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Bylaw Suggestions
4-2-02


1) Rather than a separate financial branch, the bylaws should mandate independent audits, and full disclosure to the membership. An in-house financial branch is just as vulnerable to corruption as an elected board--perhaps more so since their performance is less likely to be watched closely by as many people.

2) Membership to non-contributors should be by volunteering per year a minimum of the number of hours obtained by the following formula: divide the yearly low-income subscription price by the state minimum wage. [To clarify: That would mean the yearly low-income subscription price of the station the person is seeking to join, divided by the minimum wage of the state in which the station is located. This would create fairness for financially strapped people who have still managed to join by contribution.]

3)Each station should be mandated to do a minimum # of membership outreach events in targeted communities. [Members of the community who work on the events would be credited for volunteer hours, and sign up sheets would be available to bring in other volunteers. Addition of listener/members and/or board members by extraordinary means to obtain diversity should not be necessary if the mission of social all-inclusiveness in programming is enforced, and outreach is mandatory.]

4) Candidates for the National Board, and for General Managers of the stations should be required, IN THE BYLAWS, to have a background of participation, paid or unpaid, in social justice advocacy. [In other words, they must be required to have "walked the walk". That would include, but not be limited to, such issues as civil rights of oppressed people, campaign finance reform, environmental justice, and other public empowerment advocacy. This should encourage diversity without special appointments or quotas.]

Laura Lichtenstein
llichten@earthlink.net


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