So the rebuilding process is well under way, and what better way to go about it than to give five new crew leaders homes in Staten Island. These leaders were elected through a competition where the Mafioso of this world voted for who they wanted to get auth. The winner was granted auth, and second place, and third place, and fourth and fifth. I wish all competitions had five winners, that would be super awesome!

As it stands all five leaders have set up, Staten island now consists of 9 people, of which there are 5 crew leaders, 2 RHM, 1 LHM and 1 other member.

Now lest compare that to The Loop, 1 Godfather, 3 Crew leaders, 4 RHM, 4 LHM and 54 other members.

And Downtown, 1 GF, 2 CL's, 3RHM, 3LHM and 50 other members

And also Queens, another newly established district, 1 CL, 1RHM, 1 LHM and 31 other members.

It will be interesting to see how these numbers change over the next couple of days, its been 6 hours so far and the 5 CL's between them have managed to recruit 4 people into their district, 3 of which are in the same crew. Congrats Roqelaure for being the only one who actually looks like they put some sort of planning into their auth with already having an Upper Structure planned out. I feel the people need to see more effort being put in to these crews, they need to at least look like they know what they are doing or have had some sort of guidance.

I know these crews will grow, but one thing I cannot believe is the fact that more than half these Crew Leaders set up without a RHM. What is going on? It looks like a mass wave of rogues all lining up to cause havoc. I don't know if I'm more surprised that so many people have set up without RHM or the fact that none of them have been killed for looking like a bunch on rogues.

'Why so many leaders in one district' is what I first thought, is this some sort of gun strengthening exercise, or just a change to give loads of people a chance to see how cool and epic being a CL really is? Being a CL is hard, its takes a lot of time and effort to be a good CL, you are given the chance by proving yourself to have what it takes, not to win some competition and be instantly granted fame and fortune.

I guess I am a little worried, has the title of being a CL lost its worth? Is is now something that anyone can get through writing one streets post? Which I'm sure over half the people who voted didn't even bother to read, they just thought it was a pretty name on the vote ballot. Becoming CL takes hard work and respect, it is earned by good people who do something that makes them stand out from the rest of the crowd. I feel setting up so many at once does not make any of them special, they are just another CL in that district given away to the many winners of a competition. These five are going to have to do something special to stand out from the crowd and prove themselves to the people.

Can five leaders really lead? Well I guess we will see I suppose, it may work wonderfully, but I doubt it. I predict that there will be a leader that is weaker than the others, one who cannot keep up and will be removed in the name of “in house cleaning”, and then the next, and the next. If in two weeks time all five leaders are happy as Larry and doing well, I will quite happily eat my own words.

The world is changing I suppose, and perhaps this is one of the changes coming along with it, the fact that anyone can set up a cheap HQ for him and a few friends and pretend to be as good as the big fellas with their full 40 man HQ's earned through respect and power.

When's the competition for Americas Next Godfather? I'm applying to be on that show for sure!

It is not the suit that matters, it is the legacy. If a policy was enacted at this point that allowed a fifth of mobsters to purchase an HQ and every crew contained five people, would it devalue the position of CL?

No. It takes very little time for the sludge to fall away whilst the cream rises to the top. If I asked you to name me a Leader from a year ago, the one you name would be memorable for a reason. If you feel that a single competition in a single district can alone devalue the value of the bold suit, then I honestly pity the lack of regard you have for the institution; the bold suit is not that cheap nor effortless to degrade, in my opinion.

I feel the competition could be another nail in the coffin towards the devaluation of a Crew Leader, a position that should be cherished and looked highly upon. Every Mafioso wants to be a Leader, i get that, but if every mafioso was a leader then who would there be to lead? Without a sudden influx of new blood onto these streets the newer crews will stay small, is a handful of small crews better than one large crew? From the perspective of guns, yes, yes indeed is is better. But communication will be a failure, i guarantee it.

The cream does indeed rise to the top, and I hope someone who has taken one of the auths has the skills to take their crew to the top and leave their mark in Staten Island, but for now, its all one sludgy mess.

I feel the competition could be another nail in the coffin towards the devaluation of a Crew Leader, a position that should be cherished and looked highly upon.

I'd just like to touch on this quickly. For my own personal views not all crew leaders are viewed the same as it is. Everyone will have a range of which they stick crew leaders. Some may fall into the "Never would I join them" category, others would be in "This Crew leader is awesome. hope they never die" category. However, one thing is learned to at least attempt a respect of all. You don't have to like them, hell I'm sure some of them don't really like each other but have to show some form of courtesy to each other if they expect to remain building their families, districts and if the city is working as a whole, city.  So to the point I don't see this as a devaluation of a crew leader because they are already seen on different levels by regular members.

Thankyou for your reply Telkin, being one of the Crew Leaders I spoke about I applaud you for coming here and voicing your opinion.

I must say I did consider the fact that people are waiting to be transferred over, and I thought why would anyone want to set up without having a RHM next to them or even having a few members behind them? It just seems silly to me, to set up on your own and sit in your lonely HQ waiting for your friends to arrive? I guess I would have just done it differently, made sure my members were ready for the move before I set up, instead of rushing into things.

A RHM is not required to run a crew, whilst this is correct i feel this is the wrong attitude to have. Its like walking blind into a minefield, there's no one there to help you. I couldn't agree more that its better to choose a trusted person rather than give the spot to some guy you've known a week, but surely you have been on these streets long enough to know someone who fits the role?

You have proven yourself in a competition to be eligible for a bold suit, well done, seriously. But now please just take that alot further and prove yourself as worthy to be called a Crew Leader. Don't become just another forgotten name, stand up and make a mark on Staten Island, please!

"To quote you again - 'These five are going to have to do something special to stand out from the crowd and prove themselves to the people.' Heh, why is this exactly? We've already proven ourselves, that much is evident in our lovely Bold suits. We've already stood out from the crowd in being brave enough to shoulder the weight of a district, and we're certainly not about to drop that load. I can assure you with absolute confidence, just because we're new leaders does NOT mean we're new to this way of life."

Telkin my old friend, please do not take this the wrong way, and you should know this. All you have proven so far, is that you were one of five people who could get votes in a popularity competition. Your bloodline has been around these parts for some time now. However that does not entitle you to auth, in fact it doesn't entitle you to a damn thing. I'm no trying to degrade you or your accomplishments, but I and many others are not taking this thing seriously. Which is one of the reasons I abstained and didn't vote for "My best buddy because he's so cool, edgy, and funny." please..

Good luck going forward. In spite of my thoughts on the competition, I don't doubt you will make the most of it, and be a fine crewleader.

I am impressed with Telkin to say the least. Mr. Telkin you seem to have a very good and level head on your shoulders and I am very impressed with your answers and want to wish you the best of luck on you new role as a leader. 

To Mr. Tony I am a little worried about seeing 5 new leaders setting up in the same city but I am willing to sit back and watch and if needed help them out if I can to see this great city of New York thrive and be the best

Guess I am a little worried, has the title of being a CL lost its worth? Is is now something that anyone can get through writing one streets post? Which I'm sure over half the people who voted didn't even bother to read, they just thought it was a pretty name on the vote ballot. Becoming CL takes hard work and respect, it is earned by good people who do something that makes them stand out from the rest of the crowd. I feel setting up so many at once does not make any of them special, they are just another CL in that district given away to the many winners of a competition. These five are going to have to do something special to stand out from the crowd and prove themselves to the people.

Has the CL lost its worth? It depends how you look at it...does making a street post make them legitimate or does that signal one being successful or not? I cant really say that. But I can say one thing without a shadow of doubt. This competition has brought LIFE to our streets. Will that die down? I can't say. But I do know this....the streets were hustling and bustling. People were excited and the community as a whole participated in the process. Now does 'Democracy' really exist in the mob? NO. But it does when the GF's across the nation say so. It does when the rest of the leadership says so. Cause simply this is the mob. It is a hierarchy! And it is to be followed. And if the GF council came to a consensus to Auth 5 Cl's, then thats where its at. Can I say they will ALL succeed? I really hope so. After the last war we wiped out half the world as we know it....and after wiping out all those crews in NY/Phi, it was time to re-establish that side of the world. Yes I see your point when you say....why 5 cl's in one district. But i think you should think of this as competition moving forward as well. Each one of these CL's are competing for members, for influence, for the limelight. I dont know about you, but I think competiton brings the best out of people. And I for one am excited to see what these new bold suits bring to the table. So is the title of CL undervalued? I doubt that...just because there are a lot of them running around. A CL creates his own value, and ones that succeed at creating that value, will always be looked up to. So here's their chance to shine! Game on boys and girls! Create your legacy! 

Why so many leaders in one district' is what I first thought, is this some sort of gun strengthening exercise, or just a change to give loads of people a chance to see how cool and epic being a CL really is? Being a CL is hard, its takes a lot of time and effort to be a good CL, you are given the chance by proving yourself to have what it takes, not to win some competition and be instantly granted fame and fortune.

See you didn't get to sit in the meeting room when the leaders were deciding what was going on with these vacant districts. One of the biggest issues discussed was making this process as full proof as possible, so this isn't a gun training exercise. I know blood shed is a way of life in the mob. But wars and blood only ever disrupts business...disrupts cash flow. And I doubt any of the GodFathers want that. None likes their business disturbed. And hence in order to make it as legit as possible, this voting system was constructed. GF votes weighed more than a CL's, Cl's votes were weighed higher than a members. Full proof? I can't say that....but I will say this. At the end of the day, the leadership has to work with these 'rising stars', sooo if the leadership is prepared to see these guys rise. I am sure the bosses of our world will make this transition as easy as possible for these new Bold suits. And as I stated, this is their time to step up and shine....lime lights on them! Some will crumble, some will shine! Thats just normal...but at the end of the day its a great thing for the community. Its brought life to our streets! 

Ragnarok, perhaps becoming a button man has lost all meaning within your organisation but not within ours. Now don't get me wrong. Perhaps you have it highly valued and something to be proud of. But I do not understand why you would stand upon these Streets and say such things if it was.

Over in the West Side it is as important to us as it has ever been. We not do promote anyone to Made Man. They have to earn it. Granted it may not be important as it once was but City Hall are as much to blame for that as the population are. Knowing you have the ability to buy 25 units had led to pressure being put on to leaders and people have folded far too quickly. The only way Made Man will achieve any kind of prestige again is by the current hierarchy sitting down and discussing ways of making it so. Which in your position should be easier to influence than most if you are so inclined?

As for the position of Crewleader being devalued. In three weeks time you may be proven right. It's on a knife edge. As Tither, Cantona and others have said. The cream will rise to the top and those not good enough will fall to the way side. That is the way we work.

I think it is incredibly unfair to attack these ideas. It's a no win situation. For months all you have heard is "It's well unfair. The same people are getting auth and I never get a chance" and now the Council have tried to address that train of thought they are being attacked for it.

I would admit right now it looks to be a lot of HQs. However I do feel City Hall will help the current Council out. As I understand it this is how they have seen the world developing ever since they divided cities in to Districts. As such I feel there should now be an attempt to force new blood on to the boats and in to the ports over our world to attempt to drive fresh blood in to the spaces that have become available.

If that happens then the options available to new blood should excite them and with the Streets currently bouncing we could be looking at a new dawn within our world. If we then attempt to go to the old values we lived by at the same time, as you advocate, then it could be a good time to be alive.

I think that the fact that we've allowed what is basically a popularity contest to decide 5 new crew leaders pretty much tells you all that need be said about the value of being a CL these days.

It seems most of the time that there are more people in bold and slanted suits walking around our world than not.

City Hall, in my opinion, should have taken the opportunity of the last bouts of bloodshed to close at least a few districts or maybe a city down - without taking it out on the surviving population. There just is not enough people to support so many districts, which function like the old cities do. Either the crew limit per district needs to make a DRAMATIC drop - maybe a Godfather crew and two other crews only per district? Or we need to do away with some of the districts. We can't magic mafiosi out of our arseholes. We can't make people want to be an active part of our world if they have other obligations.

So, we're left with a situation where, I believe, the quality of auth takes a DRAMATIC nose dive as desperation kicks in - and this is a solid theme all the way through since the May war. There has been a few people in that time become crew leaders where I've found my head shaking, my mouth dropping open, and myself muttering "what the fuckkkk?" - shit, my bloodline has acted that way both times we got authed.

Fuck, I'll use myself as an example. The first of my bloodline, the only one to live in a world without districts, Anna, would probably never have got auth if that system had carried on (I don't know if she would've anyway, but definitely not without districts), and probably for good reason. I don't feel like my bloodline has gotten so much a stronger one since those days. Maybe got a bigger mouth on us sure, but  wouldn't say we particularly got any better at this thing of ours.

But districts allowed me to get into a bold suit - which has been fun.

But wouldn't have happened without districts. And maybe that might've been a good thing, who knows?

Lets face it though. We now have so many people in positions of "power" that it all basically means jack shit. There's probably now more Godfathers alone than there was members of upper structures in the old system. Any more and we might as well just call it the houses of parliament and have done with it.

We're down to picking auths by popularity and gimmick.

Standards.. they've dropped.

Oh, and Brendan? I'd kindly welcome you to NOT imply that the standards within my organization are low, in regards to the position of Made Man. It might've escaped your little realm of attention, but in the past week I had a member rogue and shoot another member of the crew because we didn't feel he'd earned his promotion the second it became available.

What Ragnarok just made, is a generalization.

Ziva pulls a pocket dictionary out of her bag and flips it to "Generalization", before offering the page over to Brendan.

generalization

dʒɛn(ə)rəlʌɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/

noun

noun: generalization; plural noun: generalizations; noun: generalisation; plural noun: generalisations

1.

a general statement or concept obtained by inference from specific cases.

"he was making sweeping generalizations"

the action of generalizing.

Hope that clears up the confusion that him saying that the standards for Made Man are at rock bottom does NOT mean that we have lowered ourselves to rock bottom; just that in GENERAL, there are plenty of cases of those standards being at said rock bottom level.

Although whether or not that makes it harder for the rest of us to have some level of decent standards is a whole other (interesting) discussion.

WhereWasI sighs, and mutters to himself;

"Never thought I'd see the day I took the same side as Ragnarok in an argument."

After collecting his thoughts, WhereWasI turns to BulletToothTony,

"I guess the days of standards being applied to all Crew Leaders has gone by the wayside for some. I completely agree that the longer finding and placing hands takes... the less and less they will look as if they have put any real amount of thought into this 'opportunity'."

WhereWasI turns to Cantona,

"If a fifth of all mobsters were a Crew Leader it would by definition of expectation and what many call a Crew Leader drag down the expectation of the role. The term Crew Leader is meant to carry something and if the best of the best are already there... adding more into the equation can only lower your expectations of any leader based on the title. It's a simple statistical formula on expectations I'd be happy to explain into further detail  and discuss with you, just not here. What you're talking about is leaders standing out despite a tarnished reputation for the role. In my opinion, and many others, the number of leaders should be based on the population, not the number of districts and how many can be crammed in."

WhereWasI grabs a chair and slides it over to Telkin,

"You're a leader now. Waiting this long to find a set of hands should be embarrassing because it shows a lack of forethought. How much planning did you do for this role? Whenever my bloodline has been in a position to influence authing, it's only pushed if the man is the type capable of attracting at least 3 capable of being hands to venture forth with him because it's the first sign of leadership one can show. Street speaking is nice, but if you can't even find someone to hold down the fort while you rest your head you'll find it impossible to get anything done as you're spending far too much time micromanaging and it will overwhelm you or cause unnecessary mistakes (an unacceptable variety in my eyes) if you aren't quick to find others to help carry the burden, and that's why many believe the choice of hands is something to be thought of before one takes auth. We're now around 16 hours in and unless this was sprung on the Hands' respective leaders at the last moment, there shouldn't be more than 1 or 2 hand positions left unfilled at this point. 'Sometimes it can't be helped', some will say, but that doesn't prevent it from being linked to your names and capabilities as a leader and open the door for criticism."

"You might know that you're equal in your mind, but many of us know you aren't. To actually know would mean you'd have a series of logical reasons for being equal, so do tell why each of you is a proven leader based on what you've done so far. And surviving 2 weeks in a system that encourages little to no bloodshed isn't an accomplishment meant for a Crew Leader, that's an accomplishment for a notorious bloodline under a Crew Leader that doesn't like them and first generation bloodlines. I'd hope you set your expectations higher than that."

"Why are you gonna have to prove yourself as a leader? For the same reason as every other Crew Leader... you were picked to lead (you through the ugliest manner, one in which no one takes a risk setting you up but yourself) and it'll be obvious to the rest if you're failing in the very near future and there will be no one held accountable for those potential failures."

"If you truly believe that you're 'not waiting for your friends' because you're recruiting, you're greatly mistaken. Those friends should be there by now and you should be recruiting regardless of other issues with the crew, so long as you have so few members."

"I'm not Mr. Deadpool, your bloodline's prior actions have no sway on my opinion of you as a leader and the fact you're worried this much about others' opinions in the face of greater problems has my current expectations for you as high as those guaranteed you by the clause asking for little to no bloodshed. I won't sugar coat things for you because no one did for my bloodline in its first run around (I even had a lovely "WhereWasI is the worst auth ever" speech after on top of the fact I wasn't interested in the position which wouldn't have been an excuse for doing a poor job). So stop talking until you've proven yourself and those questioning your abilities fade away."

WhereWasI turns to Kalebear,

"I would like to repeat myself on the subject of more Crew Leaders lowering the expectations of a Crew Leader if the best are already in position, and therefor the lowered expectations is a lowered respect and value for the role."

WhereWasI turns to Tither,

"I say this with as much respect as I can muster, this is a waste of a district. It brought the streets to life for the wrong reasons. It's an unearned opportunity and a slap in the face to those who've worked for such an opportunity. As for leadership 'working with these 'rising stars' ', I would treat a demand from one of these leaders with less given respect than a member of what I consider a legitimate family if my Crew Leader wouldn't be so opposed to that idea because that member might have a real leader's backing and I can't simply take what I want from that kind of leader. I'm also not going to pretend they'll get treated fairly in every interaction nor should they. Those who do are gaining something by doing so or fools for trying to bolster people outside of their family before their own members. There is a price to be paid for this street activity, and with bloodshed off the table I fear how it will truly balance things out in this thing of ours because I am believe every action truly does have an equal and opposite reaction."

WhereWasI wonders if turning as many times as he did made him do a full 360 degree turn and whether or not his head is still spinning. WhereWasI turns to Brendan,

"Ragnarok may be overgeneralizing, but he has some validation in the fact it is easier to become a button man because it is much easier in some (if not all) families than it used to be, and by default the same expectation principle applied to the Crew Leader concept can be applied to the Made Man concept. Pretending he has none and twisting the words into a verbal attack on his own situation isn't a sound logical counter-point. It's a strike at his reputation; to make him the man who believes his Made Men aren't as big as Made Men used to be not a strike at his logic. So I'll word it exactly how you're tempting it to be said; by default, the made men of my family are wearing a title of lowered value due to the general lowered value of the rank. He and I are also not in a position to do something about it because it would require a unanimous decision and not even God Fathers have that kind of influence any more. It is also much too late in the process to act because demotions are deemed to be a punishment and the lowered drug unit count would directly hurt the Crew Leader who followed the idea if no one else did."

"The council's actions are being attacked because many disagree with them. We were asked to vote but we were not asked if this idea was a good idea and many questions have gone ignored, most likely from a lack of answers. I had no say in the matter, and look at my position. How are those opposed supposed to influence decisions through any manner but criticism?"

"There are many ways to encourage bringing in fresh blood, and deflating the value of what is and isn't a Crew Leader shouldn't be an acceptable consequence in many people's opinion. I'd also like to ask how our current system would encourage anyone to switch back to the old system? Because in my ancestor's days, some of his best members' bloodlines were those of little experience at the time and are currently walking from upper structure position to upper structure position. Things will never go back, and my fear is the equal and opposite reaction I mentioned before will be a permanent blow to the role of the Crew Leader."

The whole world that we live in is one massive popularity contest. Is it not? If you are not popular within this world then you very quickly find yourself dead. Your allies will abandon you quickly and without hesitation should they see you fall out of favour. Thats the way it always has been? The fact that people have been authed in such a manner should come as no surprise to anyone. The demand for new blood, the demand for old blood, the demand for innovation while sticking by old values. It is a no win situation for anyone. Everyone wants it just like it used to be but with a a load of new ideas and new blood given a chance.

Now admittedly it is the Councils position to stand and decide what is right for the community but the community also has it's part to play. They cannot make all these demands but then not like the outcome. There was only one real course of action in the circumstances and that has been taken.

The fact of the matter is that the Godfather Council agreed upon a course of action. It was left to the people who walk the Streets to decide who they wanted to see go in to the District available. I feel that is a fair way of deciding who is to go bold. Anyone was welcome to put themselves forward and fight for it. The people who put themselves forward bought a ticket and as such now have the chance. As far as I remember the amount of people disagreeing with this contest, within The Streets, was relatively few.

As for your point of saying that City Hall should have acted. They very probably should. As I have said they now need to support the Councils decision and drive new blood through the ports. The impression I have been given for a long time is that Districts being shut down is not something that is wanted by those at City Hall and I don't see anything to change my mind. I might be wrong. I usually am.

The weight of Bold and Slanty suits is incredibly heavy at the moment and like I said. It's on a knife edge. We must kick on, work with City Hall and make it work or the cream will rise to the top and those not contributing will be found out and removed. Thats the way this world has always worked. I don't feel I have any right to judge the people that other Godfathers have placed within a HQ of their own. They obviously saw enough in their members to hand them the keys and that must be respected.

As for your standards and the sweeping generalisation that Ragnarok made. It did not escape my attention that one of yours rogue'd because he was denied his button. Nor that he shot one of your own before being killed himself. I also saw his family were left in doubt at the funeral how badly he had let you down. Obviously you felt hurt that someone you had nurtured would act in such a way. As anyone would.

If you have taken my comments as a slight against your standards then I apologise. As I said previously. Perhaps your standards are very high and being given that honour is something to be proud of. Something you have confirmed in your riptose. But I felt slightly affronted to see the West Side potentially included in a generalisation that Made Man meant nothing anymore. Hence my comments in reply to that point.

I do feel the discussion you mention, in regards to the rank of Made Man and what standards should be met as a whole, should be had in private sometime soon. As you obviously say that those who hold high standards could be placed in to a position of weakness against those who do not hold such standards.

I'm not sure why some people are crying about Staten Island. This isn't the first time in history the current heads have thought of this sort of idea, and it certainly won't be the last time that this will take place. So saying things like the position of crew leader is being devalued would mean it's been that way for a very long time.

When I first came to these shores, people told me that getting auth was nothing but a popularity contest, based on who you knew instead of merit, despite the fact that there were more opportunities to set up within the districts. At the time, a lot of people were set up, and it appeared to be little activity taking place - that or my observation skills were on the fritz. This contest has spurred street chatter to a level that I haven't seen in a while, which is a good thing. For the wrong reasons? How can a reason to speak your mind be wrong? So if an "overt popularity" contest brings back the streets, then give me that over the "covert popularity" contest that we had before where people went through the motions of doing things, but had no heart.

As for voting in the contest, I did not have the pleasure of knowing people in the contest, so I took the time to observe their street activity....ALL of their activity. Whoever said that the contest was based on a single speech conversation must have been used to not seeing a lot of activity from people. Based on that, I voted for two people - one who has been active for quite some time, and one who wasn't as active, but I felt had good ideas that if put into action, would benefit our world greatly. Is being verbose a prerequisite to becoming a crew leader? Not necessarily, but having an idea of who that person is and what he or she stands for never hurt anyone.

Blaise paused for a moment to take into consideration what was said recently, and then continued.

If you want to say the value of a crew leader has diminished, don't blame this contest. Blame the fact that there are much more opportunities to be a leader than in years' past...followed by a decrease in the work needed to obtain each rank. Back in the day, people were hungry to be leaders because the opportunity came few and far in between. People had the time to plan what they wanted to do, and positions in the family structure were coveted because it would be a rare and special honor if they were bestowed the Right Hand position, so it was not expected. Now you have people leaving families because they didn't get to be Left Hand, or they think being a Capo Regime for a family is beneath them because their great-grandparent was a crew leader.

WhereWasI goes to get a chair assuming this won't be ending soon,

"Brendan, I'd not only beg to differ on the popularity contest part, I'd like to volunteer myself as proof of the opposite. If you believe I've gotten somewhat 'popular' it's because I take stands against leadership I don't agree with and that's much more likely to get you shot. Hell I doubt I've made a single ally making this stand, and can guarantee I've lost one (though he was lost months ago, and only just came to understand recently). My position was gained through unpopular means... the antisocial aspect of this game. I get results and there is no Crew Leader of my bloodline's history who has even hinted at being disappointed with the results even if they disagree with my methods."

"Innovation... is not necessarily found in new values. Newer isn't always better. There are ways to come up with original ideas without defacing the values that show who runs our society. There was an innovative idea for a competition involving searching through cryptic answers to find a prize that used old methods and didn't require being a Crew Leader. There have been Pick Pocketing competitions with new spins on them, there have been street speaking competitions with new spins on them, and, hell, one asshole used to entertain people by publicly insulting his friends and coming up with creative Role Plays. If you can't find an entertaining concept or idea... it isn't the system. It's you being lazy or incapable."

Now admittedly it is the Councils position to stand and decide what is right for the community but the community also has it's part to play. They cannot make all these demands but then not like the outcome. There was only one real course of action in the circumstances and that has been taken.

"This is just... so awful... wait just a minute."

WhereWasI walks into the local drug store and purchases a cue tip and some rubbing alcohol. He begins cleaning his ears and muttering, "Get it out of my head, no one could really truly believe that." After finishing making a scene he approached Brendan again.

"Undoubtedly one of these Godfathers will tell some member life isn't fair as a response to one of their questions as almost every Godfather does... so now it's my turn. Life isn't fair. People have the right to demand quality leadership from their leaders. They were put in a position to lead, there was always the option of AUTHING THOSE WHO HAD WORKED UNDER THEM. There are plenty more but my ideas are my own and I won't give them out freely because they are mine. The method they chose isn't to give the people the option to pick who leads... it's a cop out to get out of making the decision themselves. A con man's twist of words on a cowardly act. The number who disagree publicly is always few because few people have the gift to be able to criticize without going to far, and many are afraid of a bullet, not in agreement with the policy or else you would've had more defenders of the idea, there are many people like MarshalMathers who come forward to back the ideas of those in power, almost no matter what those ideas are, to gain a personal connection for his or her own rise to power."

"If you're that afraid of city hall, that you believe they can't be reasoned with... then you know nothing of city hall. I'd have to see proof of words myself to believe they'd damn the community with a responsibility they can't handle for the sake of saving a plot of cement that could very easily be rebuilt in the future."

"There is little weight to being bold or slanted if you take the time to logically choose a method you truly believe in. Your words would have much greater conviction if you believed this truly was the best course of action. Your time as bold or slanted doesn't make the current times any more weighted on leadership than ever before. It always will require what it requires and I've come up with plenty of ideas of my own for each issue in less than 5 minutes. Do not pretend to tell me an entire council is less capable of thinking than myself, I believe it is either apathy or fear of stepping on someone's toes driving these actions. Neither is acceptable in my book."

As for your standards and the sweeping generalisation that Ragnarok made. It did not escape my attention that one of yours rogue'd because he was denied his button. Nor that he shot one of your own before being killed himself. I also saw his family were left in doubt at the funeral how badly he had let you down. Obviously you felt hurt that someone you had nurtured would act in such a way. As anyone would.

"In what way does this have anything to do with the topic? Personal attacks are pathetic and will not win you an actual argument. All they do is start a pissing contest. Criticize her words here by themselves. Dispute the logic and reasoning, don't hide behind personal attacks, it's the act of a desperate coward who's afraid of the truth. She's paying for that with the proper punishment of lowered opinion (if they deem it a proper punishment for the crime and I don't, he was over reacting) from those who choose to punish her reputation in their minds, but that is not a proper subject for this conversation."

If you have taken my comments as a slight against your standards then I apologise. As I said previously. Perhaps your standards are very high and being given that honour is something to be proud of. Something you have confirmed in your riptose. But I felt slightly affronted to see the West Side potentially included in a generalisation that Made Man meant nothing anymore. Hence my comments in reply to that point.

"Your feelings don't matter in a logical discussion and aren't an excuse for your words. It isn't my opinion you have to worry about, but I stand by these words because they are correct so I don't care if you feel that's an attack on your apology."

"And the subject of rejuvenating the value of made man is one that has been brought up in the past, so please don't attempt to do so before putting in thoughts of implementation on your own. Else we end up with a result to that problem similar to, 'What is to become of Staten Island?'"

WhereWasI turns to Blaise,

I'm not sure why some people are crying about Staten Island. This isn't the first time in history the current heads have thought of this sort of idea, and it certainly won't be the last time that this will take place. So saying things like the position of crew leader is being devalued would mean it's been that way for a very long time.

"If you're right and I'm just crying, go ahead and poke holes in my logic or choose your words wisely next time. That means pick out a sentence based on a false premise, and point out why it's false. And as for the position of crew leader being previously devalued, that's absolutely no excuse for devaluing it in the present."

"Anyone who told you acquiring a Crew Leader position through popularity was telling the truth. They forgot to mention the part where if you weren't qualified it was obvious and no one would ever take you seriously so you were only a phony, defacing the value of the title. And street chatter spurred by acts of stupidity, laziness, or fear are only in existence because of something even pathetic and therefor shouldn't exist at all. You mistake meaning and purpose for the desire for meaning and purpose... Yay, we know that people want something to happen now and are willing to speak against acts of stupidity, apathy, and fear! That's a great use of Staten Island! And in your search for people with heart, I must ask. What is it that makes these people "with heart" more qualified than others? What specifically makes them more qualified than others and what evidence do you have to back this?"

As for voting in the contest, I did not have the pleasure of knowing people in the contest, so I took the time to observe their street activity....ALL of their activity. Whoever said that the contest was based on a single speech conversation must have been used to not seeing a lot of activity from people. Based on that, I voted for two people - one who has been active for quite some time, and one who wasn't as active, but I felt had good ideas that if put into action, would benefit our world greatly. Is being verbose a prerequisite to becoming a crew leader? Not necessarily, but having an idea of who that person is and what he or she stands for never hurt anyone.

"You based your votes off of a street presence and set of statements that were thrown together in what amount of time? That's to be trusted over the individuals who had been working directly with these leaders proving themselves for what reasons? And if you say it's to be fair you're lying because no one does anything that would hurt themselves and that means they all had something to gain from picking that system. Even acts of selflessness can be used to prop up a presence to keep themselves at the top, and they'd be the ultimate fools if they intentionally propped up an idea that hurt themselves."

If you want to say the value of a crew leader has diminished, don't blame this contest. Blame the fact that there are much more opportunities to be a leader than in years' past...followed by a decrease in the work needed to obtain each rank. Back in the day, people were hungry to be leaders because the opportunity came few and far in between. People had the time to plan what they wanted to do, and positions in the family structure were coveted because it would be a rare and special honor if they were bestowed the Right Hand position, so it was not expected. Now you have people leaving families because they didn't get to be Left Hand, or they think being a Capo Regime for a family is beneath them because their great-grandparent was a crew leader.

"After all those horrific things that defaced the value of being a Crew Leader, would you really like to curse it even further to only be given to the popular crowd rather than the hard working?"

Ah yes...WhereWasI...

"If you're right and I'm just crying, go ahead and poke holes in my logic or choose your words wisely next time. That means pick out a sentence based on a false premise, and point out why it's false. And as for the position of crew leader being previously devalued, that's absolutely no excuse for devaluing it in the present."

This first part I can't respond to, because it makes assumptions that I didn't make in my first statement. And I'm not going to be pulled down a slippery slope by your inaccurate conclusions.

And street chatter spurred by acts of stupidity, laziness, or fear are only in existence because of something even pathetic and therefor shouldn't exist at all.

Thinking like this is why the streets go quiet from time to time. Someone didn't talk about the "right" topic, or the basis of said topic was all too wrong for their liking. Eventually everyone complains about something and some people "wise up" and say hey - if I say nothing at all, people can't complain, right? After all, no one is getting killed nowadays for being a "mute" leader, or promotions being held for not saying anything at all, so why not?

And in your search for people with heart, I must ask. What is it that makes these people "with heart" more qualified than others? What specifically makes them more qualified than others and what evidence do you have to back this?"

They saw an opportunity, and seized it, even though by doing so it could put themselves in great danger and more scrutiny than if they would have gone through the traditional way of getting authed. Sometimes you have to gamble to get ahead, and whoever manages to do so in this instance I think would be just as good as any other authed leader. They didn't have all the bells and whistles, and they had to and will deal with things on an accelerated time frame - which is in my opinion much harder than what you make it out to be. You choose to focus on it being a popularity contest - I choose to focus on what obstacles they have in front of them. I personally would rather get authed in the traditional way because the risks for me are too great doing it this way. So kudos to all who want to take that chance.

 

You based your votes off of a street presence and set of statements that were thrown together in what amount of time?

Okay so I guess now we have a comprehension problem.

As for voting in the contest, I did not have the pleasure of knowing people in the contest, so I took the time to observe their street activity....ALL of their activity.

I didn't want to use names, but Telkin has been speaking in these streets way before the contest was even considered. So with that combined with what has been said after the contest was announced, I am glad that he was allowed to have a chance to set up.

 They forgot to mention the part where if you weren't qualified it was obvious and no one would ever take you seriously so you were only a phony, defacing the value of the title.

And in this contest, if the people that are in Staten Island are not qualified, it will be obvious, and they will pay the price, just like any other leader has.

"After all those horrific things that defaced the value of being a Crew Leader, would you really like to curse it even further to only be given to the popular crowd rather than the hard working?"

Who said hard-working people can't be popular? You?