Hi, this is Wannagout. There has been a lot of controversy about the Senate
Race here on Whyville lately. There is even a club now that wants to eliminate
the Senate, called the Whyville Pirates.
The conflicts surrounding the Senate Race has caused a huge uproar. In order
to help clear up the problem, I got some opinions from some fellow Whyvillians
about the Senate.
First, I asked some members of the Whyville Pirates for their thoughts. Then
I spoke to a former Pirate and a few Senate candidates, including current Senator
sk87. This is a long article, so I hope you hold on for the whole thing!
The first Pirate I interviewed was MooMoo500.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
MooMoo500: I am against the senate race.
Wannagout: Why is this?
MooMoo500: I feel the senate race is nothing but a popularity
contest. It splits friends up, and it's turning evil. Like in real politics,
there are people who cheat, and the Top Three or Four are just the ones that
don't get caught. I've found most of the Senators to be either (1) inexperienced
or (2) pointless. Just about every idea that has been brought to the table as
something a senator wanted to do hasn't been done, and it's just turning into
a race to see who can bribe, cheat, or promise unreasonable things. I've been
against the senate race from the begining (even before the creation of the Whyville
Pirates) and I haven't seen the race change since the begining, and it's just
going to get worse. When 1/5 of Whyvillians vote for a canidate who wants guns
on this website, I think that sends a great message of how effective the senate
race is and is going to be in the future.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
MooMoo500: Yes. It's only going to get worse.
The next Pirate I interviewed was Skaterjab.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Skaterjab: I am against the senate race.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Skaterjab: I am against the senate race for many reasons. First,
because there is no way Whyville can host a senate race without being corrupted.
Even if senate race runners say they don't vote for themselves, they most likely
all do. I've seen the Senators that have come into office have voted for themselves...
Also I see no reason for the senate spot. I think of it as a place where some
people can believe they're the elite of all Whyvillians for winning a corrupt
Senate race. I think there is no point of a Senate race... I think City Workers
should just have a group of Whyvillians who can send in ideas that are sent
in by other Whyvillians like the Ymail Helper system. I think this would help
if there were a group of people who chose the best ideas sent in and sent them
on to the City Workers to decide on. I think Senate races are corrupt and there
is a better way to inform City Workers about new ideas for Whyville. After all,
wasn't that the point of senators on Whyville?
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Skaterjab: I beleive the senate should end and that they should
create a Whyville Idea Helpers or something like that, like I described.
After him, I interviewed Andrea96.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Andrea96: I am against the senate race.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Andrea96: I don't believe in letting other citizens having this
power. Also, we end up with bad senators who don't do anything. I think that
there are better ways out there for Whyville to get suggestions.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Andrea96: : Yes, we should have something better.
Next I interviewed Dartanian.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Dartanian: Against the senate race.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Dartanian: I'm against the senate race because it's just a big
popularity contest with a whole bunch of cheaters.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Dartanian: I would rather it change than end. There are a lot
of things we could do to change the senate race, but the CWs don't have the
time.
After that I interviewed Chalkie.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Chalkie: I am against the senatorial race.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Chalkie: I am against the senate race because it does nothing.
The senate race will never achieve anything until there is change in the system.
Popularity is not politics.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Chalkie: In an ideal world, it would. But quite frankly, that
will probably not happen. But what I am looking for is a change in the system
that will make it produce a fair and good choice for senator.
Co-Pirate leader Arwen91 was next.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Arwen91: I am against it
Wannagout: Why is this?
Arwen91: I think the senate race is merely a popularity contest
-- Whyvillians only vote for their friends or for 'popular' Whyvillians.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Arwen91: Not exactly. It should be improved so that it's a lot
more fair.
After that was another Pirate Co-Leader, Outgoing.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Outgoing: I've been pretty anti-senate since the hotboi746 election,
but I've recently decided it would be best if the races were fixed so they are
more open and fair. I'm not COMPLETLEY against the races, but I do think they're
pretty pointless.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Outgoing: (Did Ianswer this in the first question? o.O Hm.) I
think they do need work and repairs, and I'm positive that they will change
for the better.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Outgoing: Right now, yes, they should. Until we get a new system,
they should not be happening.
Next was Kimker.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Kimker: I'm against it, obviously.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Kimker: The Senate race is a popularity contest. I think it would
be better if we only knew what we were voting for and not who were voting for.
Plus, take a look at all the cheating and bribing.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Kimker: I have mixed feelings reguarding that...
The last Pirate I interviewed was Biddygurl.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Biddygurl: I'm actually for it, mostly, but recently my views
have started to shift.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Biddygurl: I was for it in the begining, and even ran twice.
And I'm still voting in this election, but in light of my recent experiment
[during the last election], I realized how full of cheaters Whyville really
is. And this makes me feel like the senate race is actually a bad thing. So
I'm completely torn.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Biddygurl: I think the senate race should continue, but with
modifications. I mean, the IP checking thing helps WONDERFULLY. And I think
that's the best we'll get out of the system.
After I got the Pirate's opinions, I thought I'd interview a former Pirate,
Deriko.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Deriko: I'm impartial on the senate race.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Deriko: It's a great idea, but I don't think any of our current
senators have ever attended a senate meeting! So far, the position of senator
means nothing.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Deriko: I don't want the senate to end, but I do want it to be
more active. Even the senators could organize their own meeting and maybe sum
up their ideas and send them to City Workers.
Next, I interviewed some senators and top senate candidates. The first I talked
to was current Top 3 candidate, HAPHBAKED.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
HAPHBAKED: I'm for the senate race, which is why I'm running
for senator.
Wannagout: Why is this?
HAPHBAKED: I think it's a good way to help the CWs know what
the people of Whyville really want and what ideas we all have to improve it.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
HAPHBAKED: I don't think the senate should end, unless we really
see that it's not helping at all. I'm not sure what other senators in the past
may have accomplished, but I hope the newer senators can do more.
Next up was Senator Sk87.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate?
Sk87: In a way, I like the senate race. But sometimes I don't.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Sk87: Sometimes, the top three candidates are serious and they
think they have the requirements needed to support the race. But there are always
some new people or people who want to win for popularity. If the candidates
took the race seriously, I would continue to think the Senate Race is a good
idea.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Sk87: I don't think the race should end, because a senator is
the voice of the people. Some GREAT ideas that could be put into effect might
just happen, although you would need the right kind of senator to handle it.
So the senator race should keep on. With the new requirements to become a candidate,
they do help make the race easier to handle, though unfortunately some people
are rich without knowing anything about Whyville.
My next victim was former Top 3 candidate CuTiE1612.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate race?
CuTiE1612: For me, there's a little bit of both.
Wannagout: Why is this?
CuTiE1612: My reason for this would be because the Senate races
have their positives and negatives. A positive is the good ideas that candidates
present to us. A negative is the amount of disrespect that Whyvillians have
towards certain candidates because they think they have bad platforms/ideas.
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
CuTiE1612: No, I don't think the Senate Races should end, but
I do think they should cut back on the number of them that they have over the
course of a year.
The next person was former Top 4 Candidate, Ninja04.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate race?
Ninja04: I am all for the Senate Race; even though the Senate
Race is really stressful, it's really fun!!
Wannagout: Why is this?
Ninja04: The Senate Race is very fun!!
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Ninja04: No!! The Senate Race should not end, because it gives
all of us kids the chance to get the experience of being a politician.
The last person to be interviewed was current Top 3 Candidate, Firch.
Wannagout: Are you for or against the senate race?
Firch: I'm for the senate race, obviously.
Wannagout: Why is this?
Firch: Because I think the senate race is very educational, and
I'm into politics. Also, I think the senate race helps Whyville. ^_^
Wannagout: Should the senate end?
Firch: Well, I don't think the senate should end at all, but
I believe there should be a lot fewer senate races, and more time for a senator(s)
to accomplish something.
So, I have learned there are many different views on the Whyville Senate Race.
Thank you for all the Whyvillians who participated in the interviews. We will
see what happens in this upcoming election. Feel free to post your ideas on
the Senate in the BBS.
This is Wannagout saying,
I am very tired and I... zzz...
