Join the new world

Hello citizens of eNew Hampshire and beyond. It has been greatly rewarding representing this fine state in the eUSA Congress and I am pleased to announce that I will be seeking a third term. I hope that those of you who have been around for awhile know me by now, but I would like to introduce myself to those who do not know me and also lay out my hopes for a third term.

My Backround & Experience

I have already served this fine state for two terms and in my experience representing eNew Hampshire I have been known for my activity in discussion of the issues with my fellow Senators and for my transparency in always publishing my voting record as well as explanations of why I voted how I did. I can't expect everyone to always agree with me, but I do my best to both offer reasoning for my votes and to give citizens a chance to let me hear their feedback. One thing I always promise the citizens of eNew Hampshire is that I will give every issue it's due consideration and listen to all sides of any situation.

In my time in eCongress I have been an active member of the budget committee through my first term and into my second where I switched committees to help found the newly created Foreign Relations Advisory Commitee. In the early portion of my second term I helped to shape the budget of the eUSA and now I have set to work helping to do research and deliberate on what countries we should be allying with as well as other international issues. In it's early formation I was also active in lobbying for the creation of an Anti-PTO force which became known as the eUSA Air Force. A vote for StygianSteel in this upcoming election is a vote for a person experienced in both budget and international issues. In my third term I hope to get a chance to continue to help the still developing Foreign Affairs Committee get on it's feet. I plan to do this by providing needed information to help eCongress make the best possible choices and votes when it comes to MPPs and also offering Congressional input into the creation of a new alliance to make the country as secure as it can be.

Tax Policy

I have consistently voted Against the lowering of import taxes. First of all, I do not believe this has to be an all or nothing deal nor that we should have plunged into this all at once as a reckless experiment across the board. Part of the arguement for this was setting an example so that other countries would follow suit and drop their own taxes to allow for eUSA exports to their nations. This has absolutely not happened and the logic behind this was at best optimistic and at worst arrogant. Also, I believe that import taxes should be set on a case by case basis with more attention paid to how each raw material, manufactured good, etc market is functioning. There are simply too many factors involved to believe that dropping all import taxes on raw materials is the best possible course and this sort of sweeping change is ill advised. I also believe that a balance can be struck when it comes to import taxes to allow for some protection of our own citizens' businesses by giving them a bit of an advantage while not shutting out foreign imports completely. By setting a more intermediate import tax we could both create government revenue by foreign businesses paying these taxes (as opposed to not entering the market at all), but while still looking out for domestic business. Aside from import taxes I believe our taxes and our budget are working and would not favor unnecessary changes to income tax or VATs without a serious change in the need for government funds. Likewise, any tax cuts would have to logically follow some decreased need in terms of funding.

Government Spending & Programs

One of the major points I have always run on is my opposition to programs like Meals On Wheels. Sadly, there is still support for this in eCongress, but I'm going to reitterate my distaste for this to both let you citizens know my position and in the hopes that more citizens and new Senators will join me in this cause. This program is a complete waste of government funds. All Meals On Wheels does is deliver some low quality food to citizens who can easily afford food on their own as their low skills quickly progress and via the initial citizen fee. There is absolutely no need for this handout and what's more is that it doesn't offer any sort of significant increase to citizen's health. It is a token gift only meant to encourage new citizens. While I can see how this gesture might look good to some people in reality it serves no practical purpose. As a Senator I have always argued against further funding of this program. Also, while this program does sometimes reach it's target I have heard of many cases where the delay is great enough where it does not even reach people while the low quality food is of Any use. Not to mention all the people who receive this government hand out in their early days only to discover the game is not for them and the investment gos nowhere. It's not that I don't support any programs, but this one is a waste of effort and money. On the flip side of the coin is MASH which I think is a great program aimed at moving people to states where they can gain health from quality 5 hospitals. This is a much, much more efficient program that can offer +40 wellness quickly. I fully support programs like this which offer a legitimate boost to the health and strength of this great nation.

Foreign Policy

As I have mentioned, I am a member of the newly created Foreign Relations Advisory Commitee and input into it's creation. As a member I have always advocated a logical anaylsis of all MPPs to weigh them simply in terms of pros and cons and cut to the core of the matter. I have also favored a policy of neutrality and walking softly in these current times. This new international atmosphere is a great opportunity to both take a step back and reevaluate eUSA foreign policy and to set old grudges aside. As a nation moving forward we have to remember that there is an emerging multi-alliance atmosphere and it's no longer going to be just us vs them (ATLANTIS vs PEACE). Neutrality and keeping our options open with varying nations is critical. We are still working towards building a new alliance and others are doing the same while PEACE attempts to reach out to the many nations who are not a part of an alliance as well. I've always considered myself to be a diplomatic voice in Congress and beyond. I hope that with your vote I can continue my work in this field.

With that I think I've been up on this soapbox long enough and I thank those of you who read all of that and want to make an informed vote. If there are any questions I can answer for you on the issues important to you then please do not hesitate to PM me. I pride myself on my open door policy and I hope that you will make use of it. It truely has been a privilege representing eNew Hampshire these past two terms and I don't feel like I'm done yet. I hope that you, the reader, think I am worthy of another term and will let your voice be heard by reelecting StygianSteel for eNew Hampshire Congress on June 25th.