_CranberrySprite’s Election Post (Feb 2019)

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Hey! I’ve decided to run for parliament. If you read the title, it might shock you that my username is _CranberrySprite. Some of you might know me as _litenerd, or just simply lite. I'm fifteen and live in the wonderful state of North Carolina.

I joined this server around early August. I don't remember the exact date, so we're just gonna say August 8th. I'm fairly active in-game, (where I have 13-14 days of playtime), on the forums (where I have dozens of posts) and on Discord which I stalk about four hours a day. I also am the mayor of Troutman.

While I haven't directly had influence on bills, I re-introduced the suggestion of yacht plots, which was then carried out by the DoC. I am also an Assistant Commerce Secretary and a former PI so I have some knowledge about the government.

I believe I could be a good MP because I'm active, know how government works and have a half decent outreach in the community. I could gather information on public opinion on certain issues with my position in BC's community. Since I'm active I can also note changes in the server and stuff that could possibly be fixed.

Ultimately, laws that I would vote for would be laws that add a level of fun and intrigue to the server, but still have certain degrees of realism. I don't think I'd vote for any laws that make this server dull, or anything that could potentially make it toxic. When voting (or deciding on anything) I think through possible options and the end results of those options. The public's opinion would also heavily sway my opinion.

If you have any questions, message me on the forums, in-game or on Discord, @natedawg#8737

I will update this post with points I made during the debate. Good luck to all the candidates!

 

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Debate Points:
1. What is the biggest issue you see in the server right now, and why?
I would have to agree with End, I think one of the issues with the server is that not many new player read the laws (partly in fact because they don’t know where they can find it) and get harshly punished because due to that

2. What would you do to fix that problem?
I think we could improve the issue by fixing the tutorial by adding rules that newer players typically run afoul of, or just outright make the first offense punishment less harsh.

3. A hot topic issue in many elections has been emerald trading. What do you believe regarding the emerald trade and how should that be reflected in legislation?
Honestly, I’d have to say I’m neutral on that situation. The trade has its ups and downs, from one side putting money into the economy, and the other making the gap between rich and poor larger. If we were to take action and I had to chose, I would probably say it would be best to gradually lower it to a price (that isn’t zero) that creates a nice balance. However, if this sounds like a shitty idea I’ll be glad to take suggestions from the community.

4. What limitations, if any, should be placed on the entrepreneur shop? Why?
I believe that there are enough restrictions.

5. Parliament has recently been told to return to law-making rather than stepping into Cabinet jurisdiction. How much power, and what types of power, should be given to each branch? Explain.
I think that Parliament should have a say in cabinet jurisdiction, largely in part due to the fact that ministers democratically elected and may not be able to adequately represent how the public feels on certain matters. I propose that we have the Speaker be in the Cabinent.

6. What goals do you have that you want to accomplish if you were to be elected?
I have a few goals in mind that I would like to accomplish in my term if I were to be elected:
- Public works system
Previously mentioned in the OP.
- Registering to vote
Newer players may not have enough information on whom to vote for.
- Edits to a few rules
Primairly the client modification rule
- different cities/towns being spawns instead of just capital
Simple as it sounds. It’ll bring more people to different places and we won’t have so much centralization in Capital
- Future suggestions from the community

7. Should the PM and/or DPM be elected, appointed, or remain as they are now? In other words, how should the PM and/or DPM gain that role?
Koal is papa. He should be PM for life. I do however think that DPM could be up to Parliament.

8. As a general rule, do you feel like punishments are currently too lenient, too harsh, or just right? Explain your answer using examples from the law.
I think the current laws are just right, but with a few outstanders. For example, the first stealing offense is only one day which I think is incredibly lenient. Something that would be too harsh would be our rules regarding client modification. Staff should decide the severity of the punishment for client modification and a few other laws. I’d hate to get banned because I used something as harmless as some rainbow GUI mod.

9. Are the prices for government things (capital city plots, suburbs houses/plots, cars, fuel, airplane tickets, wild land, etc.) properly priced? Why or why not? Use examples.
I think most of them except for the Black/White cars and bikes are good. Many players obviously want to get driving the moment they join the server, and the black car is the cheapest. I would probably try to lower the price by 250-500, but make them slower or burn fuel faster.

10. What are your overall feelings about representation in Parliament. This question is very open ended, so if you don’t know where to start, you can think about addressing the number of representatives, how people vote, the ratio of ayes to nays on bills, or any other topic related to Parliamentary representation.
I think Parliament has a good amount of representation, and there aren’t any terrible issues with it at the moment.

Follow up question:
You said that Parliament should have a say in what is currently Cabinet jurisdiction. Wouldn’t this make Cabinet a lot less powerful and Parliament a lot more powerful, even though Cabinet members do represent the people because they are approved by Parliament? Why should Parliament be more powerful?
I truthfully don’t think that just letting the Speaker of Parliament would create an imbalance of power. I’m a believer in pure democracy, and if the SoP (appointed by those democratically elected) was in cabinet the public would in a way have a say that they don’t have on cabinet matters.


Or maybe better yet, let the departments decide who they want their minister to be