Last fall, Carolyn Birden and I put together a plan for a PNB meeting in NYC that would have been significantly cheaper than usual, but the PNB (or Lonnie Hicks or Dan Siegel) decided to "re-locate" NYC--to the west coast, I believe. In January, ignoring the same cheaper options for NYC they re-located NYC to a similar-sounding place in New Jersey: Newark. Besides making it difficult for most NYC residents to attend, it was in a part of Newark where apparently not even Newark residents go very easily--judging from the low public attendance. I have traveled all over the world to scientific meetings at hotels I could not afford to sleep in, but always found cheaper lodging nearby, usually at Youth Hostels (OK, I lie about my age) and usually within walking distance of the conference site. [Examples include Berlin, Stockholm, New Orleans, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Montreal, Sankt Pyeterburg (formerly Leningrad), Brisbane, Cairns, etc.] Among other budget items that need a CLOSE scrutiny are the actual expenses for PNB in-person meetings. Among the ad hoc committees needed by the PNB and LSBs, a committee on exploring alternative local meeting & housing arrangements should be MANDATORY. I think in-person meetings are too important to be dsposed of so thoughtlessly and hastily. Even at scientific meetings I attend, during which information content of formal sessions is MUCH MUCH higher than formal sessions of the PNB, many of us find informal talks (in the corridors or at meals) of equal value and provide information simply not available in formal sessions. --Frank LeFever ============================================ --- In NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, wanzala@... wrote: > > Well, luckily it is not your decision alone, so hold on to your 'sorry'. > > It would be quite easy for pnb to hold its meetings at cheaper locations. The houston meeting was an example of how pacifica national fails to cut costs even when it has the option. According to several kpft people such as sandra rawline and deb shafto, kpft gave pacifica national the option of staying at a hotel at half the cost with catered food that would be nicer and much cheaper and the cfo did not take them up on it. > > It is clear that the problem is not *whether* to spend money on this or that, but *how* to do it in the most prudent way. > > I see it as choosing to preserve a wounded limb as opposed to simply amputating it. > > Joe w. > > > > Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kevin White <cuitlacoche1@...> > > Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:52:38 > To:Joseph Wanzala <wanzala@...>, newpacifica <NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Fulcrums of Change <fulcrumsofchange@...> > Subject: Re: [Fulcrumsofchange] [NewPacifica] Proposed bylaws amendment > > > Hi Joe, > > I support the amendment. We can do teleconferencing so much cheaper. Leave face to face meetings to once a year at the national office. There is a lot of possitive stuff done in face to face meetings, Pacifica however cannot afford that right now. > > Sorry, > > K > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: Joseph Wanzala <wanzala@...> > To: newpacifica <NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Fulcrums of Change <fulcrumsofchange@...> > Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 8:08:00 PM > Subject: [Fulcrumsofchange] [NewPacifica] Proposed bylaws amendment > > I am of course against this motion, but I volunteered to carry it > forward. Some well meaning people on the PNB support it because of the > immediacy of the fiscal crisis, but I disagree with their reaction. I > think it is a shortsighted solution to a systemic problem which would > undermine the cohesion of the PNB. A much better approach would be to > plan the meetings more cheaply, at less pricey venues - it can be > done. > > Joe W. > > Joseph Wanzala <wanzala@... <mailto:wanzala@...> > > toKPFA LSB EMAIL LIST <kpfa-lsb@... <mailto:kpfa-lsb@...> >, > > dateWed, Apr 16, 2008 at 5:59 PM > subject[KPFA_LSB] Draft Resolution re Bylaws Amendment > mailed-bygmail.com <http://mailed-bygmail.com/> > > hide details 5:59 PM (0 minutes ago) Reply > > > Hi, > > As many of you are aware Pacifica is looking at various ways to > mitigate operational costs to keep our precarious financial house in > order. Some of the 'lowest hanging fruit' of that effort are the costs > associated with governance. The PNB has therefore been considering > the possibility of reducing the number of in person meetings to save > money. At its April 11-13, 2007 meeting the PNB adopted the following > special rule of order (I don't have the exact language yet): > > "The PNB adopts a special rule of order that for 2008, the June > meeting may be held in June, July, August or September." > > At the same time, in a sort of 'parallel process', the LSBs are being > asked to consider a version of the following draft resolution > (authored by KPFK's Yosh Yamanaka) to amend the bylaws, which > currently require four in-person meetings. We do not yet have cost > figures so those have been left blank for now. I do not see this item > on the agenda, though I believe Sherry requested that it be placed on > the agenda a couple of weeks ago. Thanks. > > Joe W. > > Draft resolution: > > WHEREAS Pacifica is currently experiencing very serious financial > difficulties; and > > WHEREAS the Foundation Bylaws currently require four in-person board > meetings each calendar year; and > > WHEREAS each in-person PNB meeting have cost the Foundation an average > of $ ?? when minimal numbers of staff have flown in, and an average of > $ ??? when all General Managers and Pacifica staff have flown in; and > > WHEREAS the average cost for a three-hour telephonic Board meeting is $ ?; and > > WHEREAS the Bylaws prohibit the use of expense-saving telephonic and > video screen "regular meetings" of the Pacifica National Board; > > THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the KPFA Local Station Board recommend > to the Pacifica National Board that Article Six of the Foundation > Bylaws be amended to read as follows: > > ARTICLE SIX, SECTION 1: > > The "Annual Meeting" of the Board of Directors shall take place in > late January each year, or at such other time and place as agreed to > by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The Board shall also > meet in person no fewer than three other times each year, unless by a > two-thirds vote, the Board determines that financial or other > emergency conditions require canceling one of the other three > meetings. In the event that such an in-person meeting is cancelled, > the Board shall arrange for a telephonic and/or electronic meeting > that includes provisions for public comment during the meeting by > broadly accessible means. In-person board meetings shall rotate among > the five Foundation radio station signal areas except when the board > determines by a two-thirds vote that financial or other emergency > conditions require a modification in the rotation order. Each signal > area shall host an in-person board meeting at least once during any > 24-month period but no more than once in any 12-month period. > > and > > ARTICLE SIX, SECTION 3. TELEPHONIC MEETINGS > The Board may hold [delete "special meetings, but not regular"] > meetings by telephone conference, video screen communication or other > communications equipment, provided, however, that telephone appearance > at meetings scheduled as "in-person" meetings is not permitted. > Participation in a telephonic meeting under this Section shall > constitute presence at the meeting if all of the following apply: > A. Each Director participating in the meeting can communicate > concurrently with all other Directors. > > B. Each Director is provided the means of participating in all matters > for the Board, including the capacity to propose, or to interpose an > objection to, a specific action to be taken by the Foundation. > C. The Board has a means of verifying that the person participating at > the meeting is a Director and that all votes cast during said meeting > are cast only by Directors. > > ****************** > _______________________________________________ > Fulcrumsofchange mailing list > Fulcrumsofchange@... <mailto:Fulcrumsofchange@...> > http://lists.pacificana.org/listinfo.cgi/fulcrumsofchange-pacificana.org ====================================================