Pacific Legislative Council debate

[Simfan34]

First question: What would be your chief priority if elected?

[Simfan34]

?

[Fed. Pac. Chairman Devin]

My first priority as a Councillor would be to achieve a balanced budget, while still reducing taxes.

[Spamage]

The Pacific is in desperate need of an active Council session, and maintaining activity will be my chief priority if I am elected. Too often in the past has the Council been bogged down by the absence or lack of commitment of one member, something which is deadly in an assembly of only three, but I believe with one successful and entirely active session this can be changed and a new precedent can be created.

[Intell]

My Priority in the Pacific is to reform the Pacific legislature so that councillors are more active and attententive in their work as councillor. I would reform the legislature so, there is increased public interaction in the bills put forth by the council and the people in the Pacific are more informed and engaged in the political process.

[Türkisblau]

Thank you for hosting this debate, Governor.

My first priority, if reelected as councilor, will be to provide the leadership necessary to continue on with what the council has accomplished under my speakership so far. We have reformed education, passed urgent farm aid, supported the right to life, and attempted to provide necessary environmental reforms. I will continue to craft legislation and attentively give care to the duties of the office that I hope to attain.

[Barnes]

Governor, may citizens pose questions to the distinguished candidates?

[Simfan34]

Governor, may citizens pose questions to the distinguished candidates?

Sure.

[Barnes]

I'll propose the following two questions which are open for all of the candidates to answer.

1.  What proposals do you plan to introduce, or to give your support to, that would increase the direct relationship between programs of the federal government and federal offices with those of the region?  Along with that, what proposals do you plan to introduce or support which would increase activity and cooperation between the Pacific and the other regions?

2.  Debates over activity within this region seems to be a near perennial issue.  Is this an intractable conundrum that will plague the Pacific into the future, or are there concrete efforts that can be made to increase citizen participation and interest?

[Fed. Pac. Chairman Devin]

I'll propose the following two questions which are open for all of the candidates to answer.

1.  What proposals do you plan to introduce, or to give your support to, that would increase the direct relationship between programs of the federal government and federal offices with those of the region?  Along with that, what proposals do you plan to introduce or support which would increase activity and cooperation between the Pacific and the other regions?

2.  Debates over activity within this region seems to be a near perennial issue.  Is this an intractable conundrum that will plague the Pacific into the future, or are there concrete efforts that can be made to increase citizen participation and interest?

1. I do not currently have any proposals in this area.
2. In order to increase citizen interest, I suggest new rules requiring Councillors to post at least once a week. Furthermore we should follow the lead of the senate, and pass legislation forbidding office holders from running for their unfinished term.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

I have only this to say: only the Transcendental Democrats have the solutions that this region needs. I will continue to pursue our pro-jobs and pro-investment agenda if re-elected. All else is irrelevant.

[Spamage]

1. I have no proposals for increasing the relationship between the Federal government and the region, but I do have several ideas on inter-regional communication and cooperation. If elected to the Council I would like to see C.A.R.E. revived and perhaps the founding of a similar organization for all of the regional assemblies. Coordination and cooperation between the various regions is not only a way to be more effective in making and enforcing various regional laws, but also a way to foster positive inter-regional relationships.

2. To some extent I would argue the inactivity levels within the region are sometimes exaggerated. When I first took office as governor, my predecessor had been entirely inactive and not a single bill had been passed and we've come a long way since then by establishing the Pacific Council, a new Constitution, and getting closer to twenty different legislative sessions. Activity is not solely passing laws though, but it is instead everything ranging from this very debate to voting itself and I believe the fact there are five candidates running shows that this regions level of activity is on the upswing. We should capitalize on this and as Councillor I'd consider adding seats to the Council in order to ensure that people do not get discouraged after attempting to win office. We all want what's best for the region, and I think together we can bring real improvements to it.

I believe that the stain of inactivity can be removed once and for all, as the Midwest has shown us, if we are diligent in our offices and work together to solve the problems facing our region. Even so, the threat of inactivity itself will always remain and we must elect officeholders who we know will be both active and involved in our regional affairs, and not absent.

[Türkisblau]

Thank you Barnes for providing us with very pertinent questions.

1. As with my colleagues, I have not made any solid proposals on that front. I have been concerned, recently, with the prosecution of Tyrion by federal authorities and agree with Governor Simfan34 that we need to take a look at the jurisdiction of the case. The Civil Rights Act of 2014 has some sections that I believe to be within the realm of the regions rather than the federal government of Atlasia. We need to coordinate while at the same staying weary of keeping all the powers that should be our region's with our region. This is an avenue that I am hoping on working on in the next council.

2. The Council has been remarkably active lately. While I have been on the council we have passed an upwards of 8 and debated over 12 pieces of legislation and amendments. It is my strong belief that things are changing for the better, and along with my opposition to the creation of the useless office of Lieutenant Governor, I am opposed to the creation of anymore offices in the Pacific in the near future. We have five candidates which means that only 3 of us are going to make it in; this is how democratic elections work and I don't see the point in making these non-competitive. We need a real  election season with an exchanging of ideas to get people interested and talking about what is important to them. This will create a much better environment in the Pacific.

I would also like to point out my strong record of activity and upholding activity. I have introduced 4 bills, participated in debate on every bill introduced, and only missed one vote in my first term (none in my tenure as Speaker). As Speaker, I have sent a PM to each Gully and Paleo every time a vote has started and notified the Governor each time a development occurred. The inactivity of Paleo was out of my control, and was remedied after repeated PMs with an expulsion from the Council. I will remain on this hard-line and attentive path if I am to be Speaker in the next Council.

[Intell]

1. Along with my colleagues, I have not made any proposals on that topic. However, I sincerely believe in a specific religion to uphold the law without federal intervention. However, I will not support this right if it takes away the right of a person's individual liberty. If elected, in council I would propose bill which would create a program to increase talks between the federal and regional government in which the regional government not just of the pacific but of all regions have more say in federal issues. 

2. While I certainly commend and applaud the work of Spamage and Turbiksblau in their role in the pacific council and how they worked in their respective periods to get the council more active and efficent.  However I  personally (unlike them) believe that the Council is as active as it could be and is still frequently inactive. . In the Pacific Council there still looms inactivity with frequently none or just one person voting on a bill out of the council, I believe that inactivity still remains a big problem in the pacific government. I would concentrate to reform the Pacific Council so that, councils are more active, citizens of the Pacific are more engaged and there is more increased transparency with the inactivity of councillors.
 
Thank you,
Intell