Tuscarawan Hierarchy campaign, 1579-1580

[Aerandariel]

Tuscarawan Dominion
Hierarch Electoral Campaign

The Tuscarawan Dominion is about to undergo a brief election campaign, where three candidates will pitch their ideas to the citizens of the Dominion and will undergo intense scrutiny by the Dominion High Council, the select group of officials in charge of officially selecting the new Hierarch. Upon election, the new Hierarch selects his regal name of which he or she shall be permanently identified as in the eyes of the people, the High Council and the world.

The vote of the citizens is taken into consideration by the High Council. In the 1565 election, eventual Hierarch Tachnechdorus I received the vote of 63% of the citizenry. He then received the vote of nine of the 13 sitting members of the High Council.

The candidates are:

Faramond Hiawatha (b. 1532, from Wapakoneta), is the present governor-general of the city of Wapakoneta and is considered one of the foremost authorities on economics in Tuscarawas. He received near-universal praise for his handling of Wapakoneta's city treasury in the wake of the Florinthian Evacuation and is considered a founding member of the Commerce Guild in the southern provinces. Governor-General Hiawatha is pledging a reduction in property and income taxes as well as new investments in infrastructure to create an estimated 3 million new jobs. Hiawatha also intends on opening Tuscarawas to newer trade markets such as Almaniania, Arrenland, Lanlania, and Drahen. He also hopes to build new relations with countries in Ostara and the Near East, specifically naming the Mestran Imperium, Tieguo, Sainam and the Angirisian Empire as his countries of interest.

Swithin Artaxerxes (b. 1524, from Kanestake), is a former member of the High Council who served from 1566 to 1574. During his time on the High Council, he served as Foreign Affairs Councilor from 1566-1570 and oversaw the reestablishment of formal political and economic relations with Tuscarawas' former colonial suzerain Florinthus. He also gained international recognition for the Dominion from numerous world powers including Severyane, Lanlania, and Nyland. From 1570 until 1574, Artaxerxes served as the Communications Councilor, responsible for the expansion of the Interweb throughout the Dominion and was among the first government officials to have a significant presence on social media. After leaving the High Council, Artaxerxes was chosen by Hierarch Tachnechdorus to be the Dominion's ambassador to Nyland in 1574 but only remained there until 1576 when Artaxerxes was being considered by Kanestake's citizens for another term on the High Council, replacing the embattled Councilor Rain Ashton. However, Ashton survived Artaxerxes' challenge. Artaxerxes has emerged as the favorite among Councilors and leads in some early polls. He plans on focusing on foreign investment and strengthening the Dominion's military. Artaxerxes also intends to lend his support to Tuscarawas' burgeoning football federations as well as seek to bring at least one or two matches to Tuscarawas in time for the 1586 SIFA World Cup Mandavine Islands. He also has stated that one of his main goals if elected will be for the Dominion to host a SIFA tournament on its own, whether it be an Avidna Cup or a World Cup.

Atticus Timour (b. 1519, from Tuscarawas), was the president of the Tuscarawas Labor Guild and was responsible for the stabilization of labor relations between workers, employers and the Dominion government in much of the early days of the Dominion. Timour was and remains one of the strongest voices for workers' rights in Tuscarawas and still is active in labor activism. Though sometimes labeled a communist, Timour's apparent motivations have little to do with collectivism or controlling the means of production but rather protecting middle and lower-class citizens from the abuses of business and corporate interests that he believes was one of the causes of the fascist takeovers in Western Brigidna, more recently in Akitsu and the two attempts to dismantle the Imperial system in Angiris. Timour's plans for governing upfront have little to do with foreign affairs, as he is more focused on domestic affairs. He plans to raise taxes on wealthier Tuscarawans and cap off deductions. He also intends to remove payroll taxes, giving workers more take-home pay. He also is threatening to enact an "exit tax" against companies who leave Tuscarawas in favor of cheaper markets elsewhere. Timour plans on spending up to thirty billion wampums to expand Tuscarawas' highway system, build new bridges and expanding airports.

[Aerandariel]

Hierarch Electoral Campaign - Debate

The first and only Hierarchical electoral campaign debate between the three major candidates took place in Akwesasme on the campus of Akwesasme University. It is the only live chance for people to see what the three men who seek to rule the Dominion are all about, and no doubt the High Council is indeed watching.

Here are just a few samples from the debate...

ECONOMIC POLICY

Hiawatha: The conversion to the gold standard has been able to stabilize our currency but it will take time for our economy to fully see the growth that we can still achieve. Our fair tax rates, among the lowest in the world, is attracting great investment and jobs are being created. Our greatest concern remains our budget shortfall, which amounts to somewhere near 277 billion. We will eventually need to make cuts where possible in order to reduce our deficit and prevent us from mounting a massive level of debt.

Artaxerxes: The gold standard is holding us back. We made a mistake moving to that system and it shows in the stagnation of our economy. Perhaps a more solid alternative would be to free-float our currency and allow it compete with other major monies. If allowed to free-float, the wampum would already be in position to compete with the Lanlanian valta, Oslanburgan vrun, Nylander daler vrun, Mestran denari and Angirisian septim, which are considered the some of the strongest currencies in the world, within five years. But even a free-floating currency will not stem the flow of investment. While our taxes have been low, we need to reap the rewards of good growth and while I do not suggest a tax increase any time soon we must build up our coffers so that we can set forth on spending projects that will be essential to our Dominion being a global economic competitor for years to come.

Timour: My two opponents continue to overlook the fact that it is our workers who drive the economy and when they are prospering, then the Dominion prospers. Yes, low taxes help but that has not translated to decent wages for the working class in the Dominion. In fact, since the Florinthian Evacuation average family incomes have only increased by an average of 1,300 wampums. This is far below most nations around the world, and is among the worst in the Mandavine Sea and Avidna regions. We need to focus on our workers for our future economic success.

Artaxerxes: With respect to Mr. Timour, our workers are not the only driving force of our economy. The consumers also are a big part of the economy and when they prosper, everyone including workers do much better. Consumers spend more money, companies and stores make more money and thus workers are able to earn more money.

Timour: Councilor Artaxerxes, you again miss the point. Companies and stores are not raising wages to the levels they should. They are hoarding money and denying it to good, hardworking decent citizens that bust their rumps day in and day out to earn a decent living for themselves and their families. That is our biggest problem and with respect to you, sirs, neither of you seem to have a plan to help the worker.

Hiawatha: For shame, Mr. Timour! Who are you, sir, to say that we have no plan to help the middle class? Each one of us on this stage today wants to see all of our people do well.

Timour: Then why, sir, do you propose a further lowering of taxes on corporations with no incentives for workers?

Hiawatha: I do. I plan on instituting earned income tax credits for all middle and lower class citizens as well as child tax credits up to 900 wampums for each child in a family.

Artaxerxes: Putting conditions on tax credits is not exactly the best idea, Mr. Hiawatha. I think there should be at least some universal base line for all taxpayers so that nobody finds themselves cheated out of their hard-earned money. Anything above that might be considered conditional. But why limit such credits to earned income and how many children one has? Why not provide tax credits for university students? Surely the sums they spend on their education warrants some consideration, would you not say?

FOREIGN POLICY

Artaxerxes: It is important for the Tuscarawan Dominion to begin the institution of a policy of universal neutrality. No favors to any country or alliance over others. History shows what sort of terrible damage such entanglements can bring upon a country. While economically we may be tied to one country or another, geopolitics is a whole other story.

Hiawatha: With respect, Mr. Artaxerxes, impartiality is almost always partial. It always to tends to favor one side, and this is always inevitably leads to dangerous consequences. What we need to do is focus our political capital on countries with which we have strong trade relations. That way we reduce our risk of alienating other nations and we insulate ourselves from aggressive states.

Timour: Limiting ourselves to nations with whom we have interests is patently unfair. We should have minds open to all nations, not just those who make us money. I believe we should have a proactive foreign policy that is firm but fair with all countries.

Artaxerxes: I agree with Mr. Timour on the idea of a proactive foreign policy agenda, but where I differ with him is this: we cannot continue to align ourselves wholeheartedly with countries who are known to be bad players on the world stage. This is one wrinkle we need to take into account. Now to Mr. Hiawatha's point, I must respectfully push back on his statement. Impartiality is not partial. It is a signal to the rest of the world that our Dominion cannot and will not be forced into a compromising position that we do not or will not wish to be involved with.

DOMESTIC POLICY

Timour: It is important that while we retain our traditional identity, it is important that we allow our people live their lives as they see fit. If that means legalizing homosexual marriage or legalizing certain drugs, then so be it. But we cannot continue to try and legislate people's lives.

Artaxerxes: With respect, Mr. Timour, it will take legislation to enact the sort of changes you wish to place. You would have to repeal some of these prohibitive laws and then replace them with friendlier and fairer laws. Relying on simple cultural change is impossible because it may very well never change. We are going to have to change the laws. Pure and simple.

Hiawatha: Both of these gentlemen don't understand that the culture is just fine as it is and the laws are already fair. Most people do not want a change. So why try and "fix" something that is not broken? It's an example of overreach by a activist Hierarchy that we are not prepared to go through.