von Phalz Steps Up For Michigan

Day 825, 11:21 • Published in USA USA • by Rheinlander von Phalz


I stand before you once again, citizens, announcing my intentions to run for another term in Congress and asking for your support. I am Rheinlander von Phalz, and I will be contending for my third term in Michigan, my sixth overall. This next term will be my second as Speaker of the House. There is much I plan to accomplish in my capstone term. I bring high levels of activity and dedication to Congress and urge the same of my colleagues. As an elected official, I make careful considerations on the best courses of action for our nation and try to improve Congress as a body. Before I get into position statements and beliefs, permit me to introduce myself in more detail.

Credentials and Experience

I sat in Cabinet for Frost’s first term and both of Jewitt’s terms as the Secretary of Media. For the earlier half of that tenure, I was also the White House Press Secretary. I saw the Department grow to encompass more programs and more people and begin to function more like the Departments of Interior and State rather than just the government’s newspaper. I am the current Congressional Liaison to the White House, which means I maintain communications and the relationship between our two branches of government. We now have a Congress that knows more about the goings-on of the Executive than we did several months ago. I am a former Vice President of America’s Advancement Party and the current Chairman of its Congressional Elections Committee, which means I review and interview AAP Congressional hopefuls seeking sanctioning. The Home Guard, which I joined in October, has recently reorganized into the eUS National Guard, and I presently serve as the platoon commander of 2nd Platoon, Division 2.



The Roll of Congress and Congressional Activity

Congress fulfills many essential in-game functions including utilizing the treasury and signing alliances. Critics would charge that this is all Congress does or should do. To the contrary, I believe that Congress can be a powerful branch of government, provide necessary oversight to the executive, and be the origin of many ideas to advance our country. Congressmen need to be active. Without sufficient levels of participation and effort from Congress, we cannot expect to achieve anything. It is up to the voters to elect and support only people planning on actually serving their term.

Congress needs to debate. I believe this situation is improving slightly with the examination of our income and import taxes, but there is still some unnecessary stifling. This stems, I believe, from many aspects of eRepublik having been ‘solved’ by an earlier generation of Congressmen. We live in changing times, though, with higher MPP prices, Lana, incentivized offers, membership in EDEN, a shift in the balance of power in Eastern Europe, and a high iron region in the United States. While I don’t mind a quick end to a discussion to change the minimum wage or new citizen fee, Congress has many things to make decisions on yet. We need to debate, with positions backed by verifiable data (something too many political debates lack), to produce the best outcomes for the eUS.

Congressional Organization Reform

The Congressional Committees Reform Act made it easier for Congress to reorganize its standing committees. Since then, Congress instituted new programs and committees, including the Immigration Enforcement Subcommittee and the Citizen Retention Subcommittee. Our activity levels are not uniform, and some of our programs provide more overhead without tangible benefits to the eUS. Congress needs to work on either purging or reviving its initiatives. Congress also needs to spend less time debating Congressional procedure and more time leading the nation. We should be elected for our potential contributions to policy, not to manage how Congress should be run.

The Tax Debate



Our low import taxes have met increasingly vocal opposition. I feel like this will be the biggest issue of the 27th Congress, and it is a debate I look forward to if it is conducted properly. We now have an office of financial intelligence and can better assess the consequences of our tax plans. I am willing to review plans without allowing debate to be prematurely stifled.

Domestic Programs and Volunteerism



While the military and war-related costs make up the majority of our budget, and rightly so, our domestic programs are a significant force for education and retention. It is easy for a Congressional candidate to say that he supports these endeavors because they require comparatively little expenditure. Retention does not happen by throwing gold at something; it happens by creating a welcoming and interesting community to become involved in. For that reason, I volunteer as a mass-mailer in the Community Development Program.

Conclusion

I would appreciate you permitting me to serve a sixth term in Congress. Of course, should you elect someone else in Michigan, I will be around as Speaker of the House for another month anyway. I have been consistently active and dedicated, and those characteristics are desperately needed in Congress right now. Thank you for your consideration.































-Bastards Of Liberty

-Ultra-Nationalist Party



Final note: Many of you will be moving to a Wasteland region to vote for a Congressional candidate on the 25th. When you move back, I ask you to consider Karnataka as your place of residence, giving it preference over California and Florida.