Join the new world

The Department of Education is committed to bringing new and old players alike quality information. Ever since I took up the post of Superintendent of the Department of Education, I’ve been bombarded with questions, particularly from new players on which party to join. It seems like some parties are better than others at distributing information about their party than others. Even if a party is good about distributing information about their party, it is almost impossible to find a comparable list on how parties stand on important issues affecting our nation.

That being said, the DoE has taken the liberty of creating a party belief survey. The survey was distributed to the top-15 Party Presidents in the eUS. They had the opportunity to fill out a comprehensive survey on their party beliefs ranging from construction placement, to war games, to the all important issue of tax policy. So far, we’ve only had a few responses but I hope the responses continue to grow for a couple of reasons.

1. Parties can get free exposure in the media.
2. Citizens can make more informed decisions when selecting a party.
3. There will finally be a comparable list of where parties stand on important issues.

The first party interviewed was the United Independents Party. The person interviewed was Party President, Nonesuch. Here are his responses to our survey questions. (Please note that since the UIP is independent, their ideas on these issues range. This is just an official stance from PP, Nonesuch.)

What is your party position on taxes?
I'm for lower taxes but if this new 20% is the bare minimum when it comes to military funding, then there's not much we can do.

Given your party's position on taxes, what is its position on construction spending?
Yah defense systems are useful, create jobs, and are a very good way to be putting tax dollars back into circulation. Now that we have a Q5 hospital, there isn't MUCH need for any more, but I can see how people may want a few spares scattered around the country. We were very liberal when it came to buying constructions in the past. Once again we have to find the middle ground between having a safe amount of funds in the treasury and keeping spending down.

Please give your party’s position on construction placement?
Let's stick to the list but if someone can come up with a reason to amend the list, so be it. There's also the case that we may make a new friend or enemy while placing these and we may have a different view on our borders.

What's your position on imports?
I'm personally a protectionist. If our country can make its own goods as well as another country (high productivity regions) then I don't see why our prices should be any higher than some other nation's. Now, if another country is managing to sell food or gifts cheaper than we can, let's first make sure that they aren't purposely undercutting us for the sake of being asshats and then make a decision.

How would your party better the value of the dollar?
As Jewitt pointed out to me a while ago, what we actually need is a weaker dollar than what we currently have, .018 Gold per USD. This makes it easier for us to export our products thus bringing in foreign Gold. This puts more Gold into our country while taking it out of other countries.

Do you think the eUS should invest in a government run weapons program?
Yes. If there aren't enough weapons and no one wants to make weapons, then it’s up to the government to provide for itself. There's also the issue of business owners bumping up their prices when there are shortages of weapons which is a little wrong in my opinion.

And the only reason I'd approve of government run companies in general is if there aren't jobs for our new citizens. It's the government’s job to make sure everyone is employed, and if the private sector won't do it, then we will.

What MPPs are beneficial?
All of them.

Do you believe it is beneficial for the eUS to stay in Atlantis?
Yes and no. Yes because it still offers some protection from PEACE but no because we just aren't as organized as we used to be.

Your thoughts on current foreign entanglements.
I'm anti-imperialist all the way. It's my opinion that all issues can be remedied through diplomatic means and war should be a last resort.

This doesn't mean that we can have a battle every now and then for the fun of it, but it isn't right of us to take over a completely different culture.

What's your position on the eUS being involved in foreign entanglements?
I don't think we're involved in enough. I've noticed recently that we've become a little isolationist in regard to actively being involved in wars. Our MPP's haven't really been of much use is what I'm trying to say.

Do you believe the Congressional forums should be open for all citizens to post on?
No. 50+ people trying to debate the same thing is a little much already. I do think that there should be a system for getting citizens opinions on the forums, but it needs to be regulated a bit. I sometimes wish some Congressmen wouldn't be allowed to post.

Do you believe war games are valuable in helping the economy?
Yes

Do you require all members of Congress from your party to publish their votes?
No. I'm not going to tell my members to do something I barely do myself.

What is your selection process for deciding who runs for Congress in your party?
My selection process for anything is to prove to me that they can fully comprehend the English language. Other than that, anyone is eligible to run for office.

Do you have a Party whip system?
No. We don't debate "behind the scenes." If one of us has something to say, it can go straight to the Congressional forum for everyone to say.

Describe your internal party structure?
Yes. I have a number of new players in my party Cabinet. As I said before, so long as you know how to write a sentence, you're capable.

What advantages do you offer new members?
I have a few people working on the wellness program right now. I'm also looking into a very different sort of wellness type program that I'd rather not mention right now. It's a good one.

And yes, we have a mentor program.

What is your general party atmosphere?
Well, it isn't hostile. When we're not talking about semi-serious issues, we're just having fun.

That’s it for Round 1 of the party belief survey. Look for round 2 after the Congressional elections on the 26th where the DoE interviews the Green Party.