Box 13, Folder 15, Document 9

Box 13, Folder 15, Document 9

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PROPOSED PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING PUBLIC POLICY POSITIONS

Presented by Working Sub-Committee on Reorganization

In recognition of the importance of agreement and-clarity as to procedure
for an ad hoc group such as The Urban Coalition, on September 21st the National
Coordinators proposed the establishment of a representative committee drawn
from the Working Committee to consider two questions:

1. What procedures should be adopted to enable the Steering
Committee to develop and implement public policy positions?
2. What organizational structure should the Coalition develop?

The Committee consists of the following members:

Rabbi Richard Hirsch, Chairman (Synogogue Council of America)
Wayne Smithy (Ford Motor Company)

Alfred Eisenpreis (Allied Stores)

Andrew Biemiller (AFL-CIO)

Peter Tufo (New York City)

Bayard Rustin (A. Philip Randolph)

Harold Fleming (Potomac Institute)

PUBLIC POLICY POSITIONS



Generally speaking, the public policy positions of The Urban Coalition
should be achieved by consensus. Occasionally, however, it is likely that
individual members of the Steering Committee may, for good and sufficient
reason, wish to dissent or express reservations. This is to be expected and
should be provided for with a procedural agreement that will enable the Coalition
to act, at the same time protecting the interests of those in disagreement.

Such procedures should be simple and clear. They should be limited to public
policy positions. (The normal administrative affairs of The Urban Coalition
should be governed by regular parliamentary procedure with simple majority
approval serving as the basis for action.) The following procedures are

therefore proposed with respect to public policy positions of The Urban Coalition:
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A quorum shall be a majority of the Steering Committee

Any Steering Committee member may be represented by an alternate.

Decisions will be made by those present.

Only those approving (voting YES) will be listed in public statements.

It is understood that each Steering Committee member is free to determine
the form and extent of his participation in any activities to implement

any public policy position taken by The Urban Coalition.

Members of the Steering Committee (or their alternates) may vote YES,

NO, or may ABSTAIN. Any five NO votes shall constitute a veto on action

by The Urban Coalition. An abstention shall not be counted in determina-
tion of a veto. A majority of those present must affirm any action on
public policy positions.

A unanimous NO vote by any one element of the Steering Committee shall

also constitute a veto, provided that at least a majority of the members

of that element are present (or represented).

Polling the Steering Committee will ordinarily not be necessary. Should the
need occur, it should be limited as far as possible to implementation of those

issues upon which the Steering Committee has already acted. Such special

‘polls should be communicated in writing or by telegram with a specified

response date indicated. Such emergency polls shall be governed by the

procedures outlined above for determining all public policy positions.