| Answers to Candidate Questionnaire |
| 1. |
In what ways is your station moving in a positive direction, that you would want
to continue or perhaps improve? |
| |
I consider it to have been a step in the right direction when the current acting general manager Andrew Phillips managed to forge a better working relationship with the paid staff. As a manager it is my opinion that he must work as an independent agent who is not perceived as being on one "side" or the other. |
| 2. |
In what ways is your station moving in a negative direction, that you would want
to stop or change? What changes would you work for? |
| |
As always, I believe that there is far too much time spent on conflict between the various factions at the station. I will continue to work for genuine respect among those who create the radio we all love. Old grudges must be forgotten and reality based differences addressed and compromises achieved. |
| 3. |
What key experience, connections, skills or traits would you bring to the
Local Station Board to advance the station’s mission? |
| |
I hope that my experience to date on the board helps me be realistic about the problems. I can honestly say that I do not see either of the factions at the station as blameless; I do not see either without merit. I want to find a third way for those who want to stop the conflict which wastes time and energy. |
| 4. |
What ideas do you have for helping the station and the Pacifica Foundation meet the financial challenges currently being faced? |
| |
I believe that many people have made good suggestions for an improved online presence for the station. I support those ideas. Mainly though I believe that the better the station is - the more relevant it is to more people the more that will be reflected in listener support. We must be pragmatic and realistic about the money that is spent. We cannot plan on spending money that we do not have as we do not want to become vulnerable to our own fiscal weakness. |
My name is Kate Tanaka. I moved to the East Bay in 1998 and became involved in local political affairs. I was happily launched by my initial association with the Unitarian Fellowship Social Justice Committee where I met people who were well positioned to help me find roles for myself in the community (most notably Hal Carlstad and Cynthia Johnson). Since I soon moved to Oakland my efforts shifted toward Oakland as well. I deepened my involvement with the Green Party. I was elected to the Green Party of Alameda County Council and served until June 2010.