Coast Capital Savings is proposing to become a federal credit union. We members can vote from today through November 28, on paper ballots we receive in the mail, or by logging in at coastcapitalsavings.com/OnlineBanking.
I'm voting NO because the board's past behaviour gives me no confidence that they are acting in members' best interests. For example:
- Overpaying itself with members' funds – see:
coastcapitalcompensationwatch.wordpress.com/facts
- Confusing members with one-sided campaigns against members' resolutions – see:
votermedia.blogspot.ca/2014/03/vote-for-member-democracy-coastcapital.html
The dangers of going national are well described at:
governancewatch.ca/ThreatsToCoastCapitalsMembers.html
Monday, October 17, 2016
Thursday, September 22, 2016
CIRA Board Election: Who I'm voting for & why
Voting just started today in the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) board election. I currently plan to vote for these candidates:
As when I posted on last year's election: "My research is not very deep, but there seems to be a lack of candidate assessments available online, so I'm trying to help fill that gap."
This year, my voting is based mainly on the online Campaign Forum, where some important issues were debated. I think accountability of the board to the membership and to the Canadian internet community is crucial, so I paid close attention to these two threads:
- CIRA as a Membership Based Organization
- Changing CIRA's Board Selection Process
I welcome your comments, advice, info etc!
Members' Slate:All candidates' info is linked from this CIRA page. Voting ends next Thursday (Sept 29) at noon Pacific time. I will update this post if I change my choices. If you're a CIRA member, you should receive an email from CIRA today with a link to their voting page.
- Frank Michlick
Nomination Committee Slate:
- Lee Dale
- Rowena Liang
- my third choice not decided yet
As when I posted on last year's election: "My research is not very deep, but there seems to be a lack of candidate assessments available online, so I'm trying to help fill that gap."
This year, my voting is based mainly on the online Campaign Forum, where some important issues were debated. I think accountability of the board to the membership and to the Canadian internet community is crucial, so I paid close attention to these two threads:
- CIRA as a Membership Based Organization
- Changing CIRA's Board Selection Process
I welcome your comments, advice, info etc!
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
CIRA Election Forum
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is holding its annual board election. In the election campaign's online forum, there's an interesting thread on CIRA as a Membership Based Organization. Yesterday I posted a comment there; I'm reposting it below (with better links) followed by some further thoughts. So although the election forum will be closed to comments after tomorrow noon (Eastern Time) when voting starts, we can continue discussing here.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
How Canada Can Support Serious Journalism
Today I submitted this 3-page comment letter [updated version 2016-10-04] with a policy proposal to let Canadian voters allocate public funding to competing journalist teams. This would support more public interest journalism such as election coverage and watching out for corruption in government. I recommend testing it in municipal politics before implementing it nationally. Canada's federal government has commissioned a study and report on this topic from the Public Policy Forum.
Quote:
Relevant links:
Quote:
It's not that people don't understand the need for [public interest journalism]. We just need an incentive-compatible way to pay for it.
Relevant links:
- 2016-03-10 Does serious journalism have a future in Canada?
- 2016-06-21 Five things to know with Canada's news media industry under public policy review
- 2016-08-07 John Oliver (HBO) Last Week Tonight: Journalism
- 2016-08-08 Podcast interview: Should The Government Bail Out The News Business?
- 2016-09-01 Ottawa cuts newspaper ad spending amid worries about sector
Friday, September 18, 2015
Revise the BC Credit Union Act to Reclaim Member Democracy
British Columbia's Credit Union Incorporation Act gets reviewed every 10 years, along with the Financial Institutions Act. That time has come, so the review process was launched on June 2, 2015.
It's an important opportunity to improve credit union governance. On this blog I have advocated for reviving democratic member control, to reduce the risks and costs of self-serving behaviour by insiders -- credit union boards and their payees (senior staff, consultants etc) -- with Coast Capital and Vancity as specific examples.
So I've submitted this comment letter on the legislative review. My main recommendation is to require each credit union to host a year-round online member forum to facilitate member sharing of information -- mainly to reduce board control of voter info during director elections. See also this comment letter by Bruce Batchelor, who advocates a wider range of democratic reforms.
As I highlighted in my similar comment letter to FICOM in 2013:
Watch out for comments that advocate weakening credit union members' right to submit resolutions to a vote. There's a striking contrast between the BC Credit Union Act (Section 77) and the BC Co-op Act. The CU Act guarantees that with 300 member signatures, a resolution must be submitted to a vote of all members even if the board opposes it. The Co-op Act has no such guarantee.
Then contrast what has happened with members' resolutions at Coast Capital CU versus at Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC). When Coast Capital members found out that their board had raised its own pay to more than double the Vancity CU board's pay, they put a resolution on the ballot and passed it by a 79% majority, against the board's advice to vote no. At MEC however, the board persuaded members to approve a rules change "modernization" that included (if you click through to read the details) letting the board reject any member resolution for any reason. The existing CU Act prevents boards from pulling that one.
It's an important opportunity to improve credit union governance. On this blog I have advocated for reviving democratic member control, to reduce the risks and costs of self-serving behaviour by insiders -- credit union boards and their payees (senior staff, consultants etc) -- with Coast Capital and Vancity as specific examples.
So I've submitted this comment letter on the legislative review. My main recommendation is to require each credit union to host a year-round online member forum to facilitate member sharing of information -- mainly to reduce board control of voter info during director elections. See also this comment letter by Bruce Batchelor, who advocates a wider range of democratic reforms.
As I highlighted in my similar comment letter to FICOM in 2013:
It is natural for directors and their payees to say: "To improve governance, we should give more power to directors." But instead, we should strengthen our democratic checks and balances. Self-serving behaviour is natural for humans, as it is for foxes, so I mean no offence to either when I say: Please don't let the foxes design the hen house.Fortunately, this time the deputy minister has warned that they "may" publish comment submissions on the Ministry of Finance website. That would be a great way of exposing insiders' recommendations to the sunlight of public scrutiny.
Watch out for comments that advocate weakening credit union members' right to submit resolutions to a vote. There's a striking contrast between the BC Credit Union Act (Section 77) and the BC Co-op Act. The CU Act guarantees that with 300 member signatures, a resolution must be submitted to a vote of all members even if the board opposes it. The Co-op Act has no such guarantee.
Then contrast what has happened with members' resolutions at Coast Capital CU versus at Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC). When Coast Capital members found out that their board had raised its own pay to more than double the Vancity CU board's pay, they put a resolution on the ballot and passed it by a 79% majority, against the board's advice to vote no. At MEC however, the board persuaded members to approve a rules change "modernization" that included (if you click through to read the details) letting the board reject any member resolution for any reason. The existing CU Act prevents boards from pulling that one.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
#CIRAelection: Why I'm voting for Moll, Geist, Sandiford and maybe Finckelstein
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is holding its annual board election. I'm voting for these candidates:
How I choose who to vote for:
My research is not very deep, but there seems to be a lack of candidate assessments available online, so I'm trying to help fill that gap.
I try to guess which candidates are more likely to advocate in the broad public interest, rather than for the interests of industry or themselves or their friends. I also look for some knowledge of internet issues, including privacy, technology, security, economics, business, politics etc.
My sources include the candidates' statements and résumés (linked from cira.ca/election), the election campaign forum, perspectives from OpenMedia.ca (internet public interest advocacy organization), a former CIRA board member, and various others.
I'm uncertain about my third choice on the nom-com slate. Konrad von Finckelstein is former chair of the CRTC, so has a wealth of relevant experience. Could he be too much of an insider? Hard to guess. Here are two perspectives on him, pro and con:
Pro -- openmedia.ca/node/3548
Con -- rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/openmediaca/2014/07/has-crtc-really-changed-will-they-listen-to-canadians-or-telecom-
What do you think? Comments welcomed!
How to improve CIRA's election process:
There is not enough voter engagement, nor enough sources of insightful assessments of the candidates. I have recommended various improvements to CIRA, so instead of repeating them I'll link to them:
1. The latter half of this blog post.
2. The paper We Want Our Co-ops Back.
Members' Slate:If you're a CIRA member, you can vote Sept 16 - 23 (deadline: noon Pacific time Sept 23). You'll need your Voter ID and PIN from the email CIRA sent you today (Sept 16). Anyone with a .ca domain can join CIRA for free at cira.ca/membership and vote next year.
- Marita Moll
Nomination Committee Slate:
- Michael Geist
- Bill Sandiford
- Konrad von Finckelstein (maybe?)
How I choose who to vote for:
My research is not very deep, but there seems to be a lack of candidate assessments available online, so I'm trying to help fill that gap.
I try to guess which candidates are more likely to advocate in the broad public interest, rather than for the interests of industry or themselves or their friends. I also look for some knowledge of internet issues, including privacy, technology, security, economics, business, politics etc.
My sources include the candidates' statements and résumés (linked from cira.ca/election), the election campaign forum, perspectives from OpenMedia.ca (internet public interest advocacy organization), a former CIRA board member, and various others.
I'm uncertain about my third choice on the nom-com slate. Konrad von Finckelstein is former chair of the CRTC, so has a wealth of relevant experience. Could he be too much of an insider? Hard to guess. Here are two perspectives on him, pro and con:
Pro -- openmedia.ca/node/3548
Con -- rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/openmediaca/2014/07/has-crtc-really-changed-will-they-listen-to-canadians-or-telecom-
What do you think? Comments welcomed!
How to improve CIRA's election process:
There is not enough voter engagement, nor enough sources of insightful assessments of the candidates. I have recommended various improvements to CIRA, so instead of repeating them I'll link to them:
1. The latter half of this blog post.
2. The paper We Want Our Co-ops Back.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Who I'm voting for in Vancity Credit Union election
Vancity Credit Union is having its annual election for board of directors. 3 seats are to be filled.
I'm voting for:
Reasons:
I'm voting for:
Reasons:
- I haven't taken the time research the candidates in detail this year. If you know of any useful online reviews, please let me know.
- I avoid the recommended candidates because recommendations entrench the controlling clique, as explained in this earlier post.
- I have worked with Lisa Barrett on democratic reform, and think highly of her -- an easy first choice.
- I like Man-kit Kwan's straightforward emphasis on the community of members as owners.
- I like Vittoria DeMichina's personal history of pulling herself up by hard work.
New independent website -- Vancity2015 Collaborative Democracy Wiki -- for sharing info on election candidates. Looks promising but still evolving towards being useful and convenient.Vote by April 24 on Vancity website
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