COE for Speaker.

[Crushing Our Enemies]

I'm Crushing Our Enemies, and it would be my honor to serve once more as your speaker.

I have been speaker in the past, and during that time I kept the citizenship rolls in good order, published a weekly digest of legislative news, established the #speakers_office irc channel, wrote the voting procedures as we know them, and originated the concept of training multiple deputies to be potential speakers.

If you elect me, my goals are to complete daily tasks of the office promptly, implement a recognition program for legislators, have 2 deputies fully trained by September, and publish a digest every week without fail.

Those who recall my previous campaigns (January 2013, May 2013, September 2013, and May 2015) may notice a few differences between those and this. The eye-catching header is missing, the gimmicky acronym of my name is gone, and the confident, assertive, optimistic tone is not in evidence.

My loss in May was a humbling experience, and I felt that I have become distanced from the community I love. When I began writing my typical campaign thread, it rang hollow in my mind, and I started from scratch, writing as if I was introducing myself for the first time. The result is the above: a simple statement of my experience and my goals. It may not be inspirational or pretty to read, but it is the truth. If you support my platform, please vote for me.

I will answer any questions about me or about my platform that you care to ask.

 

[Eluvatar]

Would you have felt worse or better if the contest had been less close?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

I was surprised by your loss last election, though I'm pretty sure I forgot to vote in the run off election. If I were a citizen, I would definitely vote for you. You were one of the best Speakers we've had during my time here.

One question - do you think the change from a split between citizenship and RA membership, to the system we have now was a good change? Why/why not?

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing the regional assembly at the moment? I've noticed that some bills recently have not met quorum. Do you think this is a significant issue that you will have to address in the coming term?

 

[Crushing Our Enemies]

Would you have felt worse or better if the contest had been less close?

I think I would have felt worse. With the election as close as it was, it's possible that the election results did not perfectly reflect the will of the citizenry, and that in fact I was the more favored candidate. If I had lost by more votes, that possibility would become increasingly remote. It would really depend on the vote breakdown. There are several people who, if they had switched their votes from me to my opponent, would have devastated me. Inversely, there were some supporters of my opponent for whom I would have felt better if I had gotten their vote, no matter the result. There are others whose support I did not place as much weight on.

It's complicated.

I'm pretty sure I forgot to vote in the run off election.

You weren't the only one.

One question - do you think the change from a split between citizenship and RA membership, to the system we have now was a good change? Why/why not?

Unequivocally yes. While I still see legislation as one of our most important shared responsibilities, I have come to realize that taking part in legislation should not be a prerequisite to participating in the community through elections and government service. The voting rights act is a landmark piece of legislation, and has diversified our community significantly.

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing the regional assembly at the moment?

As TNP's prominence in interregional affairs rises, the assembly is increasingly called upon to make decisions that affect more than just our domestic matters. We must ratify and nullify treaties, exercise oversight over our military actions abroad, and made security decisions regarding potentially dangerous new citizens. The assembly is generally focused inward on our own enriched community, and we are not as well equipped to handle these matters as we could be.

I've noticed that some bills recently have not met quorum. Do you think this is a significant issue that you will have to address in the coming term?

You were not the only one to notice that problem. It was a significant issue, but I will not have to address it in the coming term because I already authored legislation that was then introduced by RPI to reform our quorum requirements.

The solution was simple: don't count citizens who have never voted on a bill as "legislatively active." The reason that we saw bills failing to achieve quorum is that citizens began their period of citizenship as "legislatively active" and did not lose that status until they had failed to vote in four legislative bills in a row. This resulted in dozens of "legislatively active" citizens at any given time who had never cast a vote on a bill. Now, before a citizen is counted as legislatively active, they must cast a vote. This solution resulted in a rapid decline in quorum back to a reasonable level.

Thank you both for your questions.

 

[plembobria]

Can you tell us why kids love cinnamon toast crunch?

 

[Crushing Our Enemies]

Same reason apple jacks don't taste like apples.

 

[punk d]

I have corrected the last election error and voted for you. I'm disappointed RPI couldn't prove to be as effective as Speaker. I'm sure if time permitted he would have but I have full confidence you will perform admirably.

 

[Eluvatar]

As always, I will decline to say whether I have voted, or for whom. :-$

That said, I'm very glad that you have chosen to run.

If you like, I can compose a procedural question

 

[Crushing Our Enemies]

Do your worst, Elu!

 

[Eluvatar]

Apropos of nothing at all, suppose a Delegate negotiates a treaty with another region. They bring a draft before the Regional Assembly, listen to feedback, and make changes. With the detailed discussion of whether the changes are satisfactory taking some time however, before they can move for a vote, they leave office.

How does one know whether or when to bring the treaty to a vote for ratification? (Assume the other region has certainly signed and is happily ratifying the same version as the former Delegate has moved to a vote).