Naomi, you win, I'll comment again ;-)
You won't win this by debate or "proving" your position or by recruiting supporters.
You won't.
You need to contact them with a promise. No rationalization. No discussion. No explanation. No negotiation. No special situations. All those things spell TROUBLE.
Listen to Mike Beane. He's told you their concerns. So what are you doing- are you trying to address their concerns, or are you trying to win an argument? Please refer to second sentence above. ;-)
Good luck. You have great technical skills so I hope you can sort this out and move on.
"... They ne'er cared for us
yet: suffer us to famish, and their store-houses
crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to
support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act
established against the rich, and provide more
piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain
the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and
there's all the love they bear us."
-- Shakespeare: Coriolanus, Act 1, scene 1
