Suggestion to the council

It's me again. Your friendly neighborhood, that'd be Somerset for those confused, citizen. The one mentioned in this law up for repeal by Lady Vana

Quote :

The current laws of Somerset Book III Article 3.5.7 currently says
Quote:

Art. 3.5.7.: Only citizens of Somerset, the king and the regent can participate in any electoral action. This is a light crime and the sentence is set in Article 2.1.3.
Definition of electoral action is and not limited to promoting a list or negative advertises of any list, in all Taverns, Somerset hall, Somerset town hall, castle of Bristol, mass mail to somerset citizens.

I propose that we get rid of this article, since it is offensive to concerned citizens outside Somerset, is discriminatory, prevents cooperation between counties, and harms the unity of the kingdom. If other counties' citizens wish to help us they should be allowed to.

My Jah, I am apparently afflicted with a more severe case of Idiocracy than I had originally thought. Are we not in the middle of some serious headway concerning our inactive council members? Isn't the issue of transparency of council business, excluding military or otherwise nessary to be kept secretive for the security of the county, being discussed? For a moment there, I thought that was an important issue. Apparently I was confused.

A more important issue now is the welfare of citizens outside of Somerset. Lady Vana I beg of you explain why you bring this item to the table now? I'm not a Smaht man, and you're making me feel incredibly stupid. This law deals with Politics. Any law dealing with elections is political by nature. Why are you concerning yourself with upcoming elections? To what purpose does this law serve, other than allowing citizens not part of this county to interfere with our governing? Perhaps they can run for office here also?

Walking aimlessly through the RK forums last night, I noticed a particular thread locked, that started out innocently. Ironically, the input by some non-Somerset citizen caused the inferno to set-in, resulting in the thread being locked. I can only assume this is what will inevitably happen with appeal of this law.

By the way Milady, did you happen to notice how the law begins:

Quote :

Art. 3.5.7.: Only citizens of Somerset

and whom it was intended to serve? I'm not very bright, but it seems a bit like foreshadowing to be discussing the repeal of laws that would interfer with the upcoming elections. Quite peculiar I'd say, but I'm only a simple citizen that reads what the councillors, all of them, say or fail to say. And I appreciate this law that values my opinions over the next election over one that does not reside amongst us. Seems clear to me, unless of course; when I fell out of the tree of stupidity yesterday, I in fact hit every branch all the way down. You be the judge, as I do not feel capable of doing so.


Oh, and thank you very much Lady Ellsbeth for helping me out of my last bout of stupidity. You were very helpful, though it seems I fell prey again to the desire to climb that tree.

DILL OUT

Hi, i think that this discussion area is a great idea.

however might i note that this particular discussion is only showing the people that voted for the current party that you all have no idea. i have been reading most of what has been said (forgive me as i get bored by long winded discussion) and get the general hint that certin members are not active and therefore a majority cannot be reached in-game. i am not all that sure how long a session/term is but i would think that if a member is not active when it counts they automatically loose thier seat. this is the age of technology after all and computers are everywhere.

i am but a lowly citizen but i would at least like to see the wheels turning and the motor started.

its like your all i a car and arguing over where to go. news flash there can only be one driver.

have a wonderful day and good luck, personally i will try my hand at local politics it is way less childish.

To provide the information you mentioned in your statement

A session is roughly 8 weeks/60 days.

There is not an ingame mechanic that allows for revoking a council seat, a member must physically hand it over by resignation.

There is not a "current" party so to speak as there are 5 SNP members, 5 LOF members and 2 Recon Party members so there is not a majority party in charge.

Not that party makes a difference in the absence factor as I personally hold the individuals responsible and not their party when I am addressing the matter.

and I am happy to report we have concluded the vote this day which moves all non security related votes to the public council room so any vote instituted after noon today will happen in the public room where you can all see the issue and the how each counselor weighs in it or if they even show up for it. You can even ask them to qualify their reasoning in their vote to you the people they work for if you like.

and as you may have noticed one of the next issues due to go to vote soon is the issue of proxy votes and with that comes the mandatory seat relinquishment in the case the proxy time is exceeded by absence.

Hopefully the "drivers" can agree on a destination in this vote and hopefully that destination is their dedicated service to the citizens

Shane, I don't want to comment on most of what you said ... The one concern I would like to address is your decision to stick to local politics.

Financial argument: I'm not sure of the state of Chard's town hall's fiscal state, but i'm fairly certain that it falls between Gloucester's and Bridgewater's asset values. The assets controlled by the county are between 7 and 30 times that of Chard's assets. The council is adminstering a significant economic portion of England's wealth, and as such must be monitored by both the councillors entrusted with their duties, and the citizens who placed them there.

Policy argument: The council also adminsters many facets of life which are critical to every town's survival - mines, livestock, defence, trade etc. These are facets that the towns can't deal with, so those of us who are concerned about the future of the county owe it to ourselves and our fellow townsfolk to ensure that we feel the council is acting in our best interests.

Personally, I don't have any illusions - ie I don't believe that our opinions really matter to the council. This is not to say that they don't listen to our thoughts, but the game mechanics are such that there is no real way to hold them accountable. Personally, I can't believe that attendance to their duties is an issue after the passions expressed through the election. But everyone can yell and scream until they're blue in the face, and that won't change the fact that there is no way to ensure that people with forseeable reasons for unavailability won't run, get elected and attend to their RL issues instead of finding the 15 minutes required every two days to attend to council business. I laud the attempts to do something about this issue, and I appreciate that they are following up on Loxely's and my ideas on proxy votes, but during the time between elections, there is nothing either of us can do.

The other example I would bring forth is the current discussion on 3.5.7. Based on the elected vote only about 1/3 of the citizens voted for the party who included this as part of their platform. As much as I wonder why the London commons isn't an acceptable forum for non-citizens to discuss election matters with somerset citizens, and I giggle that the discussions are set somewhere where those who are most injured by our exclusion are unable to express their critical views, I don't really care about this law. This law only directly affects the 30 citizens running for office out of our current 1800(ish) population. Sorry councilors, whether this law is repealed or not repealed, until you can show that you're 60 times more important than the rest of us - this is not an issue that 98% of Somerset cares about and you should not be dealing with this concern at this time. All this discussion can offer at this time is further dissent (and this is not considering any future concerns or postive experiences that might arise over a month from now). The council started to show signs of harmony prior to this new discussion being launched, and the timing of bringing up this issue is about as counterproductive as possible. As much as I would love to see an amicable solution found to this as it would prove that you are truly working together, past issues are still toxic enough that this can not end well. In addition, unless the Garrabellian's show up to offer their reconciliatory voices, this issue will remain deadlocked 5 to 5, and all that will result is another episode in which both parties sit on opposing sides of the fence.

Unfortunately Shane, all that we can do is pay attention, and hope that the concerns that we see during the inter-election period are again brought to focus during the next election. If we have some different approaches or other positive thoughts to offer, we should voice them with the hopes that they will be attended to. Although I haven't always been the best at doing so (for I do tend to enjoy wording things slightly delicately at times), we really should just watch, offer constructive criticism, and remember whether those we elected saw our trust as a sacred gift, or as a means to achieve their own dissenting empire of deputy sheriffs... oops ends.

thank you i understand what your saying and i unfortunetly believe that what you say is true.

Perhaps I am an idealist, perhaps too optimistic, but I very much disagree with your very dour account of what is happening, Cat.

I am starting to believe that the hostility is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The discussions in Council right now are really not that hostile at all. I do not have (nor ever have) an issue with Councilors stating differing points of view, which is how the current discussions are going. As long as there are no personal attacks (on a player or character) or unwarranted party mudslinging, I think it is alright, nay, GOOD that there is a debate going on. Debate, and people talking about controversial issues, are not necessarily degrading hostilities. I for one, often do not agree with certain councilors, but I have no issue if they state their opinion, I actually enjoy it.

I believe similarly about this attendance issue. While we are still not getting Full participation in the votes (which would be ideal) we are getting the majority of councilors voting. The last vote had 10 individual votes, which is more people than ever voted in any vote in last Council term (according to info I read here: https://somerset.rpg-board.net/The-council-of-Somerset-c11/Public-Discussion-Area-f86/Suggestion-to-the-council-t853.htm In other words, we are making progress!

And most importantly, I disagree with your take on your power as the People. All the Councilors listen to you, we want to know what you think. Just look at the Proxy law, which as you stated, started as an opinion of the Poeple. And while it is unfortunately true that game mechanics do not allow you to vote for an impeachment, the rl process for impeachment and removal from office is near impossible as well. I would venture to say that none of the councilors decided to become such to gain personal power, we all did it because we love Somerset and the wonderful People. Believe me you have power, but you have to actually believe the Council cares.

So, in my optimistic conclusion, the Council a) is getting along just fine, we are debating issues, which is what the Council is supposed to do; b) we are getting a relatively good turnout for the votes; and c) We ALL listen to what the People are saying.

Rebo, I do acknowledge that I was cynically optimistic within my last post. And I must confess that before I elected to leave Somerset, I held similar optimism regarding the political future. You will note that I advised Shane as to why he should stay aware of county politics, as opposed to allowing himself to see no value in following county politics. Realistically, one could fathom that my continued participation in the affairs of a county which shortly will not affect me implies that I either have far too much time on my hands (valid at times) or that I sincerely hope that I can strike the right chords often enough that Somerset will be improved ... and possibly even entice me to reconsider my plans (unlikely).

I must ask though, if the county is listening to the needs of the people, than why on earth was the topic of 3.5.7 even broached. Perhaps there is a great undercurrent of legal interest in Somerset that cries out for these legislative changes. Personally I would be amazed if an unbiased poll of Somerset citizens would express anything more than a 'who cares' regarding assistance / interference within our elections. Were the councilors actually visiting the other cities within Somerset to actually gauge the honest opinions of the citizens (either in forum, or better, in character), I could buy that repealing 3.5.7 is anything more than an ill-timed tag along issue from the LoF platform.

I recognize that I'm blissfully unaware of the issues that go on within council, but I would be quite interested to see what issues have been dealt with to date and how many of these issues directly affect the prosperity of Somerset people. I was anxiously looking forward to all three parties declaration that mentoring would be improved, and new guides would be prepared by and for the citizens of Somerset. To date, I have only seen three of these prepared, one of which was by a councilor, and two based on the spirit that was supposed to be created by the previous election. At this time, I should probably thank the three people who actually popped by to review what was prepared. (by the way I am serious Rebo, I do appreciate the time that you, Mikeblack and Hypno spent reviewing what I prepared ... and yes, two hirings at 11 Str max the yield for a primary field). These are the kind of issues that interest the common folk of Somerset, not procedural declarations of what must be done in order to shoehorn an absentee concern into a vote.

I can't share your excitement over the recent 10/12 voting success though. An issue that so shames each party that they are forced to whip their members into actually appearing in the forum to counter the allegations of the subject is not enough to convince me that there is renewed dedication. Talk to me again after another two votes are held with similar participation that does not require personal messages to ensure attendance and I will fully agree that the attendance issue is dealt with. In addition, if my suspicions are correct as to who the two members are who did not vote, I'm thoroughly disgusted with that party's two representatives and even the knowledge that they will never run in another election is not enough to quell my stomach.

(Apologies in advance Vana and Chardonnay, I will be as charitable as possible). If you wish to prove that the council is currently working together, show me that the two economic councilors are working together in an effective manner. Unless the discussions between the two of them are for show purposes only (knowing Chardonnay she would not be part of this kind of charade), the relationship between the two of them is disfunctional. We've seen Vana try to usurp part of Chardonnay's authority, we've seen Chardonnay attack back at Vana in caustic terms, and we've seen Vana claim that she can't assess the profitibility of livestock breeding as she's not receiving the information she needs regarding fodder evaluation from Chardonnay. Whenever one of them posts anything, the other will attack it sooner or later. I don't care whether any, all, or none of my above assessments are true ... the fact is that it is quite easy to see that they do not get along, and this does not bode well for the economic harmony of Somerset.

Once upon a time, Somerset boasted two of the better minds in the game. Whether you agree with their policies or not, it is tough to say that Sajan and Hypno did not have an immense impact on Somerset and also that they are not in a large way responsible for the strength of the county. The fact that both of these people chose to leave due to complete exasperation with the political realities of Somerset is inexcusable. Admittedly I don't know their full reasoning, nor do I want to, but from what i've been able to glean, politics was the major force that led them to decide to relocate. My decision to relocate is based on exactly this, if two people who have done so much for the county are driven out, I don't want to wait while the next leading lights of the county follow suit. I'm fortunate enough that I have an impartial fiancee who can analyze politics within Somerset from an unbiased position. Whenever she gets tired of the apparent harmony within her county, she pops down to Somerset for a laugh and giggle as she's certain that some issue or another is being politicized to the nth degree. Perhaps the continuing embarassment within England inspires some councilors, I would like to think that the majority share my shame.

Personally, I welcome the possibility that the council is over the hump, working together and that you are actually listening to the people. All I ask is that you show us. Listen to the concerns of the people, and return back to the issues from your respective platforms that truly benefit the people. Visit the various forums, assign members from the council to different towns if you have to, but show us that you're actually listening to us and are wiling to show us the side of the councilors that doesn't get shown during most of the political infighting. Don't protect us from the possibility that a defamation suit will affect us, deal with the defamation law once it's pages are so moth-eaten from disuse that it's no longer required. Once the basic issues are dealt with that affect the livelihood and prosperity of regular citizens, and once some party in the council has a strong mandate (and not an artificial Garrabellian one), then deal with legal issues beyond the basic wording changes that you've initiated.

In closing, show us that all is well and everyone will forget most of what has happened (as the electorate tends to have a short memory, myself included). Continue along the same path, and I can assure you that the announced departures of active citizens to date will only be the tip of the iceberg. As tough as it can be at times, vivamus et amemus.

Yeah, uh no. Who are you kidding Lord Rebo.

Have not I spoken, and have I not been ignored by those whom I address. You yourself only address Catullus as he has been affiliated politically before. Shane and I go unnoticed, or are we not worthy of recognition. How many posts have i recently displayed and only been answered by those I already know care about Somerset and do more than collect a pixelated fancy on their posts.

Please awaken from your delusional dream. The council is not getting along, and it is bickering and a neat phrase called Partisan politics is all I am hearing from the one your council, not mine, elected as leader.

My Jah man, the only reason you are getting participation on your council is that the future of these failed promises will surely impact this next election, and perhaps create a fossil of those posts whose offices are getting redecorated in haste.

Care to reply to any of my posts dear Sir, or is it easier to attack one that has had some political affiliation. I know it is much harder to attack me, as I owe allegiance to none save our blessed Monarchy. Good luck dear friend, as I've been watching your performance as well through the forums. I am less than impressed.

And by the way, the request to repeal the foreign intervention in our local politics is a silly way to secure a future success for a political party. Jah how some of you councilors waste precious time on seemingly personal intrests.

DILL OUT

We get the government we elect. LoF pulled as many seats as the SNP. Thus Reconciliation was made king maker. They have chosen their route. We must live with that decision and make the best of it. We do that by doing our jobs to the best of our ability.

I know that people less than friendly to Somerset think our politics a joke. I think it shows the passion your councilors feel for their county and the job that the people entrust to them.

Yes we have differences of opinion. something I feel strongly about, am sure will improve the lives of all, something that everyone obviously cares for could be completely unimportant to the populous and meaningless to other members of council.

We have opened up our votes to the public. We have opened this area up to the public as well as the public viewing area. We are actively seeking and we appreciate your input. All of you. It makes me believe again in the electorate of Somerset. That they care, are knowledgeable and have a passion for the betterment of Somerset.

Working together we can realize the future we all envision for Somerset. Abandoning the field will not win the battle. To many fields lost and the war is over.

Too late Lord Gregarious. Your council has abandoned this field. Since the public has entered into this dialogue, the council has showed minimal inerest as a whole, barring great measures taken by Lady Ellsbeth, honorable mention to the remainder that cared to show their faces: Lady Chardonnay,Lord Hypno, Lord Rebo, and of course yourself. This counts for 3 SNP and one LOF party members.

Intresting how all I hear in chambers are how Partisan politics are trying to attack our Duchess and put down this party who I do not see here at all. Make a forum ask for citizen input then ignore us. This is an effective platform, for a teeter-totter.

No dear sir it is not working. Unlike Catullus who has been severly wounded, I will not leave this battlefield just yet. However, let the ignorant masses--which I was a proud member of, re-elect any of that incredibly self-serving RP Party--whom I voted for; and I too will depart. The soldier is trained to retreat as well as advance. When the enemy is before you and flanking you, destroying quite possibly the best county in all of England; it is time to rally elswhere to ensure your future.

Catullus wrote:

I can't share your excitement over the recent 10/12 voting success though. An issue that so shames each party that they are forced to whip their members into actually appearing in the forum to counter the allegations of the subject is not enough to convince me that there is renewed dedication. Talk to me again after another two votes are held with similar participation that does not require personal messages to ensure attendance and I will fully agree that the attendance issue is dealt with. In addition, if my suspicions are correct as to who the two members are who did not vote, I'm thoroughly disgusted with that party's two representatives and even the knowledge that they will never run in another election is not enough to quell my stomach.

I agree, I want lasting dedication. I was pointing that out as a good start. I will gladly post any further progress/regression to you. I admit that I am an optimist, and have great hope and faith in the People of Somerset (Councilors included).

Oh and if I assume properly who you are guessing the two councilors are, I would intentionally hypocritically offer the cliche, "you know what happens when you assume" (meant as a joke).

I know a few people who are also working on guides to help the People. It was not long ago that we were new to England, and had no idea what to do.

As usual, you post a lot of things that I want to respond to, but I will keep it at that for now.

DylanLongbranch wrote:

Yeah, uh no. Who are you kidding Lord Rebo.

Have not I spoken, and have I not been ignored by those whom I address. You yourself only address Catullus as he has been affiliated politically before. Shane and I go unnoticed, or are we not worthy of recognition. How many posts have i recently displayed and only been answered by those I already know care about Somerset and do more than collect a pixelated fancy on their posts.

Please awaken from your delusional dream. The council is not getting along, and it is bickering and a neat phrase called Partisan politics is all I am hearing from the one your council, not mine, elected as leader.

My Jah man, the only reason you are getting participation on your council is that the future of these failed promises will surely impact this next election, and perhaps create a fossil of those posts whose offices are getting redecorated in haste.

Care to reply to any of my posts dear Sir, or is it easier to attack one that has had some political affiliation. I know it is much harder to attack me, as I owe allegiance to none save our blessed Monarchy. Good luck dear friend, as I've been watching your performance as well through the forums. I am less than impressed.

And by the way, the request to repeal the foreign intervention in our local politics is a silly way to secure a future success for a political party. Jah how some of you councilors waste precious time on seemingly personal intrests.

DILL OUT

I am sorry if you think that since I never explicitly said your name in a post of mine, that I don't hear your cries. I do, sir. And I assure you that the reason I specifically said Catullus' name had nothing to do with the fact that he is politically affiliated. I also do not think I ever attacked Catullus. I can only hope you see truth in my words. I see via your harsh language that you are upset, and apparently I have contributed to your hurt. I do wish that you would voice your concerns in a different way (less brash language or via a pm), but I will take what I get.

I will happily continue to dream "delusionally". I am always honest, sir, and I was honest when I said that I see progress. Honestly.

I am happy to personally reply to any of your (or anyone's) concerns if you would like. It is a shame that you have been "less than impressed", but, here I go with my optimism again, I hope that we can work to change that.


Respectfully,
Rebo

All comments are noted, and not ignored. They are, however, not all replied to by all councillors, because in my opinion, frankly, to reply to some of them would only be to continue the politicking squabbling and cycle of criticism and defensiveness that some of us are attempting to get away from. If you feel there is a really important point being missed which requires a proper answer from the councillors, then it's best to make a thread for that purpose.

I for one am happy to address each of you as a fellow citizen and as a person you have employed to work for you and with you. Nothing special is required of you, simply speak up and I do read this forum daily on a frequent basis. If you have a question I will answer if it the law allows disclosure and if you want disclosure the law does not allow for then I will work to change that law so you can have all the knowledge you need and want about your government and how it is run.

I really do care what you think for the record. And if I see a flaw or a reason why your ideas may not work given the mechanics or past experience I will offer you that not to discourage you but to be honest with you and maybe pick one another's brains to find a compromise that would work.

Answering you and being accountable to you all is not my idea of politicking it is my idea of being a public servant and I am not going to use any excuse to distract you from that service.

If you have a cause or idea to improve the quality of life for all of us then I am listening and I care because this is my home too.

Kind Sir Rebo,

I am a soldier. I do not play fancy politics. I do not speak as eloquently as some of our councilors. I speak many languages and empathize with Lord Hypno attemting to communicate through the muck presented by counsel. I will not pat your backside, I owe you no allegiance. It is the other way around, you owe the citizens allegiance. I do not disrespect you intentionally. I do however disagree respectfully, which is much more than I can say about our Councilors and Duchess. If I have overstepped my boundaries within these halls, please fell free to advise me of so. Have I? It's hard to tell with the lack of response from those I challenge. If I appear to be angry, it is a reflection of my good council's fine example. I challenge you to apply this same "schooling" to your own ranks, who are in dire need. Make me believe. Why should this issue go to PM? Is it not fair to address it in public forum, as is the purpose of this hall? Did I once again fall out of my Tree of stupidity hitting each and every branch along that arduous trip to the earth?

And directly to you kind sir, why on earth would you want to re-write the entire legal corpus amidst all the other chaos going on? It seems to follow the same idea of allowing non-county residents to affect our elections: the request for repeal issued by Milday Vana. First instinct presented the idea that perhaps some legislation earlier debated was to be snuck in amongst the simple clerical entries of capitalization and grammar. Is it? Let's explore my intentions, for I have nothing to fear in the truth. Dill's posts = mistrust of Council. Can't be any simpler, and it is the actions of councilors that has caused this sentiment. Look left, look right.

DILL OUT

DylanLongbranch wrote:

And directly to you kind sir, why on earth would you want to re-write the entire legal corpus amidst all the other chaos going on? It seems to follow the same idea of allowing non-county residents to affect our elections: the request for repeal issued by Milday Vana. First instinct presented the idea that perhaps some legislation earlier debated was to be snuck in amongst the simple clerical entries of capitalization and grammar. Is it? Let's explore my intentions, for I have nothing to fear in the truth. Dill's posts = mistrust of Council. Can't be any simpler, and it is the actions of councilors that has caused this sentiment. Look left, look right.

DILL OUT

I keep my word to respond.

The reason why I went over the grammar and spelling is because I am of the belief that:
1) proper spelling and grammar make things easier to read and the Legal Corpus is a document that everyone should read.

2) It is the highest document in our land and reflects us as a People.

3) There were a few clarifications in there that might help other People who are not privy to certain information (i.e. I have heard from several that they did not know what the difference between Duchy and County was)

I understand your initial response that there would be sneaky legislation (as this happens irl), but I assure you there is no new laws inserted, just clarifications and simple clerical fixes. You have a right to be distrustful. I have watched the Council for the past 10 months, and held similar distrust (maybe not as extreme) with every Council since I started playing RK (which is one of the main reasons why I joined county politics). Trust is something that takes ages to build and seconds to break. I have allowed myself to learn trust the Council as a body, as I have always trusted the Somerset People as a body. I hope you allow yourself to build the trust, it is not easy.

I understand that it seems incredibly superficial, and to a certain extent, grammar is non-sensical. But it is not a contentious issue (unless we make it one because it is so non- contentious), and, therefor, should not take much time to debate at all. If anything, I would think this is something that we can all agree on- there is NO political nature to this at all.

Respectfully,
Rebo

p.s.
No, I do not think you fell out of "tree of stupidity", but maybe I fell out of an olive tree...?

p.p.s.
As Ellsbeth said, I, as well as ALL of the Councilors are listening to what you are all saying. WE (not just I) all care about you. WE all feel we need to be accountable to you.

Counsellor Rebo I chose to use the pronoun "I" as opposed to the pronoun "WE" because I am accountable only for myself and I will not speak for or make promises for others that I cannot be certain of or have the power to keep.

I believe each counselors actions or inactions speak far louder than any of their words and the people can discern from that who listens and who does not and who actually feels the need to be accountable or not.

Therefore I do not have to speak to the "We" of council. I will let each member do so of their own accord by word or deed.

Very fair. I have no argument or dispute with that at all.

The old duke look at the young counsellor answering the citizens concern and look at the public council room. Fail to see the duchess. He come forward and begin to tell a story that express is point of view of this mascarade

Jupiter said one day: "Let all that live and breathe
Be summoned. Gather, ye, around my mighty feet!
If anyone perceives some flaw in how he's made,
Step forward fearlessly and speak-
I will repair my least mistake.
Come, Ape, you may speak first-and one can well see why.
Look at these animals. Compare the beauties of
Their features with your own.
Are you well satisfied?" "Who, me?" the ape replied.
"Why wouldn't I be? I have four legs, the same as them.
Till now, my portrait's given me no cause for shame.
But, take poor brother Bear, he's very crudely sketched-
He'd have to be upset to see himself in paint."
The bear came next, and all expected some complaint.
But they were wrong. He was in love with his own shape.
And yet he criticised the elephant- his tail
Did not hang right, his ears should be pruned back,
He was a mass devoid of elegance and form.
Then, in his turn, the elephant,
Despite his fabled wisdom, spoke the very same.
According to his lights, Dame Whale
Was very grossly out of scale.
Dame Ant dismissed the mite as being much too small,
Though she herself was just colossal.
"Meeting adjourned!" said Jupiter. "You see defects
In all the world except yourselves." In this parade,
Our species led the rest, for in our hearts we are
Lynx-eyed to others, mole-blind to ourselves,
Forgiving our trespasses, not our fellow man's:
We see our neighbors and ourselves with different eyes
The Sovereign Fabricator
Has made us each two bags to carry through the world-
The style today is just as it has always been.
The one behind we use to pack our faults away,
The one in front we carry other people's in.

And with out other explanation the old duke return slowly toward is tavern sadness in his face

I for one think the current Council is doing pretty well. We bicker and argue; but that's the point of politics - to keep the bickering and arguing somewhat contained while passionate people contend to do their best for the people to whom they are responsible. Politics is rarely something one would want one's children to watch, rarely the pretty pictures one sees of this politician shaking that one's hand. Those are often, in real life as well as here, the result of just such "bickering" as this Council has been noted for.

In the first three weeks of the Council's term, we have established the Loan Office as a useful entity, with an energetic Clerk to run it. In direct response to citizen input, I created this discussion area, and the Council continues to discuss a method of proxy voting to at least ease the burden of absent Councilors. We have agreed that all voting and discussions (holding back only for those regarding security, as I do in this list) shall be held in public. All these are fairly large items, and, while we may have expended energies in anger, still, that IS one of the ways that humans interact. The net result has been a substantial amount of work completed, or nearing completion.

Catullus, whatever the personal relationship between myself and Vana (or anybody else, for that matter), it takes a backseat to doing my job. Vana did post something about that at one point (I don't recall where, honestly) but has yet to contact me requesting more information. I make the same reports as I did last term, and in the same places. Allikath, who served as Sheriff in our last session, never requested additional information, and Vana has yet to do so. Should she, I would provide it at the first available moment, as I have responded to each of her business messages to me thus far.

Dylan, I fail to see why you should feel that your thoughts, or those of other Somerset citizens, are ignored. As I mentioned, this forum is a result of such comments.So is the nascent proxy voting law. Lady Ellsbeth's idea to move our voting into the public eye is a very direct move to ensure that the people of Somerset are informed as to what this council does. No, not all members will, can, or even should respond to every post. As all other players, we have lives to attend to, work schedules to adhere to, and need at least a bit of sleep each day But I think our record this term thus far shows a great willingness to listen to your voice, or Shane's, or that of anyone else who speaks to us.

Well said! Very well said!

So many replies to consider, so many directions, so many options, ..., one decision
Given that I was blessed with being born a Gemini, I will exercise that gift in the best way possible. The side of me that was filled with criticism, at times exasperated, oftentimes resigned, and frequently disappointed ... well after this post, that side will be banished. I will sit back with tabula rasa and watch how things unfold. I will believe whenever possible that all debate is healthy, that each councilor is doing his or her utmost to work in the interests of the people of Somerset, and be far more charitable than I've been in times past. As this thread is nearing a close, perhaps in this spirit a new "suggestion to the council 2" thread should be opened so as to allow this one to suffer any further replies, and thereafter fade into the distance with the previous spirit of disharmonious and partisan politicking.
Firstly, I would caution you all that politics is one part process, one part platform, and 98 parts perception. The citizens take their guidance from the council when it comes to discussions regarding the county. As such, your manner of dealing with eachother will be reflected in the responses that you receive from citizens in the county. Show us the ability to debate in an honest, detatched and mature manner, and i'm certain that you will receive the same from us. I am not saying that disagreements will not happen, but I would ask that those disagreements be taken to the private forums, and only constructive criticisms and concerns be dealt with in the public sphere.
Now, on to any responses that my inspire my long-winded fingers.

Rebo, I have always been open to further discussions with you. When you decide to use the Messages of Swallows Nesting method to contact me, if time is available I'll be more than willing to make that time available for you. I've always respected your voice, otherwise I would not have presented your name as one of the two that I wish the RP had backed.

Chardonnay, I recognize that you have done your utmost to roll up your sleeves for the benefit of Somerset. And yes, the local soothsayer recently mentioned something about a fellow named Hegel and his theory of the necessity of of opposing arguments leading to change ... so I understand your faith in the dialectic process. But I firmly believe that a better working relationship between the Trade Minister and Sheriff can not help but make both of your jobs easier, which can only lead to further prosperity for Somerset. Your positions are far too interreliant so any whiff of dissent between the two of you can only serve to concern the citizens, and must impair your abilities to negotiate the best possible economic future for Somerset.

Vana, despite our ideological differences, you are more than intelligent enough to recognize when i'm grandstanding (far rarer than you might think) and when I'm offering worthwhile advice. You made a mistake when you bred the wrong quantity of pigs with wheat, and in my reply, I did not approach it antagonistically, but offered you concrete reasoning as to why there are better alternatives. Blowing my comment off by saying something along the lines of 'you can't be sure because you haven't been given the necessary figures by Chardonnay' is a load of bovine male fertillizer. Instead of blaming Chardonnay for not offering you all information that you might possibly want, keep your criticism in reserve and employ it if she does not offer you figures that you need in a timely manner. Take the first step and ask her, knowing Chardonnay she will be more than willing to offer you whatever is necessary. In addition, despite your attempt at humour when replying to Krelian, the fact remains that a daily report is of limited value. A synthesized report similar to that of your predecessor cannot help but be of benefit to yourself, the TM, and therefore the county as a whole. Finally, your timing on dealing with 3.5.7 was piss poor. When you have a council that (according to the views above) is starting down a path of cooperation, why raise a contentious issue that will not become a concern until the election 6ish weeks from now. Put it on the back burner until there is enough time for it to proceed through the legislative channels and be dealt with just before the election. You implied previously that replying to this thread would only lead to further political dissent, I would ask that you employ the same concern regarding these sort of contentious issues while the current atmosphere of cooperation is tenuous at best.

So in closing, and in an attempt to embrace the espoused spirit of cooperation, I will be starting a series of threads in the Somerset forums. Once per day, I will be asking the citizens and yourselves to participate in an exercise to prove that you truly embrace the current spirit of cooperation and active participation. Some of you will hate the process, some of you will embrace it fully, and some of you will be as reluctant to participate as a certain RL Catullus would be (as he hates this sort of crap within the real world). Dig down, be honest, and prove to the citizens exactly what you wish to convince us truly exists.

While I hold the utmost respect for Counselor Chardonnay I cannot say in this instance that I share her same opinion.

YES since push came to shove and the lack of attendance was exposed we have had well attended votes and a couple of counselors I had begun to think were mere figments of my imagination showed up and even voted. That IS a start. We still have not had ONE single vote except the original Duchess election where all 12 voted and that is still something I find bothersome.

YES we did finally get enough votes registered to get a clerk for the county loan office and THAT is wonderful considering we do as Lady Chardonnay mentioned have an enthusiastic energetic citizen in this position now who will run with it and no doubt make it a great success in time. But it took Lady Chardonnay practically nailing the door shut to force people to vore before it happened.

We lost out last elected Lord Protector ( the 2nd person in line to take charge of counsel according to Somerset Laws in event of the Duke or Duchess being incapacitated by RL) when Hypno resigned and we have been arguing over who will take his place for 8 days now and we still have not had a vote initiated on this position.

We have had the mayor of Bristol our capital city practically begging for sustainment and assistance in the capital city and while a meet and greet of council members has been agreed on nothing financial in nature to help build this city up and retain citizenry has been agreed on or voted into place and this discussion has been going on since July 28.

The Duchess did make one effort to assist them of her own accord as this issue had arisen last council and it was indicated that of course all were in favor of lending them support but this was a temporary measure she took and the council itself has not formed any sort of long term plan for this issue.

and yes the meet and greet will get some people into the city for a day or 3 but a day or 3 does not a commitment make and does not solve the long term problems with the capital.

so Yes we have finally made some accomplishments but many of those were like pulling teeth to make them happen and YES we finally have a larger attendance so we are making progress but I am not ready to paint a pretty picture based on 2 or 3 days worth of better performance.

We still have miles to go before we sleep. So I encourage all citizens to keep pushing and keep asking for accountability and keep demanding more of this council so at the end of term you all have gotten your pounds worth and not just spin.

I don't know if this has been said or not, but if you feel you have an idea for the council to better our County, but you're too shy to post it publicly, I'm sure any of our council members would be happy to receive a pm from you with the details. I know with most of what I come up with I have to talk it through with someone else before presenting to the public .

Just letting y'all know we care!
Marshy

I suppose I have to respond to Catullus now.

I do find it difficult to understand what you're going on about most of the time Catullus, and I'm not familiar with 'grandstanding'. I only just realised now that you thought I made a mistake in breeding pigs with wheat. If that was the purpose of your post then it would have been better to have PM'd me to say so. Each pig requires 1.67 units of wheat. To breed one pig with wheat therefore costs 2 units of wheat, as you lose out on the rounding up. Therefore pigs with wheat have to be bred in 3's to avoid the rounding losses. And there was one day when I bred some pigs with corn and others with wheat too, which may not have been clear from my report.

I have not blamed Chardonnay for not providing me with any figures, I haven't asked her for any. I originally got the prices of wheat and corn from the grants issued to buy them in bulk, and I trust that Chardonnay will let me know if other changes in trade cause any significant effect on fodder prices that would cause me to re-evaluate the choice of fodder, and unless that happens I don't need any more figures from her on that.

Do let us know why a summary report of the kind you mentioned would be useful (as opposed to mildy interesting) to anyone.

My timing on repealing 3.5.7 was poor you say. But politicians do prepare for elections well in advance of the actual voting. In 8 days time we need to get a moderator for the next election and the debate should start 10 days after that according to law. There is never a great time to address contentious concerns, and postponing the issue would risk not being able to get anything done about it in time. Cooperation does not mean you have to hide away from contentious issues, it means you can face them together respectfully. I did say that replying to certain posts would only lead to further political squabbling, but when there are serious things wrong in the law it's not an option for me to ignore them. I wish I could ignore more really, as you suggest, but I have a job to do, and the people who voted for my party would be disappointed if we didn't at least try to do something about such injustices even though we hold no overall majority.