Promises Made--That Will be Kept

Promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.

When I ran for the KBOO Board in 2000, and recently was voted unanimously to serve on the present KBOO Board, I made promises that I intended and still intend to keep. My platform then in 2000 was the same as the recent one in answering the questions put to me by the KBOO Board.

My motive in coming to KBOO was never programming in terms of my own program. I am a teacher and lecture all over the world and did/do not need a megaphone. I am heartened, however,  by the support that we never solicited, but nonetheless got, from listeners to Mitakuye Oyasin in Russia, Italy, Turkey, Denmark and other countries. My motive was to try to nurture at least one place on the bandwithdth where the voices of the "nobodies", "nameless", "voiceless", "outcasts", "renegades", the most oppressed, those with whom I cast my lot long ago, could be heard, and, where questions that the likes of the New York Times or Washington Post would never pose could and would be posed. I am also very mindful always of the sacrifices made by KBOO volunteers and supporters, who often give so much when earning and having so little, and who have every right to expect that the station will be run for and represent them and that no funds, or precious air time, will be squandered by backroom cliques, petty megalomaniacs, narcissists, empire builders, crony networks, backroom cabals and other types that infest so much of the so-called "progressive left" and that have caused and are causing the implosions of many co-op radio stations (do a Google search).

Imagine going to a meeting and being told by the temporary or whatever "chairperson" that, in reference to  the title of our show, Mitakuye Oyasin, that has been on KBOO since 1994, this person has a hard time with "foreign languages and names" and thus "will not even try to pronounce the words" in this "foreign language" of  Lakota, or even inquire what the words mean. How is this possible for anyone in this day and age to be so blatant about their obvious willful ignorance of what it means to hear an Indigenous language referred to as a "foreign language"--a typical Eurocentric settler mentality. 

Imagine that 15 minutes are simply ordered by some temporary chairperson, and this person  takes up some of it with what appears to be pure filibustering,  to hear documented facts that were never considered, in lieu of the provable falsehoods taken without opportunity for rebuttal that were taken (and when the proved falsehoods were known and documented  after a decision was made, but not yet implemented), to summarily cancel Mitakuye Oyasin over any and all protests, and, with clear proof that the "facts" critical to a decision taken were not facts at all. Instead of admitting and correcting the errors and very problematic management practices that almost all admit took place, with plain refusal to even seek the views of all sides of an issue by all who will be impacted by a decision to cancel Mitakuye Oyasin before making the decision, the insult and disrespect, and apparent cover-up and face-saving,  continues with this temporary chairperson summarily "ordering" that Mitakuye Oyasin is on "probation" ("we will be listening carefully--good maybe she will learn how to pronounce in that "foreign language" and what the words mean) for four weeks (during pledge weeks) and then will review the documents that were already presented to, and summarily rejected without cause by,  the person who already made and implemented the decision under appeal; but somehow all of this was somehow "new" to this advisory body that claim not to have been involved in the decision  to cancel Mitakuye Oyasin.

All over the world, petty tyrants, megalomaniacs,toxic psychopaths, smug and entitled "elites", and divas of all sorts are under siege by the vicissitudes of the system and the reactions of the masses to them. The world is shaking, and such types are quaking, and with the technologies of destruction of the whole planet that exist, we simply cannot afford unchecked, non-transparent, non-accountable power especially in the hands of petty despots, often afraid of an "outside world" in which they would likely be unemployable and in deep trouble if they had to actually compete for work and meet standards and demonstrate skills  that the masses of people have to demonstrate every day. When push comes to shove there is simply not much demand for self-important divas, petty tyrants and small-frog-in-a-tiny-pond posturers and posers as they typically not only parasitically live off the talents and sweat of others, while really producing nothing but toxicity and mayhem, but worse, they actually interfere with those who really do produce something of value. Mitakuye Oyasin has always stood as a kind of flashlight and microscope/macroscope on all forms of oppression no matter where, by whom, against whom without fear or favor. 

So here were and are my promises to KBOO members and that I intend to keep if possible.

Greetings to potential board candidates-

Below are a few questions I have. I appreciate the time you take to respond to them. Please be sure to respond so that all board members can see your response. I have also included the staff members on this since I am not clear still on who is doing what with the board in taking over station manager responsibilities.

Thanks much.

judy
 

1) Now that we are at the point of not having a station manager, how would go about pursuing a restructuring of KBOO?

 
If I am appointed to the Board my first task is to thoroughly investigate for myself all that was involved in personnel changes and leavings including the stated reasons, allegations about supposed real reasons, the arguments for and against removal of someone in particular and the elimination of the manager position in general, present imperatives and demands on KBOO resources, present and possibly new resources to meet those imperatives and demands, etc. I am interested in transparency and accountability for the use of every hard-earned and hard-sacrificed dollar of members that is donated in trust and with the trust that monies will be used wisely. I am also concerrned with full honesty as any kinds of cover-ups, untrue statements or backroom machinations (no allegations by me only addressing some perceptions that do exist) inevitably generate more of the same (cover-ups of cover-ups) and may threaten the existence and license of KBOO which if lost, means everything else about KBOO is moot. If someone leaves KBOO the real reasons need not necessarily be disclosed and under law cannot be disclosed in some areas about some issues, but all representations to government agencies must be complete and honest to avoid any threat of a fraud charge against KBOO. As an economist I know that not all costs or revenues are equal and costs and revenues are interrelated: 1) some costs are necessary to avoid bigger costs (car maintenance); 2) some costs generate and lock-in other future costs (like buying a house); 3) some costs are one-shot and relatively neutral with respect to reducing or increasing other costs; 4) some costs are fundamental to generating any increased revenues and standing for KBOO; 5) some kinds of wasteful costs generate other costs (litigation and consultants); 6) some methods of gaining revneues lower future revenues and add to future costs (fraudulent or abusive practices); 7) some methods of gaining revenues generate more future revenues, enhanced standing for KBOO and reduce future costs; I would look at all costs and potential sources of revenue/standing for KBOO "holisitically". Some structure and organization, with the right people occupying the right positions, is necessary for KBOO's survival and ability to deal with other structures and organizations. I would also look at the decision not to have a station manager and ask to understand the exact rationale, evidence, and purported implications of that position not to automatically question the decision but to understand it so as to be on guard for any possible negative blowback from the decision in the future proactively and not reactively when and if such blowback might occur.  

What do you see as KBOO's most pressing challenges and how as a board member would you try to address these challenges?

 
1) perception by some, enough people to worry, that KBOO has become a nest of dysfunction and toxicity that is costing membership, membership participation and donations; 2) KBOO's fiscal situation and posture at present and in the future in tough economic times; 3) right-wing monitoring of KBOO and longstanding attempts to cause the demise of KBOO and takeover of the station and frequency which is a discrete and legally sanctioned-created monopoly on that niche of the broad spectrum of the people's airwaves; 4) a perception of individuals putting personal agenda, egos, past and present inter-personal hostilities and feuds, various forms of selfishness and myopia ahead of the collective needs and survival of KBOO and in some cases putting KBOO and its license at risk; 5) a perceived lack of comprehensive and strategic planning (which is about a lot more than merely listing goals and priorities); 6) a perceived lack of transparency and accountability on part of some of staff and membership; 7) a perceived lack of holistic vision vis-a-vis essential compents and interrelationships among parts, aspects, values, vision, mission and resources of KBOO; 8) a perceived lack of equal and non-disparate treatment of staff and membership in terms of due process, programming issues and time allocations etc. 9) increased proliferation in the types, sophistication, diversity and numbers of alternatives to KBOO programming competing for over-worked and time limited listeners; 10) making sure that all who work as volunteers or staff are competent at what they do and that they add more to KBOO than they take or cost; 11) appreciating and cultivating the potential synergy (energy embodied in interrelationships and synchronicity--if attained--of parts or elements of KBOO: programming, leadership, engineering, facilities and equipment, volunteers, donations, management, finance, conflict resolution, safety, outreach, community relations, strategic planning, competitive posture, etc);    

What is your view of KBOO's House Rules and what do you see its role to be at the station?

 
The House Rules make sense if applied without fear or favor to anyone and if applied with full due process for all involved in any disputes. It is a difficult balance to one the one hand appreciate, cultivate and recruit for diversity and appreciate the uniqueness of individuals and types of backgrounds form which they come, which often involves prounounced differences on a wide range of issues such as individual rights and acceptable forms of expression while yet on the other hand having some rules and procedures for creating an environment in which all may feel safe, welcomed and free of any forms of harassment, intimidation, or any form of discrimination sometimes passed off as "That is just me being me" or "In my way and culture my behavior is acceptable no matter how anyone else may feel about it..." I believe that in all disputes there must be as much transparency as possible, each person treated with full due process and respect, minimization of destructive and corrosive backbiting, respect for privacy rights of the parties involved and to be free of pre-judgment and also protection of the privacy of the membership list, financial data on all members, with options by members to buy in or not buy in to being contacted by any other members for issues of interest to all at KBOO. 
 
KBOO has the potential to become a beacon of sanity, reason, evidence, resources and diverse perspectives unmatched anywhere else on any mainstream media. To do this, to be a true collective, the same, sanity, reason, evidence, debate must be what is going on at KBOO and all at KBOO, who derive benefits from that collective, must respect the need to protect that collective from anyone or any forces who would destroy it under whatever pretexts or sincerely expressed rationales; some threats are internal others are external to KBOO. I simply believe in: a) no benefits without costs and risks; b) no rights without responsibilities and accountability for the exercise of those rights on the rights of others; c) no power/position/pay/perks without proportionate accountability; but also no accountability without proportionate potential to affect that for which one is being held accountable; d) ull transparency and democracy in the selection and retention of Board members and hiring/retention of Staff--consistent with law; e) respect for an most efficient uses of the hard-earned and hard-sacrificed time and money of the membership; f) processes for resolution of conflicts that do not "kill the patient to cure the disease" and that allow for some redemption and corrections to behaviors properly, with full due process, found to be problematic (if possible and warranted).
    
 
Jim Craven/Omahkohkiaayo i'poyi
 

Greetings to potential board candidates-
 

Below are a few questions I have. I appreciate the time you take to respond to them. Please be sure to respond so that all board members can see your response. I have also included the staff members on this since I am not clear still on who is doing what with the board in taking over station manager responsibilities.
 

Thanks much.
 

judy

Now that we are at the point of not having a station manager, how would go about pursuing a restructuring of KBOO?

What do you see as KBOO's most pressing challenges and how as a board member would you try to address these challenges?

What is your view of KBOO's House Rules and what do you see its role to be at the station?
 




 

Comments

what a sense of entitlement

Your attitude of entitlement to a program, and your diatribe are astonishing. I doubt this radio station owes you anything. You sound like a nut case.

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