Impact

From BeyondVoting

The BeyondVoting Wiki

- key pages -

Preface - what's a wiki?

Opportunities for Change - summary of possibilities

New Tools for Democracy - plugging Plato into the net

Impact on Existing Institutions - from local civics to city hall

With the BeyondVoting proposals having an impact on a political process, one must ask who wins and who looses when community boards are empowered? Not knowing the precise form the changes will take, it’s difficult to predict. But if we assume that the proposals outlined in the Opportunities for Change section were to occur, we can ask if the mayor, city council, borough presidents, civic organizations, or media will accept the empowerment as a civic good or turf treading.

[edit] City Council

The council and its members will note several impacts from empowered community boards.

A more effective board will enhance the desirability of the council’s board appointments (1/2 of the board member seats require a recommendation from a council member).
As ex-officio members of the community boards, their seats on a strengthened board will provide a more powerful venue from which to present their views.
A more representative and expert board will provide council members with better quality information about issues of concern.
Advantage will arise from providing council members with permanent seats on the community boards they represent. Currently, council members are limited to 8 or 10 years in office (depending upon their year of entry) with their expertise too frequently lost to the community thereafter. In other political systems the experience of outgoing officials is maintained through such ex-officio positions. (Conferring a high court seat to ex-presidents in France comes to mind.)
As awareness of the board's new effectiveness grows, more eyes will focus on its activities, and as ex-officio mmebers, council members will more regularly attend and participate in board meetings.
Council members will be judged by the quality of their board appointments.
Council members will be guided by community consensus presented by the boards and follow their recommendation.
Term limits might be eliminated as the public acknowledges improved local governance arising from the many changes initiated by the coulcil.

[edit] Borough Presidents

In parallel with council members, as the perceived value of board appointments increases, so too will the Borough Presidents' status. And as the quality of the board’s membership and operation improves, the utility of the boards’ advice will increase. But there might be a loss in authority as administrative responsibilities shift to an organization like Board 60.

[edit] Mayor

The mayor considers so many voices in the review process that a small change in the community boards’ role will not be seen as threatening. And as the quality of the boards’ work improves, the mayor will come to value their contributions. The mayor would likely value the opinion of a Lower House when reviewing council legislation.

[edit] The Media

There will also be an impact on the fourth estate. Board websites will provide more transparent access to the governance process, a role provided today by local newspapers - in those areas where they exist. This transparency will provide a wealth of material for the media to explore, with local media’s ongoing success arising through the provision of more preview, opinion, and review.

[edit] Civic Organizations

According to the late Tony Dapolito, civic leader and longtime chair of Manhattan 2, prior to the boards’ creation civic associations took on many of the tasks now assumed by the boards. With board websites providing improved transparency, communication, and collaboration tools, civic organizations (ad-hoc and permanent) might assume a renewed activist role, as today’s dependence on the boards diminish.

[edit] Public Advocate

While the city charter presents significant roles for the Advocate in addressing communication and information policy and the complaint resolution process, the office has in essence been vacant for several years.

[edit] Public Authorities

Public Authorities in New York State have a powerful impact on everyday life. The Port Authority and Metropolitan Transportation Authority control a significant portion of the city's transportation facilities. Other Authorities, like the Liquor Authority , have a very local impact.

[edit] Other

, Political parties, real estate interests, and others will also have concerns and valuable opinions about the changes brought about by a more effective community board, and these too must be considered.

[edit] Beyond the Beyond

As the web, and features like Envisioning Governance and Let’s Organize make governance more transparent, open, and accessible, residents will come to see the boards as an inordinantly effective branch of the governance process. They will increase their level of participation, adding intelligence to the decision making process and energy to the tasks at hand, further legitimizing the actions of both the community and community boards.

And as our elected representatives come to value these contributions, they’ll view the boards as key indicators of community will, further adding legitimacy to local governance and benefiting all New Yorkers.