Going Cold Turkey on AC
The Issue:
The nation was shocked when @@MAJORINDUSTRY@@ workers declared earlier today that they would be going on strike to protest, of all things, excessively cold air conditioning in office buildings. Confused by the workers' strange complaints and concerned about the loss of national productivity, you have called the strike leaders into your office to explain their motives further.
The Debate:
1. "Our office buildings are f-f-f-freezing," a shivering strike leader explains. "The air conditioning is constantly running, which means offices get uncomfortably cold for us poor workers. To make matters worse, our bosses always give us the cold shoulder if we ask them to turn up the thermostat! You ought to encourage businesses to chill out on the extreme air conditioning. It'll save money, reduce our nation's carbon footprint, and save workers from freezing to death! "
Effect: many office buildings double as saunas
2a. "Nonsense!" interjects @@RANDOMNAME@@, a lobbyist for the air conditioning company Too Cool 4 U, who happened to be passing by your office. "Colder temperatures improve worker productivity, so maintaining subzero office temperatures is crucial for the economy! Not to mention the production, sale, and installation of cooling units provides thousands of jobs for @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@. Don't leave air conditioning out in the cold! Instead, you could give out some subsidies, and order that the AC of all government buildings is always kept on."
Validity: Must have private industry
Effect: parkas and long underwear are considered a staple of @@DEMONYM@@ office wear
2b. "Nonsense!" interjects @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of Temperature Regulation, who happened to be passing by your office. "Colder temperatures improve worker productivity, so maintaining subzero office temperatures is crucial for the economy! Not to mention the production, sale, and installation of cooling units provides thousands of jobs for @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@. Don't leave air conditioning out in the cold! Instead, you could increase my department's funding, and order that the AC of all government buildings is always kept on."
Validity: Must not have private industry
Effect: parkas and long underwear are considered a staple of @@DEMONYM@@ office wear
3. "Too hot, too cold, someone will always complain." muses your secretary, while fiddling with the thermostat. "Perhaps we ought to mandate that every worker's office or cubicle has its own thermostat, heating, and cooling unit? That way everyone can set the temperature to be whatever they like. It might be a little impractical to install all that, especially in open office floors, but I'm sure we can figure it out with a little technical ingenuity and government funding. I know I'd appreciate not having to listen to my coworkers whine about how I always turn the temperature too low. "
Effect: office buildings contain several different climate zones
4. "You've gotta be kidding me," groans small-government aficionado @@RANDOMNAME@@. "The government wants to regulate air conditioning? Do you guys really have nothing better to do? You should try taking a look at how oversized the government has gotten. Clearly, there are too many bureaucrats with nothing to do, or else you wouldn't be trying to meddle with people's AC." @@HE@@ shakes his head in disgust and walks away, muttering something about the ridiculousness of it all and "my AC, my choice".
Effect: former government officials can no longer pay the heating bill
3rd Draft
2nd Draft
1st Draft