Articles

• Region 10 Coordinator Election is a Joke!
• Drivin' That Train

Region 10 Coordinator Election is a Joke!
by Richard Ratledge 1:119/88 (Region 10) ratledge@jps.net
Former N119C/N119EC

6/12/1998 00:50
I just received an echomail message posted by Brenda Donovan which was apparently Bob Satti's (ZEC/IC) instructions on how to conduct an election for Region 10 Coordinator. He has given until midnight tomorrow (6/13) to submit nominations. After the nominees are announced (no date given for that) he is allowing only until 6/20 for votes.

This has to be the quickest election I have ever seen conducted in Fidonet. Even our little net elections often took a month to complete.

It appears to me that Bob Satti and Bob Kohl are in cahoots to see that a fair election is not held. My only possible guess as to why is to ensure that Bob Kohl retains the R10C position.

I hope I am wrong in my assessment. I will state for the record though that if Bob Kohl continues as R10C, I will leave Fidonet. This decision is based not only on the fact that Bob Kohl has been a major hindrance to the smooth operation of Region 10 but now it appears that Bob Satti is condoning BK's actions.

Region 10 (and Fidonet) has already lost its Regional Echo Coordinator because of Bob Kohl's antics. With the way Fidonet is being run, it is rapidly losing members. Perhaps I am forseeing the worst. I hope a fair, honest, responsible and intelligent person is elected R10C even given the unreasonable constraints of this election.

Finally, I have to say that I do appreciate the gesture of holding an election. However, I strenuously object to the manner in which it is being held.

Drivin' That Train,
High on Cheesecake?
by Gerry Calhoun, 1:2004/200 gerry@petpride.org

In efforts to resolve ongoing problems in Region 10, by all appearances Bob Satti has adorned himself with a new hat. This new hat does not look like a traditional Fido one, however. The new hat is navy blue with white stripes. He must have received it from someone who works for Union Pacific because he is pulling a railroad job the likes of which is unheard of in the history of Fido.

There has been an election announced for the R10C position. What is really astounding though is the election schedule. Less than two days for a nomination period and voting by NC's concludes a week later. This quick pace sounds like the vote of confidence that Kohl spearheaded for Satti in the Z1C position last year. For many I am sure it will be much less than two days for a nomination period though since I have learned of this "election", not through normal FidoNet channels, but through a listserv setup by some of the sysops in R10. A quick netmail to my NC to ask if he had heard anything of this came back with a "What the hell do you mean? I have never heard of an election being conducted this quick! " I sent him a copy of a message by Brenda Donovan, N202C and 10/3 RHUB in which she copied a message from Bob Satti. I was contacted back by my NC soon thereafter, and he said he had just gotten netmail on this from Brenda. He then asked how he was to gather a consensus of who to vote for in such a short time when the candidates are not even announced nor any discussion forum decided upon to hear the candidates platforms. I then reminded him that in the recently concluded ZEC election, that Kohl did not publish any platform until after the discussion period. My NC wrote back and told me he would not expect Kohl to publish his platform until the year 2000 then. Another sysop stated we should vote for a candidate who at least sets term limits and does not mess with anyones' netmail.

How anyone, especially someone who has the reputation of being fair as Satti does, can expect a regional election to be conducted with this kind of time frame is unbelievable. I can not even begin to think that Satti can expect a true representative outcome from an election conducted like this. Most of the NC's in R10 are not elected. To expect open discussions within each net, and to have the NC's vote according to the wishes of the nodes under them with this kind of time frame is unthinkable. Let's face it, there is not enough time allowed for the sysops to know what each candidate may stand for, let alone who they are. One can only conclude that Sharon locked Bob out of the house all winter and his brain has not yet fully defrosted or perhaps he is only suffering a bout of hypoglycemia from all that cheesecake.

In Satti's message to those in R10, he mentions that "last week Bob Kohl and I came to an agreement to call for an election for RC in region 10." This quote almost makes it look as though the election was forced on Kohl. It could be that Kohl in turn had the task to devise the terms of the election, but I doubt it. There is no doubt, however, that both Bobs wish the election to be haste and swift, witness the following statement on the matter by Bob Kohl, "please respond in a timely fashion so that we can wrap this up and move on to other pending matters."

One also has to wonder how Satti can allow Kohl to be a candidate, while Satti has an active Policy Complaint against Kohl on his desk, the outcome of which could conflict with Kohl's ability to function as R10C. A ruling on this PC is due two days after the conclusion of the election. It would have been prudent to postpone the ballot period until after the Policy Compliant has received at least Satti's ruling. This would have allowed a one week nomination/debate period, and then the ballot. Lest we not forget, there appears to be another Policy Complaint against Bob Kohl waiting in the wings on the same transgression.

Another thing clearly missing in Satti's notice of election is any time frame regarding a term of office. What we in Region 10 are being asked to do is vote for an RC for life. While this is better than an appointed RC for life, it is not realistic. Bob Kohl has been the R10C for over 2 1/2 years. With no term defined, there is no indication that the person who wins will ever be replaced, after all at that time they will be the elected coordinator for the region.

Satti has said he does not want those outside of Region 10 to be involved with this election since it does not concern them. I ask that those of you who would otherwise write Satti on this travesty to the election process to withhold doing so. He has stated it is an internal matter to R10. However, since Satti himself is involved, it is, therefore, an action that the RCC is involved with. If you feel you must send a message to someone on this Region 10 action, drop a message to your RC and urge them to bring the matter up with the RCC.

Looking at this, one has to wonder who is driving the train, who is the conductor and where the hell is the brakeman who can put a stop to this madness?