Doug, thank you for explaining the current thinking re community travel support. I am not going to take issue with questions of US fiduciary responsibility though do note we are talking about less than 0.3% of ICANN's budget. Tax authorities would have to be grossly overstaffed to bother about this. If however you at present can only operate a system of pre-approvals then the solution is clear. Increase the budget to allow for the funding of all GNSO Councilors on a pre-approval basis. (This will still not exceed 0.6% of the total ICANN budget). That will end the divisive and impossible position that the present arrangements have forced upon Council. The tiny amount required is surely within your 2009 contingency so could be implemented immediately. Philip