On Tue, May 08, 2012 at 09:37:35PM +0200, Gaudenz Steinlin wrote:
> I don't care too much about this point. But I'd prefer this over a
> solution like we currently have it in the debian.ch bylaws that any
> substantial expenses have to be approved by the DPL. It's doubtful if
> such a clause in the bylaws is even enforcable under Swiss law.
I'll let aside the problem of whether your bylaws are enforceable, that
looks like an orthogonal debian.ch (non-)issue. But let me reassure you
on the fact that the above provision is *not* going to be a practical
issue for debian.ch or for any other organization that will end up
having to deal with DebConf budget.
The way it works, budget-wise, is that the DebConf orga team present a
tentative DebConf budget to the DPL for approval before (the first
payment of) DebConf. From there on, expenses approval is in the hands of
the orga team and, if you need to identify specific individuals, in
those of the DebConf chairs. Not sure if that makes things any easier,
but you shouldn't need to worry about going through the DPL for every
DebConf expenses, is something the orga team can take care of by itself
(within the limits of an overall budget).
> in the association. Because this will be the main body to decide about
> DC13 in any matter that includes legal or financial things in
> Switzerland. But ultimately this is a decision the individuals
> concerned have to take (if they want to become members or not) and
> there is no hurry right now.
To be honest, it seems to me you're putting too much importance in the
local "fiscal" organization and its decision making bodies. DebConf
decisions are made by the DebConf orga team. The fiscal organization is
something we need because money don't live in the virtual world. We're
used to expect that the fiscal organization will simply execute
money-related decisions of the DebConf orga team.
The organization can, in theory, decide to go against the orga team
decisions, but that is where trust kicks in. And, to some extent, also
where the "memorandum of understanding" we sign every year between the
DPL and the local organization (see for example
agreements/20120327-debconf-isic-en.pdf in the DPL archive on
master.debian.org).
The above explains my skepticism. As DPL and in principle, I'd be more
happy in trusting DebConf money dealings to debian.ch, an organization
that already deals with and owns money of the Debian project, that a
separate new organization. If debian.ch screws up with DebConf13 money,
the already existing ties among them and the Debian Project will give
more guarantee that there is mutual interest in solving issues in the
interest of the Project.
Then, of course, the fact that the people running the new organization
will be a subset of debian.ch and the DebConf orga team will make it
easier to trust the new organization. But I can't help thinking that
creating a new organization is pointless, given that we already have a
trusted organization in the area. (There might exist other reasons to do
so, like the tax exemption one, which I've already commented in a
previous mail.)
That's all for me on this topic, I just wanted to clarify the "trust"
aspect from the POV of the DPL. The choice is, of course, of the orga
team.
Cheers.
--
Stefano Zacchiroli zack@{upsilon.cc,pps.jussieu.fr,debian.org} . o .
Maître de conférences ...... http://upsilon.cc/zack ...... . . o
Debian Project Leader ....... @zack on identi.ca ....... o o o
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