Popular Liberty Party (PLP) - HAEV You Heard The News?

[tpfkaw]

February 1st 2012
Seattle, WA

Friends,

There is currently a vote up in the Populares Party that would have them merge with our party, creating one superparty. I endorse this idea and I encourage you all to post in the Populares Party thread stating your support for Merger Proposal 1. Thank you.

x 20RP12

Are you going to hold your own vote on it, or just declare it approved by fiat, or what?

[tpfkaw]

The merger has passed the Populares.  Can we consider it passed by the IFP as well?

Reminder, here are the terms we just voted on:

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[tpfkaw]

Alright, now that we've adopted the Populares bylaws we should vote on Party leadership.

People should nominate themselves or others for the following offices:

Party Chairman

The Chairman shall serve as the official head of the party and public representative of the Party. He/she shall be elected by popular vote to be held at every convention. The Chairman has the sole authority to appoint a Vice-Chairman in the absence of one, as well as appointing other officers to fill vacancies and to create new offices when needed, including Regional Chairman, if needed.

Vice-Chairman

The Vice-Chairman shall serve as the acting Chairman in absence of the Chairman, and shall assume Chairmanship should the Chair (a) resign or (b) become inactive.

Whip

The Whip shall serve as the Party's main coordinator. The duties of the Whip include ensuring that voters reach the polls and ensuring elected officials support the party's position. He/she shall be elected by popular vote to be held at every convention. The Whip shall have the authority to appoint a Deputy Whip is he/she desires to assist with the position's functions.

Secretary

The Secretary shall maintain official party records and maintain an updated list of voter rolls for private use.

Treasurer

The Treasurer shall analyze data and information, take polls and surveys, provide demographic information, and advise the Chairman and Whip on developing Party strategies.

Press Secretary

The Press Secretary shall serve as the public communicator to the press. His/her duties include giving official interviews with publications and making special announcements, as well as speaking for the Chairman when the Chairman is not present.

Human Resources Director

The Human Resources Director shall serve as the Party's recruitment office. His/her duties include seeking like-minded Atlasians and encouraging Atlasians to become Populares.

Also, I would like to use this opportunity to request a 24-hour vote on this bylaw amendment:

Wormyguy shall be authorized to initiate a one-time vote using instant-runoff voting to legally determine the Party name, color, abbreviation, and platform.

[tpfkaw]

Aye on my bylaw amendment.

[tpfkaw]

The reasoning behind my amendment is to allow multiple choices on each thing rather than simple yes/no votes on things (which is necessary if we're voting on several different names, colors, etc.).

Edit:  Seems that the consolidated positions were:

Chairman

Vice-Chairman

Whip

Secretary

Chief Director (Treasurer, Press Secretary, and Human Resources Director)

[tpfkaw]

How about this as an alternative:

Instant run-off votes may be held for party members to choose among options for party name, abbreviation, color, logo, or platform language. All members will have an opportunity to put forward options for inclusion in such a vote.

Well that might have us constantly changing our name, color, abbreviation etc. which would be very confusing and rather unfair to the Registrar General and SoFE.  I think it's better to keep this a one-time thing, I promise I'll be fair and include any suggestions as well as a write-in option.

[tpfkaw]

Alrighty then...shall we get voting? Or no?

Well, technically we have to wait for 24 hours to elapse.

[tpfkaw]

Sorry, here's the ballot for the relevant things.  Vote using IRV.  This vote will last 48 hours.

(Name) Party

[ ] Populares
[ ] Individual Freedom
[ ] Populares-Individual Freedom
[ ] New Populares
[ ] Popular Liberty
[ ] write-in:

Color

[ ] Teal ("emerald") - current color, old Populares color
[ ] Green - old IFP color
[ ] Purple
[ ] Brown
[ ] Maroon
[ ] Lime Green

(included every clearly visible color not currently used by another party)

Abbreviation

[ ] POP
[ ] IFP
[ ] NPP
[ ] PFP
[ ] PLP
[ ] write-in:

Platform

[ ] The Populares platform (has probably been changed since the Wiki version if anyone has a link to an updated one)
[ ] 20RP12's draft platform
[ ] Write an entirely new platform (remember, old ones can be amended!)

[tpfkaw]

(Name) Party

[1] Populares
[ ] Individual Freedom
[3] Populares-Individual Freedom
[2] New Populares
[4] Popular Liberty
[ ] write-in:

Color

[1] Teal ("emerald") - current color, old Populares color
[ ] Green - old IFP color
[ ] Purple
[ ] Brown
[ ] Maroon
[ ] Lime Green

(included every clearly visible color not currently used by another party)

Abbreviation

[1] POP
[ ] IFP
[2] NPP
[4] PFP
[3] PLP
[ ] write-in:

Platform

[1] The Populares platform (has probably been changed since the Wiki version if anyone has a link to an updated one)
[ ] 20RP12's draft platform
[2] Write an entirely new platform (remember, old ones can be amended!)

[tpfkaw]

Forgot one abbreviation, "PLP."

Amended the ballot.  Anyone can change their vote before voting ends.

[tpfkaw]

Sorry, was hoping more people would vote:

Name:  Popular Liberty Party
Color: Teal
Abbreviation: PLP
Platform: write new one

[tpfkaw]

The Northeast Region and the New HAEV

The Populares Party was originally founded in response to a piece of legislation that threatened the very heart of our republican institutions.  The creation of the so-called "High Authority for Ethics in Voting" (HAEV) gave an unelected, ideological commission the power to disenfranchise any voter at will.  The original Populares, frightened by this step towards dictatorship, created a party whose goal was initially to effect the immediate repeal of this law, and concerned Atlasians of the left, of the right, and of the center, liberal, conservative, libertarian, and communitarian, joined the party in droves.  In fact, it quickly became the largest party in Atlasia, as the popular outrage against this subversion of the democratic process became so great.  While the bill was ultimately not repealed by the Senate, it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, a decision that likely would not have happened had the popular outcry led by our party, the party of the People, not been heard.

Now there is another proposed piece of legislation, almost certain to pass, perhaps even worse than the HAEV.  It does not affect every Atlasian, fortunately, but it will fundamentally change the nature of our most populous region.  As it is long and complex, I will briefly summarize the untitled bill, which can be read in full here.  The bill would allow three pieces of legislation to be considered by the Northeast Assembly simultaneously, one reserved for legislation submitted by petition, one reserved for legislation actually submitted by assemblymen, but only in the order that the Speaker of the Assembly chooses, and one reserved for legislation submitted by the Governor.

Why is this a bad thing?  To start, not only does the Governor now have the power to propose legislation (a very troubling expansion of executive power in its own right), but now under this legislation anything proposed by the Governor takes precedence over any bill that an actual assemblyman proposes.  This effectively produces a system of rule by decree, wherein the Governor produces a decree and only then does the Assembly decides to rubber-stamp it or not.  This is the same system used by the Supreme Soviet in the USSR, wherein the executive (the General Secretary) proposed new decrees, and then the Soviet voted them up or down.

As if allowing the governor to rule by decree is not enough, this legislation neuters the power of the Assembly still further, as the legislation actually proposed by Assemblymen would now be voted on only in the order that the Speaker chooses.  The Speaker would now be empowered to choose in what order legislation is voted on, and even whether it is voted on (by delaying it until the assembly session is over), at his own discretion.  He might also game its passage by deliberately scheduling it before or after a special election or resignation, or by allowing a lame-duck session to vote on controversial legislation, among other things.  A grand total of two individuals would now decide what legislation is considered by the Assembly, and the role of the individual assemblyman would now be rendered meaningless and powerless, a rubber-stamp entity exactly like the Supreme Soviet this legislation models it after.  This sounds like hyperbole, but it isn't.  It's a factual description of the bill, and a valid comparison.

I'm calling on all Northeasterners who value a republican form of government, rather than semi-elected dictatorship, to oppose this bill.  This is not a partisan or a left and right issue, but rather one of right and wrong.  Simply because a bill is long and complex does not make it worth passing, nor does the fact that it was proposed by someone you like or opposed by someone you dislike (and I know I am disliked by many).  Nor is tyranny acceptable even when clothed in the guise of "reform," just as the HAEV was.  And while I believe this is an issue, just like the HAEV, that can unite left, right, center, and every ideology, I call on the Popular Liberty Party to take a stand in opposing this bill, just as the original Populares opposed the HAEV.