Inviting questions from SPI

[MJ Ray]

Frank Warmerdam <warmerdam at pobox.com> wrote:
> MJ Ray wrote:
> > [...]  However, I do think it means you have no mandate about
> > it, so if it is not urgent, then you should abstain.
>
> I would be very disturbed by any candidate planning to abstain from any
> vote not addressed in their platform.  For an absurd example, what if
> everyone did this, but no one thought to include being in favor of ending
> meetings in their platform?  You would never be able to official close a
> board meeting.

You're right - that's an absurd example.  There should be the obvious
exclusions of urgent votes and procedural votes from the policy.

Platforms should include a few broad aims which will cover 80% of
votes.  For example, if you vote for a Green, you know most of what
you are going to get, then you have a few more details added by their
platform and I think it's probably healthy if they abstain on the
rest, where they don't have strong enough opinions to mention them
before the vote.

In SPI's case, what's the worst that will happen?  The ones who did
care strongly enough get to decide it?  If not, we ask the voters?

So in general, I think it is a very good idea.  I am sick of
politicians getting elected and then pulling stealth policies out of
the bag, which they didn't think to mention in their platforms, didn't
consult the members on and had no urgent reason to enact.

> When I vote for members of a board, elect politicians, etc. I expect them
> to use their judgement in matters brought before them.  In fact, I don't even
> mind them going against their election time declarations if they can give a
> clear explanation of why and they show some humility about having
> flip-flopped.

I expect them to do what they said and not make stuff up as they go
along.  I vote on policies or track records, not personalities.
Representation should not be a celebrity contest.

Regards,
-- 
MJ Ray - see/vidu http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Experienced webmaster-developers for hire http://www.ttllp.co.uk/
Also: statistician, sysadmin, online shop builder, workers co-op.
Writing on koha, debian, sat TV, Kewstoke http://mjr.towers.org.uk/