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Write to California's Attorney General to Stop Pacifica's Move Out-of-State (February 8, 2001) Pacifica is planning to move its finance office to Washington, DC and this must be stopped! It's urgent that we all contact California Attorney General Bill Lockyer and tell him to seize the books of the Pacifica Foundation immedately before important evidence is "lost" in the move. One of the major aspects of the takeover of Pacifica has been financial secrecy. In June 1999, the Finance Committee of the Pacifica Board voted, contrary to law, to close all of its future meetings to the public. Minutes of that meeting, which we were able to obtain can be read at <http://www.radio4all.org/fp/fmfc695.txt> In February of 1999, Larry Bensky made a presentation at a Pacifica Board meeting in Berkeley, CA that demonstrated that though Pacifica was taking increased revenues from the stations, and that means the money that "you" donated, it was not being spent to develop national programming, as was claimed. Where did the money go, and where is it going now? The text of his remarks and accompanying charts are at <http://www.radio4all.org/fp/bensky_proposal.htm> Pacifica National has taken over the books of all the stations, placing all funds under the direct control of the finance office which until two weeks ago was headed by Pacifica Controller Sandra Rosas. By an interesting coincidence, Ms. Rosas was terminated just as our lawsuits are in the process of arranging to take her deposition, and financial records are being subpoenaed by our lawyers. Sources inside Pacifica say that Rosas was asked to name her own severance arrangements. Can you say "bought off?" One thing is clear. Pacifica National has taken a lot of trouble to keep its finances secret. What are they hiding? The by-laws proposal submitted by John Murdock of Epstein, Becker and Green begins with a provision that would change Pacifica's "principal" office to Washington, DC. Many see this as an effort to evade California law, and to evade the legal power of the California Attorney General stop Pacifica's misuse of donor funds. The Pacifica Foundation is chartered in the state of California as a public benefit non-profit corporation. That is why the Attorney General and the state legislature took a very real interest in the struggle following the crackdown at KPFA in 1999. The Joint Legislative Audit Committee held a hearing and later issued a report detailing extensive malfeasance on the part of Pacifica management. The AG reviewed the Listeners' Lawsuit (aka the Spooner Lawsuit) and granted his permission to proceed (a legally required step). Mr. Lockyer needs to hear from us now, especially from Californians, that he must seize Pacifica's books before important evidence disappears, evidence that might even document actual criminal wrongdoing! It must not be "lost" before these issues can go to trial. Please call his office in Sacramento today: (800) 952-5225(within California only); or: (916) 445-9555 (out-of-state), and ask him to take emergency action to seize the books of the Pacifica Foundation now, as he is entitled by law to do. It is very, very important! Lyn _______________________________________________________
Hi Folks, HERE'S THE CORRECT PROCEDURE!! PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY - WE NEED THOUSANDS OF E-MAILS, FAXES AND LETTERS! I got through to the AG's office to clarify what exactly we need to do to make this complaint effective. They knew exactly what I was calling about, as they've heard from quite a few folks already:) The staff member said, the more numbers "the higher profile" the complaint, so please, please it's important that everyone participate! THEY WANT THE COMPLAINT IN WRITING and there are several ways to do this: It can be done online at this form: http://caag.state.ca.us/piu/mailform.htm Or you can FAX: 916-323-5341 or you can send hard copy:
One of things that you must include in your complaint is the ADDRESS OF PACIFICA The address you need to provide is for the Pacifica Foundation Financial Office, which is an official address used in tax filings and so on: Pacifica Foundation In the area where you write out the nature of the complaint, some significant points to make are: ++that Pacifica Foundation is a public benefit non-profit chartered in California. ++that litigation is in process, of which the AG is aware, regarding financial malfeasance and violations of Pacifica's charter by the governing body of Pacifica, ++that Pacifica's directors, the defendants, are attempting to remove Pacifica's financial records out of the state, ++that you want him to seize the records immediately so that important evidence does not disappear. ================================================ http://www.radio4all.org Public PGP Block: http://www.radio4all.org/pgp/ - |
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Although the recent alarm proved to be false, nonetheless while this criminal Pacifica Board remains in place, the risk of the sale of either KPFA or WBAI remains. We have created an on-line petition to the FCC, which will automatically be sent to all 5 FCC commissioners. Let's try and get 20,000 or so signatures right quick. Go to http://www.radio4all.org/freepacifica and click on the bright yellow banner that says *It's Not For Sale!!!* Tell your friends, build links from your sites. I think this is especially important as Bill Kennard, the chairman, is very concerned about the lack of media ownership opportunities by people of color. He needs to know that there is a determined constituency here. If the FCC hated the pickets by micro radio broadcasters, they sure won't like thousands of KPFA and WBAI supporters chaining themselves to the doors! Better to warn them in advance, right? In this game, big numbers count! Lyn [Print a hardcopy of this petition.] |
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URGENT ! Contact Burton and Villaraigosa We have an urgent problem that needs to be addressed RIGHT NOW! Thanks to the KPFA Morning Show Sacramento reporter, we have some new insights into -- the hearing in Oakland. My understanding is that Scott Wildman and the other assembly members who were at the hearing would like to subpoena Pacifica and their records. This requires the go ahead from Burton and Villaraigosa, the top dogs of the legislature. The story is that the committee has written a letter to Pacifica telling them that if they don't supply the audit committee with the requested information that the committee will issue subpoenas. Further, the official stance is that the Legislature is reluctant to use the subpoena power unless it is a last resort. My take regarding what is really going on is that the top California Democratic Party members like Burton and Villaraigosa are very aware of Mary Berry's connections in Washington D.C. They know she is tight with the White House and the Justice Department. This makes this a Democrat vs. Democrat situation. I think the Democratic Party knows they are in trouble. I think they are losing members and are threatened by third party growth. I think they have abandoned their traditional support base and are afraid to do anything to further embarrass themselves. What this comes back to is the need to mobilize a huge number of requests to issue subpoenas. We need to overcome the political pressure from above with grass roots pressure from below. Burton and Villaraigosa are the specific legislators who can give the go ahead for subpoenas. They are the ones we need to contact immediately. I believe the Legislature goes on break on Sept. 10. If Pacifica can stonewall the Legislature until then. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN UNTIL AFTER 2000! This leaves us less than TWO WEEKS for subpoenas to be issued and testimony to be taken. Needless to say Pacifica can do a tremendous amount of damage before the legislature goes back into session. Hurry, Please contact: Capitol Office: Senator John Burton: District Offices: 3501 Civic Center Room 425 |
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Campaign To Thank Legislators and Urge Them to Subpoena Pacifica's Financial Records Please contact the legislators below, especially if you live in their districts (but even if you don't...) and thank them for holding this hearing! Also, please urge them to subpoena all relevant financial documents so that Pacifica doesn't hide behind vague total figures and old tax returns! We need to know how much of our money is being spent on expensive security guards, high priced lawyers and PR consultants! The Legislature will not be in session next week and drafting subpoenas takes some time, so we need to contact these officials ASAP.
Joint Legislative Audit Committee Members *Senator Richard Alarcon-Vice Chair Senator Ray Haynes Senator Bill Morrow *Senator Kevin Murray Senator Steve Peace Senator Charles Poochigian *Senator Jackie Spieier **Assemblymember Scott Wildman-Committee
Chair Assemblymember Susan Davis Assemblymember Dave Cox Assemblymember Dean Florez Assemblymember Lynne Leach Assemblymember Tom Torlakson Assemblymember Hannah Beth Jackson |
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National Day of Action for Community Radio at the Pacifica Stations There will be events in Berkeley, New York, Washington DC, Houston and Los Angeles. And there will be a demonstration at the KPFK building (3729 Cahuenga Blvd. West, North Hollywood) from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. We are in solidarity with our friends in Northern California who are trying to save KPFA, and opposed to the vigorously enforced gag rule at KPFK. We will be demonstrating for:
National Day of Action, Press Release (8/16) PACIFICA ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE ("PAC") August 16, 1999 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PACIFICA IN CRISIS -- IT'S NOT OVER KPFK SUPPORTERS JOIN NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION When: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 @ 4:00-7:00
p.m. A "GAG RULE" has kept KPFK listeners in the dark about the crisis at Pacifica. When the Gag Rule was finally broken in Berkeley, close to 100 people were arrested, and 15,000 protestors marched in the streets. In keeping with its deceptive rhetoric, KPFK reported "over 1,000." THIS IS WHAT BERKELEY KNOWS WHICH KPFK KEEPS HIDDEN FROM ITS LISTENERS:
Members of the KPFK community support the Berkeley staff who were removed from their station by armed guards. KPFK listener-sponsors call for the full and open discussion of these matters on the air with relevant, dissident voices. PAC is a group of KPFK subscribers and volunteers who came together in January, 1995. We advocate for openness, accountability, and democratic governance at KPFK and Pacifica.
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August 5, 1999 Pacifica Accountability Committee: Demands Pacifica National Board Resignations By a nearly unanimous vote, the Pacifica Accountability Committee (PAC) today demanded the resignation of Pacifica's Board Chair Mary Frances Berry and the resignations of the full membership of the Pacifica Board of Directors. The listener group also called for the resignations of Pacifica CEO Lynn Chadwick and all other Pacifica executive officers. PAC also demanded that the KPFK Advisory Board join in the call for these resignations. PAC also voted, by the same margin, to demand that elections be held for the KPFK Advisory Board and that a timetable be established under which the KPFK Advisory Board be elected by the listener-sponsors. These demands will be presented to the KPFK Advisory Board at their meeting on Saturday, August 7, 11:00 AM. The meeting will be held at the Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave, Culver City. PAC will hold a demonstration at KPFK, 3720 Cahuenga Blvd. West, North Hollywood, on Monday, August 9, from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. The demonstration will be In support of the community at Pacifica station KPFA (94.1 FM, Berkeley), whose station was taken off the air for over two weeks by Pacifica. We also condemn the Pacifica gag rule, rigidly enforced at KPFK, which prevents the honest reporting of what Pacifica management determines to be "internal matters." PAC is a group of listener-sponsors and volunteers at non-commercial radio Station KPFK (90.7 FM, Los Angeles) which was formed in 1995 to work for accountability and openness at KPFK and the Pacifica Foundation. We see these values as essential to the good health (by any definition of that term) of any nonprofit, community-based institution. We support community radio at Pacifica. Pacifica Accountability Committee |
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Please write letters to the editor!
San Francisco Chronicle (chronletters@sfgate.com), Oakland Tribune (pstinnett@angnewspapers.com), LA Weekly (hblume@laweekly.com). Although KPFA is back on the air without the gag rule, the battle continues. The Pacifica executive committee members and the national board who created the crisis at KPFA are still in office and we have yet to receive a written statement guaranteeing no sale of the station. Additionally, Lynn Chadwick and Mary Frances Berry are doing more press interviews and trying to discredit KPFA supporters and downplay the fundamental issues that are still unresolved. Therefore, we must maintain the public's attention on our concerns and tirelessly write letters to the editor and op-eds to local and national newspapers. We suggest the following talking points: 1) Resignation of Pacifica's Executive
Director and the other board members who led us into this crisis,
particularly Mary Frances Berry, Lynn Chadwick, June Makela,
David Acosta, and Michael Palmer. |