Merger Referendum

[Patroklus Murakami]

I propose that we include a referendum question on the ballot in this May's elections. The question would be:

• "Do you want the merger between the CDS and Al Andalus to become permanent?"

I would like the SC, when providing the voter lists to Jon Seattle, to identify which citizens derive their citizenship through CDS land ownership, AA land ownership or are 'dual' citizens. We will then be able to see how each of these three groups voted on the referendum question.

This would, of course, be a consultative referendum; it would not place any obligations on anyone. But it would enable us to assess what people really want and could inform the decision of the AA Estate Owner and the next Representative Assembly.

I'd like the RA to discuss this proposal at the next meeting on 9 May.

[solomon mosely]

if you absolutely must persist on this track to division, make the question a positive and add a little action to it. since the RA elections are before the merger anniversary, this referendum could be of greater benefit by asking what people would want to see improved in the existing unification.

you seem to forget this is a democracy, an evolving creature, and nothing is permanent. everything is negotiable. if, in the future, everyone is really freaked out and things are just going straight to hell, then the elected bodies would be easily empowered to divide the house.
heck, we could abandon LA or NFS if we really wanted to and all he citizens were up in arms to make it happen. but no one wants that.
even sudane could log in as rudeen one day, and decide to just shut down the sims and cancel the account and cash out. but we trust that wont happen.
why should we believe that the continuing the merger will be some "be all and end all"? nothing is ever set in stone.

this merger offers more potential for benefit to both communities than detriment.

it reminds me of my first day of high school and some recent grads were up on stage at an assembly. one of the few things i remember form that day was them saying "you will get out of it what you put into it."

at sunday's town hall, gwen, made a list of potential action items the crowd brainstormed, of actions that could be taken to improve the unification. that was great, it got me fired up, but why wasn't this done before now? or was it, and more effort was made to debunk rather than support the unification.

you were in the minority when the unification was passed in RA, why should anyone think you are pushing for any other agenda than the embittered minority's now?

i can only imagine what a wonderfully strong and thriving community we could be living in, had your brilliant legal mind spent half as much energy, as an elected representative, on improving the unification instead of inciting division with elaborate manipulations of the truth and creating legislation to limit democratic representation with your RA size bill.
but that's not how politics actually operates, does it? you're actually an elected representative of your party, not the people.
you represent the interests of your party, which was in the minority on this issue. so rather than work for the benefit of the majority and towards the majority's goals, you chose to focus on converting the majority to your minority party's agenda.

Again, i will make a key point you refuse to acknowledge, yet love to rage about: no one wants to tear down our democratic institutions. if anything, people just want them to operate properly for the communities benefit.

if you must have a referendum, how about this?:

"Do you want to see greater efforts by your elected representatives to improve and strengthen the unification, and create a sustainable operations model for the unified futures of Al Andalus and the Confederation of Democratic Sims?"

See what the people say about that, act on it, then see what people think when the time for the decision needs to be made, if at all.

Are you up for that challenge?

[solomon mosely]

well, that would include you getting elected. so, the people may not risk you not working for their greater good (again) anyway. in that case, never mind the challenge.

[Patroklus Murakami]

Well, the outcome of this was certainly interesting:

• R1. CDS and Al Andalus Merger
  Do you want the merger between the CDS and Al Andalus to become permanent?
  {approved=23, disapproved=17, unanswered=16}

What are we to make of this? Only 23 out of 113 citizens voted in favour of making the merger between Al Andalus and the CDS permanent. It's hardly a ringing endorsement. 17 are actively opposed and 16 "don't know".

But the merger is almost certain to be made permanent. It would need 9 out of the 13 elected to the new RA to vote for dissolution and I don't see that happening. Despite the protestations that Rose has made about 'listening to AA citizens' she won't invoke the WASP clause to dissolve the merger. So, it would appear we are to be permanently one community for ever more .... or until the next secession, whichever comes sooner!