Join the new world

Citizens of Maine:

Again I ask that you continue to trust me to represent you in Congress. I have done my best to serve you and our nation during the past five months. I have been as transparent as possible by publishing my voting record frequently. I have tried to explain controversial or unusual votes. And I have answered every PM I have received.


By now you have become accustomed to long platforms from me. I'll try a change of pace this time and briefly note my qualifications and briefly discuss the major issues confrontig us.


The Most Important Qualification: Experience

I have represented you for five months. I suggest that this is my most important qualification not because I feel entitled to continue in that capacity. I cite it because it takes months to become familiar enough with the operations of governent and of Congress, specifically, to be able to contribute meaningfully to the discussions. It takes even longer to begin to be a voice that colleagues liisten to. Although learning and establishing and maintaining one's credibility are processes that never end, I believe I have made meaningful progress in both respects.


Transparency

Since my first campaign, increased governmental transparency has been an especially important goal of mine. During the past two terms, Congress has made substantial progress toward this goal, opening many of its previously secret boards to public viewing. I plan to do my best to assure that this progress is not reversed and to see if there are more areas that can be opened to the public without endangering national security.


The Executive Branch has been extremely secretive, sharing little information with Congress and almoist nothing with the public. The Frost Administration has begun to loosen this secrecy. I plan to do what is possible to encourage this trend.


Taxes

I began my time in Congress believing that the eUS needed a regime of relatively high import taxes on all goods except RMs for which we have no high productivy regions. Although this is still my preference, I have come to believe that the single most important characteristic of any tax regime is that it provides sufficient revenue to support a strong military, a forceful foreign policy and reasonable support for our domestic citizen retention programs. The current tax regime seems to meet this criterion.


The Military

Maintaining a strong and effective military must be our highest priority. During the past month, the Training Division has been reorganized. It is now the Training Corps, and finally is open to new recruits. I congratulate General Angelini on this achievement. The higher branches have continued their efforts to become partly self sufficient by developing and operating their own weapons and moving ticket companies, a program that deserves strong support.

Citizen militias, with minimal support from the government, have continued to provide organized military experience for those whose strength does not qualify them for the regular military branches. These organizations have also contributed effectively to military operations. They also deserve support.


Foreign Policy

With the break up of the formal PEACE structure, we face new foreign policy opportunities. Most important, we can look anew at the nations of Latin America. Many of these nations have been members of PEACE, largely for protection from its attacks. Careful diplomacy might encourage those nations to form a neutral alliance through the existing ALA. The ALA is formally a part of PEACE. There is a strong possibility that the organization will assert its independence. Our diplomats should encourage such a possibility.


Citizen Retention

We do reasonably well in providing new citizens with support. We should continue these efforts. But we should also create programs to encourage established citizens to become active in the game. I have previously href="http://www.erepublik.com/en/newspaper/news-from-somewhere-189243/2"> described the need for such programs and suggested some forms they might take. I will not bore you with repetition. I will merely suggest that this kind of program is an important unmet domestic need.


On the strength of my lengthy Congressional experience and my views on the most important issues confronting our nation, I again ask for your vote on November 25.


seeker1
Senator from Maine