Vice Presidential Debate from Austin, Texas

[The Duke]

Welcome to the University of Texas here in Austin for the Vice Presidential Debate.  I'm your moderator, Lois Lane, and I thank you all for joining me here.  My thanks to the candidates.  I welcome John Dibble of Georgia, Emsworth of Nevada, WMS of New Mexico, Ebowed of South Carolina, MHS2002 of Virginia, and Ernest of South Carolina.

My first question is to each of you, and its an obvious one.  What do you think the role of a Vice President in our system, and how do you as an individual hope to approach the position if elected to it?

[The Duke]

As you all know, we face a budget deficit in Atlasia that must, under our Constitution, be cut.  How should we go about doing this?

[The Duke]

As you all know, we face a budget deficit in Atlasia that must, under our Constitution, be cut.  How should we go about doing this?

There are several ways that we can achieve this goal, while still having room for other expensive projects.  Persuing the decriminalization of possession of hard drugs is one way; targetting the dealers or ending the 'war on drugs' period would empty jails (meaning that the government no longer has to pay for prisoners' clothes, food, and other living expenses).  Cleaning up the education spending by gutting unncessesary and expensive high stakes standardized tests, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per question on each test, and eliminating extra and inefficient posts in the school system would allow for teacher salary raises, and provide more money for other projects.  If money is managed responsibly, you can achieve great things without worrying about a deficit.

I have ton interject, but Federal prisons and the costs of the NCLB program (which is the only Federal standardized test system I'm aware of) accounts for only a fraction of the needed budget cuts.  Where would the rest of the money come from?

[The Duke]

Now would be the time for a closing statement, thank oyu all for attending.

[The Duke]

Thank you all for attending, and best of luck.  This debate is adjourned.

[The Duke]

Don't tell me that this debate is adjourned.  I paid for this microphone!

Since the election has begun... well, if the roadies don't mind, and the union don't mind, then we'll take a little time just to leave it all behind and hope that Jackson Browne doesn't sue me.