SJoyce for Senate: August 2013 At-Large Campaign Thread

[Donerail]

The Issues

On recent controversies

Hi, folks. Great to be here. Let's talk about the issues. Atlasia has military forces overseas that probably don't need to be there. Our trade priorities are out of whack. We're missing an opportunity to bring in a lot of people who will make this country better, missing an opportunity to strengthen our ties with the international community, with Canada; missing an opportunity to make this world a safer place for all by reducing the amount of arms in the world. Missing an opportunity to reassess our foreign aid disbursements, missing an opportunity for change in Syria, change in our foreign policy, and change in Palestine.

Why are we missing these opportunities to address these issues? Because instead we've decided to focus our energies elsewhere. On pointless petty bullsh*t.

What of the campaigns of my fellow candidates for these Senate seats? JCL opposes reducing the number of regions. I happen to disagree with him there, but that's fine. ZuWo also opposes a reduction in the number of regions, alright. But now we've veered into a minaret ban and gay adoption. I also disagree from ZuWo there, but JCL's discussion on the number of regions has now veered into attacks and discussions of who's a reactionary. In Tmth's campaign Sen. TNF has decided to troll the thread for his own amusement. And now there's a new thread where he paints the Federalists into 1950s Eastern Bloc propaganda (props for the graphic design, by the way).

Since it appears we've forgotten:

TJ how you would feel about a proposal that looked something like this?

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It makes more sense than the current bill, but I still can't support it. Raising the minimum wage for one set of employees a lot while keeping the overall minimum wage constant doesn't really make sense and double is way too high to raise the minimum wage nationally without economic repercussions.

I would support forbidding the federal government from reimbursing contractors for their executive salaries.

How would that work exactly? IF the company solely engages in the supplying/servicing of the gov't, they wouldn't have any executive salaries if I understand you right, which seems to be even worse in terms of the concern you mentioned in the first paragraph.

No, what current law allows is for the federal government to actually pay the contractor executive's salary in addition to all of the government contracts it holds if the contracts it holds if more than a third of its business is government contracts. The policy was instituted during the tech bubble in fear that high tech companies would siphon all the talent away from contractors. I don't think that fear is relevant at this point and I don't think it merits the sweatheart deal. If there's anything we ought to be doing here, it isn't adding a bunch of market-distorting mandates that will damage the contractor's labor market position, it's getting read of the outdated crony deal in their favor.

This is constructive debate. Discussing possible amendments, talking about how they'd work, and the consequences of their implementation - and look at that, Yankee, TJ, and TNF all discussing how to improve a bill. Imagine that.



This is not constructive debate. Grow the hell up.

If anyone wants a decent discussion of the issues y'all are welcome to ask me anything here. But it's irritating if there are some people running (not just me: people like Polnut, Napoleon, JCL, Tmth, and Maxwell have all run campaigns about presenting their ideas to the voters) who legitimately want to discuss their ideas with each other and the voters, and that's disrupted by this trolling and petty partisanship. If you'd like to create silly posters of the other candidates do so elsewhere.

SJoyce for at-large Senate. Legislation like this. Not like this.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

As for what has happened in my thread the past couple days l, TNF made a near slanderous comment thinking I oppose full religious freedom when my record is one of full religious toleration as long as its not being used as a cover for violence. When I was hoping for a constructive conversation regarding the issue about regional realignment. Sadly it got away from me. TNF has not responded to my response to his accusations. Thanks for trying to bring it back to what its about. The issues and having fun.

[Adam Griffin]

*

*Assuming you tone down the anti-Labor sass

[Donerail]

*

*Assuming you tone down the anti-Labor sass

I plan to preference at least two of Labor's candidates in my top 5 and generally approve of the Administration's performance so far. Toned down enough?

[Donerail]

With the conclusion of the endorsement votes in both parties, I'd like to offer my thanks to both the Liberal Party and the Civic Union for their support. When combined with my own Light Party, this campaign has received the support of the bulk of the Atlasian center - with crossover support from both major parties as well.

[Donerail]

A Plan for Prosperity

I'll begin with the largest piece of legislation currently under discussion in the Senate on this topic: I support the Basic Income Guarantee. Market forces can accomplish wonderful things - I'll get to that in a second - but they can't ensure that everyone gets enough income to meet their needs. With this proposal, concern for the welfare of the poor is emphasized, but it is combined with principles that I'm sure can find support from the right. It would certainly allow a reduction in the size of government by allowing us to shrink now-redundant bureaucracies; it would also render a minimum wage unnecessary, while interfering far less with the workings of businesses than a minimum wage does. Overall, it would give the people more responsibility over their own future, while largely eliminating poverty in this nation - goals both the right and left can agree upon. While there are other things we can do (reforming public housing, dealing with predatory lending, zoning reform, etc, etc, etc) that should not be neglected, this is the #1 way we can fight poverty and reform welfare in Atlasia.

On student loans, I fully support making college more affordable and would like to see the country adopt something modeled after Oregon's "Pay it Forward, Pay it Back" proposal. End federal student loans and replace them with a program that will cover their up-front costs in school, in exchange for paying a percentage of adjusted gross income for a certain number of years back into the fund. It'll guarantee students' ability to afford college repayment while eliminating the growing burden of student debt.

On education in a broader sense, I am dedicated to a high-quality public education for every child, and I think that's reflected in my record of education reform in the IDS, where we passed two different reform bills I authored, one my own, the other implementing Northeast-style reforms - and I think that's the right way to do it. The Senate tried to implement education reform - it took them thirteen pages, and the bill still failed. Regions can implement it and they can do it successfully; the Senate doesn't need to ensure high teacher pay or that specific classes must be taught. This is an issue the regions can largely handle.

On infrastructure, my vision for infrastructure is that regions should take the leading role, but the federal government should also play its part. If we want a high-speed rail line from Charlotte to Atlanta, that should generally be the region's job, but if we want one from Nyman to Raleigh, that's when it should be appropriate for the federal government to step in. The regions have the time and expertise to determine what's best for their regions and are better positioned to know what schools or waste disposal plants or dams need help, but the federal government is uniquely positioned to encourage inter-regional connections, and is of course free to offer aid and assistance to the regions, like we're doing now with the Pacific stimulus bill. Responsible use of the stimulus money can help alleviate a lot of our infrastructure problems: in the IDS we're using it to help improve our ports and inland waterways. There is of course still much to do - mass transit expansion could use some assistance, maybe some more rail lines, highway maintenance and pruning, but the recent stimulus will help us a lot with that.


Sorry about the lack of detail and the sparseness of this - I'll be out of town for the next couple days and wanted to get this up ASAP.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I'm disappointed you didn't win, but I'm glad to say I gave you my first preference. You ran a good campaign. 

[Wisconsin+17]

Gave you my first preference as well. Pity. :b:

[Maxwell]

Sorry bud. I would've loved to work together with you in the Senate.

[PJ]

Sorry you didn't win, I should've given you my 1st preference.