Motion for WBAI LAB on Next Steps with By-Laws

We acknowledge and appreciate the arduous work done by listeners, staff, local and national board members throughout the network to develop a by-laws draft that is largely complete and an important step towards democracy for Pacifica. We call for the interim Pacifica National Board and the five Local Advisory Boards to immediately begin discussions to choose mutually acceptable outside mediator(s), without judicial intervention, to help negotiate a compromise on bylaws as quickly as possible. Such a compromise must include meaningful affirmative action measures for the composition of local and national boards, and should address other reasonable concerns by the various LABs about the bylaws. Any agreed-upon language should be promptly reviewed by mutually acceptable civil rights attorney(s). We support devising and implementing interim measures that would lead to rapid elections and could then be evaluated and revised after a mandated membership by-laws convention within one to two years.

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Seventeen non-LAB members attended the meeting in support of passing the bylaws. Patty Heffley of CdPNY presented the following statement:

From: Patty Heffley [CdPNY]
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 5:45 PM
Subject: Statement to WBAI LAB

a vote to not pass the bylaws that have been affirmed by a 2/3rd majority of the iPNB and 2 of the labs is saying one thing:

that you oppose elections and you support the courts deciding the fate of the network

on one hand sheila hamanaka and purporters of diversity (illegal diversity bylaws language) have taken carol spooner to task for involving the courts and the judge. (this of course is not true because the extended date for the settlement and bylaws was june 30th, 2003. therefore people had to go to the judge for input.)

at that court hearing, gary null's lawyer representing the old hijackers attempted to intervene but lacked standing at that time. they have had weeks to rectify this problem. so who knows what will happen now.

if there is no ratification of the bylaws here at wbai tonight, it will be the wbai lab that sent the decision of the fate of the network into the judges and court's hands - not carol spooner as people keep bringing this up erroneously.

that is a fact.

it will be up to the judge to decide the next move. it may be to give more time to at least 3 different groups of dissenters who don't agree on what they want, hence extending the arguments that have not changed for the last year and a half. this could drag out for an unkonwn amount of time and the us presidential elections may come first.

wpfw doesn't have a strategy except for rejection of the current bylaws and that they are too large. people here want to add language.

kpfk wants democratic elections and transparency with more local control. that was the crux of many of the dissenters there. they would not change their minds then and won't now. this is not possible in the draft a or b or c. so they will not agree on draft a.

i don't think that wbai wants elections. there was not one lab member and only one management person at the elections informational meeting last night to meet joy williams.

i don't think anyone wants any transparency either since i haven't heard the wbai lab inquire in any way to the running of the station or the situation with programming or finances.

this sounds like more of the same to me.

we must get this station and network out of harms way of the courts, judges or the former board majority hijackers who still sit on the iPNB with the agenda that got us here - destruction of the network. they even attended the wpfw lab meeting last weekend. they are still in the mix.

one last thing:
bylaws can be amended by the elected local and national boards if they aren't perfect.

please do the right thing pass the bylaws tonight and let's start doing what pacifica should be doing, like making sure george bush isn't president again. we cannot spend more time on this issue.

it is up to you.

thank you

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