Re: National RAB Caucus

[RCoughran@aol.com]

I have been disapointed, but not suprised, to learn that the vast majority
of the responders to the "Who sues" question are activists or professionals
and very few are just normal folks who happen to be RAB community members.

Like Mark Youngkin, I am a community RAB member (and currently community
co-chair) and I plan to go to the meeting in Januuary. My experience with
Sol Bloom and ARC is somewhat different from Mark's. The first exposure I had
to them was when I attended a meeting of the CAL/EPA Base Closure
Enviromental Advisory Group sponsered by the California State Department of
Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) in San Francisco about two years ago. One
member of the group was identified as the repersentative of the California
RAB Caucus.

I had never heard about a RAB Caucus. I later learned that Mr. Bloom was
there on behalf of a "Bay Area" RAB Caucus. A few months later Mr. 
Bloom came to our RAB meeting to inform us that he was in the process 
of forming a statewide group and urged us to join him. I was never able 
to attend one of their meetings (few of us can commit to two days of 
out of town meetings on only one or two days notice). I heard nothing 
more about what was going on until I received the agenda for the DTSC's 
group on Sept. 11, 1996.

Two topics were listed that caught my attention. A "RAB Caucus Proposal" and
a discussion on "RAB Procedures". At least four RABs from the central valley
of California objected to that body taking up agenda items that could affect
our operations without our having any knowledge. The meeting was cancelled
and to my knowledge the DTSC Group has not met since.

Given this background, I want to point out that there is the risk that a
National Caucus could become a forum for those that have to ablilty to raise
funds instead of a organization that represents the people who are on the
ground dealing with the real day to day problems as they come up in our
communities.

Robert Coughran
Community member
Mather RAB