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Eriks

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Everything posted by Eriks

  1. Yeah, pretty much agree with that. I’m merely pointing out that for years we haven’t been able to recruit and retain a pool of political roleplayers to staff a fully functioning State Government and legislature. For people saying I’m just being a negative Nancy, don’t just take my word for it, but look at what others serving have said. We seem to continue and expand the size and scope of government without having the interest to fill existing vacancies. Why should we expect different results at the city level? Pick a system. City or state. Focus on fleshing one system out, perfect it. It just doesn’t seem feasible to staff four different political institutions given our inherent limitations.
  2. The problem seems to be deeper and more structural than that. But, inshallah.
  3. Okay, genuine question. If, as Zani mentioned, there is a major shortage of interested and qualified individuals for political roleplay -- how do we expect to staff a functioning state government, state legislature, city government, and city council?
  4. IMHO, people’s OOC political persuasions influence their IC politics. We are a server of very “online” people from around the world. I think Donald Trump and AOC sort of ruined portrayal in state/local political role play because that’s the reference point for non-Americans. There’s obviously other reasons too, e.g. the efficacy of individual campaigns, incumbency advantages for Republicans, and candidate likability. Also outside of Trumpy/AOC mirroring, social issues and some criminal justice issues (abortion, LGBT rights, death penalty) the political parties are more less aligned. I don’t think I’ve seen many efforts by Republicans to make a smaller government and find/cut “wasteful” spending, nor have I seen Democrats investing a lot of time into being the champions for social programs and unions. If anything I would expect the GOP/Dems to have an inverse alignment in Los Santos (socially aligned, economically opposed). Not painting with a broad brush though, because some people are doing it right. Just an observation.
  5. Name: libertyfan21 Comment: Senators can't be impeached. That's not how the rules work. Are Republicans just going to keep calling to "impeach" senators they disagree with? Grow a fucking spine.
  6. Need active/motivated senators for good lobbying roleplay. Can't have one without the other.
  7. Not 100% true. As a senator, you do have the ability to fund specific programs and projects and get tangible things done, rather than just play window dressing. It’s been done before.
  8. The government faction needs to be more consistent on separation of powers (e.g. executive vs. legislative)... specifically regarding funding for government projects/programs. Outside looking in, it appears the Senate completely handed the keys to the executive branch on that. I noticed there's no mention on how the government gets its funding in the State Constitution either. Hopefully new elections cultivate motivated legislators.
  9. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2023 The Frank and Deborah Ernst Foundation Calls for New Mayoral Elections in Los Santos Los Santos, San Andreas – Today, the Frank and Deborah Ernst Foundation issued a statement calling for new mayoral elections in Los Santos. Throughout his tenure as President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Mr. Ernst had a deep concern for the city of Los Santos and its lack of transparency in government proceedings. "Throughout my time in the Senate, I had concerns that Los Santos was operating with virtually no checks and balances. At the state level, we've had frequent elections and a legislature with proper oversight powers. There were a few occasions where the city did questionable things, and lacked an oversight body or elections to keep them on track," said Mr. Ernst. "I'm delighted that Hank Preston is leading the charge to bring mayoral elections to our city. This is a long-overdue move that will give our citizens a direct say in who leads us. It's time we give the people the power to choose their own leaders. I hope that whoever the next mayor of Los Santos is, they run a tight ship and delegate authority." "We believe that new mayoral elections in Los Santos are essential to ensuring that all citizens have access to fair and honest representation," said Mrs. Ernst. "We are committed to promoting transparency and accountability in the city. There is no doubt that the change will improve the quality of life for all residents of Los Santos." The Ernst Foundation was established by Frank Ernst, the former President Pro Tempore of the San Andreas Senate, and his wife Deborah, the former Director of the Office of Labor-Management Standards. The foundation is a private non-profit organization that works to advance policies that help the people of San Andreas by investing in the development of future generations of leaders in business and government who have the potential to make a positive impact in their communities. Through grants, scholarships, and other funding initiatives, the foundation seeks to support and nurture the growth of the next generation of entrepreneurs, government officials, and community advocates. In addition to its grant-making activities, the Frank and Deborah Ernst Foundation also sponsors several educational programs, such as the Ernst Fellowship Program and Ernst Academy Program. These programs provide leadership training and mentorship opportunities to emerging leaders. ###
  10. On the Senate and state government bureaucracy. Sorry, but taking the State Government and bringing it to the municipal/county level will accomplish absolutely nothing and just place additional restrictions on what political roleplayers can influence (e.g., state-level criminal statutes). From what I recall, when GTAW had the municipal system, the city council could petition the imaginary state government to make changes to state-wide laws. Other than that - they were limited to impotent local ordinances that were meaningless. Let's not go back to that. A city system would be even more risk-averse than the state system. To blame the current state of political roleplay (which is more of a static condition due to inherent limitations) on the state government system is an oversimplification and misleading. Changing "the system" would do little to influence the limited pool of 1. active, 2. knowledgeable and 3. motivated players that are needed to sustain political roleplay. That’s what truly makes the difference. Political roleplay requires many self-starters. It is necessary to check all three of those boxes to have an effective political/government roleplayer. For example, you might be active, but you might know little about how governments work and be ineffective. You might be knowledgeable about government, but you might also be completely inactive. You might be active and knowledgeable, but you might also be unmotivated and lack any ambition. It's also difficult to lobby the risk-averse server management for greater autonomy and influence when the system is generally short-staffed on quality people (a condition of political roleplay in general). Having spent years in this sphere, I can tell you that GTAW has the best iteration of a political system on a large roleplay server. Is it perfect? Far from it. What the political scene needs are good people that will produce roleplay and develop characters/relationships/agendas. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done and there aren't that many prescriptions to fix the issue. The best management can do is trust the players and also for the players to demand more (in-character not on forum threads) from their government. I encourage those who complain or are frustrated about government activity issues and ineffectiveness to pitch in and make a character. There are plenty of vacancies but few people willing to fill them.
  11. Gonna take that as a no then.
  12. These are labor laws. They cover labor relations, collective bargaining, OSHA standards, and establish an office within the government dedicated to labor issues. If you had additional suggestions I suggest you contact a senator.
  13. I almost completely forgot that you introduced that pro-choice legislation. I don't recall anyone raising hell over it.
  14. It's a major Senate discussion because it's a major topic in the American political discourse. Once that legislation was introduced, it was bound to become a hot button issue (like the death penalty abolition legislation introduced by the Democrats). Could senators be doing more on in-game relevant issues? Sure. It would also be nice to see people interact with their senators to demand specific changes to laws (grassroots or during the election season) that impact their communities or businesses. We are supposed to be a West Coast State, yes. But to some extent we need to suspend our disbelief since we have actual elections. Players had a choice and the majority decided to vote for the Republican Party which has inherent conservative legislative priorities. If people have an issue with the priorities of the Republican Party, they should voice those concerns in-character or mobilize to vote them out of office. Not for nothing, but from what I've seen, the Republicans don't even have the votes to pass the legislation you mentioned since it alienated political moderates in the Republican wing (e.g. Senator Benson).
  15. The COVID-19 discussion ban (while reasonable since a pandemic actually would have a major in-game impact) created a bad precedent, opening the door for banning any subject deemed sensitive. This is all the more reason to be cautious about continuously banning topics. This isn't Second Life where we live out fantasies, real world events do sometimes impact our universe. Not everyone plays the game for "escapism" from the real world. Don't impose this standard on everyone else.
  16. I'm sorry that some people are so easily traumatized by politically controversial subjects, but don't impose your "escapism" on everyone else. That's not the answer.
  17. Abortion should be fair game to discuss in-character. It has been one of the most polarizing issues in American politics for decades (guns, gays, abortion). Let's not make a habit of censoring topics OOC.
  18. Name: RockfordRetiree Comment: This is an overreaction- no wonder people are caucus splitting
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