[ga-review] Re: Individuals' Constituency

["babybows.com" <webmaster@babybows.com>]

William Walsh writes:

"The problem with our existing constituency structure is that they tend to
try and force stakeholders into belonging to various industry associations,
and then those associations are the members of the constituency.   Take the
ISP constituency has an example.  While they
permit individual ISPs to be members, there has been little outreach,
instead preferring that ISPs consider themselves represented by organization
ISP associations.  The problem with that is that many times these
associations have agendas that are vastly different from the large numbers
of their individual ISP members, not to mention that it makes it easier for
the reps from those associations to cut deals with other constituencies
(esp. the larger corporate/IP interests) that their members would never
approve of if they were required to approve them in advance.  The ISP
constituency needs to toss our the associations on their rear ends and
require members to actually BE ISPs in order to join.

We need more constituencies, for certain.  I think a "catch all"
individual's constituency (for those who just feel they don't fit in any of
the others) and a small business constituency would be 2 that I think would
be most needed right now.  And I don't feel the two should be considered the
same, as when you get right down to it, an individual and a small business
owner are not necessarily going to have the same issues and concerns.

And this would also provide a balance to the current dominance in the big
corporate/business/IP block."

William makes a number of excellent points.  The idea of a "catch all"
constituency is a brilliant concept, and is one that meshes well with the
idea of the General Assembly as a potential constituency group.



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