Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Save KPFA: Where the So-Called Professionals Embarrass Themselves Everyday
The bizarre Save KPFA-Wellstone Democratic Renewal group, which is busily trying to overturn the results of the last KPFA election and secure all 4 KPFA seats on Pacifica's National Board with only 57% of the vote, is misstating petition signatures and creating strange mirror sites on the Internet as they increasingly flail about in their vicious recall campaign.
It continues to astonish casual observers how anyone associated with Save KPFA or KPFA worker has the balls to claim a title like "journalist" or "professional" or even "discerning critical thinker", when the lies,distortions and sloppiness know virtually no limits.
If this is professional journalism, then it is no wonder why the profession has collapsed. For a better grade of information: http://www.supportkpfa.org or http://www.stopthekpfarecall.org
The current strange developments include:
1) Claiming "almost 1200" signatures on a petition requesting Pacifica to run a "fair" recall election
The way most people count signatures on a petition is that each name counts once. Only in Save KPFA-universe can you sign the same petition three, four and five times and be counted as three, four or five different signatures. Social justice organizing would be a brave new world if we could all sign petitions 4 times and quadruple the signature count! Is the idea they all vote 4 times too?
See the enclosed excel file documenting more than 1/3 of the claimed signatures are duplicates.
2) The petition claims Pacifica is delaying the recall election. Pacifica presented a recall supervisor in mid-December. Save KPFA-affiliated board representatives blocked the appointment. They are petitioning themselves.
3) In other news, Save KPFA is setting up duplicate websites as if to pretend that some other organization besides themselves is behind their stupid recall effort. In addition to the Save KPFA (the Wellstone part) and KPFA Worker websites (the entrenched KPFA staff part), they've now added recalltracyrosenberg.org with no attribution whatsoever besides "Contact us at votesavekpfa [at] gmail.com or leave us a message at (510) 969-9373.". Call it web pollution.
4) One thing the new duplicated website clears up is the difference between those who endorsed Save KPFA/Concerned Listeners board candidates YEARS AGO and those who actually endorse the recall effort, which appears to be a tiny fraction. The site contains 36 endorsers. 12 or 1/3 of them current local board members affiliated with the Save KPFA faction (although not all identify themselves as such) and 18 or 1/2 of them KPFA staffers. 6 on the list also call themselves the "leadership" of Berkeley's Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, which is the origin of the Concerned Listeners/Save KPFA slate and the takeover of KPFA's local board.
If this is professional journalism, then it is no wonder why the profession has collapsed. For a better grade of information: http://www.supportkpfa.org or http://www.stopthekpfarecall.org
The current strange developments include:
1) Claiming "almost 1200" signatures on a petition requesting Pacifica to run a "fair" recall election
The way most people count signatures on a petition is that each name counts once. Only in Save KPFA-universe can you sign the same petition three, four and five times and be counted as three, four or five different signatures. Social justice organizing would be a brave new world if we could all sign petitions 4 times and quadruple the signature count! Is the idea they all vote 4 times too?
See the enclosed excel file documenting more than 1/3 of the claimed signatures are duplicates.
2) The petition claims Pacifica is delaying the recall election. Pacifica presented a recall supervisor in mid-December. Save KPFA-affiliated board representatives blocked the appointment. They are petitioning themselves.
3) In other news, Save KPFA is setting up duplicate websites as if to pretend that some other organization besides themselves is behind their stupid recall effort. In addition to the Save KPFA (the Wellstone part) and KPFA Worker websites (the entrenched KPFA staff part), they've now added recalltracyrosenberg.org with no attribution whatsoever besides "Contact us at votesavekpfa [at] gmail.com or leave us a message at (510) 969-9373.". Call it web pollution.
4) One thing the new duplicated website clears up is the difference between those who endorsed Save KPFA/Concerned Listeners board candidates YEARS AGO and those who actually endorse the recall effort, which appears to be a tiny fraction. The site contains 36 endorsers. 12 or 1/3 of them current local board members affiliated with the Save KPFA faction (although not all identify themselves as such) and 18 or 1/2 of them KPFA staffers. 6 on the list also call themselves the "leadership" of Berkeley's Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, which is the origin of the Concerned Listeners/Save KPFA slate and the takeover of KPFA's local board.
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$135.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network
Last month, workers around the Pacifica network, including KPFA, deposited their paychecks — and were shocked to have them bounce. KPFA had sufficient funds to cover its payroll, but Pacifica pools the payroll money of its five stations, and did not warn KPFA that whoever deposited their checks last would end up with a bounced check fine.
Stewards from Communications Workers of America Local 9415, which represents KPFA’s union workers, wrote a letter to Pacifica’s Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt and Chief Financial Officer LaVarn Williams reminding them that bouncing paychecks is a crime. (Read entire letter here.)
“We have advised the workers who draw pay at KPFA to report Pacifica to the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement should any of their paychecks bounce,” wrote Antonio Ortiz, Sasha Lilley, and Philip Maldari. “This will trigger automatic financial penalties for Pacifica, and may result in criminal charges against Pacifica employees responsible for bouncing paychecks.” Pacifica has still not responded to their email.
The check bouncing follows a pension scandal late last year in which Pacifica illegally dipped into the 403(b) retirement accounts of its workers at KPFA and across the network. After KPFA’s union reported Pacifica to the Department of Labor, Pacifica’s Engelhardt stated that workers would be paid interest on the money that it had withheld from them and that payments would be made in a timely manner.
However, KPFA’s union has found that Pacifica continues to illegally withhold the contributions of its workers, even following Engelhardt’s public statement. In the month of January, Pacifica withdrew payments from the salaries of its workers, but did not deposit them into their 403(b) accounts.
Pacifica management appears blithely indifferent to breaking the law, whether its KPFA’s union contract or state and federal laws regulating workplace pay and retirement accounts. Despite hiring high price law firms to attempt to clean up it messes, Pacifica continues to play fast and loose with the rights of its workers.
Last month, workers around the Pacifica network, including KPFA, deposited their paychecks — and were shocked to have them bounce. KPFA had sufficient funds to cover its payroll, but Pacifica pools the payroll money of its five stations, and did not warn KPFA that whoever deposited their checks last would end up with a bounced check fine.
Stewards from Communications Workers of America Local 9415, which represents KPFA’s union workers, wrote a letter to Pacifica’s Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt and Chief Financial Officer LaVarn Williams reminding them that bouncing paychecks is a crime. (Read entire letter here.)
“We have advised the workers who draw pay at KPFA to report Pacifica to the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement should any of their paychecks bounce,” wrote Antonio Ortiz, Sasha Lilley, and Philip Maldari. “This will trigger automatic financial penalties for Pacifica, and may result in criminal charges against Pacifica employees responsible for bouncing paychecks.” Pacifica has still not responded to their email.
The check bouncing follows a pension scandal late last year in which Pacifica illegally dipped into the 403(b) retirement accounts of its workers at KPFA and across the network. After KPFA’s union reported Pacifica to the Department of Labor, Pacifica’s Engelhardt stated that workers would be paid interest on the money that it had withheld from them and that payments would be made in a timely manner.
However, KPFA’s union has found that Pacifica continues to illegally withhold the contributions of its workers, even following Engelhardt’s public statement. In the month of January, Pacifica withdrew payments from the salaries of its workers, but did not deposit them into their 403(b) accounts.
Pacifica management appears blithely indifferent to breaking the law, whether its KPFA’s union contract or state and federal laws regulating workplace pay and retirement accounts. Despite hiring high price law firms to attempt to clean up it messes, Pacifica continues to play fast and loose with the rights of its workers.
What does this have to do with with the original post?