By: UCR Candidate Sharon Adams
Our opponents have been claiming that United For Community Radio “cost KPFA $400,000“, implying that KPFA was actually entitled to a $400,000 bequest. Of course, that is the exact issue — KPFA was not entitled to the $400,000 bequest — the Pacifica Foundation was entitled to this bequest. Our opponents inappropriately decided, WITHOUT CONSULTING PACIFICA, that this bequest was intended solely for KPFA. The reason we know that KPFA was not entitled to the $400,000 bequest is because the Pacifica National Board (PNB) has determined that the bequest was actually supposed to go to Pacifica.
The PNB’s decision is supported by the evidence. First and foremost, both the bequest and the check were specifically made out to “Pacifica Foundation Radio”. There was no mention of KPFA in the bequest documents.
And, even assuming there was ambiguity in the identification of Pacifica Foundation Radio, the proper response would have been to contact the PNB to mutually discuss and decide how to deal with the bequest. It was our opponents failure to ask Pacifica that is at the heart of this matter. To the extent that our opponents felt there *was* ambiguity, they should have checked with the Pacifica National Board.
Interim Executive Director (and SaveKPFA candidate) Margy Wilkinson later apologized for this failure to disclose — after the fact and when the bequest funds were already comfortably residing in the KPFA bank account. It really would not have been that difficult to send this information to Pacifica prior to depositing the check in the KPFA bank account.
~Screen shot of kpfa.org website
As the image above shows, it is quite easy to make a bequest that is for KPFA, and the KPFA website provides clear instructions on how to do this. Of course, Pacifica must be mentioned in the bequest instructions because Pacifica is the parent organization of KPFA. Significantly, the KPFA website makes clear that the phrase “for the benefit of KPFA” or “fbo KPFA” must be added. This is not difficult to do, and is standard operating procedure for attorneys working in estate planning who are trained to make clear and unambiguous bequests.
Now that our opponents have been exposed, they start the mudslinging, with personal attacks on UCR candidate Janet Kobren who found the documents showing that the bequest was intended for the Pacifica Foundation. However, Janet Kobren was simply doing her duty as a board member and secretary of the PNB. This is in stark contrast to other KPFA members on the PNB, Brian Edwards-Tieckert and Margy Wilkinson. They have shown that they are willing to “Save” KPFA — at the expense of the entire Pacifica network.
United for Community Radio is not into assigning blame. UCR wants to ensure that the entire Pacifica network remains strong, including KPFA and its sister stations. UCR’s opponents must stop cannibalizing Pacifica to allegedly “Save” KPFA.
Vote for the entire UCR slate in the KPFA Local Station Board election.
RESCUE KPFA from Save KPFA
For another perspective on the bequest, read Frank Sterling’s article here about how We Are All One!
Frank Sterling is KPFA’s Technical Director of First Voice Media program.