The Mideast: Dead?

[PPT Spiral]

I'm dismayed to see it get as bad as it has. The decline in activity already started to become apparent during my term as governor, but it's a lot worse now with Riley, who's been rather inactive himself. To be honest I think I should have stayed in the Assembly and try to carry things along as Speaker instead of running for the Senate, so I'll be open in my regret there. I really don't know how we'll be able to reverse this trend anywhere in the short term. Part of what made the Mideast bustling in the past was that there was genuine conflict (like with last year's abortion law), but with the left having fled that's no longer really around either. With subpar officeholders and long-term vacancies, there's no incentive for anyone to motivate the people of the region, and that's disappointing.