CDS Civil Service Waiver Act (PROPOSAL)

[Trebor Warcliffe]

My fellow citizens,
I am submitting a proposal to the Representative Assembly to be placed on the agenda of the next RA meeting scheduled for May 26th. A difficulty I had during this current term was the availability of volunteers for the executive staff due to a limited resource pool. My proposal is to waive the ban on members of the Representative Assembly and Scientific Council from serving as a civil service worker for the CDS for the 17th term. This upcoming term we will have 11 members in the RA and SC. I understand not everyone may want to take on more than their RA or SC duties but why should we handicap our community by not allowing those who want to volunteer the ability to do so? Now more than ever we need a great team of active citizens to carry us through this upcoming term. Here is my proposal. Please feel free to contribute your thoughts and suggestions on this proposal.

CDSL 16-** CDS Civil Service Waiver Act

This act is only for the 17th term of the Representative Assembly and must be reexamined at the end of the term. Due to the fact that we have a limited amount of citizens eligible to volunteer their time and effort the CDS Civil Service Waiver Act is enacted to allow interested members of the Representative Assembly and Scientific Council the ability to accept a civil service position as well as hold a seat on their respective branch of government.

Thank you,
Trebor Warcliffe

[Rosie Gray]

While I agree with you Trebor that the civil servant positions in the CDS are in spirit 'volunteer', they are actually paid positions. Just to clarify the statement, I would change the second sentence of the act to something like:

"Due to the fact that we have a limited amount of citizens able to offer their time and efforts.... " (taking out reference to 'volunteering').

[Sudane Erato]

As a member of the small group of "non-volunteer" staff in the CDS, I totally support Trebor's proposal. The CDS could be far more effective in its mission if more people stepped up to help with the many things which need doing.

But if the "paid" is an obstacle, as Rosie suggests, why not get rid of the "payment"? It is purely symbolic... no one is going to say that they are anything more than this. As a symbol, the payments were meant to convey a measure of identity to the persons who occupied the positions. But in fact, they've been a source of useless and utterly out-sized controversy considering the tiny amount of money they involve. In addition, as Trebor will agree, they are impossible to administer fairly... some of our hardest and most tireless workers have never held a "paid" position (such as Rosie herself).

ANYTHING which encourages more participation in the activities of the government should be enthusiastically embraced. The payments have been obstructions to our community process for a long time (and I say this sincerely, confessing that I was one of those who originally proposed the idea). Let's get rid of them and let people focus on the work that needs getting done.

Sudane........................

[Moonrise Azalee]

As far as payment: every little bit helps!

[Ranma Tardis]

Tell me what needs to be done.

[Anna Toussaint]

I am very much against this ... doing so will clearly invite conflict of interest. The RA often votes on matters brought by the executive. I will not support it in the RA.

[Trebor Warcliffe]

I am very much against this ... doing so will clearly invite conflict of interest. The RA often votes on matters brought by the executive. I will not support it in the RA.

Anna,

I certainly respect your opinion but I don't necessarily agree with it. Civil service positions in the CDS are jobs with a specific set of duties that just happen to fall under the Chancellor's area of responsibility. These positions do not play a part in the governmental functions of the CDS. Where is the conflict of interest? Is it in the area of the citizens who hold these positions are able to advise the Chancellor? Any person, even a non-citizen can advise the Chancellor. And stating that an RA member who also holds a civil service position will clearly invite a conflict of interest is like saying the RA member doesn't have a mind of their own and is easily led by the Chancellor. This isn't RL where bribes and backroom deals aren't uncommon. This is the CDS and the way it's looking these positions will most likely not even be paid positions. Read the job descriptions for three of the positions I'm trying to fill and explain to me where you see a conflict of interest in any of these positions. I hope before the next RA meeting that you think hard about this proposal and reevaluate your decision on this matter. Thank you.

Public Information Officer
• Creation of notices, advertisements, regulations
• Responsible for placing and maintaining advertisements on the SL search for all public builds
• Responsible for maintaining the Land Available for Sale list, yellow map, and real estate listings on the SL Marketplace
• Responsible for maintaining CDS Info Center/Land Office/ Freebie Store
• Manages any CDS wide kiosks
• Responsible for set-up and maintenance of CDS Embassy’s
• Advises Chancellor

Public Events Officer
• Responsible for public events in the CDS both for the benefit of CDS citizens and to increase grid-wide awareness of the CDS
• Responsible for exploring different types of public events for the CDS in addition to concerts and deejay events such as educational presentations, debates, discussion groups, fairs, carnivals, hunts, anything to promote and benefit the CDS
• Responsible for assisting and coordinating with citizens who are interested in participating in the Government Subsidized Citizen Events Program
• Responsible for working with various media outlets to obtain coverage for some of the CDS events
• Responsible for holding a minimum of one fishing tournament a week via our 7Seas Fishing Game and posting the event to the 7Seas Social Chat Group
• Responsible for holding one event per quarter in each CDS Embassy or co-event with the hosting estate
• Advises Chancellor

Commerce Commissioner
• Organizes commerce in CDS
• Assists vendors where possible
• Coordinates with Public Events Officer on any CDS events involving commerce
• Develop ways to increase traffic and promote commerce in the CDS
• Advises Chancellor

[Trebor Warcliffe]

But if the "paid" is an obstacle, as Rosie suggests, why not get rid of the "payment"? It is purely symbolic... no one is going to say that they are anything more than this. As a symbol, the payments were meant to convey a measure of identity to the persons who occupied the positions. But in fact, they've been a source of useless and utterly out-sized controversy considering the tiny amount of money they involve. In addition, as Trebor will agree, they are impossible to administer fairly... some of our hardest and most tireless workers have never held a "paid" position (such as Rosie herself).

The above quote is from Sudane earlier in this thread. I've been a big proponent of paying a salary for civil service positions and other work performed in the CDS. I agree with Sudane that the issue of salaries has been a source of useless and utterly out-sized controversy. I also agree that the salaries are impossible to administer fairly; you have some citizens working their ass off for no pay and other citizens receiving a salary (no matter how small it is) but aren't really performing the job duties of the position.

Taking all these things into consideration I as Chancellor of the upcoming 17th term will not be proposing salaries for civil service positions. All I ask is that everyone makes a little time in their busy RL and SL schedule to contribute to the CDS. This is "OUR" community; unlike any other estate in Second Life there is no sim owner who is filling there real-life bank accounts with our hard earned Lindens.

Thank you,
Trebor Warcliffe

[Rosie Gray]

Perhaps you could provide a description of what the Chancellors job would be, Trebor, if the Public Information Officer, the Public Events Officer, and the Commerce Commissioner positions were all filled? It doesn't seem like there's much left, since one of the main functions of the Chancellor has been to coordinate events. Maybe I'm missing something?

[Trebor Warcliffe]

I can only speak for myself but for this upcoming term if these 3 positions are filled my job is to work side by side with each of these individuals. Instead of one person traveling the sims on a weekly basis and cross referencing with the Hippo system we would have myself and the PIO taking care of it. Same scenario with events; I will have someone to work with in planning and hosting events instead of praying someone will be available when I need them. These positions aren’t to free me of all this work, these positions are to help and assist me with all this work.

I also hope it will allow me to have some time to work on other CDS related matters such as the planning and development of NFS East if it moves forward. Being able to dedicate more time to MoCA so we can have two exhibits a term instead of two exhibits a year. Working on articles, press releases, and other types of promotional material for the CDS is another area I’d like to explore if time permits.
We can get a lot more done with 4 people working on the duties described in my job position posts verses one individual. And it would also allow me a little time to explore other places in SL to gather ideas on what is successful in other areas, something I haven't been able to do this term.

Thank you,
Trebor

I've decided to edit this post (nothing has been changed above) to provide an example. I've just spent 2 and a half hours going through the Hippo system, the CDS Master Parcel List, and the Available Land List. Here is what I had to do and I'll point out this has to be done a minimum of once a month. After approximatly two weeks of a citizen not paying thier tier the Hippo system ejects them from thier box. I have to manually look at each sheet for the 5 sims until I come across an empty box. Than I have to verify with the CDS Master Parcel List and the Available Land for Sale List to confirm the empty boxes are either owned by Rudeen or they are recently booted boxes.

If they are recently booted boxes I have to lock the box that way someone doesn't pay the Hippo Box without being able to actually purchase the parcel because in the CDS we allow time for the previous owner to catch up on thier tier and not lose their property. I also have to red flag (highlight the name and parcel in the CDS MPL). Finally I have to enter the citizens name and calculate the amount of tier owed that way we have accurate records of what is owed if the individual reappears.

So this is just one example of work I perform on a regular basis that I could use help with if I had the staff.

Trebor

[Beathan]

I am very much against this ... doing so will clearly invite conflict of interest. The RA often votes on matters brought by the executive. I will not support it in the RA.

While I see the need and appreciate the difficulty of Trebor's position, I agree with Anna here. I think that plurality of office is inappropriate. Historically minded people will recognize it as one of the principal complaints of the American Colonists in the 1770s -- and I don't think we should go down that route. We need to exhaust all options before even considering it (which I don't think we have) -- and even then, I would probably be opposed on principle and would favor rolling back our government and our executive before supporting plurality of office.

Beathan

[Sudane Erato]

Your principles and concepts are all well and good here, and we have to find a solution by which the spirit of them is adhered to. But to say that because Lilith is on the SC means that she is barred from even helping out administer the Hippo system, which thankfully she has, means you are burying your head in the sand. The list of activities which really SHOULD and which really would be good to get done here is huge. Trebor provides one very small example. We have a very low percentage of our members actually helping out. To say that, no, those who are members of the RA or the SC are not allowed to help out... that is absurd.

Forget the labels, the position names. Please don't set up an unneeded obstacle to people just volunteering to help!

Sudane..........................................

[Shep]

I have to speak up here .. I'm a member of RA and do quite a number of things to help out otherwise .. there is no bar on any member of the RA or SC helping out as a normal citizen I thought .. but I feel allowing us to hold office is a step too far ... there could very easily be a conflict of interest.. requesting funds for a function is one of them ... if you have a say on spending the money you can't surely be the person voting yay or nay for the budget ... but I will carry on helping 'outside my box' if I'm re-elected.. as long as I have to ask Trebor's permission I figure I'm covered .. waits for the shouting*

[Trebor Warcliffe]

I asked this question earlier.

Civil service positions in the CDS are jobs with a specific set of duties that just happen to fall under the Chancellor's area of responsibility. These positions do not play a part in the governmental functions of the CDS. Where is the conflict of interest? Is it in the area of the citizens who hold these positions are able to advise the Chancellor? Any person, even a non-citizen can advise the Chancellor. And stating that an RA member who also holds a civil service position will clearly invite a conflict of interest is like saying the RA member doesn't have a mind of their own and is easily led by the Chancellor. This isn't RL where bribes and backroom deals aren't uncommon. This is the CDS

Anna and Beathan,

I ask once again, based on the information I provided above (the job descriptions) please provide some examples along with the reasoning behind the examples of potential conflicts of interest. And please don't take this as me trying to be confrontational but if an individual is going to take a stand on something they should be able to back up that stand. Both of you are current members of the Representative Assembly. Are you telling me that if you held one of the three positions I've advertised and the Chancellor is presenting a proposal to the RA that neither one of you would be able to be non-biased and approve or deny the proposal based on its merits alone? Knowing the both of you, I have difficulty believeing that the both of you wouldn't have the ability to approve or deny a proposal on its merits alone.

Also PLEASE KEEP IN MIND I am not asking for a permanent waiver. I am asking for a waiver for this upcoming term where we already have quite a workload on the table. Look at the numbers. We have I think 60 - 65 citizens of the CDS. We have probably 20, maybe and that's a big maybe, 25 citizens who are in world, in the CDS 5 to 10 hours a week if that much. If 5 of those are on the RA and 6 are on the SC that leaves a possible 9 to 14 other citizens and that's assuming they have the time to dedicate to the CDS along with their other SL activities. Keep in mind not everyone in the CDS is only involved in CDS related matters such as myself. Many of our citizens, active citizens included, have business and other interests across the grid besides the CDS.

Now I will say over the past few days I have had a few citizens, running for office and not running for office, approach me who have offered their time and efforts to help the CDS this upcoming term. I think the level of inactivity this past term provides more evidence of the need for a staff willing and able to help out. I won't be requesting salaries for these positions this term. Do I need to go outside the CDS and pay people in Second Life to assist with these duties so there isn't a conflict of interest? If you can find qualified individuals who will work for L$ 1,000 a month, that's a whopping $4.02 for probably 10 to 20 hours of work a month.

Don't make taking care of the CDS a JOB for the few who are able to VOLUNTEER because they don't have a conflict of interest. We are all mature adults, let's give each other the benefit of the doubt at least.

Thank you,
Trebor

[Rosie Gray]

I agree with Trebor about this proposal for a temporary waiver, for the reasons that both he and Sudane have said. The CDS community of active people is small and I don't see any harm in having willing people volunteer their time, even if they are already volunteering their time for the SC or the RA.