[UAH] RESPONSE TO KIRONDE: 2013 Elections Guidelines
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10:41 PM |
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Mr Kironde,
You should read my email again. All the stuff you write is what i hinted at when i mentioned that candidates are already spending money on UNAA activities and if they win, they'd spend even more. Therefore, there is no need to charge them exorbitant fees. I hesitate to go into the nature of volunteer work for each set of volunteers. We need all volunteers. Besides, your luganda saying applies to all UNAA volunteers.
Again, I'm well aware that you like the status quo because it allowed you to run unopposed in 2011 and the consequences of that are obvious.
Again, keep in mind that most candidates don't have external backers. Most of us don't want UNAA leadership to turn into a "5 star hotel"...i.e. its doors are open to all, as long as they can afford exorbitant fees!
Thanks
--- Original Message ---
From: "Edriss Kironde" <edriss.kironde@gmail.com>
Sent: June 20, 2013 7:59 PM
To: jmusoke98@yahoo.com
Subject: UNAALIST 2013 Elections Guidelines
Do not forget Chicago as well.
When one gets elected this year, and as it has been in the past, expectations are that you will be prepared to fly out and visit the San Diego community in 2014 and the traditional hotel visit. During that visit, you will pay for your own food, buy your own air ticket, you will pay for your own accommodation, you will buy your own food -if you have kids at home, you will make arrangements for a baby sitter and foot the bill as well, this will not stop you being a volunteer. The willingness to meet costs and expenses with your token fee as a volunteer when you stand for office, is not only clear testimony that you are for UNAA, but a realization that a non profitable organisation is funded by its members to fulfill its obligations either by donations or a levied fee.
It is also important to note that UNAA Elections are fundamental to the establishment. There are so many deprivations by UNAA volunteers, those tasked with a free and fair Elections, will be deprived of interacting with their friends if they happen to be candidates or outspoken supporters of candidates, and the BOT, will and is supposed to conduct itself in a manner that may not be interpreted to be favoring certain candidates as has already been witnessed. While others will mingle freely with anyone at the convention, the BOT and EC will not have that privilege and hence the sacrifices that cannot be quantified into monetary terms.
As a native of Butambala, we say: "eyewa ezo 'mumba, gwebazikuba"
On Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 5:54 PM, Joseph Musoke <jmusoke98@yahoo.com> wrote:
Mr Kironde,
That's one way to look at it (that's why you are on the Council...no one run against you in 2011). Another way to look at it is that we are not obliged to charge high fees. Please keep in mind that most members are self sponsored.
Thanks
--- Original Message ---
From: "Edriss Kironde" <edriss.kironde@gmail.com>
Sent: June 20, 2013 4:35 PM
To: jmusoke98@yahoo.com
Subject: UNAALIST 2013 Elections Guidelines
You are not obliged to be candidate
Sent from my Verizon Wireless smartphone
Joseph Musoke <jmusoke98@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Dear Members of the EC,
>I am an aspiring candidate for the UNAA presidency and I have several UNAA members that I have been in touch with to convince them to run for various offices in UNAA.
>Several weeks ago, I contacted members of UNAA (on unaalist) to start a conversation about the need for candidacy fees. I am aware that the UNAA constitution provides for candidate fees. However, the EC is free to set an amount that the EC sees fit.
>
>Today, I saw the amounts that were released by the EC and I was saddened because they are at all-time high. I strongly believe that the fees should be nominal. Here are my reasons:
>1. since our organization is a non-profit, we should not set such high fees for fellow members that are willing to volunteer their time to serve us in leadership.
>2. we should look at candidates for elective office as one set of several sets of UNAA volunteers. If we do that, we will realize that charging them exorbitant fees is unfair since all other sets of volunteers are free (EC, Board of Trustees, Local Convention Organizers, ambassadors, etc).
>3. candidates spend a lot of their time and money, in order to run for office. e.g reading UNAA materials, calling members for support, research, etc. UNAA should applaud those efforts rather impose high fees.
>
>4. many potential candidates have been put off/scared off by the high fees. Many members have refused to run for office because they can't afford the high fees.
>5. historically, these fees have been a hindrance. e.g in 2011, more than half of the elective offices were not filled. We had only 11 Council members and all of them were unopposed. As for the executive, we had just 2 candidates for each position.
>I have little faith that this year's elections will any more competitive.
>6. at a time when people are struggling to pay the membership fees, we should not impose an extra fee on the candidates (so far, we have less than 200 members...at a time when convention registration is said be at record levels for June numbers and most hotel rooms have been booked).
>7. UNAA does not remunerate its leaders. In fact, leaders end up spending their own money to do UNAA work. We should therefore not charge them high fees.
>8. I have heard some of the reasons for high fees: that UNAA needs money to run elections. My response is that election costs should be borne by all members since we all benefit from the services of the elected officers. We also benefit from the fact that some members are willing to run for office. The alternative would be appointed officers and very few members would prefer that option.
>Besides, the most expensive item for the EC is the criminal/education check. In my view, this expense is totally unnecessary. UNAA's constitution does not require any minimum education qualification. You could have stopped in P.4 but still qualify to run for office. The criminal background has limited use because most UNAA leaders are exempted. e.g though the treasurer's criminal back ground is checked, the Budget Director is not checked...yet both are heavily involved in UNAA finances. Almost all UNAA leaders and Local Convention organizers collect money from delegates (and are supposed to pass it on to the treasurer) yet none of them will have their criminal background checked.
>
>Though I have heard stories of financial mismanagement, I have seen any evidence of criminal activity. If our leaders steal from us, we can always call the police!
>
>Another reason I have heard is that UNAA needs to raise money for other activities. Again, I do not think UNAA should do this on the backs of volunteers for elective office. We should not raise money from one set of volunteers when other sets serve us for free.
>
>the other reason i have heard that we need high fees to deter "un-serious" candidates. As I mentioned above, UNAA has a dearth of members willing to volunteer in any capacity...especially in elective positions. e.g all current Council members were unopposed (see above)!
>
>Please, reconsider the fees that you set. I hope you'll respond to my email as soon as you can so that potential candidates can meet your deadlines.
>
>thanks
>
>c.c unaalist
>c.c unaanet (since many folks are not on unaalist because they have not yet paid membership fees)
>
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
> From: "samutyaba@yahoo.com" <samutyaba@yahoo.com>
>To: jmusoke98@yahoo.com
>Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2013 11:03 AM
>Subject: UNAALIST 2013 Elections Guidelines
>
>
>
>Wish you all the best in this preparation.
>
>
>Ugandan North America Association . 1337 Massachusetts Avenue . Suite 153 . Arlington. MA . 02476
>Email: info@unaa.org
Ugandan North America Association . 1337 Massachusetts Avenue . Suite 153 . Arlington. MA . 02476
Email: info@unaa.org
You should read my email again. All the stuff you write is what i hinted at when i mentioned that candidates are already spending money on UNAA activities and if they win, they'd spend even more. Therefore, there is no need to charge them exorbitant fees. I hesitate to go into the nature of volunteer work for each set of volunteers. We need all volunteers. Besides, your luganda saying applies to all UNAA volunteers.
Again, I'm well aware that you like the status quo because it allowed you to run unopposed in 2011 and the consequences of that are obvious.
Again, keep in mind that most candidates don't have external backers. Most of us don't want UNAA leadership to turn into a "5 star hotel"...i.e. its doors are open to all, as long as they can afford exorbitant fees!
Thanks
--- Original Message ---
From: "Edriss Kironde" <edriss.kironde@gmail.com>
Sent: June 20, 2013 7:59 PM
To: jmusoke98@yahoo.com
Subject: UNAALIST 2013 Elections Guidelines
Do not forget Chicago as well.
When one gets elected this year, and as it has been in the past, expectations are that you will be prepared to fly out and visit the San Diego community in 2014 and the traditional hotel visit. During that visit, you will pay for your own food, buy your own air ticket, you will pay for your own accommodation, you will buy your own food -if you have kids at home, you will make arrangements for a baby sitter and foot the bill as well, this will not stop you being a volunteer. The willingness to meet costs and expenses with your token fee as a volunteer when you stand for office, is not only clear testimony that you are for UNAA, but a realization that a non profitable organisation is funded by its members to fulfill its obligations either by donations or a levied fee.
It is also important to note that UNAA Elections are fundamental to the establishment. There are so many deprivations by UNAA volunteers, those tasked with a free and fair Elections, will be deprived of interacting with their friends if they happen to be candidates or outspoken supporters of candidates, and the BOT, will and is supposed to conduct itself in a manner that may not be interpreted to be favoring certain candidates as has already been witnessed. While others will mingle freely with anyone at the convention, the BOT and EC will not have that privilege and hence the sacrifices that cannot be quantified into monetary terms.
As a native of Butambala, we say: "eyewa ezo 'mumba, gwebazikuba"
On Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 5:54 PM, Joseph Musoke <jmusoke98@yahoo.com> wrote:
Mr Kironde,
That's one way to look at it (that's why you are on the Council...no one run against you in 2011). Another way to look at it is that we are not obliged to charge high fees. Please keep in mind that most members are self sponsored.
Thanks
--- Original Message ---
From: "Edriss Kironde" <edriss.kironde@gmail.com>
Sent: June 20, 2013 4:35 PM
To: jmusoke98@yahoo.com
Subject: UNAALIST 2013 Elections Guidelines
You are not obliged to be candidate
Sent from my Verizon Wireless smartphone
Joseph Musoke <jmusoke98@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Dear Members of the EC,
>I am an aspiring candidate for the UNAA presidency and I have several UNAA members that I have been in touch with to convince them to run for various offices in UNAA.
>Several weeks ago, I contacted members of UNAA (on unaalist) to start a conversation about the need for candidacy fees. I am aware that the UNAA constitution provides for candidate fees. However, the EC is free to set an amount that the EC sees fit.
>
>Today, I saw the amounts that were released by the EC and I was saddened because they are at all-time high. I strongly believe that the fees should be nominal. Here are my reasons:
>1. since our organization is a non-profit, we should not set such high fees for fellow members that are willing to volunteer their time to serve us in leadership.
>2. we should look at candidates for elective office as one set of several sets of UNAA volunteers. If we do that, we will realize that charging them exorbitant fees is unfair since all other sets of volunteers are free (EC, Board of Trustees, Local Convention Organizers, ambassadors, etc).
>3. candidates spend a lot of their time and money, in order to run for office. e.g reading UNAA materials, calling members for support, research, etc. UNAA should applaud those efforts rather impose high fees.
>
>4. many potential candidates have been put off/scared off by the high fees. Many members have refused to run for office because they can't afford the high fees.
>5. historically, these fees have been a hindrance. e.g in 2011, more than half of the elective offices were not filled. We had only 11 Council members and all of them were unopposed. As for the executive, we had just 2 candidates for each position.
>I have little faith that this year's elections will any more competitive.
>6. at a time when people are struggling to pay the membership fees, we should not impose an extra fee on the candidates (so far, we have less than 200 members...at a time when convention registration is said be at record levels for June numbers and most hotel rooms have been booked).
>7. UNAA does not remunerate its leaders. In fact, leaders end up spending their own money to do UNAA work. We should therefore not charge them high fees.
>8. I have heard some of the reasons for high fees: that UNAA needs money to run elections. My response is that election costs should be borne by all members since we all benefit from the services of the elected officers. We also benefit from the fact that some members are willing to run for office. The alternative would be appointed officers and very few members would prefer that option.
>Besides, the most expensive item for the EC is the criminal/education check. In my view, this expense is totally unnecessary. UNAA's constitution does not require any minimum education qualification. You could have stopped in P.4 but still qualify to run for office. The criminal background has limited use because most UNAA leaders are exempted. e.g though the treasurer's criminal back ground is checked, the Budget Director is not checked...yet both are heavily involved in UNAA finances. Almost all UNAA leaders and Local Convention organizers collect money from delegates (and are supposed to pass it on to the treasurer) yet none of them will have their criminal background checked.
>
>Though I have heard stories of financial mismanagement, I have seen any evidence of criminal activity. If our leaders steal from us, we can always call the police!
>
>Another reason I have heard is that UNAA needs to raise money for other activities. Again, I do not think UNAA should do this on the backs of volunteers for elective office. We should not raise money from one set of volunteers when other sets serve us for free.
>
>the other reason i have heard that we need high fees to deter "un-serious" candidates. As I mentioned above, UNAA has a dearth of members willing to volunteer in any capacity...especially in elective positions. e.g all current Council members were unopposed (see above)!
>
>Please, reconsider the fees that you set. I hope you'll respond to my email as soon as you can so that potential candidates can meet your deadlines.
>
>thanks
>
>c.c unaalist
>c.c unaanet (since many folks are not on unaalist because they have not yet paid membership fees)
>
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
> From: "samutyaba@yahoo.com" <samutyaba@yahoo.com>
>To: jmusoke98@yahoo.com
>Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2013 11:03 AM
>Subject: UNAALIST 2013 Elections Guidelines
>
>
>
>Wish you all the best in this preparation.
>
>
>Ugandan North America Association . 1337 Massachusetts Avenue . Suite 153 . Arlington. MA . 02476
>Email: info@unaa.org
Ugandan North America Association . 1337 Massachusetts Avenue . Suite 153 . Arlington. MA . 02476
Email: info@unaa.org
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