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How is quitting going to help anything? If you're in it, at least you can try to fix it. Maybe slow things down a bit like Ron Swanson to minimize the damage th

How is quitting going to help anything? If you're in it, at least you can try to fix it. Maybe slow things down a bit like Ron Swanson to minimize the damage they do?

couchand 9y ago
It sounds like he tried, and determined that he was unable to sufficiently influence the outcomes on his own. It's conceivable that, by drawing attention to his concerns, his resignation can prove to be more productive than remaining on the committee.
lsiebert 9y ago
He says that an industry representative came in after months of work and was allowed to rewrite stuff to benefit the telecom industry. The model state rules let ISPs sue cities that set up their own broadband network. Staying could be construed as consent. This is the Mayor of San Jose, California, he wants it very clear that he's not on board.
daveFNbuck 9y ago
Time is a finite resource. At some point it's no longer worth the opportunity cost to stay in for a minimal change in the outcome. I'm sure a mayor has more important things to do. You're also neglecting the possibility that publicly quitting and explaining why will have a bigger effect than staying in and trying to influence a rigged outcome.
- megaman22 9y ago
  How effective are most of the things mayors do? Trying to steer the ship in a less shitty direction might be the best use of their time
  - daveFNbuck 9y ago
    If you believe that a mayor's time is worthless, it makes sense to waste it in a useless committee. Apparently this mayor feels differently than you about the value of his time.
Spooky23 9y ago
You can avoid association with what is happening for the kickback later. AT&T just got a 25 year contract to operate a national first responder network (aka have the Feds pay for network expansion). Verizon is feverishly building out capability to deliver diminished levels of service to people who pay less to match AT&T. The fix is in, no mayor has the juice to block that.
bastardoperator 9y ago
If you think governments are bad you should see what the private sector is doing with your data.
chatmasta 9y ago
It’s a publicity statement and an act of protest that he can list on his political resume in his next election.
- Simon_says 9y ago
  You say that like it's a bad thing. Politicians getting publicity for doing what the public wants leading to the politician staying in office is how I want the system to work.
  - thisacctforreal 9y ago
    GP felt matter-of-fact to me and didn't seem to have negative connotations.
    - Simon_says 9y ago
      It seemed kinda cynical to me.
      - chatmasta 9y ago
        As the GP (now GGP), I’ll settle this argument for you! :) I was being both cynical and matter of fact. I agree that in some sense this is what politicians are meant to do. However I was commenting in the context of the GGGP comment asking what purpose this serves. The cynical tone was referencing the fact that it could indeed be more effective for the mayor to “Ron Swanson” the committee, yet he chose a more self-serving alternative that is more akin to paying lip-service to his constituents’ preferences than it is to practically serving them.
NicoJuicy 9y ago
He got into the news with the message, media is over it. It worked out. Quitting can send a clear message
philipodonnell 9y ago
In politics, quitting something like that is often just a social cue that you disagree with what's going on. Oftentimes there will be an identified successor waiting, especially for appointed committees with forced allocations of seats among parties. Its far less meaningful compared to quitting a full-time job, but it sounds meaningful to people with full-time jobs. :-)

How is quitting going to help anything? If you're in it, at least you can try to fix it. Maybe slow things down a bit like Ron Swanson to minimize the damage they do?

couchand 9y ago

It sounds like he tried, and determined that he was unable to sufficiently influence the outcomes on his own. It's conceivable that, by drawing attention to his concerns, his resignation can prove to be more productive than remaining on the committee.

lsiebert 9y ago

He says that an industry representative came in after months of work and was allowed to rewrite stuff to benefit the telecom industry. The model state rules let ISPs sue cities that set up their own broadband network. Staying could be construed as consent. This is the Mayor of San Jose, California, he wants it very clear that he's not on board.

daveFNbuck 9y ago

Time is a finite resource. At some point it's no longer worth the opportunity cost to stay in for a minimal change in the outcome. I'm sure a mayor has more important things to do. You're also neglecting the possibility that publicly quitting and explaining why will have a bigger effect than staying in and trying to influence a rigged outcome.

megaman22 9y ago
How effective are most of the things mayors do? Trying to steer the ship in a less shitty direction might be the best use of their time
- daveFNbuck 9y ago
  If you believe that a mayor's time is worthless, it makes sense to waste it in a useless committee. Apparently this mayor feels differently than you about the value of his time.

Spooky23 9y ago

You can avoid association with what is happening for the kickback later. AT&T just got a 25 year contract to operate a national first responder network (aka have the Feds pay for network expansion). Verizon is feverishly building out capability to deliver diminished levels of service to people who pay less to match AT&T. The fix is in, no mayor has the juice to block that.

bastardoperator 9y ago

If you think governments are bad you should see what the private sector is doing with your data.

chatmasta 9y ago

It’s a publicity statement and an act of protest that he can list on his political resume in his next election.

Simon_says 9y ago
You say that like it's a bad thing. Politicians getting publicity for doing what the public wants leading to the politician staying in office is how I want the system to work.
- thisacctforreal 9y ago
  GP felt matter-of-fact to me and didn't seem to have negative connotations.
  - Simon_says 9y ago
    It seemed kinda cynical to me.
    - chatmasta 9y ago
      As the GP (now GGP), I’ll settle this argument for you! :) I was being both cynical and matter of fact. I agree that in some sense this is what politicians are meant to do. However I was commenting in the context of the GGGP comment asking what purpose this serves. The cynical tone was referencing the fact that it could indeed be more effective for the mayor to “Ron Swanson” the committee, yet he chose a more self-serving alternative that is more akin to paying lip-service to his constituents’ preferences than it is to practically serving them.

NicoJuicy 9y ago

He got into the news with the message, media is over it. It worked out. Quitting can send a clear message

philipodonnell 9y ago

In politics, quitting something like that is often just a social cue that you disagree with what's going on. Oftentimes there will be an identified successor waiting, especially for appointed committees with forced allocations of seats among parties. Its far less meaningful compared to quitting a full-time job, but it sounds meaningful to people with full-time jobs. :-)