Senators Punt on Basic Duty, Sparking Public Condemnation






Senators Punt on Basic Duty, Sparking Public Condemnation

Written by Deepest House

(Europeia, February 1, 2021) - Senators Baobab, UPC, and Xecrio abstained from voting on the Honoured Expansion Amendment (2021), resulting in the bill failing to pass by a vote of 2-2-3. The bill proposed allowing the region to bestow Europeia’s highest honors to non-citizens.

In the aftermath of the vote, citizens took to the Grand Hall and Discord to register their objections to the abstentions.

“I will try to avoid making crass accusations, but it seems to me that those voting Abstain are only trying to save political points for potential reelection,” said JayDee, an experienced senator and legislator. “I hope this is not the case, but it is unfortunate that the debate has been so heated and yet the outcome is rather uninspiring.”

Ervald joined JayDee in questioning the result. “I thought I was disappointed in this bill failing but now I am even more disappointed in the senators voting Abstain. We had extensive discussions on this bill with both sides drawing up compelling arguments,” he said after the vote. “You couldn't decide if you supported it or not? I may have disagreed with the senators voting Nay but at least they made their line of thought clear on the issue.”

On the region’s Discord server, immediate constituent feedback was similarly harsh for the elected representatives.

“I personally am not a fan of the honored citizen expansion for reasons laid out on the forum by others, but I do think abstains are a bit of a cop-out,” said Prim, another veteran of the legislative chamber. “I know it’s a big ask, but I wish Senators voted their conscience instead of catering to public or peer pressure.”

With public displeasure mounting, Senator UPC offered an explanation after the vote. “I abstained because I was ambivalent,” the senator said. “If people abstained on EVERY piece of legislation ok that’s a problem.”

The potential for an additional abstention surfaced after the vote as public discussion continued, with Senator Monkey admitting that an abstain vote was a real possibility.

“Actually, I was going to vote abstain but as I was about to I was like, I’ve been talking about this issue for 3 days, it would be bad if the final conclusion I came up with at that point was I can’t make a choice,” Monkey admitted.

The bill generated substantial public debate, with supporters and detractors making their cases in the Grand Hall. Indeed, public debate on the bill was so engaging that Darcness, perhaps in a confused stupor from all the activity, unintentionally wandered onto the Senate floor itself to share his thoughts. He later apologized for his indiscretion and made his way to the Grand Hall.

Proponents of the bill argued that it would allow the region to correct oversights, or to recognize individuals when the lens of time allows greater appreciation of their accomplishments. Detractors argued that potential honorees should be present to win, similar to a raffle of some kind.

As the fate of the vote was becoming clear on the Senate floor, Calvin Coolidge took to the Grand Hall to share remarks on what would become a failed vote.

“It seems it was not in the cards with this Senate, and that's a shame,” the senator said. “Hopefully, we can make this change in the future.”

With the vote now closed and the issue off the immediate agenda, the question turns to the political future of the senators who abstained. With clear public objection to the abstentions, it remains to be seen how this vote will impact future electoral prospects. It is possible the electorate will understand these abstentions as an abdication of duty; however also possible is that the public could quickly move on to other issues it deems more important, without future consequences for the legislators. Only time will tell.
 
Once the discussion began, I knew I would likely abstain, due to my lack of experience on this issue. I sincerely apologize if you believe that voting abstain was a mistake on my end, I really do not see it. The reason I abstained is very simple, if I voted Aye, it'd be irresponsible, seeing as I have no experience regarding the issue. Some people told me "Why not vote Nay, it's the same", it's not, if I voted Nay, it wouldn't reflect my thoughts, since no major input by any Senator made me lean to either side. I abstained for those reasons, I never have and never will vote for something I know very little about, despite the hours I put into reading through Europeian history, I wasn't there, which changes everything. that's why I abstained.

I am not going to vote for or against a something just because somebody told me to, I reflect my beliefs, once again, it is very irresponsible to vote on something that you have little experience with just because.
This is your first time in the Senate and haven't served in any other major position. People knew you were "inexperienced", that's not a problem. They elected you to make a decision.

I never have and never will vote for something I know very little about
Then you probably should have asked more questions during discussion and informed yourself, you can't just say you don't know about something and then refuse to vote on it.... this is part of your job, decision-making.
I would stipulate that an abstention is a decision.
 
Once the discussion began, I knew I would likely abstain, due to my lack of experience on this issue. I sincerely apologize if you believe that voting abstain was a mistake on my end, I really do not see it. The reason I abstained is very simple, if I voted Aye, it'd be irresponsible, seeing as I have no experience regarding the issue. Some people told me "Why not vote Nay, it's the same", it's not, if I voted Nay, it wouldn't reflect my thoughts, since no major input by any Senator made me lean to either side. I abstained for those reasons, I never have and never will vote for something I know very little about, despite the hours I put into reading through Europeian history, I wasn't there, which changes everything. that's why I abstained.

I am not going to vote for or against a something just because somebody told me to, I reflect my beliefs, once again, it is very irresponsible to vote on something that you have little experience with just because.
This is your first time in the Senate and haven't served in any other major position. People knew you were "inexperienced", that's not a problem. They elected you to make a decision.

I never have and never will vote for something I know very little about
Then you probably should have asked more questions during discussion and informed yourself, you can't just say you don't know about something and then refuse to vote on it.... this is part of your job, decision-making.
I would stipulate that an abstention is a decision.
People don't elect Senators to fail to inform themselves on the merits of a bill before it comes up to vote and then abstain. Maybe I'm just speaking for my own personal preferences here, but I want to see Senators actually supporting or opposing legislation on some grounds, whatever those might be. I elect Senators to provide representative leadership to the region on these controversial or significant changes to the region, I don't elect them to abdicate that responsibility.
 
Largely echo GraV's take, it seems the only ones who were split were newer folks who don't really have a stake in giving Ovations to people they've never met and whose accomplishments they don't know. I can respect the Abstain though with the exception of Bao it could have been handed a lil better.
 
I don't have to explain anything. I have a right to vote the way I did.

To give a "reason" would be that I didn't know how to vote. My mind was very torn.
Congratulations Xecrio, you got me stumped. For once in my life, I am simply rendered speechless.
 
I don't have to explain anything. I have a right to vote the way I did.

To give a "reason" would be that I didn't know how to vote. My mind was very torn.
Congratulations Xecrio, you got me stumped. For once in my life, I am simply rendered speechless.
I literally gave a full explanation for my actions only minutes after I posted this. Why did you quote this post? It's practically irrelevant now.
 
I don't have to explain anything. I have a right to vote the way I did.

To give a "reason" would be that I didn't know how to vote. My mind was very torn.
Congratulations Xecrio, you got me stumped. For once in my life, I am simply rendered speechless.
I literally gave a full explanation for my actions only minutes after I posted this. Why did you quote this post? It's practically irrelevant now.
And yet you still felt the need to say it. It's relevant in the fact that we had to pull teeth just to get an explanation.
 
I don't have to explain anything. I have a right to vote the way I did.

To give a "reason" would be that I didn't know how to vote. My mind was very torn.
Congratulations Xecrio, you got me stumped. For once in my life, I am simply rendered speechless.
I literally gave a full explanation for my actions only minutes after I posted this. Why did you quote this post? It's practically irrelevant now.
And yet you still felt the need to say it. It's relevant in the fact that we had to pull teeth just to get an explanation.

I feel like you're being needlessly aggressive here, JayDee
 
Once the discussion began, I knew I would likely abstain, due to my lack of experience on this issue. I sincerely apologize if you believe that voting abstain was a mistake on my end, I really do not see it. The reason I abstained is very simple, if I voted Aye, it'd be irresponsible, seeing as I have no experience regarding the issue. Some people told me "Why not vote Nay, it's the same", it's not, if I voted Nay, it wouldn't reflect my thoughts, since no major input by any Senator made me lean to either side. I abstained for those reasons, I never have and never will vote for something I know very little about, despite the hours I put into reading through Europeian history, I wasn't there, which changes everything. that's why I abstained.

I am not going to vote for or against a something just because somebody told me to, I reflect my beliefs, once again, it is very irresponsible to vote on something that you have little experience with just because.
This is your first time in the Senate and haven't served in any other major position. People knew you were "inexperienced", that's not a problem. They elected you to make a decision.

I never have and never will vote for something I know very little about
Then you probably should have asked more questions during discussion and informed yourself, you can't just say you don't know about something and then refuse to vote on it.... this is part of your job, decision-making.
I would stipulate that an abstention is a decision.
People don't elect Senators to fail to inform themselves on the merits of a bill before it comes up to vote and then abstain. Maybe I'm just speaking for my own personal preferences here, but I want to see Senators actually supporting or opposing legislation on some grounds, whatever those might be. I elect Senators to provide representative leadership to the region on these controversial or significant changes to the region, I don't elect them to abdicate that responsibility.
It’s less about knowledge that can be attained by reading, but more the knowledge of experience.
 
And yet you still felt the need to say it. It's relevant in the fact that we had to pull teeth just to get an explanation.

I feel like you're being needlessly aggressive here, JayDee
Yes, I am. I have some experience with being needlessly obstinate so I tend to call it when I see it :p
There's a time and a place for things and dog-piling on someone needlessly is not that time.
Pot meet kettle. :p
 
And yet you still felt the need to say it. It's relevant in the fact that we had to pull teeth just to get an explanation.

I feel like you're being needlessly aggressive here, JayDee
Yes, I am. I have some experience with being needlessly obstinate so I tend to call it when I see it :p
There's a time and a place for things and dog-piling on someone needlessly is not that time.
Pot meet kettle. :p
Is OD's point valid if I say it?
 
OK, I definitely disagreed with the abstentions, and I didn't really find Bao's response sufficient (agree w/ Prim), but I feel like people are really being dicks about this. We can disagree politely and discuss it without everything turning into a shitshow.
 
I don't know, UPC. Probably not. If you're picking a fight with me because you're upset with other people, though, I'd re-evaluate. For the record, I don't care about this.
 
I don't know, UPC. Probably not. If you're picking a fight with me because you're upset with other people, though, I'd re-evaluate. For the record, I don't care about this.
I'm not trying to pick a fight with you! I'm not particularly upset either, for the record. Somewhat hurt perhaps, and confused as to why this became such a big deal. I appreciate your candor.
 
I have mentioned this in the GH thread but I guess I will say it here too.
This was a minor proposal, we won't suffer without it. It just would have been nice to see it pass.
I did not find the arguments against convincing, at all, so abstaining also felt weird to do.
Hopefully we can one day see this kind of amendment pass.
As for the abstaining senators, if you can't decide how to vote because of lack of information, go get that info, that is your job. If you feel informed and still can't choose, that is fine.
 
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