The Athens Project

Direct Democracy element implemented by former challenger of Athens Project candidate

2008-03-10T14:11:00.004-05:00

Councilwoman Nancy Floreen of Montgomery County Maryland defeated Athens Project candidate (and Athens Project coordinator) Bill Jacobs in the August 2006 primaries after outspending him by at least a 10:1 margin.

While skeptical of direct democracy, she saw merit in collecting the citizens input in an open, interactive manner by inviting the public to weigh in on issues up for a vote before the county council.

A blog exactly like hers was to be used in conjunction with a secure login poll that would decide the issue.

Take a look at the future of democracy at:
http://nancyfloreen.blogspot.com/

The blog was to become the vehicle for more informed voting and community empowerment. While Councilwoman Floreen reserves the right to disagree with the citizens that contribute to her blog and it won't be possible to gauge community support without the poll, this is a tremendous contribution towards government of, by, and for the people.

Congratulations and hearty thanks go out to Councilwoman Floreen.

Ralph Nader on the National Initiative and Mike Gravel

2007-12-14T12:48:00.000-05:00

originally posted at:
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/13/5798/

NYT’s Gail Collins and the ‘2nd Tier’ Presidential Candidates
by Ralph Nader

Gail Collins, the columnist for the New York Times, has a problem. While regularly writing in a satirical or sometimes trivial way about the foibles of the two major Parties’ front-running presidential candidates, she can scarcely hide her disdain for the small starters, the underdogs.

In a recent column about what she saw as the repetitiveness and small-mindedness of Hillary Clinton (and her spokesman), Barack Obama and John Edwards, she took this unexplained swipe at former Senator Mike Gravel’s presence in a debate sponsored by National Public Radio:

“What the heck is Mike Gravel doing back on stage? Didn’t we get rid of him 10 or 20 debates ago?”

This dismissal may be seen by some readers as a laugh or as an impulsive throwaway line. Not so with Ms. Collins. She has little tolerance for filling media debate chairs with candidates; pundits like her believe candidates who are not front runners do not have a chance to overcome their super-low polls.

Nor does she lose any sleep over NBC (a subsidiary of General Electric) keeping the anti-nuclear Mr. Gravel out of its hosted debate in Philadelphia last month because he had not yet raised a million dollars.

Ms. Collins’ treatment of the “second tier” candidates in the Democratic Party, such as Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich, is remarkable for at least three reasons.

First, although she is a more sand-papered progressive than in her more radical, younger days as a small starter reporting for the Connecticut State News Bureau, I’ll bet she agrees with much of the two-time Senator Gravel’s record in Congress and his present positions on the war in Iraq, Presidential accountability, corporate power and crime and the mistreatment of workers, consumers and uninsured patients.

Second, for several years ending a few months ago, she presided over the New York Times editorial page, producing some of the finest editorials in the paper’s history. Many well considered subjects were included such as: standing up for whistle-blowers, dissenters, the rights of small business and workers and especially, the civil liberties and rights of minority voters afflicted with myriad electoral abuses and obstructions.

Thirdly, she has written a book about the history of women’s rights in America-titled America’s Women (William Morrow, 2003), which must have touched in a sensitive way those lonely self-starters, known as suffragettes, along with those very small parties and even smaller candidates pressing for the female voting franchise. She knows there are many ways to win short of winning an election.

In recent weeks, her paper’s editorial page has delivered brilliant excoriations of the similarities in the converging the Republican and Democratic Parties, taking the latter severely to task on important national issues.

I doubt very much that Gail Collins disagrees with these editorials. In fact, privately she is known to be even more critical of the political status quo in this country. One might surmise that she should therefore welcome more voices and choices to come before the citizenry during election times, including more third party and independent candidates as well.

After all, aren’t we all glad that ballot access was so easy in the nineteenth century, compared to today, that small parties like the anti-slavery, women’s rights, labor and farmer-populist parties got onto the ballots and pioneered hugely important agendas, ignored by the Democratic, Whig and Republican Parties? These small starters never came close to winning the Presidency, except for the populist parties, winning many Congressional elections.

Put Gail Collins back into the 19th century and she would be whooping it up for those valiant few voters and little candidates who voted and ran against the grain of the business-indentured, often bigoted major Parties. Here in the twenty-first century, Gail Collins writes the predicates of progressive values and then sprawls to the dead-end conclusions-stay with the least-worst major Party candidates.

Just as small seeds need a chance to sprout to regenerate nature and sustain humankind, just as the tiniest of businesses need to have a chance to innovate in the business world, so too, small candidates need to have the chance. For they can often enrich the political dialogue, move the big boys to overdue recognitions, even if they do not have a chance to win on election day in a rigged, monetized, winner-take all system, bereft of both instant run-off voting and proportional representation procedures.

Columnists such as Gail Collins and her humane colleague, Bob Herbert, abhor going into these fields of political fertility. Instead, their rendition of political and corporate abuses flows into the repetitive, narrow ruts of political servility-not just the two party duopoly ruts but its major candidate groovers.

So progressive columnists, such as there are, wring their hands over why the Democratic Party, its incumbents and its major candidates do not heed their findings, their pleas, their hopes for the American people. They keep on wringing their hands until they encase their minds in a cul-de-sac that categorically disallows even a contemplation that political alternatives in person and party should be given visibility.

Open your mind a little, Gail Collins, and you might learn something about the need for frameworks that enable the sovereignty of the people to be expressed in a variety of practical ways, including national initiatives. You may laugh at Mike Gravel having difficulty explaining his studious proposal for a national initiative during sound-bite debates. Instead, try writing a column on why some noted constitutional law professors believe there is a sound constitutional basis for such a proposal.

This would be a good way to spark a serious debate about the myth of government of the people, by the people and for the people. Such an excursus would help deepen a very shallow Presidential campaign and be more becoming to you than wanting to rid Mike Gravel from the so-called debates. And you and the members of your profession, who regularly confess boredom with the major candidates, might actually find some excitement in your daily work.

Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer, and author. His most recent book is The Seventeen Traditions.

Gravel on YouTube describes the National Initiative

2007-05-22T07:59:00.000-05:00

He also addresses Iraq and drugs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxBs4hOXyzo

See part 1 of 4 of the 30 minute interview at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuM58wWaCTQ

Ralph Nader endorses Athens Project Candidate Senator Mike Gravel

2007-05-17T07:50:00.000-05:00

Independent and Green Party critic of the Democratic Party endorses a Democrat, highlighting the National Initiative as a solid reason to believe that Gravel can change our country for the better in a lasting, meaningful way.

Original posts:
http://www.counterpunch.com/nader05082007.html
http://www.gravel2008.us/?q=node/1001

More Like Cicero Than Quixote

The People's Crusade of Mike Gravel

By RALPH NADER

May 8, 2007

Like a fresh wind coming down from Alaska--the state he represented as a U.S. Senator from 1969--1981, Mike Gravel is determined to start a debate about the fundamentals of democracy in his quest for the Democratic Party's nomination for President.

People who heard his address before the Democratic National Committee a few weeks ago and his brief statements during the first debate between the Democratic aspirants last month may be getting the idea that this is no ordinary dark horse politician.

For over a decade, given the failures of elected politicians, Mike Gravel has been engaged in some extraordinary research and consultations with leading constitutional law experts about the need to enact another check to the faltering checks and balances--namely, the National Initiative for Democracy, a proposed law that empowers the people as lawmakers.

Before you roll your eyes over what you feel is an unworkable utopian scheme, go to http://nationalinitiative.us to read the detailed constitutional justification for the sovereign right of the people to directly alter their government and make laws.

Among other legal scholars, Yale Law School Professor, Akhil Reed Amar and legal author, Alan Hirsch, have argued that the Constitution recognizes the inalienable right of the American people to amend the Constitution directly through majority vote. What the Constitution does not do is spell out the procedures for such a sovereign right.

The right of the People to alter their government flows from the Declaration of Independence, the declared views of the founding fathers and the framers of the Constitution, its Preamble ("We the People of the United States.do ordain and establish this Constitution,"), Article VII and other provisions, including the Ninth and Tenth Amendments.

Very briefly, The Democracy Amendment asserts the Power of People to make laws, creates an Electoral Trust to administer the national elections, limits the use of money in National Initiative elections to natural persons (e.g. not corporations), and enacts the National Initiative through a federal ballot, when fifty percent of the voters (equal to half of the votes cast in the most recent presidential election) deliver their votes in its favor. Voting can be through traditional and electronic modes.

The Democracy Statute establishes deliberative legislative procedures vital for lawmaking by the people, administered by the Electoral Trust, in an independent arm of the U.S. government.

Mike Gravel points out that the initiative authority to make laws now exists in 24 states and more than 200 local communities. However, the national initiative, which he envisions would have deliberate legislative procedures and would be generically independent of any curtailment by the "officialdom of government," except a judicial finding of fraud.

With the National Initiative, the people acting as lawmakers, will be able to address healthcare, education, energy, taxes, the environment, transportation, the electoral college, the Iraq war, and other neglected, delayed or distorted priorities. Legal scholar, Alan Hirsch, believes "a more direct democracy could be an important means of promoting civic maturation."

Of course these initiatives, if enacted, would still be subject to existing constitutional safeguards such as the First Amendment, equal protection, due process and the like.

No doubt, you may have many questions to be answered. If you are interested, the entire text of The Democracy Amendment and The Democracy Act are on both the above-mentioned websites.

Mr. Gravel's political positions place him high on the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Cong. Dennis Kucinich will find that he is not alone during the forthcoming debates scheduled by the Democratic Party.

Don't expect Mike Gravel to show up in the money-raising sweepstakes. For he really believes in a government of, by and for the People.

This proposal is not exactly a magnet for Fat cat money. No candidate for President from the two major parties has ever demonstrated such a detailed position regarding the sovereign power of People to amend the Constitution and make laws.

Will soundbite debates and horserace media interviews allow for such a public deliberation over the next year? Only if the People take their sovereignty seriously and take charge of the campaign trail with their pre-election, pre-primary participation in city, town and country throughout the country.

Over 2000 years ago, the ancient Roman lawyer and orator, Marcus Cicero, defined freedom with these enduring words: "Freedom is participation in power." That could be the mantra for Mike Gravel's 2008 Presidential campaign.

Ralph Nader is the author of The Seventeen Traditions

Athens Project candidate Mike Gravel out of the starting gate

2007-05-01T07:37:00.000-05:00

From the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/28/after_debate_little_known_democrat_draws_a_crowd/

...
"He's the one to say not only that the emperor has no clothes, but that the emperor wannabes have no clothes," said national pollster John Zogby, adding, "There is an angry voter. I don't know how that will take shape, it's way too early. But you got a sense why Mike Gravel is in the race on Thursday and that he is in the race."

The reaction to Gravel's performance has overwhelmed his campaign. His aides said they got more requests for interviews yesterday than in the first 12 months of the campaign.

Gravel's website could not handle the flood of hits after the debate, they said. Bloggers complained that they were ready to donate money but were unable to get into

The reaction to Gravel's performance has overwhelmed his campaign. His aides said they got more requests for interviews yesterday than in the first 12 months of the campaign.

Gravel's website could not handle the flood of hits after the debate, they said. Bloggers complained that they were ready to donate money but were unable to get into the website .

"He started out with less money than the cost of a John Edwards haircut," said Elliott Jacobson, Gravel's national finance director.

Gravel told reporters after the debate: "We stayed in a $55 motel. I'll hitchhike to the next debate if I have to."

Earlier this month, Gravel returned home to Arlington, Va., from a campaign appearance in New York on a $25 ticket on Van Moose bus lines. He had spoken at the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network candidates' forum, sharing the stage with Senator Hillary Clinton and Obama -- both of whom have already raised more than $20 million each.

Gravel said he decided to run for president because of his anger over Iraq. Friends urged him to use the campaign to also push two policy goals: direct democracy and a revamped federal tax code.

Gravel advocates a constitutional amendment and a federal statute establishing legislative procedures for citizens to make laws through ballot initiatives.

Good Luck to Pete Ashdown in Utah

2006-10-30T15:37:00.000-05:00

Mr. Ashdown is attempting to become Senator of Utah. (http://www.peteashdown.org/)

His construction of a platform using a wiki to collect voter opinion was pre-emptive direct democracy of a sort. As coordinator of the Athens Project, I salute his candidacy and his approach to executing public will.

While this is not an official endorsement by the Athens Project, I encourage Utah voters to explore and support this alternative method of representation.

--Bill Jacobs
Coordinator, Athens Project

The Second Athens Project Candidate is Recruited

2006-10-25T07:57:00.000-05:00

Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska has agreed to run as an Athens Project candidate in 2008 for President of the United States. If elected, he has pledged to bring the National Initiative to America.

The people could then pass laws prohibiting Congressional pork, reckless tax cuts for the rich, or irresponsible gutting of our Constitutional rights before they became law.

Congressmen fighting such laws would be very risky when they are backed by the American voting public rather than other congressmen.

Please look into Senator Gravel at www.gravel2008.us. If you like what you see well enough and appreciate the benefit of allowing democracy to truly reign over our nation, send him a small check so his message and direct democracy may prevail in the primaries.

Volunteers are also encouraged to contact the Gravel campaign to bring a speaker from the campaign to local groups in your area. Early interest may mean big numbers in the Democratic primary. (Athens Project is a non-partisan organization and welcomes all candidates willing to be direct democracy representatives.)

The Wait is Over

2006-02-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

An online voting simulator has been implemented.

Try it out at:
http://www.angelfire.com/md3/athensproject/demo.html

For those without internet access, phone voting could be made available. (See article below.)

When you visit the virtual voting booth, you'll see an analysis of the bill which may help you decide how to vote on the issue. Once you've voted, you'll have an opportunity to submit your own observations or data to persuade others to see the issue the same way you do. Entire communities will make decisions rather than an elected individual citizen vulnerable to external political pressures, bribery by campaign contributions, or personal ties to individuals affected by legislation.

January 31,2006 - The Athens Project direct democracy revolution has officially begun.

The Beginning is Nigh

2006-01-08T06:12:00.000-05:00

While the internet "Voting Booth" is currently under development, try out this phone voting simulation.
Using it, you can re-live the wild, heady days of 2004, deciding between George W Bush or John Kerry.

A very similar system can be used to instruct Athens Project elected officials how to vote on upcoming legislation. Instead of people, you'll vote for positions. (i.e. Aye or Nay)

1) Dial 1-888-661-6366.
2) When asked for the Poll Worker ID, enter 1234 then the # key. Press 5 to confirm. (on an Athens Project system we would be entering our voter registration numbers)
3) When asked for the Ballot Access ID, enter 101 for Addison then the # key. Press 5 to confirm. (the Athens Project system would ask for which level of government issues you wanted to decide upon (city, county, state, or federal)
4) Press 5 for a regular ballot.
5) Press any button on the phone to start voting.
6) Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish
7) Press * (or wait an explanation of how phone voting works, but it may be different on Athens Project voting systems)
8) The voting begins! The system prompts you through the procedure.

The internet system is likely to be preferable to most voters as you won't have to listen to voice menus listing bills and proposals that don't interest you. You'll be able to scan a list and quickly select only the items on which you want to tell your elected officials how to decide.

Show of Hands - Support for the Athens Project

2005-11-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

What do you think of the Athens Project?
Do you support the cause of Direct Democracy?

If you or your organization supports returning the power of democracy to voters, leave a comment on this BLOG entry and give your location and organization's name.

Our candidates will be able to use those endorsements in their campaign materials.

Click the "# comments" link below this BLOG entry to leave your support or endorsement.

How the Athens Project provides Campaign Finance Reform

2005-11-25T14:48:00.000-05:00

People that work for certain big businesses such as tobacco, real estate development, gambling, lawyers, or pharamceutical companies are consistently among those citizens that donate the most heavily to political campaigns. One might admire their civic responsibility if it weren't for the alternative possibility that their generosity is based on expected reciprocity. They tend to donate to those candidates that have promised support of their industry or better yet, DEMONSTRATED such support by voting for legislation that helped their industry.

To stop industry from dominating our democracy, campaign finance reform has introduced such things as campaign contribution limits and financial disclosure by candidates so that voters may, if they are industrious enough to do the research, find out who paid for their elected officials' campaigns. These methods seem to be effective to some degree if only because the donors that give 2000 dollars each election to their favorite candidates protest so much about it.

The Athens Project is the latest weapon citizens can wield against moneyed interests seeking to stop voters from imposing limits on their actions. By pledging to vote whichever way voters tell them to on legislation, Athens Project candidates will force corporate interests to take their message directly to voters where it must withstand the scrutiny of civic groups and activists who will be only too happy to expose any detrimental effect legislation may have on their communities. Under the current system, industry needs only convince a majority of the elected officials passing our laws, out of the public eye if they choose, perhaps with the help of a 2000 dollar check. Giving checks to Athens Project officials will not help them get favorable laws passed if the voters do not approve of the legislation, so they are unlikely to make such donations. As corporate support of political campaigns declines, the elected officials have far less incentive to betray the public trust.

Industry might still bombard the public with advertising to get its way, but this will require media campaigns far more expensive than the campaign contributions they are shelling out now. Furthermore, many bills will benefit only one or a few businesses and they will find themselves unable to scrape together the necessary funding for a media blitz that might sway the public to vote in favor of any one bad bill. This scenario will offer a far more level playing field to the community interest groups that fight bad bills now.

Direct democracy may not end corporate corruption of our government, but it will become a lot more expensive and, by extension, less effective and widespread. To get the revolution started, vote for Athens Project candidates in your area. If there are none, find someone willing (maybe you!) to run for office and move your local government in a socially responsive direction. Athens Project can provide advice on how to get started.

Event Invitations and Suggestions

2005-11-25T14:41:00.000-05:00

This entry will provide a space for suggestions for appearances Athens Project candidates can make.

They can be general or specific to a geographic region or candidate.
If you have no Athens Project candidate running for office in your area, recruit one!

Suggestions for outreach events and appearances should involve places where potential supporters can be found in fairly large numbers and are likely to be receptive to political messages.

Just click the "# comments" link below this BLOG entry to submit an idea.

F.A.Q. - Concerns Addressed

2005-09-08T14:40:00.000-05:00

Why bother?

Another Direct Democracy Advocacy web site, www.etches.net, pleads the case heroically. Perhaps it can inspire you. Be sure not to miss the flow chart link.

The corruption of politics by big money is outlined by a former lobbyist in this washington post article. Athens Project candidates could not benefit corporations except where the public interest would be served.

Doesn't this favor the wealthy who have access to the internet?

The database we're looking at allows voting by touch tone phone. If a voter has neither phone nor internet, and can't borrow either from a friend or loved one, I'm not sure how much we can do.
Web use does provide advantages in speed. Those able to do so will want to visit their local library that has computer stations for public use, or set up their own computer and dial up account. Netzero service internet service can be obtained free of charge and provides 4 hours per month web access. This should be adequate for voting purposes. Used, web-capable computers can be found for $150 dollars.
If the wealthy have more influence than the disadvantaged in a direct democracy, one could cynically ask whether the less well-off could be less enfranchised than in the current system.

Isn't this going to favor interest groups that rally their membership to their causes?

This seems likely. The difference in the direct democracy system is that the majority wins instead of the groups that send the biggest checks to their representative. I expect that when the numbers do the talking, community involvement in such interest groups will strengthen. When community involvement becomes significant, does it matter if a large group of citizens bands together under a name to express their will rather than contact their representatives individually? In addition, those who choose not to ally themselves with any issue group have the same strength of influence as group members. One person, one vote.

How can you be sure only eligible voters are casting ballots?

State lists of registered voters will allow the Athens Project or its candidates to mail a password to any registered voter who requests an account. Unless someone is willing to risk felony mail tampering charges to gain extra votes, the system should be fairly secure. There will be a responsibility for voters to keep their voter information with the state up to date, but that's a state requirement to vote anyway. Using "DO NOT FORWARD" instructions with the mailings should prevent carpetbagging.

Won't this undermine our current system which is designed to allow our most enlightened individuals to make decisions that are superior to those made by the voters?

Any enlightenment our leaders may have would still come into play as they present the issues to the voters both in the community and on the website where people would vote. They will have the greatest opportunity to channel the debate towards whatever they feel is the best course of action. The voters would then choose to agree or disagree with their representative.
Some might argue that the major form of enlightenment favored by the current system is the fundraising savvy of our elected leaders. They are and become excellent candidates for re-election with grossly diminished time to acquaint themselves with the background of issues that would produce the most enlightened decisions.
Like our electoral college system, the representative could still override the popular sentiment. This could prove very risky to the candidate's career if this option is exercised casually.

Won't voters ignore long term planning in favor of short-term interest? Don't republic representatives have a keener eye for what is in the public's best interest?

This argument suggests that it would be best not to consult regular voters at all. If it's inadvisable to allow voters to run government, how wise is it to invest all their authority in a single decision each Election Day that will affect everything government does for 2,4, or 6 years? In a direct democracy, the stakes will be lower for each vote and those most affected or most interested are the most likely to become involved and vote. The enlightenment we expect of our representatives can flow upward from those closest to the issues within the community.

Are there any candidates running for office under the Athens Project philosophy?

Yes.

Where Should the Money Go?

2005-08-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

Here are some suggestions for any donations the Athens Project may receive:

* Remove Ads from www.athensproject.com ($60 / year) (Done!)
* "Athens Project" Bumper Stickers and/or Balloons (~$100)
* Web Advertising (variable)
* Filing Fees, Voter Lists, and Mailings for Athens Project candidates ($25-250)

If you have other suggestions or you're chomping at the bit to donate now, email athensproject@gmail.com.

You may also submit a comment with your suggestions.

Volunteering Suggestions

2005-08-24T10:35:00.000-05:00

In the tradition of political mailings, I present a list of suggestions of actions Athens Project enthusiasts can take, with cheesy titles bestowed upon the devoted:

By George, send 'em to Washington!
First things first, vote for an Athens Project Candidate in your area

Paul Revere
Spread the word! Tell friends about Athens Project. Make the Athens Project logo your desktop wallpaper.

Molly Pitcher-In (Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley)
Make suggestions for web site content, volunteer activities, or the Project overall. You can also offer some web editing expertise.

William Penn a Letter
Write a letter to the editor supporting direct democracy and the Athens Project candidates that will bring it to Americans.

John Hancock
Sign on as a volunteer to do whatever the Athens Project needs.

Baron von Steuben
Muster the troops as an officer in your local, or the national, Athens Project.

Nathan Hale-to-the-Chief
Have no regrets! Give your one life to a run for office under the Athens Project umbrella. (It's warm and cozy without the special interests sniffing around.)

All About the Benjamins Franklin
Pledge a donation to sponsor Athens Project activities. (We'll post a list of expenses that may be worth pursuing before we'll accept any, so you'll know just where the money goes.)

=========================================================================

Positions to be filled by aspiring Barons von Steuben:
Area Coordinators
Webmaster
Campaign Coordinators
Campaign Treasurers
Marketing and Outreach Executives

If you would like to volunteer or fill a position, email us at: athensproject@gmail.com

TimeLine

2005-07-25T11:35:00.000-05:00

January 2006

Voting database demo completed. http://www.angelfire.com/md3/athensproject/states/maryland/montgomery/librarybill.html

November 2005

First Athens Project candidate on ballot.
Voting database demo creation initiated.

August 2005

Volunteer Positions and Suggestions Solicited and Posted on Blog

July 2005

Concept vetted by political activists and citizens.
athensproject.com domain registered
athensproject@gmail.com email account established
athensproject IM account created.
blogger Blog created
athensproject website development begun and prototype posted. http://www.athensproject.com linked to it.

June 2005

Athens Project conceived after review of "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" by Joe Trippi.

Welcome to the Athens Project

2005-07-18T08:20:00.000-05:00

The Athens Project is an effort to install direct democracy in America.

Candidates for public office will be able to find support here if they will publish legislation on the internet and allow their constituents to vote on that legislation. The elected officials will then vote the conscience of their voters.

This blog of the movement is the first component of the system that will support the election of these candidates. It will be followed by web pages linking people to their local government resources explaining how they can run for office, a list of candidates already running under the philosophy of the Athens Project, communications from those candidates to their prospective voters, a demo of a voting system to be made available, and the working system once it is implemented.

If you have a question or wonder what you can do to help, email us at athensproject@gmail.com or send an Instant Message (IM) to "athensproject". (Traffic volume may become heavy and the IM account will not always be monitored so email is the preferred method of contact)

Thank you and welcome,

Bill Jacobs, Coordinator, Athens Project