the Council of People's Commissars. The Council shall devolve all administrative power, effective as soon as is possible, to workers' councils established by the workers employed by the seized firms in question. The Council likewise promulgates the establishment of an economic planning bureau, which shall hereby democratically plan and administer the nationalized economy to be established.

The Council likewise declares hostility to the entire bourgeois government of Atlasia, and demands that the so-called leadership in Nyman resign or risk being put on trial by revolutionary tribunal. You have 48 hours to respond to this ultimatum, lest the Council move forward with plans to invade and occupy the South, the Mideast, and the Northeast.

Likewise, the Council calls on workers in every region: rise up against the bourgeois state and the capitalist pigs! Smash that state which binds you to the status of embittered wage slave in the meatgrinder that is capitalism! You have nothing to lose but your chains. We shall also make it known that any attempt to suppress workers by any regional government or Nyman shall be met with retaliatory force.

More to come as the events allow. Remember, workers, this is your nation, this is your world! Stand up for it! Seize power!

Chairman TNF