National RAB Caucus

[dkern@netcom.com]

Hello everyone interested in the National RAB Caucus idea.

My name is Doug Kern. I am an active member of the Presidio RAB and the
Hunters
Pt. RAB, both in San Francisco. I am also a mediator/facilitator of
environmental disputes and facilitate meetings of both the Presidio RAB and
Hunters Pt. RAB.

I have participated in the San Francisco
Bay Area Regional RAB Caucus meetings as well as the California Caucus
meetings, in addition to several Career-Pro sponsored events. All of
these events and gatherings have facilitated the dialogue towards
better base cleanup and conversion. They often have slightly different
goals and are therefore both necessary and complementary activities.
Carreer-Pro and Arc have both participated in functions the other
organization sponsors. I have worked with Arc and respect the results
of both Arc and Career-Pro.

I support the idea of a National RAB Caucus with wide participation
and inclusion. The National Caucus will bring together community members
from around the country to share experiences, and develop appropriate
community generated responses to the national policies that affect all of
us in the local trenches. A strong community voice
is an essential element to the national cleanup dialogue. That voice
needs to have broad representation and contribution from around the country.

Unlike RABs, the Caucus brings together only community members to discuss
critical issues and appropriate responses. This format is much different
from the type of event that includes regulators and members of the
military. The discussions bring out in the open the deep
and troubling concerns of community members. This kind of communication
and interaction between community members has proven to be quite
powerful to RABs members in the SF Bay Area and throughout the state. We call
on each other for mutual support and trade important experiences so
that all critical lessons don't have to be learned individually.

The Caucus model used on a national level would generate similar
instances of mutual support. It would also demonstrate a national resolve
on the part of community members to achieve the best and most flexible
cleanup and reuse scenarios possible. It could be extremely powerful tool
for
community members to express their concerns to national decision makers.

I think the question of who should sponsor
the Caucus is less important than moving ahead with the important work
the Caucus can achieve.

Arc has received funding for this project and Arc has successfully served
as secretariat of large Caucus meetings. I know that the organizing work
performed by Arc's staff to bring together Caucus meetings is specialized,
time-consuming
and challenging. The meetings are inclusive and respectfull of all
opinions and beliefs. Again, Saul's work at Arc is complementary to Lenny's
at Career-Pro. Let's use the considerable talents of both individuals
to maximum benefit.

I hope the the discussions presented here on
the Career-Pro bulletin board can focus on developing an exceptional
Caucus meeting in January with tangible results.

The challenges we all face together as a national RAB community are
considerable.
Let's pull together on developing appropriate responses to the important
cleanup issues we face as individuals that can be enhanced through
our shared strength.

Doug Kern
dkern@netcom.com

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 Doug Kern | Kern Mediation Group
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 dkern@netcom.com | San Francisco, CA 94105
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