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Indybay Feature

Arrest Of KPFA Programmer Nadra Foster by KPFA/Pacifica Management

by Labor Video Project
This is a video taken during the arrest of KPFA programmer Nadra Foster by KPFA management on 8/20/2008. The arrest ordered by business managers Lois Withers was backed by at that time interim manager Lemlem Rijio and interim program director Sasha Lilley. Nicole Sawaya, the Executive Director of Pacifica personally participated in supporting the arrest and physically tried to block a staff member from video taping the incident. She has since resigned but not before appointing Lemlem Rijio to become permanent manager of KPFA. Lemlem Rijio in a union busting move has de-recognized the Unpaid Staff Organization UPSO and also has supporrted Sasha Lilley in virtually dissolving the Program Council
Arrest Of KPFA Programmer Nadra Foster by KPFA/Pacifica Management
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44gp0BXCNpw

On 8/20/2008, KPFA-Pacifica management supported by "Concerned Listeners" called the police to remove Black community programmer Nadra Foster from the station. They told the police she was trespassing on private property and she was beaten and arrested. They were supported in this action by the Pacifica Exeuctive Director Nicole Sawaya. In fact, Sawaya also sought to physically block a KPFA staff member from video taping this police action and you can see her in the video seeking to knock the camera so the incident could not be videotaped.
Sawaya was supported by pro-management staffer Chris Welch who was standing by the door and Interim Program Director Sasha Lilley who walked by while the police were carrying out their attack and later joined a statement by station management and management supporters defending their actions.
Further videos On this issue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REbDCc...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vii7Zi...

Labor Video Project
P.O. Box 720027
San Francisco, CA 94172
(415)282-1908
lvpsf [at] labornet.org
http://www.laborvideo.org
Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by Former UPSO Member
UPSO was not a union. It had become the plaything of the highly-disruptive "Labor Collective." Steve Zeitzer and his little band of shouting puppets trashed every meeting and then tried, unsuccessfully to hijack the group as a way to get a precious vote on the Program Council. Mind you, these folks did not produce radio; they prided themselves in producing meetings. The only way to make them go away was to stop holding UPSO meetings. This is what eventually led to the group being decertified. Thees events all happened before the current management even got there, so all the guilt-by-association attacks we read here in this lovely newspaper are simply unfounded. Yet it's very typical of the whining rhetoric we've heard from this group for so long, like fingernails on a blackboard.

by someone who WORKS at KPFA
Let's go through this again. Lemlem was not in the building at the time, so she couldn't have backed it. She didn't know about it until it was well over. Lemlem was part of a pool of 11 candidates referred to Nicole by the hiring committee in June, well before this incident happened.

As discussed at a staff meeting that was very well attended, Nadra was given multiple opportunities to leave the station on her own first by management, when she refused, she was told the police would be called, she still refused, so the police were called and two police officers showed up, they gave her the opportunity to leave on her own, she refused, when they tried to peacefully escort her, she bit one of them, so they called for backup and removed her from the building. She was not beaten. I personally saw her sitting outside the station with police officers around her. She had no marks or bruises anywhere, she did not appear in physical pain.

I don't know what the goal of this post is, except to cause more discontent. It doesn't serve the station, it doesn't serve the progressive cause, it doesn't serve the cause of Labor or improve working conditions for the people who produce shows and do the office work at KPFA.
Be careful that in your attempt to do whatever, you don't end up damaging the station you claim to support.

There's plenty of injustice in this world, Guantanamo, the banking crisis, immigration, prisons,
those are items that need attention. A person who was banned to begin with, returning and being removed because she refused to go voluntarily is not one of them. It's regrettable, but it's at best a wedge that is being used to push a different agenda.
by observer
I must say, for all the overheated rhetoric and descriptions of a virtual police riot complete with a "phalanx" this video is totally underwhelming. It took Zeltzer two month to edit this for effect and post it?

Now that there is a rather blase video to go with the amped up audio, I no longer believe the narrative posted here ad nauseum by Zelzter and his political allies, who clearly are using Ms. Foster to score points against those standing in his and JR's way in their neverending terror campaigns to get their own shows on KPFA.
by Thankful
I am very thankful for the video. Finally we see the major exaggerators that Dennis Bernstein and his Orwellian Minister of Information can be. Their selective use of facts and straight out inaccuracies for their personal gain is clearly enough to get them off the air and salvage KPFA's reputation.
by Better Informed
I am very thankful for the video. Finally we see the major exaggerators that Dennis Bernstein and his Orwellian Minister of Information can be. Their selective use of facts and straight out inaccuracies for their personal gain is clearly enough to get them off the air and salvage KPFA's reputation.
What are the odds against two different folks with different anonymous names (if they used their real names they would be exposed) saying the same exact words on an indybay post? They must have been sent a script from one of thier spin masters. No other possible explanation. Trying to make it look like independent people are speaking out.

Why won't these folks evey agree to have a public debate to get all the facts out into the debate and let the listeners know peoples' real positions etc. Because the KPFA Mgt/CL folks are afraid of the truth since they know that they only care about power and winning control and don't care about transparency, democratic process, due process and accountability. And they know if their real politics and practices ever get out they will suffer defeat.

Richard Phelps, former Chair KPFA LSB, 34 year listener/subscriber.
by Old Lib
It takes two months for Zeltzer to edit and angle a video that still doesn't match the screeds and invective that he has poured forth since the incident.

When he does, and the response isn't the hoped for outrage, Phelps pops in to try and foment conflict by his call for "debate" on the content of the video and the situation it records.

What point is there for 'debate' when the video evidence is clearly exposed for all to see?

The only purpose of it is, in Palin-esque style, for Phelps to ignore the real issues and engage in a speech that has to do with his own agenda and that of his allies, and not that of KPFA or Pacifica.

As indicated previously, Phelps could have offered to mediate the situation, and failed to do so. Instead, he is using it to promote his own agenda, as is Zeltzer, neither of which is to the benefit of anyone save their own cadres of sycophants and hangers-on.

These "Counter Intelligent Pacificans" truly believe everyone else is stupid, and that they are the only holders of Truth; that political discourse must be on their terms, or not at all.

Zeltzer tried to take over UPSO by presenting a list of names of people who were "volunteers" at KPFA, but with no record of these names ever being at the station, and with no addresses or means to contact these names to determine if they even truly existed. UPSO disbanded itself when Zeltzer's faction tried to take 'absentee ballots' to these unconfirmed names; what calls itself 'UPSO' now is Zeltzer's cronies and their phantom list hijacking the UPSO name.

Phelps, who just happened to have applied for the KPFA General Manager position and was rejected, is trying to get control that he was denied. It appears that Phelps' legal practice pays less than the GM salary these days.

And, being an attorney, he seems to want to impose his own 'gag rule' on anyone who disagrees with him, as he did with Jim Weber, a longtime social and political activist. That goes a long way to explaining why Phelps wants names of people here, even though the courts ruled Phelps' lawsuit against Weber as being without merit.

All Weber did was make observations on Phelps, his character and his actions; Phelps took exception to Weber having opinions that he didn't agree with, and sued him.

While Phelps' case was dismissed, it still points to a serious problem in COINTELPAC mentality: It does not allow for dissent or difference of opinion.

As Phelps and Zeltzer demonstrate, their is no 'common ground', there is no compromise, there is no 'big tent' for everyone to come together under.

There is only dominance and submission, and nothing allowed between the two.

Otherwise, Phelps, Zeltzer, Wanzala and the other COINTELPAC cadre would be crowing over the compromises that they have created and enabled at KPFA instead of the polarization that has been their demonstrated legacy to date.

Lies and More Lies: Supporters Of KPFA management and "concerned listeners" try damage control

Instead of dealing with the video of the police incident at KFPA in which a programmer was beaten and arrested the supporters of KPFA management must make things up about other issues.
The Labor Collective did not produce any programs is one of their lies. The fact of the matter is that the Labor Collective produced years of labor programming on May Day, Labor Day and MLK day.
The second lie is that UPSO was controlled by the Labor Collective. In fact the Labor Collective organized to get UPSO to pass a resolution against violence at the station and for a safe work place environment. It was later passed by the Local Station Board. This obviously angered those people in management and their supporters in the staff who have used intimidation and even the police to threaten and harass programmers.
The third charge is that UPSO was dissolved because it was controlled by the Labor Collective. This statement as the management supporters know is completely untrue. It was years after the Labor Collective was banned from submitting labor programming proposals that Lemlem Rijio de-recognized the UPSO. Brian Edwards-Tiekert, Bonnie Simmons, Kris Welch, Serge Morel, Sally Phillips met with management in an effort to shut down UPSO because it was starting to actually represent the unpaid staff instead of kowtowing to the management and their favorites. Lemlem Rijio the present manager of KFPA has said that she de-recognized the unpaid staff organization UPSO because she had personality differences with them. This was long after the Labor Collective was involved with UPSO but it shows again not only the Lemlem's supporters are lying here but that the union busting methods of the KPFA management are really what is behind these tactics.
This effort to re-write history is nothing new for the Lemlem team and their crew. Unable to acknowledge that the use of police at the station has seriously harmed the station and network they need to instead divert the issues.


by Richard Phelps

Old Lib:When he does, and the response isn't the hoped for outrage, Phelps pops in to try and foment conflict by his call for "debate" on the content of the video and the situation it records.
What point is there for 'debate' when the video evidence is clearly exposed for all to see?

RP: I was talking about debating the real issues on KPFA and Pacifica. Something you and allies are AFRAID to do.

Old Lib: The only purpose of it is, in Palin-esque style, for Phelps to ignore the real issues and engage in a speech that has to do with his own agenda and that of his allies, and not that of KPFA or Pacifica.

RP: My agenda: transparency, accountability, Mission oriented programming, not selling speeches and NEVER playing them for all to hear!

Old Lib: As indicated previously, Phelps could have offered to mediate the situation, and failed to do so. Instead, he is using it to promote his own agenda, as is Zeltzer, neither of which is to the benefit of anyone save their own cadres of sycophants and hangers-on.

RP: Wrong again. I have not taken a position on the totality of the Foster issue since I am still investigating, for the same reason I couldn't have mediated the dispute: I was in Trial for eight weeks at that time. Working 12-14 hours a day.

Old Lib: These "Counter Intelligent Pacificans" truly believe everyone else is stupid, and that they are the only holders of Truth; that political discourse must be on their terms, or not at all.

RP: Old Lib's terms for political discourse are anonymous dishonest attacks. I am always ready to debate the facts anywhere in public.

Old Lib: Phelps, who just happened to have applied for the KPFA General Manager position and was rejected, is trying to get control that he was denied. It appears that Phelps' legal practice pays less than the GM salary these days.

RP: Rejected by a political group that sells speeches and public affairs programs, condemns programmers that urge people to attend peace marches, that refused to put Democracy Now! in prime time despite majority backing, a group that would "dismantle" the LSB if they thought they would lose control, and a group that wanted to "blame their enemies for all that was going to go wrong", and finally a group that has lost 5,000 subscribers and increased their patronage payroll by 50% in the last 5 years. Let's not forget a group that has fought transparency, committed numerous election violations, (looking like Florida and Ohio) and there is so much more. By the way, I was willing to take a severe pay cut to bring the station out of patronage and cronyism and back to the Mission and the community. Actually I knew I would not get hired and wanted to see how they handled the process.

RP: They Hired Roy Campanella and when he wouldn't toe their line they attacked him. They turned on him after the Crafts Fair when he announced he was going to move Democracy Now! to prime time.

Old Lib: And, being an attorney, he seems to want to impose his own 'gag rule' on anyone who disagrees with him, as he did with Jim Weber, a longtime social and political activist. That goes a long way to explaining why Phelps wants names of people here, even though the courts ruled Phelps' lawsuit against Weber as being without merit.

RP: More lies. How am I imposing a gag rule by wanting to have open public debates??? I have been one of the most consistent fighters for transparency, and that is why you and yours continually slander me with lies. The court made no such ruling. It was dismissed, by me WITHOUT prejudice so I could file in Superior court. I relly don't know how one can lie so often with no shame. Anyone can look it up and see that it was dismissed without prejudice. Filed in Berkeley Small claims court.

OLD Lib: All Weber did was make observations on Phelps, his character and his actions; Phelps took exception to Weber having opinions that he didn't agree with, and sued him.

RP: More lies. How can you look yourself in a mirror. Weber published lies that were defamatory. I asked him to stop it for several months and he refused. So I sued him in small claims court. The Commissioner thought it was too complicated for him to handle and suggested we try to resolve it. During the brief recess I suggested to Weber that if he would stop the defamation I would dismiss the case. He refused and so I dismissed without prejudice to see what he would write next. Interesting result, he stopped his defamation and stuck to political criticism which is fine, so I didn't refile. It served my purpose. The lies stopped. Anyone can say what they want about my politics, that is free speech. When you publish straight out lies over and over, that is defamation and is a violation of my rights.

Old Lib: While Phelps' case was dismissed, it still points to a serious problem in COINTELPAC mentality: It does not allow for dissent or difference of opinion.

RP: More distortions of facts and positions. It wasn't dismissed, I dismissed it. I am for all forms of principled dissent. Defamation is not one such form. Folks, judge this exchange between one who is open and willing to stand up publicly for what I say and one who takes cheap and dishonest shots from an anonymous hiding place.

RP: I have pushed for transparency from day one while his allies Sarv, Bonnie S., Brian E-T, Sherry G. and the CL folks have consistently fought against Director's inspections and othe forms of transparency. That is the true record.

RP: The fact that your folks constantly attack me makes me stronger. It lets me know that the truth I am speaking scares you neo-Pacifican cowards.

RP: Did you notice Old LIb didn't say anything about my previous post about the doulbe posting of exactly the same attack by two supposedly different anonymous people! Nothing to say they were exposed!

Richard Phelps, Former Chair KPFA LSB always read to debate and still waiting for Old Lib to justify his comments by telling us what he has done for KPFA and Pacifica. His double standards are so obvious. I don't imagine that any rational person would give him any credibility. I do feel the need to correct his constant lies so that new folks don't think my silence means they are true.
by Old Lib
Richard, with each self-congratulatory post you make, you more deeply prove the points that are made about you.

If you had real points to make, you would post them here for all to see, and to decide for themselves, able to cross-reference what you say now against what you said before.

Instead, you want to have a "debate" a la Sarah Palin, where you would be free to ignore rules of decorum and debate, and trot out anything you wish...then later come back and post how you "handily defeated" your 'opposition'.

What you fail to realize is that while you may well have valid points to make, your "my way or the highway" approach is your worst aspect; your monomaniacal demiurge to "defeat" your "enemies" points out youor utter instability and lack of credentials to function in any nominal capacity at Pacifica without some form of adult supervision.

None of what you are doing is in the interests of KPFA or of Pacifica; it is solely in your own sadly narrow political interest of gaining power and using that to demand respect...none of which you will ever get, because you evidence no ability to reasonably and amicably compromise for the greater good.

You are the template of the "Counter Intelligent Pacifican".

All of your actions demonstrate a complete misinterpretation of what KPFA is all about, and the gods help us all should you gain control of any aspect of KPFA.

So someone posts a message, and the Indybay software doesn't show it immediately; so what? They post it again; this happens in every forum on the internet.

But COINTELPAC Hierophant Richard Phelps is on the case, and "proves" that it is a CONSPIRACY of station staff or others...and proving once again that any dissent must be crushed and destroyed by COINTELPAC lest anyone find out their true purpose of becoming the sole and polarizing voice that drives out the listeners and the support that they give.

Perhaps that is your true purpose, to purge the listener base of some 30,000 supporters who fund the minimum two million dollar operating cost of KPFA, down to 8,000 people who support the programs that support you.

Of course, the fact that they bring in only a quarter of what's needed to just keep the power on might be a problem...and when Dennis Bernstein suddenly doesn't have a paycheck or expenses covered, you might have another.

But please, by all means, continue to state your "case", such as it is, and let us see your agenda in its full naked glory.

The rest of us will be here to point out the holes in your rhetoric where you depart from reality and sink into COINTELPAC fantasy each time, highlighting the absolute danger that you and your cadre represent to the future of KPFA.

by Richard Phelps
Ever notice how Old Lib never responds with facts, except those that he distorts. Showing us where his folks stood strong for TRANSPARENCY, etc. With regard to my arguments about why KPFA should play the speeches that they now sell and don't play for all to hear, it is what our Mission is all about and is stated in our Bylaws.

Article One, Section 2:

"In radio broadcasting operations to promote the full distribution of public information;" (not the full sales of public information)

The same Bylaws that the CL folks ignore or subvert whenever it suits their power needs. To quote LemLem from a prior LSB meeting when she responded to a question about them she rreferred to them as "your Bylaws". In case you and LemLem forgot, they are Pacificas Bylaws and LemLem works for Pacifica and KPFA is part of Pacifica.

Richard Phelps
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