Cognition Issue 15
SFBMA
Elections - April 13th
Our third annual SFBMA elections are coming up. In order to maximize member
involvement, ballots will be distributed by Paul Kazemi (Prime Mover) the
day before. You may vote by leaving your ballot in the ballot-box that will
be placed in the SFBMA newsbox at the Wall, during normal business hours on
Wednesday, April 12, and Thursday, April 13, or make sure it arrives at the
meeting April 13th. Or you can simply show up at the SFBMA general meeting,
April 13th, get your ballot, and vote then.. Ballots must have your name and
messenger company on them to be valid.
The SFBMA has existed without any officers for eight years. Officers were
chosen simply because they are legally required to obtain non-profit status.
Officers do, when effective, facilitate decision-making processes and disperse
information. Titles also mildly impress outside officials and newspaper reporters;
however, we should remember that the SFBMA is a rank and file organization
and all active members have equal power and standing. A title does not grant
any power, nor should lack of title prevent any courier from becoming as involved
in the SFBMA as much as they care to.
Previously SFBMA elections have simply been a popularity contest. This year
only couriers who have been actively involved in the SFBMA have been nominated,
and a candidates debate wil take place on Tuesday, April 4 at 255-9th at 7pm.
Feel free to write-in candidates as long as they have worked in the courier
industry in SF in the last year.
Votes will be counted at the April 13th meeting. Whichever individual receives
the most votes for the given office wins. If candidates receive an equal amount
of votes, a run-off election will quickly be held. -A
President
de jure responsibilities: The President shall represent the best
interests of the membership to the general public. If there are responsibilities
to be delegated, it is the Presidents job to do so, as well as to organize
and submit necessary budgets to the Board of Directors for approval.
de facto responsibilities: give public speeches, meet with union
organizers, outreach to community, check SFBMA mail and phone messages
Rick Cochran (Ultra)
Paul Kazemi (Prime Mover)
Damon Votour (First Legal)
Secretary
de jure responsibilities: The Secretary shall keep minutes of every
General Meeting, make them available to any member with reasonable notice,
and periodically post them in a conspicuous location.
de facto responsibilities: take minutes of general meetings, edit
Cognition
Paul Kazemi (Prime Mover)
Stephan Kizziah (Ultra)
Howard Williams (Ultra)
Treasurer
de jure responsibilities: The Treasurer is responsible for collecting
and accounting for dues and other funds, and shall report these records at
each General Meeting, as well as make these records available to any member
with reasonable notice.
de facto responsibilities: collect monthly dues, disperse funds,
keep books, oversee fundraisers
Rak Alfonso (Ultra)
Bill Bridges (ProMess)
Natasha Dedrick (DMS)
Executive
Director
de jure responsibilities: The Executive Director is required to fill
in for any of the above offices with reasonable notice. The Executive
Director is the Principal Officer.
de facto responsibilities: facilitate meetings, coordinate shop stewards,
oversee elections
Angel (Ultra)
Kwai (ProMess)
Proposals
Eliminate Board of Directors, replace in Constitution with Board of Shop Stewards.
Consolidate offices into fewer positions.
Vote for
SFBMA Anthem:
Back in Black by AC/DC
The Bummy Song by the Cheesy Trolls
Secret Agent Man by theVentures
Don't Stop Believin by Journey
CMWC Banned from Boston
The ninth annual Cycle Messenger World Championships was scheduled to take
place in Boston, MA over Labor Day weekend this year; however, Boston city
officials are trying to prevent this race from taking place. Boston was
chosen as the locale for the 2000 CMWC because it had earned the dubious
distinction of being the worst city to messenger in. Draconian anti-messenger
laws were instated after William Spring jaywalked onto a Boston street,
was hit by a courier, and went into a coma. Never minding the fact that
death by automobile is a common occurrence and serious injury by bicycle
is extraordinarily rare, Boston passed laws requiring couriers to be registered
by the city, have license plates on their bikes, and carry $200,000 in insurance
- more than is required for taxi drivers.
Sustained efforts to organize CMWC in Boston were thwarted when the City
refused to issue any road closures for a race course. The City had made
its decision to oppose the race back in October 1999 but kept this secret
and strung CMWC organizers along in an outrageous attempt to sabotage the
event. SF's own Wendy Fallin says she received an ãinside, unsolicited
information from my someone in the Traffic and Engineering Department for
the City of Philadelphia. I was told he got an email from a city official
in Boston stating they would never allow the couriers to have the CMWC in
their city.
She quotes this e-mail: "[A messenger] hit one of our (Boston's) major
citizens last year and hospitalized him in a coma for six months, so they
are not high on our Mayor's list these days for special street-closing favors."
Ignoring the fact that Spring was breaking the law when he was hit, this
arbitrary targeting of one group is completely illegal.
Luckily, Philadelphia bike messengers offered their city to host CMWC. CMWC
Race President John Kenda and Vice-President Sean Belfast met with the City
of Cambridge as a last effort to keep the race in Massachusetts; however,
Cambridge turned them down, and it looks like the race will be taking place
in Philadelphia.
The two most promising race courses are in Fairmont Park or in a network
of small streets intersecting Willow Street. Philadelphia has a healthy
BMA, thanks to Wendy, and an active bike coalition, in part thanks to another
SF expatriate, Therese. Housing is plentiful and local beer stores are forced
by law to sell beer by the case. Boston couriers will still be in charge
of the race and related events, with help from the locals. CMWC 2000's new
address is:
4508 Chester Ave
Philadelphia PA 19143
The website remains the same: www.dccourier.com. The e-mail address is:
CMWC2K@ aol.com. All pre-registrations are still valid.
Understandably, bike messengers in Boston and elsewhere are outraged the
City of Boston's behavior. Perhaps we can plan an appropriate bike protest
in Boston after CMWC. -A