IE Minister

[GodKing]

Ok, as I was gone for the weekend (parents were visiting and had to clean the house and then entertain them..... ) my campaining for the IE Minister position got started on the 3rd page of the 'other' thread. If any of you get that far you will note all the political smear. Ouch. It is a tough, mean, low, back stabbin kinda smear. The kind you would expect with party politics. Thus, I decided to start my own thread.

A vote for me is a vote for efficiency. A vote for independance.

OK, my background. Real world. I am a Civil Engineer. I build condo's. I deal with politicians every day. Pain in the arse. But I know politics. I know how to manage a division of a government (I used to do that also). I once was the licensed engineer for the ninth largest city in the state of Michigan (population wise). (For those who don't know where Michigan is, it is the part of the US surrounded by all the large lakes between the US and Canada. Detroit is the largest city. Westland, the 9th largest, is a suburb of Detroit.)

I was also in the US Peace Corps, in Ecuador, where I wrote the manual entitled "A PC guide to bribing public officials - or how to get your work done and keep your butt out of jail". Needless to say, although the peace corps doesn't recognize the existance of said manual, you can still find copies in their library, as well as several floating arount the embassy somewhere I am sure.

As IE minister, I will make the decisions on where to place new cities. I intend to listen to comments, advise, suggestions, etc. I may even post a poll or two. But I will make the decisions. That is how I intend to run my ministry. Of course, that also means that if you are not happy, than you know who to blaim.

I shall place the cities to make us strong. I shall maximize our borders. I shall make as many resourses, whether stratigic or otherwise, available for our people. When we build on the remains of others, I shall maximixe the existing roads and other civic improvement within our usable city radius. That is what I shall do as IE minister.

One day we shall rule, and I shall place the cities to help make that happen.

Thank you for your vote.
Godking

[Kuciwalker]

Hi, I'm skywalker, and I think you should elect me for the post of Imperial Expansion Minister because:

I support a policy of rapid expansion that doesn't hurt our military or cause serious corruption problems.

I am on almost every day (I might miss a day or two per month) and will be available to listen to your opinions.

I won't follow a course of action until I am sure what the people want.

I will consider (in my report) every option proposed to me when advising our President, but will support whichever has the most votes.

I promise free bananas for all!

Thank you, and may the force be with me

[civman2000]

(If the others agree) The DIA officially opposes you (edit becuase skywalker posted before i finished: GodKing) very strongly for your explicit promise to not listen to or poll the people much .

[GodKing]

If I may;

I didn't say I wouldn't listen. What I did say is that I will retain the right to make my own decision.

In the real world, just because all others jump off the bridge, doesn't mean that I will to. So with the IE position.

All other opinions count. As they rightfully should. As may be the case, others can (and have ) come up with better ideas than myself. If they do so, and I do hope thay do, than I shall do my best to give due credit.

If I am elected to do the job, I must have the authority to do it. I will make the decisions. I will be the one responsible (for good or ill). I will also listen. Thank you.

[Kuciwalker]

You have to listen to the polls. POLLS ARE GOD!!!!!!!!!

- attributed to the Banana

[civman2000]

I thought The Banana was god .

The spirit of democracy is in the people ruling. If they jump off a cliff the country must too. Our people are reasonable and intelligent enough to avoid such major mistakes (at least the majority is)

[Ninot]

Eat the peel first, right?

Skywalker, I have the following question:

You have stated you will follow the course provided by whatever is voted on democratically?

I won't follow a course of action until I am sure what the people want

Does this mean every time you are presented with a choice, you will need to begin a vote? And to that extent, does that mean you will demand an end to any turnchat when you are provided with a choice? What I am getting around to is, do you value the opinion of the public so much that you must stop at every turn for their voice?

[GodKing]

As taken from the proposed constitution:

"Ministerial Branch

Ministers make up the core of our government. They do the hard labor required to point our country in the right direction. Ministers are experts in the area they oversee, and they have the serious task of informing and advising the people on our situation. They are required to conduct polls in order to interrupt the people’s will. They are then to carry out that will, by giving their direction to the President.

All Ministers are allowed to advise and consult with each other. They are also granted the right to petition for changes or actions from other Ministers that may be critical to the their department. Ultimately, however, it is the Minister in charge of his/her section that has the final say in how things are handled. "

I added the emphasis.

This tells me that although polls are good. It is the minister who NEEDS to be in charge. Someone has to be responsible. If you think that people have to be inteligent, reasonable, etc, you need more experience IMHO. For the past 100 years, it has been a crime to swear on public waterways in the state of michigan punnishable by up to 5 years in jail. All for just muttering a 4 letter word when you loose your paddle and your canoe tips over.....

We elect ministers to guide our empire. To keep us from jumping off the cliff if we are stupid enough to try it. That is why we place our "public trust" in these individuals.

Appologies if is sounds like I am attacking you. Not my intention. I simply feel that the people we elect need to listen. But they also need to have the authority and ability to make decisions. And they need to understand that it is ultimately their responsibility (no matter how many bananas they have) that those decisions are made, for good or ill. Hopefully those elected will do the good.

[notyoueither]

A few questions

To both (all) candidates...

1. If you have ideas about how best to play the game (ie city placement, spacing and so on) are you willing to listen to others and adjust your thinking?

2. If a plan is widely perceived as good, will you place cities where the plan calls for them rather than where you might normally prefer?

3. Do you support Case Pink and will you place the next two cities where they are called for by the plan?

4. What levels of difficulty have you mastered in Civ3 SP?

[Jonny]

Hello. I'm Jonny, and here's why you should vote for me as your new IE minister.

Firstly, I try to place cities in places where they can be most efficent and productive. In my first attempt to become IE minister, I said I supported optimum city spacing. However, we started in the middle of a jungle, so you can throw all that out the window. I now try to place them where they can be most productive.

Second, you should vote for me because I have some experience of being IE minster. I was the deputy IE minster for Timeline, so I have some valuable experience that none of the other candidates have.

Thirdly, I promise to always listen to the voice of the people. I will almost never place a city without polling the people about what we should do first. This is a democracy, and the people are part of the government.

Finally, I promise that everyting I'll do will not be all based on politics and political parties. Everyone's opinion counts, whether they are part of the DIA, UFC, or independent.

For the other Minister of Imperial Expansion campaign thread, go here:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53700&pagenumber=1

I thank you for your vote in advance.

[civman2000]

This tells me that although polls are good. It is the minister who NEEDS to be in charge. Someone has to be responsible. If you think that people have to be inteligent, reasonable, etc, you need more experience IMHO. For the past 100 years, it has been a crime to swear on public waterways in the state of michigan punnishable by up to 5 years in jail. All for just muttering a 4 letter word when you loose your paddle and your canoe tips over.....

We elect ministers to guide our empire. To keep us from jumping off the cliff if we are stupid enough to try it. That is why we place our "public trust" in these individuals.

Hmmm, I think that's maybe why I don't put my public trust in you .

People in the real world might (in general) be unreasonable. BUt those who play a game like civ and bother enough to spend time at forums for it and even would want to participate in a demo game tend to be intelligent. Indeed, I have seen very few dumb apolytonians and even fewer in the demo games (Ok maybe a couple but I don't wanna hurt anyone's feelings ).

I know that constitutionally you can ignore the people (don't bother saying you're not ignoring them it's just a short word to use quickly, even if it's an exaggeration), but that doesnt make it right.

[civman2000]

I predict the answers:
1. all yes
2. all except GodKing yes
3. all yes
4. Jonny: regent; skywalker: king; GodKing: regent

[Kuciwalker]

Ninot -

As the only real decisions I make are where to place cities and in what order, yes, I will post a poll on everything. Little things like how to get the settler there will either be decided in a) a discussion some really bored person creates, b) whichever path will reveal the most territory/be safest, or c) where the bananas fall.

[Papa Chubby]

I see that both the candidates are very interested in using the land in our proximity to expand into. That lousy jungle, packing city upon city.
Would you be willing to send settlers for some distance if we would find, say grassland on the other side, gazillion light years away.

[Kuciwalker]

No, because the corruption would be worse than the jungle *GASP* (is that possible?!).