[WEC-Coord] Update on WEC report revision work; complete draft ready by 1/19?

[Kevin Matthews]

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:50:47 -0800, Rob Zako wrote:
> FINISHING UP
> 
> The Revision Committee is making every effort to produce a candidate 
> final draft that will achieve three aims:
> 	1.	Reflect the consensus of the WEC.
> 	2.	Be accepted by and helpful to decision makers and the public.
> 	3.	Lead to on-the-ground improvements in west Eugene.
> 
> But the proof will be in he pudding. We won't know for certain how 
> close to consensus we are until everyone in the WEC has had a chance 
> to review the draft and we all meet on Thursday, January 29. While 
> the WEC has spent a lot of time talking about solutions (the subject 
> of Chapter 2), we have spent less time talking about problems 
> (Chapter 1), getting there (Chapter 3), or a process for community 
> dialogue (Chapter 4). Thus there is a risk that the full WEC might 
> have significant concerns about parts of the report.
> 
> If we are indeed close to consensus, great! But if there is a 
> divergence of opinion, it will probably take additional time with 
> help from Jamie, John and Dennis to bring us to closure.
> 
> 
> All of the above is intended to alert you to expect a complete draft 
> by Monday, January 19 or so, and to prime the upcoming Coordinating 
> Committee meeting discussion.


I appreciate receiving this update, and I'm glad to hear it feels like the group is making progress on a new draft of the report.

I also feel it is necessary to express again that I have serious concerns around the apparent idea that the draft report will include significant sections of new content.  

I continue to feel that writing up the report should be the art of expressing what we did, which is strong enough to stand well on its own.  The well-grounded authenticity of our actual efforts can lend an authority to our reporting that no amount of additional structural infill is likely to match.

Writing up the report should not be a process of adding in a bunch of stuff we didn't do together in order to fill in some other abstract picture.  Given the solemn timing commitments we made to each other and to the community - to finish by the end of 2008 - I doubt whether it is constructive to allow new content introduced during report writing to incite divisions among us, or to require additional new decision-making processes.

Of the three numbered aims, only the first rests clearly within the scope of reasonable accountability for any report.

I do hope the draft report will accurately reflect our consensus, in a way that works for all the members of the WEC.

best wishes,

Kevin







--
Can you join with Friends of Eugene to help save our city's creeks
and ridges and rivers, for birds and fish and trees and otters and
people, too?  For affordable housing and urban place and green space
and greater health and happiness?

This special part of Oregon needs all our hope, help, and love 
together to create real solutions to West Eugene transportation 
concerns, to reach toward social and political and environmental 
equity, to support all the efforts for a safe, fun, sustainable, 
livable Eugene!

Please help, join, and contribute online: 
   http://www.FriendsofEugene.org