[Manifesto-part 2]I’m not trying to cause a sensation

Day 1,899, 06:55 • Published in United Kingdom United Kingdom • by Joku Gones

Theme for the manifesto!
Good day, ladies and gentlemen, today sees the arrival of the second half of my manifesto. It’s not really split into any sort of fancy grouping, just sections which appear relevant to each other have been bundled together.

Before we begin, let me thank The Unity Party for putting their faith in me and choosing me as their official candidate. Also, an incredible amount of gratitude for all the shouts, votes, comments and messages of support I’ve received up to now. It really builds confidence in the idea that if I get elected, we could really all work together. So, with further ado(Got it right this time, Elvis!), let’s get onto business

Taxes
Taxes are a difficult issue and discussion can be hard to organise due to the ease of ‘rogue’ proposals by congressmen. I will lead discussions between all elements of the UK to ensure that the maximum wealth possible is kept in the hand of the citizens, through optimum tax levels and Government programmes.
I am of the opinion that this must not come at the sacrifice of a strong cash reserve and will protect this viewpoint in discussions. My personal beliefs are that of a 15% tax on Weapons VAT, and between 8% and 12% for Food VAT, favouring the lower end. Income tax and import tax are both very small streams of income. As such, a high import tax to ensure protection of the domestic market is my preference, and I support lower income taxes.

War
War is a fickle subject, one which simultaneously has the power to unite and divide us. I feel that communication is key. Communication with TWO. Communication with government and congress. Communication with MoD. Communication with You. This is why I will personally focus on making sure that we are constantly exploring, innovating and updating how we communicate with each other with regards to war - both in and out of game.
eUK wars are important, but they require planning and patience. I will look at ensuring that the eUK has adequate options for war under our own banner - but this will not be at the expense of our nation, our allies or our people. The current wipe of Norway is both another blow to our enemies and provides a constant stream of resistance wars to fight in, and I am more than happy to continue this.

National Militaries
I wholly support competition between military units, it inspires activity, growth and heavier damage output. Anything that can be used to improve our community spirit, damage and co-ordination then it should be nurtured - explored - innovated.
A very good example of this is the MU premier league which, with tweaks, serves as a cost effective way to stoke the flames of competition. Again the joint strikes organised by Rory Winterbourne et al. also impressed me and I’d like to see how the Government could support this programme, nurture it, evolve it into something truly magnificent.
That being said taxpayer funded units are unfeasible in these harsh economic times. The eUK however is in a privileged position of having fantastic MU’s who push hard on behalf of the country. I’d just like to take a second to say thank you to The Legion, British Army, TUP Family, Royal Navy, The Dentists, Tank Nation, Funky Militia, Free British Irregulars, Liberty, People’s Army and many more. The eUK is lucky to have you all!
I want to lay groundwork for encouraging cooperation between our MoD and any MU’s who fight for the UK on a daily basis. I’d like to find a way to progress, together, towards making our units a safe place free from heavy political bias, allowing players to make their own choices on politics without fearing lack of supplies. I will aim to continue the official status of MU’s and make it attainable for all MU’s regardless of size provided they hold true to some key principles
-Membership and supplies will never vary due to the political affiliation of a member
-The unit leaders must make a concerted effort to keep politics out of the shoutfeed
-You must be willing to work with the MoD, follow orders and, most of all, try your best
I don’t look to exclude those units who wish to keep their political affiliation, that is entirely your choice and I’m very pleased to see people in these units having a good time playing a game with their mates. Official units will simply be highlighted as a place to go for new players and those who choose to play with little interest in politics.

Civil service
The civil service is an idea that has been bandied about for a few months and one that I subscribe to. The principle of the system is to increase the efficiency of the Government by removing the need to ‘staff’ ministries and recruit people at the start of each month. The civil service looks to find willing volunteers, ranging from graphical artists to article writers and diplomats who remain in their position until they feel they have no more to give. Thanks to some hard work behind the scenes, good progress is already being made on the system which will be freely usable by all.
The service will operate as a database, where Ministers will upload jobs that need doing, ranging from acting as an ambassador to a country to designing banners for article use. Everybody will be given a chance to apply for any jobs uploaded and the Minister will be able to appoint someone. Once completed, the job will be added to the members completed job list, allowing for the production of a resume to share your experience.
This will open up a new avenue for players to get involved with government. When you start out with little to no experience, applying to cabinet, even for a junior position can be daunting. By opening up a system where you can apply for jobs that fit your talents and skills, gathering a proven track record will be easier. Ministers will be closely watched to ensure they are providing equal opportunities to those new to government roles and anybody attempting to keep using the same old players will be dealt with swiftly. This is a fantastic opportunity to bring about a bit of change in theory, and it’s going to take our best efforts to work in practice. For the first week, I’ll keep the service exclusive to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make sure everything runs smoothly, before opening it up to the rest of government.

So there we have it, part two of my manifesto. Please vote and let your friends know so I can get maximum visibility, and consider subscribing so you get the rest of my articles delivered straight to you! Please also provide any comments you have on my policies, good or bad as it’s discussion and compromise that will let us work together.

Same as before, I’m not going to ask you to start shouting my article, I just ask that you keep the message of ”Patriotism, not politics!” alive in your feeds for as long as possible.

Finally, I’m looking for some involvement from you guys for two articles I have planned. First off, I’m looking to do a small-ish article on “Why vote Butjam?” as a bit of a shameless advert. I’d like some responses from you guys to go with the few that I’ve already got my hands on. Secondly, I’m hoping to produce a Q&A article to answer any doubts people have about me. So if you have any questions on my policies, my credibility or even what colour socks I’m wearing, send them to me and I’ll answer as many as possible and release a list of those that I didn’t answer so you can see I didn’t just pick the easiest questions! Send me a PM in game, on the forums or even query me on IRC and I’ll be happy to receive it!

Thank you all once again for taking the time to read, vote, comment and subscribe!
5butjam-Presidential Hopeful