Official Octavia for Governor Debate Thread

[Barbarella]

To begin: What is to be the first law I shall pass once I enter office?
The FFMI, or The Free Flight and Magic Initiative! No more shall flight be limited for Pegasus ponies (A thing which my opponent sadly supports.) and Unicorns shall no longer bear magical regulations!
And for my Earth ponies, I promise to improve Foalton's roads and trade routes, by increasing funding!
How shall I get these funds you ask?
By taxing the rich!

Please feel free to ask me anything concerning my positions, and slander my opponent as much as possible

[Masterweaver]

Marbels bursts through the doors. Literally. His tail is on fire, again. He doesn't notice.

Standing firm, he stares INTENSELY at Octavia. "What are your views.... ON SCIENCE?!"

[Barbarella]

"I believe science to be incredibly important to all of Equestria, and that you can never have enough research!"

[LennonFan]

A loud wheezing fills the hall as a blue box lands inside. The Professor arrives and asks "How will you approach the issue of foreign invasions, specifically those of the extra-Equestrial variety?"

[Barbarella]

"Two words: time machines."
"Using time travel, invasions both foreign and domestic could easily by halted. I myself, would support a special task-force made up of time travel experts, to be in charge of such matters."

[Masterweaver]

Marbles blinks. "I was unaware time travel had been invented. And I keep an eye out for the unusual.... are you insane?"

He does not see anything odd about a blue box crashing through the ceiling.

[LennonFan]

The Professor stared at her. "And how do you propose aquiring this technology? My people were the last race to develop it."

[Barbarella]

"In short: Magic."

[LennonFan]

"You are aware that there are laws of time that can never be broken? Crossing timelines? Altering established events?"

[Masterweaver]

A black leather robe raises his sleeve. "Technically they can be broken. It's just highly inadvisable in most universi."

[Barbarella]

"Now are there any more questions or comments, preferably not concerning time travel?"

[Sleepy Mix]

Sleepy Mix raises a hoof, "What are your actual goals? What do you plan to accomplish as governor of Foalton?"

[Barbarella]

"A good question! I plan to grant the denizens of Foalton county all the freedoms they deserve, boost the economy in comparison to other counties, and to make Foalton a friendship-friendly place for all ponies!"

[Sandy_Rivers]

Sandy raises her hoof

"Isn't it unfair to just tax the rich for everything that we want? I mean, the wealthy became wealthy because of hard work, innovations and revolutionary business models. I appreciate that they have more money to spare than the rest of us ponies but isn't it up to everypony to take care of everypony instead of placing all of the burden on the rich? Not to be cynical, but it just sounds like you're making a bunch of popular claims to make everything better and saying that 'somepony else will pay for it.' We can't possibly sustain a budget where we simply over-tax the richest ponies until they decide to move away to Canterlot or Manehattan. Our entire economic model could end up dangling in the wind with nopony left to fund your budget proposals."

[Barbarella]

"Many of Foalton county's richest ponies have never lifted a hoof in their lives! Most of them are simply descendants of those who did, and I have frankly had enough! Taxes will still be payed by every bit earning citizen, but the rich shall be expected to pay more. However, don't go thinking that's the only way I plan to earn money for this county. I plan on mining Foalton's untapped gem reserves; not only increasing our exports, but opening more jobs and thus attracting even more ponies to our soon-to-be booming county!"

[Sandy_Rivers]

"B-but..." Sandy stammered, clearly speaking from personal experience. "What do you plan to do about the Diamond Dogs? everypony knows they're already swarming over the most gem-rich lands in Equestria and they're frightfully mean and much better diggers than any pony. Aggressive mining operations could result in direct and open conflict with them!"

[Barbarella]

"The Diamond Dogs are illegal occupants of said lands, and shall be removed. If whining does not work, we will likely have to resort to loving and tolerating them."

[Sleepy Mix]

Sleepy Mix raises his hoof again. "For the past few weeks there have been more reports of parasprite infestations in small towns, including the devastating attack on Ponyville and Fillydelphia which cost alot of bits for structure repairs and replanting of crops. The parasprite population keeps growing every day and will eventually cause major problems across the country. What do you plan to do about this problem?"

[Barbarella]

"The parasprite infestations are a threat to this great county. So, to protect our towns, I plan to appoint a Pinkie-Pied-Piper in each settlement, who will be responsible for leading any possible swarms away from towns and into the Everfree Forest. Research shall be conducted on possible uses for parasprites to benefit pony living; so that if the population of parsprites in the Everfree Forest begins to swell beyond the ecosystem's carrying capacity, we will have a solution to the problem."

[Barbarella]

"Come now everypony, don't be shy! I am here to answer any and all questions concerning my candidacy!"

[Sleepy Mix]

Sleepy Mix Raised another hoof. "Do you have any oppinions on the gay community?"

[Barbarella]

"I have no opinions regarding the homosexual community. Ponies are free to pursue a relationship with any gender or species they like, including mares and instruments."

[AppleTart]

"That is in disagreement with my grass roots moral sensibilities Octavia! Are you really willing to allow ponies to persue a romantic relationship with anything they wish?
Think of the children!"

[Barbarella]

"Even if I openly opposed it, what is to stop them?"

[Sunset Dream]

A pony in the rear of the audience, whose identity really isn't that important, raised a hoof. "In recent months, we've had at least one problem involving a dragon, and rumors absolutely abound about at least one more dragon living as close as the Everfree Forest! In your opinion, should we be alarmed by this? Also, what, if anything, do you plan to do about it?"