On Saturday evening, after the April the 17^th Business Meeting, some hostility arose concerning the perceived disrespect, corruption, and quality of the April issue of the newsletter.  This statement is an attempt at an explanation of the causes and the problem.

I was elected as Secretary in 2008.  My 2 year term is up for re-election or anothers election in December of 2010.  I believe that I was elected based upon the expectations of the members to continue to do what I do and how I do it.  If that has changed or will change, then the members should use the December elections to elect the individual who will do what the members want and how the members want it.

In late 2009, a discussion was advanced toward developing programs to accomplish the purposes of the group as described in the Constitution.  One of the programs that developed out of those discussions was the Migrant Outreach program to address those who may be Trans that flee to this agricultural area seeking safer environments from the countries in the Southern part of the world.
As Secretary and an executive officer, I took on the project of finding a platform in which to accomplish the needs of the Migrant Outreach program.

At the time, Mr. Mark Campbell had wanted to start and develop a newsletter (with the assistance of Zoyer) for the community; especially the Spanish Trans community that he was involved in.  Unfortunately Mr. Campbell was laid off and the idea of the newsletter languished.  I saw an opportunity to use the idea of the newsletter as a platform for the Migrant Outreach program.  I conferred with Mark and talked to Zoyer describing my vision for the Migrant Outreach program.  I obtained specific permission and encouragement to pursue my vision using the newsletter.  Zoyer assisted in obtaining a possible layout and name for the newsletter idea.

This is my vision for using a newsletter for the Migrant Outreach program:
I selected the newsletter idea and the suggested idea for a name (the “Bionic Me”) for distributing information to immigrants just arriving or who have arrived in this area of the world.  The “Bionic Me” name was just a default name until others suggestions could be considered for a more permanent name.  The information provided was/is to be about health care, (clinic access, dental resources, surgery resources, ect.) legal aids (asylum, name change, state law protections, ect.), personal resources (hair care, skin care, access to accessories –wigs, augmentations, clothing options, ect.), and referrals to local services (solons, peer support, ect.).  Using hard copy print media was determined to be the best way to reach those in the field.  Field workers leave for work very early in the morning and return late in the evening.  Very, very little English is spoken nor understood.  Access to the internet is almost non existent; even for those who know how to use the library system or the school (specifically adult) system.  The size of the publication is very important.  It is small enough to fold in half and carry in a pocket through-out the day.  It is portable.  It is always ready and available; it can be read at any time.

There are no symbols or signs to blatantly advertise to others what the person is reading.  The surrounding people and environment can be very deadly.
I needed a way to encourage and support the non-English speaking populous to learn and understand what others were saying and encourage all of us to become more understanding and respectful of each others cultures by developing multilingual talents.  The newsletter is a wonderful way to encourage this idea.  The Bionic Me is printed with both English and Spanish columns side by side so the reader can experience the presentation of stories and ideas in both languages, at the same time.
To get the printed copy out to the targeted readers, a method of distribution and delivery was/is needed.  Some of the Spanish speaking Trans community belong to the group Mariposa Azul.  I needed to instill cooperation and pride in striving to distribute and deliver the print copy into the hands of the target audience.  I obtained specific, special permission to use the Mariposa Azul logo.  With this particular symbol in only the top right corner of the Mast Head, I hoped to stimulate efforts by the group and other members of the Spanish community to distribute, deliver, and read the Bionic Me.  Selecting this approach was somewhat based on the ‘word of mouth’ method of advertising.
Advertising in the Bionic Me was only to be limited to the needed service providers that would or could directly affect the reader.  The newsletter is not designed to handle what a larger newspaper is to be used for.  Money is not a priority.  This is a community service effort.

In January of 2010, I wanted to help distribute the workload of the administration management of the group to more members.  It was my original hope that someone could be solicited to take over the newsletter project and support the effort.  Someone that had the time to devote to delivering a high quality product in a very timely manner.  Someone who was a part time student, worked part time, retired, or did not currently work; someone that was not committed to other additional tasks.  Newsletters have deadlines to meet.  Other newsletters and papers were being delivered in the middle parts of the month.  I wanted the Bionic Me to have the readers attention other than share the middle parts of the month.  I published a notice that submissions would be needed no later than the first (1^st) day of the Month, translations, composing, and layout would follow and printing would be sought by the fifth (5^th) or sixth (6^th) day of the month.  Instead of just translating the English, I was hoping to find a source that could write the ideas of the English copy into Spanish, thus providing more understanding and better quality.  Delivery and availability for pick-up would be the following day, day after, or if a weekend, that Monday.  Up to a point, I was able to accomplish all of these tasks on time (except a volunteer to write Spanish – I was using the internet to translate).

What happened was that a member voiced a desire to volunteer to take on the project – adding more workload to an already full schedule.  Another member volunteered to help.  The next thing I know, is that the volunteer to assist has taken over and is running the Bionic Me with what is their own vision.  This vision is not what was intended for the Migrant Outreach program platform.
I do not find fault with this other vision, it is just that I have worked to develop a vision with a specific purpose and now this purpose has been stolen, corrupted, and now no longer exists.
If anyone wishes to start, develop, and nurture a project, then they are welcome to pursue and are encouraged to support their vision.  Creating, starting, developing, and nurturing ones own project is what should have been done, not by stealing and destroying others work!  If any of the groups resources are needed to devote to any ones project, then the project needs to be reviewed by the Officers and submitted for a vote of approval by the members.

When the February, 2010 issue was sent for printing, proofreading and error corrections needed to be done.  There were editing errors, typos, and low quality layout problems.  The errors were corrected and reviewed with the editor and Chair.  The March issue had the same mistakes and the errors were again covered and reviewed with the editor and Chair.  I received an e-mail ordering me not to proof read or error correct.  When the April issue was sent for printing, the very same mistakes and errors were still not resolved.  Three times, the very same efforts were made to correct the mistakes and errors.  The reputation of the newsletter to the reader was being degraded and the integrity of the newsletter to the advertisers, or potential advertisers, was being compromised.  There is nothing wrong with the articles themselves, it is the editing and layout that is of low quality.  This very low quality of the editing and layout is reflected as a negative perception onto the group and the members.
I felt a need to be a little more insistent on correcting the wrongs being done to the vision, the newsletter, and the group.  My explanations of the vision, mission, and purpose of the newsletter were being ignored.  I felt left out, excluded, and isolated from what was going on with the newsletter.  As an executive officer of the group, it is my duty and my responsibility for the work being done on a project.

The vision of the other project seems to be that of developing a different type of publication.  A general distribution print newspaper that can support large advertising campaigns, posters, notices and separate English and Spanish issues.  I was not informed of this but this is what it appears to me to be.  This seems, to me, to be a little too ambitious for us to handle at the present time.  This may work better as a separate, other, newsletter for publication on the internet.  At the present time we have full, complete access to the area’s established newspaper, the “News Link”.  Collecting advertising revenues for another print newspaper is stealing potential ad revenue from this ally of ours.  Efforts at working on and volunteering for running the News Link are always welcome for anyone to participate in.  There is already space devoted to Trans issues.  We have had the opportunity of sharing resources in the past and will have in the future.  There are a few other allies that welcome our input into their print newspapers.  The Undercurrent and the Community Alliance.

The generation of revenue from the newspaper, at this particular economic time, will be a minimal amount that will wind up only barley supporting the overhead of the time, ink, paper, printing and distribution of that newspaper.
I believe this local community is not large enough to support or provide validation for another general distribution print newspaper.

We have programs that have a priority that we need to devote our resources to.  Most of the resources used by my vision have come from other areas of support, other than the treasury of Trans-e-motion.  I have contributed many of my own free time to the vision.  Several board members of the foundation have contributed time, money, and resources to the vision.  Contributions have been made by the foundation and by Mariposa Azul.  We C.A.R.E. and the CMC Special Services program as well as Planned Parenthood Mar Monte have made considerable contributions.  A commitment and the expectations to all of these groups should be respected and honored to provide a high quality product of which was described and presented by the October, November, December, January, February, and March issues.  The April issues falls short of this commitment.

If the members of Trans-e-motion wish to continue to support the other vision, then I would respectfully submit to rebuild and restore another platform to accomplish the vision, mission, and purpose of the Migrant Outreach program.  I will continue to vote nay on any project that does not meet the needs or advance the mission or purpose of our Constitution with a high degree of quality effort.

If anyone running a project cannot provide the necessary time to commit to a high quality effort, then the project needs to be handed over to someone who can commit to the necessary time the project needs.  An effort by that person or assistance from others should be made to solicit a volunteer to run the project until the originator can resume the necessary time commitment or another person can effectively manage the original vision, mission, and purpose of the project.  Changes for improvements are expected and encouraged.  Changes that destroy, corrupt or compromise the original vision, mission, and purpose of a project should be discouraged.  It should be expected to start another project separate and different that has it’s own vision, mission, and purpose.
Building empires with Czars should be discouraged.  Spreading workloads around and involving and including others should be encouraged.  If need be, everyone should be expected to give up control of a project if anything is or could be jeopardizing the effectiveness, quality, or needs of any project.

I welcome any one to review, with me, the print newsletter that was sent to me to be printed as the April issue.

The author can be reached through racheljoy6@hotmail.com.