Open Question, Progress Party Senators:

I want to know what pieces of legislation have been introduced by Progress senators since taking office (whether bills passed or failed). Would also like to know what key votes and/or pro/cons Progress senators have been a part of.

Anyone can post here.

Thank You.

Updates

I'll be speaking with Fmr. Progress Party Presidential candidate, Sen. Benjamin Dictor this weekend for an update on where the Progress Party is headed, continued negotiations with O&B, and SG-strategies. Dictor, whether remaining at UF or not (like Bruce Haupt), has made a lasting contribution to the modern day independent movement.

I'm also awaiting the Q&A from Fmr. Sen. Joe Bennett and working on some loose ends for the months of April & May, as well as hopefully getting more involvement from Joe Trimboli & Eric Conrad on the State of the Parties.

I'm also hoping to be able to have a Jordan Johnson Q&A up at some point during his administration - I consider this a top priority for the blog and would be ever-so-gracious to anyone that could help make this happen.

GDI v. Mainstream Indie

Mainstream Indies

GDI's

There's three types of Independents...yes more subcultures...but these three types have been around a lot longer than yours truly or this blog. The first type (which is a Greek-friendly version, e.g. "Swamp," "Impact") was not present in this election. The next garden variety is the Mainstream (or Moderate) Independent (ala Progress '05, Action, or Hernandez-UNITE!), which in this case would be the Orange & Blue Party. The smallest type - and contrary to this year's upset, the worst performing faction - are the GDI's (see Student Alliance '03, Keg '04, Voice '05, and arguably, ARGUABLY Keg '09.

In the featured videos, you see Mainstream GDI's using the same influences as their elder-GDI counterparts and while funny, the O&B version seems forced, whereas as the Pants version is very spontaneous, laid back, and naturally "WHATEVER!"

You decide for yourself. Put your film critic's hat on and comment!

Tannenbaum's 12/11 Minutes

3:03 Bennett proposes party officer elections, Schneider is first to use "unelected cabal"

12:20 Miorelli says voting members include former party officers in bylaws, and again at 14:20

16:10 Bennett asks why Progress Party members can vote. Debate ensues about who can vote 'current party officers and senators vs. officers, senators, and previous party members'

17:20 Laugh track.

21:00 Vote on weather or not to end debate on voting members. Trimbolli abstains from vote. 9-8 Fails

Debate on whether or not to have elections.

22:00 Yanuk asks where is the smear campaign.

22:30 Bennett mentions information from a member of the cabal.

24:00 Neiderriter steps forward to comment on the cabal and the smear campaign.

24:50 Gillespy comments on time for debate.

25:50 Hargrove: "The bylaws will do you no good if there is no party."

27:33 Dictor gives the reasons for having elections.

30:27 Schneider: "a great deception on the part of this leadership"

31:00 Gillespy "I joined this party because I trusted that it wasn't the Gator party"

33:18 Dictor on Chutzpah

34:43 Gersten on group therapy.

35:55 Yanuk: "There's something to be said for people having done the job for years"

37:00 Vote on adding elections: Passes unanimously 18-0

37:50 Public comment

38:35 Eric Conrad on joining the movement, wanting to help out, but now questioning the structure of the system

40:30 Yevkin __ on arrogance and unity

40:58 ?? ?? on excitement and disappointment, "schisms should exist"

43:53 Gersten on staying unaffiliated, and future of the movement with people who's voices aren't heard now

46:18 Hargrove on the differences between the Gator Party and O&B, being an open party, and voting member standards changing

49:00 Tannenbaum on the contrast between the majority opinion versus the leadership's opinion and the voting process

50:10 Adriana on helping O&B and respect for one another

52:00 Bylaws: Members at Large, Robert's Rules, Party Council positions

1:07:30 Article 3 - Party Committee Chair discussion: Passes

1:20:15 Article 4 - Recognizing Progress Party Seniority

1:21:20 Miorelli: "Seniority trumps everything" and again at 1:21:40

1:22:30 Dictor on meritocracy vs patronage

1:31:25 Bendix on merit of Neiderreiter and Trimbolli, "...we're going to question that they don't have a right to any of this? How much money have Josh and Joe Trimbolli put into this party? And we're going to say they have no merit?"

1:32:45 Hargrove on what we were told at IHOP, "Now you're gonna tell me that two hard workers get a vote, but the rest of the hard workers don't? You gotta be out of your fucking mind!"

1:35:00 Ossip reads the names of the cabal provided by Neidereitter

1:36:00 Neiderreiter responds.

1:37:30 Miorelli: "recognizes seniority"

Bennett responds

1:38:30 Gray on short sightedness

1:39:50 Tannenbaum on a mechanism for inclusion

Gersten on money and shifting direction

1:41:45 Article 4 fails (McShera and Benedix abstain) 5-12

1:43:30 Election of Officers

1:45:50 Neiderreiter gives his speech.

1:49:00 Hargrove gives his speech.

1:52:45 Questions

1:54:15 Neiderrieter: "I will continue to have meetings, cause I have to tell you what happened to me in the Pants Party. I would always be asking what the hell's going on with this party. I would be screaming at Sam over AIM, 'What was going on? I have no idea what's going on.' And I think one of the things the Orange and Blue Party has done well in the campaigns is have a lot of meetings and tell everyone what's going on." and 1:58:20 "I don't want people to feel left out, I've been there before"

2:06:20 Huey offers to give anyone the exec thread contents

2:12:30 Dictor on Hargrove and The Cabal Text Messages between him and Braco, The Leadership: "It is not the party's choice who runs under the O&B"
Braco responds: populous vs qualifications
Neidereitter responds, "The Leadership does not just refer to the cabal."

2:23:20 Miorelli on qualifications of the candidates and requirements of the office

2:27:00 Gillespy on the principles and values of the party

2:29:10 Gray on behavioral problems of the candidates

2:33:00 Ossip asks to continue the meeting, and is met with resistance

2:35:15 Student Body President nominations

2:35:30 Gillespy nominates McShera

2:35:45 Bennett nominates Dictor

2:37:10 Hargove wins 10-7

2:37:34 Dictor accepts nomination

Meeting is adjourned

Sen. Ben Dictor Speaks!

TheRadiKaL: Please tell us about yourself. When did you arrive at UF, what year are you, what major, and what organizations you initially got involved with at UF.

Senator Benjamin Dictor:


Benjamin N. Dictor
Political Science Major
European Union Studies Minor
Senior

I came to UF as a transfer student in the spring of 2007. The first group I got involved with was the Industrial Workers of the World through the Civic Media Center. Through the IWW I was introduced to many of the organizers of other organizations and we began to organize the University of Florida Progressive Caucus. It was more or less an umbrella organization for many of the progressive organizations, on and off campus. It is a shame that the Caucus has, as of late, been inactive with the transition of many of the leaders of the organizations and my involvement in the Senate. I am in the process of jumpstarting the Caucus again under new, less senior leadership that will ensure its continued existence.

I am also serving my second term as the Vice President of the Political Science Honor Society.

TheRaDiKaL: How did you come to learn of Student Government. Share with us your journey from beginning to present. What obstacles did you meet along the way?


Senator Benjamin Dictor: I voted in the Fall 2007 election for the Progress Party having never met anyone from the organization throughout the entire month of campaigning. They were essentially invisible to the average student; huddled behind their tables in Turlington and the Reitz. After I voted, I finally met Ben Cavataro and a number of other Progress Party people behind their table on the colonnade. I inquired as to their ground strategy and organizing efforts only to find that the organization was so small, the network so limited and the strategy so defeatist that their ground game was essentially developing a mythos in contrast to the Greek party and assuming the average student cared.

I started meeting with Sam, Ben, Mark, Tommy and a few other members of the Old Guard at Maudes on a weekly basis and brought various members of progressive organizations to the meetings to help me evaluate the situation and get them involved. The purpose of these meetings was, at the time, discussing Online Voting as it had not yet been struck down by the Court. Joe Richard and I brought along Charlie Gapskie to one particular meeting where he stressed the importance of classical political organizing.

What these meetings accomplished for the independent party
movement was making a much needed connection with the progressive community and making us feel like we had a stake in the outcome of the student government elections. While some members of the then Progress Party surely wanted to be that connection for these organizations, others appear now in hindsight to have seen the progressive community solely as a means to an end.

This period of time gave me the opportunity to reach out to these organizations for slating and volunteers in the Spring. This was an incredibly important aspect of the Orange and Blue party's success. Although only a few of us ran in winning seats, almost our entire ground game was comprised of members of progressive organizations. Where the Greeks use unwilling and unmotivated pledge classes to hand out fliers, we brought a dedicated and experienced group of activists to the independent party, the majority of whom were not even slated but simply wanted to see the mission succeed. We would not have won a single seat without their dedication and tireless work. I would not be in the Senate if it was not for their hard work and I will never forget that. If it wasn't for their boots on the ground, it would have been bodies behind the table just as it was for the Progress Party.

The last day of campaigning brought a sight that I imagine many independent parties have never seen; the orange shirts far outnumbered the blue Gator Party Shirts in Turlington by the end of the day. We were beyond a political party at this point. Simply put, we had inspired and organized a movement. I'll never forget Tommy Jardon's amazement at the number of people we were able to organize; he was truly astonished. To this day, however, Will Foster and others criticize my conceptualization of what we do as a 'movement' and ridicule the notion of mass politics that has been key to our success.


theRadikal: Talk to us about that historic Fall 2008 campaign when an independent party, sans of any official Greek or Multi-Cultural support, split District D, split the on-campus vote, and nearly took District C. Indie Students and Alums will celebrate this monumental campaign for years to come.


Senator Benjamin Dictor: Fall 2008 was in many ways simply a continuation of the strategy used in Spring 2008. On the first week we were able to campaign, I invited everyone out to the Lakeside residence hall for on-the-job-training in how to phone-bank and campaign. 20 or so volunteers and candidates came out. I sat down with Gary Benedix, our Lakeside candidate, and his roommates and explained that if they simply spent time outside the laundry facilities and common areas collecting names and emails of supporters, the election could be won handedly. In spite of the criticism I received for from the old guard for spending time and energy at Lakeside (presumed by them to be a lost cause) Gary did win and by some of the widest margins of the election.

I never wavered on my certainty that we would win Lakeside and other residence halls if we simply stopped relying solely on the Alligator to print stories in our favor and became our own best advocates on the ground. This is how I became acquainted with Dave Schneider (the only person who slated from Rawlings) who immediately impressed me with his conviction and dedication to winning. Everyone in our party told him from the day he slated forward that Rawlings was a lost cause and that he had no chance whatsoever of winning. Dave refused to give in to the cynicism and defeatism that had become a hallmark of the independent party, staying up until 3am with me spray painting campaign signs on the back porch of the CMC. Dave, ever the organizer himself, put together a fantastic team of volunteers in his residence hall and put up one hell of a fight. Needless to say, against all odds, Dave was successful and has been a fantastic addition to the Senate.

Off campus, our District A and B candidates were as dedicated as those who actually had a chance to win. While A and B encompass frat and sorority row, and are therefore near impossible, many progressive activists along with others went door-to-door and simply refused to give in. Our C and D candidates did the same and the results of the election show the effectiveness of boots on the ground as opposed to the classic strategy of bodies behind the table. Alden Gillespy, Donte Hargrove and so many others were relentless in their campaigning.


El--RadiKal: Once elected, what was your take on concessions that included a 'civil first meeting' to ensure the confirmation of senior senator Ben Cavatero (Hume)? Were you fearful of future 'concessions?'


Senator Benjamin Dictor: Cavataro is an absolutely essential part of the Orange and Blue Party. That being said, the last line of the Billy Bragg version of the Internationale is "Though they offer us concessions, change will not come from above."

Thumbs Up!



TheRADIKAL: Describe to us the overall mutual cooperation and overall Party' coordination of Orange & Blue senators in chambers. What would you say was the term's high and low points, & why?


Senator Benjamin Dictor: There is very little coordination.

High Points: 1. Getting over three and a half hours of public debate from progressive organizations to speak out against the elimination of minority party rights. 2. Getting enough votes to kill Gator Party legislation that would have eliminated the minority protections in the Senate. 3. Sitting down with many Gator Party senators who vote their consciences in spite of increasing hostility from their own party for doing so.

Low Points: Finding out precisely how coercive the Gator Party is towards its own senators as a result.


The RADIKAL: Breakdown the current roster of the UF Student Senate Allocations Committee. Please name each member of the committee you serve on, sharing with us their individual strenghts, and also giving us an objective assessment of the committee's work for the Fall session 2008.

Senator Benjamin Dictor:




The RadiKaL: What is your take on having a non-student Senate secretary in chambers? This question does not refer to Glenda's day-time functions (which are very needed), but only to the her role within the student body.


Senator Benjamin Dictor: Sometimes I can't believe she stays there until midnight, haha. Because the current political situation on campus leaves us with student officials who are entirely unreliable and inept at their jobs (Greek patronage) I don???t mind having a non-student fulfill the role of secretary in the Student Senate. Her role in the chambers is needed and she provides some historical knowledge of the institution having been there for so long. Perhaps, under different political circumstances, a student could fulfill the role.

Thumbs Down!


The RaDiKaL: Please tell us about SDS.


Senator Benjamin Dictor: Students for a Democratic Society is an organization of incredibly thoughtful and passionate individuals who attempt, more than most organizations I've observed, to practice what they preach. SDS is often misrepresented in the press and even more often invoked to over generalize about the progressive left in Gainesville. I have been vocally supportive of many of their projects over the course of the past two years and have absolutely no qualms about publicly voicing this. So long as SDS stands against mandatory hand scanners, for Socially Responsible Investing, against the war in Iraq, and for democratic principle, I will stand with SDS.


The RadiKaL: Though it's been often dismissed as rhetoric, to what degree would you say "the Left" assisted O&B in the historic Fall campaign?


Senator Benjamin Dictor: Absolutely essential. The progressive community was the cornerstone of the O&B victory in the Spring and laid the foundation for its success in the Fall. This is not to say it is the only reason we won, but the Orange and Blue Party simply cannot win without the support of Gainesville's progressive community.


The RaDiKaL: As of December I've begun classifying members of O&B into two groups, factions if you will. The classifications have worked very well for me and every single member falls almost perfectly into either class. What do the terms "Official" and "Progressive" mean to you?


Senator Benjamin Dictor:

Official: Old guard. The corrosive and defeatist mythos of the old "indie party" mentality.

Progressive: The strategy and mentality adopted since the Spring of 2008 elections. The only way Orange and Blue will continue to win.


The RaDiKaL: As leader of what I've dubbed "the Progs" and as a viable candidate for the O&B nomination in Spring 2009, what message would you like to send to those members of your party supporting Mark McShera?


Senator Benjamin Dictor: I'm not sure I am the leader of 'the progs.' I like Mark a lot and always have. He has the institutional knowledge and money needed by the party, but I am not certain that this alone makes a good candidate.


TheRadiKal: If you won the O&B nomination, would be some early objectives you'd like to declare in a Dictor presidency for the University of Florida?


Senator Benjamin Dictor:

1. Online voting

2. End Jacksonian patronage in all aspects of student government. This includes within the independent party movement itself. (Don???t be fooled, Sam even tried to write it into the bylaws with Article IV.)

3. Reform the budget process to end the economic stranglehold it allows over student organizations. Boss Tweed used potatoes, Gator Party uses Accent co-sponsorships among other things.

4. Begin plotting the Hebrew socialist revolution against the fascist national Golgotha (Thanks Ginsberg!)

THE RADIKAL: Name association, no word limit:

Dave Schneider: Dedicated, leader, organizer

"Grasshopper:" Respected, intelligent, worldly, patient (very proud to call my friend)

Stacey Gray: Optimistic, calm, committed

Sam Miorelli: Relentless

Joe Trimboli: Ideology

Skeet Surrency: ----My Pick for Student Body President!!!!!!----

Ben Cavatero: Statesman

Matt Goldberger: Only talked to this guy once. Read about him in the papers quite a bit though. Typical Gator Party kinda guy, you know? All variations on a theme???

Frank Bracco: Selfless

Joshua Simmons: Dynamic, Republican Alinsky, principled above all else

Jordan Loh: Ronald Regan (interpret as you wish, haha.)

Beau Frail: Sustainability

Jonathan Ossip: Brilliant.

Joe Bennett: Considerate, intelligent, leader

Thomas Jardon: Always a very nice guy to me.

Liz Stinson: Veteran.

Mark McShera: Knowledgeable, seasoned

Minority Rules Senate...& Now O&B?

Hargrove Defeats Niederriter

Donte Hargrove, an alleged Dictor-loyalist, in a party that some believe is almost 2/3's in the bag for Mark McShera, defeats 'The Officials''s candidate!

It would seem logical for 'The Progs' to receive the party's leadership on paper as part of some exit package, but Dictor remains in position to challenge McShera for the Orange & Blue nomination for student body president.

Insiders from both sides have McShera at a comfortable lead, with Gator observers pleased. The FBK/Greek side seems uneasy about facing a united O&B Party given big losses in Fall and the ever looming possibility of Greek houses revolting.

'The Progs', under Dictor, have a stronger hand at the moment. Numerically speaking, Dictor cannot defeat McShera, but if Hargrove suspended the rules and declared Dictor the party's candidate next term, The Officials would find themselves scrambling for a new party name, spreading word throughout campus, and spending countless hours and money on damage control.

Conceptually speaking, as the frontrunner, McShera's voice should reign supreme (& McShera has recognized Donte Hargrove). However, until January 2009, The Officials will control the party through Sam Miorelli.

Miorelli could potentially suspend the rules and call for new elections. Rumor has it McShera opposes the idea of Josh Simmons being re-admitted to Exec., there would be a huge deadlock if the Party's SBP candidate forbade the re-admission of an Exec. Committee applicant, largely favored by the Party President. Miorelli just might make this potential showdown never happen...

Josh Simmons is also in an interesting position. A week ago he wanted back into O&B Exec. and today, some would say he's the power behind the O&B President-elect.

What an interesting time Spring may be. Simmons & Miorelli, both graduating next term, will be actively wrestling to get Hargrove in their corner -- who wins? Is it that obvious? How did The Officials lose the party presidency? I don't get it, but if one thing's for sure, Ben Dictor remains a viable underdog in contention for the party nomination.

---

Simmons Writes Duque

Christian,

I unfortunately had to step out for a goodly portion of the business part of the meeting, but since you seem to have gotten the gist of what actually happened already, I'll talk repercussions with you.

As far as this farcical assertion that I am somehow in control of Donte, it's patently ridiculous. I'd never even been properly introduced to the guy until yesterday. He's not beholden to anyone - he was duly elected in the first free and fair officer election a minority party has ever held. Although I'm sure he's more likely to consider my opinion than Sam Miorelli would, that's not saying much - it's become incredibly clear to everyone, I think, that Sam Miorelli listens to no one except the voices inside his head.

With regard to the party's nomination, that matter wasn't considered, although the McShera faction tried to force his nomination through in the meeting's garbage time (after, in fact, Miorelli had gavelled the meeting adjourned) but that attempt was abandoned after Donte was announced as the new party president and the shock thereof. I'm not sure if Ben will seek the nomination again - you'd have to ask him about that. I think that he feels the election of Donte is a step in the right direction, though, towards restoring the principles he feels the party originally stood for.

As to my climbing back into the mystical realm of the "exec," frankly I couldn't care less whether McShera wants me or not. In fact, the mentality that there is some powerful group of "exec" members is the sort of thing I'm trying to change by supporting Ben Dictor. One way or another, I'm going to be in the room offering my perspective, and hopefully someone will decide that it's worth taking into consideration.

There's supposed to be another meeting tomorrow to elect the remainder of the party's officials and potentially the SBP nominee (although not necessarily), and we'll know more after that.

Cheers,
-Josh Simmons

---

"I think it's reprehensible how people that I helped get elected now see fit to openly trash me and the other people who donated huge amounts of money and time to get them elected for their own personal political gain."

Sen. Sam Miorelli
Orange & Blue Party President