The Record-Courier:(9-14 Edition)

[GAworth]

Rapid City, Vitality - Welcome to the launch of the Midwest's very own paper, The Record-Courier. We will try to cover a wide range of stories from around the region to the national stage as well.

[GAworth]

The Record-Courier

Serving the Midwest

Regional News

Revolving Door?
One Governor eyes a return to Cheesewhiz, while another ponders a run for a Federal Senate Seat
Cheesewhiz, Vitality - Recent days have seen our previous and current Governors talking about back to Cheezwhiz or off to Nyman respectively. Former Governor and Current At-Large Senator Maxwell has announced he will not be seeking re-election for the Senate. This along with increased input into the affairs and proceeding of the Althing has raised speculation that the former Governor might want his old job back, or maybe the position of the Archduke.
Current Governor and former Presidential hopeful Lumine has announced he will not be seeking re-election, and has stated numerous times of a bid to enter the Senate, however, only after his term ends. Some Midwestern politics watchers are saying, “If he was willing to leave the job [Governor] once to be President, who says he won’t try it again?” What could this due for the people of the Midwest whom many see has potential Candidates for Governor and/or Senate?  Archduke windjammer, the Atlasian right’s darling, Rooney, Former Representative ilikeverin, to name a few.

Senator calls for Althing to have formal rules.
Recent talk has lead to the call for formal rules of debate in the Althing.
Cheesewhiz, Vitality – After a suggestion from Senator Maxwell, along with recent activity in the Althing. The talk of formalized rules for the Althing has come up. This has lead to tension evolving between the Governor and At-Large Senator on one side and the Archduke, who is in charge of the rules, on the other. Archduke Windjammer has said that the move is not necessary and opposes it. While Maxwell, who sparked the whole idea, believes there should be rules. We will try to provide more updates as the story progresses.

National News

Polygamy, urination, and drugs . . . oh my!
The DR draft platform is starting to form; we take a look at what's in it.
Rapid City, Vitality - The New Libertarian minded Democratic-Republican Party is starting to build a platform ahead of the December Senate Election. So far one submission has been made, by dallasfan65, who has done most of the heavy lifting in terms of getting the party organized. The proposal called for various policy changes: equal treatment of “heterosexual couples, gay couples, and polygamist couples.” The proposal also calls for ending laws against public intoxication and public urination as well as decriminalizing “hard drugs” and supports the “cultivation of soft drugs”. It also calls for laxer laws around copy right and promotes 3D Printers and general self reliance, just to name a few. No counter proposal has been offered so far. Will this help or hurt the DR party in the upcoming Senate Election and will it hurt any alliance it may have wished to form? We will try to provide more updates as the story progresses.
For the full text, visit: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=182009.msg3966251#msg3966251

AIDS cure possibly a reality.
30 years after the Virus was found, Yetshiva University in New York may have found a potential cure.
Rapid City, Vitality - A latent HIV cell killing treatment has been tested at Yetshiva University in NYC, and has been found to be successful. An engineered human immune system virus, which carries a dose of radioactive material bismuth-213, was proven to track down latent HIV cells and kill them with a dose of radiation while keeping other cells safe. Latent cells lie dormant and have made the curing of the global killer impossible for decades.
Courtesy: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/targeted-radioactive-bomb-might-clean-out-aids-virus-study-finds-2D11689347

[Dereich]

Is one of your states really called Cheezwhiz? Really? Nice paper though, very good work.

[GAworth]

No Cheesewhiz is our Capitol, formally called Belle Fourche, Vitality is the name of the State of South Dakota.

[GAworth]

The Record-Courier

Serving the Midwest

Regional News

Dual Name of Provinces Referendum looks like it may pass
Stille leaves federal recognition in doubt, raises old claims on New Mexico
Cheesewhiz, Vitality - The Midwest is currently voting on the Dual Names of Provinces Bill/Amendment, which would recognize both regional and federally accepted names for Provinces. After calls for the inclusion of the regions outstanding claim to the State of New Mexico or Swagger, as it is know in the Midwest, by now retired Representative ilikeverin, the Governor of the Pacific has asked for the claim to be dropped. The Amendment was drafted by Representative GAworth of Vitality last session in response to a bill that would have fined people for using the federally recognized names in the Midwest. Midwestern Senator TNF has introduced legislation at the Federal level to recognize the regional names on the Federal level. Midwesterner and RG, Fritz, has announced that he will accept registrations using the regional names, however, filing them under the Federal name. We will try to provide updates as the vote continues.
Editorial: The Thriving Midwest
By LumineVonReuental.

Atlasia, as all games, has a tendency to live surrounded in ideas that remain stable. These ideas are commonly accepted as the truth and repeated in almost ad-nauseam style, even for political benefit. From “the right wing can’t win a presidential election” to “everybody will eventually go loony”, these ideas seem to be a firm part of the Atlasian facts. And one of the most interesting (and often repeated) comments is that no matter what the time is, nor who is in charge, the Midwest is always the most inactive region, the most unstable region and the symbol of very negative things in Atlasia (a perception that the Pacific is now getting as well after Wolfentoad’s fall and Operation Pacific Rim).

I won’t lie; during most of my early months in Atlasia the Midwest gave me that very same impression. It was the time of low activity, of a lack of candidates, of a lack of interest. I lived in the Mideast, which has always been treated as the “poster boy” of Atlasia, and not without reason (elections are always very competitive). While my political career appeared to be at the crossroads after my crushing defeat in May, Governor Maxwell started his hard fought and ultimately successful attempts at bringing life back to the Midwest, but inactivity was still running rampant. Archduke Wyodon was gone, and I decided to replace him.

And the Midwest changed. A team of new officeholders and candidates changed the political landscape of our region: Maxwell, Windjammer, ilikeverin, Thomas D, GAworth, TNF, Rooney, Cris, Arturo Belano, Tmthforu, and I. Our population is the smallest, half of what the Mideast has, but you have at least half of the population as very active voters, very active officeholders and very successful Atlasians. You have Former Presidents, Vice-Presidential and Presidential candidates, Cabinet members, Governors and Senators.

Today’s Midwest has a somewhat active Governor (with many candidates ready to replace him should he leave his post), an efficient and active Althing (with competitive elections and a good partisan balance), a Constitution that works and that gives this region a distinct style, innovative legislation, transparence in the form of monthly addresses, a new regional newspaper (for which I’m writing now), three Senators and a Secretary. Population is not everything, my fellow Atlasians, numbers are not the main issue here. We have few people, but our few citizens are active and dedicated, and our government works. Even better than that, it works without having any scandals. No bitter partisan fights, but tolerance. No hijacking attempts, but change that comes with respect. No officeholders resigning in shame, but people trying to do their very best effort to serve in the best of their capabilities.

You look at the rest of the country, and you see instability in the Pacific, constant replacements in the Mideast, and certain issues concerning candidates and activity in both South and Northeast. We are not the best region (there is no such thing as a best region in Atlasia), sure, but we are a region that has an equal standing to the rest. The Midwest, regardless of our positions in regional reform (and despite that fact that what I support would end up changing this region to something new) has earned his place in Atlasia thanks to its citizens, and I say we have to be proud.

Let us keep up the good work!"

Staff Note: This article was not altered in anyway by staffers.

National News

The Senate gets a new face, or not?
Progressives appoint Pacific Speaker Flo to the seat vacated by Napoleon. But there is doubt.
Rapid City, Vitality - The Senate may have a new Member, Flo, also known as Jacob Tiver, has been appointed by the Progressive Union to fill the Senate seat vacated by Napoleon. Flo is also a candidate for the upcoming Senate Election. However, questions have arisen on whether it is legal. Napoleon left the Progressive Union to join the “reality or nothing party” however, he rejoined the Progressive Union and pushed for the replacement to come from the Progressive Union. All of this leaves many, including us, confused. Should a seat be filled so close to an election?  Who should fill it? Earlier we overheard staffers for a local Progressive Union official complaining that the uproar was simply another attempt to attack the party. More questions than answers at this point, we will be following the story more closely. 

Pacific responds to New Mexico claim
Pacific Governor introduces a resolution asking for claims to be dropped.
Rapid City, Vitality - The Pacific Governor, PJ, has introduced legislation demanding that the Serene Republic drop it’s “unlawful claims” to New Mexico, Utah, and Idaho. No word on when the Pacific Council will vote on the resolution or any reaction from the Midwest. We will try to provide updates as the story unfolds.

[tmthforu94]

How awesome is it that the Midwest has it's own paper!?! Great job, GAworth!

[GAworth]

How awesome is it that the Midwest has it's own paper!?! Great job, GAworth!

Thanks Senator.

[Talleyrand]

Very nice work for sure. I hope you keep up at this.

[Maxwell]

Very nice work for sure. I hope you keep up at this.

Yep this.

[Flake]

Nice job so far

Congratulations on the paper

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

You are doing Leip's work, man.

[GAworth]

Nice job so far

Congratulations on the paper

Thank you sir.

[GAworth]

You are doing Leip's work, man.

Thank you Senator.

[GAworth]

The Record-Courier

Serving the Midwest

Special Edition

Interview with Napoleon
This is an unaltered interview with the former Senator Napoleon.
1.Do you believe that regional reform can ever happen?

"Regional reform can happen. I believe it will happen. But it must be done the right way. The Senate needs to put forth a detailed plan and hammer out the kinks. Kicking the can down the road and throwing a commission at it is the wrong way to go about things. We've seen it fail with wiki reform and other attempts. If the people of Atlasia want to make a change, it will happen one way or another."


2. You originally announced that you were taking a leave of absence, what made you change your mind and resign?

"My leave of absence was a proverbial middle finger to the system. I've faced criticism from many but what you don't see is people talking about the inactivity of Senators such as Senator Gass and Senator Xahar, who have lower approvals and whose names are nowhere to be found in the legislation queue or the amendments offered list. These Senators are beloved within the Labor Party so they have been protected from the attack machine led by TNF. I made my point, and resigned the next day because I truly feel the people deserve a better Senator than I was capable of being at the time. The main reason I stuck around was to see my cloning bill through and I was disappointed to see it fail. I wish my successor the best of luck."

3.What do you hope to accomplish now in your retirement?

"In retirement, I hope I can make peace with my political opponents and focus on specific issues of interest. I have no intention to return to partisan politics or elected office, but I have interest in appointed office, including the GM position. While I was formerly bogged down in partisan politics, I felt that such a position should be held by someone more detached. In retirement, I can be that person."

4.Do you have any ambition to return to politics?

"As evidenced by my actions, I have absolutely no ambition to return to elected politics. I will serve if called upon, but I've done almost everything that there is to do here and I'm proud of my accomplishments."

5. Due to recent events, do you have anything to say about the controversy around Flo's senate appointment?

"The political threats and scare tactics put forward by Labor Party maestros TNF and Talleyrand should be ignored by all. They should focus on dealing with their own inactive Senators, Xahar and Gass, and work on replacing them. They want to push the Progressive Union around because they believe the PU is weak and I don't think that's the case. The law is clear about this and Flo will be a great Senator. As I said in my PM, I rejoined the party solely to allow Chairwoman Siren to appoint my successor as the statute dictates and said I would leave the party again if asked to. This is a manufactured controversy that aims to advance Labor Party political interests, nothing more. Let's take a look at the Senators they are backing that won't resign."

We thank the Senator for answering our questions.

[GAworth]

The Record-Courier

Serving the Midwest

Regional News

Midwest Royalties Bill submitted to GM
Bill to establish regional oil royalties submitted to the GM, Althing is the next stop.
Cheesewhiz, Vitality - Representative GAworth has submitted to the Game Moderator a bill that would establish royalties on Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal production in the Midwest. “We only get one opportunity to make money off these products, once they’re gone, they’re gone,” an aide to the Representative told us. So far no word on an estimate from the GM, that same aide said, “we estimate the oil royalty to be over $2 billion dollars, but we are not sure, and we do not have a solid estimate on the others. The Representative is looking to introduce the bill to the Althing after we get firmer estimates.” We will try to keep you updated on the progress of the bill.

A sit down with Senator Maxwell
We talked to outgoing Senator about his time in the Senate and his future plans.

1. What do feel is your greatest accomplishment during your time in the Senate?

"1. I want to preface my answer by saying that the Senate, often, is a co-operative process. Senators work together, amending eachothers legislation, and often end products look different from when they started. I think my greatest accomplishment looked the worst in it's originality: the Farm Subsidies elimination bill. Normally the Senate never looks at ways to make Government more efficient, and I think this was one of those cases where we finally did it.

2. Do you believe regional reform is dead?

"2. No, for many reasons. First, the Senate session that regional reform had started under was also filled with two Senators who, frankly, had no business being in the Senate, and their jobs are being replaced by competent people. Second, I think, with a balanced plan such as the one we proposed, with some simple changes, reform can pass the Senate. The question has always been more of whether it can pass with the general electorate, and that will be where we truly see whether or not Regional Reform is really what Atlasia wants."

3. What is one thing you will miss about the Senate and one thing you will not miss?

"3. I will miss legislating to some extent. I enjoyed working with my colleagues on some projects, and amending some bills to make them better. What I won't miss, I think it may have been merely a part of my term, was how long we waited for anything to get done. There was an immense amount of stalling beyond belief. Sponsors of bills would not get to their legislation, and it made the Senate almost impossible to deal with. That was part of the reason of my leaving."

4. What are your plans for life after the Senate? Will you run for another office?

"4. Well, I am dedicated to the Midwest in any capacity, and I am heading the Midwest Small Business Bureau for a while, promoting good policy, lower corporate tax rates, and continuing growth in the Midwest. National Politics is still something in my mind, and I'm exploring all options, but I wouldn't be prepared to re-enter right away."

5. You said, "All options" does that mean a run for Governor?

"5. I will give you one bone there GAWorth: it's a possibility. I have looked at the great progress we have made under Governor Lumine, and wondered what I could do to add to that success. My only problem is this: I want the new Midwest to control it's future, and I don't want to loom too large for what happens in the future."

We thank the Senator for his service and for sitting down with us and can't wait to see what he does in the future.

Staff Note: These are direct quotes, only changes were for formatting purposes, no content was removed.

National News

Siren quits as Progressive Chair
Progressive Union Chair steps aside, party looks to elect a new chair.
Rapid City, Vitality - Without notice, the Chair of the Progressive Union announced her resignation earlier this morning, saying, “Sorry if anyone is disappointed, but it just isn’t any fun for me.”  A PRO insider said, “I was totally caught off guard by her decision, she was a good Chair.” Her resignation means that Pacific Governor PJ will be the Chair of the Party until the January Convention under the current rules. However, the Party is moving to amend the rules so a new chair can be elected before January. So far two people have put their hat in the ring, SoIA Superique and the Midwest’s own, Serene Representative GAworth. We will try to keep you updated as developments occur.

What happens now?
Can the Senate seat be filled without another brew-ha-ha?
Rapid City, Vitality - Following protestation, post deletion, and general uproar, the Senate seat formally held by Napoleon remains vacant, after Flo resigned from the seat. With nearly half the Senate term yet to go, what will happen to the Senate seat? Can the Progressive Union legally pick a candidate? A political science professor here in the Midwest said, “Many people are saying they can, but if that was the case, then why there so much opposition to the first appointment?” We will try to keep you updated with the appointment process.

[GAworth]

The Record-Courier

Serving the Midwest

Regional News

Follow up: Royalties numbers released from GM
Shortly after we published, the numbers were released.
Cheesewhiz, Vitality - The GM released the estimates for the Midwest Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal Royalty Rates Bill. The estimate totaled $46.1 Billion dollars, which would be around 1/5 of what the region brings in now. Upon the release of the information, we saw that Representative GAworth introduced his bill to the Althing.  The bill designates most of the revenue to Environment and Energy, School aid, Health Services, and Economic Development, while leaving only 20% undesignated. We will see how the bill progresses.

A sit down with Senator Tmthforu94
We talked to the Senator Friday about the Senate, the Administration, and the Midwest.

1.    Looking back on this term so far, how do you feel it has gone?

“It has been frustrating at times. While I have a generally positive view of my own contributions to the Senate, I think it is difficult to argue that these past few months have been a success, though we have been able to tackle a couple major issues. We have had three Senators with poor activity records that has really slowed down the process - despite antics that people may disagree with, I am thankful that Senator Napoleon at least made the decision to resign. If only the other inactive Senators would follow him in doing so...”

2.    What are your thoughts on the Duke Administration?

“Overall, it has been pretty positive. There have been a couple decisions made by President Duke and Vice President Matt that I do not entirely agree with, but I appreciate that they are active in Senate debates and are pushing their own legislative agenda. If they keep up the current pace, I have no doubt that The People's Administration will be looked at as a role model on how an administration should be!”

3. Do you believe regional reform is dead?

“An active group of Senators could have sent the recently discussed amendment to The Regions for a vote. I think there is still a strong desire, both inside the Senate and out, for regional reform. I have played a very active role in the debate for regional reform over the past few months, and I look forward to reopening that debate very soon. Hopefully we can get a good group in the Senate next year who is ready to tackle this issue.  ”

4.    What is your take on the appointment of a Senator to the vacant seat?

“I think the darker side of Atlasia was put on display last night, and it is something I do not have much interest in. I am still involved in Atlasia so that I can help others have the same positive experiences in this game as I have had. I do not think the pettiness and desire by certain members to constantly hurl attacks has any sort of positive impact on this game.”

5.    If re-elected will you work closely with the Althing, Archduke, and Governor to make sure issues facing the Midwest are addressed?

 “I have maintained an open door relationship throughout my time in the Senate - I am The People's Senator, and it is my goal to represent them and use any resources I have as a Senator to help The People. I have maintained a close relationship with the Midwest government, as well as other regional governments, and will always be readily available. The Midwest is important to me, and with Maxwell soon departing, it is my sincere hope that Senator TNF and I can work together to make sure the needs of the Midwest are met in the Senate.”

We thank the Senator for sitting down with us and can't wait to see what he does in the future.

Staff Note: These are direct quotes, only changes were for formatting purposes, no content was removed.

National News

Senate Elections are around the corner, who is running?
We take a look at who is running and who may run.
Rapid City, Vitality - So far from what we could find, here are the declared candidates in no particular order (we apologize if we left someone off):
1.   NE Lt. Governor Goldwater, Federalist from Delaware
2.   Former Pacific Councillor Flo, Progressive Union from Alaska
3.   Senator Tmthforu94, Federalist from Kansas
4.   ME Assemblyman Mr. X, Labor from Ohio
5.   Fmr. ME Assemblyman Shua, Democratic-Republican from Virginia
6.   NE Representative Tallyrand, Labor from Maine
7.   ME Assemblyman Sibboleth, Cultural Marxist from West Virginia
Senator Maxwell, Federalist from Oklahoma, has announced his retirement, while Senator Xahar, NM-AM from California, from what we could find, has not announced whether or not he will run, Labor Senator Gass3268 from Wisconsin has also announced his retirement.  Rumors are running on whether the Midwest will have another Senator to replace Maxwell, Rooney, Lumine, and GAworth have been mentioned. No word from Rooney about his decision, but both Lumine and GAworth have announced they are staying in their respective jobs for now. We will keep an eye out for any other candidates.

  A new party emerges
The Cultural Marxist Party of Atlasia has formed but what are they about? Another NM-AM perhaps?
 
Rapid City, Vitality - Recently the Cultural Marxist was formed and successfully saw its leader, Sibboleth, elected to the Mideast Assembly. The party has reached out to form an alliance with the Labor Party, which was received warmly by the Midwest’s Senator TNF. So far the party only has two members, Sibboleth and Franzl, so it does not qualify as a major Party yet. No real idea yet on where the party stands on issues, they believe in Marxism, Leninism, and Shibbolethism and is against what they call the “Atlasian Neckbeardist Capitalist” foundation. Today, they announced that they look to undermine the democratic process saying “the bourgeois sham-democratic process cannot be taken seriously.” A political analyst stated, “They vow to fight the ‘fascistic forces of facism. That is a tongue twister if I’ve ever heard one. We don’t know who that is or really what they stand for just yet. All we know is that people don’t want them in offices.” He references the move to expel the chair, Sibboleth, from the Mideast Assembly. We look forward to seeing where the Party goes from here and how the move to expel Sibboleth goes.

Questions to the Candidates: December At-Large Senate Election
We are asking all candidates to reply to a set of questions to help voters ahead of the election.
1.   What made you run or seek re-election for the Senate?
2.   Briefly, describe what positions you have held in the past and how they prepare you for the Senate?
3.   What are your three main issues you wish to address during your term in the Senate?
4.   What, if any, legislation would you like to introduce?
5.   What is your campaign slogan?
6.   What Political Party, if any, are you affiliated with?
7.   Do you have a campaign thread?
If any candidate would like to have a further one on one interview or submit an editorial, the paper is happy to hear from you.

[tmthforu94]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Atlasia needs 5 active At-Large Senators. Not having that for the past four months has really hurt the Senate. I am running for reelection because over the past four months, I believe I have been a bright spot in an otherwise poor cast of At-Large Senators, and I would like to continue the hard work I've done in the Senate.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Oh shoot...well, I have held almost every position possible: President, Vice President, Senator, Governor, Regional Legislator, SoIA, and Attorney General. I have more experience than all other candidates in this race and have an extensive knowledge of Atlasia law, the Constitution, and OSPR. While having fresh faces in the Senate is a plus, it is certainly advantageous to have a couple members who have experience and required knowledge.

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Finding a solution to regional reform is an important issue for me. I think it is also important that we pass legislation that is beneficial to the worker but also is business-friendly and won't kill jobs. I have done my best to keep all Atlasians in mind when casting votes - I think the Atlasian Senate has acted to the left of the Atlasian people in recent months.

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Well, my primary goal has been to find a solution to regional reform, and I have been a primary author of that ongoing amendment. I have offered several smaller pieces of legislation throughout my time in the Senate while also serving as a liaison between citizens in the government. Introducing legislation is not a main priority to me until we eliminate our queued legislation.

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I chose to go with Actively Committed because it describes my record in the Senate - a Senator who has been active and is committed to serving and improving Atlasia.

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I am a member of the Federalist Party.

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Of course!

[windjammer]

I love "The Record-Courier".
Good luck GAworth!

[Oakvale]

Excellent work so far. I'll be reading with interest.

(I also can't imagine why you would but if I'm ever needed for comment or anything I have a long and shameless history of whoring myself to any and all media outlets so I'd be more than happy to )

[GAworth]

Excellent work so far. I'll be reading with interest.

(I also can't imagine why you would but if I'm ever needed for comment or anything I have a long and shameless history of whoring myself to any and all media outlets so I'd be more than happy to )

Duly noted. We always are looking for commentators.

[GAworth]

I love "The Record-Courier".
Good luck GAworth!

Thank you Archduke, I appreciate it!

[sentinel]

The King in the North is available for interviews as well.

#selfplug

[Oakvale]

The King in the North is available for interviews as well.

#selfplug

Yes. My ego has yet to recover from the fact that I was scheduled for an interview with someone a few months back and it never happened.

[GAworth]

The King in the North is available for interviews as well.

#selfplug

Yes. My ego has yet to recover from the fact that I was scheduled for an interview with someone a few months back and it never happened.

Well both of you are more than free to do a sit down with the paper. Or you can write an editorial if you wish.

[GAworth]

The Record-Courier

Serving the Midwest

Regional News

Midwest Rural Housing Bill makes progress

Introduced last session, it finally gets a vote.

Cheesewhiz, Vitality - After being carried over from the previous session, it appears that the bill sponsored by Representative GAworth has gone to a vote. The bill calls for the establishment of regionally constructed houses and retrofits of substandard houses. “I am glad to see the bill finally being voted on. I introduced this bill after going to the Native Atlasian communities in Vitality, where people are living in houses that are literally killing them. I am proud to see the progress being made on the bill,” Representative GAworth told us leaving the chamber after casting his vote.

Editorial: Rising up the Ladder

By LumineVonReuental.

Yes, another piece of opinion. Those who know me in this game know that I love giving my opinion even when it’s not necessary and said comments are unsolicited. But I love to do so anyway, so today I wanted to address some thoughts that are crossing my mind, from a strictly personal point of view. When Scott asked an open question in a new thread, the “Why are we here?” we managed to see varied answers. Some expressed discontent on partisanship, some said that Atlasia is not the same now, and some spoke about rising up the political ladder.

I won’t bore you with another resume of my political career, but I want to talk about my experience as a player. I entered Atlasia following Wolfentoad’s advice, and after twenty minutes as a Liberal I decided that it was better to be an independent until I could chose the party that suited my views best. I barely cared about national politics, and followed the Mideast only until June. When I moved to Midwest and I discovered the complexity of the Atlasian nation, I discovered that I had to do something other than try to win elections. I considered joining the Federalist party, but I decided that I liked the idea of fighting “in the wilderness” as an independent of in a small party, and I joined the Union of National Democrats and Civic Union for that very same reason.

I am a player who is willing to compromise because my beliefs in areas like economic policy are nowhere as strong as other player’s views, but my temperament makes it inevitable for me to take strong stands on issues I find vital, and I’m often partisan without meaning to, which means that I often break my own rules about trying to be neutral when I feel something is unjust. I rushed to make some comments last night for what I believed was injustice towards Flo and the Progressive Union, and while I commend some of the members here for their good natured attempt to be consistent with our laws, laws that Napoleon probably broke (or let’s be more open about it, laws he broke), I am still a little bit disappointed, for not all times law is followed as close and strict as last night. And I find that a little bit hypocritical, just as I am hypocritical when I speak of not being a hack and then rushing to make comments without thinking things through.

So, that brings up the question again, why am I here? Because it’s fun. When TNF displays his political arrogance (like Griffin did) he drives me insane, when we get flak as a party from both sides of the aisle it drives me insane, and when inactivity strikes and good ideas like regional reform  are killed thanks to members who are not committed enough to the office they fought for, well, that also drives me insane. But despite all the trouble, the fights, the comments and the chaos, I love fighting my way through this game, trying to rise up the political ladder that Maxwell mentioned until I eventually feel accomplished with my political record.

We say these are troubled times of bitter partisanship, of gridlock, boredom and a lack of faith in the game. And perhaps we are right. But Golden Ages are illusions of the past, a convenient lie created to modify history. I don’t know enough about past to say that there wasn’t a perfect period, but the simple exercise of reading the headlines of the Atlasian Post back in 2012 is a fascinating exercise. You see gridlock, bitter partisanship, boredom at the party system, a lack of faith in the system and the game itself, Napoleon trolling the system, yada, yada, yada. Perhaps, and just perhaps, we are not close to doom. We could be doing better (or rather, we should), but this game’s doomsday is not as close as we thought.
Staff Note: This article was only altered for formatting and no content was removed. The views of editorials do not necessarily represent the Papers view.[/size]

Is a shadow cabinet in the offing?

The Progressive Union toys with a shadow cabinet.

Rapid City, Vitality - Earlier this week, several members of the Progressive Union proposed reforms to the Party, in these included a refocusing of message and a shadow cabinet. The shadow cabinet will cover the positions of President, Vice President, Attorney General, Secretary of External Affairs, and possibly the Secretary of Internal Affairs, although the party currently holds that position. The main sponsor, the Midwest’s Governor Lumine gave us this statement:
“We often forget about the realities of the current administration to focus on perceptions, and that, along with a lack of information that affects the voters, create false realities. A Shadow Cabinet that is active and that is constantly proposing ideas in a constructive way (that is, not trying to go Spanish Inquisition on our government) can help inform voters, motivate the government to keep up the good work and help make the platform of the party more known and effective.
It also allows room for a certain “historical continuity”, in which former nominees can stay active after the election so the party has a clear line, thus giving us more solid and stable candidates that are not solely committed to elections, but committed to actual governance of Atlasia.”
On the focus or refocusing of the party, we talked to Representative GAworth, who laid the proposal in front of the party, “It is 5 ideas that several of us came together and agreed that this is what we should focus on, I hope the Party can get behind the proposal.” The five planks are, regional consolidation, a greener Atlasia, standing up for small business, decreasing unemployment, and fixing the wiki. The party has not taken up the proposals in any real way, dealing first with the Chairmanship. We will try to keep you updated as this develops.

At-Large Senate Debate begins

Outgoing Senator hosts a Town Hall styled Debate for Candidates.

Rapid City, Vitality - The Midwest’s own Senator Maxwell, who is retiring is holding a town hall styled debate in Savannah, GA for the candidates in the upcoming At-Large Election. So far Tmthforu94, Flo, Talleyrand, Mr. X have given opening statements. No other candidate has entered the debate. We look forward to the progression of the debate.

RG Fritz calls for the Senate seat to remain vacant.

Call comes amongst Progressives mulling over another appointment.

Rapid City, Vitality - RG Fritz said that with the scandal around whether the Progressive Union could appoint a Senator or not, the seat would remain vacant. With doubt around what party the former Senator Napoleon was a member of at his resignation has led to the Midwest based RG to rule the seat should stay vacant. This came as Progressive Union Chair PJ mulled over appointing another candidate for the Senate seat. SoIA Superique was the latest candidate for the seat. Questions that led to the RG confirming his decisions were originally raised by Midwest Representative GAworth, “One moment there was doubt around the appointment on legal ground, suddenly we see the all clear? Something is not adding up. I am glad the RG clarified this for us,” he told the paper. We will see if the seat will ever be filled before the end of the session.

President Duke announces revival of regional reform

Can it survive another go through the Senate?

Rapid City, Vitality - President Duke has announced another go at regional reform. Doubts are swirling whether an amendment can even make it out of the Senate. Just recently a similar measure failed due to three Senators not voting. No details on if it will be similar to the CARCA proposal. The President also said that as the month goes on, he will be more engaged in Atlasian politics.