By Frank Sterling

I was astonished to read the latest edition of Save KPFA and its attack on local station board member Janet Kobren. As we all may have heard, the $400,000 bequest left to the Pacifica Foundation was almost grabbed by KPFA for its sole use.

So who has sunk to the “new low” of “sleazy politics”, the person who has pointed out the mistake or the people who show their greed by hoarding the money for themselves to dole it out as they see fit? And their intense expression of hatred and vitriol for a person whose fiduciary duty it is to oversee funds for our network and who pointed out the mistake.

Pacifica is A network. WE ARE ALL ONE. We here at KPFA… listeners.. staff paid and unpaid, of course we want it to survive and thrive…but we have to remember that all around the country their are four other stations that are other people’s KPFA’s. They are WBAI-FM,  KPFT-FM, KPFK-FM, and WPFW-FM. As much as we care about KPFA there are other like minded people who care equally about their local community radio stations. And at a time when the network was in need of funds to maintain operations, pay for required audits and finance an election, this bequest was most needed. But money hungry-people within KPFA withheld these funds and doled them out as they saw fit..

The Save KPFA article mentions the fact that the KPFA website states to make checks payable to The Pacifica Foundation which is true, but they fail to mention that in the same sentence it clearly states to add “fbo” “for the benefit of” KPFA. Which was not done. here is a copy and paste for the first two paragraphs of kpfa.org’s website on legacy giving…

PERCENTAGE: ‘I give, devise and bequeath to Pacifica Foundation, fbo KPFA Radio, a non-profit corporation of the State of California, located at 1929 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, ____% of my estate‘

SPECIFIC: ‘I give, devise and bequeath to Pacifica Foundation, fbo KPFA Radio, a non-profit corporation of the State of California, located at 1929 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, (1) the sum of $__________ (2)__________shares of stock in __________ Company (3) my real property commonly known as ___________.‘

Part of the confusion may have been caused by the new wording contained above, as it differs from the past wording that was on the old website earlier this year. Below is the information from the kpfa.org website earlier this year before the switch to our new kpfa.org as you will see, not one mention of “Pacifica”:

Create Your Own Legacy

Keeping KPFA alive in the future:

Home > Support KPFA Today > Create Your Own Legacy

Posted 02.17.15 by KPFA

THE WORLD OF PLANNED GIVING

Making a difference is important. Charitable giving to further your core values can be an important part of your life. Like many people, you’d like to know that the causes and organizations you care about today will continue to thrive in the future. The good news is you don’t have to be Andrew Carnegie or Bill Gates to start a meaningful philanthropic legacy. In addition to supporting the work of KPFA through cash donations, consider making a planned gift.

WHAT IS LEGACY GIVING?

Legacy giving benefits KPFA and the cause of social and economic justice. Have you ever made a vehicle donation to benefit your KPFA or another favorite organization? If you have, you know that transferring assets is easy and it can provide tax benefits as well. Simply put, “planned giving” is the transfer of assets to a designated nonprofit organization during your lifetime or as part of an estate plan. This forward- thinking approach to giving is “planned” because often these assets are not liquid, have tax consequences and are generally transferred via a will or other written means.

IT’S EASY

Planned giving is easy to do and you don’t have to be wealthy to do it. Whether it is naming your KPFA in your will or trust for a modest amount, or a gift of house and property, there is an easy option that is right for you.

IT CAN INVOLVE ASSETS YOU MIGHT NEVER THINK OF

A life insurance policy. Real estate. Stocks. Business holdings. A checking or savings account. Your IRA. These are all assets that can be leveraged in planned gifts. We’ll pass on your cat.

IT CAN GENERATE AN INCOME STREAM FOR KPFA

Your donation can give KPFA income on a yearly or monthly basis. It’s like a subscription that stretches long into the future.

IT CAN PROVIDE GENEROUS TAX BENEFITS

Depending upon the type of gift, short-term and/or long-term tax benefits may apply. Donors at a variety of income levels can benefit. Be sure to consult with your financial or estate planner for more specifics.

Save KPFA also cites the giving history of the person leaving the bequest as all going to KPFA..But what is the history of that person dying and leaving money? Is it possible this person wanted to help the network? Is it possible this person saw a nationwide need for community radio? There is a long list of people and organizations receiving funds from this estate including $400,000.00 going to Democracy Now. Who is to speak for the dead and say this was solely for KPFA?

I ask why these angry LSB members and their undignified responses to this mistake are so greedy that they would not want to help the network. Why would they be so abusive and mean to someone they work together with, especially having signed a “unity pledge.” In fact, I have never worked with a more angry and abusive group of people in my time at KPFA than some of the people on the local station board which you heard from in the Save KPFA article and during the last KPFA local station board meeting.

In the end, a good amount was shared with the other stations, but we should note that when we… KPFA … doled out these funds, most of it was in the form of “loans” to other stations in the network. Now at least these other struggling stations in our beloved network won’t have to pay back those so-called loans..

Finally I will add that I am bothered by the use of the terms “a new low” and “sleazy politics” in response to this directors inspection. Also the title of the article “UCR member Janet Kobren costs KPFA $400,000.

This seems to be the same “low” and same “sleazy politics” that come from the group “Save KPFA” that created a shadow non profit corporation “The KPFA Foundation” to receive the KPFA radio license in case the Pacifica Network fails, – the same Pacifica they would have withheld the funds from if it weren’t for this director’s inspection.

Janet Kobren has worked hard to do her very best for KPFA as a local station board member and equally so as a national representative looking out for the good of the network and to attack her in this way is the “low” and is the “sleaze”..

Frank Sterling, KPFA LSB Staff Rep.