Compass Correction Update: February 2, 2012
Vote Smart
Polls Open Today!
It’s not enough to just “get out and vote”; it’s imperative that each of our votes is cast as an educated and concerted vote.
The campaign is a vetting process wherein the candidates present and then debate ideas. They must articulate the problems, as they see them and they should offer concrete solutions. At the same time, they are introducing themselves to us; perhaps sharing their past experience and qualifications.
As we navigate this road leading to our USAPA Officer and Appeals Board election, we at the Compass Correction believe it’s important to do our homework and become informed voters. While apathy is understandable, these elections give us the ability to effect change and frankly to make some corrections.
Many will share strongly held opinions and some will even have some facts to back them up. Regardless, every opinion can be of some help in the process of determining who is best qualified for these positions.
As individuals however, we are responsible to filter the opinions and research the accuracy of information for ourselves, and thereby, make sure we Vote wisely. If you are unsure, talk with your fellow Pilots about the issues and the character and qualifications of the candidates. We must not allow this election to devolve into a mere popularity contest.
Instead, by hearing their ideas, and not listening to gossip about the various candidates, we can select those who possess a set of skills. We can hopefully find those who have a heart for acting in the best interests of the group and our profession as a whole. We need selfless officers who have a conscience.
The Process
If only half (2000) of say 4000 eligible Pilots voted in the election, and one of the candidates in that election receives 1001 votes, he/she would be the winner and elected in the first round with just ¼ of the Pilots voting for him/her.
If none of the nominees running for an Officer position receive more than 50% of the votes cast in their election, then there will be a run-off between the top two vote getters for that Officer position. If five candidates are running for President with 3000 votes cast and the results after the first vote are:
Because none of the candidates above received more than 50% of the Votes cast there would be a runoff between the two candidates receiving the most votes. In the case above it would be James Kirk and Chuck Lindy in a runoff.
Three candidates will be selected for the Appeals Board so make sure you research and formulate three choices for this important elected position.
If a member decides to change a vote while the polls are still open, they should re-vote for all of the positions on the ballot even if they are only changing their vote for one of the races, because their previous ballot in it’s entirety will be voided. By Constitution/UOM, the polls will be open for 21 days, so with a runoff the process could take nearly two months to complete. Therefore, we all need to stay engaged and active through the entire process. Of course, one must be a member in good standing in order to vote!
The Issues
There are a number of issues for the candidates to identify, address and expound upon on. In addition, we encourage Pilots to communicate with the candidates directly with individual questions and concerns.
The CC Team will be asking each member running for all Officer Positions a number of questions. We will start out by presenting the following question to all of the potential Officers candidates:
Please identify some of the successes and failures of USAPA over the past three years.
When we receive their responses, we will share them with our readers.
Fraternally,
Eric Rowe
PHL AB 330
Woody Menear
PHL B-767
Dave Shryack
CLT AB 320
Dave Ciabattoni
PHL AB-320
