KPFA Transcript: December 2007 KPFA Local Station Board Meeting Public Comment

To the general public as well as to the immediate KPFA community, please each one teach one; let us come together and dialogue, so as to protect the original mission of Lou Hill and Pacifica as a pacifist/anarchist, grass-roots, free-speech radio network. Please note the “next meeting of the KPFA LSB is scheduled for 11AM on February 9, 2008 at Cafe de la Paz, 1600 Shattuck in Berkeley, California,” according to http://www.kpfalsb.org/ .

Prepared by Felipe Messina (messinamorrissey [at] gmail.com)
Date: 12.18.07, Tuesday
Most Recent Editing: 01.20.08, Sunday
Print Date: n/a

Transcript: KPFA Local Station Board Meeting Public Comment
Date: 12.15.07, Saturday (11:30 am, scheduled Call To Order)
Location: Café De La Paz, Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley

Chairperson Bonnie Simmons, “Uh, why don’t we do two minutes each; we have 17 people at this point and Max you are the first [?name].” [Minimum time for public comment was noted as 30 minutes on the Proposed Agenda distributed at the outset of the meeting.]

Speakers from the audience (in chronological order):

1. Max Blanchet [Apparently, one of “nine members elected as Listener-Sponsor Delegates for terms expiring December 2006,” KPFA LSB Member (on at least one archived meeting, 10.22.05), and current KPFA Listener-Member.]:
Thank you, good morning. I… When… You all know the bad news that Nicole Sawaya has resigned. And when she was selected and this was announced at the PNB meeting here in Berkeley I was really delighted. She should have been appointed, reappointed, after the mess we had in 1999 but this is what happened because of the shenanigans at the station. But I thought that [?that] was an excellent choice on the part of the PNB. But I thought that the [?wholey-more] would be short, very short, but I didn’t expect this to unfold as it unfolded. I, I’m really appalled by it. And what did her in, I think that probably has to do with the dire economic, financial situation, I should say, at Pacifica and stemming largely from the bankruptcy in New York City. If you think I am exaggerating, then you will be much more surprised further down the line. It’s very real and, of course, this was compounded by the electoral fiasco system-wide and the travail in New York having to do with programming and our own problems here in Berkeley over Lemlem; I’ll be very clear about it. And I’d like to appeal to the two factions on the Board here that they [?really] should get together and, and, see how to move KPFA and the whole of Pacifica out of this terrible mess that we are in. I think, I really believe that unless something is done about it, I just don’t see how the hell this Pacifica is going to recover. It’s that serious, in my [?view]. It’s very, very real and it has to do with money, it has to do with the, the difficulties everywhere. And last but [?not] least, I think it’s important to inject a note of humour here. [?Then the], given our electoral mess maybe we should appeal to the Venezuelans to help us out and if that doesn’t help out I have good connections in Haiti that might help us out [?with]. And last, but not least, for peace-keeping purposes maybe we should invite the United Nations to help us out. Thank you.

2. G.S. “Gus” Khalsa [KPFK Listener-Member, Volunteer, and, apparently, a personal friend of the 2007 Pacifica National Elections Supervisor, Casey Peters, and, apparently, erstwhile KPFK LSB Staff Candidate]:
Yes, thank you, hello. Well, also in keeping in the spirit of the moment… [LSB Chair interrupts, “Could you {?pick up the microphone?}”] Oh, yes, I beg your pardon. My name is G.S. Khalsa. I’m a very long-term listener-sponsor of Pacifica stations, mostly KPFK. [Please note: at this moment, apparently, interim General Manager Lemlem Rijio, wearing a large hat, walks into the venue, past the current speaker.] Since 1968, I’ve donated many thousands of dollars, um, many thousands of hours [?of time on] listener-sponsored slash unpaid volunteer staff. [?I] recently moved to Berkeley and now I’m looking forward to enjoying all the fun we’re having here at KPFA. By way of introduction, again my name is G.S. or Gus, if you’d like, for convenience. First of all, I’d like to thank you all, each and every one of you here on the board for your devotion and your passion in your struggle, like ours, everyone’s here, to fulfill the noble mission of Pacifica. This is, this is difficult work. So, understand that contention is only a sign that work is being done. OK? That’s why they spell it w-o-r-k it’s the f-u-n. So, it’s OK, folks. OK? [Someone responds, “Alright,” possibly Brian Edwards-Tiekert] Alright, now, it’s funny, I can say that because I’m the president of two California corporations and I know what it means to respond to the direction of a board by [?way of] governance. In my personal opinion [?as a member of this]community, that is the fundamental issue here. We have a rogue elephant, in effect. And I’m not gonna take sides politically; that’s for further discussion elsewhere, but the issue of governance is fundamental. We have a new process, by which, we elect members; I’m not gonna repeat the obvious. However, democracy is difficult. OK. So, the best laid plans [?of mice and men…], thank god, we have women on our board. [One person chuckles faintly] Thank you. I’m glad at least somebody got the joke. OK, so this is fun. Uh, alright, well, anyway, uh, thank you so much for doing what you do. Uh, and, again, by way of polite and funny closure, I hereby declare my candidacy for membership on the Board in the Elections of 2009. [Audience chuckles. As “Marcia” is called by Chair Bonnie Simmons, someone sarcastically, if humorously, calls out, “Which side are you on?” ‘Gus’ responds off-mic.] I don’t wanna talk about it. But, but I may have to move to have, uh, a metal detector at every door. [“Gus” said this , leaning over the shoulders of Brian Edwards-Tiekert and Sarv Randhawa and facing Lewis Sawyer, Sherry Gendelman and Chair Bonnie Simmons; he is booed by members of the audience, half-humorously.] Just kidding, just kidding.

3. Marcia Rautenstrauch [“Concerned Listeners” supporter, entrenched-staff insider, see 11.17.07 Public Comment]:
Well, I am [? today…and] I must say I am very upset that we can’t even count ballots in hyper-educated Berkeley. I mean, I think [?they made] all [?of] San Francisco by hand by the time it took us to decide [?we can’t] confirm this Election. I would like to say, also, [?I’ve been] trying to, uh, get money donated to the Booster Fund. When I talk to people and, about this, they say ‘Why should I give money to [?this] station? It can’t even elect its god-damned Board.’ [Chair Bonnie Simmons laughs loudly, among others. “They can’t spell…” says someone into a microphone.]

4. Kay Trimberger “from Berkeley” [Apparently, Chair of “Concerned Listeners”]:
Hi, I’m [?Kay…] the Chair of “Concerned Listeners” and I’m [She’s interrupted here by certain Board members to urge her to speak up into the microphone.], and I’m very upset because, you know, we worked really hard. We won these Elections fair and square and folks, um [She’s side-tracked here by derision from the audience. Certain members of the Board seem to make excessive ado and begin loudly shushing the audience.]. I also wanna say, I also wanna say [Certain Board members continue loudly shushing.], I also wanna say that we asked Larry Bensky to endorse our slate. We did not ask him to write any letters, most of us, who couldn’t even get his letter ‘cos we were not his, you know, his list. So, to blame us for that has, has nothing to do with it. And I still don’t know all of the facts. Also, I have tried to get a hold of Casey Peters numerous times. Um, he answered one e-mail before the Election. I’ve never been able to get him in person. He’s never returned my phone calls. He’s never, he, he has, there’s about eight e-mails that he’s never returned. So, it upsets me a bit that the, uh, the “People’s Radio” has, seems to have its, you know, access to him, can get him on the phone anytime. And I do consider this a, an Election, you know, a kind of unfair play. So, basically, um, I’m, uh, very upset with the politics of this. I think it gives KPFA a very bad name. I know lots of people who are just sick of all the conflict and, um, I wish it would stop. And that we could do things legally and fairly. And that we could let the listeners have a voice. Um, everyone here says they’re for democracy, but when the listeners, um, vote for what they want [?and] it’s very clear, um, somehow, we, we, it’s been a month and we [?haven’t], we’re not listening to that. So, thank you very much.

5. Nancy Friedman [“Concerned Listeners” supporter and, apparently, member of the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club and Chair of its Health Care Committee]:
Hi, I’m Nancy Friedman. I’ve been a contributor and a listener, uh, for 20, no, since 1975, however long that is. Um, I’m very, I’m extremely dissatisfied that this vote hasn’t gotten finished, certified. And I don’t understand that at all. I would ask a couple of questions. I want know, it, it sounds like Casey Peters, who I only met briefly at the post office the day that the votes were collected, is in contact with some people. And I’d like to ask those people if you are satisfied with how he’s running this election, if you’re satisfied that he hasn’t completed the votes yet because I’m certainly not. And if the people who are in touch with him can figure out what’s going on, why haven’t [?been] so dissatisfied, you know, certified. And I also want to know, um, it, it seems to me it would have been great to have the new Board officers elected today and that can’t happen if the people who have been elected aren’t sitting on the Board, or I hope it doesn’t because I think it [?should] include those people. So there are, there are real problems with the certification not having happened. I hope that the people who do [?feel] in contact with Casey will put pressure on him to finish that soon, um, so that we could get the, uh, new board members. There’s one other issue, which is that, my understanding is that some of the, I don’t know who and how many people who are sitting on this Board today received very few votes. And that’s of concern to me that those folks are being allowed to vote today when there are a lot of people in this room who have received many, many votes by the listeners and should be seated so that they can vote.

6. Cesar Chavez [KPFA Listener-Member]:
I’d like to yield my time to Felipe. [Chair Bonnie Simmons, “Uh, the next name on here is Ramon David Messina.”]

7. Ramon David Messina [KPFA Listener]:
I’d like to yield my time to Felipe Messina.

8. Jesus Messina [KPFA Listener]:
I’d like to yield my time to Felipe Messina.

9. Felipe Messina [KPFA Listener-Member, 2007 KPFA LSB Elections Volunteer]:
Somebody mentioned counting ballots. Well, as a listener-member I was barred from participating in that very process. Also, I second the woman that finds all key figures perpetually incommunicado or exclusive, you know, what’s up with that? Um, why is Casey unresponsive. I, I don’t know how to get in contact with Casey. I’d love to talk to him. Um, so, I think that the yielded time takes me to about eight minutes, I would say. [Chair Bonnie Simmons interrupts to ask for name, despite the fact that the name was written on the list and also, as noted by one LSB member during the 11.17.07 KPFA LSB meeting, it is not required of speakers at Public Comment to state their names. And, most curiously, despite the fact that the Chair Bonnie Simmons already knew the name of the speaker from various, at-great-length interactions, such as The 2007 KPFA LSB Election Candidate Public Forum at the Lutheran Church of the Cross in Berkeley on Sunday November 4, 2007 (where Bonnie Simmons sat next to Messina during the entire Forum), from volunteering at the station, and from the October 2007 KPFA LSB meeting in San Jose wherein Chair Bonnie Simmons first solicited Messina for his phone number on behalf of interim Program Director Sasha Lilley. Moreover, at the 11.04.07 Forum, Simmons even offered her number to Messina for chatting or discussing freely any questions about KPFA.] My name is Felipe Messina.
a. In order to convey the most salient points, I am afraid I shall have to sacrifice the proper tone, cadence, and timbre I would have preferred to employ in the delivery of this communication
b. Only through dialogue, respect and what M.L. King calls the “love ethic” shall we be successful, as a community of listener-members and volunteers of KPFA/Pacifica, in protecting and preserving the original mission of Lou Hill and Pacifica as a pacifist/anarchist, grass-roots, free-speech radio network. This preservation and protection, it should be noted, will have to defend KPFA/Pacifica not only from outside interests as we have done during the attempted take-over of KPFA/Pacifica in 1999 and 2000, but this preservation and protection will have to defend KPFA/Pacifica from internal interests as well. In other words, our “love ethic” shall have to preserve and protect KPFA/Pacifica from ourselves as well, from our own desires and self-interests for the betterment of the greater good. We must ask ourselves daily what our motivations are for our participation within this truly unique and vitally important social experiment. Especially, as producers and hosts of KPFA programming, we must ask the listeners, and the general community, with great frequency, in public, and in town-hall settings, complete with room and time for dialogue, with time for questions and answers, whether our programs are truly meeting the needs of the community. This is the way we shall insure healthy, vibrant, and meaningful participation and support from the grass-roots community.
c. This is also the way we shall insure a truly participatory democracy for the authentic governance of KPFA, and the Pacifica sister-stations nationally, by the people and for the people, rather than by moneyed interests for moneyed interests. Our goal should be to engage the poor and the disenfranchised, rather than the moneyed philanthropists. Why strive for amelioration when we can simply empower one another at the grass-roots level? Once we are truly engaging the masses and the poor, the moneyed philanthropists can put their resources to other more needy causes. At KPFA and Pacifica we already have a wealth of resources and human resources in the form of the masses of poor and working-class people. Our only challenge is to facilitate community participation.
d. Recently, this Fall of 2007, it is unlikely that there were very many KPFA listeners who were not made aware of the 2007 Crafts Fair. When we, as a community, want to make an event well-known, we can do that at KPFA through the “power of radio,” as a friend on the KPFA Local Station Board likes to say. Why then, were the KPFA Local Station Board Elections of 2007 not promoted in this similarly vigorous and vibrant way? As listeners and listener-members, the true owners of the ‘public trust’ that is KPFA/Pacifica, we must ask ourselves how much we value this national and historic treasure. For if we do not, and if we do not make personal commitments and sacrifices to get involved, to preserve and protect this original mission, there will always be craftier and often meaner interests who will get involved, and they may not have the original mission in mind as part of their vision for the future of KPFA/Pacifica.
e. “Grass-roots” means that the ones traditionally at the bottom shall have the greatest say with their voices and votes carrying with them the greatest weight and authority in decision making. That is to say, the listener-members shall have the greatest say. Conversely, the ones who have traditionally been on top in these matters shall have the least weight and authority granted to them. In this way, we must endeavor to avoid the corporatised, top-down, hierarchical style of leadership which, by definition, excludes the community. Once we redefine the management of Pacifica stations, boards, and the Executive Director’s position to be advisory, in deference to the will of the community, then, and only then, shall we begin to develop true participatory democracy and egalitarian principles for the sustenance of the original mission of Pacifica, as Lou Hill certainly would have intended and as the voices of the silenced have been forging through the sustenance of this mission for most of the twentieth century and on into the twenty-first—the voices of pacifists, anarchists, artists, and journalists, of women, of people of colour, and of the poor.
f. There is a lot of fear of contention expressed among the KPFA community. If there is contention, it is quite likely because there is disagreement. There is nothing wrong with disagreement, as it is a matter of course. The fact that there is currently no forum for substantive, public and transparent discourse betrays an apparent disdain or, at best, a fear of dialogue and public discourse. This should not be a characteristic of a free-speech radio station or network, for it is only through open, public discourse that KPFA/Pacifica will have any hope of surviving for very long with its original mission intact and, especially, in the face of increasing censorship and exclusion of diversity in the local and national media.
g. KPFA/Pacifica has always been a free-speech institution and the voice of the silenced. “Listener involvement is critical,” to quote another absent member of the Board (and one I thought was my friend). And yet, through personal experience, I have learned what an impossibility this can be, through the current power structure, if the few dominant figures within KPFA wish to prevent this and, especially, if the rest within KPFA, the Local Station Board, and the listenership remain passive or silent. It should be made clear, I wish no one within or without KPFA/Pacifica ill will, nor harbour any rancor. I only wish, as do the masses, to remain a faithful listener-member and to volunteer out of personal love for truth, honesty, and social and economic justice.
h. The lack of transparency makes it clear that the listeners and listener-members must come together to find the legal means, either through the Pacifica bylaws or beyond to insure listener-involvement is never circumscribed, sacrificed, or otherwise limited. Only through collective dialogue and direct participatory democratic processes shall our goal of preserving and protecting the original mission of Pacifica be attainable. Let us overcome our fears, our mockery, roll up our sleeves, and get to work, together and as a true community, to make this a reality. Thank you. [Clocked in at roughly five minutes. Nevertheless, a Board member with a red beret gesticulated wildly at Conn Hallinan to cut the mic. This had been accompanied by other hissing and sneering from certain LSB members. See DVD.]

10. Janet [surname intentionally omitted] [KPFA Listener-Member, name listed in “Minutes,” public record, as “Janet {surname misspelled}.”]:
Hi, I’m a long-time listener-member and I’m very distressed at how this Election went. I don’t understand what the impatience of, and rush to get the results certified. I mean I know it’s a long time, but democracy is messy and there’s all kinds of controversy. And it kind of reminds me of the President, 2000 and 2004 Presidential Elections. Oh, let’s just get the decision made and forget the process. It’s very distressing. I would ideally like to see this Election redone—a clean Election. And I think it’s well-worth the listener’s money as an exercise in democracy. I hope some satisfactory resolution happens.

11. Virginia Browning [KPFA Listener-Member, 2007 KPFA LSB Elections Volunteer, Fair Election Committee member endorser]:
Thank you. I do think it’s important to thank all of you for devoting your passion and time to doing this. As far as, I just,[? I, I just wanna, things I wanna say, and I’m so I’m gonna say them fast and they might be kinda disconnected]. None of us who signed the Open Letter critiquing the Election called for a new Election. OK? So, that’s just one example of [?the] kind of deviously crafted stuff that the “Concerned Listeners” have put out to set up a [?straw] man and knock it down. I do want us all [?to] work together, it’s really important. I, I think the issue really comes down to people that don’t want a democratically elected Board. I re-read Sasha Lilley’s statement on that today and that’s pretty clear. Also, I’ve seen Sherry [?…and…] public statement [?credit for...giving an interview]. [?Where he said…he wanted] professional boards that weren’t elected. That’s what it looked like it said to me. That’s what it looked like. OK? Um. [?It, what kind of Board] are we gonna have if we don’t have an elected Board, people? It can’t go back to being appointed. And I do think that there are people, and I won’t name who, who have really great words, but [?there] are people that are afraid of them because of their actions. Maybe we’ve heard them speak today. How are we gonna get past all the fears that people have towards each other? We don’t have any town hall meetings. We need to come together in groups and work things out together. Casey doesn’t take my calls either. I think he takes calls from candidates. That has been my impression from [?other] things. So, [?I,] I do think it’s a crisis. The Election was very unfair in a lot of ways. Lots of information was suppressed from the website, from the air, from everywhere. Thanks.

12. Daniel Borgström [KPFA Listener-Member, Fair Election Committee member endorser]:
Hello, I’m Daniel Borgström and I’m also a signer of the Open Letter, one of about over 50, that is signers. I’d like, I really feel this Election was corrupted. And I find that there’s something I find relevant in this book here. [Daniel Borgström holds up a paperback copy of Matthew Lasar’s book Uneasy Listening: Pacifica Radio’s Civil War.] Most of you have probably seen it. This person endorses the “C.L.” [“Concerned Listeners” slate], but I still think it’s a good book. [?Um, let me…] [Audience laughs, speech inaudible.] Let me read something. There’s a quote by Sherry Gendelman here and they’re speaking to the, well addressing Mary Frances Berry; this is 1999. Let’s see if I can find it. “‘How will you govern if you are,’” [reads Daniel Borgström.] Excuse me. “‘How will you govern if you are perceived as completely self-appointed entity?’” And there is some difference here, I realize that today. [Daniel Borgström resumes reading.] “She asks Berry and Chadwick. ‘How will you guide the Network through the very difficult decisions that national boards historically had to manage, such as testifying before hostile government committees, engaging in difficult union negotiations, handling public reaction to very controversial programs, or station, staff, personnel meltdowns that have taken place from time to time within Pacifica. How will you handle these, if no one can figure out why you are in charge?’” [Daniel Borgström concludes reading.] Well, in this case it’s a corrupted Election, there’s questions about it. But I think this is a very relevant quote. Thank you.

13. Bob English [KPFA Listener-Member, 2007 KPFA LSB Candidate]:
Hello there. I happen to live in Vallejo and there we actually certify the Election results and the [?recount vote] before we seat the Mayor, the two Mayors. Also, I, I wanted to, I wanted to say that it turns out that this is the last meeting for Attila[sp?], and Stan, and LaVarn, and possibly Joe. I want, I just want to say how much I appreciate your service on the Board, your long service from the ‘90s. Unlike some of the people who may replace you. You’ve worked for this station for a long time. You’ve worked [to] have elections here and you’ve served them well on the Board. It’s unfortunate that the listeners who would still like you to serve on the Board left KPFA in disgust. You know, there’s something rotten here in Denmark. You know, Nicole’s departure. Oh, before I get to that, I just want to say that one other unfinished business [?I just want all to] remember is the travel expenses, that I believe was an item on your agenda. There’s an unsettled travel expenses issue for an unauthorised trip to Houston. And I’m hoping that you, or the person who made the trip or yourself deals with that issue. Again, something rotten in Denmark, Nicole Sawaya’s departure seems to coincide with a thoroughly rotten Election, throughout the Network. There are two letters that have been discussed. One is an Open Letter to the community explaining exactly what was wrong with the Election. Another was a letter written to the National Elections Supervisor which has been discussed in an article. There, neither of those letters calls for overturning the Election or going to Court. They actually offer alternatives to that. Now, nor were these letters written by one person. They were written by Candidates, they were signed by Candidates from all the slates, except for one, and they are signed by former board members and many, many listener-activists. I urged you to read those letters. The solution that’s asked for in one is that we certify the Elections, but only once remedies are applied, once the violations have been investigated, and remedies are applied. You can’t just certify a [?tainted,] fraudulent Election. Thank you.

14. Barbara Epstein [“Concerned Listeners” Member]:
[Off mic.] Me? [Board Members, ‘Yes.’] I’m Barbara Epstein. Um, I’m a member of the “Concerned Listeners.” Uh, I have two quick points. Um. Oh, I’m sorry. You couldn’t hear me? Uh, the first is: one of the previous speakers said that she was unhappy with the Elections and wished that they would be redone. Um, my sense is that that is a lot of the spirit [?contaminating] this discussion. Uh, uh, I think the Election should be taken seriously, um, speaking as a listener and, you know, one of those who voted. Uh, second point is: that listening to this discussion this morning, it seemed to me that [?that’s] no discussion. It’s all politics. Uh, it would be possible to start at the beginning and simply have a series of votes, uh, because discussion is not listened to. Um, I don’t know how long KPFA can stand this kind of thing. Uh, I think people should beware of the fact that KPFA like other institutions of the “Left” is fragile. Uh, uh, and I am really, I realize that KPFA has existed for a long time [?on the] high level of controversy. But, uh, I think that the resistance to the results of the Election is one example of a failure to take seriously the possibility that KPFA may not be immortal. Um, I’m very concerned about this.

15. Jim Weber [“Concerned Listeners” supporter]:
On, uh, the subject of the Election. This is the fourth Election and every single one of them has been corrupt in one way or another. The first one that created the first Board was a list, listeners had to vote for people based only on their accomp, their, uh, Candidate’s Statement. So, anybody could get elected just by saying what the listeners wanted to hear. So people had lied about who they were and what they believed and what their action was toward KPFA and Pacifica to get elected. And the second Election, “People’s Radio” came around to try to take over. And then, uh, the third Election, I monitored every detail of the ‘06 Election and there’s a lot wrong with that Election. And there was an effort by the people that are complaining now about this Election, they’re, uh, the, the “Concerned Listeners” being [?successful]. In that Election, they tried to corrupt that Election and they couldn’t. And there was, uh, stolen ballots. There were ballots stuffed in there that “Concerned Listeners” still won, in spite of that effort. So these same contrarians who, uh, have, uh, corrupted the other Election are complaining about this Election because the “Concerned Listeners” won a lot of seats on the Board. And that’s a, uh, it’s a very deceptive thing to try to do that because in this, in this, in this Election we had an Election Supervisor, a National Election Supervisor and a Local Election Supervisor that are in the bed with the contrarians who have been trying to corrupt this Board ever since it first started. So we should, uh, be aware of that. And, and then the other thing I want to talk about is the issue of hate speech that, that Dan mentioned in this letter. It was, ah, censored so you guys couldn’t read it. And, uh, the hate speech is done by only one group of people. The people that have been trying to corrupt this, uh, Board ever since it started.

16. Mara Rivera [KPFA Listener-Member, 2007 KPFA LSB Candidate]:
Hi. Don’t be fooled by false issues regarding KPFA and Pacifica governance. The issues are not that there is mostly, that there is infighting between progressives, that extreme radicals want to take over the station, that there is hate speech, that one side is not [? and] cooperative. The real issue is the attempt to subvert the mandate of the Bylaws to run the stations democratically with the listeners having a say in station governance. This is the only way to fulfill the station’s role and mission to have community issues on the air regularly. To be a voice of the voiceless, including different shades of progressive radical opinion. There’s an effort to make the station a moderate progressive station. There are attempts by interim Managers to run the station in a dominant rather than cooperative manner by those same people. That [?faction] represents, oh, that [?faction’s] representatives to the PNB have allowed the corrupt and partisan faction which runs WBAI to put the entire network in jeopardy financially and mission-wise. Criticising and opposing this faction is not petty infighting, it is what we need to save our station and network. The Election [?paralysis] was not a fair Election. The former National Elections Supervisor said it was the worst Election we’ve had in terms of violations. Read the Open Letter, if you don’t know the details. Those who do not care to take measures to insure a fair Election would just as soon do away with Elections on the basis that they don’t work well. [?It’s] a situation of their own creating, Larry Bensky is an example. We who want a democratic KPFA want the Elections fixed not eliminated.

17. Tracy Rosenberg [KPFA Listener-Member, 2007 KPFA LSB Candidate]:
Let’s see. I guess I should admit that I’m one of those people that Casey Peters calls back every once in a blue moon. It’s probably because we worked [?hall days] before. But I just wanted to put a prop out to Sasha Futran at what she said [Apologies, recording cut short, DVD full. E-mail to Tracy Rosenberg for elaboration on public comment not replied as of this writing.]

END OF TRANSCRIPT. [Please note, painstaking attempts to achieve a verbatim transcript were taken. Nevertheless, a copy of the Public Comment sign-up sheet was not acquired, so the spelling of names may be in error. As of this writing no correspondence or corrections have been communicated by any LSB Members regarding this transcript. In the interest of transparency I should note during my effort to write down the names of the Public Comment speakers, Jim Weber “Concerned Listeners” physically snatched the list from my hand. No attempt was made by LSB Members to address his erratic behaviour, yet when certain members of the audience expressed valid complaints regarding apparent misconduct by certain LSB Members, immediate verbal warnings threatening ejection from the meeting were issued. It is important for concerned listeners, sans quotation marks, to take notes of the actual list during LSB meetings. For example, there were names listed on the actual physical paper list, which were omitted by the KPFA LSB Secretary. (The Secretary up until 01.12.08 was Ernesto “Tico” Chacin, I believe.) If you notice any errors at all with the above transcript or otherwise, please help achieve greater accuracy by sending me an e-mail. The official KPFA LSB website is, apparently, a simple subsection of http://www.kpfa.org. Within the http://www.kpfa.org website there is a link to “The Unofficial Website For The KPFA-FM Local Station Board” at http://www.kpfalsb.org/ . However, the official “Minutes” have not been kept up-to-date. The only information currently available at http://www.kpfalsb.org/ is found within the “LSB Meeting Audio Archives” link. Within this link, the most recent KPFA LSB meeting listed is the October 20, 2007 KPFA LSB meeting. August and September of 2007 offer zero explanations or information at all. Please see the questions listed below. These are audio links which download a temporary file to your hard-drive for temporary listening. If you have a poor internet connection, such as the one I can barely afford, it will take roughly a half-hour to be accessible. I hope this transcript facilitates greater transparent education, understanding, and dialogue with regard to KPFA/Pacifica. During the last KPFA LSB meeting (01.12.08), I attempted to submit a copy of this transcript for consideration and inclusion as part of the public record or official “Minutes” of the KPFA LSB meetings, however then-Chair Bonnie Simmons, “Concerned Listeners,” refused to answer listener-member questions during break. I then handed a copy of the transcript to another Board Member, but it was later returned for submission to the newly seated Chair Susan McDonough (“Concerned Listeners”), unfortunately, she appeared disinterested in such transparency of public information and offered no clear indication of interest in facilitating Public Comment being made public.]
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ON THE KPFA LSB MEETINGS: Questions for interested Members of the KPFA Local Station Board, KPFA Listener-Members, KPFA listenership in general, and the greater progressive community as a whole:

1. Often taking months or worse—never made public at all—why are the KPFA LSB minutes, summaries, audio or video archives not available in a timely or expeditious manner to the public on any official KPFA or Pacifica website? How can I, or any other dedicated KPFA volunteers, help facilitate that official dissemination of vital public information?

2. There was mention at the previous KPFA LSB meeting (12.15.07) of hiring or enlisting a “scribe” to assist with documentation of the KPFA LSB minutes. In this context, [?the woman in the red beret, Annie Hallat, I believe] raised the name Erick Klein (I believe he’s the gentleman on the KPFA staff who is also part of the Berkeley segment of the global “Free Speech Radio News” collective, as well as a “Concerned Listeners” slate supporter). As the KPFA LSB information is so critical to an informed listenership, essential to the functioning of a truly participatory democratic governance structure at KPFA/Pacifica, how can I, or any other dedicated KPFA volunteers, help officially document and disseminate the vital public information KPFA LSB minutes, summaries, audio or video archives not available in a timely or expeditious manner to the public on any official KPFA or Pacifica website?

3. Aside from the complete absence of promotion of KPFA LSB meeting on the KPFA airwaves (since these questions were originally written and I’ve published other articles on-line, I’ve noticed an increase in announcement of LSB meetings on the air), the information available online is equally absent, minimal, or often misleading. As of 11:21 am (01.06.08), the “Unofficial Website For The KPFA-FM Local Station Board” (http://www.kpfalsb.org/), accessible through http://www.kpfa.org, still listed erroneous information regarding the upcoming 01.12.07 KPFA LSB meeting. The website (http://www.kpfalsb.org/) erroneously advertised the “next meeting of the KPFA LSB is scheduled for 11AM on November 17, 2007 at Cafe de la Paz, 1600 Shattuck in Berkeley, California.” There is not even a mention of the 12.15.07 meeting. As the KPFA LSB information is so critical to an informed listenership, essential to the functioning of a truly participatory democratic governance structure at KPFA/Pacifica, how can I, or any other dedicated KPFA volunteers, help officially document and disseminate the vital public information of KPFA LSB meetings, minutes, summaries, audio or video archives currently not available in a timely or expeditious manner to the public on any official resource, such as the KPFA or Pacifica websites?

4. Among the scant material available on the “Unofficial Website For The KPFA-FM Local Station Board” (http://www.kpfalsb.org/), within the “Audio Meeting Archives,” the most recent material available is from the Summer of 2007. This is absolutely unacceptable, especially given the many listeners who would love to volunteer and help strengthen KPFA/Pacifica, but are barred from participation. Also, appalling is August 18, 2007 and September 15, 2007 are superficially listed with completely blank audio descriptions. The October 20, 2007 KPFA LSB meeting has a suspicious disclaimer: “Due to technical failures, no recording was able to be made of this meeting. If you have a recording, please advise the webmaster and allow a copy to be posted.” However, I was in attendance at that meeting and personally examined the soundboard and digital recording equipment in place. I also spoke to the woman who was working the soundboard. She informed me, in order to get a copy of the recorded audio I’d have to speak with Brian Edwards-Tiekert, “Concerned Listeners” supporter, because it was his digital recorder which was recording. From what I could tell without touching the equipment, by the end of the long meeting, the digital recorder had already run out of storage memory.