Can anyone explain this mystery to me?

I understand that there maybe a lot of *sekirt sht* that arbs have to deal with before they actually issue their words of wisdom on a particular case/amendment/appeal. Uhh... what is it? Or at least let's have an affirmation that there is a lot of sekrit sht that delays a timely response on these cases.

Seriously, the length of time before something is actually brought up and before it is... even commented upon is something like a month... and that's just the first comment. Then it takes another two weeks or so before another comment is made. And so it goes on and on and on... Why? Are they sifting through some super secret files? I know there's some present and former Arbs around here so could they please explain it to us lesser folks?

Some interesting associated phenomenon:

1. From what I understand the on-Wiki activity of people newly elected to ArbCom all of sudden drops. So maybe they are dealing with the sekrit sht.
2. Or maybe they just rest on their laurels.
3. Except that most of them usually campaign on the platform (in some way or another) of making ArbCom more timely and "transparent"? Can anyone point to an instance where the ArbCom - or at least an individual members choices - somehow became noticeably more transparent?
4. The fact that even the candidates that you have some hope for that are initially "rebels" - *cough* Iridescent *cough* - end up doing the exact same thing... taking for ever... so maybe it is a structural problem. or maybe they just rest on their laurels.

Regardless, they may be a good reason for why the ArbCom appears so slow and inefficient. But at the very least, let us know! My sense of it is that by definition ArbCom has to deal with pain-in-the-ass, hard to define, uncomfortable cases and these are exactly the kinds of situations which any normal person procrastinates as much as possible (like doing your taxes on April 15th). Add that up across all the multiple members and you get institutional laziness. But part of what we pay them for is to resolve these things in a timely fashion. I want my money back. Way I figure it by this time, ArbCom as a collective entity owns me a few hundred dollars worth of compensation for stress and psychological damage incurred due to my breathless and frustrated waiting for its decision.

At the very least - how about one of the former ArbCom members that frequent this forum gives us a "day in the life" rundown. The plebs want to know.