Peter Olivola
Well-known member
Reference the below letter ID if you want to write in supporting or opposing the below.
Letter ID Number: #38377
Title: Change Requests
Class: GCR
Request: The following was sent to the BoD, and at the request of my Director I'm also submitting it to get it on the CRB calendar:
My primary involvement with SCCA is in the Road Racing program, but I am writing this to the BoD because it applies to all SCCA programs.
As currently is the case with Road Racing and Solo (and probably other programs I'm not familiar with,) member letter submissions are not visible to the rest of the membership. Over the years I have heard this defended as a protection of privacy. Why? We're not a health care provider and we don't need the equivalent of HIPAA.
One of the earliest things I learned when I first joined in 1967 was an example of a particularly egregious case of self dealing involving a change allowing aftermarket alloy wheels in the production category. Things have improved since those days but there remains a perception that self dealing still happens.
The single best way to overcome this perception would be to make available a digitized copy of the exact request including identifying the member or staff person making it. Not only would this make it possible for all members to see the request, the resulting response from the membership would provide the BoD and program boards and committees a better, faster feedback mechanism about the proposal. That feedback and the accompanying peer response to the originator would either reinforce the request or provide a disincentive to make self serving requests. The overall effect would also be to reduce the volume of requests, and reducing staff, boards and committees' review time.
I also understand that current SCCA IT capacity may not be capable of supporting such a large database. I would hope any new systems considerations would include sufficient capacity.
In political terms, this would be using sunshine as a disinfectant.
Letter ID Number: #38377
Title: Change Requests
Class: GCR
Request: The following was sent to the BoD, and at the request of my Director I'm also submitting it to get it on the CRB calendar:
My primary involvement with SCCA is in the Road Racing program, but I am writing this to the BoD because it applies to all SCCA programs.
As currently is the case with Road Racing and Solo (and probably other programs I'm not familiar with,) member letter submissions are not visible to the rest of the membership. Over the years I have heard this defended as a protection of privacy. Why? We're not a health care provider and we don't need the equivalent of HIPAA.
One of the earliest things I learned when I first joined in 1967 was an example of a particularly egregious case of self dealing involving a change allowing aftermarket alloy wheels in the production category. Things have improved since those days but there remains a perception that self dealing still happens.
The single best way to overcome this perception would be to make available a digitized copy of the exact request including identifying the member or staff person making it. Not only would this make it possible for all members to see the request, the resulting response from the membership would provide the BoD and program boards and committees a better, faster feedback mechanism about the proposal. That feedback and the accompanying peer response to the originator would either reinforce the request or provide a disincentive to make self serving requests. The overall effect would also be to reduce the volume of requests, and reducing staff, boards and committees' review time.
I also understand that current SCCA IT capacity may not be capable of supporting such a large database. I would hope any new systems considerations would include sufficient capacity.
In political terms, this would be using sunshine as a disinfectant.
