[Wpfw-lsb] a few more thoughts about the will of the People

[Jane Gatewood]

Joe,

In response to your message (reposted below):

(1) Certain official matters must be dealt with in the course of each 
regularly scheduled meeting and reflected in the minutes of those 
meetings. For example, there is a glaring need to have a complete 
accounting of attendance at the beginning of each meeting, publicly 
acknowledging: (a) Those in Attendance ... (b) Those Absent, with 
request to be excused ... and (c) Those Absent, no contact with chair or 
others ... This has not been happening.

Along these same lines, resignations should be publicly reported at a 
regular meeting and "accepted" by the board. In the case of Mark 
Roberts, this has not occurred and therefore, based on my understanding 
of normal protocol, it is not yet official.

(2) I acted on my conscience to make a final, earnest, and personal 
appeal to Mark R to withdraw his resignation before this matter MUST be 
resolved at next week's meeting. What occurred at the October meeting 
was a strong wake-up call for me about the challenges that face our LSB. 
This is not a matter of personal preference of any individual but rather 
a preference for how we should behave. For the board to be as effective 
as it needs to be, we need to act as a TEAM, not as combatants.

(3) Thank you for allowing me to clarify these underlying issues.

Jane G

-- 
joeclsb at yahoo.com wrote:

Hi, this is Joe Chiara

Would someone please distribute this to the lists, I do not have access. 
  I have set up this email specifically for WPFW/Pacifica business.

Thanks.



Can someone explain to me, perhaps you Jane since this is a response to 
your multiple emails regarding Mark Roberts' resignation, what it means 
to resign at WPFW and when, if ever, a resignation once tendered is 
effective? This is not a trival question because as I understand the 
policies and procedures of Pacifica and the fact that Mark and others 
who have resigned are of legal age to make their own decisions, why a 
month or more after the fact of a resignation, at least one person 
believes it is reasonable to suggest that the person who has resigned 
over a month ago reverse that choice, often repeated implicitley and/or 
explicitly, during the month, and the LSB would then have the right  to 
do what it wishes, and can accept that person as a LSB member.  In my 
view, it is certainly reasonable to give someone a buffer period to 
reconsider such a decision, a few days or a week seem sufficient time. 
After that, the LSB has an obligation to implement the procedures in the 
by-laws to replace that person, and has a social obligation to accept 
that person's choice.  After a buffer period has passed, I do not 
believe the LSB has any choice but to implement the by-laws.  The person 
may have resigned from the LSB, but in fact the individual has resigned 
from representing the folks who voted for that individual's election, 
and it should be their choice whether to return that person to the LSB 
or not in the next election should should the person wish to again 
become a member of the LSB.

For the record, althought I had some differences with Mark Roberts on 
policy and philosophy, such differences are to be expected between and 
among people in a group, so this is not an issue and in fact differences 
can be healthy for the organization as a whole, depending on how 
differences are handled and resolved. I thought Mark was among the most 
qualified on the LSB because he brought a set of very useful skills, is 
reality based, and was willing to work on detailed, pragmatic issues. 
The issues here should not be misconstrued --- they do not involve Mark 
in the slightest.

The issues involved are much more important than an individual since 
they involve the organization as a whole.  They address question about 
how this organization conducts it business.  Is this an place  in which 
organizational structure, policies, and proceedures at the station and 
Pacifica can be set aside because of a personal preference of one or 
more members or is it a place in which is governed by the by-laws and 
accepted legal policies of WPFW and Pacifica?  This goes to the very 
heart of what many have called for in their campaign literature and 
aired comments (in this election and in the prior one), that is working 
as a cohensive group for common purposes within the legal framework we 
are provided.

I, for one, do not find this good start, in fact I find it troubling, 
that the first thing that has been brought up in a persistent manner is 
a personal preference of one or more individuals which would require 
breach of reasonable, orderly, and timely implementation of the by-laws 
requirements by suggesting that a resignation a month or more old can be 
set aside.  We are being asked to play games with our governing 
principles and I think it is a very bad start, no matter how benign the 
underlying intention. This is what a private club can do. We are not a 
private club!  Good intentions are not enough, we have to act properly. 
  Behavior not words need to  be the standard.

I suggest we accept realities and move forward.  We were elected to do 
something for the people who elected us and the greater community, and 
we must look forward, plan, and act.  History can inform our actions, 
but our vision and actions have to be forward looking with real goals 
and objectives we wish to achieve for the local community, and beyond 
when we have the chance.  I suggest to you that we do not have time to 
spend, and waste in my view, looking backwards and suggesting special 
priviledges for some.  This is not in our charter or our mandate, and I 
believe violate and insult the letter and spirit of the principles and 
by-laws that govern the LSB.

I don't wish to spend more time on this, but perhaps this is an 
opportunity to make clear how we are going to operate as the LSB.  I 
think we have very important business to do and in most areas we are 
starting from scratch. We have no time for distractions, particular 
those which would cause concern to anyone interested in orderly, 
equitable, and fair standards, policies, and processes.

Thanks.

Joe
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER




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