Sasha Lilley
Interim Program Director
ipd@kpfa.org
Lemlem Rijio
Interim General Manager for KPFA
igm@kpfa.org
Dear Lemlem and Sasha:
I learned from e-mail which was cc:ed to me yesterday that:
1. My appearance on KPFA Radio/Flashpoints yesterday was canceled shortly before the show;
2. My audio seminar and appearance to help KPFA/Flashpoints fundraising for an additional target of $15,000 was not desired; and
3. My appearance on KPFA Radio/Flashpoints is canceled for the indefinite future.
Before that time, I had no communication from you or any KPFA staff (other than the Flashpoints team) to:
1. Provide me with feedback –positive or negative — on my participation in the Community Business segment of Flashpoints;
2. Learn more about me and my professional or personal activities; and
3. Thank me for providing audio seminars and show participation to raise what I am told by Flashpoints staff was $45,000 to date this year.
I have no understanding of what your concerns are other than an e-mail rant from someone who does not know my name and has apparently not read my website to learn the basics of what I do.
I appreciate that providing citizens with an insiders understanding of how money and resources work is always a sensitive issue. So much political and economic control depends on the financial system remaining overly complex to busy people. My first experience with being censored was in the first Bush Administration. The situation at the New York Times got so ugly that the reporter had to resign. The Times Bureau Chief was rewriting the article without her permission. She caught it and stopped the story, and then resigned from the Times and retired from the industry. After watching numerous examples of censorship subsequently, I experienced a particularly painful experience in 1997 when the Washington Post spiked a story. That was when I decided to withdraw from investing time in response to requests from most corporate media.
I have been doing Flashpoints because I have great respect for Dennis and his team. The Flashpoints team help me accomplish my mission of “navigating toward a financially intimate world.” I miss doing the show. However, at your insistence, I have no choice but to cease and desist from making money and building listenership for KPFA/Flashpoints until some mysterious investigation finishes looking into some mysterious allegations.
Consequently, I would appreciate knowing precisely what your specific concerns are and on what facts and documentation you base them. I would also welcome knowing why you have not communicated them to me before the Community Business show was censored.
I welcome your reply. Please feel free to contact me if a phone conversation can be of assistance. I look forward to a timely clearing of these issues and a positive resolution in the highest and best interest of all concerned.
Sincerely Yours,
Catherine Austin Fitts
President
Solari, Inc.
cc:
blog@wordpressdevurl.com
dbernstein@igc.org
e.c.klein@gmail.com
nicole@pacifica.org
nora@riseup.net
Related Reading
CAF Note: This censorship happened immediately prior to the federal takeover of Freddie and Fannie: See Fannie and Freddie Become Penny Stocks
Odd.
It is more than odd – confusion – a weeks worth of “friendraiser” this belies what I understood to be decades worth of mission statement – truth.
What were the contents of this email that prompted all this? Who all has seen it?
Matt
I was wondering what happened. It figures huh? I hope you can get back on somewhere soon.
Here is the e-mail thread that informed me that I had been deleted until further notice. I was
—–Original Message—–
> >From: dbernstein@igc.org
> >Sent: Jul 23, 2008 3:56 PM
> >To: wanzala@gmail.com, dbernstein@igc.org
> >Cc: dbernstein@igc.org
> >Subject: Re: the spiking of “Carol” austin fitts “A wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”
> >
> >
> >—–Original Message—–
>> >>From: dbernstein@igc.org
>> >>Sent: Jul 23, 2008 3:47 PM
>> >>To: ipd@kpfa.org, nora@riseup.net
>> >>Cc: dennis bernstein , Eric Klein
>> >>Subject: Re: the spiking of “Carol” Austin Fitts on Flashpoints
>> >>
>> >>Catherine Austin Fitts has been on pacifica radio over a hundred times and recently appeared on KALW several times, including as late as last week!
>> >>
>> >>—–Original Message—–
>>> >>>From: dbernstein@igc.org
>>> >>>Sent: Jul 23, 2008 3:43 PM
>>> >>>To: Sasha Lilley , nora@riseup.net
>>> >>>Cc: dennis bernstein , Eric Klein
>>> >>>Subject: the spiking of “carol” Austin Fitts
>>> >>>
>>> >>>Sasha, Lemlem, Let me get this straight. You two are spiking catherine austin fitts from the air, because someone, who can’t even spell her name right(carol austin fitts), wrote a letter to complain. And your doing it three weeks after we submitted the premium, and and an hour and a half before the FP’s show airs. And you are ordering us to use a premium that was already used today and only made thirty-five hundred dollars. This after you have repeatedly refused in the past to let us use a premium because it has already been used the same day. What changed?
>>> >>>
>>> >>>—–Original Message—–
>>>> >>>>From: Nora Barrows-Friedman
>>>> >>>>Sent: Jul 23, 2008 3:18 PM
>>>> >>>>To: Lemlem Rijio , e.c.klein@gmail.com
>>>> >>>>Cc: dennis bernstein
>>>> >>>>Subject: Re: Fwd: fitts is a wolf in sheep’s cloth
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>is this the letter in question?
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>do you know who this person even is? is he credible?
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>i mean, any yahoo off the street can (and has) written absolute bullshit
>>>> >>>>about any number of issues/topics. i’m actually pretty impressed that one
>>>> >>>>letter can bring down an entire national show. hmm!
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>i’m not sure how to proceed, shall i gather some of the letters i’ve
>>>> >>>>personally received about our coverage on Palestine, or Haiti, or India
>>>> >>>>and forward them? do they have any merit? will our coverage on those
>>>> >>>>issues then be halted until Interim Management decides what to do next? is
>>>> >>>>that what Pacifica stands for — not behind its producers, but seized at
>>>> >>>>the collar by any listener or letter writer from anywhere, with an axe to
>>>> >>>>grind?
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>thanks,
>>>> >>>>Nora
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>>> >>>>> FYI
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> ———- Forwarded message ———-
>>>>> >>>>> From: Peter Byrne
>>>>> >>>>> Date: Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 12:48 PM
>>>>> >>>>> Subject: fitts is a wolf in sheep’s cloth
>>>>> >>>>> To: editorial@flashpoints.net
>>>>> >>>>> Cc: norabf@gmail.com
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> Dear Dennis,
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> Below is a letter I wrote to my editor of the North Bay Bohemian
>>>>> >>>>> regarding financial articles she has been running by John Sakowicz,
>>>>> >>>>> the male version of Carol Austin Fitts. I think you should think about
>>>>> >>>>> why these Wall Street speculators are spending so much time talking to
>>>>> >>>>> the “alternative” media, esp. Flashpoints.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> Dear Gretchen,
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> It finally hit me what Sakowicz and Carol Austin Fitts and their pals
>>>>> >>>>> are doing with the alt media, including the boho and flashpoints. it
>>>>> >>>>> is a brilliantly cynical public relations strategy. I was was
>>>>> >>>>> wondering why these capitalist wankers were sucking up to the
>>>>> >>>>> altweeklies and here is the answer.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> Sakowicz, Fitts and the other “experts” he mentions in his most recent
>>>>> >>>>> boho piece are gold brokers. Not only do their companies have very
>>>>> >>>>> long positions in gold, precious metals, and OIL but they charge money
>>>>> >>>>> to people to advise them to invest in these commoditioes as a “hedge”
>>>>> >>>>> against “wall street.” now check it out: these folks are PURE Wall
>>>>> >>>>> Street. they do not give a fuck about anti-imperialism, poor people,
>>>>> >>>>> etc. but they have managed to get millions of dollars in FREE
>>>>> >>>>> publicity from the alt media by trashing the part of Wall Street which
>>>>> >>>>> they are shorting: stocks, esp. banking stocks. people flee sinking
>>>>> >>>>> bank stocks into commodities.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> first, their gloom and doom is much over-stated. the derivatives
>>>>> >>>>> market is a mess but not as bad as they insist. fitts and sakowicz are
>>>>> >>>>> fun to read and listen to but they use some some truth to broadcast a
>>>>> >>>>> lot of wrong information because everything they say has an
>>>>> >>>>> agenda–getting people into gold, oil and precious metals. for
>>>>> >>>>> example, in sakowicz’s new piece he talks about losing money due to
>>>>> >>>>> dollar devaluation. well, that is true for certain commodities lke
>>>>> >>>>> gold and oil and precious metals, but for domestic stocks it is not a
>>>>> >>>>> big deal. a weak dollar is likely to rebound when the market shakes
>>>>> >>>>> out, barring a huge disaster, which is possible, but weak dollars hurt
>>>>> >>>>> the overall economy in the short run, not stocks and bonds per se over
>>>>> >>>>> the long run. it is domestic inflation that hurts the most–and that
>>>>> >>>>> is tied into over-priced commodities, inc. gold that Sak and Fitts are
>>>>> >>>>> selling–see their web sites. so the bad economy is as much produced
>>>>> >>>>> by their “answer” (commodities) than it is by the mortgage meltdown.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> check it out: gold, metals and oil are not SAFE investments as these
>>>>> >>>>> gold-purveyors would have you believe. they are just like any other
>>>>> >>>>> commodity: dependent on market forces. they go up and down in huge
>>>>> >>>>> cycles. gold brokers love to scare people away from stocks, bonds and
>>>>> >>>>> cds to “HEDGE” in gold etc but these commodities are subject to
>>>>> >>>>> hyper-inflation (known as BUBBLES) just like any other commodity. in
>>>>> >>>>> fact, it looks like gold oil and precious metals are currently vastly
>>>>> >>>>> over-inflated. when these bubbles burst all those suckers with “safe”
>>>>> >>>>> hedges will be busted. but Fitts and Sakowicz will be long gone. their
>>>>> >>>>> goal is to keep the bubble up for as long as possible, taking oodles
>>>>> >>>>> of profit in their own investment pools while selling seminars that
>>>>> >>>>> tell people one thing: invest in gold, oil and precious metals. they
>>>>> >>>>> are PUMPING up the gold bubble by preying on people’s fears. they are
>>>>> >>>>> scamming their readers.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> and, sad to say, the alt press things is it so “wonderful” that these
>>>>> >>>>> wall street sharks are “betraying” wall steet that they give them FREE
>>>>> >>>>> ADVERTISING disguised as financial reporting. they are vastly cynical
>>>>> >>>>> and pulling the wool over your reader’s pocketbooks–actually damaging
>>>>> >>>>> people who follow their advice.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> –Peter
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> Peter Byrne
>>>>> >>>>> tel: 707.338.6534
>>>>> >>>>> http://www.peterbyrne.info
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>–
>>>> >>>>?Writing is really very easy. Tap a vein and bleed onto the page.
>>>> >>>>Everything else is just technical.? – Derrick Jensen
>>>> >>>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>—–Original Message—–
>>>> >>>>From: Sasha Lilley
>>>> >>>>Sent: Jul 23, 2008 2:58 PM
>>>> >>>>To: nora@riseup.net
>>>> >>>>Cc: dennis bernstein , Eric Klein
>>>> >>>>Subject: Re: FPs Premium for Today
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>Hi Nora,
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>Thanks for your email. I appreciate your concerns. We have just been
>>>> >>>>alerted to some potentially very serious conflicts of interest on Fitts’
>>>> >>>>part and until we have a chance to investigate them further, I want us to
>>>> >>>>hold off on having Fitts on air. I know that you will agree that we owe it
>>>> >>>>to our listeners to be as ethically credible as possible.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>Please spend the next several hours preparing the audio clips for Dispatches
>>>> >>>>for airing at 5pm. You have many to choose from if you are not comfortable
>>>> >>>>with any one of them (many feature Greg Palast, so those might be good
>>>> >>>>choices).
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>Thanks for your cooperation.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>Sasha
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 2:33 PM, Nora Barrows-Friedman
>>>> >>>>wrote:
>>>> >>>>
>>>>> >>>>> Hi Sasha,
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> I’m very confused. We have been carefully preparing our pitch and our
>>>>> >>>>> premium for today, which will be a wonderful success. We have already
>>>>> >>>>> promoted the show with Catherine Austin Fitts, with a brand-new CD and a
>>>>> >>>>> ton of people very eager to hear the show and the pitch.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> Lemlem did not “have a meeting” with us today; rather, she walked into our
>>>>> >>>>> office and left a few DVDs on my desk with a statement that “this is what
>>>>> >>>>> you’re doing today,” without giving us a chance to discuss anything. I’m
>>>>> >>>>> not sure how that can possibly constitute “a meeting.”
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> I am really excited to do the Dispatches DVDs for tomorrow’s show, which
>>>>> >>>>> would make more sense anyways since you just said that you already did it
>>>>> >>>>> today. And that you know, from last fund drive, how successful Catherine
>>>>> >>>>> Austin Fitts has been for us in the past. I would expect Interim
>>>>> >>>>> Management to be thrilled that Flashpoints could do another stellar show
>>>>> >>>>> with Catherine Austin Fitts. Instead, we have gotten trashed and
>>>>> >>>>> undermined. And I’m really not sure why — in fact, I have never heard a
>>>>> >>>>> concrete reason why KPFA interim Management has not supported our decision
>>>>> >>>>> to promote Catherine Austin Fitts, when just a few months ago, we made
>>>>> >>>>> tons of money for the station. Apparently the Dispatches DVD pack just
>>>>> >>>>> made $3500 today, whereas we will make a lot more with the Catherine
>>>>> >>>>> Austin Fitts premium. So I’m not sure why you would actively scrap our
>>>>> >>>>> successful premium in place of something that a) has already been played
>>>>> >>>>> today, and b) didn’t do that well. I think that’s strange!
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> And, with limited staff and time on the clock, I cannot personally verify
>>>>> >>>>> the production value of Dispatches. I would be happy to promote it
>>>>> >>>>> tomorrow but I need to watch it first. So it makes sense to do it
>>>>> >>>>> tomorrow.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> So far, I have a great list of Pros and Cons for doing the fundraiser our
>>>>> >>>>> way versus your way. I’d be happy to share my findings with you, if you
>>>>> >>>>> can’t already gather them from what i’ve just laid out.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> As a producer of Flashpoints, I need to personally supervise each and
>>>>> >>>>> every minute of the show, and by throwing a wrench into today’s system, it
>>>>> >>>>> has totally knocked us all out of whack. We are prepared to do a marvelous
>>>>> >>>>> job today with Catherine Austin Fitts, as we have been saying we’d do for
>>>>> >>>>> weeks now.
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> With respect,
>>>>> >>>>> Nora
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>>> >>>>> > Hi Dennis and Nora,
>>>>>> >>>>> >
>>>>>> >>>>> > I want to follow up on Lemlem’s meeting with you earlier this afternoon
>>>>>> >>>>> > about today’s premium. We want all daily shows to do programs which have
>>>>>> >>>>> > a
>>>>>> >>>>> > good chance of success. With that end in mind, we expect you to do Big
>>>>>> >>>>> > Noise Dispatches, which you will find (with one exception) edited and
>>>>>> >>>>> > ready
>>>>>> >>>>> > to go in in temps/Flashpoints/ Big Noise Dispatches, which did well this
>>>>>> >>>>> > morning at 11am. You can choose which clips to air, although I think the
>>>>>> >>>>> > Basra one might be good for the FPs audience.
>>>>>> >>>>> >
>>>>>> >>>>> > I missed you at the editorial meeting again yesterday, Dennis.
>>>>>> >>>>> >
>>>>>> >>>>> > Thanks,
>>>>>> >>>>> > Sasha
>>>>>> >>>>> > —
>>>>>> >>>>> > Sasha Lilley
>>>>>> >>>>> > Interim Program Director
>>>>>> >>>>> > KPFA Radio
>>>>>> >>>>> > 1929 Martin Luther King Jr Way
>>>>>> >>>>> > Berkeley, CA 94704
>>>>>> >>>>> > 510 848 6767 ext 209
>>>>>> >>>>> > ipd@kpfa.org
>>>>>> >>>>> >
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>> —
>>>>> >>>>> “Writing is really very easy. Tap a vein and bleed onto the page.
>>>>> >>>>> Everything else is just technical.” – Derrick Jensen
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>–
>>>> >>>>Sasha Lilley
>>>> >>>>Interim Program Director
>>>> >>>>KPFA Radio
>>>> >>>>1929 Martin Luther King Jr Way
>>>> >>>>Berkeley, CA 94704
>>>> >>>>510 848 6767 ext 209
>>>> >>>>ipd@kpfa.org
>>> >>>
>> >>
> >