From: Marc Cooper
To: Steve Yasko
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 8:45 PM
Subject: From Marc
Steve: I have been around Pacifica Radio for more than 20 years (most of them as an observer fortunately) and I have seen it produce a bumper crop of mediocrities and incompetents. But I have to say, your handling -- better, mishandling-- of your purview is simply breathtaking. I think it only proper to remind you that back in the first days of February, when we met in Mark Schubb's office, already a month into Amy's signing off from the "fired and banned," I told you directly that if it continued to go on unabated it would blow up the network. Your answer was to mumble something inane about "censorship."
Well, congratulations. Here we are six months later, and you and Bessie have driven the network into the ground. I have no need here to list any of the outrages that have been created by three factors: Amy's outrageousness, your inability to manage, and the network's propensity for MIS-management when the messes it creates finally boil over.
We sit in Los Angeles .. what? Some fifteen days into the latest crisis you have let spin out of control, and we get nothing, zilch, nada from you.
Try to remember that it is actually those of us with talent who pay your bills and keep you employed. But you apparently feel no need to keep us informed -- daily-- as to the progress (SIC) of what is happening. But then again, even that thought presupposes you have any sort of strategy in the first place.
Instead, we get that painfully embarrassing load of crap in the Washington Post in which Bessie is quoted chiding KPFK of all places. You and Bessie have managed to destory what little support you had. When I tried to deal with you like an adult a few months ago and when I reminded you that alienating me would cost the network $350,000 a year, your terribly insulting and childish reply was that I should up take up my grievances with Amy.
At least Amy earns her own way. And you? What exactly are your contributions to this network, other than your travel re-imbursement invoices?
Saul Landau, who stuck his neck WAY out for Pacifica has now very wisely withdrawn his support. You guys even managed to screw up what help you had with AFTRA. After a proper agreement was struck with them, the morons who run WBAI -- with no scrutiny from Pacifica-- then went on to the air to gloat over Amy and now you have AFTRA supporting her demand to broadcast from off-site. I am sure it makes absolutely no difference to you, but I feel compelled to let you know that it is you, Steve, and your genius boss Bessie, much more than Amy that has obligated me to cut my schedule at KPFK in half. I can't imagine that I will even maintain that schedule for much longer -- there's only so much intellectual insult anyone can take. To come back to that meeting with you last February: at the end of it, when you expressed your impotence vis a vis Amy, I told you rather angrily that you were a "dead man walking" i.e. that you had just destroyed your own chance of survival in the network. Obviously, I was correct. You have no future and you have helped make sure the network has the same dismal fate.
The least you can do at this point is resign. In fact, it is an insult to all of us that you have not yet done so. I have not publically spoken out on the issue. You and Bessie have made that impossible as I do not know a single functioning human being that wants to be associated with the toxic mess you have generated.
I am sure you are busy job hunting, because even you must sense the ensuing disaster. But do us all a favor, please. Do your job search on someone else's nickel. This network has been bled dry by the antics of its own management. Have the minimal deceny, would you, to accept your responsibily in this debacle. Issue your resignation statement and allow this network to die with at least a scrap of dignity. If not, then I and others will be forced to speak out publically. And we won't be talking about Amy.
Marc Cooper