[Kzyxtalk] Kzyxtalk Digest, Vol 13, Issue 20

[Dennis OBrien]

Thanks to Cindy for the suggestions.  The current process includes a 400 word statement from each candidate being sent to each member along with a ballot, sometime in March.  However, your post inspired me to contact the Election Coordinator, Stuart Campbell, and ask him to post all of the candidate statements on the KZYX website immediately.  This would get the information out there at the beginning of the campaign and foster a discussion among the members and the public.  No response yet.  I have copied mine below; perhaps other candidates can voluntarily share their statements.
It now appears that an independent effort to contact all the members using the mailing list will be too expensive, about $1800 for a single page.  It will be a better use of our time, energy, and resources to send letters to the editors of our local publications while using various email lists and social media to continue the discussion and help get the word out.  There may also be informal gatherings and appearances on community access television and radio.
Thoughtful analysis and suggestions like Cindy's are what this campaign needs:  "MCPB/KZYX should embrace this opportunity to participate in democracy, as well as encourage the checks and balance that a truly representative Board of Directors provides, by providing its membership the information they need (in a fair and balanced manner) that encourages all to participate in electing their representatives."

Thanks,Denny

Candidate Statement, Dennis O'Brien:
“MCPB is a membership-basedorganization dedicated to serving the entire community of Mendocino County andcontiguous counties. The primary purpose of MCPB is to engage in providinghigh-quality, independent, community and public radio and other media productsand services.” – The Bylaws I am a retired lawyer who has helpedmany nonprofits.  While a board member atthe Mendocino Environmental Center, I helped obtain the FCC license forKMEC-LP.  I am very familiar with therules concerning membership nonprofits and public radio. I believe in nonviolentcommunication.  It is possible to opposesomeone without calling them names or demeaning their character.  I will focus on policies and procedures,actions and their consequences, rather than personalities. I have heard many proposals forchange at KZYX the past two years.  Theyfall into four areas: Freedom of Expression:  No one will be disciplined for expressingtheir opinions on or off the air.  (Legalrestrictions, e.g., certain words during the daytime, will still apply.)  There will be freedom of communicationbetween and among the programmers, staff, management, directors, members, andthe public. Open Governance:  All policy decisions will be made by theBoard of Directors.  Directors will have access to any and all informationand documents.  Members will have access to all records unlessconfidentiality is required by law. Decentralized Power:  Final say on personnel matters will be withthe Board of Directors, not the General Manager.  Final say on programming decisions will bewith a Programming Council, not the Program Director.  The Council’s process will be open andresponsive to the listening community.  TheNews Director/Department will be independent of the GM and PD. Engagement with Members/Public:  The Board and Staff will respond to questionsand comments at board meetings as time permits.  The Community Advisory Board will beindependent and reflect the diversity of the listening community, with regularmeetings open to the public.  The Boardand Staff will implement the recent CAB recommendation for regular call-inshows. Each of these can be a policy changeand/or submitted to the membership as a bylaw change. The current policies concentratepower in the General Manager and Program Director.  Every problem I have heard seems to come fromthis concentration and the efforts of the present board to protect it.  Please support me in trying to reinvigorateKZYX by making these essential changes in policy.  Thank you. (To join the discussion, go to http://lists.mcn.org/mailman/listinfo/kzyxtalk)
[End of statement]

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2015 16:52:24 -0800
From: Cindy Swan <cswan at willitsonline.com>
Subject: Re: [Kzyxtalk] Nonviolent Communication
To: Dennis OBrien <dennisobrien at sharejerusalem.com>,
    kzyxtalk at lists.mcn.org
Message-ID: <47D681CC-7537-471E-BF91-49E7C4350074 at willitsonline.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"

Thank you, Denny.

I would like to see the MCPB Board provide a 
voter information packet for the upcoming election
much like the County and the State of CA do,
with inclusion of ?Candidate?s Statements?
in their ballot mailing.

This would allow a one-page, min. 12 pt font,
no more than 500 word  statement from each candidate
that introduces themselves to the electorate
via providing a clear synopsis of their values,
principles and what they hope to bring to the Board
as a representative of their particular voting district.

(I offer Denny's one-page ?Summary of Current Proposals
For Change at MCPB/KZYX? as an example.
It gives the reader a clear sense of how Mr. O'Brian, as a Board Member,
would approach fulfilling the station?s mission statement.)

As there are three seats open, with two candidates each,
this task could be accomplished with three double-sided
pieces of paper included in the ballot mailing.

ALL candidates statements should be included in the ballot mailing,
==> with the candidate choices 
for the district that the member resides 
in highlighted in yellow
on the ballot
so that the member is clearly instructed as to 
which candidates they can vote for.
(i.e. 2nd & 5th District residents 
can vote for both
a ?district" representative, as well as an ?at-large? representative;
while 1st, 3rd, and 4th Districts 
can only cast one vote:
for an ?at-large? representative 
in the upcoming election . . . correct?)

This is easily done with a highlighter pen
and avoids extra cost/time/trouble
of printing and sending out 
ballots specific to individual districts.
?You are eligible to vote for one of the
candidates in Your District (highlighted below)
as well as an ?At-Large? representative
in this election. . . please contact
Stuart Campbell, election coordinator,
at this number 707-###-#### 
if you are NOT a resident of the District highlighted,
and you will be sent a new ballot" 
should suffice.

This approach 
most importantly
provides your voting membership 
with the information they need
to make a (more) educated decision,
and avoids the politicalization 
(i.e. polarization/bullying nature of
the current discussion regarding
membership list access, separate mailings, etc.)

Mendocino County is vast,
and its public disconnected by great distance,
making it difficult for listeners to get to know
who the candidates are and what they represent.
Many 
working voters simply do not have the time
to listen to candidate?s forums on-the-air,
(and, unfortunately, a lot of mis-trust has been generated
in the station?s democratic process recently).
Others 
do not vote at all, as they do not recognize
the names on their ballots.
Hence, the historically low voter participation
in the process of electing board members.

Yet the Board is primarily tasked with being 
the representative body for the Community 
in the decision-making process,
and leading the station into the future . . .

MCPB/KZYX should embrace this opportunity
to participate in democracy,
as well as encourage the ?checks and balance?
that a truly representative Board of Directors provides,
==> by providing its membership the information they need
(in a fair and balanced manner) that encourages all
to participate in electing their representatives.


Holly? Jane? Meg? Stuart? What say You on this issue?

Democratically yours,
~C.

P.S. Another reading recommendation:
Slow Democracy: Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decision Making Back Home 
by Susan Clark.





   
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