Pacifica

Noted Tracy Rosenberg endorsers withdraw support, YES on KPFA recall endorsers list growing

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David Barsamian, host of Alternative Radio, who was initially listed as an endorser of the “no” recall campaign, now says that it was a “total error on his part.” He told KPFA staff that he retracted his endorsement once he found out more about the issues.

KPFA staffer Davey D of Hard Knock Radio, in response to a listener query, has also said he did not take a position against the recall.  Nevertheless, his name still appears on the anti-recall site as a staff endorser.

Meanwhile, the YES campaign is adding endorsers daily, including (titles & organizations for ID only): Paul George, Peninsula Peace & Justice Center; Gloria Frym, writer; Jane Heaven, KPFA producer/host, Vic Bedoian, Pacifica Evening News reporter; Eric Klein, former Flashpoints tech producer; Andrea Turner, Pacifica board member; Richard Walker, radical geographer; Charlotte Sáenz, community artist & educator; Kathleen Weaver, poet, translator; Steve Early, labor journalist; Summer Brenner, author of Richmond Tales; David Martinez, filmmaker; Iain Boal, social historian of the commons; Cal Winslow, labor historian, author, Rebel Rank and File; Cathy Campbell, President, Berkeley Federation of Teachers, and many others. | ADD YOUR ENDORSEMENT HERE | SEE THE ENTIRE YES ON RECALL ENDORSERS’ LIST

Make sure your vote is counted!

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HELP US MONITOR THIS ELECTION! Please let SaveKPFA know when you get your ballot and have voted by contacting us at votesavekpfa@gmail.com or (510) 969-9373. Or, if you prefer, you can answer this convenient online survey. You’ll be helping us document the vote in case there are challenges to the process.

IF YOU DIDN’T GET A BALLOT, or if it is lost or damaged, contact election supervisor Matt Ward at kpfarecall@gmail.com or (323) 375-4126. We’d appreciate it if you’d copy SaveKPFA at votesavekpfa@gmail.com or (510) 969-9373.

Ballots were mailed June 28 to KPFA listener-members in the Tracy Rosenberg recall election. We urge you to join these endorsers in voting YES on the recall. Here are some KEY VOTING POINTS:

1. Fill in the WHOLE “YES” square on the ballot in black or dark blue ink. That is, don’t just make a check mark or “x”, but fill it all in completely.

2. Resist the temptation to write anything else on the ballot or mark it in any way other than the vote box. If you made a mistake marking your ballot, contact the recall supervisor and request a replacement ballot right away (and we’d appreciate it if you’d copy SaveKPFA).

3. IMPORTANT: Keep your PIN ballot stub as proof that you voted. All ballots in KPFA elections have PIN barcodes on them, so that no subscriber may vote more than once. If there are issues with the fairness of the vote process, we’ll be asking you to help us prove that, and your PIN stub may help. The PIN numbers also mean when you request a duplicate ballot, your first ballot will be discarded and only your second one will count.

4. Mail your ballot so it is received by August 3 (preferably in the provided return envelope) to: KPFA 2012 Recall Election, PO Box 11708, Berkeley CA 94712-2708

5. DO NOT drop off your ballot at the station. Ballots are only accepted by post and must be RECEIVED BY AUGUST 3.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WITNESS THE BALLOT COUNT, come to the public ballot pickup at the Berkeley Post Office on August 4, 10 am. Votes will be counted at the Pacifica National Office, 1925 Martin Luther King Jr Way in Berkeley at noon the same day.

Pacifica demanding $1 million from stations to fix network’s financial problems

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While KPFA’s fund drive came in a little low, the station’s overall budget remains balanced — the station is on track to have a small surplus. Not so with Pacifica, the corporation that owns KPFA as well as KPFK (Los Angeles), WPFW (Washington), WBAI (New York City) and KPFT (Houston).

Pacifica treasurer Tracy Rosenberg told KPFA’s local board on June 2 that Pacifica is demanding $1 million from all member five stations to balance its budget, and that cuts will likely come as staff layoffs. Rosenberg said KPFA would be responsible for a larger part of the cut since its budget is bigger than those of the other four stations.

“Pacifica is in crisis due to its own financial mismanagement,” said one board member.  Each station already pays 19.5% of its income to Pacifica for “central services” such as accounting, insurance, and common programming expenses. Pacifica has granted a 50% discount in those fees to WBAI, which has been operating with a huge deficit and an expensive Wall Street lease for years. In March, KPFA’s local treasurer and business manager reported serious problems with Pacifica’s taking more of KPFA’s money than it was owed — at that time, up to $154,000.

Listeners and staff are asking why KPFA and the other stations should continue to foot the bill. At June’s LSB meeting, several local board members questioned why KPFA would be asked to lay off staff to come up with $300,000 for Pacifica. “What is Pacifica doing about looking at ways in which WBAI can seriously cut their costs?” asked board member Sasha Futran, adding: “WBAI is taking the network down, potentially.” | LISTEN to an exchange between Futran & Rosenberg (3-min audio) or to the entire LSB meeting here: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.