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Post by larrywbryant on Jul 14, 2011 3:10:30 GMT -6
Director Clift's recent (and arbitrary) conversion of the MUFON population from "members" to "Journal Subscribers" seems to be a red herring -- one that perhaps has been devised via consultation with a legal counselor.
Even so, it's hard for me to tolerate this semantic gamesmanship, especially if it's meant to exacerbate the "us v. them" scenario now festering in our midst. In this regard, I would dismiss Clift's concern that non-members/non-subscribers might be adding their names to the proposal. Let any taxpayer who desires to add her/his name to the list of sponsors do so without any such status vetting. My reason for such nondiscrimination: simply that MUFON remains a public charity as an IRS-certified 501(C)3 institution, thus casting its federated mission, policies, functions, staffing, funding, and associations in the full glare of public transparency and accountability.
Current, prospective, and future MUFONites share a stakeholdership with the public at large; hence, our excluding any interested party from signing on to the proposal would, in the long run, be counterproductive at best and disingenuous at worst. We member-subscribers should reject that negative course. -- Larry W. Bryant (MUFON MEMBER) (14 Jul 11)
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Post by starkiller on Jul 14, 2011 16:22:13 GMT -6
This is just one more bad decision in a long line of bad decisions by Clift and the BoD. A lot of people are angry about being downgraded to "subscribers" instead of members. I'm thinking about canceling my "subscription" because of it. If all my $50.00 a year is getting me is twelve issues of a cheap black and white magazine with 24 pages of useless information then I may as well subscribe to The Fortean Times or UFO Matrix. Those magazines have more pages, better content and color photos. Clift is just going to alienate even more people.
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Post by starshipdisaster on Jul 14, 2011 17:27:45 GMT -6
This is just one more bad decision in a long line of bad decisions by Clift and the BoD. A lot of people are angry about being downgraded to "subscribers" instead of members. I'm thinking about canceling my "subscription" because of it. If all my $50.00 a year is getting me is twelve issues of a cheap black and white magazine with 24 pages of useless information then I may as well subscribe to The Fortean Times or UFO Matrix. Those magazines have more pages, better content and color photos. Clift is just going to alienate even more people. exactly!!!!! And thats just public problems , as I like to call it. if you dig a little deeper ( in my opinion) any of the local Mufon chapters, you quickly find out that the magazine is just the tip of the iceburg. |
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Post by larrywbryant on Jul 16, 2011 17:11:11 GMT -6
== A Matter of Trust ==
When the leadership of a publicly supported organization resorts to such control-focused tactics as deceptive pronouncements, management by fiat, and intimidation of its members who dare dissent from organizational dogma/policy/practices, then that leadership's position of trust has been compromised.
Is it time for, say, the state attorney general of Texas (where MUFON's corporate charter resides) to investigate the MUFON leadership's alleged mal-/mis-/nonfeasance in the discharge of its duties to the membership? Or: would this investigatory measure be ripe for action only if the MUFON board of directors were to summarily reject the CRM proposal? -- Larry W. Bryant (16 Jul 11)
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Post by larrywbryant on Jul 16, 2011 18:43:23 GMT -6
== Membershipwide Vote of No Confidence: An Alternative Remedy? ==
Once the current MUFON board of directors rejects (or otherwise stonewalls) the proposal, should we hold a membershipwide RECALL referendum via an online petition that would include votes from both members and nonmembers -- since nonmembers have a public-interest stake in the outcome?
The petition could have a column field that asks, "MUFON member?" In the petition's preamble, we could specify that a pro-RECALL majority vote from the signers constitutes a formal message to the board: "Resign immediately, please, so that we may create an ad hoc election committee for electing a new board and drafting a new set of bylaws."
N.B.: The petition might also contain a comments field offering the voter space to express her/his relevant sentiments/suggestions. -- Larry W. Bryant (16 Jul 11)
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Post by kwnart on Jul 16, 2011 20:44:38 GMT -6
== A Matter of Trust ==Is it time for, say, the state attorney general of Texas (where MUFON's corporate charter resides) to investigate the MUFON leadership's alleged mal-/mis-/nonfeasance in the discharge of its duties to the membership? Or: would this investigatory measure be ripe for action only if the MUFON board of directors were to summarily reject the CRM proposal? -- Larry W. Bryant (16 Jul 11) There is no incentive for the BoD to listen to the CRM. Having someone review the Charter for violations would be a good start. Once its been reviewed, plans need to be put in place where the status of MUFON as being legit or having its non-profit status challenged. It is a very drastic and expensive measure but the BoD has shown no indications that anything will change. |
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Post by starkiller on Jul 17, 2011 21:24:22 GMT -6
Are you folks suggesting that a lawsuit be filed against MUFON? That would be a lot of time and money and could end up dragging on forever. I doubt it would have a positive outcome either. From what I am hearing the MUFON BoD is very deep in both Bigelow and the government's back pocket. They are not going to give up their power without a fight and they have the money to fight for a long time.
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Post by larrywbryant on Jul 18, 2011 11:25:07 GMT -6
== Must We Wait Until the MUFON Board Is Found Guilty of RICO-level Conduct? ==
Not necessarily a lawsuit but an INVESTIGATION -- by the Texas attorney general, into the question of whether the Board has exceeded its authority and/or violated the standards of its non-profit status.
In this regard, perhaps the attorney general might wish to have the appropriate court of law convene a grand jury probe into the MUFON leadership's behavior, activities, motivations, and associations. -- Larry W. Bryant (18 Jul 11)
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Post by starkiller on Jul 18, 2011 21:24:24 GMT -6
If what Elaine said in her interview with Jerry Pippin is true then the MUFON BoD is in both the government's and Bigelow's back pocket, and they are breaking a lot more laws than just those in Texas. Somebody should also report them to the IRS.  If the government really is bankrolling MUFON than the government could just as easily protect them. |
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