From the Whip's Desk

[CmdrWilkens]

This is just a general housekeeping statment i'm making and not a policy matter (just to get that out of the way). What I am going to request is that even if you don't vote or intend to vote when I send you the vote spam at least check your PM box to ensure that the message is recieved. I'm noticing a disturbing trend amongst whose messages remain permanently in my outbox until I delete them due to age.

As such going forward I'm going to be keeping tally of anyone whose PM is not checked off for five votes running. At that point I'm gonna try to contact the individual senator and/or associates to ensure they are okay and whether or not they wish to be placed on a temporary leave of absence or not (which will affect qoruom). Simply put since I'm sending these PMs please acknowledge them even if you don't act on them.

A further disclaimer is that I will not bring vote absence before the senate as a matter for job abandonment unless it reaches truly epic proportions but again the fact that a few individuals seem to be constantly not getting PMs has me worried they aren't checking the senate and keeping abrest o things.

[Colonel Olrik]

I'm probably guilty of that sometimes, but it doesn't mean that I won't vote. I just take a look at the forum and look for the new poll - presumably others may do that as well. But I'll start making sure to open the email.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I think public censure of Senators who ignore their duties could be an appropriate measure in serious but not epic cases, decided upon by a vote of the Senate itself.

[Zaia]

On a similar topic, I had been wondering if we were going to have something along the lines of re-elections.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

On a similar topic, I had been wondering if we were going to have something along the lines of re-elections.

For the position of whip? It's the only elected position in the Senate that I understand is current, though I don't recall what the terms were.

Rambling some thoughts about the Senate:

I think that when Mike created the Senate he was thinking of the Canadian one rather than the American one, which is good, because our powers are more similiar to those of the Canadian Senate. The other option is that we're more like the law court of the Paris Parlement--more an unelected group of judicial magistrates who present a final court of appeal, but, also, have limited advisory and protest powers to influence the course of overall government. A Lettre de Cachet, effectively, from Mike, just as it would have from Louis XIV, provides the absolute limit to our power, for when the absolutist monarch speaks, the his voice becomes the law itself.

[CmdrWilkens]

On a similar topic, I had been wondering if we were going to have something along the lines of re-elections.

For my post or for the Senate in general? I personally told myself that I would throw the Whip up for re-election or at least vote for continuance after a year's time just to set a precedent.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I think Senators sit for life, unless they resign or are dismissed by Mike, or are explicitly voted out by the Senate for misbehaviour.

[Coyote]

Misbehavior, or dereliction? Should we set a lower bar for "MINAC", ie, "Minimum Acceptable Activity"? I think that since the position of Senator implies setting board policy, there are certain expectations of performance implied.

How about this--

A person can miss either 10 consecutive votes, or, 10 months of no activity. After this quota/time period has passed, the Senator will have to "stand for re-election"-- in other words, he or she must post a desire to re-commit to the position or be dropped by popular vote.

[CmdrWilkens]

I think we are generally agreed (and the matter came up in regards to the Duchess what about 2 months ago right?) that the Senate can remove someone but the matter is entirely discretionary and setting a policy is probably self defeating. My whole point here has been to simply say please check you inbox and if it becomes insane then MAYBE there is a chance I MIGHT do something.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I think we are generally agreed (and the matter came up in regards to the Duchess what about 2 months ago right?) that the Senate can remove someone but the matter is entirely discretionary and setting a policy is probably self defeating. My whole point here has been to simply say please check you inbox and if it becomes insane then MAYBE there is a chance I MIGHT do something.

No, that was almost four months ago.

[Zaia]

On a similar topic, I had been wondering if we were going to have something along the lines of re-elections.

For the position of whip? It's the only elected position in the Senate that I understand is current, though I don't recall what the terms were.

No, I was thinking it might be healthy if we had a limit of Senate members and, after a certain period of time, held re-elections. After all, in a normal Senate, if you feel like certain people are dead weight or you don't like how they do business, you can replace them once their term is up.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

On a similar topic, I had been wondering if we were going to have something along the lines of re-elections.

For the position of whip? It's the only elected position in the Senate that I understand is current, though I don't recall what the terms were.

No, I was thinking it might be healthy if we had a limit of Senate members and, after a certain period of time, held re-elections. After all, in a normal Senate, if you feel like certain people are dead weight or you don't like how they do business, you can replace them once their term is up.

Not in the Canadian Senate, though, and I suspect that's what Mike is modeling our body off of, not the US version with elected Senators. In Canada they're appointed and serve until they resign or die--and they have similar more advisory powers than actual legislative powers, just like we do.

[Zaia]

No, I was thinking it might be healthy if we had a limit of Senate members and, after a certain period of time, held re-elections. After all, in a normal Senate, if you feel like certain people are dead weight or you don't like how they do business, you can replace them once their term is up.

Not in the Canadian Senate, though, and I suspect that's what Mike is modeling our body off of, not the US version with elected Senators. In Canada they're appointed and serve until they resign or die--and they have similar more advisory powers than actual legislative powers, just like we do.

Actually, he got the idea from another forum, not the Canadian Senate.

[The Yosemite Bear]

I've read them all...