[CCWG-ACCT] Oversight of the Washington Metropolitan Transport Authority

[Sivasubramanian M]

Dear Ken

Thank you. As a community participant, I am more than in favour of the
community fully participating and contributing to the budgetary process.
But rather than think in terms of defined and rigid processes or veto
powers, if we could work towards a model wherein the community would
participate even at the budgetary proposal stage, discuss and debate long
term and short term expenditure items in a climate where the Board and
Staff would listen with commitment and enhanced respect, respond and to
some extend decide together with the community, it would be far less
complicated. Veto or any other form of obstructive power is intricate,
especially in the context of what we normally discuss in ICANN in the
context of capture, unless such powers are articulated akin to Impeachment
provisions that are almost never invoked.

Also, the analogy (analogies are never perfect) is not only about the
powers related to budgetary processes, but very broadly about various
process changes being discussed.

Sivasubramanian M



Sivasubramanian M <https://www.facebook.com/sivasubramanian.muthusamy>

On Fri, Oct 16, 2015 at 1:51 PM, Salaets, Ken <ksalaets at itic.org> wrote:

> As someone who unfortunately rides Metro five days a week, it's true that
> the system is a mess, but it has more to do with a lack of a dedicated
> revenue source other than a fares, and constraints on workforce
> recruitment.  Ridership has steadily declined for a variety of reasons,
> amplifying the challenges with lack of infrastructure investment, staff
> training, etc.
>
> True, having multi-state governance doesn't help, but it is not the core
> issue and, with due respect, is not a corollary to giving the community a
> voice in ICANN budget matters.
>
> Finally, Metro expansion as contemplated has been completed.  Metro did
> recently expand rather significantly beyond the original vision, i.e., the
> Silver Line, but alas, the addition is contributing to Metro problems in
> tangible ways, and is accelerating the decline in ridership.
>
> Ken
>
> On Oct 16, 2015, at 1:25 PM, Sivasubramanian M <isolatedn at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
> A co passenger on the Washington DC Metro remarked that Washington DC
> metro is far less efficient in making design improvements and in effecting
> upgrades. The top job was vacant for over 7 years before 2011, and vacant
> again since February 2015 with all leading candidates withdrawn. Plans to
> extend the metro have not progressed in 6 or 7 years.  This co passenger
> said that it was all because of the complex oversight of the Metro.
>
> The *Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority* (*WMATA*), commonly
> referred to as *Metro*, is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that
> operates transit service in the Washington Metropolitan Area
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Metropolitan_Area>. WMATA was
> created by the United States Congress
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress> as aninterstate
> compact <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_compact> between the District
> of Columbia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.>, the State
> of Maryland <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland>, and the
> Commonwealth of Virginia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia>.
>
> Trijurisdictional Government Agency with several subcommittees that
> requires the Directors / Representatives of the Federal Government and two
> state governments to agree on budget and other management decisions. It is
> perhaps due to this complications that the Metro, in comparison with other
> Pubic Transport Authorities in other US cities, is less efficient in its
> management, slow to make decisions and somewhat stagnant in its expansion.
>
> ICANN Accountability discussions have made commendable progress during the
> last 18 months, but seek to introduce some new measures in the way ICANN is
> governed. Some of the new processes, such as change in budgetary process
> may have to be considered with the caution that greater complexities may
> compromise on the efficiency with which ICANN makes decisions.
>
> Sivasubramanian M
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Sivasubramanian M <https://www.facebook.com/sivasubramanian.muthusamy>
>
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>
>
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