Jump to content

[LSNN] An interview with county-hopeful Democrat Badar Khan


Kaspersky

Recommended Posts

CvaVzrI.png

 

Y8l4IDT.png

An interview with county-hopeful Democrat, Badar Khan

KASPER KARTOWSKI

 

image.png.3c0cfb60821f0c891e26738dc2a3eeb5.png

Badar Khan poses in front of a fence at Paleto Point, San Andreas, flanked by several bushes and a calm shore. (LSNN/Kasper Kartowski)

 

Few would expect that a Democrat has a good chance at winning a rural election. However, Mr. Badar Khan, a long-time Paleto resident who has defied typical campaigning odds when it comes to Democratic politics in the county, disagrees with that assertion.

 

Out of all six districts under Los Santos' city council, the county is the most distinct from the rest. After all, Blaine County District encompasses the entirety of the area its name suggests. This includes multiple towns and villages, and even native reservations, such as the Tongva Hills Nation. The reason for its distinctness lies in the fact that it is governed by a City Hall when it is a rural area, not aligned with most of the urban values of a sprawling city like Los Santos.

 

image.png.627ea86396fcf850e16fd69e533889c7.png

The 'Visit Paleto Point' tourist sign directs drivers while Mount Chiliad stands tall in the distance. (LSNN/Kasper Kartowski)

 

As a result of the conservative ideological sway of most country areas, Democrats are seldom considered likely winners. However, Mr. Khan is hopeful that he has gained ground on his Republican challenger, in part due to what he describes as considerably moderate policy stances that stand out of his colleagues' more liberal approach.

 

The following is the transcript of the interview with Mr. Khan (LSNN/Kasper Kartowski):

 

Kasper Kartowski: When did you become active in politics, and what motivated you to do so?
Badar Khan: As you know that I am quite young in terms of age, I wasn't an active member of politics until last year. I have kept my tabs open on politics however, keeping myself up to date on the political side of things in the country, and in Los Santos. I've been living in Paleto Bay since quite a while now and I've always felt a change could happen and that the situation in the county would improve. But then I thought to myself, what am I doing if I am expecting a change? So I took the initiative myself. I want to be the aura of hope and change in the lives of the people of Blaine County.

 

Kasper Kartowski: And what things do you think need improvement in the county?
Badar Khan: Every sector in Blaine County needs improvement. Education, Housing, Entrepreneurship, Employment and generally, the safety of the people. The world is moving forward and we need to move forward - we need to get along with the times. You know those cement mixers, Mr. Kartowski? What happens when the roller stops moving? The cement gets stuck. We can use that analogy to ourselves. We need to keep moving.

Kasper Kartowski: Why should the citizens of Blaine County choose you, as an individual, over your opponent?
Badar Khan: Because unlike the Republican candidate, I'm not an all talk and no show. I say what I want, and I get what I want. Increasing the amount of guns will not solve all the issues, as promised by the Republican candidate. Can an increase in guns improve education, jobs, give you houses or money? No.

 

Kasper Kartowski: Some would argue that guns increase safety. What's your idea for increasing safety of citizens in Blaine County?

Badar Khan: The current law states that you are within your rights to defend your property and lives. I believe guns should NOT be taken away. They're permitted for open carry as they are now and only to be used as self defense. There are more issues than just safety measures. We have talked with the sheriff's department and there are assurances given that safety will not be an issue.


Kasper Kartowski: You don't always get what you want in politics - what do you say to those who say a Democrat running for office in the county, is an uphill battle?
Badar Khan: It's not hard for a Democrat in the county. The problem is that the Republicans like talking a lot. But as I said, they're no-show. I'm looking to resolve all of their issues, which includes giving veterans and those in need better and new housing, providing them with better education, more jobs, and more safety as well.

 

Kasper Kartowski: All this housing would likely require a raise in taxes. Are you open to raising taxes on any group?
Badar Khan: No. If anything, taxes will be reduced. As you see, Blaine County is blessed with natural gifts - mountains, scenery, beaches and whatnot. My plan is to use Tourism to our advantage. Now I know we, the county people don't like tourists hanging around. Frankly, who even likes people roaming around at their house? No one. But the thing that people have got to understand is that tourism means money. Money makes houses. Houses accommodate people. Money also makes businesses. Businesses give jobs. So as you can see, all of this is very interlinked. We get enough money from the Tourism sector, we boost our other sectors up. Tourism can also help to establish educational institutes in Blaine County through the money produced. So all the problems resolved. No tax increase. Everyone's happy.

Kasper Kartowski: If you had just three or four sentences to make a pitch for yourself to Blaine County residents who are unsure to vote for or undecided, what would that be?
Badar Khan: People of Blaine County, it is about time we move forward to a prosperous future. Where you can live a better life for yourself, for your children and their children. Together, we will strive towards prosperity. 

 

Kasper Kartowski: Finally, what's your campaign slogan, and what does it mean to you?

Badar Khan: My campaign's slogan is 'Striving Towards Prosperity'. Pretty self-explanatory. We work on all the sectors progressively, we will be prosperous.
Kasper Kartowski: What do you mean by the term 'progressively'?
Badar Khan: As I mentioned in my analogy, we ought to move with the times. If we remain where we are, we will be stuck. I use it in terms of moving forward one issue at a time.

 

Whatever your political leanings, Khan's boldness is clear. Whether a Democrat can win the county or not is still to be seen, but there is no doubt that this election has shaken our considerations of what is normal, and what is not.

 

Y8l4IDT.png

 

8e7bBGN.png

 

Y8l4IDT.png

 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE - CLICK HERE

 

Link to comment

*This comment comes from an IP based in a trailer in Sandy Shores*

Username:  GodsChild777

Comment: Hopeful is correct. This guy thinks he can run ads calling people from the county poor and uneducated and it’ll work out for him? He doesn’t even understand our gun laws! I sure as heck can’t open carry. "I say what I want, I get what I want", sheesh, he doesn’t get my vote I’ll tell you what.

 

 

Edited by RonaldDillinger
Link to comment

Username: JosephHoffmanOFFICIAL

Comment: 

https://face.gta.world/jhoffman

 

This is the official response from the Joseph Hoffman, Republican Candidate for the County

 

 

 

“Because unlike the Republican candidate, I'm not an all talk and no show. I say what I want, and I get what I want. Increasing the amount of guns will not solve all the issues, as promised by the Republican candidate. Can an increase in guns improve education, jobs, give you houses or money? No.”
 
Living in a democracy it is crazy, if not borderline radical, for someone to say that they can “say what they want” and “get what they want”. Resources available to us are finite and I believe it is the politician’s responsibility to utilize these resources to best cater to the needs of his/her constituents. Believing you can incite or promote change just because you believe you “get what you want” is a poor mentality for any politician to have. Change requires understanding the system and being able to navigate the system through the correct due process. If we do not follow the appropriate due process to make change then we no longer live in a democracy that is supported by checks and balances. With all due respect Mr. Khan, I believe you’re the one that will be “all talk and no show”. 
 
I strongly believe in the Second Amendment as granted to us by the Constitution of the United States. Every citizen should have the right to bear Arms at their own discretion. I have never stated that I believed in the increase of firearms. I also have never stated that I believe in the reduction of firearms as the democratic candidate has expressed. I believe it is every private citizen’s right to have the option to keep and bear Arms. The number of firearms a private citizen holds should be at his or her own discretion and not something the government should have any business in.  
 
 
“The current law states that you are within your rights to defend your property and lives. I believe guns should NOT be taken away. They're permitted for open carry as they are now and only to be used as self defense. There are more issues than just safety measures. We have talked with the sheriff's department and there are assurances given that safety will not be an issue.”
 
The term open carry refers to the practice of “openly carrying a firearm in public”. You have been misinformed in believing that open carry is legal in San Andreas. As dictated by SHAFT regulations open carry is NOT legal. 
 
Carrying a firearm is legal when carrying out lawful activities as stated in the SHAFT regulations. However, currently the LSPD’s regulations on carrying a firearm dictates that one must have a valid license to carry their firearm. For example, an individual who expresses an interest in hunting must carry a hunting license. Or a person interested in sporting must be at a lawful location. The issue here is there is no government agency that grants hunting licenses nor does anybody dictated lawful locations for sporting. Therefore this ambiguity prevents lawful citizens from carrying out these activities thus making it illegal. 
 
I will outline two of my agenda items that my constituents are all familiar with. First I will be pushing towards the legalizing of open carry. There has been an increase in crime in Los Santos County. The LSSD is well aware of this issue and as I’ve been assured by an LSSD Lieutenant they are working very hard in addressing these problems by increasing patrol shifts in commonly targeted areas along having detectives work on making arrests on repeated offenders. The issue is not the lack of police presence as said by the democratic candidate. 
 
The issue is the population density of the County. The entire county is vast therefore it is not feasible for the LSSD to have every region fully covered with a two minute response time as you might expect in places such as Strawberry and Davis. In response to this, I believe that enabling open carry to the incorporated areas of Los Santos County is a step in the right direction. Giving folks the right to have a loaded open carry at their waist will have thieves thinking twice or thrice before they attempt to perpetuate their crimes. Our tentative plan for execution is to grant the Sheriff of LSSD the power to enable any citizen of San Andreas to open carry in Los Santos County through state law. We then intend to work closely with the LSSD and provide any support they need from us. 
 
Second we will legalize hunting by introducing a hunting licensing system executed by one of our government agencies. 
 
 
“It's not hard for a Democrat in the county. The problem is that the Republicans like talking a lot. But as I said, they're no-show. I'm looking to resolve all of their issues, which includes giving veterans and those in need better and new housing, providing them with better education, more jobs, and more safety as well.”
 
I’ve been campaigning in the county ever since I was confirmed to be the County candidate by the Republican Party. I have spoken to numerous business owners, managers, employees, sheriff’s deputies, fire department personnel, and private citizens from all over the county. This includes but does not limit citizens in Paleto Bay, Grapeseed, Sandy Shores, and Chumash. I have spent all this time listening and learning from my constituents. You’ve referred me as a ‘no-show’, therefore with all due respect can you tell me how active you’ve been when it comes to spending time with the citizens of Los Santos County? I’ve asked numerous citizens if they’ve heard from you and throughout my campaign, I have not met a single citizen who had met you face to face. 
 
The Republican Party has and always will stand by our nation’s veterans. This includes law enforcement officers whom have given so much to promote the safety of society. If the Democratic Party expresses the same interests then why is Chloe Collins still a director for the party? 
 
 
“No. If anything, taxes will be reduced. As you see, Blaine County is blessed with natural gifts - mountains, scenery, beaches and whatnot. My plan is to use Tourism to our advantage. Now I know we, the county people don't like tourists hanging around. Frankly, who even likes people roaming around at their house? No one. But the thing that people have got to understand is that tourism means money. Money makes houses. Houses accommodate people. Money also makes businesses. Businesses give jobs. So as you can see, all of this is very interlinked. We get enough money from the Tourism sector, we boost our other sectors up. Tourism can also help to establish educational institutes in Blaine County through the money produced. So all the problems resolved. No tax increase. Everyone's happy.”
 
The Republican Party believes that the tax rate as it is should remain as it is. Tourism is potentially a huge industry but it is important to be mindful of the long-term residents of the County. What I don’t understand with this response is how tourism will fund enough money to fund and enable growth. The first possibility is that Mr. Khan wants to add taxes to existing tourism companies but that goes against his initial statement of reducing taxes. The second possibility is that Mr. Khan wants to introduce government-funded tourism companies but that will hurt the private sector. We at the Republican Party strongly believe that the free market is best without government interference. Introducing a government-funded agency for tourism will hurt small business owners. And even then it is unclear if the money generated will ever be enough to fund all the promises Mr. Khan is attempting to persuade us with. 
 
I agree with one sentiment which is that the County is vast and beautiful. There is tremendous potential and my policy on businesses is to incentivize growth. We do not want to fund or start businesses of our own but enable growth through smart decisions. Most of the negotiations when it comes to business growth will be taking place between the City and State government. My first action item when it comes to businesses is to reduce or remove licensing costs for County businesses. Our goal is to promote growth through this act. 

Edited by vrb
  • Upvote 1
  • Applaud 2
Link to comment
1 hour ago, RonaldDillinger said:

*This comment comes from an IP based in a trailer in Sandy Shores*

Username:  GodsChild777

Comment: Hopeful is correct. This guy thinks he can run ads calling people from the county poor and uneducated and it’ll work out for him? He doesn’t even understand our gun laws! I sure as heck can’t open carry. "I say what I want, I get what I want", sheesh, he doesn’t get my vote I’ll tell you what.

 

 

Username: BadarKhanOfficial

Comment: 


In response to your concern showed for gun laws, I'd like to let you know that firstly, according to the SHAFT code, you're allowed to open carry within designated hunting zones. The issue is that the past administration didn't designate hunting zones. This can boost economy, so hunting zones will be designated. 

Secondly, there will be no restriction on open-carry within your property according to Section 302 of the SHAFT code. This will remain as such under my leadership.
 

Thirdly, you've claimed that I call my people of the Blaine County "uneducated". I have never said that. I mentioned that since there is a lack of educational institutes in Blaine County as compared to Los Santos, the literacy rate isn't as high as Los Santos. This is why I want to increase education funding so everyone in Blaine County gets a high-quality, public education.

Regards,
Badar Khan

Edited by Badar
Link to comment
24 minutes ago, Nolasco said:

Username: paletocitizen
Comment: republicans self-promoting themselves in the comments underneath a DEM article is so fun!!! xD hoffman what about you start living in the county and talk to ppl instead of sitting in your office? rofl

Username: legalbeagle992
Comment: articles by LSNN are independently produced, not called dem article or republican article without insulting the journalist. comment section is open to all.

Edited by Al-Malikah
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
1 hour ago, vrb said:

Username: JosephHoffmanOFFICIAL

Comment: 

https://face.gta.world/jhoffman

 

This is the official response from the Joseph Hoffman, Republican Candidate for the County

 

 

 

“Because unlike the Republican candidate, I'm not an all talk and no show. I say what I want, and I get what I want. Increasing the amount of guns will not solve all the issues, as promised by the Republican candidate. Can an increase in guns improve education, jobs, give you houses or money? No.”
 
Living in a democracy it is crazy, if not borderline radical, for someone to say that they can “say what they want” and “get what they want”. Resources available to us are finite and I believe it is the politician’s responsibility to utilize these resources to best cater to the needs of his/her constituents. Believing you can incite or promote change just because you believe you “get what you want” is a poor mentality for any politician to have. Change requires understanding the system and being able to navigate the system through the correct due process. If we do not follow the appropriate due process to make change then we no longer live in a democracy that is supported by checks and balances. With all due respect Mr. Khan, I believe you’re the one that will be “all talk and no show”. 
 
I strongly believe in the Second Amendment as granted to us by the Constitution of the United States. Every citizen should have the right to bear Arms at their own discretion. I have never stated that I believed in the increase of firearms. I also have never stated that I believe in the reduction of firearms as the democratic candidate has expressed. I believe it is every private citizen’s right to have the option to keep and bear Arms. The number of firearms a private citizen holds should be at his or her own discretion and not something the government should have any business in.  
 
 
“The current law states that you are within your rights to defend your property and lives. I believe guns should NOT be taken away. They're permitted for open carry as they are now and only to be used as self defense. There are more issues than just safety measures. We have talked with the sheriff's department and there are assurances given that safety will not be an issue.”
 
The term open carry refers to the practice of “openly carrying a firearm in public”. You have been misinformed in believing that open carry is legal in San Andreas. As dictated by SHAFT regulations open carry is NOT legal. 
 
Carrying a firearm is legal when carrying out lawful activities as stated in the SHAFT regulations. However, currently the LSPD’s regulations on carrying a firearm dictates that one must have a valid license to carry their firearm. For example, an individual who expresses an interest in hunting must carry a hunting license. Or a person interested in sporting must be at a lawful location. The issue here is there is no government agency that grants hunting licenses nor does anybody dictated lawful locations for sporting. Therefore this ambiguity prevents lawful citizens from carrying out these activities thus making it illegal. 
 
I will outline two of my agenda items that my constituents are all familiar with. First I will be pushing towards the legalizing of open carry. There has been an increase in crime in Los Santos County. The LSSD is well aware of this issue and as I’ve been assured by an LSSD Lieutenant they are working very hard in addressing these problems by increasing patrol shifts in commonly targeted areas along having detectives work on making arrests on repeated offenders. The issue is not the lack of police presence as said by the democratic candidate. 
 
The issue is the population density of the County. The entire county is vast therefore it is not feasible for the LSSD to have every region fully covered with a two minute response time as you might expect in places such as Strawberry and Davis. In response to this, I believe that enabling open carry to the incorporated areas of Los Santos County is a step in the right direction. Giving folks the right to have a loaded open carry at their waist will have thieves thinking twice or thrice before they attempt to perpetuate their crimes. Our tentative plan for execution is to grant the Sheriff of LSSD the power to enable any citizen of San Andreas to open carry in Los Santos County through state law. We then intend to work closely with the LSSD and provide any support they need from us. 
 
Second we will legalize hunting by introducing a hunting licensing system executed by one of our government agencies. 
 
 
“It's not hard for a Democrat in the county. The problem is that the Republicans like talking a lot. But as I said, they're no-show. I'm looking to resolve all of their issues, which includes giving veterans and those in need better and new housing, providing them with better education, more jobs, and more safety as well.”
 
I’ve been campaigning in the county ever since I was confirmed to be the County candidate by the Republican Party. I have spoken to numerous business owners, managers, employees, sheriff’s deputies, fire department personnel, and private citizens from all over the county. This includes but does not limit citizens in Paleto Bay, Grapeseed, Sandy Shores, and Chumash. I have spent all this time listening and learning from my constituents. You’ve referred me as a ‘no-show’, therefore with all due respect can you tell me how active you’ve been when it comes to spending time with the citizens of Los Santos County? I’ve asked numerous citizens if they’ve heard from you and throughout my campaign, I have not met a single citizen who had met you face to face. 
 
The Republican Party has and always will stand by our nation’s veterans. This includes law enforcement officers whom have given so much to promote the safety of society. If the Democratic Party expresses the same interests then why is Chloe Collins still a director for the party? 
 
 
“No. If anything, taxes will be reduced. As you see, Blaine County is blessed with natural gifts - mountains, scenery, beaches and whatnot. My plan is to use Tourism to our advantage. Now I know we, the county people don't like tourists hanging around. Frankly, who even likes people roaming around at their house? No one. But the thing that people have got to understand is that tourism means money. Money makes houses. Houses accommodate people. Money also makes businesses. Businesses give jobs. So as you can see, all of this is very interlinked. We get enough money from the Tourism sector, we boost our other sectors up. Tourism can also help to establish educational institutes in Blaine County through the money produced. So all the problems resolved. No tax increase. Everyone's happy.”
 
The Republican Party believes that the tax rate as it is should remain as it is. Tourism is potentially a huge industry but it is important to be mindful of the long-term residents of the County. What I don’t understand with this response is how tourism will fund enough money to fund and enable growth. The first possibility is that Mr. Khan wants to add taxes to existing tourism companies but that goes against his initial statement of reducing taxes. The second possibility is that Mr. Khan wants to introduce government-funded tourism companies but that will hurt the private sector. We at the Republican Party strongly believe that the free market is best without government interference. Introducing a government-funded agency for tourism will hurt small business owners. And even then it is unclear if the money generated will ever be enough to fund all the promises Mr. Khan is attempting to persuade us with. 
 
I agree with one sentiment which is that the County is vast and beautiful. There is tremendous potential and my policy on businesses is to incentivize growth. We do not want to fund or start businesses of our own but enable growth through smart decisions. Most of the negotiations when it comes to business growth will be taking place between the City and State government. My first action item when it comes to businesses is to reduce or remove licensing costs for County businesses. Our goal is to promote growth through this act. 

Username: BadarKhanOfficial

Comment: 

 

 

"I strongly believe in the Second Amendment as granted to us by the Constitution of the United States."  

Fortunately, we're both in agreement as I also firmly believe in the Second Amendment. I, for one, will not be limiting the number of firearms people can purchase. This is what I have always said.


"The term open carry refers to the practice of “openly carrying a firearm in public”. You have been misinformed in believing that open carry is legal in San Andreas. As dictated by SHAFT regulations open carry is NOT legal." 

 

I'd point out that the SHAFT code states you only need a PF license and you need to be in the designated hunting zones - zones that I intend to designate under my leadership. You're also allowed to open carry on your property, and your porch is your property also. Your land is your property.


 

"Our tentative plan for execution is to grant the Sheriff of LSSD the power to enable any citizen of San Andreas to open carry in Los Santos County through state law."

 

Let me remind you that that this is a municipal election and the SHAFT code, and all state laws, cannot be altered by a municipal government. Sure, you can lobby towards the state, along with the hundreds of other municipal governments in other areas of San Andreas, but these elections are about what you're going to do inside the area of your jurisdiction, which is South San Andreas Island, and more specifically, Blaine County.


 

"Second we will legalize hunting by introducing a hunting licensing system executed by one of our government agencies. "

 

Hunting is already legal. The previous administration didn't assign hunting zones, but I will be designating hunting zones, under my leadership. There will be no licensing needed as that only puts more strain on the licensing bureaus, and a PF license will do fine if hunting is restricted to these designated zones.


 

"The Republican Party has and always will stand by our nation’s veterans. This includes law enforcement officers whom have given so much to promote the safety of society. If the Democratic Party expresses the same interests then why is Chloe Collins still a director for the party?"

 

The Democratic Party has always supported veterans, as shown by the programs that we've been showing for months now:-

-> The veteran's pension program, which provides supplemental income to eligible veterans - https://www.ls-democrats.com/featured-content/veterans-pension

-> The veterans housing program, which will help homeless veterans find their home using the new Rental Housing Assistance Program, by covering parts of the rental payments - https://www.ls-democrats.com/featured-content/veterans-housing-program
https://www.ls-democrats.com/featured-content/rhap

These are examples of solid, planned out initiatives with thoroughly thought out approaches and reasoning. Just saying "We support Veterans" isn't enough. Showing it, that's worth something.

As for Chloe Collins, she is an assistant, not a director.


 

"My first action item when it comes to businesses is to reduce or remove licensing costs for County businesses. Our goal is to promote growth through this act."

 

Mister Hoffman, I'm glad that at the very least we agree on the great potential of the county. The county has a chance to grow and become great. Our plans for businesses aren't that much different, I feel. With that, I'd like to invite you so we can further discuss our ideas, and our differences, in person. I will be reaching out to you by phone tomorrow and hope we can arrange something.


 

Thank you for your comment and I wish you the best of luck.

Edited by Badar
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
4 minutes ago, Mecovy said:

username:orville

comment;

 

didn't them khan's fellow call us sandy folk not smart 'er something, they's some bullshit

Username: BadarKhanOfficial

Comment: 

 

As I reiterate, I have never said that anyone is not smart. I only mentioned in my manifesto that since there is a lack of educational institutes in Blaine County as compared to Los Santos, the literacy rate isn't as high as Los Santos. This is why I want to increase education funding so everyone in Blaine County gets a high-quality, public education.

Link to comment
  • Shvag locked this topic
  • Wuhtah unlocked this topic

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...