Office of Governor MAS117

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I would just like to say that I strongly, strongly, strongly suggest you hold a special election.

Regardless of what you decide, however, I wish you the best of luck in the new job.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I'd have prefered to have seen a special election, but I cannot complain about the appointments—all solid choices.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I'm assuming that Governors and Lt. Governors are elected separately?

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Out of curiosity, have you announced in the official thread?  I couldn't find the announcement in there, though it's possible I may have missed it.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Out of curiosity, have you announced in the official thread?  I couldn't find the announcement in there, though it's possible I may have missed it.

In the props thread? No, I didn't. I just posted a message saying look here.

No, in the Candidate Announcement Thread.  I meant, "have you announced for Governor in the official thread?"

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Out of curiosity, have you announced in the official thread?  I couldn't find the announcement in there, though it's possible I may have missed it.

In the props thread? No, I didn't. I just posted a message saying look here.

No, in the Candidate Announcement Thread.  I meant, "have you announced for Governor in the official thread?"

Hmm, good question. I just declared again, I don't remember if I did it or not.

Good.  I wanted to endorse you, but I also wanted to wait until you actually declared.

So.

[ENDORSED]

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Statement from the Governor
I believe that the Death Penalty Abolition Bill is wrong. I a supporter of the Death Penalty and do not wish to overturn it. While I advocate a rare use of the measure, it is needed for the most heinous crimes committed.

While I hesitate to applaud something as serious and morally troubling as the death penalty, I think the Governor made the correct choice here, and I support him in his controversial veto.

Judging by the vote totals of the Northeast Regional Assembly, it does not appear that there is enough support for an override of the veto at this time.  I would encourage supporters of a death penalty ban to focus their support on creating limitations to the use of the death penalty.

A good place to start may be the "Romney" plan which the former Governor of Massachusetts tried to introduce, which places strict, scientific-based requirements on the death penalty:

• Limit the use of the death penalty for terrorist acts, murders involving torture, the killing of active duty law enforcement officers, and murder sprees,
• A switch from "beyond a reasonable doubt" to "no doubt" for death penalty cases,
• Allows for jurors who do not support the death penalty to serve in death penalty cases,
• Defendants under 18 and those who are "mentally ill" may not be prosecuted under the death penalty,
• Jurors must find that there is ''conclusive evidence" reaching a ''high level of scientific certainty" linking the defendant to the crime scene, the murder weapon, or the victim's body before a death sentence can be imposed. This evidence may include DNA evidence, footwear impressions, fingerprints, ballistics, and photographs.

In addition, I thank the Governor for signing into law part of my Health Insurance Option Restoration Act.  I do respectfully disagree with the line item veto, but I will not seek its override.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Statement from the Governor
I believe that the Death Penalty Abolition Bill is wrong. I a supporter of the Death Penalty and do not wish to overturn it. While I advocate a rare use of the measure, it is needed for the most heinous crimes committed.

While I hesitate to applaud something as serious and morally troubling as the death penalty, I think the Governor made the correct choice here, and I support him in his controversial veto.

Excuse me Mr. Moderate, I was not trying to applaud the death penalty. My word choice there was terrible. What I meant to convey was that I think it is necessary for the most serious of crimes, and that it must be kept on the table as at least an option.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were.  I was just trying to say that I personally did not want to show too much support to the practice that I view as a necessary evil.

Indeed, I'll introduce a set of strict death penalty guidelines in time for the next Assembly session.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I would just like to state that I am against all of the current legislation up this month in the Northeast. While in general I am not opposed to the metric bill, I feel that this is something that can not be done on a region to region basis. I would urge Senator Verily to introduce this in the Senate, in which case I will gladly support it.

So, if I understand correctly, it would all be useless to propose it and pass them because you'd veto them anyway...

Unless you think support could reach 2/3.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I would like to take a moment to announce my support of the Governor's planned veto of the Metric System bill should it pass.

While a good intentioned bill, there is no need to legislate public acceptance of the metric system—a system of measurement that the public has been loathe to accept in the past.  It will cause a good deal of expense for industry to accomodate to government standards.

As someone with an engineering background, the fact that the metric system is easier to work with than the customary system is not lost on me.  But honestly, this bill is forcing the public to go through a whole bunch of inconvienence for very little, if any, gain.

Let the free market do its job here.  If the metric system was deemed to be superior by the public of Atlasia, there'd be absolutely no need for this bill.  If people prefer their speed limit signs in miles per hour, their furnaces rated in BTUs, and their temperatures given in Fahrenheit, then that's fine with me.  I'm not going to try to force them to think differently.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Although I am not in the region, I want to say something about the metric system bill:

Is it even legal?  Think about, it disturbs interstate commerce if the other 4 regions are still using the customary system.  While an awful idea put forth and supported by mostly people who in real-life reside outside the border of the United States, it seems if this is to be dealt with at all, it should be at the federal level only.

Well holy crap...I have similar concerns myself.

That in no way means the bill is per se unconstitutional, however, I'm sure arguments for both sides can be made.

I eagerly await a court battle.

Hopefully the inconsistency won't last too long as we have a Metric System Bill on the docket in the Senate (sponsored by myself).

It's important to note that the current bill actually doesn't mandate the use of the metric system by corporations, it just says that the government will use it and assumes (probably rightfully) that companies will follow suit. The government is perfectly within its rights to use whatever system of measurements it wants, and I cannot see a valid court case arising.

If the Government is using the metric system, then to conform to federal rules and regulations, private enterprise really has no choice but to put all their measurement in the metric system as well.

My primary objection to this is that two months is too little time to conduct such a major shift.

My secondary objection is "What is the metric system?"

For instance, is the inch, defined as 25.4mm part of the metric system, or the liquid gallon (which is exactly 3.785411784 liters), or the pound avoirdupois (which is exactly 453.59237 grams)?

No.  The inch is customary, as is the liquid gallon and the pound.  It is all but universally agreed that the metric system is the International System of Units (SI) as being defined by the General Conference on Weights and Measures.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

*golf clap*

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

In terms of this months propositions, I support all the propositions named expect for the Public School Vouchers Act. I would still like Mr. Moderate to change the wording for the highway bill due to the fact that Fez and Rin Chan are still living. I still have not decided about the death penalty bill as well. It is definitely a step in the right direction, I am just concerned about a couple of sections.

If I strike all instances of "memorial" from the bill, does it need to be re-approved via signatures?

Also, I'd be interested in hearing your concerns regarding my death penalty bill.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

In terms of this months propositions, I support all the propositions named expect for the Public School Vouchers Act. I would still like Mr. Moderate to change the wording for the highway bill due to the fact that Fez and Rin Chan are still living. I still have not decided about the death penalty bill as well. It is definitely a step in the right direction, I am just concerned about a couple of sections.

If I strike all instances of "memorial" from the bill, does it need to be re-approved via signatures?

Also, I'd be interested in hearing your concerns regarding my death penalty bill.

I don't believe it needs to be re-approved, your only changing one word, take it as a friendly amendment of that kind. If you could address the carbon monoxide poisoning that would be nice. I've never heard of that in terms of capital punishment. I'm also just thinking about Section 1 as well, and what types of crimes should be included.

Well, one of the debates that constantly arise with the death penalty is whether the general, prefered method of lethal injection is indeed humane.  A number of medical experts contend that death by lethal injection is a painful method that escapes being fool-proof, a pain often masked to witnesses by an injected paralytic agent.

It has been increasingly suggested that death by carbon monoxide poisoning is a prefered, painless, and more humane way to administer death.  Lethal injection requires medical training and expertise, whereas poisoning by carbon monoxide requires a tank of gas and proper ventilation for those bearing witness.

The American Veterinary Medical Association, in a report outlining varying methods of euthanasia, describes the advantages of carbon monoxide poisoning to be as follows:
(1) Carbon monoxide induces loss of consciousness without pain and with minimal discernible discomfort.
(2) Hypoxemia induced by CO is insidious, so that the animal appears to be unaware.
(3) Death occurs rapidly if concentrations of 4 to 6% are used.

While the business of causing human death is unpleasant no matter the circumstances, it should be the policy of the Northeast to do so, when required, in the most humane way possible.  That is why I personally believe the Northeast should dispose of the lethal injection method, and instead institute the painless use of carbon monoxide as a euthanasia agent.

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[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

For further reference, here is an associated article in New Scientist.  A relevant passage:

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[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Has this ever been used in a capital punishment case in real life? Or just being thought about?

Not in the United States, to the best of my knowledge.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Point of order: The Election Day Act, having failed to achieve the constitutionally required 50%+1 majority (the certified result was a 7-7-1 tie), should not be presented to the Governor for his signature.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Excellent news!  I eagerly await the opporutnity to drive upon both Governor Festoon and Lt. Governor Chan this weekend.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Excellent news!  I eagerly await the opporutnity to drive upon both Governor Festoon and Lt. Governor Chan this weekend.

Want me to get the State Police to give you an escort?

The offer is appreciated, but I'll be damned if I wouldn't look ridiculous in my Honda Civic with a full police escort.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Let me be the first to thank you for your service.

I know you took a lot of criticism during your term, but the Northeast truly owes you a debt of gratitude.  In your tenure as Governor, the Northeast has gone from being one of the least active regions to being perhaps the most active in terms of proposed legislation.

I'm glad to hear you plan to remain active in Atlasia.  I'll be glad to support you whenever you choose to seek office again.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Mind if I inquire as to the reasons for vetoing Section 3 (the part that makes it illegal to smoke in a car with a child under 18)?

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Congrats to President-Elect Phil, VP-Elect Porce, and Senator Verily! I am eagerly awaiting a new Governor and LT so I can finally move out of the Governor's Mansion.

I hear Hamilton Township's really nice!  And they got this really wonderful State Senator there, and...