[Blindtlk] Fwd: [Nfbv-announce] Retirement of Dr. Maurer

Mon Dec 2 04:25:43 UTC 2013

I completely and totally agree, Arielle. It is common in this
organization to just "blindly" follow the first candidate that is
widely supported, without thoroughly considering his or her
qualifications. In short, elections become popularity contests and not
productive situations. I'm not saying that Mr. Riccobono is
unqualified, rather the opposite is true, in my humble opinion. I am
saying that we, as Federationists, should continue this discussion and
find some way to improve the style of elections in this organization,
which have become comparable to a flock following a shepherd.
Aleeha

On 12/1/13, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Of course any candidate will have to prove their strength and
> capability to the membership in order to get their vote. In fact, a
> true election with multiple candidates would put more pressure on each
> candidate to prove their worth than would an election with only one
> candidate. In the latter case, people have to either trust the one
> candidate without any basis for comparison, or else make a tremendous
> effort to bring in a second candidate. In this organization's dominant
> culture, it's not so easy to just vote out the incumbent. A
> presidential endorsement is great, but even the best presidents are
> human beings with their own biases and preferences. I would rather
> compare the candidates' campaign efforts myself than rely on the
> incumbent's judgment.
>
> Arielle
>
> On 12/1/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I agree with you; as long as the candidates to be voted upon are strong
>> and
>> capable.
>> Justin
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle
>> Silverman
>> Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 11:00 PM
>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Fwd: [Nfbv-announce] Retirement of Dr. Maurer
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I don't think it's a problem that Dr. Maurer announced who he was
>> supporting. The issue is that in the ensuing election there will likely
>> be
>> only one presidential candidate. This is not typical of any truly
>> democratic
>> group, at least not any that I am aware of. In the United States, even
>> presidents who were widely supported and respected still face some
>> competition for re-election, and the candidates they endorse to succeed
>> them
>> do not necessarily always win by a landslide.
>> The candidate President Obama supports in 2016 won't automatically win a
>> unanimous vote from the Democratic party; he or she will still have to
>> stand
>> up to scrutiny. Regardless of Dr. Maurer's popularity and efficacy as a
>> president, I am concerned that because of the organizational culture in
>> the
>> NFB, those who would endorse a leadership change feel they must either
>> keep
>> quiet or withdraw from the organization, and so their voices are not
>> heard.
>> I was recently president of the NFB's student division. When I decided to
>> resign I announced publicly who I was supporting to be the next
>> president.
>> Someone ran against him who, though not my first pick as president, was
>> also
>> a qualified and accomplished potential leader.
>> There was an election, and though the candidate I endorsed did win, the
>> other candidate received a sizable number of votes. I don't think the
>> people
>> who voted for him did so because they distrusted my opinion; I think they
>> just thought he was a strong candidate. In fact, I was pleased to see
>> such
>> healthy democratic debate among the student division. It gave me more
>> confidence that the individual who won the presidential election was
>> someone
>> that the majority of the people truly wanted to be in charge, not just
>> someone who was elected by default because he had no opposition. As
>> president I always felt it was better for members to question my judgment
>> rather than blindly trusting me. When members questioned my judgment it
>> allowed me to improve as a leader and to ensure I was doing things the
>> membership wanted to see happen.
>>
>> I am curious if others share my views; perhaps this is not actually a
>> significant problem in the eyes of our membership. But if there are
>> others
>> who think the culture could be improved, this discussion could be quite
>> productive. Furthermore, even as I question whether the NFB's political
>> culture and procedures could be improved, I don't oppose the philosophy
>> or
>> the major policy decisions of the organization and I am committed to
>> support
>> them.
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 12/1/13, Ray Foret Jr <rforet7706 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>> Steve, I fear that perhaps you missunderstood.  Of course, Dr. Maurer
>>> has the right to support he or she whom he pleases and to publically
>>> ask the membership to support that person.  I'm just questionning
>>> whether an election that looks too much like a mere hand off is
>>> necessarily the best way to go.
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from my Mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the
>>> blind built-in!
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray, still a very happy Mac and Iphone 5 user!
>>>
>>> On Dec 1, 2013, at 8:36 PM, Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ray,
>>>>
>>>> What you are really saying, though, if you think about it, is that
>>>> President Maurer should not state who he thinks should follow him.
>>>> What purpose does that really serve?  The only way this will work has
>>>> a "Hand-off" as you put it is if President Maurer has enough support
>>>> and trust to have his recommendation followed.  Therefore, the
>>>> process is important because if he were to not have the support and
>>>> trust of the membership, there is a means to elect someone else.  To
>>>> me, that is far more than a technicality.
>>>>
>>>> Best regards,
>>>>
>>>> Steve Jacobson
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Ray Foret Jr" <rforet7706 at comcast.net>
>>>>> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 5:17 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Fwd: [Nfbv-announce] Retirement of Dr.
>>>>> Maurer
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Paul, You seem, with respect, to be implying that one must choose
>>>>> between
>>>>>
>>>>> lack of transparency and a good program for the blind or else full
>>>>> transparency and a bad program for the blind.  I do not agree.  Here
>>>>> is what I think will go down.  Maurer will support Riccobono and
>>>>> then, when it comes convention time, and time to elect the next
>>>>> president, Riccobono will be
>>>>>
>>>>> chosen by acclamation without any competition.  Now, if one were to
>>>>> take
>>>>>
>>>>> this process strictly in parliamentary terms, it would be impossible
>>>>> to quarrel with its legitimacy.  My concern, to speak frankly, is
>>>>> this.
>>>>> That
>>>>> looks too much like a mere hand off instead of a legitimate election.
>>>>> Smooth?  Yes.  Efficient?  You'd better believe it.  Morally right?
>>>>> Well,
>>>>> that's where I have a slight problem.  I'm not saying that this way
>>>>> of doing it is completely wrong:  however, when you have a process
>>>>> that looks too
>>>>>
>>>>> much like you're just handing it off, you might as well not even
>>>>> bother with the formality of election.  Just might as well go ahead
>>>>> and crown Riccobono king of the movement.  I just do not feel
>>>>> terribly comfortable with the way things look like they're going to
>>>>> happen.  Call me a traitor to the movement if you will:  but,
>>>>> 'Tain't no skin off my nose.  Look, this procedure just don't set to
>>>>> well with me.
>>>>
>>>>> I ain't sayin that President Mauer can't support whom he pleases,
>>>>> and I ain't sayin he can not publically say whom he supports nor
>>>>> that he can't urge the members to back his choice:  But, to just do
>>>>> a hand off and have the election as a mere formality really bugs me.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my Mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the
>>>>> blind
>>>>>
>>>>> built-in!
>>>>
>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray, still a very happy Mac and Iphone 5
>>>>> user!
>>>>
>>>>> On Dec 1, 2013, at 5:01 PM, Paul Wick <wickps at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>> Ray that's how things have always been in the Federation In the
>>>>>> world of the organized blind there is an organization that while it
>>>>>> lacks transparency has a strong program, while another has
>>>>>> democratic forms, but is kind of an empty suit when it comes to the
>>>>>> programming department; I would rather be part of the former than
>>>>>> the latter. I wish President-designate Riccobono well, and may he
>>>>>> reach out to all the unaffiliated blind people rather than just
>> preaching to the choir.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Paul
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 12/1/13, Ray Foret Jr <rforet7706 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>>>> I should like to pint out that there seems to be an assumption
>>>>>>> upon the
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> part
>>>>>>> of the top NFB leadership that Mark
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Riccobono will sort of just be given the presency of the
>>>>>>>> federation.
>>>>>>>> That
>>>>>>>> strikes me as not being the proper democratic way to do things.
>>>>>>>> To assume that just because Doctor Maurer personally supports
>>>>>>>> Mark Riccobono for president he will just sort of be handed the
>>>>>>>> presidency by Dr. Maurer and the election of Mark Riccobono a
>>>>>>>> mere formality strikes me as being very improper.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sent from my Mac, the only computer with full accessibility for
>>>>>>> the blind built-in!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray, still a very happy Mac and Iphone 5
>>>>>>> user!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Dec 1, 2013, at 12:44 PM, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Mark
>>>>>>>>> Riccobono
>>>>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>>
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