[Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for yourApproval --ProposedConstitutional Amendment.
Mark Tardif
markspark at bellsouth.net
Mon May 21 23:49:19 UTC 2012
Okay, Dan. I am not attending this convention, but please take a breath and
do not "run me out on a rail" for saying this. Indeed I think I have a
right to say this, since I am a member and have voted in past elections and
will certainly do so again. First of all, I am not certain how much time we
would actually save by asking that a majority of people would be needed to
trigger a secret ballot. And I agree with those who have suggested that
this right to a secret ballot is an individual right, not necessarily a
majority right. I and everyone else has a right to vote for who we think
will do the best job in a particular office, without pressure from others,
subtle or otherwise. Also, concerning other affiliates using the secret
ballot option, when I was in Connecticut, we certainly used that option on
occasion. It wasn't always as organized as it could have been, but
sometimes we found it necessary and yes, we got through it. Who is going to
lead the organization is extremely important and the process should not be
short-circuited because of our ideas about how long the process will take.
Finally, your last statement about voting on behalf of people who could not
attend but who may have paid our way. That idea would short-circuit and
negate the democratic process. It almost suggests that because you or
someone else who couldn't make it are helping me financially, therefore I
owe them by voting as they would have voted if they were attending. I find
that idea peculiar and not at all acceptable. I and others should vote for
who we think will provide the best leadership in a given office, we should
be concerned with our own consciences and with the welfare of the
organization as a whole, not because of subtle pressure from back home or
anywhere else for that matter. There, I'm finally finished, but for those
reasons I cannot support this amendment.
Mark Tardif
Welcome to my planet
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Hicks" <danjhicks at yahoo.com>
To: "'NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List'" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>;
<kdavisnfbf at cfl.rr.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2012 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for
yourApproval --ProposedConstitutional Amendment.
> Cathy-Alice, are you even a member of our organization? I thought you were
> ACB. And I don't think you have ever attended one of our conventions - or
> at
> least have not legitimately registered for one recently. I prefer to hear
> the honest opinions of those who belong to NFBF and who have to sit
> through
> our ridiculously long election process.
>
> I think we need to mature as a group with real purposes in common. I know
> of
> no other state affiliate which uses secret balloting. If you really feel
> that the feelings of your friends is more important than the kind of
> person
> you want to lead the organization, then you should probably not be voting
> in
> the first place. Feel free to sit that office out.
>
> Remember that many of us are not just voting for ourselves, but for those
> who are not attending but who paid some of the cost of our attending the
> convention. I am not in favor of keeping a record of who voted for whom,
> but
> it could be argued that those who stayed at home and contributed to your
> attending convention have a right to know how you voted on their behalf.
>
> Dan
>
>
> "It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars."
>
> -Garrison Keillor
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> Of Cathy Koyanagi
> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 11:23 PM
> To: kdavisnfbf at cfl.rr.com
> Cc: nfbf-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your Approval
> --ProposedConstitutional Amendment.
>
> Easy fix is to have each person put their ballot into an envelope and seal
> it, then they can be picked up by designated election officials.
> Cathy-Alice
>
> Original message:
>> Holly,
>> Do you mean that you observed people tearing off an additional
>> corner or tearing off a corner when there was no corners torn off? I
>> really do not see any way around that. I want each person to put their
>> ballot in the container for counting so there can be no alterations.
>
>> Kathy
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Holly
>> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 7:26 PM
>> To: NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your Approval
>> --ProposedConstitutional Amendment.
>
>> Kathy,
>> I tend to agree with you. I would also like a different way to collect
>> the secret ballot, as well. I have seen people change the ballots as
>> they were past down the isle. At that point, I did not feel that I
>> could do anything about it.
>> Holly
>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On May 19, 2012, at 7:18 PM, "Kathy Davis" <kdavisnfbf at cfl.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>> Hi Dan,
>>> I totally oppose your proposed amendment to the NFBF Constitution.
>>> You and I have always held differing opinions on the matter of secret
>>> ballots.
>>> The fact is that I do not want to stand up publically or even
>>> raise my hand so members will know exactly how I vote. I may respect
>>> several members running for office but I do not want them to be
>>> cognizant of how I choose to vote. Hurt feelings that can be
>>> long-lasting in nature would likely result.
>>> Even though the majority of the voting members are blind, many
>>> have enough vision to see how folks cast their votes and of course,
>>> we have many sighted members who will also be part of the election
> process.
>>> Don't think for a minute that a given candidate will not learn from
>>> other
>> members what
>>> they observed pertaining to how others cast their votes
>>> To take my position a bit further and a little more concrete, let
>>> me add an example. It's a really terrible situation when two of my
>>> really good friends are running for the same office such as Second
>>> Vice President. This situation has occurred on numerous occasions
>>> throughout the years I have been part of the NFBF. For example, let's
>>> say that Sherrill O'Brien is running against Gloria Hicks. I may
>>> choose to vote for Gloria but I would feel horrible for Sherrill to
>>> know that I voted against her because I value both candidates'
>>> friendship. After all, we are an organization that has worked for
>>> years and years for voters to have the right to vote in secret and in
>> private.
>>> Sorry my friend, but I can never support your amendment! Moreover,
>>> elections are far too important to get caught up in making our
>>> elections be over and done with in the quickest manner possible. If
>>> only one voting member is uncomfortable about voting publically, that
>>> member should have the right to call for a secret ballot. I hope
>>> others will jump in and share their views on this matter.
>
>
>>> Your friend and longtime colleague,
>
>>> Kathy Davis
>
>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf Of Dan Hicks
>>> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 1:47 PM
>>> To: 'NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List'
>>> Subject: [Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your Approval --
>>> ProposedConstitutional Amendment.
>
>>> Fellow NFBF Members,
>
>
>
>>> As Rod Serling used to say in the beginning minutes of "The Twilight
>> Zone,"
>>> 'Submitted for your approval."
>
>
>
>>> Some of you may recall that at our 2011 NFBF Convention, we approved
>>> an amendment to the constitution which changed and simplified the way
>>> chapters designate their representatives.
>
>
>
>>> During this convention, I mentioned another amendment that I wish to
>>> see passed, and will be voted on at this year's convention.
>
>
>
>
>
>>> ARTICLE IV: ELECTIONS
>
>
>
>>> Now reads:
>
>
>
>>> ARTICLE IV: ELECTIONS
>
>
>
>>> Elections shall be conducted by a majority vote of the active members
>>> present and voting at an annually held business meeting. Election
>>> shall be by voice vote, standing vote, show of hands, roll call vote,
>>> or secret ballot. Secret marked ballots shall be required upon the
>>> request of any active member present and voting. There shall be no
>>> proxy voting. If no nominee receives a majority vote on the first
>>> ballot, the name of the person receiving the fewest votes shall be
>>> dropped from the list of nominees, and a second ballot shall be taken.
>>> This procedure shall continue until one of the nominees has received
>>> a majority vote from the active members present and voting.
>
>
>
>
>
>>> Proposed Change:
>
>
>
>>> ARTICLE IV: ELECTIONS
>
>
>
>>> Elections shall be conducted by a majority vote of the active members
>>> present and voting at an annually held business meeting. Election
>>> shall be by voice vote, standing vote, show of hands, roll call vote,
>>> or secret ballot. Secret marked ballots shall be required upon the
>>> request of a majority of the active member present and voting. There
>>> shall be no proxy voting. If no nominee receives a majority vote on
>>> the first ballot, the name of the person receiving the fewest votes
>>> shall be dropped from the list of nominees, and a second ballot shall
>>> be taken. This procedure shall continue until one of the nominees
>>> has received a majority vote from the active members present and voting.
>
>
>
>>> I am putting this out now so that we can talk about it and debate its
>>> merits via NFBF-L before the start of convention.
>
>
>
>>> Let me just say that we spend something like 45 minutes each
>>> convention passing out, collecting, and counting secret ballots at
>>> our
>> conventions.
>>> This year, the number of offices up for vote could make this time
>>> grow to an hour or more. We usually have about 120 people voting the
>>> final day of convention. That's 120 collective hours - the equivalent
>>> of five twenty-four hour days - of valuable convention time that we
>>> waste on a procedure which a majority of us may not want.
>
>
>
>>> Please note that my proposed amendment does not eliminate secret
>>> balloting; it just changes our constitution to call for a secret
>>> ballot only if the majority of the members present and voting wish to
>>> have
>> it.
>
>
>
>>> Please take a look at this and give it your consideration. Feel free
>>> to share your thoughts.
>
>
>
>>> Dan Hicks, President
>
>>> NFB of Florida
>
>
>
>
>
>>> "It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars."
>
>
>>> -Garrison Keillor
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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