A few thoughts from your PO; AMENDMENTS AT VOTE

[Fritz]

I support the proposal to eliminate regional Senate seats, and replace them with a Council of Governors.  So we would have two houses of five members each.  I would like to see this proposal drafted, passed by this Convention, and presented to the Senate as an amendment.

I also believe Congress should re-draw the regions, perhaps annually, based on a "census" provided by the Department of Forum Affairs.  Gerrymandering could of course be a problem, but hey, thats how it is in the real world!

[Fritz]

So much for me trying to contribute to this thread, everything I suggested just got shot down. 

The Council of Governors is a good idea because it reduces the number of regionally elected offices by five (one for each region), thus making the regional elections more competitive.

The regions should be re-drawn periodically for relatively equal membership in each.  Then we don't end up with a situation like we currently have in the Midwest, where we don't have enough members to support a legislature.  Plus, it adds a new element to the game that is currently missing....the debates on "re-regioning" could be quite interesting indeed!

[Fritz]

The regions should be re-drawn periodically for relatively equal membership in each.  Then we don't end up with a situation like we currently have in the Midwest, where we don't have enough members to support a legislature.  Plus, it adds a new element to the game that is currently missing....the debates on "re-regioning" could be quite interesting indeed!

Yes, but what about gerrymandering of regions? It's an aspect of this redistricting game that cannot be tossed aside, dusted away as unimportant, or reduced to irrelevance by saying it's normal. Regions are not congressional districts

Well, I guess I respectfully disagree.  It is true that Regions are not, strictly speaking, congressional districts, but I think they could share some characteristics of congressional districts without hurting anything.  I acknowledged that gerrymandering would be an issue, but it is also an issue that politicians in the real world deal with.  This is a game.  We want the game to simulate reality, right?  I think the re-regioning process would have to have strict and clear legal guidelines designed to attempt to prevent gerrymandering.

[Fritz]

Okay fine, I withdraw the re-regioning idea. 

[Fritz]

I support the proposal to eliminate regional Senate seats, and replace them with a Council of Governors.  So we would have two houses of five members each.  I would like to see this proposal drafted, passed by this Convention, and presented to the Senate as an amendment.

I also believe Congress should re-draw the regions, perhaps annually, based on a "census" provided by the Department of Forum Affairs.  Gerrymandering could of course be a problem, but hey, thats how it is in the real world!

[Fritz]

We actually have regional judiciaries?  Who is on them?

[Fritz]

While your compromise plan does eliminate elections for regional Senators, it retains the offices.  By your own admission, your total plan results in a net gain of 3-5 positions.  We have too many positions and not enough active players to fill them all, whether elected or appointed.  Granted, making it an appointed position eliminates the need for having an opponent in elections.  But it does nothing to add to the game.