Main MenuPacifica Websites |
Elections Mainpage
 Questionnaire Replies KPFA Listener Candidates Question Three 
Question Three: What can be done to improve the dynamics and effectiveness of the Local Station Board?You can find all of the listener candidate's answers to Question Three on this page.
KPFA Listener-Sponsor candidatesCarl Bryantno answer submitted
Steven ConleyA board is more a collection of personalities so members must come to a board with a willingness to get along and a sincerity and willingness to work towards solutions not just to win.
Bob EnglishPeople have to stand up for basic principles of democratic process, transparency and accountability and make this primary over group loyalty.
Dianne EnriquezThe key to most successful collaborations is communication! I think it is imperative that members of the board be present with a willingness to think collaboratively, share a cooperative spirit and forget their own agendas for the greater good of the station and always maintain open lines of communication. Without communication there is no collective action.
Sherry GendelmanI believe an orientation process which addresses the role of the LSB, along with a Board retreat, facilitated by a skilled, and political, individual, might help alleviate some of the dysfunction and acrimony.
Mathew Hallinanno answer submitted
Chandra HauptmanGet board members to put aside political differences and work together to get our bylaws-mandated work completed in a timely manner. Board training in Robert’s Rules of Order (ROR). Familiarity with Pacifica Bylaws. Get board member agreements not to abuse ROR. Respect for each other when talking and not interrupting.
David HellerThe first thing we need to do as listeners is to elect people to the board who are committed to the democratic process, listener input and management accountability. By electing people to the board who are discussing how to dismantle the LSB creates a situation where no progress can be made because some people are committed to obfuscation, delay, filibustering, autocratic rule of the station with no listener participation. (See: http://www.peoplesradio.net/Dismantle.htm and http://wwwpeoplesradio.net/antidemocratic.htm) They seem to think that elections and the LSB are just a nuisance and waste of revenue that only serves a small clique of grey haired activists. These are the same people who are doing everything they can to impede the listeners from knowing whom the candidates are for the LSB.
Warren MarThe station board cannot become a debate society for small groups with no base in the surrounding communities. Many groups in the late 60’s and early 70’s imploded because they thought there was only one line to our struggle against Imperialism and Capitalism. We can disagree and struggle but we should avoid sectarianism and keep our eyes on what is happening in this country and what is happening to the oppressed communities: African Americans, immigrants and the working class. While we argue, young people in East Oakland shoot each other, more Iraqis are murdered by the U.S. armed forces and immigrants die marching across our southern deserts.
Susan McDonoughKPFA is a vehicle for many, not just a few, listeners to utilize. As an organizer, I think we need to spend more time looking outward and tackling ways to reach more potential listeners, not having debates among the few.
Antonio MedranoMore outreach to the immigrant communities especially in these time of ICE RAIDS and violation of human/civil rights.
Attila NagyWe're still in the incubation period of the democratic governance process that began after the 1999 lockout. Ideological differences divide the LSB. Most Listener Reps want accountability and transparency in management of KPFA and Pacifica, to avoid what occurred with the previous self appointed National Board. As LSB members we must focus on our responsibility to the Mission, and maintain a financially sound and viable public radio to serve the listener/supporters not career employees of the station.
Richard PhelpsWe need to elect people that are dedicated to our Mission, and democratic process, transparency and accountability. KPFA/Pacifica are a “Commons”, and belong to all of us and no time slot belongs to any individual. The group that is currently in control of the LSB, by a slim majority, Concerned Listeners, are united with a small group of staff and management that is willing to “dismantle the LSB” if they can’t control it. Their desire to run the station by patronage and cronyism without listener input is the fundamental cause of the problems on the LSB. When you have differences over principles (democratic process, transparency and accountability) as opposed to decisions on tactics within those principles, it is very hard to consistently work together since there is often no middle ground. Where is the middle ground between patronage and cronyism decision making, done under the radar, and a transparent democratic process where t he elected officials and management are accountable to our subscribers? A clear example is the struggle for women’s right to vote last century. There was no middle ground; you are either for it or against it. Power that isn’t based on progressive principles has no redeeming social value, only value for the small group that took the power.
Mara RiveraElect LSB reps who support democratic decision making and our bylaws, The problem now is that a small faction which believes that the staff alone should run the station has a slim majority on the LSB and tries to block effective governance by the LSB, denying its role in overseeing programming and policy making, and that of the program council and other representative bodies.
Paul RobinsThe Board’s work should focus on strengthening the finances and the reach of the Station. Additionally the Board should guide the Station generally along the path of the mission of Pacifica. Board members should use this yardstick in determining how board meetings are conducted and stay away from personal infighting.
CC Campbell RockThe creation of a community task force or community committee can provide a wonderful opportunity for community members to provide programming suggestions, news tips, and a framework for answering community concerns about what our subscribers want to hear on air.
Tracy RosenbergThe board needs to rely less on parliamentary style tactics and more on dialogue. Robert’s Rules won’t help you if people are striving to score points rather than solve problems. And they’re no substitute for dealing with people in good faith. I think the board would benefit from the election of more independent candidates. No ones vote should be 100% predictable in advance 100% of the time. And that’s what happens when everyone is staked out on opposite sides of the table.
Gerald SandersThe main thing that can be done to improve the functioning of the LSB is the subscribers electing people that represent their best interests. We need to elect people that are dedicated to our Mission, and democratic process, transparency and accountability. KPFA/Pacifica are a “Commons”, and belong to all of us and no time slot belongs to any individual. The group that is currently in control of the LSB, by a slim majority, Concerned Listeners, are united with a small group of staff and management that is willing to “dismantle the LSB” if they can’t control it. Their desire to run the station by patronage and cronyism without listener input is the fundamental cause of the problems on the LSB. When you have differences over principles (democratic process, transparency and accountability) as opposed to decisions on tactics within those principles, it is very hard to consistently work together since there is often no middle ground. Wher e is the middle ground between patronage and cronyism decision making, done under the radar, and a transparent democratic process where the elected officials and management are accountable to our subscribers? A clear example is the struggle for women’s right to vote last century. There was no middle ground; you are either for it or against it. Power that isn’t based on progressive principles has no redeeming social value, only value for the small group that took the power.
Sureya SayadiI think the board needs to first of all carry out it’s bylaws which require it to have regularcommunity meetings at least every 6 months. I also believe that it needs forums on various issues such as how to use new technology, how the KFPA community sees KPFA and Pacifica challenging corporate media monopoly control. I also think that the local board has failed to answer the emailed and mailed questioners from listeners and members. There also needs to be a mailed survey to all members about what they want to see at KFPA and Pacifica and how this could be brought about. This could also be posted on the KPFA website. We need to have more interactive communication. The board needs to be able to answer questions of the listeners who come to the board meetings to make public comment if they wish to. At present board members are prevented from answering questions during the public comment period. The board also needs to make sure that management provides equal treatment for the staff including the unpaid staff who do most of the work. At present the KPFA management has derecognized the Unpaid Staff Organization UPSO and tried to prevent them from holding meetings and elections. This is unacceptable for KFPA and Pacifica.
John Van Eyckno answer submitted
Joe WanzalaDynamics: There is not enough consensus based dialogue on the board. Instead, the various tendencies on the board rely too heavily on parliamentary procedure to outmaneuver one another and the board meetings tend to be fairly dreary parliamentary wrestling matches that are very constrained and bereft of meaningful exchanges between board members. I would recommend that the board utilize a more relaxed version of Roberts Rules of Order to allow the board meetings to become a space for considered decision making based on open dialogue. Effectiveness: As I have mentioned above there is still a disconnect between internal station operation and listener democracy; the station board is supposed to serve as a conduit between these two arenas. In order for this to happen it is imperative that both the Local Station Board as a whole and station management and staff cultivate and maintain a positive relationship and that lines of communication remain open – The effectiveness of the board is directly related to how well this relationship works because the board is only as effective as this relationship allows it to be. The board's specifically mandated powers and authority under the bylaws are limited to hiring and evaluating the performance of the Station Manager and approving the station budget. Beyond that, the board can only make policy recommendations that the station management has the discretion to implement or not. The wisdom, or lack thereof, of the choices made by management in terms of whether or not to implement the board's policy recommendations are judged by the board during its review of the manager's performance. If the board and management cannot develop a mutually respectful relationship, a dynamic is created where the management ignores the board and the board is limited to taking stock of the manager's performance at evaluation time.
Jim WeberThe democracy demonstrated by the LSB during 2007, is exactly what is needed to make the LSB an effective process that I would actively support and strengthen.
Stan WoodsIf everyone on the LSB would accept the democratic process and refrain from impeding that process that would help tremendously. But the sad reality is that there is a determined faction on the board , closely allied with the Station’s management , that seem to be on the board in order to undermine our ability to govern. One candidate running on the ‘’ Concerned Listeners’’ slate actually once publicly stated that she felt that only a quarter of the board should even be elected, with the rest selected (unclear by whom ) from a pool of local prominent progressives. So nothing can really substitute for electing a strong pro-democratic majority on the board.
Steve ZeltzerI think the board needs to first of all carry out it’s bylaws which require it to have regular community meetings at least every 6 months. I also believe that it needs forums on various issues such as how to use new technology, how the KFPA community sees KPFA and Pacifica challenging corporate media monopoly control. I also think that the local board has failed to answer the emailed and mailed questioners from listeners and members. There also needs to be a mailed survey to all members about what they want to see at KFPA and Pacifica and how this could be brought about. This could also be posted on the KPFA website. We need to have more interactive communication. The board needs to be able to answer questions of the listeners who come to the board meetings to make public comment if they wish to. At present board members are prevented from answering questions during the public comment period. The board also needs to make sure that management provides equal treatment for the staff including the unpaid staff who do most of the work. At present the KPFA management has derecognized the Unpaid Staff Organization UPSO and tried to prevent them from holding meetings and elections. This is unacceptable for KFPA and Pacifica. Trackback(0)
Comments (0)
 Write comment
You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
Login FormKPFA Listener Replies
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form