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Virginia Browning: Remedy Required

Dear Casey Peters and Les Radke,

This "Open Letter to the Pacifica Community '' written by Interim Executive Director Dan Siegel, and posted for at least several days on the KPFA website, describes one slate of candidates' political assertions in the election pamphlet as ''personal attacks '' and later on uses the term ''hateful '' speech in an obvious reference to them. He goes on to strongly imply that voters should not vote for those who, at KPFA, engaged in such ''personal attacks. ''

Siegel's letter has now been widely distributed via numerous email lists, reaching possibly thousands of potential voters. If there is press coverage of this matter even more will read these allegations.

It is a blatant attempt to influence the election against one slate of candidates.

The slate Siegel calls "attackers" resorted to this method of disseminating information because only that candidate or those slates of candidates who could raise over $14,000 for a mailing to all members could widely distribute information. Elections should not be bought. The $14,000 slate also has an even more powerful tool: airtime. Maybe you hear programs you like and say "well, they're good so where's the problem?" Aside from the problem with the same method being used, once it's sanctioned, by other than such wunderkinds, gaining access to the airwaves for even better programs is currently insurmountable for many creative, insightful souls.

Siegel's ''Open Letter'' should immediately be removed from the KPFA website.

There should also be mandated a public apology as widely distributed as the "open letter" was. And, because the many mailing lists used by station staff and ex-station staff are not something that can be monitored (of course!), it seems reasonable to me to call for airing the apology over the air multiple times

Perhaps this could be in concert with even ONE announcement of the current election by the staff ? and if announcements are made, referring listeners to an apology that somehow sincerely attempts to de-bias the election.

Some are calling for punitive measures to be taken against Mr. Siegel. I can't imagine how those could help create a fair election, but maybe the prospect of watching Dan Siegel dressed like Peggy Noonan crawling through tar singing show tunes might attract a big enough crowd to hear an actual debate by the candidates, something we'll not get otherwise.

(Dan Siegel's comments are analogous to Peggy Noonan's saying those who don't like George Bush hate America.)

I urge you to consider the mess that you have invited and spare no effort to stop it.

Thank you,
Virginia Browning

October 28, 2007

Virginia Browning: Still No Audio Pods Still Nothing from KPFA

Virginia Browning: Still No Audio Pods Still Nothing from KPFA
this is a letter from a friend

Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007
From: Steve Gilmartin
Subject: Re: KPFA Election Violations

Dear Mr. Peters:

Thank you for your ruling that calls on KPFA to repost the LSB candidates' statements on the KPFA website. I really do thank you for standing up for the First Amendment.

However, it is extremely upsetting and an obvious violation of Pacifica's election laws that Dan Siegel's biased and distorted statement is allowed to stand on the KPFA website. Siegel characterizes as "personal attack" what is legitimate criticism of actions taken by individuals in positions of power within the station, statements entirely germane to the interests of KPFA's listenership in an important election period. (As such, it's unclear to me why you think that such speech is a violation of the spirit if not the letter of the bylaws.) In addition, Siegel tars with the same brush the true hate speech of a WBAI candidate and the legitimate political speech of the candidates running as the People's Radio slate. Siegel's statement is an outrageous interference in an election by a high-ranking Pacifica officer and is in blatant violation of Pacifica's Fair Campaign provisions. That his statement is allowed to remain while the candidates' statements have still not been posted to the KPFA (or Pacifica) website is unbelievable!

I urge you to (1) stipulate a time frame (basically, now) and to *enforce* that time frame for the re-posting of candidate statements; (2) order removal of Dan Siegel's statement, which has already been disseminated far and wide, from the KPFA website immediately! And (3) issue a public statement, to all places within the Pacifica network in which the original statement appeared, demonstrating an awareness of Mr Siegel's misuse of his position to interfere in the election in violation of both Pacifica bylaws and California coproration law, and the mistake that was made in allowing his statement to be officially posted and to remain up. I am afraid that anything short of these actions will result in a contested KPFA election and, no doubt, a series of lawsuits.

Please act quickly and forcefully to begin to restore the legitimacy of KPFA's election process.

Sincerely,
Steve Gilmartin
KPFA listener-sponsor

Note: Casey Peters has now removed his ruling from view (to which Steve refers. No podcasts of the well-done on-air forums (2 weeks of them) and several weeks ago...NOTHING but that outrageous letter from Siegel.

October 28, 2007

October 28, 2007

robmgold: ...

I understand that ballots have been mailed and should be received momentarily. Regrettably, at least here at WBAI in NY, little information is available to members. In the past an election manual, containing the candidates statements and info about the election was available early, as a guide to attending forums or contacting candidates.
WBAI is in bad condition financially and programmatically. The LSB majority has done nothing in their 3 years of control, but solidify their status at the station. This election is critical to changing this and the failure of the elections administration to provide information early enough to empower concerned members may be the final straw.
Thanks for considering this.

October 18, 2007

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