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Senior Columnist and Investigative Journalist: Darien Fenner
Stagnation Versus Progress: The Art of D"j" Vu June 16, 2011
Sydney Harris said that the greatest enemy of progress is not stagnation, but false progress. In the bureaucratic world, Sullus"urn Xukuth's mentality about change and empty words spoken by politicians is the very credo of a cynical mind. But in this day and era, with RhyDin's directionless government and pretend metamorphoses between terms, it seems as though the cynic is the only level minded being in the city.
I have covered politics for far too long to put any stock into campaign promises, so when Governor Fionna Helston al Amat claimed that her chief purpose in being elected to office was to create opportunities for RhyDin, I was suitably skeptical. Helston al Amat would not be the first Governor to gear her campaign toward "bringing RhyDin together." For if there is one thing RhyDin has, solidarity is not it; when a global or universal conflict arises, generally its solution is discovered through trial and error by any handful of people. But it is incredibly rare when more than a few individuals knock their heads together for any reasons besides Beltane faewyne-bombing. So when the Governor announced the creation of a Gubernatorial Advisory Council in early June, I was admittedly interested and inquired about an interview. Granted, getting straightforward answers about the Governor's history was like pulling teeth from a cadaver stuck in carbonite, but when it came to her plans for office, she was slightly less Han Solo. According to Helston al Amat, the idea for the GAC is 'drawing in representatives of the people to provide insight and advice on issues of public interest."
Somehow, I am getting the oddest sense of d"j" vu. And strangely enough, that sense is specifically reminiscent of May eighth, 2010, coincidentally when Sheridan Driscol was announcing his own Council of Ministers - the purposes of which was "to better provide for the needs of every RhyDin citizen." How exactly is this new advisory council any different' Helston al Amat, like Driscol, waited until after she was elected to appoint members to her GAC. True, the appointments were made based on nominations from everyday RhyDinians and the positions are unpaid (and were created with little to no footprint intended), but realistically if Helston al Amat would have announced her plan for an advisory council during her campaign, she might have actually won the 2011 election in a landslide victory. After all, if there is anything RhyDinians like more than not caring about their government, it is pretending like they care about their government.
"The Ministries were created giving broad powers to act to the Ministers and any deputies they hired," Helston al Amat told the Post. "Second only to the Governor in authority in each of their domains. They were told to report periodically to Governor Driscol but there is no evidence that any of the ministries actually did so. They each acted - or didn't act - independently of any oversight. And were paid well for the privilege" This council exists to give advice, to extend debate and to provide a broad range of perspectives. Some of them might even conflict with my own. I hope they do. But the authority to act upon what is discussed remains with the Governor's office."
So that really is the only difference, isn't it' GAC councilmembers aren't getting paid for their trouble.
But perhaps that is an unfair accusation. One thing that Helston al Amat has decided to do is make the GAC meetings public " meaning, anyone with any opinion or public issues can attend them. While this is a very clever idea and promises to involve more RhyDinians in social and political matters, the meetings also have the dangerously high probability of either tapering out after a few weeks or becoming overrun with frivolous problems that do not belong on the Governor's desk. Moreover, one or two choice GAC members could stand to miss those meetings, but that is an article for another day. "My primary goal is to return to RhyDin's government the same spirit of collaboration that we see operating so successfully in other areas of our society," explained Helston al Amat. "The move to an Advisory Council has been enthusiastically embraced by the public, as the nominations that flooded in have demonstrated. I intend to explore how private funding and support can be secured to improve operations and ensure available technology for some city services, starting with the RASG. I have directed the review of current government vendor contracts and other obligations. We are exploring ways to broaden the public's awareness of services available to new residents through the welcome center."
Leaving the Fair Labor Agreement " a plan that has the potential to promote elitism and drive away RhyDin commerce " aside, it is particularly interesting that nearly every Governor seems to have the same opinion regarding business (or, more specifically, regarding entrepreneurship). The constant matter of private funding is a subject that many politicians gloss over; but what they do not tell you is not every business can afford to be altruistic. In a normal democracy, donating funds to, say, an entrepreneurial program or to an assistance program is a relatively rewarding experience thanks to tax breaks. But in RhyDin, donating money " unlike investing money " is about as gratifying as making a bonfire with your cash on Mount Yasuo.
Then again, if Helston al Amat is content to wander RhyDin with an "alms for the poor" bucket around her neck, then perhaps that is one way to spend a gubernatorial term.
Whether or not she decides to go that route, one thing is for certain: Fionna Helston al Amat is trying to do something with her governorship.
" is completely absorbing and rather exciting, really. The lack of records about what happened over the course of the last year was offsetting at first, but it seems to me that this is a really unique opportunity to create something different. To provide more transparency into the workings of the city, and allow people from various perspectives to have a voice."
While 'different' isn't exactly the word I would use, at least she is attempting to revamp ideas fabricated by her predecessors. Whether they actually create progress, however, remains to be seen.
I suppose what Helston al Amat is attempting is a step in the right direction for now; but until I see something that makes an honest impact on RhyDin's society or state of living, I will remain predominantly reticent. Perhaps my fear is that if I say the word "change" too loudly, all of RhyDin will scatter like roaches in the light; or, conversely, all of them will converge upon me until the Post finds someone else to write its columns.
GAC meetings will be held on the second Monday of each month, and are open to the public.
Stagnation Versus Progress: The Art of D"j" Vu June 16, 2011
Sydney Harris said that the greatest enemy of progress is not stagnation, but false progress. In the bureaucratic world, Sullus"urn Xukuth's mentality about change and empty words spoken by politicians is the very credo of a cynical mind. But in this day and era, with RhyDin's directionless government and pretend metamorphoses between terms, it seems as though the cynic is the only level minded being in the city.
I have covered politics for far too long to put any stock into campaign promises, so when Governor Fionna Helston al Amat claimed that her chief purpose in being elected to office was to create opportunities for RhyDin, I was suitably skeptical. Helston al Amat would not be the first Governor to gear her campaign toward "bringing RhyDin together." For if there is one thing RhyDin has, solidarity is not it; when a global or universal conflict arises, generally its solution is discovered through trial and error by any handful of people. But it is incredibly rare when more than a few individuals knock their heads together for any reasons besides Beltane faewyne-bombing. So when the Governor announced the creation of a Gubernatorial Advisory Council in early June, I was admittedly interested and inquired about an interview. Granted, getting straightforward answers about the Governor's history was like pulling teeth from a cadaver stuck in carbonite, but when it came to her plans for office, she was slightly less Han Solo. According to Helston al Amat, the idea for the GAC is 'drawing in representatives of the people to provide insight and advice on issues of public interest."
Somehow, I am getting the oddest sense of d"j" vu. And strangely enough, that sense is specifically reminiscent of May eighth, 2010, coincidentally when Sheridan Driscol was announcing his own Council of Ministers - the purposes of which was "to better provide for the needs of every RhyDin citizen." How exactly is this new advisory council any different' Helston al Amat, like Driscol, waited until after she was elected to appoint members to her GAC. True, the appointments were made based on nominations from everyday RhyDinians and the positions are unpaid (and were created with little to no footprint intended), but realistically if Helston al Amat would have announced her plan for an advisory council during her campaign, she might have actually won the 2011 election in a landslide victory. After all, if there is anything RhyDinians like more than not caring about their government, it is pretending like they care about their government.
"The Ministries were created giving broad powers to act to the Ministers and any deputies they hired," Helston al Amat told the Post. "Second only to the Governor in authority in each of their domains. They were told to report periodically to Governor Driscol but there is no evidence that any of the ministries actually did so. They each acted - or didn't act - independently of any oversight. And were paid well for the privilege" This council exists to give advice, to extend debate and to provide a broad range of perspectives. Some of them might even conflict with my own. I hope they do. But the authority to act upon what is discussed remains with the Governor's office."
So that really is the only difference, isn't it' GAC councilmembers aren't getting paid for their trouble.
But perhaps that is an unfair accusation. One thing that Helston al Amat has decided to do is make the GAC meetings public " meaning, anyone with any opinion or public issues can attend them. While this is a very clever idea and promises to involve more RhyDinians in social and political matters, the meetings also have the dangerously high probability of either tapering out after a few weeks or becoming overrun with frivolous problems that do not belong on the Governor's desk. Moreover, one or two choice GAC members could stand to miss those meetings, but that is an article for another day. "My primary goal is to return to RhyDin's government the same spirit of collaboration that we see operating so successfully in other areas of our society," explained Helston al Amat. "The move to an Advisory Council has been enthusiastically embraced by the public, as the nominations that flooded in have demonstrated. I intend to explore how private funding and support can be secured to improve operations and ensure available technology for some city services, starting with the RASG. I have directed the review of current government vendor contracts and other obligations. We are exploring ways to broaden the public's awareness of services available to new residents through the welcome center."
Leaving the Fair Labor Agreement " a plan that has the potential to promote elitism and drive away RhyDin commerce " aside, it is particularly interesting that nearly every Governor seems to have the same opinion regarding business (or, more specifically, regarding entrepreneurship). The constant matter of private funding is a subject that many politicians gloss over; but what they do not tell you is not every business can afford to be altruistic. In a normal democracy, donating funds to, say, an entrepreneurial program or to an assistance program is a relatively rewarding experience thanks to tax breaks. But in RhyDin, donating money " unlike investing money " is about as gratifying as making a bonfire with your cash on Mount Yasuo.
Then again, if Helston al Amat is content to wander RhyDin with an "alms for the poor" bucket around her neck, then perhaps that is one way to spend a gubernatorial term.
Whether or not she decides to go that route, one thing is for certain: Fionna Helston al Amat is trying to do something with her governorship.
" is completely absorbing and rather exciting, really. The lack of records about what happened over the course of the last year was offsetting at first, but it seems to me that this is a really unique opportunity to create something different. To provide more transparency into the workings of the city, and allow people from various perspectives to have a voice."
While 'different' isn't exactly the word I would use, at least she is attempting to revamp ideas fabricated by her predecessors. Whether they actually create progress, however, remains to be seen.
I suppose what Helston al Amat is attempting is a step in the right direction for now; but until I see something that makes an honest impact on RhyDin's society or state of living, I will remain predominantly reticent. Perhaps my fear is that if I say the word "change" too loudly, all of RhyDin will scatter like roaches in the light; or, conversely, all of them will converge upon me until the Post finds someone else to write its columns.
GAC meetings will be held on the second Monday of each month, and are open to the public.