[Kzyxtalk] KZYX Public Comment

[Scott Peterson]

My name is Scott M. Peterson. I live in Mendocino. I’m writing today as a member of the public.


						Over the past two years, I’ve been looking at nonprofits. There are 1.5 million in the United
States today. Only twenty-five — that I could find — have written policies to hide Form 990 tax
returns from governing board members. And only one — in the entire country — has kept that
policy for five years running. That’s Mendocino County Public Broadcasting.



						I’ve also been looking at State and Federal filings. For MCPB. All of them public records. At the
Registry of Charitable Trusts. And the National Center for Charitable Statistics. All of those
records were filed under penalty of perjury. By MCPB management.



						What I found were discrepancies. About audited financial statements. That appear on the MCPB
website. That MCPB management swears were never done. Five years in a row. I found that on
State filings. And Federal filings.



						I found that Form 990 tax returns were being hidden. From voting board members. Along with
governing documents. Kept away from the organization. And the public. By MCPB
management.



						I’ve also reported this information. Repeatedly. In the local newspaper. And the KZYX talk
newsgroup. Along with links. To the documents that were hidden.



						The substance of my reports has never been challenged.



						A few weeks ago I contacted management. An officer of the board. I don’t want to mention any
names. Because this isn’t about people. It’s about policy. And I asked one simple question. What
is the purpose of this policy? To hide Form 990 tax returns. And governing documents. From
anyone. I never got an answer.



						MCPB’s largest single supporter is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Hiding Form 990
tax returns is against their policy. So is hiding governing documents. Not only that. It’s against
MCPB policy. As stated on the MCPB website.



						Here’s the most disturbing part. Hiding that information is reported as MCPB policy. On Form
990 tax returns. Filed under penalty of perjury. For five years in a row. 


						MCPB is a public radio station. Not a military intelligence operation. There’s no good reason for
this policy. So it should be repudiated. By each and every board member. In public.



						The open policy should adopted. With signatures. And dates. By each and every board member.
And then filed with amended Form 990 tax returns. With the State. And the IRS. For the last five
years.



					
				
			
		
		
			
				
					
						Before that, an auditor should be brought in. To authenticate the audits on MCPB’s website. With
a signature. Under penalty of perjury. So that can be amended too.




						If the auditor can’t authenticate those audits, the authorities should be contacted. And a
complaint should be filed. Followed by an investigation. To find out where those audits came
from. And who did them.




						If those audits are forgeries, the person responsible should be prosecuted. To the fullest extent of
the law.


						But if they’re genuine, that should be reflected on MCPB’s Form 990 tax returns. And State
filings. But either way, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting should be notified. And furnished
with authenticated audits.


						To preserve MCPB. And its open policies.


Thank you. 









					
				
			
		 		 	   		   		 	   		  
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