Eureka! --- Planning For The Future

[inquisitor 0]

Goes without saying, but I'm going with Hiro on the election. Also, Louisville327, this CJ is amazing, and it is extremely realistic.

[uncrazycooper13 0]

Wow louisville excellent update! Even though Hiro is the obvious choice you make Wendgram look like a semi-viable candidate! Excellent job!

-uncrazycooper13

[Deathtoall 28]

Mayor Hiro as to show the people that Wendgram is simply just going to create more problems and his plans are the best. The displaced citizens are getting above market value for their homes and they still complain. Looks like Hiro has to fight fire with fire.

[Sproxxx 0]

These little newsletters are great! The race is on! GO HIRO!

Keep'em coming and great stuff!

[louisville327 0]

Election Day!  (part 1)


After a long, bitter campaign, the Eureka mayoral election of Year 212 has finally arrived, and all but a very few registered voters have reached decisions.  Turnout is traditionally very high for mayoral elections in Eureka, with an average of more than 70% of voters participating.  Today will prove to be no different.

Located around the city are polling places---most often schools and churches---willing to host the voting booths and card readers that make the democratic process in Eureka possible. 


(click for larger image)


Typically the polling places stay very busy throughout the day, and today is no exception.  Early exit polls suggest turnout to be very high indeed, and as high as 80% of voters could show up to cast their ballots.  Even the 18-24 age group has turned out in strength.  Younger voters are typically the hardest to motivate, but with so much change at hand in Eureka, residents of all ages are anxious to have their voices heard.





Opinion polls taken in the last week before the election showed a slight lead for opposition candidate Peter Wendgram over incumbent mayor Richard Hiro.  Wendgram enjoyed a surge in the final days due to a well-timed TV ad that implied extensive corruption within the Hiro government.  The commercial suggested that members of Hiro's staff had accepted bribes from local construction firms in connection with dozens of building projects across the city.  No one was named specifically, of course, and no real proof was offered, but the very idea was enough to swing some voters to Wendgram's side.

Whether or not the accusations prove effective on election day is yet to be determined.  Only time will tell the outcome.

----------------------------

City Government

Now is an excellent time to explain the inner workings of Eureka's city government. 

The Eureka City Government, or ECG as it is known, is divided into two branches: the legislative and the executive. 

The legislative branch consists of the Eureka City Council, led by current Council President Jennifer Aronezas.  The Council is made up of 14 representatives of each city district (called District Commissioners), elected every four years.  The Council President is chosen from these 14 by an internal vote, and the district from which the President hails then choses another Commissioner as a replacement.  Generally, the largest districts have dominated the council.  For example, Aronezas is from Reynolds Point, which means that large district is represented by her and a regular District Commissioner.  As a side note, Peter Wendgram also hails from Reynolds Point, and Aronezas has given him her endorsement for the mayor's seat.

The City Council overseas the daily operation and government of each district, and basic services are provided within, rather than from the central City Government.

The City Government is led by the mayor, currently Richard Hiro.  This executive branch consists of several departments, including Justice, Safety, Finance And Revenue, Tourism, Health and the Eureka Transit Authority.  The mayor commands a significant amount of power as head of this branch, but cannot successfully lead the city as a whole without the cooperation of the City Council.  Generally, this has not been a problem.  Eureka has enjoyed a long history of government cooperation, and despite their differences, Aronezas and Hiro have worked well together.

Having endorsed Wendgram, however, Aronezas could find herself in an uncomfortable situation should Mayor Hiro be re-elected.

Below is a diagram of the Eureka City Government (click for high-quality PDF version).



---------------------

As the day becomes evening, the polls close and the local media outlets begin their coverage of the ballot-counting.  In a few short hours, the preliminary winner will be announced...

[jacqulina 162]

love the presentation on the election

[jackel.22 3]

this is great keep them comming

[Equilibria 16]

Nice update. I liked your statements on city politics, both the structure and the editorial on negative campaigning. They both are very realistic interperetations of how cities function (on unsupported claims, at least during an election year). Looking forward to the results.

[Dannato 4]

Ouch, a populist polician fighting with dirty tricks might win the election. Does this happen even in Eureka?

 

Interesting to see how the city is organised, since I'm also thinking about how to organise my administration (in a journal, of course). Funny, I've started to draw a organisation chart for a journal myself but never posted it -- you did.

 

Been following this. Still impressed the coherence in the storyline and the excellent presentation.

[FreewayofFlight 41]

Altough I haven't posted until now, I have been following this CJ. I like Eureka, I would move there *sneeks in with the immagrants*. I like Mayor Hiro, he's got a good plan of integrating the newcomers to the city although displacing the current residence. I would vote for Hiro (GO HIRO GO! HE'S THE REAL HERO!) Plus that Peter guy sounds like he's got some pregudice in him.

[psteverific 8]

What a great CJ... well thought out, beautifully presented, and enjoyable to read too!
I've read about 2 pages a day for the last three days just to catch up (I've been busy...  keep getting interupted). I look forward to your next update.

 

[louisville327 0]

Election Day! (part 2)






Good evening and welcome to this special edition of WEKA 9 News, I'm Melanie Maginla.  Tonight we bring you extended coverage of the Eureka mayoral election, as incumbent mayor Richard Hiro and opposition candidate Peter Wendgram both seek to become our city's leader for the next six years.  All polling precincts have closed, and we are awaiting the first results to be reported.





According to our exit polls, voter turnout was especially high for this election.  That's usually nothing new in Eureka, but this highly-contested race brought out even more residents than usual to the polling places.  Some estimates suggest that 80% of all registered voters in the city turned out to cast their ballots.  The result, of course, is still to be determined.

We're now receiving reports from the precincts.  It seems that Peter Wendgram has taken an early lead, now ahead of Mayor Hiro by 2 points.





It's still far too early to call at this point, and anything could happen.  Results are still not in from large districts like Boonen, Reynolds Point and Flat Field.  Many votes remain uncounted. 

I have with me now Anna Richardson, the head of Peter Wendgram's campaign organization.





How are you tonight, Ms. Richardson?

Excellent Melanie, thanks for having me.

Ms. Richardson, what is the mood right now at Wendgram campaign headquarters?  Are you predicting a win?

Melanie, we're sure of a win.  The mood is very excited right now as Peter's supporters are gathering for his victory party tonight.  We ran an excellent campaign and really struck a chord with Eurekans over the past few weeks.  They understand the problems Mayor Hiro has brought upon our city, and are ready for a change.

Ms. Richardson, have you been out to any precincts today?  What is your general impression of the voting?

Well, Melanie, I did visit several polling places and let me tell you that our fellow Eurekans were excited to be casting their votes.  I saw a lot of support for Peter out there today.  I'm confident that support will result in a victory for him.

I'm sorry to interrupt you, Ms. Richardson, but more precincts are now reporting in.





It seems that the candidates are now even, with both having received 50% of the votes.  Roughly half of all votes have been counted so far.

Melanie, this is not any reason for us to worry.  There are still many districts yet to report their results, so I'm sure Mr. Wendgram will prove victorious in the end.  Boonen will be decisive---it's Peter's home district and support for him is very strong there.  With more voters than any other part of the city, a victory there will propel him over Mayor Hiro.

Thank you for being with us, Anna.

My pleasure, thanks for having me, Melanie.

That was Anna Richardson, head of Peter Wendgram's campaign.  I'm now told that more results have come in, including the tally from Boonen.





As predicted, Peter Wendgram has won his home district of Boonen by a sizeable margin, moving him 4 points ahead of Mayor Hiro.  To comment on the results we have with us Tom Millhowsen, the president of Mayor Hiro's re-election campaign.





Thanks for being with us, Mr. Millhowsen.

I'm glad to be here, Melanie.

So what do you make of the results so far, Tom?  Is this reason for the Hiro campaign to worry?

Melanie, we're not worried in the least bit.  We knew Boonen would fall to Wendgram's side, and we made sure to concentrate our campaign efforts in other districts.   With 25% of the votes left to count, I'm sure we'll prove victorious in the end.

What's the mood right now at Hiro headquarters?

It's extremely festive, Melanie.  We're ready to pop the cork and celebrate another term for Eureka's greatest Mayor.  Richard Hiro has a lot of work left to do for this city, and he's ready to get started making Eureka an even better place to live, work and play.

Thank you for being with us tonight, Tom.

Thank you, Melanie.

I am now being told that nearly all votes have been tallied.  It seems as though the mayor has received enough votes to surpass his opponent.





Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Hiro has been declared the preliminary winner of the election.  He has won a second term and will serve another six years in office.  Because Peter Wendgram is sure to contest the results and ask for a recount, Mayor Hiro is unofficially the winner at this point---he will not become official until the recount is final or Wendgram concedes.





Tomorrow morning we will have reports from Hiro and Wendgram campaign headquarters and our guest political panel will discuss the voting results from each district of the city.  Thank you for joining us.  From all of us here at WEKA 9 News, have a good night.

--------------------------------

The full voting results (click for high-quality PDF):



As the anchor said, a mandatory recount will be performed and Peter Wendgram has the option to demand a second recount should he again be on the losing side of the tally.  The process can take several weeks.  For now, though, Mayor Hiro is the unofficial mayor re-elect of Eureka.

[Buggi 685]

Wow!!

Someone had some spare time.

[mcarch 15]

Very detailed.  You must have spent hours working those images.

It only took me about 2 hours to figure out how to change the .png file to a .jpg.

[UnkleS27 24]

wow, that was really cool, and really close...

I think the voters made the right choice though

[GreekMan 246]

I really like  the election part. It is a nice CJ.

Just a suggestion build up your downtown area more.

 

What is your population?

[cityhawk 12]

WOW, THIS IS MY FIRST POST!!'); height=20 alt=Insert smilie src=https://community.simtropolis.com/assets/emoticons/44.gif width=33 border=0>

Although I haven't replied until now, I have been following this cj. I love the storyline and the great pics. The topic of expansion for new immigrants has peaked my interest, and how more realistic it is with the mayoral election of Year 212. I routed for Hiro all the way and got my wish. I think the people made the right choice because city growth would have blown out of proportion with the other guy. Anyway, I'll be following this cj, and great      job.'); height=15 alt=Insert smilie src=https://community.simtropolis.com/assets/emoticons/48.gif width=15 border=0>

-cityhawk

[aestiva 0]

What a work of art!  You CJ is fantasticly real. I loved Adventures in New Urbanism, but Eureka is beautiful (on that note is Melanie Maginla unattached?).

 

-Aestiva

[Micah 16]

That is incredible. I'm amazed. Your CJ is the most exciting to read and watch.

[Sproxxx 0]

WOW!!!!

What an update!! What a race!! It was close, but Hiro is still the man. The question is, have we seen the last of Wendgram? I think not, unfortunately.

Great job. The detail that your putting in is outstanding. Keep it up.

Side note: Melanie Maginla is HOT! sorry couldn't help myself

[magpieshooter 1]

There is a very intresting style here. I like the whole election thing alot, very realistic. Mustv'e taken you hours of working out the pecentages and all that.

I believe the right man won.

[Dannato 4]

I'm content Hiro made it after all, but frankly, most of all I would've preferred Mel Maginla to be the mayor. I mean... why does it always have to be men in their fifties or sixies...

great election show!

 

[Dr. Frickenstein 0]

Wow, absolutely great CJ!

[louisville327 0]

Post-Election Commentary


Thanks to everyone who posted a reply to the last two entries! The election was an exciting thing for me to present, so I'm glad so many of you shared the experience! As to your specific comments:

jacqulina: As always, you don't mess around with your comments---short and to the point. Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy it!

jackel.22: Thanks, and I will!

Equilibria: I'm doing my very best to make this CJ as believable as possible. A CJ is more fun for me when I feel I can relate to the story---at least to a certain extent---and I'll do my best to keep that theme going. Thanks for the words of support!

Dannato: Hadn't seen you around here for a little while, so I was a bit worried you got bored with Eureka. I'm glad that's not the case. As for my use of charts, I tend to be quite a detail-oriented person, and I love it when other CJs add little extra bits like charts and graphs, so I'm trying to do the same thing here. Glad you like it, and I hope it inspires you to do the same kind of thing. Thanks, as always, for the support! Oh, and as for Melanie Maginla, I'm sorry to say she has no political ambitions. Yet.

FreewayofFlight: I'm glad you like the CJ, and I'm happy for you that your favorite candidate has won the election. Every vote counts!

psteverific: Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Buggi: The one good thing about being trapped inside during the cold winter months is the extra time it produces for CJ-creation.

mcarch: I'm starting to get really comfortable with Photoshop these days, so believe it or not those images didn't take very long for me to make. It took me a while to get to this point, though, I do have to admit!

UnkleS27: I think Mayor Hiro would agree with you.

GreekMan: Don't worry, future updates will include region statistics and a LOT more urban development. Don't worry!

cityhawk: Nothing makes me happier than when something I've done inspires a lurker to make their very first forum post! I'm glad you enjoyed the election story. Welcome to Simtropolis!!

aestiva: Thanks for your support, and I'm glad you liked Adventures---I'm still pretty partial to that journal. As for Ms. Maginla, you'll be happy to know that she is currently not married.

Micah: That's a huge compliment! Thanks!

Sproxxx: I'm glad you enjoyed the election story, and thanks so much for taking the time to comment so often in this CJ! It's good to see Santa Spawn show up on such a regular basis. Oh, and I might have to start a Melanie Maginla Fan Club judging by all the interest she has generated here!

magpieshooter: The beauty of Microsoft Excel (which I used to create the election chart) is that you can use formulas to generate percentages and totals automatically. It makes the whole process quite smooth and painless. Thanks for the compliments!

Dr. Frickenstein: Thanks! Keep reading!

---------------------------

Thanks to everyone who has commented in this CJ so far. I'll do my best to keep it as interesting as possible---so if I start to slack off and make boring posts, give me plenty of grief about it!

[Equilibria 16]

Very nice election broadcast, and rather realsitic graphics. , too, believe the best man won here. I was somewhat worried about the future of a CJ with an anti-urban-development mayor.

(Am I the only one who thinks real newscasts would get higher ratings with their anchors in tanktops?)

[sebrat13wildcat 5]

That is amazing election commentary - bravo

[louisville327 0]

Today's Hot Topic

[inquisitor 0]

Well, you've been added to my favorite CJ's List. Further, I enjoyed your election coverage graphics. Very well done on the City Government organization Chart, as well as the vote tally set up.

I also am glad the Hiro won.

[alexr15 2]

Wow! This CJ is amazing...so detailed. Just awesome dude! And I've seen that reporter over on Skyscraperpage.com in a hottest newscaster thread. She's from France, right. That girl is enough to turn me straight!

[Deathtoall 28]

Wow that was a really ggod journal there. It was good it was drawn out like most elections are and that it was up and down but i knew Hiro would pull throught! It was really good including that total votes tally at the end!