call for meeting of the PNB Elections Committee
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Carolyn Birden
Nov 15, 2007, 8:28:22 PM11/15/07
to pac_ele...@yahoogroups.com, pnb_el...@googlegroups.com, wbaiel...@yahoogroups.com
The call for a special meeting of the PNB Elections Committee is
probably warranted for several reasons: the EC has little
authority other than advisory, but hopefully the coming together of
members from every station to address irregularities in the present
elections process will result in some sunshine on various problems.
Here are the issues that I would like the EC to address:
- The copy of the post (copied below) indicates one problem: Siegel violated the agreement he and Casey had made with Spooner not to release ballots until the ACE mailing was ready. This had several results, but more importantly raises implications about the process: who is in charge, and to what purpose may an ED (or in this case an IED also functioning as Corporation Counsel) interfere in the authority of the National Elections Supervisor?
- Also as of yesterday we have approximately 20% of the staff at WBAI not having received their ballots - and only two or three of them (of about 30 people reporting) are JUC, the rest neutral or opposed to the JUC people. The staff list at WBAI has always been subject to question, and these results while suspicious are not unexpected. What process can be put into place to uncover tampering with the list and preclude its occurrence in future?
- The number of non-JUC listener-members who have reported no ballots is also highly skewed and suspicious. Can we develop a database of those who did not receive ballots (in every station) and determine to what extent this is accidental and if there are any patterns involved?
- Mitchel Cohen, LSB member, reports a note from Dale reporting that replacement ballots only went out last Saturday or so, despite their having been requested 10 days or so ago. The delay is going to disenfranchise a significant number of people both listeners and staff; the possibility of such unfairness has been cited as a reason for extending the ballot return period, but was this extension necessary, or was the delay in mailing replacement ballots evidence of incompetence, or worse?
- The LES Dale Ratner has issued a ruling that Friday midnight is the cutoff date for people to return ballots to WBAI in person, as mailed ballots are going to be picked up on Saturday morning and taken to the counting location which is not at the station. He has stated that people walking in ballots on SAturday 11/17 will not be able to have their ballots counted. However, a cart being aired today, on 11/15, declares that today (no time mentioned) is the last date to return ballots. Further, at least one producer had put out a call for people to walk their ballots in on 11/17 at the station: this is another group of voters who will be disenfranchised due to contradictory and conflicting announcements and changes of dates. Who is responsible for this irresponsible conclusion?
- A "draft" and "unofficial" extension of the WBAI ballot return period, to 11/23, was issued this morning shortly after 8:00 AM, to candidates and some members, but the cart announcing 11/15 as the "final" date for returning ballots was still being played on the air as late as 5:00 pm. No final message from NES Casey Peters, as promised, has yet been issued.
- Meanwhile we have complaints against a candidate that have been ignored by the local and national supervisors: Cerene Roberts, a "staff" candidate whose credentials as a staff member have never been made public, has assaulted another LSB member, Andrea Fishman: this is the third time she has struck another board member. Andrea Fishman reported this almost immediately to the Local Elections Supervisor, but no sanctions against Ms Roberts have been issued despite the clear and explicit Fair Campaign rule proscribing violence by any candidate against any other member. Nor has the NES or the LES responded with any factual information to my requests for validation of Ms Roberts' supposed service as a staff member, which evidently is nonexistent. She should have been disqualified on these above two counts, but the NES and the LES are silent on these issues. If the Fair Campaign rules in fact are operative, Ms Roberts is no longer a candidate. If they are not, Albert Solomon is a candidate and deserves a halt to the elections process so his statement and his name can be restored to a re-issued campaign booklet and ballots. The question of staff credentials, the failure of management at most stations to validate employees who claim such credentials, and the outright falsification of credentials in order to obtain ballots or status must be addressed by the PNB, since the elections supervisors seem to be turning a blind eye to their responsibility in this regard.
- While the Elections Supervisor reports to the IED and not to the PNB, the IED certainly has some responsibility here for the problems that have arisen at wBAI (and perhaps elsewhere), and I would like to ask that the EC address these issues at a special meeting called before the counting at WBAI. I believe we need to give some direction to the PNB as to how to address these violations of the Bylaws, the Fair Campaign protocols, and the underlying problems giving rise to these local issues.
Perhaps you, members elected by your local station boards to the
PNB Elections Committee, have issues that have arisen in your own
stations that can be addressed at the same time as the ones above: I
wonder if WBAI's problems are unique, and for your sakes I hope
so, but suspect that the underlying issues are the relationships
written and unspoken between the ED, the NES, and the politics as well
as the powers of both, which are of general concern or should
be.
My question then is whether you think the above issues merit an
emergency meeting of the EC (to address the issues of immediate
concern at WBAI) and if so, when such a meeting should take
place.
I look forward to your reply: please call if it is easier
to discuss this on the phone.
Carolyn
Re: and what's more
-
Posted By: Mitchel Cohen <Send E-Mail> (4.236.201.15)
Date: Tuesday, 13 November 2007, at 4:41 p.m.
In Response To: and what's more - (Jamie Ross)
This is the most interesting. It indicates that your name was scrubbed from the list before being sent to the mailing house.
We also need to unscramble Dan Siegel's relationship to this particular mailing house. Did he have personal access? (It appears that he personally directed them to mail out ballots, over Casey's decision not to do so yet. See this note, from Casey:
From: "Casey Peters"
To:
Subject: Re: When were ballots mailed?
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:05:41 -0700
Hi Mitchell.
If the ballots were mailed when we spoke, it was without my knowledge or permission.
I have heard some other reports along this line, and we are looking into it.
-- Casey
<-----Original Message----->
>From: Mitchel Cohen [mitche...@mindspring.com]
>Sent: 10/25/2007 4:38:22 PM
>To: paci...@mail2casey.com
>Subject: Re: When were ballots mailed?
>
>Hi Casey,
>
>As a few folks in Manhattan began receiving their ballots already
>today (Thursday), I am curious as to when, exactly, the ballots were
>mailed out.
>
Posted By: Mitchel Cohen <Send E-Mail> (4.236.201.15)
Date: Tuesday, 13 November 2007, at 4:41 p.m.
In Response To: and what's more - (Jamie Ross)
This is the most interesting. It indicates that your name was scrubbed from the list before being sent to the mailing house.
We also need to unscramble Dan Siegel's relationship to this particular mailing house. Did he have personal access? (It appears that he personally directed them to mail out ballots, over Casey's decision not to do so yet. See this note, from Casey:
From: "Casey Peters"
To:
Subject: Re: When were ballots mailed?
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:05:41 -0700
Hi Mitchell.
If the ballots were mailed when we spoke, it was without my knowledge or permission.
I have heard some other reports along this line, and we are looking into it.
-- Casey
<-----Original Message----->
>From: Mitchel Cohen [mitche...@mindspring.com]
>Sent: 10/25/2007 4:38:22 PM
>To: paci...@mail2casey.com
>Subject: Re: When were ballots mailed?
>
>Hi Casey,
>
>As a few folks in Manhattan began receiving their ballots already
>today (Thursday), I am curious as to when, exactly, the ballots were
>mailed out.
>
>Were they in the mail already while we were speaking on the phone
on
>Wednesday afternoon, discussing options for what to do about WBAI's booklet?
>
>Please let me know.
>
>Thanx.
>
>Mitchel
>Wednesday afternoon, discussing options for what to do about WBAI's booklet?
>
>Please let me know.
>
>Thanx.
>
>Mitchel
=============
November 8, 2007
Mr. Robert Scott Adams
Interim General Manager
WBAI Radio
120 Wall Street
New York, New York 10005
Dear Mr. Adams:
This is to inform you of an incident of violence at
WBAI, for which I have filed a police report and
requested an order of protection from Cerene Roberts.
At 12:30 am, October 31, I arrived in the tallyroom at
WBAI to answer telephones for overnight pledges in the
station's fundraising marathon. Present in the
tallyroom were Gerald Adams (the tally coordinator)
and Cerene Roberts, who was on a cellphone headset
and working at a laptop.
The radio monitor was not on, and therefore I could
not
hear the program, necessary in order for me to respond
to the callers making pledges. I turned the monitor
on.
Cerene demanded that the monitor be turned off and
told me to leave the room and listen to it outside
because she was on the telephone.
When I turned it on, she approached me at the monitor
and shoved me in my face with the flat of her hand,
pressing it against my mouth, nose, eyes, and
forehead.
There was one witness, Gerald Adams, the tally
coordinator. I related the incident in the presence
of Gerald Adams to Bill Weinberg, a co-producer of
"Moorish Orthodox Radio Crusade", who came back
Mr. Robert Scott Adams
Interim General Manager
WBAI Radio
120 Wall Street
New York, New York 10005
Dear Mr. Adams:
This is to inform you of an incident of violence at
WBAI, for which I have filed a police report and
requested an order of protection from Cerene Roberts.
At 12:30 am, October 31, I arrived in the tallyroom at
WBAI to answer telephones for overnight pledges in the
station's fundraising marathon. Present in the
tallyroom were Gerald Adams (the tally coordinator)
and Cerene Roberts, who was on a cellphone headset
and working at a laptop.
The radio monitor was not on, and therefore I could
not
hear the program, necessary in order for me to respond
to the callers making pledges. I turned the monitor
on.
Cerene demanded that the monitor be turned off and
told me to leave the room and listen to it outside
because she was on the telephone.
When I turned it on, she approached me at the monitor
and shoved me in my face with the flat of her hand,
pressing it against my mouth, nose, eyes, and
forehead.
There was one witness, Gerald Adams, the tally
coordinator. I related the incident in the presence
of Gerald Adams to Bill Weinberg, a co-producer of
"Moorish Orthodox Radio Crusade", who came back
to the tallyroom after that program ended. I was so
shocked, that I did not report the incident to Max
Schmid, on duty in charge of technical operations,
and Sidney Smith, also of the technical operations
department, until I finished my shift, hours later.
It is important to understand that I have seriously
struggled over the question of whether to file a
police report or not. This is a choice almost all
of us are justifiably reluctant to make. However,
the violence has only increased.
Because those committing these acts are exploiting
this reluctance as license to act with impunity, it
is incumbent upon us to revoke this license.
I therefore found it necessary to file a police
report.
It is painfully difficult for me to acknowledge that
it is not the WBAI Local Station Board, not the
Pacifica National Board, not the WBAI management, and
not the Pacifica national office, but the New York
City Police Department which recognizes that physical
violence to another person is entirely unacceptable
and
therefore prohibited.
As you are the Interim General Manager, responsible
for
maintaining the safety of all those on the premises of
WBAI, I am requesting a formal investigation of this
incident by you, and that appropriate action be taken.
To my knowledge,
this is not the first assault made by Cerene Roberts.
Let me know how you plan to address this matter and
when you can speak to me about it.
My telephone number is 212-982-8883.
Thank you.
Andrea Fishman
Listener and
member of the Local Station Board
cc: Peter Bochan, Director of Operations
Janet Coleman, Arts Director
Kathy Davis, Public Affairs Director
Jose Santiago, News Director
Nicole Sawaya, Executive Director, Pacifica
shocked, that I did not report the incident to Max
Schmid, on duty in charge of technical operations,
and Sidney Smith, also of the technical operations
department, until I finished my shift, hours later.
It is important to understand that I have seriously
struggled over the question of whether to file a
police report or not. This is a choice almost all
of us are justifiably reluctant to make. However,
the violence has only increased.
Because those committing these acts are exploiting
this reluctance as license to act with impunity, it
is incumbent upon us to revoke this license.
I therefore found it necessary to file a police
report.
It is painfully difficult for me to acknowledge that
it is not the WBAI Local Station Board, not the
Pacifica National Board, not the WBAI management, and
not the Pacifica national office, but the New York
City Police Department which recognizes that physical
violence to another person is entirely unacceptable
and
therefore prohibited.
As you are the Interim General Manager, responsible
for
maintaining the safety of all those on the premises of
WBAI, I am requesting a formal investigation of this
incident by you, and that appropriate action be taken.
To my knowledge,
this is not the first assault made by Cerene Roberts.
Let me know how you plan to address this matter and
when you can speak to me about it.
My telephone number is 212-982-8883.
Thank you.
Andrea Fishman
Listener and
member of the Local Station Board
cc: Peter Bochan, Director of Operations
Janet Coleman, Arts Director
Kathy Davis, Public Affairs Director
Jose Santiago, News Director
Nicole Sawaya, Executive Director, Pacifica
--
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Carolyn Birden
Listener-elected Member, WBAI Local
Station Board
WBAI Delegate, Pacifica National Board
Elections Committee
All about elections at
Pacifica:
http://www.pacificafoundation.org/elections/component/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/gid,16/Itemid,36/
And because there have been charges of
discrimination at WBAI events, meetings, and
locations:
mailto:cmc...@earthlink.net
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Carol Wolfe
Nov 16, 2007, 6:31:42 PM11/16/07
to pnb_el...@googlegroups.com, pac_ele...@yahoogroups.com, wbaiel...@yahoogroups.com
Carolyn,
Sadly, I have to admit that the task of addressing all this leaves me feeling personally overwhelmed. I have a great deal of respect for those of you who push on. But, I don't see an end in sight that would allow Pacifica to fully channel this energy outwardly, toward shared goals of social justice, instead of continuing to dissipate much of it in internal struggles. I'm not running for reelection to the LSB, so I'll be serving only a few weeks more.
My thanks and best wishes to you and those who do work so hard to get the real work done.
Be a better sports nut! Let your teams follow you with Yahoo Mobile. Try it now.
Sandra Rawline
Nov 18, 2007, 2:08:31 PM11/18/07
to pac_ele...@yahoogroups.com, pnb_el...@googlegroups.com, wbaiel...@yahoogroups.com, p...@pacifica.org, l...@kpft.org, Nicole Sawaya
Hello All,
While I agree a meeting of the PNB elections committee is in order, it appears to be too little too late. The full PNB will be meeting today in Exec Session to address the many situations that have occurred regarding this years election process amongst other things.
I am afraid that far too many of my fellow Pacificans have lost sight as to what this whole democratization is supposed to be and how best the Foundation's by-laws are to be interpreted and applied. It seems that with each passing election we have become more devious and corrupt with various factions screaming "foul" only because they didn't think of a specific tactic first...while others seem to be playing
downright "dirty pool".
We have received questionable advice from those we have entrusted to help us, whether intentional or just misguided it all adds up to harming the foundation, those who volunteer to serve and in turn our communities.
Threats of lawsuits and court actions abound...at further cost to the Foundation.
Reminds one of the Bush regime stealing elections twice and the folks worldwide are left paying/suffering the consequences.
The Pacifica Foundation is RADIO media, supposed to be a beacon for those seeking truth and justice, our task is
to lead by example, not to make examples of each other.
We can call ourselves passionate and dedicated to peace and justice but we appear to have little compassion or understanding for ourselves.
We can be passionate and dedicated to a variety or worthy causes but what good are we if we can't set aside "individual causes" and work together for the greater good?
What good is it to have the RADIO airwaves if we're not utilizing them to their full potential?
My apologies for these criticisms, feeling really disappointed right now and wonder what,
if anything, I can do to be of service. I will start by asking all, please, remember what we have at stake here. Honestly let's talk about how best to get back on track to the real task at hand. Let us choose together to not be divided and conquered.
sandra-kpft Houston
fellow cat herder....
__._,_.___mailto:cmcb007@earthlink.net^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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