X-Message-Number: 802
Date: 04 May 92 18:11:17 EDT
From: Michael <>
Subject: Another View

Another View

Some members think that those who do the work should get to exercise
the power. Some members think that we are only "customers" and don't 
have the right to make decisions affecting our supplier.
Most members don't seem to care who makes or what decisions are made.

But, docility in the face of death, or the Alcor board, has never been
one of my virtues.
I, obviously, have an extreme minority view that serving on the board
is a privilege not a sacrifice; that the board, in the words of H. Ross
Perot, is the "servant" of the members. As such, the board should go 
out of its way to poll the entire membership whenever important 
issues arise.

Since we all pay the same dues, we are equal in our responsibility and
authority, no matter what else we do for the organization.

"All animals are created equal, but pigs are created more equal" Animal Farm

The board's primary function should be to discern a consensus of what
the membership wants and adopt procedures to accomplish it. If the 
board cannot discern a consensus, and it has a strong point of view,
the board can make its view known and work to gain a consensus before
proceeding. It a consensus cannot be found, the board can act on its
own only in emergencies.  This isn't difficult to do, it's called leadership.

In the spirit that all the members have an immediate right to know--
here is one minority view of what happened yesterday at the Alcor 
monthly meeting. Since no one else is likely to give this view, please ask
someone else for their viewpoint and make up your own mind about 
what happened. The decisions that the board is making are important
to all the members, if a consensus can be reached and it is expressed 
to the board, they can proceed with a stronger conviction and less 
opposition.

For me, the two most important events of yesterday involved restricted
choice and a failed coup.  In both cases, the brilliance of the footwork
of Carlos Mondragon and the feebleness of those who would oppose him,
shown through.

No matter how one may feel about Carlos' ability to run Alcor, it can't 
be denied that he is a lot smarter than those, like myself, who would like
to depose him.

Restricted choice: this is a classic agenda manipulation technique, master-
fully handled by Carlos. That he does it so easily, right in the faces of
supposedly intelligent people, only increases my admiration for his abilities.

Notice with "restricted choice", the entire universe of choices: whether to 
move, where to move, do nothing, etc. and their consequences: can we afford
it, what are the political ramifications, does the membership want it, etc.
are reduced to two choices: 1) Move to one building in the Scottsdale 
Airpark 2) Move to another building in the Scottsdale Airpark. 
Take your pick. Whatever you do, Carlos and Dave Pizer win. Beautifully done.
You can bet your last bippie, we are moving to Scottsdale Airpark. Checkmate.
This battle is over.
Sadly for Carlos, the day the Scottsdale contract is signed, Dave Pizer will
turn on him like a lion turns on his own cubs. But that's another story for
another day.

The second important event was a "failed coup" attempt on Carlos' position.
This attempt was so wimped out that Carlos could have handled it in his sleep,
but it was still a beautiful parry.

In a pathetically veiled attempt to replace Carlos as President, Paul Wakfer
proposed forming a search committee to find an Executive Director to run Alcor.
Paul's anemic ace in the hole was Eric Klien's offer to pay this supposedly
more professional person the difference between Carlos' current salary (about
$24,000) and $50,000 a year, indefinately, or until the membership rose 
enough to warrent a $50,000 salary.
Theoretically, all 300 plus members were eligible for this position. But
Eric Klien would only pay someone other than Carlos to become Executive
Director. The search committee was to narrow the candidates down and submit
its finalists to the board.
This scene would have been tragic if it wasn't so laughable.

Carlos said okay, if you adopt Wakfer's proposal to form a search committee,
I'll resign immediately from the board and the presidency and submit my name
for Executive Director. (I'm pleading in New York: accept the resignation,
accept the resignation).
At that point, the board checked its diapers, saw all this brown stuff filling
them up and voted to defeat the proposal rather than face losing Carlos.
Game, Seand Match. 
If you are going to play in the big leagues, boys, you'd better bring some
bats and balls.

That Carlos failed to win a "confidence" vote put forward by Dave Pizer
(who else) and seconded by Paul Genteman, was small beer after all he had
accomplished. The "confidence" vote was withdrawn.

If this meeting is the best that the opposition can do, they should give up.
They are overmatched. They are letting Carlos and Pizer have the organization,
because they aren't smart enough to stop them.

Have fun all, it's a beautiful early summer day in New York City. And it's
great to be alive.

My best as always,

Michael Paulle

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