There are some people whom I do not trust on the Pacifica National Board (PNB), but I really think most PNB members and Local Station Board members (at least for KPFT), even ones who often vote differently than I’d like, want to do their best to help Pacifica. But it’s difficult to know how to vote, especially the first year on the PNB, being bombarded with so much misinformation and rhetoric. (Those of you not on the PNB may not realize the PNB members get way more than even what’s on these Pacifica e-mail lists.)
It often boils down to whom do you trust, especially the first year on the board, because there are plausible-sounding justifications for voting just about any way on any issue. Sometimes we make mistakes regarding the trustworthiness of various individuals. I’ve found that some people who are polite can’t be trusted, while some who misbehave regularly can be right. So you can’t determine trustworthiness by watching who’s polite and who isn’t.
During the three years I was on the PNB, and the three years before that when I was on some national committees, I found a good indicator of trust was how people voted, as opposed to what they said. Some people consistently voted for financial responsibility motions (balanced budgets, ensuring spending did not exceed revenues, etc.) Other people voted against such motions, or did things which just prevented or slowed down action by the PNB or our National Office. On any individual motion, I could understand that someone might have an individual specific reason to vote differently than I did. But when they consistently voted against financial responsibility or for improving operations, even while saying good-sounding justifications, I gradually learned who I could trust and who I could not.
Summer was one of those people I learned to trust. We had some differences over minor things, over how certain things should be done, but not in what needed to be done. But I found that over and over, especially in committees where she could vote and discuss matters in detail (rather than when she was chairing PNB meetings where she generally did not vote except to break ties), she consistently pushed for, and voted for, measures to improve financial responsibility and accountability and to improve Pacifica’s operations. When Arlene [Englehardt] and LaVarn [Williams] were there (which they were for most of the time I was on the PNB and I directly saw Summer in action), Summer pushed for responsible leadership in our stations.
Summer pushed hard for cleaning up deficiencies noted by our auditor (many of them repeat deficiencies), she wanted things put in contracts that would best protect Pacifica, etc. She wanted questionable financial dealings eliminated, including waste and cronyism, and pushed when it took too long to make that happen (often due to other board members trying to protect the status quo, which still seems to happen a lot). She put up with all kinds of undeserved insults and resistance from people at her station (KPFK) who wanted to keep things the way that they were and who wanted their friends kept on the payroll.
I know her enemies have brought up other matters in attempts to smear her, but all the ones I’ve seen/heard (and I think I’ve heard them all) are minor items with logical explanations. If anyone on the PNB has concerns about Summer’s qualifications as ED, then they should bring them up before the entire PNB for consideration (in executive session, where personnel matters can be discussed openly), rather than talking selectively to certain board members and leaking often greatly exaggerated information out of context in attempts to make Summer look bad.
3-27-14
Bill Crosier served on KPFT's LSB from 2007-2012 (6 years), was vice chair of KPFT's LSB the first year and chair the next two years. He sat on the PNB (and was vice chair of it) the last
3 years (2010-2012). He was also on multiple Pacifica national committees each year and chaired some of those.
