Pacifica's NY - WBAI stewards exposed misinformation that needs corrections...see here ..learn!

"Justice and Unity faction tries to sabotage WBAI Fundraiser"

this repost was rec'd on Thursday, July 16, 2009 7:54 AM was originally sent to:

WBAIelections@yahoogroups.com NewPacifica@yahoogroups.com, PacificaRadiowaves@yahoogroups.com

“On or about Wed Jul 15, 2009, the WBAI USOC Stewards wrote:
A group of people based in California, with the cooperation of local cohorts, have recently staged a coup at WBAI. “

reponse & corrections: A group of people based in New York, with the cooperation of cohorts in other station areas, have had a stranglehold on Pacifica until recently, and that stranglehold almost destroyed the Pacifica Foundation. The Pacifica Foundation, based in California, with the support of the Pacifica National Board consisting of Directors elected from all Pacifica station areas and with representation from Affiliates, under a democratic structure wherein listeners and staff use proportional voting methods to elect delegates, has facilitated a change in the management of New York station WBAI, which has been operating at a deficit for several years, subsequent to a majority request for such change in management by the democratically elected representatives of the radio station's local membership, who are in the categories of listener-sponsor members and staff members.

WABIers claim : The interim Pacifica Executive Director, Grace Aaron of Los Angeles, has engaged in a series of politically-motivated firings and bannings of longtime station and network staff in violation of due process and human decency.

reponse & corrections: The interim Pacifica Executive Director, Grace Aaron of Los Angeles, elected Chair of the Pacifica National Board by vote of its Directors and appointed iED by vote of its Directors, has taken steps to implement resolutions of the democratically elected National and Local Boards. Except for General Manager removals at WBAI and WPFW, employment actions at all stations have been at the direction of the unit managers. Most of these employment actions have been staff layoffs to reduce expenses, made necessary by operating deficits at WBAI in New York and at KPFK in Los Angeles. Pacifica is attentive to due process in its employment actions and treats its employees with decency.

reponse & corrections: The major reductions in Pacifica's network staff occurred months before Grace Aaron was made interim Executive Director. Pacifica's National Office is funded by payments from its broadcast stations and both WBAI and KPFK were behind in their payments to the National Office. Most of Pacifica's national staff was laid off in response to this loss of critical funding.

WABIers claim :In New York, General Manager Anthony Riddle has been forced out and replaced by LaVarn Williams of Berkeley, California.

reponse & corrections: LaVarn Williams is an experienced financial analyst and served for several years as Treasurer of the Foundation, elected by previous Pacifica National Boards. She was appointed interim CFO by the PNB in January and her double-duty as interim WBAI General Manager is both saving the Foundation money and placing financial oversight where it is most needed.

WABIers claim : Longtime WBAI Program Director Bernard White was fired as he returned from major surgery and banned from the station and airwaves, as was Ayo Harrington ­ education activist and a producer of "On the Count" ­ our criminal justice/prison rights" program.

reponse & corrections: Bernard White, as WBAI's Program Director, shares major responsibility for the station's declining listenership and poor financial performance in recent years. Ayo Harrington served as Bernard White's assistant for some of this period.

WABIers claim :Acting Manager Williams has ignored Ayo Harrington and the Unpaid Staff Organizing Committee's asking for Ms. Williams' reasons for her actions against Ayo Harrington.

reponse & corrections: If Ayo Harrington was dismissed in connection with her service as Assistant to the Program Director, then she does not have union representation in that dispute. If Harrington was dismissed in connection with her subsequent service as WBAI Premiums Manager, then her representation in that dispute should come from the paid staff's union. USOC stewards, who may or may not represent a recognized unpaid staff bargaining unit at WBAI, are interfering where they have no reasonable claim of authority; and Ayo Harrington had no business serving as a USOC steward when a Pacifica employee if she has done so.

WABIers claim : Additionally, host Mimi Rosenberg and newscaster Don Debar have been removed from WakeUp Call for their opposition to the coup.

reponse & corrections: Because the management changes at WBAI are supported by the station's Local Station Board consisting of delegates elected by vote of the station's local membership, those changes cannot accurately be characterized as a "coup." Volunteers Mimi Rosenberg and Don Debar have been removed from WakeUp Call not for their opposition to these changes but for other reasons. USOC stewards may represent these volunteers in their disputes with the station, but USOC does not control the station's programming decisions or station management's enforcement of Pacifica's programming policies.

WABIers claim : In Berkeley, after a baseless, public smear campaign, Chief Financial Officer Lonnie Hicks was fired.

reponse & corrections: Former CFO Lonnie Hicks is claiming such a campaign in his lawsuit against the Foundation; but, in fact, the Pacifica National Board had good cause to implement this dismissal and would have had equally good cause in previous years.

WABIers claim : In Los Angeles, KPFK Program Director Armando Gudino has been fired, as have News Director (and "Informativo Pacifica" producer) Fernando Velasquez,and programmer Jerry Quickley.

reponse & corrections: I do not know the details of Armando Guidino's exit at KPFK, but Fernando Velasquez and Jerry Quickley were both laid off, not fired. None of these KPFK employees are being replaced anytime soon, and there were additional recent staff cuts at this station.

WABIers claim : In Washington, D.C., General Manager Ron Pinchback was fired and humiliatingly escorted from the premises.

reponse & corrections: It is normal practice for separated employees to be escorted from the premises. Ron Pinchback was also serving as that station's Program Director. WPFW's financial performance has been better than that of WBAI and KPFK in recent years, but the station has not been raising enough funds to finance a move that will be required upon expiration of its studio lease. The Pacifica Foundation does not currently have the funds to rescue WPFW and finance its move when that time comes, so WPFW must substantially improve the performance of its capital campaign. Specifically, it must match a $1 Million pledge over four years or it may lose all or part of that donation.

WABIers claim: Thus, the current leadership of WBAI/Pacifica is undermining the principles that Pacifica promises to its workers and preaches to others.

reponse & corrections: The current leadership of WBAI/Pacifica is attempting to rescue WBAI, KPFK, WPFW, and Pacifica from financial catastrophe while improving those station's and the network's adherance to the Pacifica Mission and those station's and the network's service to its listeners. Pacifica is the first national broadcast network in the United States to adopt a democratic governance structure in order to be responsive to its listener members. When progressive changes occur in response to the legitimate demands of a majority for improvement, the minority is expected to complain. In Pacifica, however, such complaints should represent honest dissent and should not be based upon lies and distortions.

The USOC Stewards who authored the letter to which this is a response, Ayo Harrington, Ken Nash, Marquez Osson, Louis Reyes Rivera, and Cerene Roberts, share in the overall responsibility for WBAI's and Pacifica's financial problems, because they have repeatedly acted, individually and as members of a local faction, to resist needed reform at WBAI during the years of that station's declining performance under every measurable standard. If USOC is to be again recognized as bargaining agent for the members of the Unpaid Staff Bargaining Unit at WBAI, a recognition that has arguably lapsed and/or may be withdrawn, then these "stewards" should resign or be recalled by the Bargaining Unit members in support of the positive changes occuring at the station under its transition management.

Due to the Unpaid Staff Organizing Committee's failure as a committee to organize an unpaid staff organization at WBAI and obtain recogntion of that organization from station management, however, I would like to see a legitimate WBAI unpaid staff organization finally formed using the talent and services of a more conscientious and responsible committee of organizers.

NOTE: these “responses & corrections” were supplied & written by --Terry Goodman [ a very knowlegable and dedicated Pacifica and KPFK member whom some of us trust more than most writers ]

WBAI cant pay their own rent ? Then Exit the scene.

reprinted from www.la.indymedia.org
posted comment on June 2, 2009
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2009/05/227519_comment.php#227688


Anthony Riddle wrote an explanation of what he thinks occurred at WBAI re their in-ability to pay rent on 1 site, from the reading of his post.

He wrote : "We were significantly behind in rent at Wall Street. In late March or early April, the owner sent a “Three Day Notice to Quit.” This is a predicate notice: Pay us or we will begin the legal process to collect or evict. It is a warning"....[snip]

"We were only a few thousand dollars short on that drive and nothing else could account for such a difference.." [snip]

"National Office instructed me to include in the FY’09budget

expected collections

in October and November of pledges made in the Fall Drive. But for the first time, the Fall Drive was in spread over two fiscal years.." [snip]


"...it was a misunderstanding of Pacifica’s accounting which made a bad situation at WBAI look horrible and opened us to attack. It did not affect the bottom-line, only the narrative.

The End ..." [snip]

Now none of this should be taken out of context, so read his story and you figure it out, if you can. Explanations that things were not so bad but then he also said:

"WBAI’s arrears in rent were discussed in private conversation, and at local and national finance meetings on a regular basis.

We were significantly behind in rent at Wall Street" [snip]

"expected collections " were counted as if it were received ? huh ?

Even while admitting that WBAI was "significantly behind in rent", the intent is to say that it is not so bad as others think or write elsewhere ?

Maybe so. But that is serious stuff...paying rent and paying electricity and staff are the main essentials or amongst the most necessary to pay and have CASH = $$$$$$$up front,not wait till it may or not come in later, if pledges are paid up.... it is not 'hand-to-mouth' management or is it ???

this sounds like all the bailed banks maneuvers & corporations that go bankruped because they count what they DO NOT HAVE..yet....and expect, wish, wait, or think even hope some money will turn up in the mail. right !

In the comments to this article, someone labeled "Duce" takes advantage and tries to then use KPFK as a dodge ball to hit on 3 people to be blamed for everything because their views are not exactly the same as that writer's? huh ?

What does that have to do with WBAI's inability to pay their bills ? 2 KPFK programmers are guilty ? Or the new PNB leader must be the cruel evil woman who is ousting a manager who cant even pay the rent on WBAI ?

anyone can take advantage of the WBAI manager's explanations to piggy back on and vent meanly. Actually it would be irrelevant as a comment except that it was posted in duplicate and attached there for attention. It got some.


what's up with all this blaming and accusing and wishing to make people appear as if they had all that much power or evilness ? The accusers are often the ones who like to hurt and see in others' what they might be and hate in themselves. Why else write mean things that almost can not be verified or corrected ?

But then, anyone can post on Indymedia and pretend it is "not me"hating"THEM"...like a side attack, or an implosive, actually.

what's up with owing back rent and not paying it on time ? anywhere.

is that how any business or non-profit Corp operates and becomes Enron-like too ?

what's up with being dismissed, ousted, fired, or asked to leave when operations are not effective, efficient, up to par [financially only ? ] or someone else can perhaps do the job for a while ?

While it is good to get information or explanations out to the publics, and it is
good to clarify openly to all..but who can go to see all the numbers and confirm the veracity ?

and do all the account checking ?

and then say, yeah, maybe that man was correct, but why did he let it get so messy...

money matters need to be much more clear and up to date and accurate and verifiable and ...well you know...

any operational operating operation MUST be better managed than being in rent arrears...

even we pay our rent on time and have money for the next month in advance... or...
we may also be asked to leave...our small living spaces, our homes... appropriately asked to leave the premises...like this person has been apparently asked to do too.

whatever...

every station must operate financially independently or ....sink or be repersonneled or financed or die...

whatever....

The reason for this post here is to continue the conversation from Indymedia elsewhere as well, about if a Pacifica radio station can not stand on it's own and it's management cannot take care of business sufficiently well, then why pay them a salary and give them power to do more harm there ?

No personal insult intended here. But much questioning of how much those stakeholders in Pacifica are paying and have been contributing to lost causes or poorly run operations [ =businesses] must also be accounted for responsibly.

Let's hope KPFK remains solvent and pays it's rent on time.

if WBAI - KPFK's affiliate station in NY - cant fiinancially make it on it's own....

[this is an edited reposting from http://la.indymedia.org/news/2009/04/225945.php ]

if WBAI cant fiinancially make it on it's own....

Indymedia in LA had a rather informative article but slanted, as usual.It had lots of detail, and also seemed intended to eliminate Grace Aaron, the interim Executive Director of Pacifica, and straining to defeat any actions she may even think of trying to keep this NY failed station going.

Ok, "JUC " [article's author? with a website listed as 'justice unity'] so you dont like her, nor agree with her methods, and you question her qualifications, keep finding any fault with her in so many ways [except her pink skin so far] and want more power to do whatever....

have not the management and staff and Pacifica National Board already attempted to assist WBAI's stabilization and been unsuccessful ?

Was not the prior CFO [comptroller] part of the team that wanted to use LA's KPFK building as mortgage for a loan that could also fail and endanger that station's survival ?

Was not the prior CFO noted to be not sharing his accounting information to all management that could /should have access to oversight and thus he left the impression to many that he was perhaps hiding 'some things' or not being transparent as necessary?

Did the prior CFO not use his power to eliminate prior iED's and keep / contain his sole power [the one over money, a big one when others cannot audit or have up to date numbers as needed for proper management and allocations] ?

The history of lawsuits within the Pacifica stations is strangely profuse, frequent and apparently profitable.Shenanigans, games, shrewd moves intended to get capture hold More Power and Positions seems to be the main ploys within all the stations and their national overseers as well. Can this be changed ?

How can any positive moves be made when everyone is busy maligning and accusing and hating 'the other' who may take or change or make a different move ?

Has Grace Aaron, who needs no one to defend her, tho many love to shout and declaim and defame her, possibly because she remains calm, cool, reasonable, active and helpful...has this iED been so harmful and neglectful or acted stupidly so far ?Or is the fear of any woman, especially, white secondly, older thirdly, is this fear based on not wanting her to have any power to help any part of Pacifica ?
not even WBAI in it's financial collapse ?

Where are the other 'facts' and stories about what has occurred to get WBAI in such a sad and sick state anyhow ?

Let's not just accuse and malign. Let's give more than one story, as there are even more than merely 2 sides.What else is happening and who is trying to HOLD ON to whatever small space/ power/ position/ attention they can grab or hoard ? It always seems easy to warn and accuse and threaten havoc. How difficult it is to allow or help make changes that are actually needed.

Nothing is ever guaranteed. No one is a hero or savior. Especially not at Pacifica or it's crews. They are all wannabees and dedicated passionate 'helpers' who think they can do more than they actually can. But if there are some people with management skills, with temperaments that can handle all the hate and implied insults constantly thrown at them, then they need to be allowed to try, to experiment, to in good-faith improve what has been fast falling DOWN DOWN DOWN...

Each station must hold up their own end and expenses. No Bail Outs here either No station can afford to support another sliding down entity. This dysfunctional family of Pacifica stations cannot and has not been positively allied with their own so far, and in this financial climate, how could they do more now ?

No More Bail Outs. Not even for WBAI.

Who else reads about KPFK on Indymedia ?

Thank you - Leslie Radford, LSB rep - for again acting as the ONLY open LSB member - that some of us can learn from and respond to as needed. Where else is any such information being placed and posted openly ?

Your dedication and opinions are stated clearly and for the 'hidden audience of paid-up sponsors to KPFK' this Indy site is the main place where info may be disseminated. Wonder how many people do read these cries for help and unity ? Note how few of the same people write to respond here.

How difficult to know who else agrees with you, Leslie or does not and why... who are we ? ... the paying-the-price listeners that want to be more involved in the happenings [even if out-of-reach] at KPFK. Besides attending hours of LSB meetings, that is.

Could it be that Naomi Wolf's version that "Shock !" is the best way to insure compliance and a rushed vote - to take away liberties, to change mortgage-values, or to insure it will be 'too late now' to do anything after decsions are made ...by the em-powered-already-in-power ....even at humanitarian-imaged Pacifica & KPFK ?

The shock is the apparently-sudden realization that the KPFK building is the best or only way to get money out for WBAI's use [on the other side of the USA] in these financially disastrous times ...we are shocked to realize that the PNB et al. has acted so quickly in their own shock - they can do whatever they think is 'right' or 'best' -and blame the world's shocking $$$ circumstances for their mistakes ?

The shock is the 'immediate actions that MUST BE taken right now !! ' - or was it decided with not enough forethought or more research possible beforehand ? Or because we are ...again...and again.. in CRISIS... in crisis...again...of course. And we hear it every pledge drive year after year too.

By definition, in 'crises', there is not enough time, or resources, or willingness to include cooperation of all concerned, and the threat of extinction, and loss, and damage and of course, 'loss of jobs' [ which are the same repeated ploys used by mfg 'g corporations as well ] so KPFK is now also on another edge.

and to save a station - WBAI - or others too ? that has perhaps not been well managed before to arrive at that critical stage ?

and to have waited until the Edge emerges and then, of course, Shock has made instant reactions necessary ? No time to ask anyone for input or feedback now. Too shocking a time, so no time. No input. Not necessary now.

or is it the prior and continued opacity of Pacifica's problems so far - that makes it appear that the 'crisis' of other than our own KPFK's money problems seem to have arrived so suddenly to shock us here too now ?

I notice that very few, the same few KPFK-concerned people, write on this site to inform and question what is occuring at KPFK, even as the station struggles and tries to manage itself . And we have to trust that many smart people on our LSB are surely doing 'their best' - even if we dont see or know where they inform the listener-sponsors about their thoughts before even LSB decisions are immenent and made. Much less access PNB members.

These are the same complaints repeated here, but are still valid. Once the wall falls, the wall that holds up the KPFK mission and it's advertised claims, it will be a done deal, and more pledge money will be 'required' and begged for again.

Thank you for what you do.

The helplessness and hopelessness that extrudes from the ways OUR station has worked so secretly & left the rest of 'us' OUT of any meaningful conversations , leaves us wondering if it is now all gone, a done disaster, a dead herd of animals kicked to the side, a return to the non-shockable but paid-for sponsored radio station variety.

Oh, well, there is always NPR to listen to instead of KPFK, and blogs on the internet to share our concerns.

“Open Letter to KPFK's LSB” =reposting from la.indymedia.org

KPFK's local board members are voted in by some other listener-sponsors. But are any of those who send money regularly to support and maintain the radio station have a say about anything ? huh ?

Do the LSB of KPFK represent a group[s] of listeners and seek their opinions before voting or making any decisions, instead of only representing their individual selves as seems to be the case now ?

Who does each LSB member actually represent ?

Do they ever tell us about the size of groups they actually inform, ask, represent?

What are the slants of those they represent ?

What are the ways listener-sponsors can have input to LSB members to be included, instead of just hanging out here ?

the way the LSB member was elected was by campaigning for votes but are these secret lists only they maintain and respond to... or are these voters then later ignored ?
Who decides who gets on the Pacifica National Board from LSB and what is the procedure for getting to move up there ?

and does it actually take hours and days and weeks of reading the bylaws and rules and all that small print to get generally informed about how KPFK & Pacifica too is actually run ?

does one have to be a quasi-lawyer to understand the legalities, meanings of cue words and phrases and the maneuverability of motions, language and ploys played out to have any input in what happens to OUR KPFK ?

huh?
we out here, who have paid-up generously at the long and last begging pledge drive have no information - just rumors - just allusions - to the use of the KPFK bldg being used as collateral for another Pacifica station in NY called WBAI - with the Pacifica National Board members making decisions about how to use the building that houses our resource and where our staff work. huh ?

[apparently THEY = PNB = own it ? huh?

how does that make sense ?

the whole group owns OUR building and we rent it here ?

or the Pacifica corp / organization owns it ?

or exactly who holds the deed, pays the mortgage, has title ??]

And decisions are being made where ?

who is NOT PROVIDING THE LISTENERS any information, or any feedback to questions, or asking for listener-input [no matter how wild or crazy, it is legitimate if we are the shareholder-sponsors of this thing called KPFK, whatever it contains] ?

Are decisions being made in Wash. D.C. ? in NY ? and then brought it in pretense of a 'discussion' that has no power to change what was already planned, decided and controlled elsewhere ?

And since we all over here dont - dont know s......t - about any of what is real, actual, occurring - and NOT in our name either - tho we thought we were part of the whole thing.....we are no thing, no way to have any opinion or say when we are not told what is occurring either.

Where is the principle and essence of what Pacifica claims, what KPFK pledges and advertises...as 'we the people', ...as Free Speech [not hidden secret whispers ], ....as being in favor of egalitarian and open communications ?

what is going on ?

who else is going to tell us...the truth...finally ?

KPFK slipping slippling into the past, not the "future" song

[[this is a reposting from www.la.indymedia.org from Leslie Radford, LSB member of KPFK 11/12/08
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/11/221843_comment.php#222040 ]]

DRAFT PROPOSAL for a response to hijacking KPFK

To: Lonnie Hicks, Pacifica CFO
To: Sherry Gendleman, Chair, and the Pacifica National Board
To: The Local Station Boards of KPFA, KPFT, WBAI, and WPFW

The KPFK would like to convey its displeasure and the reluctance of our listener-sponsors and staff to the Foundation plan to mortgage the KPFK building and to the lack of proper notice and consultation in the process of determining to risk the KPFK building to provide the network with short-term cash flow.

The KPFK building's market value is far greater than the value of the loan. Such an arrangement, especially in this economic climate, is an open invitation to the lender to foreclose at any opportunity. Pacifica has other holdings valued nearer to the $1M to be borrowed, and collateralizing any of these would offer less temptation to a lender to take the property in a default situation.

Our listener-sponsors and staff continue to reach our budget goals, even as our station absorbs the greatest loss of staff in the network. Now Pacifica is demanding that our listener-sponsors risk their capital investment as well. Without the safeguard of a repayment plan in place, the greatest burden for repaying the note will fall on those with the most to lose--KPFK staff and listener-sponsors.

If the Foundation insists on going forward, in spite of the strongest objections of the KPFK Local Station Board, to dismantle the security and operations of its strongest unit, then the KPFK insists on a contractual repayment plan. To that end, the KPFK Local Station Board herein amends its budget such that, beginning in February 2009, KPFK will pay no Central Service fees until 80% of the loan and interest is repaid from sources other than KPFK sponsors and donors, at which time KPFK agrees to pay the remaining 20% of the loan plus 20% of the
interest. The loan has been presented to us as a stop-gap to a cash-on-hand shortfall, so that beginning the repayment plan in February should be more than sufficient.

Further, we demand that Pacifica take up the long-standing recommendation of the Foundation CFO to develop a marketing and programming plan directed toward a younger and more diverse audience, and that this plan be implemented across the network within the time frame of the repayment.

We also demand that, from now on, Foundation staff and the PNB work transparently, honestly, and in good faith with local stations and station boards when negotiating the fate of the stations and bargaining on the goodwill
of local listener-subscribers.

What is happening to KPFK could happen to any of the stations, and we ask that other stations join with us in forestalling the Foundation staff and governance from raiding select station's resources to cover inadequate Foundation planning. This appropriation of station assets without notice and consultation sets a precedent that endangers every station in Pacifica.

Sincerely,
--Leslie Radford
+++++++++++++++++++

a commentary made also on indymedia by Sidestepper

KPFK slipping slippling into the past, not the "future" song
by sidestepper Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 at 4:09 PM

No BAIL OUTS TO PACIFICA, or banks, or other financially deficiently run corps or instutitions !!!!

++++++++++++++

Now what do YOU THINK and what do you WANT TO DO about our KPFK being hi-low-jacked ?