Firstly, I would like to echo a number of other people's comments and 
thank John for bravely stepping into the fray.

Secondly, I would like to make an observation (based on the somewhat 
dated budgets at http://www.tei-c.org/Board/#body.1_div.2 ): 

Most of the money comes to the TEI from the corporate memberships 
of a relatively small number of relative large high-profile institutions
and goes towards meetings (flights, accommodation & hosting); editors 
and administration. If the underlying issues are about money and 
resources (which they appear to be, to my eye) something in that 
equation needs to change.

---

I've already written and circulated (via twitter) a straw man model at 
http://opensourceexile.blogspot.com/2011/08/thoughts-on-letter-about-tei-from.html

Since writing that I've realized another flaw: I believe face-to-face 
meetings make it significantly easier to be inclusive of those for 
whom English is a second language. [Can any English-as-a-second-
language participants confirm that?]

cheers
stuart