Official District 3 Debate

[MasterJedi]

1. What is your position on environment issues?

2. What's your stance on farm subsidies?

The voting is this Friday, don't know why the voting booth hasn't been made yet but it might have been, I haven't checked yet.

1. The environment should be protected and some safety measures should be taken with big companies but not so many that it hurts production of goods.

2. Smaller farms should be allowed more subsidies. Huge farms shouldn't really recieve any unless some large natural disaster cam through and major destroyed all their production capacity.

[they don't love you like i love you]

I support an opt out of Social Security. I'd also like to disqualify wealthy retirees from it. Social Security was intended as a safety net, not so that hard working 20something single mothers would have money ripped out of their paychecks so some typically six figure salary retirees can go on more Carribean cruises.

Taxes should be made more progressive. Cuts for the middle class and elimination for some of the lower brackets are a good idea. Businesses and the rich should bear the burden, and if increases are neccesary, that's where all should go.

The environment must be protected, but we must be sane about doing so. For example, some environmental regulations have made it almost impossible to build new factories. This means that old factories must still be used. These old factories are much less efficient than newer models, and just cause more pollution and waste which hurts the environment. Environmental protection is important, but reform is often needed.

Farm subsidies are a case by case scenario. There are many cases where small family owned ones need them to survive, and there are also cases where food production could be seriously hurt by problems on large corporate farms. But we must stop what amounts to simply corporate welfare and blatant handouts to big business.

[MasterJedi]

We need some new questions in here, anybody got any?

[ian]

The voting is this Friday, don't know why the voting booth hasn't been made yet but it might have been, I haven't checked yet.

I will not be here this weekend.  Memphis in May is coming!  So, early voting starts how and when?  Is it still allowed?

[MasterJedi]

The voting is this Friday, don't know why the voting booth hasn't been made yet but it might have been, I haven't checked yet.

I will not be here this weekend.  Memphis in May is coming!  So, early voting starts how and when?  Is it still allowed?

I think it is but I'm not sure who you would tell. Make a thread that says you won't be here and how you want to vote!

[George W. Hobbes]

Greetings my friends.

I apologize for my earlier absence, I was doing work in real life.

Now, on to the debate.

::drinks some water from the podium::

What is your personal opinion of Mike Naso?

I'll be frank, I don't really know him.  I'm not going to say anything fluttery or majestic about it in an attempt to glean some votes. 

I do know that he won his election to the Senate in a method that bypassed the will of the Atlasian people, and as a citizen of this district can only say that I am deeply gratified that he is gone and this district has the chance to elect a true tribune of the populi vox.

What is your opinion on the current Southeast crisis?

We need to have legislators in power who will respect the rule of law, period.  That's my personal editorial, and we if this had happened in the Southeast, we wouldn't be in that situation there.

In any event, I agree with Mr. Jedi...let's abide by the rules of the court and the law of the land of the United States of Atlasia, whether we agree with it or not.

If elected to the Senate, what will your actions be on the number of issues raised?

I'll vote my conscience and I'll follow the law.  Cut and dried.  You may not always like it, but I swear to almighty God, you will know where I stand.

Also, I'm not just going to sit idly by and watch the Senate debate on bills written by other senators.  I'm going to submit legislation to give the President a line-item veto, establish a national referenda through a constitutional amendment, stand up for a flat income tax, and so much more.

Give me a term of office, and we'll do great things together.

Which issues would you be most likely to vote against your party on?

This is the reason why I'm running as an Independent.  I don't want to have to deal with party politics and worrying about if I'm stepping on the toes of the people in power.

Pardon the expression, but screw that.  I'm going to vote my conscience and uphold the law...like it or lump it.

Social Security and taxes.

Let's face it, at the rate we're going, Social Security is gonna go bust.  In 2018 we're going to owe more than we can pay, and by 2042 it'll be bankrupt.  The only solution we have is to raise taxes or cut benefits.  Period.

I support a national sales tax of two percent to be implemented throughout Atlasia for the sole purpose of financing Social Security and Medicare (which, incidentally, is also headed off a cliff in 2013 or so).  It's a tough decision, but it's gotta be done.

On taxes, I support the two percent national sales tax to protect our most precious entitlements and a fair seventeen percent flat income tax to make life easier for all Americans and keep the system equitable.

That's my position, and I'll stick to it in the Senate,

[George W. Hobbes]

Environmental Issues

I support protecting our environment.  Not because of the global warming, or global freezing, or whatever the hell theory we have this week; but because I happen to think its a good thing to keep God's work around instead of paving paradise and putting up a parking lot.

I oppose drilling in ANWR and new offshore rigs.  I want to see the government pass bills that provide supply-side tax incentives for businesses to make environmentally friendly products and demand-side incentives for Atlasians to buy them.  With this system, we can rejuvenate Detriot by leveling the field so that a hybrid Ford is cheaper than a gas-guzzling Honda.

Farm Subsidies

I don't have a problem with the government helping out our fellow man.  Isn't that what the point is to government?  Make it so that every Atlasian can pursue the Atlasian dream and turn it into the Atlasian reality?

I sure think so, and I'll vote in favor of keeping subsidies in the Senate and expanding them as needed.

[George W. Hobbes]

Now, a question for my fellow candidates:

What's your position on abortion?

[they don't love you like i love you]

It's important that we keep abortion legal. However it is not neccesary to give the radical feminists everything they want just as it's not neccesary for the other side to give the ultra-religious right everything they want. I would oppose any abortion restrictions on the first trimester or where the mother's life may in danger. Otherwise I will support local autonomity on the issue.

[Peter]

I'm going to submit legislation to give the President a line-item veto

Interesting, he already has this power.

[George W. Hobbes]

Interesting, he already has this power.

Excuse the misspeak, I meant that I will fight to insure that the line-item veto is kept.

Abortion

Personally, I'm opposed to abortion, and I'm not gonna lie about the fact that I want to see it banned.  To say that a child is a child at six weeks, six months, or six years is splitting moral hairs that I don't want to answer for.  I'd rather error on the side of life.

On the other hand, I'm not just going to send women to the back-alleys.  As a Senator I will fight with every fiber of my body to pass a bill providing for government-sponsored pre-natal care for our poorest Atlasians as well insuring maternity leave.  No woman should have to choose between an abortion and carrying a child because she cannot afford to take it to term.

I know that statement's gonna cost me votes, but that's life.  If you're going to vote against me because of abortion, feel free to, that's your right.  I'm just trying to protect the rights of unborn children as well.

[2952-0-0]

Environmental Issues

The envirnment should be a top priority for all levels of government. It is possible and absolutely necessary that the government, businesses and the people work together. I will work for tax benefits for homeowners who, for example, use solar panels and purchase hybrid cars. Carpooling should be encouraged however that is a local issue. We should also develop renewable energy resources and give tax benefits to corporations who do so. I oppose any new oil drilling on protected lands like ANWR. Our district, which has seen decades of economic decay, will need new energy solutions to renew the economy.

Abortion
Abortion is a woman's right and I oppose any restrictions in the first two trimesters. If a woman decides to abort in the third trimester the the fetus must be considered as a prenatal birth.

Farm Subsidies

Is it not true that, as Atlasia continues its urbanization that politicians are ignoring rural issues? We need to support our farmers by thinking outside the box, for example by exploring new markets abroad. However we do have to recognize how farmers in third-world countries are suffering because they simply cannot compete with heavily subsidized producers like in Atlasia. It should be an important part of our foreign policy too.


This brings us to our next question: What do you think about Atlasia's foreign policy?

[George W. Hobbes]

Foreign Policy

In the interest of presenting a united face to the world, as a senator I will support President Alcon's foreign policy proposals to the hilt, unless he crosses major moral lines that I cannot imagine an Atlasian President going over, like genocide for example.

I may have my own views on foreign policy, and they may disagree with the administration's from case to case, but I believe it is best if our enemies do not see us quibbling over foreign policy, lest they use our divisions to their advantage and conquer us.

[2952-0-0]

I would like to ask Mr. Hobbes his reason for carpetbagging.

[Joe Republic]

I would like to ask Mr. Hobbes his reason for carpetbagging.

I would too.