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Ladies and Gentlemen (and Emerick if you've been sprung from jail and are reading),

I want to formally announce that I am running for Congress again, and hope to represent my home state, the great Commonwealth of Virginia.

I believe I'm the best man for the job for a variety of reasons but ultimately it comes down to experience, dedication, and a good grasp of what, exactly, a Senator's role should be.

Experience

I may not be a beta giant, but I've been playing for months and months. I'm a member of the AAP's round table, I've been a proud member of the home guard for nearly five months, I have served as Undersecretary of State for PEACE relations, as a department of developing regions staffer, as Ambassador to eRussia, and I am a sitting Senator.

I've seen this country in war and peace, I've seen the mistakes we made that lost us most of our nation and I've seen the sort of hard work and dedication it takes to win the nation back. I want to take these lessons forward as a Member of Congress to help make sure that we continue down the right path and maintain eAmerica's place as the mightiest and most prosperous nation in the New World.

Dedication

I am absolutely committed to making this country stronger.

I have four hard worker medals, because I care about our economy and about the businesses that make this country great. I've only missed two days of work in my entire eLife, and I once went so far as to track down a stranger with an iPhone at the Kentucky Derby to make sure I got my work and training in for the day.

I own two businesses, and while I had to close my raw materials company in Tennessee due to occupation, I kept my weapons company running behind enemy lines, providing good jobs and wages for american citizens even when I couldn't sell any of my products since I refused to arm the enemy.

I respond to every message or citizenship request I receive, and do so thoroughly. Ask any of the numerous new citizens I've approved about their background checks. No one is sneaking into the eUS on my watch, but true patriots should always be welcomed back as quickly as possible.

I post often and substantively on the national forums, particularly in the military and congressional forums, contributing to our national debate and trying to steer this country in the right direction.

The Role of a Senator

While we run from office from various reasons, once the election is over we assume the duties of a national legislature. This is critical. Our past divisions and petty factionalism were a part of what weakened us enough to allow lesser nations to attack us successfully and that will never happen again on my watch.

The Congress is a body with limited authority that is primarily economic in nature. While we can vote on foreign policy proposals from the president such as declarations of war, treaties, embargoes, etc., a congressman can propose that we:

1. Change the New Citizen Fee

Despite its name, this is not a fee charged to new citizens. It is actually a sum of the local currency that new players are automatically given from the national treasury when they start the game. We currently err on the side of keeping this low and giving people access to resources like the mentorship program, meals on wheels, and other new player support systems in an effort to keep from giving too much of our nation's funds to players who will eventually quit. Attrition is very real in this game, and while I and others work constantly to help new players get involved and see how great this game is, we're going to continue to lose new people for the foreseeable future and I support keeping this Fee low.

2. Donate from the National Treasury

This is arguably the most important power of Congress, particularly during war time. By keeping our tax revenues in national organizations we are able to use them more flexibly and can shield them from loss should our enemies conquer one of our regions. Good organization and timely use of these proposals is critical to a functioning government.

3. Issue Local Currency for Gold

Most countries attempt to regulate their monetary market by always maintaining a standard offer of local currency for gold. This can be costly in terms of opportunity costs, but keeping the dollar strong and stable is critical to our nation's economy and I support the work being done by the excellent folks at the economic counsel and CBO, led by One Eye, a national hero and the most trusted man in eAmerica.

4. Change the Various Tax Rates

I firmly believe that this country has different tax needs during different situations. I supported raising taxes during the invasion to quickly build up resources for our military, and as things have become more manageable, I have supported gradually stepping down the tax rates. I look forward to a day when we can return to a relatively low level of taxation, but I believe we should always be vigilant. I hope to see a day when we're budgeting well enough that we can set aside significant revenues to fund our military even with the loss of our valuable economic regions.

5. Change the Minimum Wage

The minimum wage is the lowest wage general managers can set for their employees. There is often discussion of raising the minimum wage, but given the rapid rate of wage increases once skill level is above 1-2 and the relatively quick movement of active players beyond those skill levels, I dont support raising the minimum wage only to have a large number of those dollars sit, unused, in the accounts of people who quit the game before really becoming a part of things.

6. Impeach the Current President

Impeaching the current president in favor of the candidate who received the second highest number of votes is a terrible decision to have to make, but one that this Congress was forced to make when President Emerick's real life difficulties prevented him from performing his duties. I hope to never again have to make such a vote, but if the situation arises again, I will rise to meet the challenge.

Beyond these proposals the Congress authorizes various expenditures and the creation of new programs. Currently the largest non-proposal related debate is the amount and location of infrastructure to purchase once we've expelled our invaders. This article is already long and that debate is lengthy, so that will have to wait for another article; in a nutshell my position is that California is our natural fortress state, followed by Florida, and perhaps one or two other states if our population grows sufficiently and that infrastructure can be defended.

I sincerely hope to be able to continue to represent my people and serve my country in the Congress. Please post any comments or questions and I'll respond as quickly as possible. If you have any sensitive matters to discuss PM me or my Chief of Staff, Willisen.

Vote Evan Feinman for Congress!