Siren's Senate Office (Virginia City, NV): Thanks for all the Fish

[Anna Komnene]

Hola and welcome to my new campaign office in the beautiful town of Arecibo, Puerto Rico.  With beautiful forests and vistas, cathedrals, and the largest radio telescope in the world, it is fondly known as El Diamante Del Norte.  With your help, it will soon also be the diamond of the south!  Help yourself to fruit punch and sweet potato cakes with coconut while your here.  Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you'll consider me when it comes time for the election.

As you probably guessed, I'm writing this to announce my candidacy for the upcoming Southern Senate race!

Some of you might remember be from my time in Atlasia a few years ago, especially in the Mideast region.  For others, we don't know each other yet, but I hope we can get to know each other real soon.  Here's a bit about me.  I spent two terms in a very interesting and active Mideast Assembly and defended voting rights as counsel for a regional court case, Inks.LWC v. Mideast Region.  I also ran for Senate and Governor, was briefly Chair of a party called the Progressive Union, and I helped pass a constitution for the Pacific region.  It's been a while since I've been active here, and a lot has changed.  I've changed too, though most of my core values are the same: love and respect for all people, recognizing and cherishing cultural differences, while at the same time respecting universal human rights and dignity.

This is a new and exciting time for Atlasia.  With the new constitution and legislation wipe, it opens up the opportunity for all kinds of policies, but it also makes it all the more important that we have legislators that come at things from unique perspectives.  I think I can do that.  Here are some things I'd like to do if you elect me your Senator.

• Give a voice to vulnerable communities:  Helping people that have experienced hardship is very important to me.  Everyone deserves love and respect and a chance to reach their dreams.  Did you know there are 38 Native American tribes in Oklahoma, including the Cherokee and Choctaw?  Their story has been a sad one for too long in Atlasian history.  I want to change that with policies that keep their struggles in mind.  Immigrant families need protection too, whether it's helping good people come out of the shadows with a humane immigration policy or fighting against cultural relativism in domestic violence and police conduct.  Lastly, as a lesbian, I understand many of the issues that the LGBT community faces all too well.  Marriage equality is great, but it's not enough.  We need laws that ensure all people are treated with dignity and respect and help us live happy and productive lives without fear of bullying.
• Protect the Environment:  It's clear that without strong regulation, capitalism will run roughshod over our environment.  We need to protect our national parks, forests, and wildlife, so that everyone can continue enjoying what a wonderful place the Earth can be for centuries to come.  We also need to develop green energy to ensure that we don't continue polluting the Earth with unsustainable and dirty energy practices.
• Preserve our Culture:  Whether it's art, science, or history museums, protecting and preserving our heritage is very important to me (and something that I find people tend not to legislate on enough!)  We need more museums and they need more funding.  I think this goes hand in hand with my first point.  How will anyone be equal if people don't understand each other?
• Always be Open to Pragmatic Solutions:  Nobody likes the gridlock in the US Congress, so why should we bring that kind of politics to Atlasia?  I'm not going to compromise my core principles, but I also understand how much effort people put into proposing new bills.  Nothing is more frustrating than spending hours on a bill only to have it shot down by petty partisanship or blatant trolling.  I will try to do my best to find a way to support legislation, if at all possible!

[Anna Komnene]

Thanks for the warm welcome and endorsements everyone!  It's not going to be easy, but with all your help, I know we can do it.

Good to see you return. While we may disagree on many issues I believe we can find common ground to secure and maintain the rights of all Atlasians. As someone who has a degree of Cherokee blood (so does my soon to be bride) I also want to see Native Atlasians treated with the dignity deserved by all of mankind.

It's good to see you again too JCL.  Congrats on your engagement!  You must be really excited.  Thanks for reminding me that I should call them Native Atlasians.    I think one of the things that's great about this game for anyone that's ever elected to office is you really learn that you have more in common with people than you might think.  Just have to think outside the box.

[Anna Komnene]

I wanted to say a few words about the terrible tragedy that happened in Orlando.  My heart goes out to the victims, all of their family and friends, and the people that might be feeling less safe after the incident.  It's awful that things like this still happen in our society.  

While there might be legislation that the Senate wants to take up in response to this tragedy, that's not what I want to talk about today.  I believe that the best way we can respond to this tragedy and to honor the victims, is to do everything we can to make sure the world is a more loving and friendly place for all people.  It's on us to make that happen.  Sometimes that means thinking about the feelings of others before we speak.  Sometimes it means standing up when you see someone being bullied or belittled for their sexuality, gender, or the color of their skin.  It can be scary to take a stand against hatred and discrimination, but as more and more people stand up, the safer and happier we will be.  If enough of us choose love and stand up against the hate, one day we might be lucky enough to live in a world without fear - or at least come as close to that ideal as we can.

I also wanted to say that if anyone is feeling bad about what happened and want to talk about it, my PM box is open.  I'm definitely not a trained counselor or anything, but I'm always willing to listen.

[Anna Komnene]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to thank everyone who voted for me and supported me during the campaign and also to congratulate Senator Pingvin on his win. 

We didn't win this time, but at least we had a competitive and interesting election.  I focused on the issues that are most important to me, and have no regrets about that!  Atlasia is always best when we love and respect all of the people that live here, no matter what background they have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g9poWKKpbU   

[Anna Komnene]

Hey y'all.  As you might've noticed, I'm running for Southern Legislature.  I just ran for Senate a week ago, so I think you all know what I stand for.  We'll have a break from all these elections soon, I promise.  

If you feel like going out to vote for someone, have at it.  We've got ferries, bikes, busses, and hiking trails to the voting booth.

Meanwhile, enjoy a live performance from my favorite band The Pretty Reckless, who's joined me here in Puerto Rico!  Beware, clicking this link may cause you to want to rock out.

I just have one more thing to add.  Be whoever the f[inks] you want, and never let anyone tell you otherwise.

[Anna Komnene]

Hey all,

I thought I'd give a quick update on how things are going.  Earlier this session, I was happy to introduce and help pass a bill to create a comprehensive, multidisciplinary task force to combat human trafficking in the South and in the world.  This issue is very important to me.  I campaigned on helping the voiceless.  Well, victims of forced labor and sexual slavery are some of the most voiceless people you can imagine.  I was proud to do what little I can to help eradicate this practice from the world by both punishing people that support it, educating people that don't know, and most importantly, assisting victims.

Today, I was proud to introduce my next bill, the Respecting and Preserving Native Atlasian Culture Act.  I campaigned on this for the Senate, so I thought why not try it here in the South.  We have a strong Native Atlasian heritage throughout many places here, after all.  In the past, I think our approach this issue has been too symbolic, which is why I designed my bill around some of the things that I know are very important to many Native Atlasian tribes.  Respecting and honoring Native Atlasian spiritual traditions, ensuring we remember history by completing a museum that has been under construction for over 20 years, and taking steps to save languages that are rapidly disappearing before our eyes.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns or have any issues that are really important to you, feel free to let me know.  My office here in Arecibo is always open.  Just remember to take a coconut pastry on your way out.  My staff and I don't want to eat them all!

[Anna Komnene]

Congratulations on your promotion of speakership

Thanks!  It's a lot of work, but someone has to do it. 

[Anna Komnene]

Hi Kingpoleon.  Thanks for letting me know.  I admit I haven't heard about this before, and I'm not quite sure what you mean.  Can be you a little more specific?

[Anna Komnene]

Hi Kingpoleon.  Thanks for letting me know.  I admit I haven't heard about this before, and I'm not quite sure what you mean.  Can be you a little more specific?

I have relatives who were in the foster system. They had a child for two years who would normally be eligible for adoption. However, the tribe in the Northwest had the rights to him, and he was brought there by his grandparents.

His mother is a known drunk who frequently throws bottles, chairs, and etc. at her parents' house, where the child is. However, after the tribal judge ruled she could never have custody of her child, she just went to the local judge. The local judge did not research for any previous trials and granted unsupervised custody to her every weekend. Now the child is endangered every weekend simply because your regional human services department, which also is apparently unbeliably slow and inefficient, has little to no authority over tribes or Native Atlasians and their children.

Wow, that sounds like a terrible situation.  I'm sorry to hear about it, and I hope the child will be safe.  I don't know the details, but the way you describe it, it sounds like more a case of the local judge being incompetent.  As far as I'm aware, the tribal judge should have had exclusive jurisdiction according to the Indian Child Welfare Act.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure that there's much I can do about it in the regional legislature since relations with tribes are a federal issue.  Anyway, I hope it works out for the child.

[Anna Komnene]

I would just like to say big congratulations to Monica Puig for winning Puerto Rico's first ever gold medal at the Olympics.  It's so great to see so much happiness in Puerto Rico after so many recent hardships.

¡Si Se Puede!

¡ESO ES PUIGÑETA!

PicaPower!

[Anna Komnene]

Hey y'all,

Just a quick update on what I'm doing in the chamber of delegates.  Yesterday, I introduced the Honoring Service to Atlasia Act.  This act has two main goals.  First is helping veterans transition into the workforce.  By coordinating with the military and adjusting requirements for public employment licenses and certificates, it will go a long way to making it easier for veterans to find jobs.  After all, they work their butts off in the service learning different trades and skills.  Regional bureaucracies should recognize that work.  The second part of the act is simply a reward for the service and sacrifice that they endure by giving free access to regional parks and museums.  Regional parks, especially, are a great way to unwind away from the stresses of society and appreciate the beauty of nature.  IMO, it's only fair that veterans can enjoy these places free of charge after everything they've sacrificed for the country.

As some of you may know, the armed forces and foreign policy are very important to me.  Having to watch one of my closest friends go to the middle east when I was a teenager, thinking about her all the time, and then finding out the only reason she was even there was because President Bush lied to the world about WMDs is probably the biggest thing that radicalized me and got me into politics.  There's a lot of veterans issues that might be more pressing than the bill I'm proposing, but most of them have to do with reforming the VA.  I still think this bill can go along way to improving the lives of  veterans in the South, so I hope we can pass it.

There's still about a month to go in the term with a lot of work to do.  Passing the budget and getting work done on several bills that are currently on the floor.  I most likely will not be running for re-election, but I'm committed to getting this work done.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to share them and take a sweet potato pastry on your way out!

Here's the bill for reference:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Anna Komnene]

Hi Southerners,

I just thought I'd take a quick moment to remind you that the next election for the Chamber of Delegates is in about 2 and a half weeks!  Citizens new and old, I hope you'll consider running a campaign for office.  If you're new or just never got a chance to try holding elected office yet, it's a pretty cool experience to try to come up with legislation that you think will help people but at the same time have a chance to pass in the Chamber.  It can be a challenge, but that's what makes it interesting.  If you're a retired Atlasian veteran, I encourage you to jump back into the fray too.  Every legislative session truly is pretty different depending on the people you get a chance to work with, so I think it can be pretty worthwhile even if you think you've seen it all.  If you have the time, it can be pretty rewarding, so take a few minutes to think it over.

Peace.

[Anna Komnene]

Hola everyone,

I just want to announce that I'm officially not running for re-election.  It's been an honor serving you in the Chamber over the past 3 months.  I feel like we've accomplished some great things, everything from combating human trafficking and helping ensure veterans are eligible for the jobs they're qualified for, to ending the war on marijuana, helping people get back to work, protecting religious freedom, confirming a Supreme Court Justice, and even giving the legislature an interesting name!

There's still much to do, but I'm not the one to do it at this time.  I encourage you to write yourself in if you're interested in giving regional politics a try. 

[Anna Komnene]

You were a good Speaker, Ms. Siren

Shame to see you go. It was great to serve with you.

Thanks.  It was fun serving with both of you.  Good luck in your federal careers!

[Anna Komnene]

I look forward to your future endeavors.


The South was well served by having such a good Speaker at a critical juncture post reform.

Thanks Yankee.  That means a lot coming from you!  

I was pretty surprised to even be nominated, tbh, but I'm glad I was.  It was an interesting and enlightening experience.  I did my best.  Would definitely recommend others give it a try.

[Anna Komnene]

Sorry to hear this - the South has definitely benefited from having you as Speaker. I wish you the best.

Thanks tmth; you too in the Senate.

Will you stay active in Atlasia?

You could be the first female President.

I'm planning to stick around but not too sure what I'll do yet.  And wow!  What an idea!  I don't really think anyone would vote for me, but ya never know!

"#I'mWithHer"?

We only have the best campaign slogans in this office. 

[Anna Komnene]

Peace, Love, Prosperity

Hola mis amigos, hello my friends.  I'm here today to announce my campaign for election to the House of Representatives.  Since I was appointed a few weeks ago, I've done my best to be an independent voice and to bring a different kind of perspective to debates.  I like to think of myself as compassionate first and pragmatic second.  I'm sure some of you disagree!  But that's what I promise to continue to do if you elect me your representative.  

I think we need that independent voice more than ever.  I'm very concerned that there seems to be a bipartisan consensus among our elected representatives in favor of costly and dangerous war efforts in the Middle East and Asia.  We finally pressure the government to get us out of Iraq, and now they want to send us back?  No way!  I am opposed to that.  I believe very strongly in a restrained foreign policy that focuses on diplomatic solutions and only to use war as a last resort.  Our men and women in uniform are amazing people and precious.  I'm lucky enough to call some of them my friends.  I appreciate all that they do, and I don't want to see us send them into harm's way unless absolutely necessary.  I also believe in taking care of our troops when they come home.  That's why I authored and passed a bill in the Southern Chamber of Delegates to help veterans find work in the public sector and allow them to attend regional parks free of charge, and I'd like to do more to improve the lives of veterans in the House.

I also want to continue fighting for those of us who tend to get ignored by the government, the poor, immigrants, Native people, minority religious groups, and many, many more.  I want to keep taxes low for the poor and make sure the wealthiest of us pay their fair share.  I want to see people be able to live happy, fulfilling lives, no matter where they come from or what they believe.  I want to see people respected, cherished, and valued and ensure that those things are emblematic in our nation's public policy.  Things like making sure everyone gets a quality education, are free to love whomever they like, and are free to worship whatever they believe, no matter how big or small the religion may be.  

I also believe strongly that we have a duty to protect nature, both for the beauty it provides us and for the resources it gives us that sustain us and help us survive.  Ensuring healthy forests doesn't just help trees.  It helps people and industry, providing food and shelter that would shrivel up without quality protection.  Don't believe me?  Just look at a place with full of pollution for years.  It's a disaster.  I've lived in China and I know what it's like to feel pollution in the air, getting particles in my nose and having to take a shower just to get clean when it rains.  I don't want to see that happen in Atlasia.  I want us to be responsible stewards that cherish the gifts that have been given to us, and I know we can do it!  It just takes a little effort.

I hope you'll consider me for your first preference on election day. A little love goes a long way. We can do it together.

[Anna Komnene]

Thanks for all the endorsements and support.  Now let's get out the vote tonight!

[Anna Komnene]

Gracias Atlasia!  We've officially won election to the House.  Thank you to everyone who voted for me (I see you PRO friends ).  Congratulations to everyone else who won election.  If you didn't win, I know how you feel.  I've lost more elections than I can count in this game, but if you keep trying, eventually you might succeed.  

I'm looking forward to another great term of standing up for the weak and defenseless.  As always, feel free to let me know if you have any questions or requests.  Friends are always welcome in Puerto Rico.

[Anna Komnene]

Thanks for the congrats everyone!

Normally I'd be an enthusiastic supporter, but the "love" part makes it impossible for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC99JhQq-3w

[Anna Komnene]

It's just because I care!  You could freeze to death with all that coldness.

[Anna Komnene]

Hola everyone!

I've been hard at work ever since you gave me the honor of representing you in the House last election.  I've sponsored several bills and contributed amendments and debate to many others.  The hallmark of my governing philosophy is compassionate prudence.  I'll continue to keep that in mind on all the issues from poverty, criminal justice, cultural landmarks, the environment, and many more if you re-elect me for another term.  I hope you'll take a look at my tacky campaign brochure and consider giving me your first preference in the upcoming election.  Muchas gracias mis amigos!

• A fighter that's determined to get things done:  This session I decided to take on the tough challenge of immigration reform.  Looking back in Atlasian history, immigration seems to be one of the under-legislated topics probably because it's so hard to get it right.  I admit I was intimidated at first, but I didn't let that stop me.  Once I sponsored the bill in the House, I worked together with representative and senators from all sides of the aisle to make it as best a bill as I could.  Today, I'm happy to announce that it has enough votes to pass the House with bipartisan support!  There's still work to do in the Senate, but I'm optimistic.  We're one step closer to an Atlasia for everyone.  An Atlasia where we won't have to worry any longer about our friends hiding, wilting away in the shadows.  They can come out into the Sun and flourish with the rest of us like a field of exotic wildflowers.  It's about time!
• Putting the service back in public service  Atlasia is best when we all work together.  Here's something that politicians will rarely tell you.  They don't know all the answers or have a solution to every problem.  I definitely don't!  That's why I think it's important to try to get ideas from anyone who wants to contribute.  I recently sponsored two constitutional amendments proposed by Atlasian citizens in the House.  One is Virginia's idea to clarify electoral rights in the constitution and the other gives Atlasians protection from being conscripted against their will or punished unjustly supported by Jbrase and evergreen.  These are exactly the kind of contributions we need and I'll definitely be on the look out for more good ideas to sponsor for you in the House.
• Keeping history in mind! I try to take every bill that comes to the floor as seriously as I can and contribute to debate if I have something to offer.  When we had a debate about the gas tax, I thought to myself, why do we even have this?  I learned that it's been historically used to fund the federal highway system, so I made sure that much of those funds were allocated to do that.  I think the goal of any representative should be to make policy that works, not just achieve some partisan goals.  History is a great way to get ideas.  It also helps make sure we don't keep repeating mistakes of the past, and I learn something along the way.  Win-win!
• My loyalty is to you!:  And to people in general.  Lots of people often try to recruit me to join various parties, but I'm still independent.  I don't care about parties, platforms, and cliques.  I don't worry about if a party will support me or not if I vote a certain way.  I care about you!  I care about good policy.  I care about people.  I care about the world and making it a better place not just for us, but for the many generations of people who will come after us.  If that means working together with one party or the other, it doesn't bother me.  We're all in this together, and the vaunted founding fathers hated parties anyway!

[Anna Komnene]

You guys are too nice to me!  Thanks for the endorsements and comments.

[Anna Komnene]

I'd like to take a break from my whirlwind House campaign here in the beautiful city of New Orleans, Louisiana.  As you might have noticed, it's a busy election season here in the South.  We just recently had a special Senate election, we have the House election coming up this weekend and also another Senate election.  I'm excited today to officially announce my campaign to be the honorable Senator from the South in addition to my campaign for the House. 

Now you might ask, why am I running for Senate when I just announced my campaign for House the other day.  Good question!  Ideally, I wouldn't run for two offices at the same time, but I think it's important for everyone to have a choice on election day.  Like I said in my campaign brochure that you might have seen (we have free brochures if you haven't - they're recycable!), I want to put the service back in public service.  That means you get to decide where I serve you.  You can put me in the Senate, the House, or you can kick me right out of both.  Your choice!  If I'm elected to the Senate and House, I will resign my House seat so someone else can serve there.

I also want to make another very special announcement today.  That is that my next major project in either the House or the Senate will be to introduce legislation to curtail food waste and incentivize large supermarkets to donate their excess food to food banks and charities that feed the poor and homeless.  While it may not be enshrined in the constitution, I believe that food is an inalienable human right.  It's a tragedy that billions of tons of perfectly good food is wasted every year in Atlasia when it wouldn't be that hard to donate that food to charities that will help feed hungry people. I hope you will join with me on this campaign and together we can help put an end to hunger in Atlasia.  Because we should never let our friends and neighbors go hungry if we can help it.

[Anna Komnene]

Yay, another competitive election in the Active South!

Good luck, Siren!

Thanks!  Good luck to you too Mr. Speaker.