Avoiding Action Have you ever been in a meeting and had the sinking feeling there was no good path forward? If the motion was adopted, perhaps it would inadvertently send the wrong message – and the same was true if it failed. Even if the motion is on the floor for...
The Block Island Times ( Block Island, RI ) A 2-0 vote by the New Shoreham School Committee will apparently end Marsha Gutierrez’s career at the Block Island School without health benefits in her retirement package, and, according to her attorney, Gutierrez is...
Surf City, NJ Children are often taught there are two answers to certain questions: yes or no. That’s not the case for elected officials, who have the ability to abstain from a vote on any given topic for any number of reasons. Often, the reason for an abstention vote...
The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, OH) As early as the 17th century in America, members of fraternal clubs often voted at their meetings without paper ballots. Many decisions had to be almost unanimous; just one “no” vote could defeat a project. So, they used a...
