Doc wrote: "I agree that the meeting should be canceled. I voted against it...I am not inexperienced in non-profit board work, just inexperienced in working with people who are hell bent on self-destruction." Dear Evelyn, just to clarify, is wanting to hold a bylaws mandated board meeting, in the absence of clear information about the foundations finances at a greatly reduced cost compared to previous board meetings being 'hell bent on self-destruction'. Perhaps you were refering to something else, in which case please ignore my comments. However, I prefer to take the view that reasonable PNB members can disagree about whether to hold a meeting or not at this juncture. What I don't understand is that governance is the only sector that has proactively cut costs and yet we are still being viewed as a 'waste of precious resources'. The board is ultimately responsible for what has happened and what will happen to pacifica, so we have to assert ourselves rather than allow ourselves to be marginalized during a crisis, precisely at the time when the board needs to be most engaged. During the call last night, grace aaron, james ross and myself tried to stary a discussion about compromising on where or when to hold the board meeting, but there were no takers from the 'no board meeting' camp. We are not inflexible about when or where, but we are not prepared to step aside either and abdicate our responsibilities. I think an important subtext here is - what should the role of the board be? Keep in mind that the board is being stymied precisely at the time when it has undergone its most significant compositional change in the last four/five. In other words, the first time there is a possibility that the board majority might depart from the type of practices that have brought us to this point, it is being scapegoated as an extraneous cost and potentially marginalized. Joe w. Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T -----Original Message----- From: Doc Bethune <docbethune@xxxxxxxxx> Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:41:20 To:Kevin White <cuitlacoche1@xxxxxxxxx>, PacificaRadiowaves@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc:pnb@xxxxxxxxxxxx, sawayaville@xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [PacificaRadiowaves] Re: Please update us on the financial state of Pacifica I am actually not asking for "touchy feely" Kevin. The structure that is currently in place rquires that thes PNB work together if we are to accomplish financial stability. I would not hesitate to say that "on my watch" I say factionalism virtually destroy any chance of growth and development of this network. It is very difficult to do the work of the foundation when personal conflicts take the forefront. By the way, none of this is about pedigree. It is about getting the foundation and the network back on solid financial footing. Sometimes there are no advantages in having been around a long time. The issues with Pacifica did not just occur, they have been on-going for a very long time. The take over movement did not solve the problems simply by winning a court case. There was and is a great deal of work to be done and all if the self destructive in-fighting does not make for a good membership drive. You can make fun of my feeling that we must work together if you like... I really don't care. I don;t spend a great deal of time worrying about whether or not someone approves of my methodology. I am more concerned with results. It is obvious that the hard core approach does not work either. So why don't we look for some common ground since we both seem to want the same thing... the advancement of Pacifica with great programming that meets the mission and informs the people. I agree that the meeting should be canceled. I voted against it and contrary to your feeling, I am not inexperienced in non-profit board work, just inexperienced in working with people who are hell bent on self-destruction. Cutting the cancer out does not always save the patient. Many times a more holistic approach provides quality and quantity of life. In the spirit of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Doc <http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/14.gif> Biodiesel Liam <http://ads.yimg.com/a/a/ya/yahoo_mail3/061907_160x600_csky_enviroliam_biodiesel3_int.gif> ----- Original Message ----From: Kevin White <cuitlacoche1@xxxxxxxxx>To: PacificaRadiowaves@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx: pnb@xxxxxxxxxxxx; sawayaville@xxxxxxxxxxxxx: Thursday, June 26, 2008 9:27:05 PMSubject: Re: [PacificaRadiowaves] Re: Please update us on the financial state of Pacifica Dr. Bethune, being positive is what's brought on this crisis. I'm afraid that the current structure's time is over. And I am not sitting on the sidelines; I have far more of a Pacifica pedigree than you can ever claim. This network, under your watch, cannot pay its bills. You cannot pay your bills! So the PNB says, once again, let's be positive! Let's think happy thoughts! You are just a person with critical thinking skills who is not on the board. "Surely Lonnie would have told us months ago that there way any trouble!" I'm thinking on the positive side. "Surely Dan Siegel would have emailed us if he was sucking dry the Pacfica tit!" I'm thinking on the positive side. The gullibility and the lack of experience on the PNB is a cancer on the network. And the only way to fight cancer is to cut it out. If Nicole can't bash a few heads together and restructure; and if PNB can stop fighting its stupid race war, there might be a chance. Sorry, Dr. Bethune, but the time for touchy-feely is over. At this point we have few choices: a Chapter 11 financial restructuring may be the best way out; other than that its receivership or death. Wake up, PNB. Your inexperience is destoying the network. At least cancel the damn useless meeting. Kevin White ----- Original Message ----From: Doc Bethune <docbethune@xxxxxxxxx>To: Kevin White <cuitlacoche1@xxxxxxxxx>; PacificaRadiowaves@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx: pnb@xxxxxxxxxxxx; sawayaville@xxxxxxxxxxxxx: Thursday, June 26, 2008 7:17:47 PMSubject: Re: [PacificaRadiowaves] Re: Please update us on the financial state of Pacifica You are both mistaken. It will not be an easy journey but it will not be one filled with court appointed anything. How about instead of ringing the death nell, understand that everyone is working very hard to move the NETWORK forward and out of this mess. Those sitting on the sidelines being critical are much like the Monday morning quarterbacks who always have a better way. Be blessed and if you have any positive ideas or comments please feel free to respond other wise please talk to eachother and delete me from this thread. In the spirit of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Doc <http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/14.gif> ----- Original Message ----From: Kevin White <cuitlacoche1@ yahoo.com <http://yahoo.com/> >To: PacificaRadiowaves@ yahoogroups. com; NewPacifica@ yahoogroups. comCc: pnb@pacifica. org; sawayaville@ gmail.com <http://gmail.com/> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 11:57:19 AMSubject: Re: [PacificaRadiowaves ] Re: Please update us on the financial state of Pacifica Nalini wrote about last night's PNB meeting: "Yikes. I'm telling you. Someone ought to get started in preparing a bankruptcy and reorganization plan. The only way out that I see is to have a Court appointed Receiver to provide legal protection while Pacifica is totally reorganized. They could void the new bylaws, dismiss all the LSBs, secure a small (may ten) person commission to redraw the organizational structure and write up the most simple and streamlined set of bylaws, -- not a Membership org, -- sell one of the commercial licenses while they are still worth something, and hire ONLY radio pros as managers until a new infrastructure can be built to bring in the volunteer structure again. Without court protection, I predict that the next wave of Lawsuits will be from vendors. The thing I'm going watch carefully, will Amy Goodman be the first to sue over nonpayment? Or, will she do the right thing and pull out of the contract? She gives away her TV broadcast feed for free to lots of stations.... why not Pacifica?" You know, Nalini, as bad as this sounds on the outside, it may be exactly what's needed to really save Pacifica. Our current organization can't even stop a national board meeting that we cannot pay the bills for: do you think they can responsibly reorganize the network? I' don't think so. That would mean no more unbudged jobs for people's girlfriends, or high paying jobs for a woman who do five minutes of radio a day. The current group in charge can still meet, at their own expense of course, and call each other racists, and have workshops and retreats, and vote to support Haiti, or Tibet, or Luxembourg for that matter all they want. In the meantime we could stand a change to get Pacifica back, stronger, leaner, and more cutting edge: without all the cronyism and sweetheart back room deals. We clearly need professionals in charge, and we're not going to get them with a membership structure. Sincerely,Kevin WhiteKPFT Houston ----- Original Message ----From: Nalini Lasiewicz <LasiewiczN@aol. com>To: PacificaRadiowaves@ yahoogroups. comSent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 10:35:48 AMSubject: [PacificaRadiowaves ] Re: Please update us on the financial state of Pacifica Accordingly to what I heard on last nights emergency PNB call, the financial state is terminal, and there are NO plans for how to solve it. Some of the notes that I jotted down: It sounds like we won't be able to pay Democracy Now this month. Iwonder if the PNB members are going to find out whether there will befines or interest. WBAI has to cut $200K this quarter. Don't know where the cuts willcome from, doesn't know where new money will come from. Pacifica will not going to be able to pay for the elections this year. Challenges in 2009 budget that "will make your head spin." Mike Martin says that it may be a breach of our feduciaryresponsibilities to finance a PNB meeting in July. National Finance Committee is meeting weekly. Staff is doing the bestthey can in this time. Lonnie, "this network is living payroll to payroll." The money to payfor the meeting is not there. Every station is hurting. There is nomoney. We're struggling to pay payroll. We're struggling to pay heathcare. One week ago during the PNB phone call, Lonnie hemmed and hawed as they decided to go forward with the July meeting and said "I'll try to find the money." Last night, a week later, he reports that they won't be able to pay $150,000 in bills for this month alone. For PNB members who are part of the Finance Committee, they sounded like this was the first time they heard that there is NO money. But they voted to have the meeting anyway. Yikes. I'm telling you. Someone ought to get started in preparing a bankruptcy and reorganization plan. The only way out that I see is to have a Court appointed Receiver to provide legal protection while Pacifica is totally reorganized. They could void the new bylaws, dismiss all the LSBs, secure a small (may ten) person commission to redraw the organizational structure and write up the most simple and streamlined set of bylaws, -- not a Membership org, -- sell one of the commercial licenses while they are still worth something, and hire ONLY radio pros as managers until a new infrastructure can be built to bring in the volunteer structure again. Without court protection, I predict that the next wave of Lawsuits will be from vendors. The thing I'm going watch carefully, will Amy Goodman be the first to sue over nonpayment? Or, will she do the right thing and pull out of the contract? She gives away her TV broadcast feed for free to lots of stations.... why not Pacifica? ------------------------------------ New Pacifica Working Grouphttp://www.egroups.com/group/NewPacifica'Save Our Stations!'Yahoo! 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