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Elections: How the WBAI Local Advisory Board really feels? 7-24-01 |
wbai.net editor's note: WBAI Local Advisory Board member Lee Kronick's recent post on the goodlight board is valuable. It is open communication from the LAB that presents an apparently prevailing viewpoint that is against elections of the WBAI LAB. I feel that Lee's view is fairly unenlightened but am extremely grateful that he posted it so that dialogue can begin as it does below. Please read all the way down the page. Roger M. wbai.net Selected excerpts from the discussion board at: www.goodlight.net/wbai --------------------------------------------------------
Lee Kronick
I have been a member of the LAB for a one and a half years. If you haven't met me, I'm white, a
former small business owner in a blue-collar section of Queens, I've lived in Far Rockaway, Queens
most of my life, and I've been a steady WBAI listener since 1995.
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Steffie
Response to/Questions for Lee
Lee, you wrote:
What I have been saying is that it is not necessary to have democratic approval of the content of the
programming on WBAI.
You say: We must start with a commitment to the agenda of Lew Hill, ie: that the station must represent the voice of the voiceless. The "voiceless" may not even be listeners, but it is their "cause" that the station must defend.
I say, listeners are voiceless at the moment. We have no access to the air, no process to register our
likes, dislikes, needs, ideas about the "cause" that we also support.
I say, the "ownership" of the Pacifica Foundation is up for grabs at the moment. The Spooner lawsuit
seeks to empower listeners. This crisis will not be resolved without the listeners stepping into a
governance position re Pacifica Foundation. How else, besides democratic elections to local station
boards, would you suggest that listeners gain influence in the future Pacifica.
I say, do you mean that other listeners don't have political acumen? That only the current LAB has
good judgment about whom to place on the LAB? Self-selecting structures may have very good
intentions but, in my experience, always fall victim to an insider, self-protective mentality.
I say, let all LAB nominees be interviewed on the air and fill out applications on the internet for all to
see.
I say, the listeners have been awakened from a deep sleep re WBAI and Pacifica and now WANT to
protect this station, this network, and the mission.
I say, are you implying some evil intent here? If so, please spell it out. The interest in elections on my part grows out of my recent education about the history of Pacifica, about the PNB hijacking of Pacifica, and about the various strategies to safeguard the Pacifica mission today. Thank you for initiating a discussion with posters here on LAB elections.
Respectfully,
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Lee
Re: Response to/Questions for Lee
I say, noone I know in favor of elections wants an elected LAB to micromanage programming but only to have ULTIMATE authority. If there had been an empowered LAB, Utrice would not have been able to decimate progressive programming on WBAI over the past 7 months.
(I'll respond in CAPS, Steffie)
I'M SORRY I DUMPED THIS PARTICULAR POST ON YOU WITH NO PREFACE. THIS WAS THE END OF A
THREE PART CONVERSATION BETWEEN ANITA AND I.
You say: We must start with a commitment to the agenda of Lew Hill, ie: that the station must represent the voice of the voiceless. The "voiceless" may not even be listeners, but it is their "cause" that the station must defend. I say, listeners are voiceless at the moment. We have no access to the air, no process to register our likes, dislikes, needs, ideas about the "cause" that we also support.
YOU HAVE A PHONE. YOU CAN STATE YOUR CASE...BUT, YOU'VE GOT TO BE PREPARED TO BE HUNG
UP ON.
You say: With the LAB having no more influence or authority than the present by-laws permit, this whole "obsessive drive" for democratization of the LAB is a terrible waste of activist energy. I say, the "ownership" of the Pacifica Foundation is up for grabs at the moment. The Spooner lawsuit seeks to empower listeners. This crisis will not be resolved without the listeners stepping into a governance position re Pacifica Foundation. How else, besides democratic elections to local station boards, would you suggest that listeners gain influence in the future Pacifica. ALL I KEEP HEARING IS "THE LISTENERS." YOU SAID "THIS CRISIS WILL NOT BE RESOLVED WITHOUT THE LISTENERS STEPPING IN..." WHO ARE THE LISTENERS? IS THE HISPANIC FAMILY WHO LIVE IN A TWO ROOM BASEMENT APARTMENT IN WILLIAMSBURG TO BE CONSIDERED LISTENERS...THEY LISTEN TO GONSALVO ON "LA NUEVA ALTERNATIVA" EVERY TUESDAY MORNING. IS ANYONE GOING TO ASK THEM ABOUT GOVERNANCE? I BELIEVE THAT WBAI HAS ALWAYS OPERATED AS A BENEVOLENT DICTAORSHIP, EFFECTIVELY AND WITH SENSITIVITY TO ITS LISTENERS. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
orlando
Section 2B: Voting members of the Election Committee shall neither stand for election to the Board nor publicly endorse, either as individuals or as an entity, any candidate seeking election to the Board from the start of the Nomination Period to the close of the Election Period in a given election cycle. certainly power mad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lee
the same stuff
To J. Anon.
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Patty
I am offended to be called part of a "lily white" group by another "lily white" person. what are you trying to say? that you are more "black" than me? What the heck are you talking about Lee? Does that kind of statement put you "one up"? We have lost the Pacifica Network through self appointed, self perpetuating, self electing boards, locally and nationally and you are going to tell me that you guys have it all down because of the color of peoples' skin? It will take more than that to save the network. It will take people that understand what has been wrong, not defending what has happened. Those people come in all colors and if people would outreach to these principled people of all colors and kinds of "minorities" we could have a very cool elected board. It is up to everyone to do their part. The listeners will not be locked out again by all your good intentions. I am pretty angry now and to hear you talk like this. It is laughable because I remember you before you were a board member. You had complaints too. You were a lowly listener hanging around the station helping out. Measly power corrupts immediately. The problems with race are much too important to be thrown around like so many of the Pacificans do. That has been the culture of the network to get ahead. What has happened to values? To Lew Hills mission? It has been left to unprincipled people no matter what their color. All self appointed self perpetuating, self electing people. The people you mention to be the people you admire were silent for years and we are here now. You can't count on the government for much and I am not going to trust people who tell me they are going do what is best for me. I wouldn't trust the unelected WTO to pick my leaders and how this country should be run and I am shocked that you think it is cool for someone to tell you who will spend your taxes and how. This of course being an analogy for elections of the LAB and Donations to Pacifica. What have people learned from listening to WBAI? Nothing? sheesh. The listeners turn has come to have a say and I hope you see the light and get on the wagon before it leaves town. The listeners have given everything they have been asked for, money, time, arrests, and you are still going to tell them thanks for all your help but we know best? Get on the wagon Lee because it is going to leave without you.
Patty (speaking for herself)
lead yourselves. Don't be sheep. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
orlando
a record I think! Lee I'm really glad you have such warm relations with all the really big names at BAI. Me I'm a 25 year listener/sponser from multiple signal areas...including places wihtout Pacifica...I've heard the good the bad and the ugly. I think the changes made throughout the history of the network towards inclusion, diversity and representation is and always was a worthy worthy cause. I stopped sending money when it became clear to me that those on the inside of the network carried a great deal of hubris about thier ability and or success carrying out the mission. Recently I've heard a great deal of racist SHIT - coming from my radio, and I refuse to accept it any longer. I've seen two stations turned into easy listening jazz and very tired mainstream country music - Pacifica stations!!!! I've watched Pacifica slowly declawed. Who exactly slapped Amy Goodmans' hand and took away her press credentials after the convention?! Please. And about these disabled lab members? Care to eleborate your success at giving voice to this subset of the voiceless? I want to be open to LAB and staff members persepctives on this because I have respected and learned from so many Pacifica contributors. I'm going to have to try really really hard now - to stay open. It dismays me that you express so much contempt for the folks that tune in everyday. And you've done a great job of making me feel all the more clear. The LABS should be democratized. Are you actually Lee or someone that wants to make him and perhaps the LAB sound obnoxious, disdainful and terribly out of touch? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul
It is very hard on one hand to argue AGAINST the self selecting nature of the Pacifica National Board and yet argue FOR the self-selecting nature of the Local Advisory Boards. And it doesn't take a Utrice Leid to point out this fact for us. Part of the problem in this crisis is that the listeners still don't know what the issues are. I'm sure most don't even know what the LAB is, who's on it or what function it serves. That was the reason for all of those "teach-ins" in January and Febuary, to educate the listeners in what was happening but it was IN REACTION to events that occured in December. But how many folks were reached? Of course this is all in hindsight but imagine if there were an elected LAB. Do you think Utrice Leid would have kicked out an elected LAB that had the support of the people rather than a self-selecting one? And wouldn't those voters (who would for the most part be subscribers) also be aware of the issues at the local and national levels? If we made elections the issue in this struggle, wouldn't the listeners respond favorably? Since the PNB is for self-selection of the Board, wouldn't they resist elections and give us the moral advantage over them? Perhaps elections isn't what Lew Hill envisioned for Pacifica but Lew Hill isn't here. The listeners are going to have to save the station and they need to have a stake in it. And obviously, since they are listening to WBAI, the message Lew Hill had resonates with them also. Thank you Mr. Kronick for appearing on this board to argue and consider this very important issue. Paul |
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