Join the new world

I have been meaning to sit down and write this article for several days now. In past terms I tried to hold myself to the standard of publishing at least twice a week. Sometimes that is a bit difficult when there just is not that much to talk about. Usually I would talk up my Cabinet in those instances. Even when things seem uneventful and dull, work is very much underway behind the scenes. The various programs and newsletters require the time and effort of diligent Secretaries, and staffers. Diplomacy is always ongoing both via in game pm and IRC conversations. Even during quiet months battle prios need to be constantly updated and communicated. So it is that even during tranquil times there is plenty of opportunity as the CP to tout the work ethic and competency of the Cabinet. Many people work very hard for love of the eUSA and it is a pleasure to help shine a light on their efforts.

However this has been anything but a quiet month. We have more than a half dozen Training Wars open at present, with the potential for adding more. This has all been juggled masterfully by Yui1 who has handled the bulk of juggling the battles with precision, Resoula who has been phenomenal in coordinating with our Training War partners, and Kalos whose tireless efforts have helped ensure the non IRC players are aware of what we are doing and why. Those three together in the NSC have been a revelatory combination. They have also been closely aided by the State and Defense departments through these wars. I would be remiss in not sending a shout out to Gnilraps and Melissa Rose as well. The work all of these stalwarts put in has resulted in as of this moment 15/20 resources with more than half the term to go. We are in a very strong position to finish with full bonuses!


On the Domestic front. Media and the Department of Citizen Affairs continue to labor on in providing updates and help to new players. JA Lake has assembled a dynamic team that has produced high quality editions of the WHPR. Ilene Dover and Jessina have also assembled a group dedicated to helping new citizens learn the game and have the goods they need to survive and hopefully thrive in the eUSA. I am still holding out hope that the changes pending will make their jobs both easier and busier with a group of new citizens attracted by and convinced to stay with said updates.




Much has already been made of the Persian Plunder, subsequent events, and the settlement of accounts with Iran. I will only touch on it briefly. Three million cc was repaid to the Iranian CP/D who was also the CO of the Iranian MU involved in this. It became glaringly obvious that this issue just was not going to go away. When the cost of launching a Coup was only 200k things could likely have gone on for quite some time even though the cooldown is only 24 hours after a failed Coup. With the price now 1 million cc the ante has been upped quite a bit.

Coming into office this month I was well aware that TDK and the Iranians were less than pleased with the eUSA. I had every intention of reaching out to them in order to begin a dialogue about fixing things. However, as I have alluded to in past articles I am not at my best right now due to personal issues. So it slipped my mind until the situation became urgent. After some talks it was obvious the only thing that would put this situation to rest was a refund in full. I approached Congress about authorizing such a refund. The reaction was mixed. Such a measure may have passed but I am unsure.

Taxes have been an issue in the eUSA for close to three years now. I was once very much at the forefront of the cut taxes crowd. I likely would be to this day if I had not been forced to spend more than half our reserves deflecting a pair of Airstrikes in the fall of 2014. Since those two terms I have been consistently for a balanced tax rate that will fill our coffers steadily but hopefully not place too large a burden on the citizens of the eUSA. So with that in mind I paid the sum needed to settle accounts with the Iranians and TDK. Many were concerned that this would not put an end to hostilities. Fortunately that has not been the case. We were able to very easily install the Congressionally mandated Dictatorship. Things have been a bit more quiet and less tense both here at home and abroad. A welcome reprieve with the Resource Wars taking up the bulk of our strength and attention.






Lastly I would like to touch on USAF. It had been a contentious issue. However, the ship very much appears to be righted. There is a strong corps of dedicated officers working to build and strengthen the community. A very competitive supply drop has always been provided. Gold for strength training has been provided for a long time as well. The USAF has much to offer someone who just wants to push the red button a lot, and someone who wants to grow and advance through the ranks while making a name for themselves. That just has not always been advertised. The recent editions of the USAF newsletter have been nothing short of amazing. I could not be more pleased with the efforts and progress made within USAF. Things are truly looking up and going well in so many ways. There is still a very strong core of players here who love the eUSA and are willing to work hard to keep us organized and together. It has been an honor and a privilege to be part of this.