The Independent Vice Presidential Debate

[Ban my account ffs!]

Thank you Yelnoc, a poster I have yet to get to know... as well as the Independent for sponsoring this debate!

I am fairly new and unknown in Atlasia, having been appointed to my spot as senator after Vice President Kalwejt had to vacate the seat for his VP duties.  In my short time, however, I believe that I have shown that I can be an effective leader as well as a bit of a policy wonk.

My focus in this campaign is going to be on policy, as well as conveying the message that an Oakvale/Snowguy administration would be open to every person's ideas.  Atlasia does not lack so much in policy as much as it does in a diversity of ideas.  I believe policy can be improved when we have the most ideas to work from.

As Vice President, I will work closely with the senate and encourage them to keep their focus on policy that will honor freedom and liberty, but also get Atlasians back to work by keeping them healthy, happy, and well educated.  Beyond that, an efficient means to get ideas and products to the marketplace is vital.

The policy of an Oakvale/Snowguy administration would focus on properly funding our schools and trying new things to keep Atlasian students the best in the world, ensuring that all Atlasians have easy access to their doctors and the medical treatments they need to stay independent and healthy without cutting corners, and improving our roads, rails, ports, and air infrastructure to speed the movement of products and people in our economy.  I would also support a policy that puts environmental conservation and good stewardship first.  I'd also support reforming the scientific research process to ensure that scientists aren't researching for the next grant.  Issues like climate change are much too important to have scientists looking for proof of preconceived notions in order to secure more grant money.  We need to make the process objective and restore integrity in our nation's research institutions so we can make the scientific process better.

I believe these four areas are key to improving Atlasia and making debate livelier and more exciting in a good way.

If you want Atlasia to be a place where all ideas have the opportunity for a fair hearing, where debate is lively and passionate, and where government simply "works", please vote Oakvale/Snowguy on election day.

As we say up here in the Northwoods,

Thanks a bunch.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Sorry for the very late response.  I see the other podiums are also empty, except for Ogis, who just showed up.    I guess the refreshment table was that good.

Regarding the China issue, I think it is very important to keep a good relationship with China.  The development of China and their prosperity will most certainly bring more freedom to the Chinese people, and that is something that Atlasia should support.

An Oakvale/Snowguy administration would work very hard to keep good relations with China while at the same time making our interests known.  The Chinese are just as aware as Atlasia the extremely negative consequences that would result for both nations as well as the global economy if they were to stop lending to us.  We need to work with the Chinese to make a fair deal that results in growth and opportunity in both nations.  I don't think China's willingness to lend to Atlasia is actually on the bargaining table at all when push comes to shove.  

With that said, I think it is important that we work to balance the budget in the medium term.  China will not feel nearly the pressure to stop lending to us if we have a plan in place to balance the budget, even if such a budget continues borrowing in the shorter term.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I think our ticket will look at the deficit as a secondary focus behind creating policies that put people to work.  If people are working and the economy is growing, that increases revenue on its own and helps to reduce the deficit by itself.

I believe as far as deficit reduction is concerned, the first thing you have to do is find what can be cut without hurting the most vulnerable in society or causing economic harm to Atlasia.  There is still plenty that could be reformed, consolidated, or cut to save money.  Beyond that, one must look at revenue increases.  Those increases should be progressive, taking mostly from those that can afford it.  At the same time, one must be prudent.  We don't want to punish success.  But I believe that properly funding the government and the services and programs it provides will lead to a healthier economy, which undoubtedly rewards the successful as well as everyone else.

Paying down the debt should be done as excess revenue comes in.  We should not be raising taxes or making cuts to spending simply to pay down the debt.  That will do nothing but hurt the economy.  Let us pay down the debt as we are able to and work first on balancing the budget so as to stop adding to the debt.

[Ban my account ffs!]

...

Isn't this thread for the VP candidates?

Snowguy posted in the P debate thread. I'm just stating something as an aside because allowing it to continue would be simple misinformation, the exact opposite of something a debate is supposed to provide. There are matters of fact around the deficit that are being ignored, and that shouldn't be.

Also, I'm glad that you, also a presidential candidate, didn't mind posting either, despite criticizing me of posting.

I'm not actually trying to engage in the political debate like you are, and neither was Snowguy. I say let the VP candidates debate here. If you have a point to make, make it in the Presidential candidates thread.

I wasn't participating in debate, I was making a factual point about the question being based on a false premise. Which it undeniably is.

And it's not your place to do that.  Let the debate moderator do so if he so wishes.  All I saw there was you butting into the debate to plug your own candidacy.

[Ban my account ffs!]

So let's leave it up to presidential candidate Marokai Blue to "correct" everybody in public by inserting himself into other debates that he is not a part of when people are "wrong", instead of bringing the issue up privately with the debate moderator. [/sarcasm]

Again, you coming in here and re-posting a talking point from your own presidential debate was wholly inappropriate.

[Ban my account ffs!]

So let's leave it up to presidential candidate Marokai Blue to "correct" everybody in public by inserting himself into other debates that he is not a part of when people are "wrong", instead of bringing the issue up privately with the debate moderator. [/sarcasm]

Again, you coming in here and re-posting a talking point from your own presidential debate was wholly inappropriate.

What I posted was information from the former Game Moderator, aka Game God, aka where the information we use in this game comes from and what we're all supposed to accept as truth. Don't shoot the messenger for correcting what is objectively wrong.

Your opinion on the matter of deficits is hardly "objective", considering you were the sponsor of the bill you highlighted when you decided to campaign in our debate thread. 

I'm not shooting the messenger here.  I'm just asking him to get the hell off of the stage during our debate.

[Ban my account ffs!]

You're right.  I shouldn't have posted in the presidential debate thread.  I was not, however, the only person who had suspicions of Marokai having advance knowledge of the debate questions.

[Ban my account ffs!]

You're right.  I shouldn't have posted in the presidential debate thread.  I was not, however, the only person who had suspicions of Marokai having advance knowledge of the debate questions.

LOL.

I know.  I eventually realized that that would be ridiculous.  So instead I realized that you typed up a quick response to the question and then added a bunch of pointless, irrelevant information about credit card reform legislation.  A visual charade of looking prepared.  Nothing more.

Let's move on.

[Ban my account ffs!]

New Member Recruitment
An Oakvale/Snowguy administration would not make off-site recruitment a main tenant of recruitment.  While the game needs more active members to remain fun and exciting, as Purple State said, it is best when these people find the game themselves. 

With that said, we need to work on changing our attitude towards new participants.  People should be welcomed kindly to Atlasia.  And to those that would simply join to be zombies or to troll:  Kill 'em with kindness.

Employment

I am skeptical that the federal government can be a catalyst for large employment gains.  The federal government can be a huge part in long term employment growth and provide stop-gap measures in economic recessions to stem the loss of jobs as well as provide resources for the jobless... but I just don't know that any employment scheme will have a major impact in the all-important medium-term.

What the federal government can do is give Atlasians the tools necessary to train for employment and create an environment that champions small business, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

I also believe that focusing major federal investment on infrastructure will help create jobs and make it easier for people to get their ideas and products to the marketplace.  Focusing on efficiencies that reduce our oil consumption and increase modes of transportation that don't rely on oil are key in promoting Atlasian growth.  While we don't know for sure when "peak oil" will come, it is curious that oil production only grew by a measly 0.2% between 2005 and 2008 despite a tripling in the price of oil and large rises in demand.  After the price crashed with the economy, the price is steadily rising right back up to where we were in early 2008 and the economy is in worse shape than we were then.

It is obvious that a serious effort to move away from oil is needed.  If the business community sees that we are making efforts to reduce overall transportation costs by developing alternatives, it will give them an incentive to hire here rather than somewhere else.

The challenge we face is obviously huge.  An Oakvale/Snowguy administration would push to lead Atlasia towards a more sustainable future that would bring not only prosperity, but much needed stability.

[Ban my account ffs!]

It's been a blast.