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Sunday, 09 August 2009 20:33 |
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Terrence Podolsky
Listener Candidate for the WBAI Local Station Board Statement
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212-591-2111
I am proudly running for the Local Station Board as part of the WBAI Justice & Unity Campaign (www.justiceunity.org).
I am an active member of the Coalition to Take Back WBAI because I believe that there has been a second coup at WBAI (the first was the Christmas Coup of 2000) and throughout the network, supported by the local board majority. Namely, there have been arbitrary terminations and outright bannings of managers and staff without due process. As a union member, I know that all management is legally bound to follow certain personnel procedures for all employees, and that for unionized staff, there are additional contractual processes they must observe before taking punitive action. But the interim management has refused to follow those rules, and has also refused to address these issues when asked in public forums – yet at the same time maligning the former managers who worked so hard to keep WBAI relevant to grassroots communities. Meanwhile, this interim management has placed a gag rule on producers who want to discuss these issues on the air – but it’s only enforced on dissenters.
Because I value the role of WBAI in providing a voice for activist movements, I’ve been a WBAI volunteer for five years. I have worked in the phone room during pledge drives and have mailed out many premiums. I’ve also attended board meetings. I believe that Justice & Unity has the most effective proposals to increase WBAI’s influence in underrepresented communities and do diverse, creative ads for the station which would appeal to persons not already involved in the “Left”. I support the proposals by Justice & Unity board members for off-air fundraisers like awards dinners and concert sponsorships. But these efforts were blocked for months by the current board majority. I would like to work with Justice & Unity to make those ideas reality, as well as the vision of intensifying the station’s broadcast of community issues and activist campaigns and expanding its global reach through the Internet and streaming video.
I can bring a range of useful experience to the WBAI board. While at Bronx Community College, I was elected student government vice-president in 1996 and 1997. I participated in committees, voiced student concerns to the administration, and assisted in policy development. As a University Senate member, I joined lobby efforts with local officials through coalitions to save CUNY. Since graduating, I have done social service work with adolescents with developmental challenges and adults with mental illness and chronic substance use. I have also served as a delegate for the 1199 health workers union. I am currently a member of the American Civil Liberties Union.
I urge you to vote for the entire Justice & Unity slate in the following order:
1. Lynne Stewart
2. Nia Bediako
3. Russell Dale
4. Sister Betty Dopson
5. Wellington Echegaray
6. Camille Yarbrough
7. Myriam Decime
8. John Brinkley
9. Berta Silva
10. Sharonne Salaam
11. Carlos Canales
12. Terrence Podolsky (me)
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