Chamber of Commerce launch plans

[Jamie Palisades]

The RA passed legislation during its 8th term establishing a new CDS Chamber of Commerce.
At that time, while I was LRA, we asked bill author MT Lundquist to convene its first meeting. He has posted some plans here: http://forums.slcds.info//viewtopic.php ... =15#p11722

In my new role, I have asked MT to go ahead and set a first meeting date, so this can get started.
Expect to see one posted in this thread. I'll attend if possible.

Jon Seattle raises some reasonable questions here:
http://forums.slcds.info//viewtopic.php ... 053#p11887

Thanks for raising them. I suggest those be discussed here in the "Business, Commerce" board.
I will leave it to MT as convener -- and the group itself -- to answer some of them. There are three on which I have comments now.

1. The org is likely to be a bit slow at first *because* we are low on merchants, compared to many peer sims of our type. Hey, that's why we thought action was needed! So some patience may be required. In the meantime, the SL group MT opened probably is sparse for the very innocuous reason that we only now are starting to drive traffic to it. I expect that there will be a reasonable period of notice, somethign liek 2 weeks, before the first meeting, so as to give all possible stakeholders a chance to attend and conduct business from the outset.

2. Jon raises the questions whether the CofC is an NGO, and if such whether the charter must be approved in detail by the RA or otherwise. {Good question, looking into it, will post more here.] MT also provided a draft charter in his post,referenced above.

3. Jon, in reading that draft charter, asks whether "commercial" parties -- in the sense of people selling something -- should be given a higher priority than other classes of activity. The Commerce Bill itself was intended to classify a broad swath of activites -- including the sorts of passive things like law officers than Jon mentioned -- as eligible to use "commercial" zoned CDS properry without penalty.
Also a good question: but my guess is that MT's draft was intended to give full rights to that same broader swath of uses. But let's get that clarified and discussed.

Regards Jamie P

[Jamie Palisades]

At Sunday's meeting, the RA discussed, but did not complete action, on the CSDF's proposed bill offered by Jon Seattle here: http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2065
The bill would among other things modify last terms' Commerce Act adopted 28 June 2008, found here:
http://forums.slcds.info//viewtopic.php ... 019#p12019

Both the original legislation, and Jon's proposed amendment, address two major topics:
-- The Chamber of Commerce, and an intent to imposing special constraints on it.
-- The designation of some CDS land as "commercial zoned land", and the way that we enforce that zoning.

This post is about the first topic (the C of C). I have posted separately about the zoning and rent penalty issue, here: http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php? ... 021#p12021

The June 2008 legislation asks that we reorganize the CDS Chamber of Commerce, and the RA asked the bill's author MT Lundquist to convene a first meeting. See: http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2062
MT drafted some proposed procedures, posted here: http://forums.slcds.info//viewtopic.php ... =15#p11722
However, Jon's bill (above), would if it passes impose some additional constraints.
This has raised some additional questioons about whether the C of C is an NGO, and how CDS should regulate NGOs generally. That thread is here: http://forums.slcds.info//viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2068

Whether the C of C must have an RA-approved charter to operate .. or to fulfill its advisory role as defined in the June 2008 Commerce Act .. are issues that our RA may clarify by its action on these bills. I do want to see us get the C of C restarted, but suggest that the official kickoff wait until late September, so that the RA may conduct a second meeting to determine whether it's going to impose additional requirements on the group's operations.

The C of C was, if the RA permits it to go forward, also expected to pick up the roles formerly fulfilled by the CDS merchants association and prior C of C. Please note that we still have NL 4-14, regarding corporate registrations, as an effective statute in place, which creates quite a few procedures and duties, including a role for the C of C. See: http://portal.slcds.info/index.php?id=156

At first glance, that law seems rather complex and outdated. I am not sure that NL 4-14 has in fact been implemented .. or that the mechanisms are in place to permit it ... or that it's currently practical. if I;m right and it is unused, I may suggest to the RA that they suspend its effect for 3 months or some similar period, to permit further consideration of the practicality of those rules.

Regards JP

[Jon Seattle]

Hi Jamie. If I were you, I would focus on organizing a group of people interested in starting a CDS Chamber of Commerce. I think that just about everyone, including myself, thinks that a CoC is a good idea. And you don’t need a bill to get the it going. The real question I have expressed is the severe penalties described in the Commerce bill and the CoC’s role in recommending that they be applied. I do think we can leave those aside for the moment.

My suggestion is: invite in to membership every citizen who wants to participate and is willing to lend a hand. Make them all voting members so that they have an interest in building the new organization. Not just merchants, but architects and designers, people who script and program, teachers, lawyers, and consumers. All have a strong interest in seeing the CDS have a strong commercial presence and economic growth.

This was one thing I’ve learned from the New Guild, and from several other directly democratic organizations I have been a part of. If people feel it is their organization, that they have a real say in its mission, they will work hard for it. And in the New Guild a lot of the people who join and take part do not come in as builders and planners. They may well take on those roles as part of a New Guild project and learn something new in the process. The CoC can have a similar role for CDS businesses.

On the other hand if it is a group limited to established retailers, in the process of perusing their own interests, it may some day end up being protectionist and excluding potential competitors. This problem is strongly suggested by our own history. The CDS used to have a branch of government called the AC (old Guild) that ended up being very non-inclusive.

We have some amazing strengths in our own citizenry, its an incredibly bright and creative bunch. The way to make the CDS economy grow, and make this growth real and sustained, is to turn the CDS into an engine for creating new businesses and supporting existing ones that build on our citizen’s skills. If the CDS invests in its citizens, the CDS will attract even more of the kind of bright, creative, new citizens who will build our future.