Minnesota Furs Election 2015: Get your Nominations In!

So its 2AM and im sitting here doing my “due dilligence” prior to the 14th.. When i was thinking i would show up to cast my votes. Mind if i just ask one little itty bitty question? What the hell are you thinking Election committee?

Were you really under the impression that you were

1) satisfying my curiosity as it relates to candidate qualifications by discluding the majority of what i wrote in?

2) doing me a favor by taking the liberty of dramatically rephrasing these questions ultimately voiding the merit of candidate response?

3) promoting the image that this group maintains and runs ethical debate/elections by elimating/forgetting/ignoring or changing write in questions?

(Sigh) i feel you failed. Enough said.   I know you will tell me (or more likely write underneath) some variation or formed excuse like “oh we didnt feel it was (appropriate) (in the interest of the timeline) (already addressed in other segments)”. No,  no it was not. I believe if i remember correctly (i do) that i only really included one lighter toned irrelevant and “mood lightening” question…  and so, i would ask you HERE publically, who vetted out my questions and why? clearly what i send in a private email,.. Gets filtered/changed before it hits the community.

Further,  doing this on an evening RIGHT BEFORE votes are cast looks even worse.. You arent helping me believe this community has any control at all.. i will remind you, that these elections are the ONLY checks and balances emplaced for people like me who have been slowly building / rebuilding a trust of organizational procedure

To the candidates.   Thank you, you all looked great, did a great job, and i wholly believe you personally had nothing to do with the flaw in how the committee. (Or some other dark robed anonymous figure) ha dled this

-Cence

snap i could publish these, and put them online for who ever cared to answer them but the problem here, (and i believe that the committee or somone near to it) was entertaining an agenda by softening/protecting board candidates from questions that were.. “Difficult”.

Posting them online gives people just as much time as they want to have a little social pow-wow, and concoct any flowery perfectly phrased and misleading response to any or all of them. You know why im a terrible politician? Because i dont need to make a few phone calls to figure out “how i feel” about any one person or topic.

Further, hardly anyone who votes, (and has not voted yet) read these boards. Hell, a damn candidate still has not even submitted responses to the generic questions online yet. posting them here, is.. A joke. (Forgive my forwardness)

im torn between posting them, pointing out why these were important, and pursuing this further… Or simply..  just logging off.

Cencewolf wrote:

im torn between posting them, pointing out why these were important, and pursuing this further… Or simply.. just logging off.

As a candidate –

To me I want this election to be run as honest and fair as possible.

I want people to feel they have the right information to make that decision.

As a candidate I can respond to questions personally, by email, or on the forums as honestly as I can. This invitation goes out to anyone.

As a board member –

I don’t want any person in our election process to lose hope or trust in Minnesota Furs.

I want no matter who is elected that if the community is having problems or not satisfied with the board, the community group, and the con to not inform people so that it can be looked at and changed. This is not about one time contact but a constant contact that runs both ways. I am also hoping that we have a serious post mortem afterwards and hopefully with feedback have an improved election experience.

As a member of the community –

I would like the election and election process to be one base on not who is popular but who will get the most done for the community. I also want to feel it was run fair and honest and with the best of the ability of the people who are running.

I want me and others in the community to be involved with this organization. That means as much involvement as possible in helping build and manage the community. If the election is turning people off – it’s not doing one of its purpose – keeping people engaged and involved in this community.

And honestly Cence, I don’t agree with you a lot of times but I do value your opinion and your thoughts. You questions and comments do get me think and you have changed my own personal opinions may times before and I believe it will continue to do that in the future. I also know you care about this community and how it’s run.

In the end
I personally don’t care if you vote for me but I do care that you feel that the community is getting a fair shake. No matter what happens in this election I hope next year’s election you feel your opinions are heard on how it’s run and if possible you could come to the table and participating in next year election planning and election.

to Kurst:

I understand what your saying and i appreciate it. It seems that the board, its candidates and i are likely to agree (on this)and i have not been turned away/encouraged by the candidates (or active board members) to discontinue or refrain from showing up. In fact i get quite the opposite.  Ridayah is the one who directed me to write in these questions. Also you and Snap both have gone out of your way to tell me you would encourage and answer my questions should i be able to present them.

So… If the candidates, board-members, and organization are encouraging me to follow through,.. The hell is the election committees issue? Why is there some.. Supervisory “buffer” or insurance plan in place against inconvenient dialogue, and who is claiming it? more importantly for what purpose. It is not the election committees place to judge the merit of these questions,.. Reword them,..censor them,.. Or otherwise.. Their only concern ought be running a fair, impartial, and provably integral election. I got a theory… But i have been wrong before. (hell, just ask flip) I am not the best author. Nor do i pretend to be.

If the entirety of this organization could manifest as one giant creature with the lips to say so, it would tell me that my biggest problem Is that i am not a “blind follower”… For some.. Thats a huge issue

however i would not be the type of representation that would be benificial in the role of a board member. My Presence, affiliations, and persona alone without any effort (good or bad) on my part, could cost this community more than i am worth as a serving member. (I do NOT say this out of spite, or frustration) and I do not say this as a stab at the organization.  It is a fort and a position i have built myself (by design, and by mistake both)and from it.. I fly the biggest flag i can build.

The other thing to consider.. Was actually one of my questions that got … Scrapped.. I guess..

“if i won the election and could choose, who would i replace? Who do i feel i could be BETTER than” (synopsized here for space, I am sure this got scrapped because committee people were afraid to ask such a direct question.  Having to ask a candidate to point at somone and have them say “I think im a better candidate than *soandso” ) well thats.. Scary? actually, i think its entirely appropriate. I want a candidate whohas the conviction to do that. (Just saying) People tend to forget this is an election. There are 5 seats. Not 6, one persons victory means another will not be involved. So to answer the question myself.  I DONT think i would be. Therefore, i am not, and will not run so long as this is the case. (Or for any other group/association/collective/company etc etc)

I think it was Kurst, who during the debate spoke about the merits of “compromise”… If i am sendimg somone to “compromise” on behalf of this community i would prefer they be just as direct and affirmative as we can find them.

Uhh, yeah.. It may make somone feel uncomfortable.. That kinda was the intent. If you cant handle THAT very small minute amount if social discomfort you probably shouldnt be a board member. (Just this one guys opinion)

regardless the question is valid..  Not committees place to nix it.

i feel a board member (if running for a spot) ought to do so because they honestly feel they would be a BETTER representitive.  Further they ought to be able to own it. Play that how ever you like.

There were also like 10 other questions,.. Not asked (have to go back and check) but i came up with some pretty good ones for everyone. All in all, im finished debating it in here.  We will have board members who cant handle confrontation, (or rather representitives that have never had the chance to prove they can) if thats what the community wants, ill have to live with it.

And please don’t mischaracterize this as “attacking anyone”.. Thats just.. Well its stupid.  If you cant stand up on two little feet and say “yeah, im the better man/gal” for the job, than you know where i stand.