Want to find out where your $50 and $100 contributions went? Ask Patty Wente (if she doesn’t run and hide again) and the KWMU friends board. Their next meeting will be Wednesday, May 21 at 6 p.m. at the St.
7701
Clayton
Lewis & Clark Room, 14th Floor
Questions you might want to ask:
- Why has Ms. Wente (or her apologists at UMSL) not responded in any way to the concerns raised in the Riverfront Times article?
- Why isn't there a governing board with real authority to oversee a public institution that is run with taxpayer money and charitable donations?
- Why did Doreen Dodson resign from the friends board?
- Does the board have a plan to keep funding flowing now that many listeners have vowed to withhold future donations?
- Why doesn't the capital campaign have more to show for nearly a million dollars in expenses?
- Will KWMU’s donors and the friends board be apprised of the review team’s findings? If so, when?
20 comments:
Below is a snippet from an article by David Shenk from the May '92 issue of Washington Monthly entitled
'Board stiffs - United Way of America's Board of Governors'
Look to what it speaks about non-profits in general...
The full article is available at:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/
mi_m1316/is_n5_v24/ai_12247613
>While Aramony may have been a sloppy president with expensive tastes, by law the buck was supposed to stop with that high-profile board. Unfortunately, in the nonprofit world, the buck often doesn't stop anywhere. Instead, it drifts around aimlessly until it's buried in a basement filing cabinet or shredded A la Aramony. Why? A great number of nonprofits are entrusted to boards of directors populated by over-extended executives and status-seeking lawyers or financiers who have neither time for, nor interest in, real oversight.
"Board people like that only want to hear good news," explains former United Way staffer Pat Barrett. "They're here to feel good, and they don't want to deal with tough problems. They've got plenty [of problems] in their regular jobs." And she's not just talking about the national headquarters of the United Way. In a recent survey of local United Way affiliates, the Not For Profit Leadership Project at Baruch College discovered that only a third of the nonprofits' executive officers believed that their board members fully understood the mission of their particular organization. Imagine how little they knew about the travel expenses of their executive directors.
Such board detachment makes for a volatile situation. Because neither the government nor the media displays much of an interest in the nuts and bolts of nonprofits, the entire nonprofit sector, which controls hundreds of billions of dollars, is left in the hands of a few administrators charged both with spearheading their organization and auditing their own actions. If those administrators aren't honest-and the temptation not to be is considerable when no one's watching-you've got Aramony all over again.<
An open letter to Patricia Wente:
First of all, I am proud of my NPR station here in town because of its continual wonderful programminglike Speaking of Faith every Sunday morning. While these allegations bother me about Patty, what hurts much more is that I once heard her talk about how Jesus has made a profound impact in her life. I will not go into specifics of what she shared because confidentiality of those details were requested so I will not share. If this writing makes it back to Patty, then she knows that the Lord is a forgiving. However you are not living the word of God by disrespecting his name with your stalking and DUI actions. Yes you have said the DUI was unfortunate but you were fiddling with the GPS unit yet your bac was above the legal limit. And for the stalking order, you have your claims. It seems that you always find an excuse for your strange ways, ask for forgiveness, carry a bible but you seem to not learn your lesson from the Lord. Psuedo religious believers can't cry wolf and then attempt to please respect the word of God if you intend to follow his teachings, it appears you are moving backwards.
Addendum to the open letter to Patricia Wente:
I would like to include in this text to Patty (if she ever reads it) that we are ALL not perfect and we all have made mistakes. But you have not admitted you made a mistake, an error or an "I really messed up" comments or statement. No mea culpa from you.
Instead you choose to make excuses. Blame the GPS system on your rental car when in fact you were intoxicated according to Florida law. The he-said she-said claims in the case of someone you once dated, well I am sure you have an excuse for the stalking order of protection that was issued against you from the widow, according to St. Charles County.
The facts are simple: you claim you are a Christian but when you mess up, you seem to have some excuse for your failures. Patty's critics may laugh at this but I have witnessed first-hand the wonderful impact that Mexico mission trips have on the poor people of that country. Perhaps Patty, you should consider this as your next calling of life. This is not meant to be a joke or a slam but I think Patty's calling of life might be served to help those who are poor and live in sub-standard groups. I don't know for a fact where her mission trip was but can tell you that church groups do a great job for this part of our world.
Move on Patty. Your next calling of life has already called you.
Why can't former employees disclose their identities when criticizing her? It's one thing to be cautious about sourcing things when on the job. But when not on the job any longer, why hide??
Scott Simon
To Scott Simon,
I'm the author of posts 2 & 3 and not a former employee but a devout Christian who has attended mission trips. And I will choose to remain anonymous because that's my option here. If you don't want anonymous posters here,please contact the person who put this blog together and have them remove this feature.
To "Scott Simon":
She's the most vengeful person I've ever encountered. It's obvious to anyone who knows her WHY people are remaining anonymous here.
You clearly don't know a thing about the situation.
Allow me to vouch for Scott. While he has the same name as the famous NPR personality, it truly is also his name and he's worked in STL media for some 25+ years. Scott, you're a welcome addition to the conversation.
But to your point, I realize we look sheepish in staying anonymous. Sure, as formers we really have nothing to fear -- but the years we spent at KWMU under her iron grip affected us in ways we might not even be aware, to the point where we want to stay anonymous.
It doesn't excuse our behavior but hopefully offers some insight as to why everyone's doing it.
Plus, it wouldn't be weird at all to learn one of us is sued for slander if we name ourselves, even though the suit has no chance of winning. For her, it's just something to do.
I am wondering for those of us trapped under the current regime but need a paycheck to stay alive, I do hope Scott's experience in media around town can help. Be great to have a reporter or even a camera from a tv station at the board mtg Wednesday evening. While she can't do anything to us and can't punish us because counsel said so, there is a huge witch hunt and she is looking to take someone out for slander or some other trumped up charge. We need a new leader and we are trapped. Keep up the good work..I have to remain anonymous.
Anyone know if there will be any sort of turnout at the Friends of KWMU Inc board meeting. As someone who is withholding my pledge, I want to make sure I am not the lone ranger here when showing up. We are going to need more than a few voices at this event to make a difference.
It's ok to by anonymous. This is America, you can do whatever you want. The blog hoster allows it.
I never worked at KWMU. Applied a couple of times over the years, but I'm not really their type, whatever that type is.
I found the management prior to Patty to be as milquetoast as I've seen anywhere.
Patty comes in, charging through the china shop, breaking a few things along the way. All I can say is steered the ship in the right direction.
Did she follow the rules steering it? Don't know, that's up to someone else. I encourange Mr. Nixon to investigate.
Kinda wish I had worked for her at one time. I'd challenge her without anonymity. Don't know what she could do in vengence against a former employee. A current one, I understand completely. But if you worked for her, don't work there anymore, ID yourself. Lends to credibility. And that's media's biggest problem today. The public thinks the media isn't credible. In many cases, it's true.
Final message to the devout christian. Jim White said it best:
"Please Lord, save me from the good people."
Scott Simon
a.k.a. sez @ www.stlmedia.net
Scott:
YOU didn't work there. YOU dont work there. YOU don't know her.
The other people here did/do.
You're talking, with increasing vehemence, about a situation about which you know nothing. You're entitled to your opinions, even if they're based on little to no firsthand information. You are not entitled to your facts, however.
And, PS, Scott: If you don't understand how she could harm people who no longer work for her? Well, it only underscores how little you understand the situation. She's spread false potentially career-ending rumors about former employees in the past, and would do it again in a heartbeat. You really have no idea what you're talking about here, Sir.
From what I know, including first hand experience, I believe that Patty Wente cares very much about the on-the-air product - maybe too much. Sometimes, bosses get so focused on their jobs, people (rightly so) feel they are being mistreated. I have worked in media in the past. I have seen bosses who are vilified by some and loved by others in the same organization. But it seems the ones who hate the boss are the ones who tend to speak up.
I also have seen the RFT do hatchet jobs - so I take what I read there with a large grain of salt.
From what I know, including first hand experience, I believe that Patty Wente cares very much about the on-the-air product - maybe too much. Sometimes, bosses get so focused on their jobs, people (rightly so) feel they are being mistreated. I have worked in media in the past. I have seen bosses who are vilified by some and loved by others in the same organization. But it seems the ones who hate the boss are the ones who tend to speak up.
I also have seen the RFT do hatchet jobs - so I take what I read there with a large grain of salt.
Facts can't be disputed so let's see, the author avobe says she does care about the on-air product and then some.
So therefore,
1. Asking a national on-air host about her sex life at a donor event is caring.
2. Being drunk at events & in D.C. with the network/board is 100% caring.
3. Stalking a widow and her family. Talk about compassion.
4. Hiring a consultant to review a bid then giving him the work later. Caring indeed.
You are absolutely correct. The leader of KWMU is one of the most caring people because she is a stalker, an alcoholic at internal/external station functions, asks a NPR host about her sex life at a Winemakers Dinner and does not believe in nepotism. When I grow up, I want to be just like her, commit all those acts I just outlined and never be punished. I can't think of a better role model so please leave me your email address so we can all go have a few glasses of red wine at one of her favorite places and toast her caring ways.
One senses that PW has instructed her minions to begin insinuating themselves into the discussion. Beware the propagandists in our midst.
Patty Wente focused on her job? I would never use focus and Patty Wente in the same sentence unless the subject was happy hour.
If she was focused meetings would take place when they were supposed to. Donors and members of the community wouldn't be left waiting in the lobby while her assistant frantically tries to hunt her down on her cell phone. The station would have actual cash in on the capital campaign. The elusive additional local programming might finally be in production. The possibilities are endless.
"She cares too much"? Only when it benefits Patty Wente.
Instead of arguing back and forth, lets keep our energy focused where it should be, on Ms. Wente. I would like to know how many of you are planning on showing up tonight to the friends meeting? Let's ask her some seriously tough questions and hold her accountable for her actions (something the university seems incapable of doing).
Wasteful spending, mismanagement, tyranny...enough is enough.
To the person above (post #18) thanks for keeping us on track. Not afraid of showing my face but it's good to know what she can (if legit) pull off. We have to hold her feet to the fire and ask "why" questions if she tries to slam the Lewis and Clark doors in our face.
Park along Forsyth and bring enough change unless you want to park in the garage and pay at least five bucks. I don't mind if one of her minions sees this because the meeting, according to my playbook, is open and we are all shareholders to the station's vision/mission. If you told it's a closed door meeting, ask for it in writing and it better come from an attorney's letterhead and not "from the desk of Patty Wente".
Patty's playbook could be a combo of strange stuff and she:
A. May say "This is not the time nor the place until an investigation is complete. Once completed, I will answer your questions."
B. Might change the location of the meeting at the last second.
C. Arrive early and to confer with board members.
D. Utilize staff on Forsyth to serve as spotters and to phone her cell if they don't recognize you.
E. No agenda item to be listed to address concerns.
F. All or some of the above thrown together.
By the way, The Saint Louis Club is a great place to hold company meetings or attend luncheons/dinners. Please be respectful of their staff and courteous.
So did anyone go? Any reports to share?
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