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Alright guys, I am officially back! University auditions were a lot of work, but I think I'm a little less overworked at the moment. I was planning on doing a big string of posts before May 29 in-game (my Independence Day/Election Day) so let's just pretend that this happened back then.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the last Premiership Debate! And now to announce the candidates. Representing the British North America Party, our official opposition party in Cascadia, MP Kirkland Ricker from the district of Saanich. Representing the Oregon Territorial Party is our current Premier running for reelection, Premier Matthew Macdonald. Representing the Redwood Party is noted ecologist and member of the growing Aurora Society, Dr. Jake Pendleston. Representing the Windsor Bloc is well known MP Maxwell Sark. Representing the Patriot Party is MP Finnigan Brown, and finally, representing the Radical Worker's Party is known political rogue and activist Ryan Gable. Now, we're going to be fielding questions from the audience, but before we start, let's get going with a question from me, the moderator. Now, we all know that one issue has plagued, or fueled, all of your campaigns, and that issue is sufferage. So, for all the candidates, do you believe a women should be able to vote? Let's start with you Ricker.
Ricker: Frankly Mr. Speaker, no, I do not believe that women have the need, or the desire to vote. Of course, we've seen protests, but they are the minority. I know for a fact that no one in my family, or in fact in my community thinks a women should be able to vote, in fact my own mother called it appalling; an insult to our democracy.
Gable: Well Kirkland, the true insult to our democracy would be refusing these people the right to vote. Our constitution, the British North America Act, guarantees all people the right to chose representatives in our republic. How can our government represent the people of this country if half of the people don't matter when election season rolls around. These people deserve the right to vote! Our Republic is illegitimate without it.
Pendleston: I agree, and further more, I'd like to hear our Premier's opinion on the subject. He has been sitting on the fence for four years, and now he still refuses to standup for the women of this country.
MacDonald: ladies and gentlemen, I believe that a referendum on the issue is a more logical and pragmatic way to go about making such a monumental change to our nation.
Brown: A referendum? Nonsense. These people demand freedom and they demand it now. It's time that we rethink our laws and traditions if we truely want to continue claiming to be a nation of freedom and justice. How I am here though, to present an alternative to these three liberals and two conservatives on either side of me. I represent true liberalism. Not leftist pandering to youth and blind idealists or conservative defending of long dead establishmentarian laws, but real liberalism! The defense of liberty for all, be they women, man, homesteader, or entrepreneur.
Moderator: Mr Sark, any comments?
Sark: Yes, I will be dead before I see women voting in our country. We live in Cascadia and Columbia, not Sodom and Gamura.
Moderator: all right then. That's time up for this issue! Do we have any questions from the audience for our candidates.
Tessen, Nearly finland, Sandinista nicaragua, and Aconcaguaa
I appreciate the suggestion, but you -- or any single "senior member of the AU" -- don't know enough about the new rules being put into place for me to turn over full implementation. As much as I appreciate your suggestion of help, this is something I will have to finish on my end.
In the meantime, there is nothing stopping you from roleplaying under the current rules and story policies. Nothing has changed from how we've been doing things for the past 8 years in-story. I'm not sure why you feel that the region is stagnating because of new roleplay rules that aren't even in effect yet. ;)
Right now isn't really a good time to run recruiting campaigns either -- not with new elements going into play soon. It would be wiser to get everything up and running, and THEN start a "grow the region" campaign. Until then, everyone is still here. The only long-time active player that we've lost in recent months has been Imperial Curacao.
Post self-deleted by Nearly finland.
A short little reporter jumps up and down, hand raised. "Evelyn Theobold, Santa Monica Inquirer. Um, present exhibit A if you would, mate." The cameraman sighs a bit, and holds up a picture of a particularly sad-looking deer. "So, the natural environment of Cascadia has been in the rut lately. Question for all of you, what would your government do about that? Planning on regulating poaching, logging, or just cleaning up the woods a bit, anyone?"
Pendleston: I'm glad you asked. As we all know, the logging industry has been ramping up when we should be calming down. Our environment needs certain protections, and many of thoseprotections were lifted by the Kingsley administration. Now I'm not proposing a full halt on the logging industry, but we do need to implement the ending of clear cut logging, the setting up of National Protected Forests, and the increase of funding to the Cascadian Rangers in order to protect our environment from poachers. Countrymen, the words Cascadia and environment are synonymous. If we protect our forests, our mountains, our rivers, and our wildlife, we protect our nation.
Brown: Maybe instead of protecting wild animals and trees, Dr. Pendleston should start trying to protect the freedoms of the people actually living here. A logger has the right to go out into the woods and cut down any tree he pleases in whatever manner he deems necessary. The only thing stopping his is the invisible hand of the market. If you don't like clear cutting Doctor, go and buy lumber from a company who doesn't practice it. It is not the government's job to limit and restrict people who are clearly not doing any harm to anyone else.
Ricker: I agree with Mr. Brown. If we want our nation to stay stron, we need to protect our logging industry, not discourage them. After all, lumber is Cascadia's greatest resource. Now, I do agree with Dr. Pendleston of the poaching problem. If there are criminals in this country, none should be able to escape our noble Rangers, and I will make sure that they have the resources to catch anyone who breaks federal law.
MacDonald: Now Ricker, I do not think it is fair to throw aside the idea of Protected National Forests all together. We have to remember that not only is logging an important industry in our country, but also tourism. If we continue to decimate our woods, Nearly Finns will no longer come up north to visit our ski resorts, hiking trails, and camping locations. They won't spend their money here, their companies won't invest up here, and we will lose valuable economic stimulus. Regulations must be put in place, they just need to be moderate.
Moderator: any other questions for our candidates?
A very thin, fragile looking man stands and begins to address the candidates. "The real question we need to be asking ourselves... what will we do for the poor working people of this country?" He points to various members of the audience. "Look at this man and this one and this one. These downtrodden men are the products of the poor conditions they face, what will you do to make sure these men can sustain their families?"
Nearly finland, Alitannia, and Michigan AU
Ricker: Well sir, the only way to help the impoverished of this country is to ensure that they have access to good paying jobs, and the only way to do that is to entice businesses to come to the DSCC. If we loosen some of our regulations and business taxes, then foreign and domestic companies alike will flock to Cascadia, and bring much needed employment with them.
Gable: I think was Kirkland over here is trying to say is that to help the poor we need to make the rich richer. This, ladies and gentlemen, is flawed logic to its core. What we need is not to loosen things up for the factory owners and oligarchs, or they'll continue to pay working men close to nothing for dangerous jobs with no breaks. We, the Party of the Workers, will demand a livable minimum wage be set down in law, forcing companies to pay their employees what they deserve. With a law like this in place, no one who works hard in this country will go home hungry.
Brown: ridiculous, how will a small businessman be able to survive if he has to pay all his workers 30 Cascadian Pounds an hour? All this will do is destroy Cascadian business.
Gable: What it will do is rebalance some of the wealth inequality in this country!
Brown: Oh please, if a person finds himself impoverished, he has every right in this country to go out to rural Cascadia and build a home, farm the land, and make a living. With the Homesteader's act, he doesn't even have to buy the land. That's how we'll help the impoverished.
MacDonald: Now gentlemen, I agree with much of what has been said so far, but in small doses. The truth is, poverty is an issue that must be approached from multiple avenues. Yes, encouraging job growth is important, but as Mr. Gable said, making sure those jobs are good paying is also important. If reelected, I would be happy to float through parliament a plan to institute a decent minimum wage, but that is not the only course of action we need to take. We also need to support our education system, which for many is the best way to escape generational poverty, we need to make sure our welfare system is properly funded and well managed, in order to help all those in need in this country, and we need to make sure our healthcare system is well run, since the impoverished are usually the most in need of assistance in that regard.
Sark: When I hear you say things like that Premier, all I hear is money money money spending spending spending. Where's this money going to come from? Because it better not be coming out of my pocket.
Moderator: Alrighty, that's all the time we have for that issue! Now, do we have any more questions for our candidates?
Moderator: alright candidates, if there's no more questions, I'll give each of you some time to make closing statements. We'll start with you Sark.
Sark: Thank you moderator. My fellow Columbians, if you want change in the right direction, vote for the Windsor Bloc this election cycle. With your support, we hope to finally secure this nation as a principled, Protestant, Anglo-Saxon country, and if there's any time to start making these changes, it's now. Women are demanding the right to vote, Catholicism and Orthodoxy are growing every day, heathens and foreigners are coming into our country and being given residency by our liberal government. If you ask me, civilized society seems to be unraveling. We, my countrymen, are the only people who can change that.
MacDonald: Ladies and gentlemen, unlike some candidates, I believe the DSCC to be an excepting and tolerant place. We shouldn't be pushing people away, we should be welcoming them and protecting their rights to freedom and happiness. Vote for the OTP this election, and I will continue my work on improving our healthcare system, funding public education and public law, and encouraging Homesteaders and immigrants to our grand nation.
Ricker: Fellow Cascadians, we've had enough of the wasteful spending of our government. Elect me as Premier, and I promise, I will cut red tape, root out corruption, and get this machine well oiled and running. The answer is not increased funding for healthcare and education, the answer is smarter spending. We in the BNAP assure you that we can increase government efficiency without taking any more money out of your pockets.
Gable: People of this great nation, while the BNAP may promise you they will not take money out of your pockets, we at the Radical Worker's Party promise you we will be able to put more money in your pockets. Vote for us, and we will do everything in our power to provide for this nation a livable minimum wage, suitable working hours and safe working conditions. It's time to stop giving to the rich in the name of helping the poor. It's time to pay the people who work the hardest in our country their fair share. And for goodness sake, it's time women were given the right to vote!
Pendleston: Cascadians, if actually protecting this country matters to you, vote Redwood this Independence Day. Our forests and rivers are being decimated and polluted, and as a citizen of this country, I am appalled that our government seems to give little regard to our most precious resource. We need Protected National Forests, regulations on businesses who excessively pollute, and an end to clear cut forestry.
Brown: Citizens of this fair nation, together, we need to prove to the government that Liberty matters to the average Cascadian. Vote instead for the Patriot party this election, and show our politicians that we do believe women deserve the right to vote, we do believe government shouldn't interfere in business, and we do believe government shouldn't interfere in our lives.
OOC: alright fellas, I'm not saying I'm going to have a player-vote election, because I won't, but would any of the candidates appeal to you if you were an average Cascadian. It might not change my results that much, but then again, it'll certainly help whichever candidate you support.
Alitannia and Sandinista nicaragua
I vote Sark
I vote Sark
A few weeks after returning home, Prince Frederick Clarence was prepared to investigate. He headed out into the jungle with a small group of men (bodyguards, detectives, etc.). Later in the day, after stopping to go hunting, they neared the dirt path that lead to Sandino's residence. They could see two soldiers standing at either side of the road looking for anyone who might try to come through. Frederick's driver brought their car to a halt next to one of the soldiers. The soldier stooped to look through the window, "What is your purpose of driving through here Senor?" The driver looked over his shoulder toward Frederick for an answer which he did. "We have been sent by my father, the King of Mosquito Coast, to meet with his friend, El Presidente Sandino." "How do we know you are not lying?" replied the soldier. Frederick pointed to the valuables which sat next to him in the rear seat, clearly no average man could have acquired them. The soldier nodded, "very well," and waved them through.
What Frederick did not know at the time was that many of the soldiers stationed near the edge of the perimeter were just as clueless as everyone to Sandino's death... the secret was being kept very tightly.
OOC: Sigh.. another year, another April Fool's event...
OOC: Yeah, this one didn't really interest me. Nuclear war is overplayed in almost every story -- even here in the greater NS environment. I would have preferred something with a little more character.
Robert E. Lee Thiessen stood by the window in his hacienda house, looking out onto his garden. By his side stood the director of the Shadowbolt Program, discreetly sipping on a cup of coffee.
"Sandino's been 'ill' a long time," Robert remarked without looking at his spymaster. "You'd think they'd've officially stated whether or not he's going to recover by now."
*sip* "PNN has it that the Sandino residence is heavily guarded, and that no one goes in or out but the top government officials, and I mean the top - the Vice President, I think one of Sandino's most trusted military officers, and that's it."
"They're hiding something, then," Robert said. "Something much worse than an 'illness'."
"Do you think he's dead, and they're just not releasing it in order to not cause an uproar?"
"I thought it was your job to give me the conclusions," Robert replied snidely. He chuckled. "Probably. Though I don't know why they would keep it a secret. If they revealed his death publicly, they'd have all the reason in the world to blame the Conservatives and just arrest and execute them all. Especially after the Conservatives tried to take over militarily AND rig the election. Unless..."
"The VP was in cahoots?"
Robert finally turned to face the Shadowbolt Director. "Keep a close eye on the situation for me. See what other information you can collect long-range - street connections, radio taps, that sort of thing. I don't want to risk our agents lives unless it directly threatens the Company, and we don't know yet whether it will or not."
"Yes, sir. I'll keep you posted."
As the Shadowbolt director walked towards the entrance, Robert muttered to himself, "What are you up to, Nicaragua?"
Frederick finally made it to the house. The front porch was just as heavily guarded as the surrounding area, two guards stood on either side of the door and several more on the path leading up to it. He paused for a moment to inspect the house, he had always figured it would be more elaborate, but it was a rather simple wooden two story house. Directly above the front porch were two windows... or rather what remained of the glass panes that had once inhabited the spaces. Maybe they had just not got around to fixing them, they had shutters after all, but they were the only two windows in this sad state of disrepair.
He walked up the front steps and one of the guards opened the door for him to pass through. As soon he entered, he was immediately ushered up the stairs and told to wait outside of one of the upstairs rooms, presumably Sandino's. A man dressed in a suit exited the room shortly after. In the brief moment the door had been opened, Frederick saw an empty bed, a guard standing next to it, and a small bedside table. The man in the suit introduced himself as Antonio Gutierrez. "I'm sorry but Senor Sandino cannot speak at the moment. His illness requires him to rest a great deal, however we can deliver your message to him when he wakes." Frederick stared at the mans shiny black shoes and thought a moment. "I believe my message would be better for another time. Tell him, however, that my father and I offer him our condolences and will that he may make a speedy recovery." With that said, Frederick turned and walked down the stairs.
Small stream a few miles from the Nicaraguan-Honduran border...
Frederick and his small group of men were camped out near the dirt road that in a few miles would be Honduras. Night had fallen and all that could be heard was the quiet trickle of the stream and the persistent buzz of moquitoes. He had already spoken to his father, explaining what he had witnessed at Sandino's residence. He was now hoping to see if 
Ivan Industries could possibly help him in discovery the truth about Sandino's fate.
Nicaraguan News Agency
A Defeat for Religion
Today, in Sandino's place, Vice President Zepeda signed into law a bill which bans any involvement of the Catholic Church in the political system. Traditionally, Catholic clergy have been deeply involved in the political system, offering advice and often endorsing candidates for various positions in government. This new law seeks to avoid the interference of the church with the state and is a significant victory for the recently formed Communist Party of Nicaragua (CPN).
In an address following the bill, Zepeda expressed his joy at the new bill and its implications of creating a government which is not filled with the bias of the Catholic Church. However, he refused to endorse the Communist Party which formed following the break-up of the People's National Liberation Party (which he and Sandino created during the most recent election). The other party formed from the break-up is the Party of Light and Truth (PLT). The PLT is a far-left religious party seeking to combine elements of Communism with Christianity. It is a rather new experiment and it will be interesting to see where it leads.
Welcome back to Northwest Radio! You know what today is ladies and gentlemen; it's vote counting day! We have here, the results from the 1928 election, and I'm happy to announce for you tonight the government that'll carry us into the next decade. Now, let's go least seats to most, just to build some tension. At the smallest, we have the small Alaskan Unity Party with two seats from districts around Sitka. I guess there are still some Alaskans who want to join the Soviet Union. Next we have the Patriot Party with lots of support in rural areas, but still only being able to amass 11 seats. Still a bit larger then last election though, as the party continues to grow. The next result is quite a surprise. With only 13 seats is the Oregon Territorial Party, our former ruling party. It looks like Premier MacDonald will not be in office any longer. Actually folks, I think this is the largest any party has fallen between elections in Cascadian history. Many voters commented they felt the OTP had no message this time around, and it sure cost them. Next in the numbers is the Windsor Bloc, with 24 votes mainly from the lower mainland. They've sure increased in popularity since last election. Next, we have the surprising third most powerful party in the DSCC, the Radical Worker's Party, with 27 seats. This is quite the change from their previous 6 seats, and they'll now hold a much larger voice in government. Second to most, we've got our new official opposition Party, the Redwood Party with an unbelievable 48 votes. This places the Redwood party as the new vanguards of liberalism in the Democratic States. And finally, with a minority government, the British North America Party is our new ruling party! Congratulations to our new Premier Mr. Kirkland Ricker!
Tessen, Nearly finland, Santiago AU, Sandinista nicaragua, and 1 otherAconcaguaa
We'd love to liberate them into membership of the glorious Soviet Union!
Oh wait, I'm not the Soviet Union anymore, nevermind.... XD
Lol, we miss you, you scary communist monster.
Tessen and Michigan AU
Sunlight began streaming through the branches. Frederick had already been awake... he was nervous about entering Honduras and all the seemingly dark and secret operations they had, Shadow-whatchamacallit, etc. As the sun climbed higher into the sky, the rest of his crew began to wake up. In no time, they had eaten a small snack and were back in the car, bumping up and down on the dirt road. After about half-an-hour of driving, they passed a small wooden sign indicating that they were now in Honduras. Apparently this part of the border was not watched much. They kept going along, passing a few small houses, well more like huts, before arriving at a small clearing in the jungle.
The road was blocked by a small traffic gate (OOC: like the ones in parking garages lol) with its arm reaching so far it seemed like it would snap any moment. Next to it was a small one room building and outside were two men playing cards at a small table. They were both staring intensely at the car as it came to a halt in front of the gate. They turned to each other and spoke a few brief words, then one of the men got up and walked up to the side of the car. Frederick rolled down his window, "We need to speak with Mr. Thiessen urgently, it's regarding Sandino. Just make sure you keep it quiet for now..."
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