Pacifica Democracy Project

The Social Uplift Foundation
Pacifica In Exile
Rescue Pacifica
San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper
- Alliance for Community Elections
Black Star News
Informativo Pacifica
Pacifica Fightback: Campaign to Preserve Democracy & Accountability at Pacifica Radio
Oakland Greens
San Francisco Green Party
Covert Action Magazine
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Legacy Project (SLP)

Please, post your endorsement of the Pacifica Democracy Project petition and a ‘NO’ position on the New Day Bylaws...

Petition Endorsers and a ‘NO’ position on the New Day Bylaws:

Grace Aaron
Grace Aaron
Mumia Abu Jamal
Mumia Abu Jamal
Verna Avery-Brown
Verna Avery-Brown
Carolyn Birden
Carolyn Birden
Fred Blair
Fred Blair
Daniel Borgstrom
Daniel Borgstrom

THE PACIFICA BYLAWS PROPOSAL–IT’S ABOUT  PROGRAMMING

Like the bylaws proposal that was defeated last year, the “New Day” version would basically end democracy at Pacifica and hand the network over to a group of gatekeepers.  This is a fight which has been going on since the 1980s, a fight which did not begin with the hijacking attempt of 1999 and certainly did not end with the current bylaws of 2003.

Issues in this struggle include: declining listenership, programming, democracy at Pacifica and the debt.

The debt gets the most attention.  It was caused by multiple bad decisions made during the last three decades. One of those was an atrociously bad deal made with the Empire State Building for WBAI’s antenna.  That was negotiated nearly two decades ago by a former Executive Director who has passed away, but the results live on and continue to haunt us.  However, if Pacifica finances had otherwise been healthy, that debt would not be such a death threat.  The New Day people are the protégés of the people who made many of the unwise decisions which led to the financial problems we’re seeing today.  It has been suggested that putting the network in a risky financial situation is a customary and deliberate tactic in trying to gain total, undisputed control of our station.

Money is the hay that feeds the horse that pulls the wagon.  We sometimes get so distracted by the look of the horse and so worried about feeding it enough good hay that we forget what’s in the wagon — the programming.  Programming is what radio is all about.  Programmers in the “New Day” camp have been echoing an increasing amount of security state propaganda from the corporate media, or feature guests who tell us the FBI and the CIA are there to protect us, and that the U.S. intervenes in elections of foreign countries to promote democracy.  That is the direction in which KPFA programming has been sliding, and if “New Day” gains full control, the Pacifica network will slide a lot faster, till the last vestiges of independent, non-corporate news analysis are gone.

The eternal “infighting” at Pacifica is not about personalities who can’t get along.  It’s about very differing visions for Pacifica.  Although it often looks like a fight over finances, it’s really about programming.

This referendum is coming up soon, and April 7 is the very last day to subscribe in order to be eligible to vote.  Here’s the KPFA link https://secure.kpfa.org/support/

Daniel Borgström, member of Rescue Pacifica

Steve Brown
Steve Brown
Mitchel Cohen
Mitchel Cohen
Jim Dingeman
Jim Dingeman
Vanessa Dixon-Briggs
Vanessa Dixon-Briggs

My Endorsement

13 + 18 =

Eileen Rosin
Eileen Rosin
Pacifica National Board Director in 2020 from WPFW, Audit Committee Chair
5
James Sagurton
James Sagurton
Pacifica National Finance Committee Chair
5
John Samuelsen
John Samuelsen
Transport Workers Union, International President
5
Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan
peace activist
5
Alex Steinberg
Alex Steinberg
Pacifica National Board Chair from WBAI
5
Katea Stitt
Katea Stitt
WPFW Program Director
5
Richard Uzzell
Richard Uzzell
past Pacifica National Board Director & Secretary, KPFT Local Board Member

Sure the Bylaws need revision, but not now and not with this alleged “NewDay” model for restructuring. We absolutely cannot at this time afford elections and surrounding legal expenses now, while we can not pay our bills and all of our buildings are in danger of being foreclosed on. Furthermore, this overly complicated and dangerously biased model will cause more grief – not more help.

The main thing we need is what we have always needed; better management, concise accounting and across the network training. Closing thought: the old Bylaws are 45 pages long, the proposed “NewDay” Bylaws are 58 pages long – How in the world could our Bylaws be simplified by making them 13 pages longer ???

Please don’t go down the “NewDay” rabbit hole.

Richard Uzzell, currently KPFT LSB and past PNB Director and past PNB Secretary.

5
Polina Vasiliev
Polina Vasiliev
PhD (UCLA), language justice activist, educator, and radio producer
5
Tom Voorhees
Tom Voorhees
Radio Transmitter Engineer, Pacifica National Board Director from KPFA

Tom Voorhees Pacifica national board director from the KPFA local station board in support of building democratic solutions through the world. I also have a history of putting many new community radio stations on the air as a transmitter site project engineer, most have joined the over 220 existing pacifica affiliate stations. Also working hard to rebuild Pacifica as a anti-war network.

5
Michael D. D. White
Michael D. D. White
WBAI Local Station Board Vice Chair
5
Steve Zeltzer
Steve Zeltzer
Host, ‘Work Week’, past KPFA Local Station Board Member
5
Joan Sekler
Joan Sekler
KPFK
5
Kathryn Davis
Kathryn Davis
Host, Heart of Mind on WBAI, past Pacifica National Board Member from WBAI
5
Ralph Poynter & Lynne Stewart
The Lynne Stewart Organization
WBAI
5
King Reilly & Sue Romo
Dr. King Reilly & Sue Romo
Medical Professionals, long time Pacifica supporters
5
Ken Aaron
Listener, Former Board Member

Toxic self-appointed boards may be fine for Grocery Chains and Global Pharmaceutical Enterprises but they won’t do for grassroots media endeavors, like the Pacifica Radio Foundation. You need a bit of anarchy, a good measure of fanatic activism, a lot of fresh perspectives, and as close a connection to the membership as possible. Democracy can be time consumming and blistery, but it far exceeds Corporatocracy and Cronyism.

5
mystery person
Eleanor Elizabeth Forman
Former cohost of the WEAPONRY program and engineer

I endorse a NO vote on the proposed new by-laws that would allow the people who took over WBAI for a month in October 2019 to take over Pacifica and sell it off piecemeal.

5
James Igo
James Igo
WBAI

I would vote to keep Pacfica just the way it was in the 60's-70's with democratic bylaws for all. In my view Pacifica Network has been the greatest of the great news sources since the cows went home. Thanks to all who want to preserve the hayday years of which I was a contributing member. Oh & the KPFK MERRY CHRISTMAS fair, bring it back.

5
mystery person
Cynthia Omara pace
wpfw

Cannot live without this station. It makes my day and informs me

5
mystery person
Gary F
Listener

Only democracy will keep Pacifica alive. Control by any group will mean it’s end.

5
mystery person
Aileen
Listener

KPFA is a NATIONAL TREASURE for those seeking info beyond the corporate propaganda. NPR-LITE? NEVER!!!!!

5
Otis Maclay
Otis Maclay
Listener, former Host, IT maintainer, Creator of KPFTx and Station Archives

Simple (but draconian) solutions to complex problems are very seductive. But with rare exceptions, always create major problems. The drug war is a good example. I'm proud to be associated here with people who have spent their lives expanding democratic participation in our institutions. New Day Pacifica's attempt to shut listener-supporters out of responsibility for the radio they pay for (and force thousands of listener dollars to be spent on their empty conceit) is nothing but one more attempt to impose on Pacifica the same kind of autocratic control so popular today in many state legislatures. It is nothing but a vain and shoddy attempt to make sure they can do it 'their way'.

5
Dr. Pete Farruggio
Dr. Pete Farruggio
Listener

The new undemocratic bylaws proponents are phony progressives who have taken over the management of KPFA and are tilting it toward the corporate, neocon Democratic Party leadership. These bylaws represent their attempt to seize control of the whole Pacifica network and convert it into another NPR. Please vote "NO" to stop them.

3
Louis Wolf
Louis Wolf
WPFW Local Station Board member since 2016, and loyal listener=contributor since 1977.

I endorse the "NO" vote in opposition to the "New Day Pacifica" referendum because of (a) the overwhelming 66 to 33 defeat of the first "New Day Pacifica" referendum in a free and fair election in March 2020; (b) the public explicit "New Day Pacifica" agenda would (1) abolish all five Pacifica Radio Local Station Boards across this country, (2) would cancel the local control over daily programming, and (3) would consolidate the leadership of the Pacifica Radio network to fall under the control of "New Day Pacifica" supporters of a cabal of the West Coast KPFK and KPFA supporters and would eliminate the role and the work of the 44 years of WPFW's 24/7 on-air existence in the 'Belly of the Monster' and the 60 years of WBAI's 24/7 on-air existence and work in the 'Finance Capital of the World'. Furthermore, the "New Day Pacifica" agenda is utterly and completely anti-democratic to its core. Louis Wolf 202-362-1718 louw7@live.com

5
Dennis A. Williams
Dennis A. Williams
Author, WPFW Local Board Vice Chair
5
mystery person
Joe Brown
WPFW listener
5
Ann Garrison
Ann Garrison
News reporter, producer, host

I published an essay explaining my endorsement in Counterpunch, San Francisco Bay View Newspaper, Black Star News, and Black Agenda Report.

5
Milton Allimadi
Milton Allimadi
Editor of Black Star News and host of "The Black Star News Show" on WBAI

Black Star News and Milton Allimadi, editor of Black Star News and host of “The Black Star News Show” on WBAI, endorse a “no” vote.

5
Nube Brown
Nube Brown
Managing Editor San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper

The San Francisco Bay View National Black newspaper endorses a NO vote in the New Day Pacifica by-laws.
What a shame to see where Pacifica has come to after 70 years –
Peace, Nube

Abolition now!

5
mystery person
Jack
wbai listener and lsb member

to remove independent media from the landscape is wrong, anti american and a violation of our trust in pacifica and its mission. corporations DO NOT need to control EVERYTHING.

5
Janet Kobren
Janet Kobren
former KPFA LSB member, PNB Director KPFA, 2014-2016, Pacifica Foundation/PNB Secretary 2015, 2016 & 2018, eclectic activist
5
Eric C. Jacobson
Eric C. Jacobson
Civil Rights Attorney, Member: KPFK LSB, KPFK Governance Committee, PNB Audit Committee
5
Jim Lafferty
Jim Lafferty
National Lawyers Guild LA chapter, KPFK programmer
5
Marilyn Langlois
Marilyn Langlois
co-founder, Richmond Progressive Alliance
5
Michael Novick
Michael Novick
KPFK Local Station Board Chair
5
Linda Perry
Linda Perry
WBAI Program Director
5
Ron Pinchback
Ron Pinchback
host ‘Community Watch’ on WPFW, Pacifica National Board Member from WPFW
5
Ralph Poynter
Ralph Poynter
host ‘What’s Happening’ BlogTalkRadio, Pacifica National Board Member from WBAI
5
Mary Ratcliff
Mary Ratcliff
publisher SF Bay View
5
King Reilly & Sue Romo
King Reilly & Sue Romo
Medical professionals, Pacifica supporters
5
Berthold Reimers, WBAI General Manager
Berthold Reimers
WBAI General Manager
5
Lawrence Reyes
Lawrence Reyes
Pacifica National Board Director from KPFK
5
Paul Roberson
Paul Roberson
KPFK Local Station Board Vice Chair
5
Mimi Rosenberg
Mimi Rosenberg
Host, Building Bridges, WBAI
5
Tracy Rosenberg
Tracy Rosenberg
Pacifica in Exile, ED of Media Alliance
5

Petition Endorsers and a ‘NO’ position on the New Day Bylaws:

King Downing
King Downing
Bonnie Faulkner
Bonnie Faulkner
Pete Farruggio, PhD
Pete Farruggio, PhD
Johanna Fernandez
Johanna Fernandez
Anthony Fest
Anthony Fest
Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Heather Gray
Heather Gray
DeeDee Halleck
DeeDee Halleck
Chandra Hauptman
Chandra Hauptman
Julie Hewitt
Julie Hewitt

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