<html> <head> <style> P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } </style> </head> <body>According to my computer files, I sent the following message out on the Wellstone Democratic Club list at 7:08 a.m. this morning (9/22/06).  It has been met with stone silence by the quite large list of members--assuming it was actually delivered to the list.  I will wait and see if it generates any discussion, because it exposes them as violating their customary procedures and taking action in an arena other than their principal mandate.  If the silence continues, I will re-send it tomorrow.  You may forward this material to any lists you wish.  It is a public letter. Marc Sapir Open Letter to the Wellstone Democratic Club I am intrigued and concerned by the Wellstone club's going outside of its usual local, state and federal electoral environment to endorse a slate of candidates in a divided house at our  independent radio station KPFA.  As a list member and a KPFA member I had not heard from Wellstone that this action was under consideration and certainly I heard of no public or private debate or hearing of contrasting viewpoints (as you do with candidate forums) on the internal divisions at the station or whether an endorsement would be a good idea.  It leaves me breathless to learn that a Democratic Party club has intervened within such a dispute because one of the main bones of contention by many supporters and listener-sponsors of KPFA has been that much of it's paid staff is too closely tied to the liberal wing of the Democratic party, thus compromising it's broader grass roots movement building efforts. As Wellstone list members know, I am not the first to point out that the largest sector of the Wellstone club is white, upper middle class and liberal.  The progressive or left political movement in the Bay Area which supports KPFA is, of course, much broader than that, both in intent and in reality, and maintaining the integrity and independence of the station requires trying to grow and assure that breadth.  For a sizeable political organization chartered by the Democratic Party to raise funds for one side in a situation where the goal ought to be to end the divisions and divisiveness through openness and compromise will have a detrimental affect.  What ought to happen is a more open airing (on KPFA in some regular slots) of different views on forward policies for the Station, something which the staff, and I assume the candidates Wellstone has supported, are reluctant to see happen. Wellstone's insertion into this environment may well come back to haunt all of us (regardless of our political vantage within the progressive movement) for the disunity and increased hostility it will induce among many station supporters.  I have been trying, for a few years now, to encourage people involved in such struggles within the important Bay Area  political movement to treat internal debate in a much more open, fair and respectful way than has been the case, irrespective of their politics.  The endorsement of a specific slate of listener candidates backed by the paid staff at the station (staff who have tried to otherwise peripheralize the station board elections so that an airing of issues and differences in policy pursuits do not get a full hearing before the public on the air) is, to say the least, discouraging. Marc Sapir MD, MPH Executive Director Retro Poll www.retropoll.org -----Original Message----- From: WDRC@yahoogroups.com [mailto:WDRC@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Katz, John Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 4:03 PM To: WDRC@yahoogroups.com Subject: FW: WDRC for KPFA event Sunday September 24 Importance: High Dear WDRC, Enclosed is a flyer inviting all supporters of a renewed KPFA to come to a campaign kick-off event and fundraiser  for the slate of candidates endorsed for the KPFA Local Station Board by the Wellstone Club and our partner organization in this effort, the Concerned Listeners for KPFA. This is an opportunity to meet the candidates and shmooze with some of the on air staff that is supporting their candidacies, including Larry Bensky, Bonnie Simmons, Phil Maldari,  Sasha Lilley, and Mark Mericle. The event will be this Sunday September 24th from 3-6 at Conn Hallinan's home (one of the candidates) , 3033 Dana st. (near Prince) in Berkeley. The same large beautiful home where Jerry Mc Nerney held his fundraiser last Saturday. Hope to see you there. John Katz </body> </html>