There should be options

[blacklite911]

Here's what housing committee did wrong:
They only brought one option to the GA.
If the committee brought more than one option to the GA and then just had a popular vote on that then we would not be in this mess. It was a bad idea to even try to narrow it down to one option, in the haste of time what you actually did was waste more time by exposing the proposal to blockage. If there were multiple options, there would be no such thing as a voter block and no one would be getting pissed off and calling for a 51 percent majority.
I thought we were trying to fight the illusion of choice that the two party system has presented to us. Stacking the vote isn't democracy but the lack of choice isn't democracy either.

An easy example is when the Direct Action committee presented to the GA multiple choices of where to establish a permanent encampment and we voted for it, the horse won tremendously, its not that hard guys.

In the interest of time, even though I don't think cermak is the best value that we can find, I will be pro-cermak but you can't deny that the housing committee and thus we as occupy chicago as a whole approached this proposal the wrong way.

Just like I didn't think the Direct Action committee should decide where the permanent encampment should be, I also don't think the housing committee should decide where our money should be spent. Any committee should be autonomous working groups that do their own thing and when issues concern the fate of the greater occupy chicago movement as a whole they should only be used as working groups to investigate what would be the best course of action we should take.

Lastly, I think its pure stupidity that people who instituted and supported the 90% super majority in the past are calling it "tyranny of the minority" now only because they didn't get their way on this issue, I don't hear them saying that when its stuff they want being passed. I agree and understand that there is legitimate valid frustration but its always immature to go apeshit ONLY when you don't get your way, it just shows a lack of principles. I know this is a bold and unpopular stance but I'm just calling it like I see it in an effort of tough love.

Solidarity,
Torry

[AlyssaH]

Hi Torry,
I'd just like to clarify that two locations were going to be presented, but at the last minute the presenters of the other location decided not to. The idea was to present both and then vote based on a simple majority, similarly to the vote on the 2nd occupation decision. We went forward with our proposal anyway. The next time we do a vote, I think there's a good chance we'll try to do it this way, perhaps by putting up a preliminary vote on process. I'm not on Secretariat, and I'm not familiar with the exact procedure, so there may be other options that I'm missing or a misunderstanding that I might have.

Also, on the behavior of some Housing members after the vote:
I will only speak for my own behavior here. I was disappointed in the vote, however, I did stay for the rest of the GA. I joined stack during the soapbox/announcements section and announced that I would be willing to talk with any "no" voters. I had a calm and reasonable discussion afterwards with 2 "no" voters and a few other Housing committee members. I don't appreciate seeing broad generalizations regarding Housing members' behavior perpetuated (you are not the only one doing this, so I want to be clear that I am not directing this at you as any kind of attack on your character).

If you have any other ideas, I'm always a friendly person to talk to.

Thanks for your input,
Alyssa

[blacklite911]

Notice that I didn't generalize the housing committee's behavior in my post. I only criticized the collective result, which was the proposal.

The only behavior I criticized were the specific examples I cited, I'm not gonna name names but you know who you are. I been here for a while and I always respect individuals, its one of the reasons why I push for autonomy in committee's and work groups so that individuals don't get usurped by factions, cliques or groups. We're a movement full of leaders so everyone has to be a star.

[marymcmahon@clear.net]

Obviously people from Housing are reading the forums. The fact that you reply only to one another demonstrates the continuing intent to keep outside voices locked out. Securing your power within and stifling the growth of the Chicago chapter.

The OC pattern of declaring major decisions, like this one a "crisis" and so "we have no time and must vote" may seem like sound reasoning within the OC Bubble, but to those of us marginalized by your semi-open system you are looking pretty silly, biased and selfish.

Consistently, people have stepped forward to offer help, to mentor, to respectfully advise and have been rebuffed or ignored, their post receive no response. The only outside advice that I've seen embraced by the OC power structure is legal advice. And I mean Power Structure because if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.

[drlora]

I am sorry this is off topic but a few of us would like for everyone to see a new property that we will be presenting this Friday at the GA, the showing is Friday, Dec 9th at 6pm at 620 S. Dearborn. if you want to come see it before the GA on Friday evening, then please do, we are offering this possibility because I agree we all should have options and everyone has a stake and a voice in the location of our new HQ.
Thank you, Dr. Lora