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I actually disagree, but only because I'm reading between the lines. The place for carefully outlined policy with explicit exceptions, or funding associated wit
by tootie 4y ago
I actually disagree, but only because I'm reading between the lines. The place for carefully outlined policy with explicit exceptions, or funding associated with grid improvements or the like go through Congress and they know that. My take is that the Sierra Club is essentially making a very public opening bid in their bargain to reduce gas heating as much as possible. In a negotiation, you don't start with what you'd settle for. You start with the most extreme position you can plausibly stake out, then give up ground inch by inch to land at something reasonable. They'll get the chance to put their evidence on the record, maybe drag some witnesses to speak on the record, score some discovery wins, force a few rulings to set some precedent. And also they can fundraise like hell off of it. It's gamemanship for sure, but I support that they're pushing in the right direction.
- throwaway0a5e 4y agoGamesmanship like this is counterproductive when it gets everyone on your side grouped in with whoever on your side is playing "bad cop".
- swatcoder 4y agoCan you provide some examples where non-trivial legislative or regulatory policies were changed without such bargaining games? By the nature of simply being an issue, you always have multiple power bases and advocacy groups staked out around a bureaucracy designed to do no more than it's forced to. If you have a better way to resolve issues than with this kind of postured negotiation, that would be wonderful, but it feels like it would also be pretty darn novel.
- landemva 4y agoSome State initiatives to put MJ on the ballot were successful, and did not involve State legislature nor involve staking an extreme position. Sierra Club seems to be pandering to their donor base.
- alphabettsy 4y ago> Some State initiatives to put MJ on the ballot were successful, and did not involve State legislature nor involve staking an extreme position. You’re right the legislature and ballot initiatives did not take extreme positions, but those were brought forth by political groups that took the position of legalizing cannabis for adults full-stop. They’ve made incremental progress by supporting broadly acceptable and reasonable legislation towards those goals, but they made concessions to win broad support. I don’t see how the Sierra Club is different. That said, I would like to see our political debates and process lose the gamesmanship.
- landemva 4y agoTo be similar, Sierra Club could take their idea and collect signatures to petition it on to ballot. Instead they are taking an extreme position which would garner few signatures.
- alphabettsy 4y agoIt’s a letter.