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My Interview with Potential VPOTUS - Cerb - Part 1

Day 682, 10:05 • Published in USA USA

• by Walter Joseph Kovacs

As we all should know Woxan and Cerb are running for President and Vice President, in tandem, under the AAP, Dem, and American Society Parties.

Today I sat down with potential VPOTUS Cerb in his Washington office.

Walter: Hello Cerb.

Cerb: Good morning Walter.

Walter: I would like to discuss your run for VPOTUS.

Cerb: Shoot.

Walter:
1) First state your credentials, in depth (because you have accomplished a lot) so that everyone has a chance to better know their potential VP

Cerb:
My credentials:
5 terms - Congress Member
2 terms - Secretary of Citizen Affairs (Scrabman administration)
2 terms - Deputy Secretary of Defense (Emerick and Gaius administrations)
Director - Flying Unicorn Squadron (Citizen relocation and PTO assistance)
Former PAC Director
Current USWP Chief of Staff (basically VP)
Former Home Guard Platoon CO
Former Mobile Infantry Platoon XO
Former Mobile Infantry Platoon CO
Current military duties: classified
US Ambassador to Romania
eUS Forum Moderator

Walter:
2) I know as a business owner sales are tanking, and many are having to close shop.
What are you going to do about the recession taking place?

Cerb:
I'd like to point out that it might be a mistake to look at this in terms of some sort of economic crash. It is certainly a decline, but this has generally begun to occur because we are transitioning away from a "weapons-free" wartime economy. We brought in a lot of new players during the war, and consumption increased. However, with the return of our states and the lack of daily battles for our survival, less weapons are being purchased and consumed.

As you mentioned, companies have been closing. As they close, less jobs will be available and wages will fall. Falling jobs means less production and lower wages translates to less spending.

Although our economy is not a mirror of RL economics, the supply and demand circles are similar, and it is nothing to fear. It's also important to remember that we are recovering from economic warfare that PEACE waged on us.

I will say that Woxan and I want to push for economic benefits among allies to minimize the impact that economic warfare can have on us.

Walter:
3) There is an argument that spreading out our population in many Q5 states will weaken our walls and make conquering individual regions easier.
Where should we place new infrastructure and why?

Cerb:
We learned from the war that fortress regions are critical to success. Past eRep empires have used them quite effectively, and Florida was no different. It is important that we carefully evaluate the potential Q5 regions, and funnel people to these states.

I realize that there is an ongoing debate in Congress about the validity of placing Q2's in other states. The argument as I understand it is...if we put some small hospitals in popular states, it will allow people to contribute and gain wellness faster, in preparation for a move to Florida.

HOWEVER, we have tried this before, and we ultimately made small upgrades to Q3 and Q4 in some of these states. A "Q5 or bust" policy seems to be the best approach to ensure that our population is strategically located. If necessary, we can continue funding the Flying Unicorn Squadron to make sure new players can get to Florida.

I'd like to take a moment to point out that, with the help of several assistants, the Flying Unicorn Squadron responded to over 3000 requests for tickets over the course of the US occupation. The point is that it IS possible to funnel people into fortress state, and many others will move as part of the military, their political party, or their resistance group.

Walter:
4) VAT on weapons supplies a lot of revenue, but many are arguing it is too high.
Should we raise, lower, or keep the same VAT?

Cerb:
Going back to my position on economic cycles, this is another feature of our recent economic approach that was based around the war. Because we were losing regions (and thus, economic production), we were also losing tax revenue. I won't go into specifics, as some of the numbers may not be public information, but suffice it to say that we were very strapped for cash.

A VAT increase is almost always a quick and easy way to boost govt revenue. As our economic structure recovers, we will be able to lower it some, but we shouldn't lower it past the minimum level required to fund our military branches.