Bootsie for Delegate

[bootsie]

Bootsie for Delegate Platform
September 2015

Introduction
Welcome citizens to my campaign platform for WA Delegate of The North Pacific. I've been a loyal citizen of this wonderful region almost all the time since I've been a member of this forum, and I believe now is the time that I can step up and lead this region in one of the most active periods in the year. From fall festivals to raising the regional numbers, this term is going to be fantastic! So, let's get this platform on the road!

"Let's Do More!"
Much of this platform will be saying how we can do more as a region to bring in more members, gain more citizens, and keep more citizens. We as a region need to work to the best of our ability, both growing our region and making sure everyone has a chance to participate in the region and do what they have a passion for. I most absolutely think that the current Cabinet has, with no doubt, been doing great things for this region, but as the largest region in all of NationStates, we cannot afford to stagnate and lose the momentum these past few delegates have brought forward. Let's push forward, with full confidence, and let's show the community of NationStates exactly why we are the largest region in the entire game.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
First, let's begin with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Lord Ravenclaw has done a great job reforming the Ministry, and I love what he's doing to pair with the Ministry of Home Affairs. Like I already stated, I'd like to see this continue in the coming term, as I don't believe it has reached its full bloom. I can't wait to see what the Ministry has in store this term, and I do hope the citizenry will let me lead this movement alongside the MoFA and make this reform last. In short, this Ministry is working hard, and I will be looking forward to keeping it in this momentum.

Ministry of Entertainment
I do remember last election, people were complaining that the MoEnt was pointless, and that it was just Tomb's way of giving Lore a position on his Cabinet. Regardless, it was founded, and thus, I will be commenting on them, and yes, if elected, will keep what is currently the Ministry of Entertainment. The Ministry of Entertainment is crucial to our RolePlay system and our cartography team has been doing an extraordinary job, however, I think the big hoopla people have an issue with, is that the Ministry of Culture used to take on the role of both it and the MoEnt, and I think that will change this term. So now, to transition, my next topic, the Ministry of Culture.

Ministry of Culture
So, as the Ministry of Entertainment takes the realm of RolePlay, what does that leave the Ministry of Culture to do? Good question. The Ministry of Culture will now be retracting from Port Thel and becoming more based out of Magicality City. From there, they will be in charge of hosting fun contests, planning fun festivals (in pairing with Foreign Affairs), and all kinds of exciting cultural stuff. Cascadia has been doing a great job, and I hope we can see more and more this fall.

Ministry of Home Affairs
Wow. Just wow. I would first, love to say, as a candidate for WA Delegate, that I truly commend Minister Andrew of Home Affairs for all the work he has done in his terms as MoHA. The executive staff of Home Affairs is growing, and we have more and more active mentors than we've had before. This momentum is crazy, good crazy, like me, and I hope that the entire Cabinet can have as much activity and growth that we've seen with this ministry.

Ministry of Communications
The Northern Lights, a newsletter produced by our Ministry of Communications, is one of the most prestigious papers in all of NationStates. We cannot, and will not lag behind on articles, and we will grow the executive staff of one of the smallest Ministries in TNP. I'd like to expand the Communications Ministry to possibly encompass more than just The Northern Lights. Though I will not be forcing ideas down the Minister's throat, I think it'd be cool to have our own radio station or podcast.

Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education has been doing well, but definitely not to its potential. One of the things I'd like to revive is the beloved North Pacific University. This was placed under the Ministry of Education by McMasterdonia during his tenure as Delegate, and I'd like to see that grow in activity. I really don't enjoy being a "watchdog" over Ministers, so if another round of Lennarts or some fun classes want to be created, I'd like to see what the Minister can do. This one has potential, and I know with hard work, this Ministry can get back into its glory days.

Ministry of Defense
The North Pacific Army, which is under management of the Ministry of Defense, is one of the largest regional armies in NationStates. With this power, comes great responsibility. In short, we cannot go raiding willy-nilly and expect for regions to take us seriously. It should not be a surprise to most, but I'm defender-aligned, which means I like to see more liberations and work to keep the democratically elected official as the Delegate of the numerous founderless regions in charge, and not in the grasp of raider organizations such as DEN. With that being said, however, I will not hold the NPA back from more raider-leaning ops, as long as the Minister of Defense can justify how this will help The North Pacific as a whole, and how it contributes to the global community.

Ministry of WA Affairs
The Ministry of WA Affairs is an important Ministry within The North Pacific. The Ministry is expected to post all WA resolutions, count all of the votes of our WA nations, and distribute what the Ministry believes will be the best option for North Pacific residents to choose to all nations in-game. Being the largest region in the game, our WA votes can make or break a proposal, especially when the Delegate has an executive vote, one of which factors in all of the nations in the region. However, in recent months, this goal has not been accomplished, with the Minister not even being a citizen, and I hope that with the appointment of someone prepared for this role, we can get this Ministry back to what it was envisioned to be.

Orange
Of all the colors in the entire rainbow to choose for my campaign color, there was only one that seemed right to represent the position that leads the region, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the color of orange. This color, in regards to the forum, represents our citizens, our residents, and even those residents who are no longer with us. In short, the color orange, in TNP, represents our past, present, and future, and that, and only that, is why I chose the color orange. So please, I'd ask you to join me in this campaign, and turn your entire signature orange, if you can. You represent the future of TNP, and I hope you realize that you and I both have potential, and like a Japanese fan, there are many paths of life, but it is up to you to choose which one you are going to take.

Conclusion
To conclude, I believe now is the time that I can persevere and thrive in one of the most active periods in the year as WA Delegate of The North Pacific. I believe that problems from the previous terms can be resolved and we can fluoresce; a shining region in the realm of NationStates destined for beauty and grandeur compared to other prominent regions that exist in NationStates. We cannot afford to lose momentum and fall into a pit of inactivity. Let's push forward, with determination in our eyes, staring at the future of our region and seeing bright days before us. Let's do more. Let's fight for what we believe in until we're blue in the face. Let's watch as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reforms into something that regional diplomats will be in awe of. Let's see as the Ministry of Entertainment changes the way RolePlay is done in our region. Let's gaze as the beautifully thought out contests and festivals that Culture produces become popular beyond our wildest imagination. Let's take a glimpse of all the mentors that Home Affairs has, and know, every person they bring in could be our next Speaker, our next Vice Delegate, or our next Delegate. Let's view all of the issues of The Northern Lights, which inform all of our allies, and think of how much work is put into this short snapshot of our region and game. Let's visualize the North Pacific University, a place of learning inside a forum of debate and fun, where our citizens can learn about themselves and the history of a world not too far from most of us. Let's picture our brave and wondrous army, metaphorically wearing the latest armor and a couple of endorsements, jumping into their latest operation, not knowing whether they will win or lose. Let's envisage the WA Affairs Ministry, booming with activity and growth, bringing power to the table of the World Assembly, and glory to the region I’ve called home for all these years. This is why, I would be honored to serve as your WA Delegate this upcoming term.

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And please, feel free to take a cute little banner and change your signature orange to match it:

[img=400,100]http://i.imgur.com/p8vFwTB.png[/img]​

 

[Pauline Bonaparte]

I have one question to begin with about the Ministry of Defense.

I'm an updating defender and, while I don't think the NPA needs to or even should rebrand itself as defender, it seems to me like it hasn't been participating in many ops at all, either as raiders or defenders. Could you correct me if I'm wrong and, if I'm not, could you tell us some ideas on how to improve activity?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Good campaign Bootsie.

. I most absolutely think that the current Cabinet has, with no doubt, been doing great things for this region, but as the largest region in all of NationStates, we cannot afford to stagnate and lose the momentum these past few delegates have brought forward.

My impression was that most of the Minister's were relatively inactive, with the exception of Lord Ravenclaw. Perhaps earlier on in the term they were more available, I cannot say.

What do you think has been the greatest achievement of the current cabinet?
What do you think has been the greatest strength of each of the assigned Minister's, what about their weaknesses?

Why do you think Culture and Entertainment is better apart than together under one Minister?

What role do you envision the Vice Delegate having in your cabinet?

Lastly, could you give us an idea about what your 'ideal' cabinet would look like. I mean if you could select any player in NationStates, whether they are here today or not, who would you pick?

Thanks and good luck!

 

[Deleted User (Guest)]

I found myself in a position not long ago where it fell to me as Minister of Foreign Affairs to chastise the Minister of Culture for their inability to keep in communication with the cabinet as they went off and vanished randomly. I have been disappointed with the Ministry of Culture this term, as well as by the lack of communication between it and the cabinet. At times I have found it near impossible to get in contact with the Minister, and given that Ministry should be aware of, and involved in, any events we as a region are invited to, I was incredibly disappointed to have to learn about The Nautical Pacific from The South Pacific's Minister of the Army, AFTER it had already started and was near its end. Not as I expected, from the Minister of Culture - who had produced nothing on it at all.

I had to apologise multiple times to The South Pacific's Delegate at the time over that. I was mortified. Communication is essential for cabinet members - and it appears that in this case, Culture have dropped the ball.

Would you mind clarifying on what successes you've seen Culture enjoy this term?

 

[Tomb]

Bootsie, you have shaped up an excellent campaign, by all means. Good luck to you!

I do have several questions though.

Can you please list all of the regions you are involved in and in what way you are/were involved in them?
What goals have you accomplished this term as Minister of Communications?
Do you have any specific plans on how to revive the TNP University?

Like I said Bootsie, your campaign is very well written and even very moving. I wish you the best of luck.

~ Tomb

 

[bootsie]

Wow. Now the pressure is really on. I've been busy the entire day, so I'm just going to mass-answer all of these questions at once. Let's start first with Myroria. To save time and space, I've commented right after the questions in orange:

I have one question to begin with about the Ministry of Defense.

I'm an updating defender and, while I don't think the NPA needs to or even should rebrand itself as defender, it seems to me like it hasn't been participating in many ops at all, either as raiders or defenders. Could you correct me if I'm wrong and, if I'm not, could you tell us some ideas on how to improve activity?

I wasn't saying that the NPA should be defender. I was just giving the citizens a piece of myself to further understand my line of thinking. I think that more liberation-style ops and helping to defend our allies aligns better with my perspective of NPA, but you know, that's just my opinion.

Good campaign Bootsie. Thanks McM!

. I most absolutely think that the current Cabinet has, with no doubt, been doing great things for this region, but as the largest region in all of NationStates, we cannot afford to stagnate and lose the momentum these past few delegates have brought forward.

My impression was that most of the Minister's were relatively inactive, with the exception of Lord Ravenclaw. Perhaps earlier on in the term they were more available, I cannot say. We definitely were. I'm sorry I'm the one saying that, but I believe the momentum fell out of everyone's work and that was reflected with each of the Ministries. It was a relatively short term, and I believe if I'm elected Delegate, I believe I can help bring the momentum back into the Ministries and make sure the passion is there. Heck, I'm taking on SillyString in the election she almost has within her grasp! If that isn't determination, I don't know what is.

What do you think has been the greatest achievement of the current cabinet? The greatest achievement of the Cabinet was something I believe was a bit less tangible. Determination. Now I realize I've stated that about five times now, and you are probably sick of hearing it, but I'm going to continue saying it. Had the Minister's wanted to, they could've given up and just been a citizen of TNP again. But they didn't. They stuck through the entire term, and made sure that their Ministry was at least breathing, And hey, that determination paid off, as not one, but two Ministers have already planned to run for Delegate. And now, one small Boots, who began as a pretty shy little Boots, with enough determination to actually think he stands a chance against his former fellow Deputy Speaker for the highest position in TNP. Yeah, I'll say determination. Hey, I'll continue to say it. I'm not giving up and neither shall the Cabinet.

What do you think has been the greatest strength of each of the assigned Minister's, what about their weaknesses?
Gee, I kinda answered part of that above. I'm not going to talk bad about my fellow Cabinet members, but in my opinion, inactivity and loss of momentum paid a lot in the weaknesses of the Cabinet. I believe if I can get a committed Cabinet under me, there's nothing we can't do this term.

Why do you think Culture and Entertainment is better apart than together under one Minister?
The vision of the two Ministries under my tenure just has too much work cut out for one Minister. It could work under one Minister, which it has in the past, I just don't want to have a burnt out Cabinet by the end of the term that begs the next Delegate to not pick them.

What role do you envision the Vice Delegate having in your cabinet?
I want the Vice Delegate engaging in as much of the Cabinet debates as possible. It not only strengthens the bond of the Executive and Security Council, but I believe I need someone there to take me down from my excited and happy ideas to something more logical. I was hoping this role would be filled by SS as our friendship is built quite like that, but I guess winning an election over her is good too.

Lastly, could you give us an idea about what your 'ideal' cabinet would look like. I mean if you could select any player in NationStates, whether they are here today or not, who would you pick?

WA Affairs: Mousebumples
Entertainment: Darcania
Culture: Lord Nwahs or Lennart
Home Affairs: Tomb
Foreign Affairs: Lord Ravenclaw or McMasterdonia
Education: Malvad
Communications: Crushing Our Enemies
Defense: Eluvatar

Thanks and good luck!

I found myself in a position not long ago where it fell to me as Minister of Foreign Affairs to chastise the Minister of Culture for their inability to keep in communication with the cabinet as they went off and vanished randomly. I have been disappointed with the Ministry of Culture this term, as well as by the lack of communication between it and the cabinet. At times I have found it near impossible to get in contact with the Minister, and given that Ministry should be aware of, and involved in, any events we as a region are invited to, I was incredibly disappointed to have to learn about The Nautical Pacific from The South Pacific's Minister of the Army, AFTER it had already started and was near its end. Not as I expected, from the Minister of Culture - who had produced nothing on it at all.

I had to apologise multiple times to The South Pacific's Delegate at the time over that. I was mortified. Communication is essential for cabinet members - and it appears that in this case, Culture have dropped the ball.

Would you mind clarifying on what successes you've seen Culture enjoy this term?

I'll start by saying that communication has not been its best this term. Communication was an issue, and we'll need to fix that in the coming term, however, let's not count Culture out for the count. Near the beginning of the term we had the Festival of the Arts and a blog contest. Things like this, and more external festivals is what I'm expecting for this upcoming term. I believe if the activity can boost, that problem can be resolved.

Bootsie, you have shaped up an excellent campaign, by all means. Good luck to you!

I do have several questions though. Hit me!

Can you please list all of the regions you are involved in and in what way you are/were involved in them? I'm a member or citizen is all of the feeders but TWP. I've not really done much there, as I think the forum here is very cozy and unique. This is why my campaign is so TNP-focused. I'm literally a fan of my home. This place welcomed me like no other region has. And I wouldn't exchange this experience for anything.
What goals have you accomplished this term as Minister of Communications? I believe the Executive staff has grown since the beginning of the term, something I hoped would happen, and though I don't get the chance to continue the work I've done, I know that there are some really talented writers about to explode out of that Ministry. Just watch.
Do you have any specific plans on how to revive the TNP University? While I don't like forcing ideas into a Minister's hands, I'd like to maybe see some classes or maybe a lecture held in the University. You know, something fun.

Like I said Bootsie, your campaign is very well written and even very moving. I wish you the best of luck.

~ Tomb

 

[Syrixia]

Sound campaign. This is gonna be a tough vote for me, between Asta and you. Like, 30-minutes-of-analysis-and-thinking tough.

 

[bootsie]

Sound campaign. This is gonna be a tough vote for me, between Asta and you. Like, 30-minutes-of-analysis-and-thinking tough.

It's fine. Either way will be fine with me.

Spoiler: Vote Bootsie!

[img=320,320]http://s6.postimg.org/ruy6xaz41/11227572_998484390164029_6931387562484279547_n_j.jpg[/img]

 

[Deleted User (Guest)]

I think you've got a good chance, as long as you work hard with your campaign.

 

[Syrixia]

[img=320,320]http://s6.postimg.org/ruy6xaz41/11227572_998484390164029_6931387562484279547_n_j.jpg[/img]

OMG THAT GUINEA PIG IS SO CUTE!!!

Uhhhh...WHISKEY FOOTBALL NACHOS BLABLABLABLABLA MAN

 

[Mall]

As a self-admitted defender how do you reconcile your presumed belief that TNP should be a strong, independent region with the fact that defenders ranging from TITO to the UDL have attempted to manipulate our government, spy on our operations, and outright slander us? Additionally why do you believe it is the case that defenders are not to be trusted in feeders? As a further question to what extent do you believe that raiders have been helpful in past operations with TNPA?

 

[bootsie]

Hey Mall, my head has been killing me this evening and I think I'm going to retire early to bed. I promise your answer and the others associated with the questions asked overnight will be first on my agenda tomorrow, however I don't think I can answer to the best of my ability given my current condition.

 

[quak1234]

Bootsie, if you have a chance, I have a question for you:

Do you have any specific plans or goals for interregional relations (make some alliances, break some alliances, etc.)? Or do you intend to leave the interregional politics to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

 

[bootsie]

Dearly me, I must've forgotten to reply! So, I will now. First up, as promised, Mall:

As a self-admitted defender how do you reconcile your presumed belief that TNP should be a strong, independent region with the fact that defenders ranging from TITO to the UDL have attempted to manipulate our government, spy on our operations, and outright slander us? There are extremists from both the raiders and defenders. While I've stated myself as a defender to clarify what I'd like to see, not to prove that the NPA should be defender, both ideologies have players that are very extreme and malicious. I compare the two to Democrats and Republicans, sorry for the international folk, however I'm using the American politics to clarify my point. They will argue, and there will be people from both sides crossing the line. To be short, if it disturbs what TNP believes in and is directly affecting us or our allies, I do believe that it warrants action from the NPA. Additionally why do you believe it is the case that defenders are not to be trusted in feeders? Like I said, extremist defenders have made a bad name for themselves. That's a matter of opinion, really. As a further question to what extent do you believe that raiders have been helpful in past operations with TNPA? I believe they are more qualified with raider tasks, that defender aligned users don't have experience in. For example, I can spot for raiders pretty well, however, I probably can't plan properly to raid and trick defenders into moving early. In liberations, people like raiders are really helpful, because they know what they are good at, and help experience-wise.

Bootsie, if you have a chance, I have a question for you:

Do you have any specific plans or goals for interregional relations (make some alliances, break some alliances, etc.)? Or do you intend to leave the interregional politics to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? I trust in the MoFA to analyze the situation and talk to me about a current situation and suggest a course of action. Of course, I would make the final choice, but overall, I would take the Minister's suggestion seriously. In recent days, we've had some issues with Europeia, which SillyString acknowledged in her speech. I too believe something needs to be done, and will be taking action, the specifics of which will come with my potential election. The Pacific has also requested an embassy, which I must weigh on, as this choice affects you all, the citizens.

Thank you both for your questions.