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From: ks@astra.ecn.purdue.edu (Kirk Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: USPA elections
Message-ID: <1990Dec11.124001.26726@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>
Date: 11 Dec 90 12:40:01 GMT
References: <203@darkstar.cs.utexas.edu> <9468@aggie.ucdavis.edu>
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In article <9468@aggie.ucdavis.edu> ccjoan@aggie.ucdavis.edu.UUCP (Joan Gargano) writes:
>In article <203@darkstar.cs.utexas.edu> bunda@cs.utexas.edu (John Bunda) writes:
>>Does anybody have any idea what is *really* going on with these
>>elections?

It has got out of hand.  In our conference, the incumbent conference director
just happened to be chairman of the election committee.  Up until about a week
ago, he had been periodically getting vote tallies on his own reelection.
At that point, the board figured out that wasn't the best situation, and
ended access for the incumbent, and gave the challenger all the same
information that had been given to the incumbent.  The information was
pretty interesting in that early on, both candidates were pretty close,
but as time went on the incumbent pulled out ahead.

As for why people are running.  In our conference, I can tell you what I
perceive.  We haven't had a choice on conference director in maybe 10 years
or so.  The challenger in our election ran apparently (my opinion only):

 1. To provide a choice on the ballot.
 2. To provide better services to the membership.
 3. To get more involved in critical national issues,
    such as dealing with the FAA.
 4. To boost his own ego a bit.

I think you will find #4 in a lot of the candidates in varying degrees,
but I think that the other reasons are common as well.
I am thankful that we have a choice in our conference, and I think it is
a shame that many conferences only have one person running for the conference
director.  Competition can only improve the level of service provided by
the elected officials.  I think it is important that these elections are
hotly contested and I am glad to see the interest rising in service
in the national organization.

					Kirk Smith