How considerate of Leslie to have thought of the "larger community" in her distribution of this 'historic' message.

What I find the most disturbing is Leslie's characterization of the current state of the long planned and instituted destruction of Pacifica's independence and mission as a "morass". What Leslie is either incapable of or unwilling to admit is that his operation is right on schedule, and the Democratic Party/US Government connected folks that Leslie 'used to be' friends with are going to remain firmly in control of Pacifica's assets AND its on-air content.

Where was Leslie's 'dynamic resistance' to Pacifica's cabal in 1995 when the Strategic Five Year Plan was instituted (where were Amy's and Juan's for that matter?)? Where was Leslie when Jerry Brown was given a daily program on three of the stations to raise non-Pacifica funds to help launch him into the Oakland Mayor's office? The fact that we now don't have Pacifica's airwaves to inform the public about the US war/police state plans is simply because people like Leslie didn't realize the Pacifica struggle was vital seven years ago! Now we're supposed to thank her for this useless effort now?

There is obviously no motive throughout the LAB suit plaintiff's milieu to drag these fuckers into court, so why should the PNB even consider settling? Even if a miracle transpired and the PNB handed the foundation to Leslie and the other "dissident" directors, I have every confidence their efforts toward real democratization (which is the only cure for this disease) will be nothing more than lip service while they stack the LABs, PNB and programming staff with 'their own kind'.

Nevertheless, if Leslie really wants to put pressure on the PNB junta, then she'd better start exerting pressure on the LAB plaintiff(s) to stop avoiding the courtroom.

Jonathan Markowitz
Los Angeles
(the city of lock-down rule against Pacifica's democratization)

-----------------------------

----- Original Message ----- From: Leslie Cagan lesliecagan@i...
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 11:40 AM
Subject: [NewPacifica] memo to PNB

Below is a memo I have just sent to the members of the Pacifica National Board and Bessie Wash...I thought the larger community might be interested in seeing it.

Whatever the court decides today, and whatever happens with the PNB conference call scheduled for tomorrow, I hope we all remain commited to this struggle. We have all known how important the fight to reclaim Pacifica is. Now, in light of developments this past week, it is nothing less than vital!

peace,
Leslie Cagan
dissident member, Pacifica National Board

---------------------------------------------------------------

MEMO TO: Pacifica National Board
FROM: Leslie Cagan
RE: Staff Changes
---------------------------------------
I am deeply troubled by the news I received earlier today. It appears that our executive director has hired Utrice Leid as the new National Program Director of Pacifica, and is making someone from the staff at WPFW the new General Manager at WBAI in New York City.

My concerns fall into several categories:

a) Utrice Leid, as you all know, is a central player in what has been nothing less than a crisis at WBAI since last December. She has not provided the leadership needed to resolve many issues, has antagonized scores of producers and listeners in NYC, has shown complete disrespect to the Local Advisory Board, has removed from the air and banned from the station over 2 dozen people (many with long histories at WBAI), has refused to direct those she supervises to stop their harrasment of others....the list goes on.

b) There has been no consultative process in the selection of someone to serve as the General Manager at WBAI. The person Bessie Wash is giving the job to may be very nice and capable, but is there any reason to believe he can handle the crisis at the station?

c) While these staffing decisions are usually in the hands of the executive director of Pacifica, we all know these are far from "usual" times. As far as I am concerned, the fact that there was no consulation with this Board (for instance, the Program Committee of the Board has not been convened to even discuss the transition in the National Program Director's position) is outrageous.

I urge everyone on this Board to take a moment to think about what has happened, what is happening, throughout Pacifica. Now, in the aftermath of the horrific attacks last Tuesday, and as the U.S. government gears up for war, we need five stations that are clear about their mission, clear about their role in the communities they serve. And we, as the Board of this organization, have a collective responsibility to get things back on track.

Instead of complicating our internal crisis, instead of prolonging the struggle that has already drained the Foundation's resources and all of us personally, we should take steps toward resolving our problems. I hope you will consider the impact of bringing new people on to this Board at this moment. Instead, there is a clear way to move out of this morass - let us all agree to immediately open negotiations to settle the law suits.

Please consider this as a serious and viable alternative, as a step we all can take.

Thank you.