It is clear that we are headed into lean and possibly disastrous times. As a result, tough policy decisions will have to be made on how to allocate our dwindling resources. These decisions will affect us all, so it is more important than ever to understand how astronomical policy is formulated, and to be certain that the decision making process encompasses a broad representation of active researchers. To draw attention to this problem, Derck and I wrote a position paper which outlines what we believe are some of the potential dangers ahead and which suggests how the AAS could play a key role in the process. We hope that this paper will act as a starting point for opening a dialogue on how to distribute the inevitable cutbacks as equitably as possible among all active researchers.

The position paper was presented to the AAS council at the Pittsburgh meeting, and generated spirited discussion. As a result, the council agreed to sponsor a special session at the January meeting in San Antonio to discuss the topic. We urge you to read the following document and to express your views at the special session. The AAS can better serve its membership only if it hears from them.

Jason

Dr. Jason A. Cardelli
Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics