MikeSmit.com -- Journal Entry -- presidential platforms

presidential platforms

Mar 16th, 2008 at 04:10am

It would seem I am trying to make up for a lack of posts today by posting one really long one. I've been going through the presidential election platforms. Slowly. I've written summaries, which are below.

I don't know what percentage of voters will be checking out these platforms - since the websites will be down on election day, I suspect the number isn't high. That said, I think it's important that candidates articulate ideas and a vision. People like me WILL read it, and it's a useful exercise to do yourselves.

For the record, I looked up the profiles Gault and Larkin ran with last year... neither made well-defined promises, so I can't really track their performance. I can tell you that although Debogorskhrushchev wasn't elected last year, his promise was that he would keep running and raising his ideas, and he's done that.

Then I tried to locate the executive review report, and found the first one in one of the three sets of minutes posted, in January (only late by 5 months, yay Council!). I'd forgotten how toothless exec review reports had been in recent years. How is that recommendations that we made 6 years ago and were universally agreed to STILL haven't been implemented? I was, however, pleased to see they are still using many of the student survey questions my committee wrote in 2001, and that they are still using the software I set up for them years ago (now maintained by the Dal-ACM). Wow, I'm meandering like an old man.

Don't get me started on exec review. Anyway, there wasn't much there, but I noticed one interesting thing - councillors felt that Gault better reflected the will of Council but less so the will of students, whereas Larkin better reflected the will of students but less so the will of Council.

Moving on.

In keeping with my autocratic streak, I've invented some categories, and declared winners.

Most concrete innovative ideas: Debogorski. I suspect some are not practical, and I am certain they won't all achieve the stated objectives, and some are batshit crazy, but he gives a detailed plan. Actually, some of his ideas make good sense. I think he has political Tourette's - he can sound like an outsider with a vision for a better DSU for a few minutes, and then all of a sudden he's calling a great bunch of people dog f***ers. John Hillman is the runner-up.

Most obvious typo: Larkin. The very first sentence: "Courtney Larkin is a strong leader that can leader you..." (emphasis added).

Best organization: Gault. Break it down by vision, then by ideal, and then offer some ideas on how to get there. Nice.

Most annoying use of third-person: Larkin. Michael Smit wants you to know that she wins hands-down.

Outstanding Achievement in unattainable goals: Debogorski.

Best Presentation: Hillman, for highlighting the important points of his platform so we don't have to read every word.

Best use of vague platitudes: Gault. "students must now create a unified voice" ... "Engage with community partners" ... "These initiatives need to be strengthened" ... "This is a clear growth opportunity" ... "facilitating connections and collaboration" ...

Most convincing case for being able to achieve goals: Larkin. Melding her experience in with her goals works well for me. Gault also did well in this category.

Summaries

These are (mostly) my words, based on my reading of their platforms. For latest versions and more details, see the platforms for Larkin, Gault (3 pages), Hillman, and Debogorski.

(My commentary is offered in italicized parentheses).

Gault
She's pillaged the "Imagine..." catchphrase, and is imagining a three-quality union based on Approachability, Sustainability, Empowerment.
Approachable:

Make the DSU more diverse by putting free-for-all society space and gender-neutral washrooms in the SUB (That's *all* we are missing.)
Come up with a strategy to improve communication (Vague platitude... we must need a committee!)
Further existing leadership initiatives, working with Dal and local businesses (To hell with local businesses, we need jobs in ONTARIO)

Sustainable:

Let the sustainability office do its job (yay thanks!)
More financial review (sexy stuff!)
Long-term vision, facility improvements, consulting students on upcoming food services contract.

Empowered:

Help societies with turnover, encourage open Council dialog (My recollection of Council is that it needed hella less dialog)
Give students a voice through HSA and municipal election
Improve Metro Transit, add late-night route
More campus awareness of post-secondary education issues

Debogorski

Extensive research to learn about the DSU, its employees, its facilities, its structure. (This, by the way, will be achieved in 3 days.)
Study the finances of the Union and all societies, hold all unnecessary spending, maintain day-to-day operations over the summer.
Deliver an address of the union to describe potential cuts, based on relevance, cost, and usage of services. Then, hold a referendum, voting line-by-line on budget cuts. (Please, take a few hours out of your day to vote in the referendum)
Using the savings, host a 2-day "Unity Day" after finals, including multi-disciplinary events and an unparalleled celebration.
Fix the DSU website, including publishing minutes, major upcoming decisions and past decisions with voting records, and quartery financial reports.
Abolish in-camera discussions
Allow in-store pickup for online bookstore orders.
Put the Dawgfather inside the SUB(Hello, health department? I have a tip...)
Consolidate and eliminate committees; implement Union Criers.
Hire students with different backgrounds to audit and report on the Union.
Open Union-owned business, subsidized by the government. These businesses will sell skills, replacing the currently ineffective services sector.(Amusingly, the services sector now accounts for over 50% of the US economy)
Have law students fix the constitution to prevent political cliques.
Offer online voting on issues before Council.
Use the Gazette to make students aware of Union issues and events.
Work with the DFA to get professors to advise and help the Union.

Larkin
Student Experience

Student engagement by motivating the DSU executive and encouraging teamwork
Encourage societies as a vehicle for student engagement; help societies reach out to students.(Hey, you know what the DSU needs to do? Muck about with something that's already working.)
Work with BoG Student Experience Committee to help guide university in its efforts to understand the student experience.
Increasing awareness of DSU services, using orientation week, society fairs, residences, etc.
Work with CASA and ANSSA to improve the student experience, and encourage students to understand and get involved with both.(Not a goal so much as a job description.)

Safety in the Community

Advocate for student safety throughout the city. (... who are we advocating for 'safety'? Are we cutting a deal with gangs?)
Work with the HSA.
Security on campus - safety walks, more foot patrol officers.

Sustainability

Support the initiatives of societies, students, and the sustainability office to move the DSU to be more sustainable.

Hillman
Student Involvement

Dialog with the students, through channels like Gazette and DSU, to reduce the mystique of the office.
Solving approachability through real action, like visiting student hubs at lunch, passing out cookies, and listening.
Using his first month of pay to run an event designed to reach out to students and learn their issues, like some type of competition. A ground level, affordable approach instead of throwing money at TVs.
Work to make societies more inclusive, including Kings students.

External Lobbying

Continue the leading role Dal plays in CASA and ANSSA
Full support of the premise of the HSA, especially given its perceived relevance to students relative to ANSSA and CASA

Student Safety

More late-night bus routes
Improved campus safety - better lighting, major improvements to Tiger Patrol especially walking services, learn from examples on other campuses.

Sustainability

Fiscal prudence - stewardship of student fees.
Using sustainability to save money

Comments:

Official Gang Liaison says:
[Mar 16th @ 11:44am]

If Larkin is going to start cutting deals with gangs, she has my vote. I suggest taking it further and paying them out of the budget to replace campus security. SMU kids violate our turf? I don't think so.

Union Criers! Brilliant! Be sure to hire that guy in front of the SUB who wants you to know about Jesus, he has plenty of experience.

Larkin and Gault both have an impressive stance on sustainability: let the Sustainability Office do its job while the VPI makes sure it happens. Isn't it great when you can target a hot-button issue without making any actual promises whatsoever?

Anonymous DSUer says:
[Mar 16th @ 01:11pm]

...you know, Hillman's platform actually sounds pretty good. I wouldn't mind seeing him win.

Ian says:
[Mar 16th @ 11:23pm]

Actually, I kinda like the idea of a union crier... that would definitely get news out. Nobody pays attention to posters, especially at a university... but someone actually talking about something might get some attention.

The "Improving Metro Transit" idea is dead in the water... Metro Transit would love to expand its routes, they just can't afford to. Period, end of story... and the DSU just doesn't have that much leverage with them.

Putting the Dawgfather in the SUB isn't going to happen either... can't easily replace SodexHo, and even if you could, any other contract signed would be similarly exclusive. That's just the way it's going to be.

Re: Deborat and the Gazette, the Gazette isn't and shouldn't be a DSU mouthpiece... I believe the DSU gets some free ad space already, if not they can always purchase some... or they could just use one of their many websites for communications.

Gregorian says:
[Mar 17th @ 02:46pm]

Nobody stated that the Dawgfather would replace food services that are currently contracted out.
Simply give the man a little cover at the front of the building so students do not have to eat snow with their jalapenos. Give the man a place for his stand that is sanctioned by the Union. That is all that was suggested.
"Union Criers" are a key component of the cure for student apathy.
The Gazette would get more involvement and better support if the Union was receiving the same. The parallel apthy problems for both seem some how correlated. After the Presidential Debate, there was a young lady out front that was vehemently angry bout trying to gain access to the Gazette, but facing a barrier of a similar "in crowd" at the Gazette.
The Gazette faces fairly similar problems as the union if take out a few factors.

JP says:
[Mar 17th @ 06:56pm]

The problems with student apathy do not stem from Dal. If they did, one would reasonably expect to find a non-apathetic student body somewhere in Canada.

The hubris that created your silly belief that apathy has anything to do with Dal and nothing to do with parenting and the social construction of childish adults is staggering.

Thanks for the giggles.

Gregorian says:
[Mar 18th @ 05:59pm]

There was a recent student union election, at a Canadian university, that had a voter turnout just below 50%. I think it was SMU, but I am likely wrong.

mike says:
[Mar 18th @ 07:07pm]

It was St. FX, I actually mentioned it myself in the Day 5 wrap-up.

First, you can't really compare a 5,000 person university to a 15,000 one. It's a very different environment in which to reach people. Even at 50%, that's only 2,500 people who voted - fewer than at Dalhousie last year. Most of voter turnout is due to candidates' friends and friends of friends; that circle of friends makes a much bigger dent in 5,000 people than it does in 15,000.

Second, voter turnout isn't necessarily an indicator of lack of apathy. That was the result of an all-out, year-long effort to get voters, not to increase student involvement. It involved councillors, staff, and executives. It's wonderful, it's a real accomplishment, but we have to remember that their goal was to get people to fill out a ballot, not to cure student apathy. We know they achieved their goal; we don't know if they cured student apathy.

Gregorian says:
[Mar 18th @ 09:56pm]

Point taken.
It would be wonderful if 7,500 Dalhousie students cared enough to vote like St FX.
Your suggestion of "friends telling friends" seems to point at the power a "political clique" can hold in a much larger school though. If the effect you describe is multiplicative, then a group already firmly established in knowledge and fraternity (surrounding an organisation)would hold a severe social advantage over others.
Do you agree? If not,why?

mike says:
[Mar 18th @ 10:35pm]

Yes and no. :)

No because the "friend of friends" thing applies to everyone, regardless of their involvement in the DSU.

No because there is no inside-the-Beltway conspiracy to control the DSU; if there were, you would never see two sitting VPs run against each other.

No because if you show up at Council and want to get involved, the 'clique' welcomes you with open arms. It's only when you run against them that they get bitchy. :)

No because about 1,500 of Dal's votes are from DSU "insiders" or within a circle of friends, but the remainder do come from students with no such associations (these numbers are approximate, but I believe fairly accurate). And often, when you look at the voting trends, these people will vote for the experienced DSUer. That's not because they are part of the "in" clique. My feeling is that in general, people like to 'promote from within' for the executive positions. They want someone with experience and a proven record. People from outside the "in" clique are regularly elected to Senate and BoG positions. It's like most other political arenas; you don't get elected premier or president as an unknown. (I should add that the history of the DSU is replete with cases where people from outside the inner circle have won executive positions, though I agree it is less common). An obvious exception is those very dissatisfied with the current state of the Union and pushing for change.

Yes because everything is easier the second time - campaigning, running, shoring up support, dealing with abuse from MikeSmit.com.

Yes because it is a definite head start if you have strong support from the current power base. Not only will they vote for you - leaving everyone else playing catch-up - but they'll encourage others to vote for you.

Yes because it is those inside the "inner circle", if such a thing exists, who are most likely to know about the positions and seek the positions. Granted, they made the choice to get involved and find these positions, but the point remains.

Word of the Day
obfuscate
To make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive or understand.
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