[Sur] [SLOBS] [IAEP] URGENT action needed

Dom Ago 13 09:44:56 EDT 2017

Really???

I have to agree with Samson here. What is the existential risk here? How
does the risk of a travel advance to a well established community member
(and oversight board member) for a trip sponsored by a reliable funding
source with whom we have been working for years represent some "dangerous
precedent"? Regarding your suggestion that we loan the money as
individuals, the fact that I out almost $2K for money I have loaned to
community members for travel advances makes me much more wary of that
approach. It seemingly introduces an additional layer of confusion that
makes travel reimbursement all the more mired within the opaque operations
of our parent org.

-walter

On Sun, Aug 13, 2017 at 9:28 AM, Samson Goddy <samsongoddy at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you Adam for the wonderful reply.
>
> On Aug 13, 2017 2:10 PM, "Adam Holt" <holt at laptop.org> wrote:
>
> Because Samson Goddy is our close friend and clearly should go to San
> Francisco for GSoC, it is tempting to send him a personal loan.
>
> But for Sugar Labs to provide loans to our personal friends is a dangerous
> precedent frought with moral and ethical hazards.
>
> As such, personally my conscience forces me to abstain from all such
> matters.
>
> A quick question.. I am trying to undertsand some comments on this motion.
>
> I believe this is not the first time Google is giving money to Sugar Labs
> and i am pretty sure i am not the first person from Sugar Labs to attend
> GSOC summit.
>
> Why is this an issue, for SL to approve so SFC can give me travel advance?
>
> Dont Google pay for the travels?
>
> Why i am asking these questions is because i haven't seen such  comments
> on previous travels and i certainly dont understand why it is happening
> now, at least eating up time when i should be scheduling for interview with
> the US embassy.
>
>
>
> I strongly encourage others to provide Samson the $627.05 personal loan
> he in fact does need, if Sugar Labs cannot.
>
> *It will make a gigantic difference, and you will have a friend for life
> in Samson Goddy, who is likely to move forward accomplishing truly
> incredible things in his life.*
>
> Thanks for this note.
>
>
>
> On Aug 13, 2017 2:54 AM, "Lionel Laské" <lionel.laske at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Because Adam is our Financial contact, I would like to hear from him
> before voting.
> In the meantime my vote could be considering as "Abstain".
>
>              Lionel.
>
>
> 2017-08-12 15:27 GMT-07:00 Tabitha Roder <tabitha at tabitha.net.nz>:
>
>> I think Sugar Labs should approve the $US 627.05 travel advance for
>> Samson Goddy.
>> Tabitha
>>
>>
>> On Aug 11, 2017 8:44 AM, "Walter Bender" <walter.bender at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I presume we need a motion and a vote on this. Time is of the essence,
>>> so please respond ASAP.
>>>
>>> Motion: Samson Goddy has been selected as a Sugar Labs representative to
>>> the Google Summer of Code mentor summit. He has requested a travel advance
>>> to cover the costs of his visa application. The advance, including wire
>>> fees comes to $US 627.05. This motion is to approve the travel advance. (As
>>> additional background, Google will be covering up to $2200 in travel
>>> expenses for two representatives to attend the summit. Since our other
>>> representative is local to the SF area, the bulk of that money would be
>>> available to cover Samson's travel, so the net impact on SL funds will be
>>> negligible.
>>>
>>> regards.
>>>
>>> -walter
>>>
>>>
>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>> From: Accounting at Software Freedom Conservancy <
>>> accounting at sfconservancy.org>
>>> Date: Thu, Aug 10, 2017 at 4:16 PM
>>> Subject: URGENT request for Sugar Labs to approve of US$627.05 advance
>>> for Goddy for GSoC Mentor Summit (was: Is Goddy actually requesting $160 ?)
>>> To: sugar at sfconservancy.org
>>> Cc: Martin Michlmayr <gsoc at sfconservancy.org>, Samson Goddy <
>>> samsongoddy at gmail.com>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sugar Labs PLC,  please urgently page down to the all caps section below.
>>>
>>> Samson,
>>>
>>> Samson Goddy wrote at 08:52 (EDT) on Wednesday:
>>> > it has been 5 days, i already made request to sugar at sfconservancy.org
>>> for
>>> > funding. Since it takes up to 15 working days(3 weeks) for the embassy
>>> to
>>> > accept appointment for interview.
>>> >
>>> > I haven't heard anything from both parties.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, We are waiting for someone from Sugar Labs to reply to
>>> approve the expense.  I don't know why they haven't replied.
>>>
>>> SUGAR LABS PLC: By my calculation, Samson is asking for this:
>>>
>>>   FOR TRAVEL TO GET A VISA, AND FOR THE VISA FEES ITSELF, SAMSON GODDY
>>> ASKS
>>>   FOR A CASH ADVANCE OF TRAVEL EXPENSES (TO COME TO GSOC MENTOR SUMMIT
>>>   2017).  The totals are as follows:
>>>
>>>   If we use western union, N202,350 = $570 (rate set by WU)
>>>
>>>   If we use wire, he's asking for 561+(561*.05)+13+25 = US$627.05 to be
>>> wired.
>>>                                        wire fees
>>>
>>> If Sugar Labs PLC replies with approval before Sunday night US/Eastern,
>>> we
>>> can likely process a payment by wire on Monday.
>>>
>>>
>>> We don't typically use Western Union, and it would be substantial effort
>>> for
>>> us to do that, so we'd like Sugar to approve the additional wire fees as
>>> it will make payment more rapid for Samson and easier for Conservancy.
>>>
>>> Samson, your request was a bit ramble-y, so if I gleaned the wrong totals
>>> above, please correct them.
>>>
>>> Samson, in preparation for Sugar Labs PLC hopefully approving this
>>> request,
>>> could you let me know if the wire instructions I used for you before are
>>> still correct, and if not, send me new ones?
>>>
>>> --
>>> Bradley M. Kuhn
>>> Distinguished Technologist of Software Freedom Conservancy
>>>  |------> & also, de-facto Bookkeeper for the moment
>>> Pls support Conservancy!: https://sfconservancy.org/supporter/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Walter Bender
>>> Sugar Labs
>>> http://www.sugarlabs.org
>>> <http://www.sugarlabs.org>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>>> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>>>
>>
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-- 
Walter Bender
Sugar Labs
http://www.sugarlabs.org
<http://www.sugarlabs.org>
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