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Indybay Feature

Shameful KPFA LSB Election Results

by Voted United for Community Radio
It is a lie to say that KPFA listeners are any more astute than the average American. As we can see from the results of the election to the LSB, the KPFA listeners responded to the popularity contest routine instead of the program, just like the average American. The results are below.
From: http://www.kpfa.org/local-station-board-election-results
KPFA Listener election
Dan Siegel
Craig Alderson
Mark Hernandez
Andrea Prichett
Jose Luis Fuentes-Roman
Laurence H. Shoup
Ramses Teon-Nichols
Carole Travis
Burton White

KPFA Staff election
Brian D. Edwards-Tiekert
Joy Moore
Frank T. Sterling Jr.

UCR winning candidates are:
Andrea Pritchett, Larry Shoup, Ramses Teon-Nichols, Joy Moore and Frank Sterling.

WHERE ARE THE NUMBER OF VOTES? In previous elections, we were given the number of votes each candidate received. We also should have the total number of votes counted. After all, we the listener-subscribers paid for this election. We even get that much from the government elections, but not the KPFA Local Station Board election supervisor. How about it, election supervisor? Please provide us with the total number of votes and the number of votes for each prevailing candidate.

It is not clear by how much the government operation better known as the Hate Pacifica Gang now prevails. What we can do until the 2013 election is keep score on who is the bigger hoodlum: Dan Siegel, Craig Alderson, Mark Hernandez, Jose Fuentes or Brian Edwards Tiekert. The quotable quotes should fill pages on Daniel Borgstrom's website at
http://danielborgstrom.blogspot.com/

What is clear is with results like these, Pacifica and KPFA have a bleak future, if any future.

by Voted United for Community Radio
Here is another link where it appears someday, perhaps when they get done with the worthless Money Season, they will give us the detailed results as to how many voted in total and how many voted for each candidate who ran, regardless of whether they won or not. Just remember, we the listener subscribers paid for this election and we get better, quicker results for a far more complicated government election. See
http://elections.pacifica.org/
by listener
Daniel Borgstrom, whose page is cited above by the United for Community Radio (UCR) supporter, is currently suing 4 listeners for raising pledges for KPFA for over $800,000. Yes, that's right, he's suing them for *fundraising*. If anything is destroying KPFA and Pacifica, it is actions like this.
by Voted United for Community Radio
The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalpyse, Daniel Siegel, Conn Hallinan, Mal Burnstein and Margy Wilkinson, all elected members of Pacifica governance, signed the letter on the Save KPFA web site asking people to pledge to their fund while KPFA was doing its winter fund drive.

Here is an explanation of the California Corporations Code violated by these 4 Local Station Board members:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/12/09/18727617.php#18728354

Here is the description of the lawsuit against the 4 disloyal Local Station Board members at
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/09/07/18721146.php
You will see that the Court of Appeal agreed with the superior court that Daniel Borgstrom, the plaintiff in the superior court action, was correct in his complaint and now these 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse aka government operation to destroy Pacifica, have to either settle or go to trial. Obviously, their competing fundraising activities while members of the Local Station Board is in violation of the California Corporations Code and an Alameda County jury would have to agree and issue a judgment in favor of plaintiff Borgstrom. Otherwise the judge will have to issue a judgment not withstanding the verdict as these 4 clearly violated the law. Millionaire Hallinan, can easily afford to pay any settlement. Should he or the others defendants fail to pay the settlement, they will face a judgment against them which can be recorded in every county in California, placing a lien on any property they have in California which cannot be sold until the lien is removed. Millionaire Hallinan has lots of income property. Only a government operation trying to destroy Pacifica and KPFA would be so foolish as to have Local Station Board members sign a letter promoting a competing fundraiser.

by another listener
Someone seems to be very angry at Daniel Borgstrom. Maybe because of this:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/11/16/18725840.php

and also this:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/12/16/18728245.php


by Richard Phelps, former Chair KPFA LSB
It is long standing law across the nation that elected members of corporate governance CAN NOT compete with their corporation, in this case Pacifica. It is also part of the Pacifica Bylaws:

Article Seven, Local Station Boards, Section 3: Specific Powers and Duties

Each LSB, acting as a standing committee of the Foundation's Board of Directors, shall have the following powers, duties and responsibilities related to its specific radio station, under the direction and supervision of the Foundation's Board of Directors:

M. To exercise all of its powers and duties with care, "loyalty", diligence and sound business judgment consistent with the manner in which those terms are generally defined under applicable California law. (Emphasis added.)

During a regular KPFA fund drive and after, SaveKPFA asked listeners to pledge to support SaveKPFA's desire to bring back the Morning Show. In their pitch posted on their web site they ended it by saying that "If Pacifica does the right thing" the pledges would be handed over. This was NOT unconditional fund raising for KPFA. This was competing with KPFA, putting SaveKPFA's goals first. That is fine for anybody except people that ran for election and were elected to seats in KPFA/Pacifica governance. And in typical sectarian manner SaveKPFA tries to cover their wrongful conduct by screaming we are "banning dissent".

By the way, during oral argument at the Court of Appeals, one of the Justices asked SaveKPFA's lawyer something to the affect of " Shouldn't your clients have resigned from governance if they wanted to do this campaign?"

For the record, Tracy Rosenberg had nothing to do with the lawsuit, and I think she supports it. The recall was just another tactic to win control as the quote below shows.

This is Brian Edwards-Tiekert's/SaveKPFA's philosophy, laid out by him in an email to his colleagues in collusion, working to control the station. BET said in 2005:

"...how do we make our enemies own the problems that are to come?" Alternatively, should we be "recalling LSB members/dismantling the LSB?" (Emphasis added.)

Long before Tracy Rosenberg was on the LSB, BET was discussing with his allies , RECALLING LSB members as a tactic, with no mention of good cause.

And of course when they cause a problem, like red ink at KPFA, by refusing to bring staff payroll in line with income they try to blame it on others by screaming "banning dissent" and "union busting", etc.

When SaveKPFA talks about "local control" it is more local than you think. SaveKPFA wants to run the station with no listener involvement except for their chosen few. SaveKPFA wants listeners to send in your money and let the "professionals" decide what you want/need to hear.

When Bensky and Mericle et al. fought against the "hijackers" in 1999, they didn't do it to bring in a democratic governance with listener involvement, as many of us did, they did it since they believed that the station was theirs to run and not for Mary Frances Berry and her crew. Sort of like two feudal lords fighting over a piece of land with no regard for the people that live there.


by Voted United for Community Radio
We now have the breakdown of results.
From:
http://elections.pacifica.org/candstmt/election_2012/kpfa/kpfa_2012_elected.htm
KPFA Election 2012 Results
Back Listeners Round by Round
Dan Siegel ELECTED -- 1st round
Craig Alderson ELECTED -- 1st round
Mark Hernandez ELECTED -- 5th round
Andrea Prichett ELECTED -- 11th round
Jose Luis Fuentes-Roman ELECTED -- 13th round
Laurence H. Shoup ELECTED -- 15th round
Ramses Teon-Nichols ELECTED -- 15th round
Carole Travis ELECTED -- 15th round
Burton White ELECTED -- 19th round
Staff Round by Round
Brian D. Edwards-Tieke. ELECTED -- 1st round
Joy Moore ELECTED -- 1st round
Frank T. Sterling Jr. ELECTED -- 4th round

We can see the breakdown for listener candidates at:
http://elections.pacifica.org/candstmt/election_2012/kpfa/listener/Round19.htm
CANDIDATE THIS ROUND TOTAL STATUS
Dan Siegel 0 326 ELECTED -- 1st round
Craig Alderson 0 326 ELECTED -- 1st round
Mark Hernandez 0 326 ELECTED -- 5th round
Andrea Prichett 0 326 ELECTED -- 11th round
Jose Luis Fuentes-Roman 0 326 ELECTED -- 13th round
Laurence H. Shoup 0 326 ELECTED -- 15th round
Ramses Teon-Nichols 0 326 ELECTED -- 15th round
Carole Travis 0 326 ELECTED -- 15th round
Burton White +220.69859 501.23122 ELECTED -- 19th round

We can see the total was 3,257 valid listener ballots.
from
http://elections.pacifica.org/candstmt/election_2012/kpfa/listener/Round.htm

And for staff at:
http://elections.pacifica.org/candstmt/election_2012/kpfa/staff/Round5.htm
CANDIDATE THIS ROUND TOTAL STATUS
Brian D. Edwards-Tieke. 0 30 ELECTED -- 1st round
Joy Moore 0 30 ELECTED -- 1st round
Frank T. Sterling Jr. 0 30.5848 ELECTED -- 4th round

We can see there were 118 valid staff ballots.
at
http://elections.pacifica.org/candstmt/election_2012/kpfa/staff/Round.htm

There are some 19,000 listener subscribers and 275 staff, of whom 40 people are paid. Yet only 3,257 listeners bothered to vote, so of course, only 326 votes were needed to win on the listener ballot. On the staff, only 30 were needed. The staff did better on voter turnout and choice of candidates than the listeners, indicating they know exactly what is going on. There is no organization that can survive without the active participation of its members. All the listener subscribers were asked to do was vote. They could get lots of information at the UCR website listed on the slate card they received in the mail, at:
http://www.votecommunityradio.org/

Daniel Borgstrom was correct in blowing the whistle on Pam Drake's conflict of interest and any effort to prevent his free speech was shameful and reactionary. His lawsuit is fabulous as is his website.

The Hate Pacifica Gang should know that its opponents are not going anywhere and even though they may have a slight majority on the Board, we the supporters of United for Community Radio, are the future, as are the political parties that supported them, Peace & Freedom and the Green Party. To those of you who did not vote, never make that mistake again. If you want something, you have to fight for it, and we need KPFA and Pacifica more than ever.
by borgstrom
Before votes in KPFA’s local board election are even counted, Tracy Rosenberg and her allies at the national level continue to do damage to Pacifica’s structure and mission. Earlier this week, Pacifica’s governance committee, which is dominated by Rosenberg and her allies, passed a measure that would, if adopted by the Pacifica National Board, prohibit those who dissent from Rosenberg’s agenda from serving on local or national boards.

“The resolution banning those deemed ‘disloyal’ which was presented to the committee by Tracy is pure McCarthy era,” notes Sasha Futran, KPFA’s Local Station Board vice chair. “The appeal process is a sham, as any appeals would go to the very people who took after them for political reasons in the first place. This is the kind of divisiveness that is tearing Pacifica apart. Tracy has a big hand, perhaps the biggest, in that process,” added Futran, who was a member of Rosenberg’s slate at one time, before leaving it to join SaveKPFA.

The measure is aimed squarely at 4 SaveKPFA members — Margy Wilkinson, Dan Siegel, Mal Burnstein and Conn Hallinan — for their role in collecting over $60,000 in pledges to restore the KPFA Morning Show and rehire its laid off co-hosts back in 2010-2011. They raised only pledges of support, not actual money. Nevertheless, the “Morning Show 4″ were slapped with a lawsuit by Rosenberg allies Richard Phelps and Daniel Borgstrom, who allege such fundraising activity was “disloyal” to Pacifica. Phelps and Borgstrom are demanding these four listeners pay Pacifica “damages” of $800,000.

The proposal from Pacifica’s governance committee would ban anyone whose actions have been declared by a court of law to be breaches of “loyalty,” “fiduciary duty,” or “duty of care” from holding any office in Pacifica. Rosenberg has been publicly predicting victory in the Morning Show 4 case, and it’s transparent her intent is to get rid of her political opponents.

“Do you have any conscience?” wrote one KFPA listener to Rosenberg recently when the lawsuit came up for public discussion recently. “You’re supporting a horrendous attack on 4 KPFA listeners who were simply trying, like generations before them, to support KPFA in a time of crisis.”

Rosenberg’s allies have been issuing gag rules against KPFA’s unpaid and paid staff; now they are going after listeners too. “Banning people, gag rules, anti-union law firms eating up the station’s cash — where have we heard this before?” asked KPFA listener Alison Davis. “In 1999, the last time the network was taken over.”

ACTION ALERT: IT’S TIME TO SPEAK UP! Please take a minute to send an email to Pacifica’s boardmembers demanding they reject this “loyalty” measure when it comes up for a vote this week. CLICK HERE http://www.savekpfa.org/what-you-can-do/stop-the-witch-hunt to send a sample email (or write your own): “Pacifica, ENOUGH! The loyalty measure doesn’t do a single thing to fix the many problems facing Pacifica. Stop misusing your power to go after political opponents. Listeners need you to build the network, not launch McCarthyite witch-hunts.”

This is about KPFA’s foundational principles of free speech and political dissent. “If a measure like this actually ends up being adopted, Pacifica’s founder Lew Hill would not even recognize the radio network he created,” added Futran.

KPFA’s Tracy Rosenberg circulated the “disloyalty” measure, which was written by WBAI delegates Kathy Davis and Alex Steinberg and KPFT delegate Bill Crosier.
by Daniel Borgström
The above post is signed "by borgstrom." -- I did NOT write it, I did NOT post it, and I do NOT endorse it. Its content is from the "SaveKPFA" faction, a group which I do NOT in any way support.

http://danielborgstrom.blogspot.com/


by listener who pays attention
True, fundraising for KPFA supports the station. But fundraising for just one program is called underwriting, and goes against the principles of Pacifica.

The Morning Show was never canceled. Two people on the Morning Show were laid off, in accordance with the union contract, because they lacked seniority.

Something that Save KPFA and Brian Edwards-Tiekert never mention is that it was Brian who first called for the layoffs. Don't believe me? Listen for yourself, starting at about 5 minutes into this recording: http://kpftx.org/archives/pnb/pnb080919/saturday/pnb080920d.mp3

Or read the transcript of what he said: http://www.votecommunityradio.org/?p=793

Brian was a-okay with other workers getting laid off, in fact he actively advocated for it. It only became a problem when he became one of the people laid off himself. What hypocrisy!

Isn't it time to stop believing Save KPFA's lies yet?
by Michael Hardesty (mike_hardesty7 [at] mail.com)
I served with Larry during the year of 1997 on the Oakland Rent Board. We were both appointed at the same time by Mayor Elihu Harris. I was a tenant rep and Larry was a homeowner rep but was much more pro-tenant than the other two sellout tenant reps that I tried to work with. Larry caught hell from the landlord lobby as did I but the fact is that we were the only two tenant advocates on the Oakland Residential Rent Board. The Mayor was a landlord and most of the city council led by DeLaFuente, such as Russo, Chang, Brunner were hostile to rent control. Only Nadel was supportive. Although I'm really more of a rightist libertarian I thought the landlords' hypocrisy in opposing rent controls while favoring zoning & planning controls which increased their property values showed how little they believed in free enterprise but favored a corporate state crony capitalism. In any event your fortunate to have Larry on your side and he will be a burr under the misnamed 'Save KPFA' crowd which has been misrunning the station for decades.
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