The battle for leadership of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance is between......

[Full_Fullish]

Point well taken and something I have a pet peave about as well.  Ideally every 2 weeks the said candidate should pick a street/area and make a visit to the people who elected him/her in.  Just doing a street usually takes about an hour or so, it means a LOT to the reidents and ensures that local issues are taken care of. 

I have a few personal ideas on how to use technology to assist with he tackling of issues that I will be recommending as well. 

[Letariatpro]

FWIW, I think the BDA need to kick into election mode NOW. A hard-hitting, fact-based/driven advertising campaign designed to drive home the financial and social complacency that has been displayed by the PLP... Non-EB centered, but PLP centered... National Deficit in 1998... National Deficit in 2010...  Number of 'Affordable Homes' Built since 1998.... # of Families Under the Poverty Line in 1998 vs 2010... FOcus on the failure to deliver the change that was promised... Then you mightr actually get some would-be PLP supporters to pay attention...

2 years is really not a long time.

[Limerick]

Point well taken and something I have a pet peave about as well.  Ideally every 2 weeks the said candidate should pick a street/area and make a visit to the people who elected him/her in.  Just doing a street usually takes about an hour or so, it means a LOT to the reidents and ensures that local issues are taken care of. 

I have a few personal ideas on how to use technology to assist with he tackling of issues that I will be recommending as well. 

Every two weeks may or may not be feasible. Something like coming around once a year would be unprecedented. At the very least, you're seen to be coming around more often then when you want our vote. Just some things for you to think about. Perhaps the question to ask yourselves is : What political pet peeves do I have, what can we do to ensure we're NOT like that?? This is how you differentiate yourself from the PLP and UBP. It is more that saying your way is better and different, it's SHOWING your way is better and different.

[Renaissance Man]

Arthur Hodgson used to meet anyone from the public at a different park every other weekend while he was Environment Minister.

That was quite the precedent.

[eastend]

Taken out of context Ren man, that could sound kind of pervy.

[SmokingGun]

LOL - have to admit I'd have second thoughts if Zane said he wanted to meet me in some out of the way park.....

[cicero]

For an aspiring political party, the BDA is acting too much like a secret society. We need to hear more from them - MUCH more. They need to start defining themselves in opposition to the other parties loudly, and as often as possible. They should be shouting from the rooftops - or at the very least, a constant presence on tv and in print. Yet we've heard next to nothing from them until this weekend.

There's no shortage of Bermudians desperate for a third way. I'm slowly coming around to the view that it's the only way. But if they fail, if they give in to apathy and fatalism then it's game over. Their failure will deter anyone from coming up with a new alternative for perhaps a generation. I don't want a lifetime of a PLP monopoly. So please, BDA, get this right...

[Mysty]

To repeat for emphasis....

They should be shouting from the rooftops - or at the very least, a constant presence on tv and in print!!!!


 

[Full_Fullish]

Cicero,
Actually we are being very forth coming with out internal processes.  Immediately after the party conference we sent out our draft constitution to ALL members for their comment and feed back before ratifing it, all members now have a very active way to not only know how the party works, but has an immediate and direct mechanism for defining those processes. 

Work is being done, we have our first caucus meeting since the conferene.   We will be switching gears and you will be hearing from us as often as posisble. 

I will say this and while I only speak for myself, I would imagine that others think the same; I certianly have not given up all my free time and work this hard to fail! 

Everyone is working hard for the BDA to be as best a viable option as possible.  Remember it's an open party and has always been with the intention that everyone works towards the best possible solution for Bermuda by Bermudians.  Everyone has that option to exercise right now.  But it's totally fine if you don't and wish to wait to see what we're all about before throwing some love at us.  That's up to the individual and it's completely fine.  The only problem is that some patience will be needed with option two.

I'll be bringing all of your comments to caucus tonight, so if you have any more, we welcome them.

[Letariatpro]

Things like full disclosure, and transparency, right of recall, etc.

If they have the nads to put more power in the people's hands, and less in the hands of the leader, and the wherewithal to follow through, then you may be on to something.

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

So we have seen.

[SmokingGun]

"Actually we are being very forth coming with out internal processes.  Immediately after the party conference we sent out our draft constitution to ALL members Bermudians and our Guest Workers for their comment and feed back before ratifing it, all members Bermudians and our Guest Workers now have a very active way to not only know how the party works, but has an immediate and direct mechanism for defining those processes."

You guys want to be different. Be different. Make it so no-one has to be a "member" before they get a complete and honest understanding of what you stand for. You want people's input, make it easy for them. Don't be afraid to operate in the open from the outset. It may be uncomfortable at first but it's the ONLY way you'll garner trust. So what if the PLP or UBP check in on what you are doing. If you put your ideas out their first then all they can do is copy them. Which means they must be good ideas coming from visionary thinkers and leaders and the other guys are just copy-cats. Either way good ideas become mainstream and that's good for Bermuda as a whole.

The only way to be different is to be different.

[Full_Fullish]

Smokes,
I am happy to tell you that once the constitution has been ratified (by next week I believe) by the members then it's going to be posted on our website for all to see.  This was apparently already decided upon, but thought you might be interested as you suggested it.  How else would you like us to be different?

[SmokingGun]

Every six months pay for an opinion poll and if anyone's approval rating drops below 55% for more than two periods have them step down?

Would be wicked different from what we have today.

[Buddha Bunny]

Every six months pay for an opinion poll and if anyone's approval rating drops below 55% for more than two periods have them step down?

Would be wicked different from what we have today.

My God Smokes... they're not even in office yet, and you have them stepping down??!!!  Have you no heart man??!!!   

[Denis Pitcher]

"Every six months pay for an opinion poll and if anyone's approval rating drops below 55% for more than two periods have them step down?

Would be wicked different from what we have today."

I disagree.  People's standing in the party shouldn't be dictated by opinion polls.  If you really want to be "wicked different" implement a right of recall within the party similar to what you'd implement as government (if you so support recall).

Essentially if 5% of your registered membership base successfully petitions for a vote to recall one of your members, make such a vote binding in your constitution based upon that petition number and have that vote require a significant majority (60%) support and significant turnout (50%?) to force an MP or party official to step down.  Subsequently, put a limit on the duration following an election or a recall attempt that they are exempt from such provisions.  Make it reasonably possible to recall an MP but not so easy that people get actively harassed.

Broadcast this to the people as an example of the kind of recall you intend to implement for all politicians at a government level should you be elected into power.  This is an example of what I'm referring to when I suggest "be the change".  Show the people how you'd do it at an island level by modelling it in your party.  


Another thing.  Your constitution should not be "set in stone" as one of your MPs suggested in the paper the other day.  Take a page from the works of William Penn and his living constitution idea which allows for amendments to be passed to constantly adjust the constitution.  It was this idea which was taken and used to form the US constitution.   Make amendments ratifiable via a referendum (vote) by the party membership.  Also make amendments propositions submittable by the party membership.  Follow a similar structure as the recall one for amendment submissions.  5% petition support for an amendment makes it binding to have a referendum, 60% needs to vote in favor with 50%+ turnout.  Limit durations which modifications can be resubmitted.

To make things easier, make it so votes only happen quarterly and that issues can be queued up to be voted in block. So that you don't overwhelm the membership base but can get decent turnout for a variety of issues.

Similar moves could be taken to create a living or "people's" platform to allow you to be constantly evolving your stance based upon membership feedback and control while also buying the benefit of not being bound to a platform if it evolves with your membership.  Under a platform model there's a whole different means to structure feedback control and ratification but I think I've covered enough that you get the gist.

These are reasons why I support SmokingGun's call to make more info public, even drafts.  You benefit from the potential from even greater feedback.  Capture thoughts ideas and input from all people and involve all people to your benefit.  Give your membership base the power to decide the direction.  Ideas should be free and party agnostic, implementation should be the real value party's offer.