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On about April 20, 2003, the message titled "Open
Letter to the Membership" was posted on the IJA web site without
board approval. It is a troubling document, filled with information
that undermines its own arguments.
The authors of that letter have chosen to position this conflict as
one between our elder member Art Jennings, and a young
whippersnapper, Dave Davis. Regardless of how unpleasantly they may
feel Mr. Davis expressed his opinions, the conflict has nothing to
do with him or Mr. Jennings. The conflict has to do with the use of
IJA funds and accountability to the membership. To try and turn this
into some sort of referendum on whether IJA members prefer
Mr. Jennings or Mr. Davis completely trivializes and misses the
point. Most members have respect for both gentlemen and are really
concerned with the issues at hand: fiscal and responsibility issues.
The letter states that the current webmaster has been "replaced with
Marty Larsen, a security specialist" who will "put adequate
protections in place to safeguard our members." Nowhere does their
letter explain why a free and open web site poses a threat to our
members. The letter does state that members expressing opinions have
caused contributors and others to question current policy. The term
for such a situation is "democracy." The surprise replacement of the
webmaster and the deletion of the message board are clear cases of
paranoid "leaders" silencing criticism and putting their own
well-being before that of the membership at large. Why are they so
afraid? What are they so desperate to hide?
They also state that they are unable to afford to pay for the
March/April 2003 issue of JUGGLE magazine due to the costs of having
a paid Treasurer of the IJA. This is the same Treasurer that did not
tell the board of this upcoming financial shortfall. What we pay the
Treasurer in salary and benefits is more than the approximately
$8.00 per member shortfall that they report. Which is more important
to the members of the IJA: a quality magazine or a paid Treasurer
who has been neglecting the responsible management of the IJA's
funds? They present one choice, we present another.
Now look at the letter that they wrote and posted on the official
IJA web site. That letter has been signed by only half the seats of
the board but it has been signed by every paid employee of the
IJA. That letter is not from the IJA's board. That letter is not
about saving the IJA. What that is, is a letter about saving the job
of someone who is not doing it well.
A question still remains: Why and how did a letter that has not been
sanctioned by the board find its way to be posted on the main page
of the IJA's web site? The answer is that the staff is in control,
trying to save their jobs at the expense of the members of the IJA.
Here are what the authors of the so-called 'open letter' on the IJA
web site are actually expressing: a willingness to engage in cheap
personal attacks, a desire to silence free discussion, and their
inability to responsibly manage IJA funds.
The financial situation of the IJA and the continued publication of
JUGGLE are the issues we MUST deal with now. It is urgent that you
renew your membership and vote for Andrew Conway, Greg Phillips, and
Todd Strong for the board of directors. Whether you vote by mail or
in person at the Reno festival, your vote is critical to saving our
organization. Take action today to ensure an IJA tomorrow!
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Dave Davis | Former IJA Director
Candidate for IJA Director | |
Andrew Conway | Candidate for IJA Director
Life Member | |
Greg Phillips | Candidate for IJA Director | |
Andy Ford | IJA Director | |
Todd Strong | Former IJA Director
Life Member | |
Martin Frost | Former IJA Director
Former IJA Webmaster
Life Member | |
Laura Green | Former IJA Director
Former IJA Festival Coordinator
Former IJA Championship Director
Life Member
Fashion Queen | |
Katje Sabin | Former IJA Director
Former Associate Editor JUGGLE Magazine | |
Jack Kalvan | Life Member | |
Barry Friedman | Contributing Editor to JUGGLE
Life Member |
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