Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Why Pacifica elections are a charade...


It's election time at Pacifica. Will the result reflect the wishes of people who really care for Pacifica? Will it result in yet another ineffective, dishonest WBAI LSB? I planned to post the WBAI Candidates Forum that aired live yesterday, but it was not archived. Here, however, is yesterday's PNB Election Committee meeting. It, too, does not bode well for what's in store, but you may find it illuminating. We start with an excerpted quote from that lengthy telephone conference: National Elections Supervisor, Ms. L. Joy Williams' impression of the culture of Pacifica.

Here it is again in its original context: the full November 9, 2015 PNB Elections Committee Meeting. It is posted sans long pauses, extraneous noises and irrelevant moments, having been mercifully slimmed down from two hours to one by indigopirate, whose summation follows:

Ms Williams points out, and we learn from questions and answers, amongst other things…

WBAI has failed to provide lists of eligible voters and email addresses, even after repeated request of the general manager.

KPFK is, unsurprisingly, no better.

The Pacifica National Board failed to inform her as to their vote on term length.

KPFA appears not to be airing its carts.

The method for counting ballots appears to violate Pacifica’s bylaws.

Several of the Election Committee members feel strongly that they should be able to personally oversee the counting of ballots, even if that would require the ballots being opened, then re-secured, then re-opened under special oversight, even if they’re in Oregon.

Several Election Committee members feel strongly that Ms Williams and her team should personally oversee the scheduling of carts and the verification of their having been played as scheduled, even though this is not in Ms Williams’ mandate.

Ms Williams is well aware that a number of lawsuits challenging elections and election results are already in preparation.  — 'indigopirate'

21 comments:

  1. If the contracted facility is as described, then all materials within and handled by that facility and its personnel are under seal. Ms Williams’ arrangement with the facility to have them open and process materials maintains that seal. Any ‘oversight’ visit by Pacificans would actually violate or at the very least compromise and/or subject to question the integrity of that seal.

    Once again, this isn’t complicated, except for Pacificans – little surprise in that.

    ~ ‘indigopirate’

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  2. I think many of the remaining eligible to vote members of Pacifica stations are just factionalists of one group or another, at this point. They will be the last rats to leave, if they ever do leave. After all, it's their political playground, where they can actually have some effect. The remaining people are the morons who donate for premiums multiple time, never receive them and then complain because they didn't learn their lesson the first, second and third time.

    Did you hear the promo for the new show on WBAI? It's a black transgender oriented show. That should really nab an audience, with such a fringe subject matter. Yup, turning the gay community into factions, now. Really smart, indeed. Forget all the other gay people, since they don't count. Let's remember that WBAI went from being the leading/only voice of the gay community in this area to homophobic. Once upon a time they had gay programming. Now they have one "progressive" program that happens to be gay. Dumb fucks threw away an entire community and its support.

    SDL

    SDL

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    1. We should distinguish between "eligible" voters and those likely to vote. I think the latter does indeed mostly consist of factionalists.

      The new show would never have been considered if it had been white. I wonder what kinds of conflict it stirs up among the hateful—these are times at WBAI that call for camouflaged bigotry.

      When you think of gay WBAI programs, you must not forget about David Kenney's weekly tributes to Judy and Liza. His show does feature some good singers, but there are an awful lot of painful performances. His presentation is professional and he raises money with his cabaret events, but I think he is on the wrong station.

      Back in the day, our gay programming was not a campy traipse along Christopher Street—it was informative and designed to cut a dent in homophobia. Then, of course, came Charles Pitt, which was a bit of a mistake, I think.

      You last line is so true and it applies to a much larger segment of the potential audience.

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    2. Correct on "eligible" vs. "likely" voters.

      The new show is obviously coming on because the hosts are someone's friend. WBAI wouldn't have the brains to call the LGBT Center and tell them they want to do a gay show and could use some help in staffing it, which is what I would do. That simple.

      Kenny isn't my thing, but he makes more money than most of the goofs on WBAI. He has his following. Wrong station? Probably, since it's really kind of commercial music. I guess you could say I have no real opinion. If he fills a void, so be it. I'd sooner get rid of hip hop, house, dance and disco music shows before I messed with Kenny.

      Pitts is a controversial subject and colored by only one aspect of his being. I know a lot of gay men appreciated him but hated the man/boy love thing. I would call Pitts a damn fool who should have kept his mouth shut. He threw away being a legend in the gay media world. However, even in the early 1980s, WBAI had The Gay Show, which was still a serious and informative program. Of course, it also had David Wynyard, who was hysterical for all the wrong reasons.

      Is the Funarithon over? This had to be the most annoying one yet. Thos extendomercials were simply too much - Funari, Davis, Kane... Just too crazy. I do have to say I liked seeing Null beaten down, though. His not being there had an effect, but not the extreme effect we all thought it would.

      SDL

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    3. Kennedy is organized, his shows are well planned. Same can be said of Peter Bochan and Chris Whent. There are people who have been on the air for decades without havin learned a thing about broadcasting--that's quite amazing.

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    4. I find it morally offensive in the extreme to treat Pitts’ active advocacy of ‘man-boy love’ as if it were merely an unfortunate quirk or minor foible which tarnished his reputation ‘in the gay media world’.

      It was and is worthy of condemnation.

      ~ ‘indigopirate’

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    5. I never heard Pitts when he went off on that tangent, but he would have been out of there at the first hint of anything that despicable.

      Condemnation indeed, but that is a mild term for what such advocacy deserves. I Was indulging in "a bit" of amateur sarcasm with my previous comment on Pitts--actually, I am in complete agreement with you, indigopirate.

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    6. I recall his advocacy quite clearly, as it was to say the least striking, and left an impression. He argued that a six or seven year old was perfectly capable of making their own moral decisions as to whether or not they wanted to be in a sexual relationship with a grown man, and that it would be a loving and caring growth experience for them.

      This was a position he advocated, more than once.

      ~ ‘indigopirate’

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    7. Amazing that they ever allowed him near a microphone again.

      That said, I got to know Charles Pitts only peripherally, but long enough to dislike him.

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    8. As you can see, he later worked at WNYC and WQXR http://www.charlespitts.com

      ~ 'indigopirate'

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    9. WNCN, correction.

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    10. His list is interesting. I like the Charles Pitts-Es he isn't.

      Apropos things better left unaired, Kathy Davis is on now, words pouring out of her mouth... and vaporizing.

      Nuff said, I'm calling it a night. I had a rough day cursing Con Ed, Time-Warner, and United Health Care!

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    11. All throughly curse-worthy ;)

      ~ 'indigopirate'

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    12. I just want to mention that I in no way think Pitts is anything less than an odious person. Let me make that clear. His advocacy is the same crap child molesters always use to rationalize their actions. There was a really good but disturbing documentary film back in the 1990s(?) that followed around NAMBLA guys and let them do most of the talking. I can't remember the name of it, but it was quite the eye opener.


      On the other hand, let's remember that according to Gary Null, he has information that proves WBAI is a center for serial rape. Of course, he hasn't turned this information over to the police, as law would require. Of course, I don't see anyone, least of all feminists, demanding he do so. I wouldn't expect WBAI itself to give a crap these days about sexual criminality, unless they are looking to get rid of an on-air personality by fabricating a story.

      On an aside. I once had an argument with a woman who worked at a place where child molesters were sent for therapy as part of their punishment after conviction. According to her, they were " misunderstood" people who should be given sympathy. I ripped her a new one, to put it mildly. However, the most interesting thing to me was that an attitude like that is working in such a place.

      SDL

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    13. Null, as we know, is somewhat of a cereal killer.

      That said, Mr. Null is given to make idle threats, claiming to have the good on the people who are loath to part with goods. I still wonder what became of the Kindle readers. They probably served as enticement for the allegedly burgeoning Buddy Brigade and are just as likely to ave been vaporware.

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    14. Null, as we know, is somewhat of a cereal killer.

      That said, Mr. Null is given to make idle threats, claiming to have the good on the people who are loath to part with goods. I still wonder what became of the Kindle readers. They probably served as enticement for the allegedly burgeoning Buddy Brigade and are just as likely to ave been vaporware.

      Delete
    15. Null has made claims of criminality that he is, I believe, required to report by law. I won't even get into moral imperatives, etc.

      Kindles? A big who knows if they even existed. Like I would trust a contest on WBAI.

      SDL

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  3. I had to see how bad it was, so I tuned into On Air With the Blacks. I think this violates the Geneva Conventions. The only thing I can say is that it is the most honestly named show on WBAI. I think WBAI management believes that by putting on crap like this it will attract idiots who will give money. Nope, not with this kind of swill. However, it will drive away more listeners, without even needing a beg-a-thon to do so...

    SDL

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    1. I only caught the last 15 to 20 minutes and that was quite enough. I'll go to the archive and listen to the whole program so that I can give a fair opinion. I think we can assume that this show was added in an attempt to gain an audience, but you are probably right when you predict that it will have the opposite effect.

      It certainly is far off WBAI's intended path, but the nature (and title) of this hour is in keeping with the ongoing efforts to make the station darker and dumber. They have accomplished that, but such misjudgements aren't plugging any of the sinking tub's holes.

      Has anybody heard anything about the two Kindle tablets that were dangled as fundraising carrots, or this another Reimers rip-off?

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  4. "Will the Pacifica elections go by the book"?
    answer: yes

    "If so, which book"?
    answer: Mein Kampf

    KGT

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  5. education at the crossroads ... Where's the education part ?
    Oh , i get it . They are "educating " us about racism, yet again.

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