Free Speech Defenders Are Running To Join Library Defenders On The WBAI Local Station Board To Keep WBAI Independent, Accountable To The Listeners, A Free Speech Bulwark Against Censorship

 

Our Recommended Listener Candidates (eighteen in all): Elliot Crown, M. Kay Williams, Gloria Guillo, Dr. Charles Ihejirika, Jeremy Kuzmarov, Adrienne Meisels, Mark Crispin Miller, Guy Vantresca, Tessa Lena, Dion Powell, Amy Smiley, Jack DePalma, Janet Harmon, David Saltman, Camilla Rees, Neale Vos, Thomas Murata,Carolyn Birden

 

Free Speech Defenders Are Running To Join Library Defenders On The WBAI Local Station Board To Keep WBAI Independent, Accountable To The Listeners, A Free Speech Bulwark Against Censorship

Great news!: Our Library Defenders already on the WBAI (99.5 fm) Radio Local Station Board (i.e. Michael D. D. White, Katherine O'Sullivan and Priscilla Cancar) are looking out at an assembled troop of really excellent Free Speech candidates who we recommend to join them on that board

PLEASE VOTE FOR THEM!  Listener members of WBAI, please vote for them!  Please vote for them in the WBAI Local Station Board Election- Voting is between now and 11:59 PM September 30th.

The excellent, amazingly superb candidates we recommend are as follows . . .  Also, while we will skip over a full explanation, the voting is "Instant Runoff Voting" ("IRV"), which means that if you vote for these candidates in the order below recommended it will help them get elected.

 
The Listener Candidates We Recommend Are:

 

 

 

 

 

 1.    Elliot Crown- You likely know him already- as “the man behind the mask.”  A brilliant artist who has attended political demonstrations you’ve probably attended where you maybe had your picture taken with him in one of his satirical, attention-grabbing costumes.  Crown has a long history as a political artist/activist street theater protester,  whose visual storytelling successfully defies censorship to command the attention of millions of people around the world, slinging messages through the media noise and interference machine to address issues of racial and economic justice, the environment, militarism, housing et al.  His exceptional communication skills will be an incomparable contribution towards WBAI's voice gaining a new notoriety.

2.    M. Kay Williams- Has already proven her industrious dedication to WBAI: Although not yet elected to the LSB (she ran in the last election), serving as LSB Secretary and Secretary to the WBAI Finance Committee and Management Evaluation Committee.   She is an experienced Physicians Assistant with a Masters of Public Health from Columbia. She aided refugees in Thailand and health workers in Nicaragua. Former chair of the Free Speech Radio Alliance.

3.    Gloria Guillo- Is a dynamic activist leader, organizer, skilled researcher and compelling writer turning out investigative journalism pieces for Covert Action Magazine focused on the negative impact of U.S. foreign policy on developing countries.  She is a retired NYC Urban Planner and Public Administrator, with an MPA from NYU, and a founding member of Green Renaissance-Sovereign Rights Movement.  A high-energy performer, she is a former lead singer/guitarist/songwriter with the political rock band Ringmaster.

4.    Dr. Charles Ihejirika- Charles Ihejirika, with a doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University in Boston, living in The Bronx, is the Lead Director of Daccade Law and Policy Inc., New York.  Born in Nigeria, he pays close attention to the deleterious effects of the United States and Britain on his country of birth, Dr. Charles envisions WBAI as the "must-go-to" radio station for standout reporting where a majority of New York Metropolitan Area residents in its vast broadcast area, a potentially very large listening public, will obtain authentic information on critical local, national, and international issues that the mainstream media bury.

5.    Jeremy Kuzmarov- Historian, professor, book author and the managing editor of CovertAction Magazine Jeremy has contributed prolifically to that magazine writing critically about U.S. foreign policy and covert operations and the corruption of US intelligence agencies. He warns that the US Left today, like the public at large, often falls into traps adopting false narratives advanced by intelligence agencies that are also psychologically designed to stoke partisan divisions, quashing truly worthwhile public discourse.  He advocates the abolition of the CIA.

6.    Adrienne Meisels- A WBAI listener since childhood who benefited from the health advice it made available, Adrienne values WBAI’s being uniquely positioned to offer true, uncensored discourse, news and content that is not beholden to corporate sponsors’ agendas: in other words, saying: “The only way to fight misinformation is not with censorship but with more information.” Adrienne backs her beliefs by being politically active.  Retired from the practice of law, Adrienne, a Wharton school graduate, is an award-winning senior digital innovation and operations executive and entrepreneur with a proven ability to create groundbreaking, human-centric digital solutions.  She is a dynamic leader known for building inspired teams and creating a more conscious world through personalized, predictive computing and connected data.

7.    Mark Crispin Miller- With a global reputation, Miller is a renowned media scholar/activist and expert on the subject of propaganda and the way it manipulates an unwitting public. Miller until recently was a professor at NYU.  He’s been a frequent guest on such Pacifica programs as the “Project Censored Show.”  He’s written scores of articles, often lectured, and spoken out in interviews on the urgent need for a more democratic media system—a system not in thrall to corporate ownership or major advertisers. He spoke out against the dangers of unbridled media concentration as it accelerated in the Nineties and is a long-term champion of public radio and did a weekly public radio show in the 80s.  Countering censorship, he is also responsible for the 27-book Forbidden Bookshelf series republishing works that might have been unfairly consigned to oblivion.

8.    Guy Vantresca- A native New Yorker, and Natural Health Consultant Guy is a student of history, from ancient times through to today.  He was a US Army Officer living in Europe during the Cold War. He lived in Europe for 12 years.  He believes that independent investigative journalism, or, and Pacifica, can serve to make power structures accountable in ways that corporate owned mass-media chose not to do.  He thinks that as a voice for truth WBAI should not be an echo chamber for “cancel culture” and emotionally based outrage.  To restore democracy and address growing wealth inequality, corporate personhood needs to be banished and corporatism defanged.  Putting a high degree of energy behind his commitments, he advocates free market competition co-existing with community based systems that support the "commons"; education, housing, health, ecology of nature, etc.

9.    Tessa Lena- A musician, classically trained pianist and singer, writer and journalist, born and raised in Moscow, a Soviet expat, who knows where things can lead, she is concerned about the totalitarian tendencies in the media. And she is rubbing her eyes thinking that every day that America is very quickly becoming very much like the USSR. She is standing up to the attack on freedom, advocating Joy as better than suffering, Love as better than fear. In 2016, Tessa started Coalition for Artistic Dignity and organized a conference in Brooklyn dedicated to artistic dignity, social power and corporate responsibility.

10.    Dion Powell-   His Bachelor’s Degree is in Media from CCNY.  Sitting on many boards and a member of many civic organizations, voter education with engagement is a way of life for Mr. Powell. He loves developing "good citizens" that are active participants in their local neighborhood politics. Born and raised in the Bronx, Dion Powel is a community leader and was a 2020 candidate for the NYS Assembly Bronx 79th District following his work as Community Liaison.  He helped start the Bronx Young Democrats and became the Chair of the Caucus of Color for the New York State Young Democrats.

11.    Amy Smiley- A practicing NYC psychotherapist and author of fiction and essays about the radio as a political medium during the Occupation in Europe (WWII), contemporary art, and literature, Amy is also an avid reader of fiction and history and a lover of art. She is engaged in the world from a political perspective and very interested in social issues. She lived in Europe for many years and understands the importance of diverse political representation. She feels her therapy work gives her a deep understanding of challenges people are facing in these difficult times.

12.    Jack DePalma- Is a hands on Physics teacher who literally got on his hands and knees to help clean up WBAI after Superstorm Sandy hit.  He intends to reboot the WBAI news Department back into its glory days.  With years of experience on the Local Station Board plus unceasing volunteer work at the station, he’d probably like to take a break, but was convinced of the importance of our being able to ask you to vote for him.

13.    Janet Harmon- Someone else you have seen prominently participating at many activist demonstrations for things you believe in, Janet is a “Raging Grannie,” a member of the group of performers that show up to sing creatively crafted, laughter-encouraging song lyrics to support efforts like Women in Black, Say their Names group (reading names of folks who've been killed by police), and opposition to library sales and our perpetual wars.

14.       Camilla Rees- A former financial industry executive who has more recently been a researcher, author, and producer on technology risks, environmental pollution, clean energy and regenerative agriculture, studying widely in medical, scientific, complementary and alternative medicine, health enhancement and self-empowerment fields.  Camilla founded Manhattan Neighbors for Safer Telecommunications, ElectromagneticHealth.org, Campaign for Radiation Free Schools and co-founded the International EMF Alliance. She is Senior Policy Advisor to the National Institute for Science, Law & Public Policy in Washington, D.C., where she oversees policy papers on electromagnetic fields, the smart grid and telecommunications.  Camilla serves on the Advisory Board of the Building Biology™ Institute. She was an Executive Producer of the award-winning film on smart meter risks, Take Back Your Power, and has co-produced several television programs for PBS. Camilla is a Voting Member of the U.S. Health Freedom Congress; Member, American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN); and a Board Member of Media in the Public Interest.  Along with many other award winning activities, Camilla also briefly had a radio program, Growing Green, on KGNU in Boulder.

15.  David Saltman- A prizewinning (Emmy, Ace and Peabody awards) broadcaster, author and film-maker with fifty years experience, he's also an innovator in meditative and martial arts. In 1972, he created the first radio program, on Pacifica, to cover spiritual ideas. He "discovered" Gilda Radner and was first to put her on the air.  He’s written, produced and directed some two hundred documentaries for CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC and public television and radio networks and has written or collaborated on three feature film scripts. He has his film work inducted into the Smithsonian Institution.  He is a novelist: “Houdini Unbound,” also co-authored three other critically-acclaimed books: The Sports Book, The Great Escape, and The Marrakech Express. He has done humor pieces in TV Guide, science writing in Omni, and travel writings in Rolling Stone and The New York Times.  He has taught writing and filmmaking.

16.    Neale Vos- Neale, very involved with WBAI and currently on its Community Advisory Board has been listening to WBAI for over 40 years. He has been regularly supplying the CAB’s report at the LSB’s monthly meetings.  The CAB has focused on efforts to expand WBAI’s listener base, Neale says that since the station has no money to advertise, listeners are the only way to promote the station to people who do not listen to WBAI.  Neale and intends help to organize listener advertisers.

17.    Thomas Murata- is also a member of the WBAI Community Advisory Board, another long time listener, and is running for the LSB to prevent Pacifica from being overtaken by "New Day people," who seized WBAI for one month in October of 2019 turning it into a repeater station.  He sees WBAI as addressing the ever growing threat of the Military Industrial Media Medical complex.  He suggest appeals to rich activist donors such Jane Fonda, Yoko Ono, Susan Sarandon, Barbara Streisand, Robert Redford, Michael Moore, and Oliver Stone before it’s too late.

18.    Carolyn Birden-  A long-time member of WBAI and a veteran who has served on the LSB before (between 2004 and 2014) during some intense and difficult times, Ms. Birden is currently a member of WBAI’s Community Advisory Board   Ms. Birden was the organizer and first chair of the National Election Committee.  She has taught research and technical writing She feels factional internal politics are unproductive for WBAI.

 

Our Recommended Staff Candidates: Jim Freund, Keziah Glow, Dr. Simon Fitzgerald, Doug Wood

Our Recommended Staff Candidates (WBAI staff votes separately for the candidates to represent staff on the Local Station Board-  Listener members can't vote for the candidates below, but these candidates will work well and coordinate with the listener representative candidates recommended above.):

1.     Jim Freund- Host of “Hour of the Wolf,” a long-time weekly WBAI program (since 1971)concentrating on the literature of science fiction, fantasy, and related fields.  He’s a lifelong unpaid staff member at WBAI since 1967.

2.    Keziah Glow- A producer for Leonard Lopate on the Leonard Lopate Show.  She believes being on the LSB is monumental opportunity to protect increasingly rare free speech radio. Many outlets are being silenced and outlawed.  Her number one goal is to find ways to create funding projects for the station.

3.    Simon Fitzgerald- The host of WBAI’s “Trauma Code,” Dr. Fitzgerald is a Kings County trauma surgeon and an Ambassador for the Baltimore Peace Movement.  He has experience including positions on the community advisory board of the Baltimore Mayor's Office on Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, and the medical advisory board of the Jordan McNair Foundation.

4.    Doug Wood- Doug and his wife Patti are the hosts and producers of "Green Street News," a WBAI environmental health program.  He has more than 30 years of experience in both commercial business and non-profit organizations. He creates and engineers music for film and television, and for many years he and his wife and I ran a very successful music company, recently sold to Sony. He founded and is National Director of the non-profit AmericansForResponsibleTech.org, a national coalition of more than 140 organizations in 43 states. His wife is the founder and Executive Director of the award-winning non-profit Grassroots Environmental Education where he serves as Associate Director and Chief Strategy Officer. He was a founding director of the advocacy group MusicAnswers, which seeks to protect the rights of music creators around the world, and has been elected twelve times to the Board of ASCAP, where he chairs the Legal Strategy Committee.

Endorsements!!

The above collection of Candidates Is Endorsed by:

    •     Judy Gorman- singer song-writer activist, mentored by Pete Seeger. Judy wrote the Citizens Defending Libraries Song.
    •    Maxine Harrison-Gallmon- An Indy on the LSB intimately familiar with how the station works through her dedicated volunteer work there.
    •    Tracy Rosenberg- One of Pacifica’s best historians and analysts keeping facts straight.
    •    James Sagurton- Pacifica’s current Treasurer from the Indys’ who has done so much to put Pacifica’s financial house in order.
    •   Michael D. D. White, Carolyn McIntyre, and Martha Rowen- Three principal co-founders of Citizens Defending Libraries. Carolyn McIntyre, was Chair of the LSB for three years in a row.  Michael D. D. White is current and former Vice-Chair of the LSB. Martha Rowen has moved on to run for New York State Assembly and New York City Council.
    •    Gary Null - On August 24, 2023 Gary Null endorsed all of the above candidates (plus one other).  Mr Null is the host and producer of the Gary Null Show on WBAI (and PRN, the Progressive Radio Network of which he is the founder). Mr. Null, Ph.D, is renowned for his expertise in the field of health and nutrition, and the author of over 70 best-selling books on healthy living and the director of over 100 critically acclaimed full-feature documentary films on natural health, self-empowerment and the environment.
    •    Alex Steinberg- Recent Pacifica National Board Chair, expert at tactically navigating Pacifica through crises.
    •    Grace Aaron- Former Chair of the Pacifica National Board who had much to do with obtaining the loans that allowed WBAI and Pacifica to extricate from the financial drain of the exorbitant Empire State Building antenna lease.
    •    Lucy Koteen- Prominent member of Human-Scale New York, fought Atlantic Yards, fighting destruction of Fort Green Park, and fighting various other city environmental and community protection battles.
    •    Alicia Boyd- Activist who founded MTOPP to fight the aggressive real estate interests in Brooklyn, intent among other things, on over-shadowing the Brooklyn Botanical Garden with towers.
    •    Lynn Ellsworth- Founding board member on the steering committee of Human-Scale NYC a leading member of New Yorkers for a Human-Scale City Coalition.
    •    DeeDee Halleck- Current Chair of the WBAI’s LSB and famed independent film and documentary maker and another Indy on the LSB elected last election.
    •   Cindy Sheehan-  Anti-war activist.

SO MANY GREAT CANDIDATES!   It's really a challenge providing you with a suggested voting order, but for various reasons, about which candidates have also conferred with us on, the order we suggest should work best.  We also suggest you vote only for these suggested candidates to help them all have the best chance of getting elected. 

Our highly qualified, amazingly superb candidates are all free speech supporters and they oppose authoritarianism.  

WHO can vote in this election? -- and HOW to vote in this election.

You are qualified as a listener member and able to vote in this WBAI election if you contributed $25 or more to the WBAI during the year that ended June 30, 2023.*

 (* And remember that if you donated the qualifying amount-- $25 or more for each member voter-- your WBAI donating household is entitled to cast more than one vote and should.  If you're having any problems, see below about who to contact including us.)

How to vote?

You can vote online and that is the very best way to vote, because voting electronically online saves a huge amount of money for the network and station as opposed to voting by mail (which is also possible).

Ideally, as a contributor to WBAI you should have already received two emails, one telling you that you are an eligible voter in this election (Subject line should be:  Balloting Period Opens Aug 15 / Candidate Forums Schedule, probably on August 10, 2023-- It would come from nes@pacifica.org) and another sending you your ballot (Subject line: Vote now: Pacifica Foundation Inc - 2023 Local Station Elections, which probably arrived August 15, 2023-- It would come from invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com)

If you donated to WBAI and did not yet receive such emails, or all the members of your household didn't, it is time to follow up and let the station know that you need to be sent the ballot email (maybe you didn't submit your email or used an old out of date one?)-- Contact WBAI's Membership Department:  +1-212-209-2950 and/or https://wbai.org/contact.php

Once again here is a handy list of all the spectacular listener candidates we recommend. And we recommend that you vote for all of them and only them as follows:

1.    Elliot Crown
2.    M. Kay Williams
3.    Gloria Guillo
4.    Dr. Charles Ihejirika
5.    Jeremy Kuzmarov
6.    Adrienne Meisels
7.    Mark Crispin Miller
8.    Guy Vantresca
9.    Tessa Lena
10.    Dion Powell
11.    Amy Smiley
12.    Jack DePalma
13.    Janet Harmon
14.    Camilla Rees
15.    David Saltman
16.    Neale Vos
17.    Thomas Murata
18.    Carolyn Birden

The purpose of this post is to promote the election of the candidates we are recommending and the content here may be freely and fairly used and reproduced by those similarly seeking to promote the election of these candidates.

Disclaimer: This is not an official communication of WBAI or Pacifica.

Disclaimer (further elaborated):  Because there are specified requirements issued with respect to WBAI Pacifica Elections, we further provide this specified language:

DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Pacifica Foundation mailing nor an official mailing of any of the five Pacifica Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio). Opinions and facts alleged on this site belong to the author(s) only and should NOT be assumed to be true or to reflect the editorial stance or policy of the Pacifica Foundation, or any of the five Pacifica Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio), or the opinions of its management, Pacifica National Board, station staff or other listener members.

Upcoming WBAI Town Halls

Library defenders may remember that for much the same reason that Citizens Defending Library co-founders Michael D. D. White and Carolyn McIntyre have been fighting to defend our libraries, they have similarly gotten involved with WBAI radio, 99.5fm, the only truly listener supported radio station in New York City.  (The both went on WBAI's local station broad.)  Free speech radio WBAI can also be called, as it sometimes is, "radio for the 99.5%."

 As part of WBAI's grassroots celebrating governance tradition, WBAI holds Town Halls for public discussion and input.  Library Defenders may want to get involved with these as Michael and Carolyn have.  As you will see from the descriptions below for prospective featured Town Hall topics, the concerns to be grappled with in the WBAI community and the Pacifica free speech radio network of which it is a part, tend to have a lot in common with concerns involved in defending libraries.  This includes concerns like censorship and narrative control, what happens when our traditional analogue has to contend with the arrival sometime dubious benefits of digital revolution, and finally having to fend off skulking would-be privatizers.

Our next Town Hall has been decided upon and will be held by Zoom on Sunday, August 28th at 4:00 PM (see below).  Library Defenders are invited and welcome.

You may also want to give input on what Town Halls you'd like to see prioritized to be held next or may have ideas for additional topics or coverage to what appears below.

To get information about attending email Michael White at MDDWhite [[at]] aol.com. 

UPCOMING WBAI TOWN HALLS

Debating Debates, Particularly On The Most Divisive Issues, Probably Starting With Covid.  (Sunday, August 28th at 4:00 PM-  Listen to or watch the Recording HERE using the Passcode: uq@$8Uam:) Will debates improve and help make the WBAI and Pacifica environment healthier?  Can debates increase audience and bring in revenue?  Can debates create a more unified, free and exploratory thinking free speech radio audience and valuable listener membership?  Perhaps the best and most topical example, which is up for discussion, is the way that Covid questions  divide and fracture the cohesion and unity of political cultures that, once upon a time, self identified regarding themselves as anti-corporate, anti-monopoly, pro-health and anti-big Pharma, and anti-authoritarian (and possibly as Left).  At least two sides in Covid discussions are claiming that they are “following the science,” while others absolutely don’t.  Anthony Fauci has announced that he is “science,” and he along with those of whom are Fauci followers say that to doubt Fauci is an “attack on science,” moreover an attack on “truth.”  If shows on Pacifica showcase Fauci while describing invermectin as a “horse dewormer” that is spuriously “touted in right-wing media” as a beneficial treatment for Covid, if Pacifica stations run government PSAs about Covid safety, should the slant of that `reporting’ and air time use get debated?  If so, by whom? Some serious money has been talked about as flowing in connection with the prospect of Covid issue debates: Multi-millionaire and activist Steve Kirsch has issued multiple million dollar backed challenges for qualified people just to show up and debate the Covid issues, but some people parry that because people like Fauci “are science” it would be undignified for them to debate, or they feel that only those who have credentialed themselves by receiving money from Fauci and the Big-Pharma should be allowed offer opinions as to what may be the facts respecting Covid, vaccines, and best health practices.  NOTE: Attendees of this Town Hall are also invited to play a social justice and debate game of chance– To play this game take any three of the last four digits of your phone number, and arrange them into a number between 23 and 894 and then submit that number together with your name when you attend.  

WBAI and Pacifica Decisions- Competing Successfully With the Internet vs And/or Becoming Internet Successful.  (Sunday, September 18th at 4:00 PM- Zoom information to attend is in the Pacifica/WBAI calendar-click on the date- and the CDL Calendar) Listen to or watch the Recording HERE using the Passcode:!0b0MppY  The Pacifica Network originated as a network of terrestrial radio stations.  It’s no secret that the internet has brought a lot of “creative destruction” to all businesses, but particularly to virtually all forms of media, terrestrial radio included.  Just as the Craig’s list usurpation of classified ads worked to defund and financially starve newspapers, terrestrial radio’s business model has been challenged as audiences are siphoned off by an ever greater multiplicity of internet-based challengers supplying huge varieties of content, listening experiences included, that frequently seem even more convenient to access.  Most people now carry a smart phone in their pocket. Those phones easily access the internet providing podcasts or other forms of available listening streams, but those ubiquitous phones don’t provide terrestrial radio connections (although they easily could have that added feature).   Search engines and algorithms readily (and censoriously) direct people to internet-based content, but not, per se, without added effort, to terrestrial radio.  Terrestrial radio has understandably seen its audiences diminished.  This doesn’t mean that the audience for alternative media is diminishing: Alternative media on the internet is flourishing.  It is flourishing despite Big Tech’s exercise of considerable censorship.  Its audiences are growing to increasingly dwarf the audience of the Big Tech promoted legacy and corporate media.  But the Pacifica network stations, that once were the sine qua non in providing definitive alternative media, have not participated in that audience growth and shift to alternative media.  Is that because of Pacifica’s lack of internet savvy and presence?  Is internet savvy and slickness what’s needed to keep pace and similarly outpace corporate narratives?  Maybe, but as the recent spectacularly ignominious demise of CNN+ demonstrates, internet slickness alone means nothing in terms of capturing audience.  Also, as we reposition ourselves, reinventing ourselves in this internet world, might it not also be important to recognize characteristics of the internet from which audience might want to escape?: the data scraping, and regular surveillance, Big Tech’s curation and constant steering of what you see there along with censorship that includes the evanescence with which what’s on the internet can disappear when censored.  While we probably want to do both, what takes priority: for WBAI and Pacifica to compete with the internet on our own terrestrial radio terms, or to become internet successful with all the tools associated with success in that realm?

Recognizing The Methods By Which Public Assets Are Targeted, Taken Over, or Otherwise Neutralized (And Goals of Those Doing So).  Sunday, October 30, 2022 at 4:00 PM- Listen to or watch the Recording HERE using the Passcode:9?gHZPw4.   WBAI and all its sister stations in the Pacifica Network are part of our public commons.  They are publicly owned and controlled public assets.  Anyone can listen.  There are no bars to access, no user fees are demanded.  It exists through public contributions donated to freely benefit, without restriction, the entire larger community.  It therefore stands in contradistinction to and it competes with privately owned entities, including the corporately owned mainstream and legacy media.  Those other entities exist for different purposes pursuing different goals.

More and more frequently, we see the private sector targeting public assets and the commons for privatization, or sometimes just working toward its destruction, neutralization and/or possible replacement.  An explanation sometimes given is that, as capital continues to build up, it exhausts traditional investment opportunities and is forced to seek new, less traditional assets to acquire and monetize.  Or is it partly just what happens when there’s so much of this money sloshing around?  Quite importantly, it is important to remember that the competition from the Pacifica stations is a threat not only just to the goals and purposes of the corporately owned media, but also to the agenda of all the corporate expires and the rest of the establishment institutions with which corporate owned media is so fearsomely and completely interlocked.  Also efforts are always made to quash, any examples that model alternatives to the profit based capitalism (e.g. how we relentless impose sanctions of socialist countries, then declare the systems don’t work).

There is substantial overlap, but public assets may be privatized, or public entities that own and control such assets may also be taken over accomplishing the same thing. Similarly public purpose organizations may be targeted, or political parties, political movements, or causes may be targeted for takeover, redirection or ineffectualizeation.

In learning to recognize the tactics that used it is probably important to discern the goals of those acting to commandeer public realm assets and enterprises.  Those goals can be multiple: To monetize or privately profit from the changed ownership or control (e.g. privatized road for toll collection, library real estate turned into luxury condos); elimination of alternative models of success; squelching competition; thwarting an anti-corporate mission or promulgation of any anti-corporate narratives; while intending that good work of an entity should cease, it may also be the goal to use the accumulated prior good work and built up good will and trust of a captured entity to send the public off in wrong directions (e.g. captured environmental groups touting fracking as a “clean transitional fuel”); the captured entity can be used as a resource drain or suck (e,g. a captured public purpose entity political faction that continues to seek donations so that donated money is sidelined, not going to productive use; similarly, a takeover may be slow or incomplete, existing for a long time as a battlefield to drain the financial strengths, talent and available man hours of those fighting for pubic goods– much as the U.S. lured the Soviet Union into Afghanistan intending to sap its resources); lastly when privatization shifts functions away from the government (.e. the internet, the Post Office, surveillance agencies) to private entities, those private entities may have a freer hand (decision making included) to do that, which the Constitution (or voter control) might prevent the government from doing.

In this context, can we identify and discuss some of tactics used when targeting the public commons?  They include draining and starving the entity of funding (creating an argument that someone else or alternatives are better), creating crises, undervaluing the assets, working in stealth to formulate top-down takeover plans, infiltrattion of decision-making processes with people who are unsympathetic to the public and to public goals; dismissing, avoiding and interfering with workable alternatives and ways to keep public assets robust and self-sustaining; sending in disrupters who may engage in obvious power plays (“steering committee” grabs) and divide and conquer techniques (they may also use the CIA/FBI COINTELPRO tactics of promoting unworkable bureaucracy), and, for the longer term, sending in “pivot people” (and information collectors) who will be regarded as helping until their numbers build sufficiently for a flip in tactics/board control/etc; buy influence and position within the entity with appreciable donations, co-opting the goal-and-purpose language of the entity, which can also include redefining that language into less meaningful watered down expressions of purpose; set up astro-turf alternatives and competition.  We leave this list open for more thought and additions.

Effective Directing of Resources For Good Influence.  (Part 1- Saturday, February 25th at 4:00 PM-  Listen to or watch the Recording HERE using the Passcode:*+G&6Z8* Part 2- Will be Sunday March 26th at 4:00 PM,  see the CDL Calendar for March 26 for Zoom meeting sign on information.)
You are paying at your pharmacy’s cash register, and the screen to confirm your payment asks whether you want to ‘round up’ your payment to make a donation their charity. Answer: No!- Why would you want a pharmacy chain with probably too many connections to Big Pharma, corporations and the medical establishment to be directing your money to where they want it to go?  A candidate is running for office: Do you donate to their campaign?  Maybe, if it qualifies them to get into debates where they are going to force discussion of certain issues.  In a flood of emails you are asked to donate again to a political party: Do you do it?  And have your money be the tail on a dog funded by lots of mega-corporations? Don’t think so!  Similarly, stopped on the street, you are asked to donate to save animals, protect the environment, or children via a charity that’s backed by big business conglomerates while parking political operatives at high-profile salaries.  Where do you put your money to influence the world for the better? Jane Mayer reported that the Koch brother’s decided to put their money into causes first, rather than politicians who could flip on them. What about sending some of your money and resources to WBAI and Pacifica for the influence it can have on the world?  Next question, when resources come into WBAI and Pacifica, how can they best be directed within the Pacifica environment?; to improve programming attracting a bigger audience, or to promote the good shows already here?. . Maybe paying for social media promotion that might be quashed by Big tech algorithms?  There is a lot up for discussion in a two-part WBAI Town Hall.

Music Programming on WBAI and Pacifica Stations.  Sometimes some of our biggest radio listening audiences, often along with reliably sizable donations come in from music programs.  But music comes in such variety. .   what music should best make its way onto our airwaves and how much should be played of all varieties to make way for all the richness that is available?  Furthermore, isn’t music deeply imbued with cultural message?  In this regard, should we now ask: Where have all the anti-war songs gone?  The protest songs?  Are they still being written?  Or should music perhaps be a justifiable and carefree respite and refuge from the blocks of talk radio Pacifica programs where we assiduously exercise our consciences searching for solutions for the world’s societal problems and what own role should be in pursuing such solutions?  Other questions: Should we strive to feature, perhaps prioritize: local talent?; live performances?; new current era music vs. music that, like the oft revered American Song Book or the nostalgic oldies you hear played in supermarkets, have withstood the test of time becoming familiar airs?  
              
Improving WBAI and Pacifica Reputation and Brand. Do WBAI and Pacifica suffer from “reputational handicap.”  Do our stations have a reputation for lack of professionalism?  Does our democratic, grass roots governance structure mean we have reputations for destructive infighting, and if so, is this inevitable or available?   Do we undermine the free speech radio brand we seek to promote with signals that we only tolerate a narrow range of discourse?  Are we viewed as a welcoming home to, and reliable platform for, new, different and a wide range of voices that can provide alternatives to the corporate media?  Or are we hobbled by uncertainties about that?  If our reputation handicaps us, it can dissuade people, potential show hosts and producers, from bringing programs, messages and content to WBAI’s air.  Similarly, it can limit our pool of applicants for those who might work at the station or network.  It can drive away potential LSB board members or others who might be willing to contribute constructively in different ways to WBAI’s and Pacifica’s governance.  It can intimidate people who might step up to provide special fundraising premiums based on their work.  It can scare away potential contributors who could be making donations. Listeners may not then have a positive and clear perception of the WBAI brand, plus it may interfere with a full spectrum of good feelings about the station as a welcoming community. It can foster the idea that WBAI and Pacifica have no future.  Robust disagreement and debates between friends and allies is valuable.  It can even be friendly.  Alternative media can be a very big tent without ever retreading any of the corporate media narratives. But are we instead suffering from the effects of divide and conquer?  If so, what do we do to improve our brand and reputation.

WBAI and Pacifica Stepping Into The Breach As We Increasingly See More Internet Censorship.  If we are free speech radio, do we find that our most valuable content for the airwaves will be in inverse proportion to that which is censored?  Maybe that’s always been the case, but is it possible that the increasingly blatant censorship of the internet coming from Big Tech as an arm of government gives WBAI and Pacifica a perfect opportunity to strengthen, burnish and promote our brand?  And doesn’t it mean that the areas where there has been the most intense censorship is exactly where we should step in with flourish.  With the RT takedown much valuable alternative media programming was banished and disappeared, including our own “Chris Hedges On Contact” program.  Chris Hedges is one area where we stepped into the breach to broadcast a new resurrected version of Hedges’ weekly broadcast.  That’s something we can toot our horn about! It’s an age-old story with us that anti-war content, and content about promoting peace, have been intensely censored and squelched in our mainstream corporate media.  Likewise, criticism of capitalism and information about systematic racism, particularly the forms it takes with our police and in our prisons.  What else is high on the censorship list these days? It would seem at least the following: The conduct of the Israeli state in occupied Palestine, the topic of Big Pharma’s influence and the reliability of related Covid issue narratives, certainly now discussion about Ukraine and NATO, the topic of Big tech and authoritarian censorship itself, and now getting onto the list is the question of whether the U.S. is in a “recession.”  Participants in the discussion can probably add to the list.  Participants are also free to argue that they think certain points of view, or people they might identify, should be censored or “curated” off the air.  Most important is whether WBAI and Pacifica are stepping up to meet and take advantage of the challenges and opportunities here.

Brooklyn Public Library Opens Shrunken, Sunken Library At Downtown Brooklyn Site of What Was Once Brooklyn Second Biggest and Most Important Library

BPL President Linda Johnson there at the shrunken sunken library opening to greet the public

Today at exactly 1:00 PM the Brooklyn Public Library opened the shrunken, sunken library that at the site of what was once the downtown Brooklyn Heights Library.  The Brooklyn Heights Library, centrally located in Brooklyn’s downtown business district was Brooklyn second biggest and most important library.

The library that opened today will not be a Business Library, a Career Library, and Education Library, or a federal depository library, all of which the former library with many more books was.  The new library’s most toutable feature is that it has some very high ceilings.  These high ceiling serves to boost the luxury apartments in the tower above it up high above the homes of neighbors.  It’s a symbol and a message that some folk should be boosted up over others in the community.  That goes along with the reason that in this shrink-and-sink deal the library’s publicly owned real estate assets were sold off to create the luxury tower.

The air conditioning in the new library also works.  That’s something people will appreciate.  They refused to fix the air conditioning in the former library as an excuse to sell it.

When the old library was sold, the public was told a new library would “replace” it in three years.  The former library shut down back in July of 2016.  You could actually say that it was subject to a long slow gradual shutdown that started way before that, long before books were being removed by the truckload in June 2016.  The trees were removed from outside the closed library in February 2017.  Today’s date is June 8, 2022.  So how long a wait did it actually take to open this one?  That’s notwithstanding that the luxury tower in which the library is housed didn’t stop construction during Covid under the pretext that the luxury tower should be considered affordable housing according to the shutdown rules.

The public’s 1:00 PM admission to the library was after a 12:00 Noon Ribbon Cutting ceremony.  That Ribbon Cutting ceremony was private and just fro the invited.

When we asked developer David Kramer (picture below) if Bruce [Ratner] was there, he said, “Of course” and then went on to say that Ratner had not actually benefitted financially from the sale of the library as he said that Citizens Defending Libraries reported.  Ratner’s company owned the adjacent real estate, which had to participate in a combining of zoning lots that allowed the Saint Ann’s School to get a financial windfall selling its air rights for building of the new luxury tower.  We guess that what Mr. Kramer meant is that Mr. Ratner and his companies did a favor for the real estate industry here with no direct, discernible, and traceable quid pro quo. 

We heard that the button to operate the front door for exiting handicapped people was observed to be not working.  Oh, my,- . . .  maybe they will have to sell this library and downgrade to a smaller library to pay to have electronics for working buttons?

When we asked developer David Kramer (picture above) if Bruce [Ratner] was at the private ribbon cutting, he said, “Of course” and then went on to say that Ratner had not actually benefitted financially from the sale of the library as he said that Citizens Defending Libraries reported.  Ratner’s company owned the adjacent real estate, which had to participate in a combining of zoning lots that allowed the Saint Ann’s School to get a financial windfall selling its air rights for building of the new luxury tower.  We guess that what Mr. Kramer meant is that Mr. Ratner and his companies did a favor for the real estate industry here with no direct, discernible, and traceable quid pro quo.