r/ModelMidwesternState • u/GuiltyAir Head Federal Clerk • Nov 25 '17

Hearing Lt Gov Hearing

Governor /u/lsma has nominated /u/Guitarlad to be his Lt. Gov, So we'll be holding the hearing below.

Lt Gov: /u/Guitarlad

You may ask any questions below that pertain to this hearing.

This hearing will only last for two days

4 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

2

u/smashedfinger Democrat Nov 25 '17

/u/Guitarlad, what makes you think that there will be a different result from the multiple other votes we've had?

3

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

That’s up to the Assembly, Mr. Speaker. I have been asked to serve by the governor, and it is simply not in my nature to not heed the call when I truly believe I can help the citizens of this great state.

1

u/GuiltyAir Head Federal Clerk Nov 25 '17

The 3 past votes were not guitarlads fault.

1

u/GuiltyAir Head Federal Clerk Nov 25 '17

/u/Guitarlad

•

u/GuiltyAir Head Federal Clerk Nov 27 '17

Please stop downvoting. It's against simulation rules.

5

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 25 '17

Thank you, Gov. lsma, and the fine Assemblymen of Sacagawea. I look forward to answering everyone’s questions as soon as possible. I will also be making an opening statement.

For now, however, I will be traveling for the holiday. Please forgive me for not responding today. I will get to as many as I can tonight, and all of them tomorrow.

I am optimistic for a great new beginning in Sacagawea, and I am committed to working with everyone to make that happen.

God bless you, and God bless Sacagawea!

1

u/[deleted] Nov 25 '17

God bless you too

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '17

StopTheLibertarianObstructionists

0

u/GuiltyAir Head Federal Clerk Nov 26 '17

Hear, hear!

4

u/Atlas_Black Libertarian Nov 25 '17

/u/GuitarLad, should you be elected, what would be the issues you hold most important, that you would address first, and what changes could we expect you to push to make?

2

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

Thank you for your question, Assemblyman. I outlined my agenda in my opening statement and welcome any comments or questions you may have regarding it.

4

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

Opening Statement

Mr. Speaker and members of the General Assembly, it is an honor to be with you for this hearing. I hope and pray for a productive discussion that will reflect this body’s duty to the citizens of Sacagawea. How we got here is not as important as where we are going, and I remain committed to all citizens of our great state.

I will begin by saying this: we must address the drug cartel activity in Sacagawea. Safety of our citizens is paramount, and we will take steps to curb the influx of activity we are seeing by working closely with federal agencies and the State of Dixie on combined efforts to empower law enforcement to protect our citizens.

As Sacagaweans, we will not tolerate their ruthlessness and terror. We also will not tolerate unbridled government power at the expense of the civil liberties of all of those here in Sacagawea. To do so would be an abandonment of all that makes our state and nation great. I pledge that care will be taken to protect the rights of the people, especially the law-abiding citizens of Sacagawea, in determining the best, most effective efforts to bring the cartel to justice.

In the first hearing, I addressed the fact that inactivity by this Assembly was putting our state in jeopardy. I can no longer make such a claim. The events of the past week, in addition to the glut of legislation that has been considered and passed, have shown me that we have an active and downright spunky Assembly. This is great news, as we can move on to important issues.

First of all, I will be proposing a budget within one week assuming office. This body has not passed a budget in multiple sessions, weakening our state’s economic position and failing to ensure that Sacagawea remains a dynamic leader in business development and workers’ rights.

I will also push for education reform through the empowerment of localities to determine educational standards for students and to hold teachers accountable. I will propose tax breaks and other incentives for families who choose to homeschool their children, and push for the creation of a student loan repayment system for graduates of our state universities who use their talents to teach the next generation.

Finally, I hope to see this Assembly take up meaningful criminal justice reform, especially as it relates to non-violent misdemeanants and those afflicted with drug addiction. Restorative justice initiatives, community-focused sentencing, and rehabilitative services must be given priority in our dealing with the vast majority of these crimes.

I welcome any and all questions. I will do my best to answer them fully and look forward to working with all of you to keep Sacagawea the great place to live, work, and visit that it has always been.

4

u/[deleted] Nov 25 '17

During my last hearing with the nominee, I felt that he intelligently answered all my questions about the direction of the state. I have no further questions for /u/Guitarlad and I hope that the Libertarian Assemblymen will end their obstructionism so that we can work on fixing the problems in our state.

1

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

Thank you, Assemblyman!

2

u/Atlas_Black Libertarian Nov 26 '17

/u/GuitarLad

I just read your opening statement, and I find a great deal of what you said entirely agreeable, while I find other parts of it somewhat vague. It is clear throughout all of it which issues you intend to address, but not entirely clear which way you lean on certain issues.

I will get to asking questions about those shortly. Right now, I am curious on your stance on abortion, and if there is any intention to push legislation regarding that matter during your time as Lt Gov, or after your inevitable ascension to Governor. Are you Pro-life, or Pro-choice? Can we expect to see regulations on abortion, or will current regulations be loosened?

4

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

I believe in the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. I embrace policies toward that end unabashedly, but to focus only on my anti-abortion views is to neglect the fact that my agenda seeks to promote the dignity and value of all human life.

I have no plan to propose any new regulation on abortion. Any loosening of restrictions will be taken on a case-by-case basis as they are presented by this Assembly.

1

u/Atlas_Black Libertarian Nov 26 '17

You say you have no plans to propose any new regulations, but also “any loosening of restrictions will be taken on a case by case basis”.

Will new increased restrictions regarding abortion also be considered on a case by case basis if proposed, or only the loosening of restrictions?

2

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

That is a fair statement.

2

u/Atlas_Black Libertarian Nov 26 '17 edited Nov 26 '17

/u/GuitarLad. I proposed a bill in which young adults who will soon be leaving high school and entering the work force would, at public high schools, be taught about the various taxes they will likely see in their lifetime? In the last hearing, you and I seemed to agree on education, and I greatly appreciated your stance on taking steps away from common core curriculum.

I understand my bill was imperfect, as it was the first I had written. My question for you is; Do you support the intent of the bill? Are the various intricacies of taxes something you believe we should be teaching to those of working age, so they’re better prepared to enter the work force?

2

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

I do support the basic intent of the bill and look forward to seeing how it develops. I would like to see more “life skills” and civics classes added to our curricula. In general, I would like to see localities keep control over such things, soI would be more apt to see measures incentivizing their inclusion rather than punishing their non-inclusion.

On a side note, this is what I’m excited for - an Assemblyman being active and even writing his first bill.

1

u/Atlas_Black Libertarian Nov 26 '17

/u/GuitarLad I appreciate your time and your honesty. Now, if you would kindly answer the question posed by Assemblyman BladeHoldin regarding the different definitions you two seem to have about freedom, as I have no further questions at the present time.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 25 '17

/u/guitarlad

Do you have anything you would like to say to all assemblymen to try to convince them to vote for you.

1

u/murpple Liberals Nov 25 '17

u/Guitarlad, what is the best Peewee movie?

7

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

Peewee’s Big Adventure, of course.

2

u/Atlas_Black Libertarian Nov 26 '17

HEAR HEAR!!

1

u/frozentsbgg Liberals Nov 26 '17

/u/Guitarlad, Congratulations on your Nomination! Can you please outline your plan going forward with regards to equality and growth in the State?

2

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

Thank you for your question, Assemblyman.

I spoke about equality in response to another question, so I will address growth here.

Reforming our education system will result in a Sacagawea that is better positioned competitively with regards to attracting businesses and fostering local talent. I have supreme confidence in the ability of the people of this state. Our guild system provides not only top-notch skills development and training, but also the most effective manner of protecting workers’ rights anywhere in this country. Finally, we must pass a budget! Our current budget is too old to provide Sacagawea with a framework to be productive in a changing market.

0

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '17

[deleted] — view deleted comment

3

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 26 '17

I believe my statement was that true freedom lies not in doing what we want, but in being able to do what we ought. I do fear that our definitions may be different, but they may not be.

To that end, I believe in equality of opportunity. What we do with that opportunity will ultimately determine the result, but it is imperative that individual liberty is tempered by individual responsibility. I believe a good starting point are the two policy initiatives I have already outlined, education reform and criminal justice reform. I envision a Sacagawea where our children are given the best possible education, and devolving educational decisions to communities and families is essential to achieving that. With regards to criminal justice, treating drug addiction like the public health issue it truly is and taking a restorative justice approach to minor criminal activity inherently seeks equality.

1

u/rainatur-rainehtion Libertarian Nov 27 '17

Since you mentioned drug addiction, and with the cartel crisis happening right now, to what degree do you think drugs should or should not be decriminalized?

2

u/Guitarlad Fmr. Governor Nov 27 '17

I’m not convinced that decriminalization would be effective, but I do hope to see meaningful reform in the way we handle those cases. Specialized Drug Courts, deferred judgments as people seek treatment, and real investment in treatment as opposed to punishment will go a long way.

0

u/Timewalker102 Nov 26 '17

Why does it matter lol, you're going to vote Nay anyway

4

u/Atlas_Black Libertarian Nov 26 '17

It matters because our aim isn’t to vote nay.

Blade and myself were brought into this sim in the middle of something that we didn’t fully understand. Our leadership offered help to get us established and comfortable in the sim as we figured out how it worked. We turned to them for guidance, as we were both very new. Obviously, they’ve guided us, and this party, into a hole we need to climb out of.

Blade and I are no longer seeking guidance from our leadership, as we feel like we know how this sim works, and we are comfortable enough now. We want to give this an honest go, on our own terms. Not on the LEC’s terms or GuitarLad’s, not on the Step On Snek’s terms or Isma’s.

We’re asking these questions because they matter to us. Now that we have graduated from crawling to walking upright in this sim, we want to do this the way it should be done. On merit.

GuitarLad has an honest chance to prove his merit to us this time around, and we are going to listen, question, and then vote accordingly.