Fwd: Re: [PNB_Elections:657] PNB Election Committee conf. call Tue. -agenda items?

[Carolyn Birden]

>Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 09:47:50 -0500
>To: Carolyn Birden <cmc...@earthlink.net>
>From: Bill Crosier <kp...@crosierbiomed.com>
>Subject: Re: [PNB_Elections:657] PNB Election Committee conf. call Tue.
> -agenda items?
>
>Thanks, Carolyn.
>
>I suggest you send your note to all of the Elections Committee
>Google group, so all of the committee and other interested people
>can look at it before tomorrow's meeting. Just send it to
>pnb_el...@googlegroups.com or do a reply-all to my message from
>yesterday.
>
>Bill
>
>
>At 9:45 AM -0400 8/9/10, Carolyn Birden wrote:
>>Bill, I'd like to add my urgent and emphatic support for the
>>opt-out procedure for getting candidate booklets. We are in
>>serious danger of losing even more voters than the current
>>disaffection at some stations would predict if we make it more
>>difficult than not to access information. While well-intentioned,
>>the motion as written ignores much experience with marketing
>>psychology: every extra step added to a process loses a certain
>>percentage of desired responses. A simple re-write of the motion
>>should make it much easier for voters to get the info they need.
>>The replies by people who opt to forego the printed bulletin will
>>serve as a core list of Internet-savvy people who can then
>>contribute to the test runs, next year, for any electronic
>>balloting we want to try. The cost of sending out more booklets
>>will more than be offset by the lawsuit we won't invite by members
>>who never saw the opt-in message or couldn't implement the
>>technology, etc. Let's not be penny-wise here.
>>
>>Please recall the experience I reported to this committee several
>>times: companies experienced in transitioning nonprofits to
>>electronic balloting agree that it takes three election cycles to
>>complete the process without reducing membership participation.
>>The first step would be to ask who does NOT want paper information
>>- that list of replies, and emails, should be golden. And then we
>>could go on from there, surveying the membership after the election
>>to find out how many read the booklet, in which form, and whether
>>they would like to continue to receive information about the
>>station by email, etc. All the while we are collecting email
>>addresses and including people in the process. You get the point,
>>I'm sure.
>>
>>On a second point, I am very distressed at the reduction in on-air
>>notice about the election, and about the shortened time-frame for
>>airing candidate carts. This defies the PNB policies and
>>procedures issued on the subject for the last election, and will
>>depress the turnout, I am sure. Members need to be notified,
>>cajoled, reminded, urged, to participate. The main function of the
>>election process is not to elect representatives but to include
>>members in the democratic process that is the new Pacifica
>>Foundation. While some people want less participation rather than
>>more, I hope the EC and election supervisors are not among them.
>>
>>The third issue I hope the EC can look at is the condition of the
>>membership data base at, for starters, WBAI. Could you ask for a
>>formal report from the IGM there about how the list is being
>>maintained, updated, and prepared in order to avoid the debacle of
>>the last election at WBAI? There's about a $50K savings in it for
>>the station/foundation if we do it right this time and don't invite
>>another lawsuit by our inattention.
>>
>>Many thanks for all the work your committee is doing: it is the
>>heart of the Foundation's nature.
>>
>>Best,
>>Carolyn
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>Please send to me, or to this list as you prefer, items you'd like
>>>to add to the agenda for Tuesday's PNB Election committee meeting.
>>>
>>>We already have:
>>>
>>>* Review & approve minutes from last (July 22) meeting
>>>
>>>* Report from NES, Q&A
>>>
>>>* Status update/elections problems & suggestions for each station
>>>(I've heard of some more problems at KPFK regarding election
>>>carts, and apparently WPFW still has only a small number of
>>>candidates, but I have not heard much from other stations.) If
>>>possible, please have specific suggestions/corrective action if
>>>you have a problem to report, and of course send them to your LES
>>>and our NES first.
> >>
>>>* Ken has a motion for the committee to consider: "Send campaign
>>>booklets to all voters except those who have originated a request
>>>not to receive them. Such a request will be received by the LES
>>>via post, email or phone." Please see his e-mail from this
>>>afternoon for more details.
>>>
>>>* Proposed Bylaws amendments dealing with elections -- the PNB
>>>decided to give more time for people to review proposed ones, and
>>>submit others, so did not decide to start the 60 day notice and
>>>review period at the PNB conference call/meeting last week. So
>>>there's still time for comments and discussion and revisions. Ken
>>>and Brian (not on the committee this year) sent some
>>>suggestions/comments and I'll try to put them together with the
>>>proposed amendments I sent to this list earlier, hopefully by
>>>tomorrow night or Tue. morning. If you have any other proposed
>>>amendments having to do with elections, now's the time to bring
>>>them forward.
>>>
>>>
>>>Other agenda items, anyone?
>>>
>>>Bill
>
>--
>Bill Crosier
>kp...@crosierbiomed.com 713-641-4941
>Support KPFT - Radio for Peace - 90.1 FM Houston http://kpft.org
>Progressive Action Alliance http://progressiveactionalliance.org

[Shawn Casey O'Brien]

Thank you Ms. Birden. Spot on as usual. I wholeheartedly share your concerns and support your suggestions.

S.O'B.

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