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Letters (Apr 20, 2016)

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REMEMBERING DEED BLOYD

Editor,

Deed Bloyd was born, bred and lived his entire life in the Deep End. In those parts Deed Bloyd was a great man. He was an awesome Catskinner who made every logging show more fun to work at because he carried with him so much joy.

He lost his first love early. He was the last of his generation in his family. He was diabetic at the end but he never complained. He was full of an exuberant joy that he shared with everyone. Plus he was a wonderful father.

He was so very happy on the phone when I spoke to him about four days before he died that he made me happy too.

I was out of the area when the family held his memorial service so I wanted to write these remarks about my wonderful friend.

Sincerely,

Ken Hurst

Philo

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THEN & NOW GOES OVER 700

Dear Anderson Valley Community, and beyond,

We, the authors of the book “An Anderson Valley Journey: Then and Now,” together with the Board Members of the Anderson Valley Museum and Historical Society, would like to express our sincere appreciation to those who have bought copies of the book since it’s publication almost two years ago. Our thanks also go to the folks who have promoted the book by providing the outlets for its purchase, and who have continued to keep it on their shelves at the various stores, wineries, and local businesses. As a result of the efforts of all of these people, the book has been a great success and sales have recently passed 700. With all proceeds going to the Museum and Historical Society, these sales have been a tremendous boost to this important local organization and we can enthusiastically state that history is alive and well in Anderson Valley.

In gratitude,

Wes Smoot & Steve Sparks.

Boonville/Navarro

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THE TRUE HISTORY OF RONN OWENS

AVA,

Your mention of San Francisco radio talk show host, Ronn Owens having survived the latest purge of hosts at KGO represents but the latest example of the Israel Lobby's power over the media, not just in Washington, but in every major US city.

This is not speculation since I was inadvertently responsible for Owens having become KGO's morning talk show host in 1984. It's an ugly story, but worth telling.

In 1984 and for a number of years before that, Owen Span had been the most popular morning talk show host in San Francisco. Owens was around to substitute for him and other hosts when they were sick or on vacation.

I met him on one of these occasions after I had arranged with the show's producer to have Spann interview Avi Oz, a former Israel tank commander and college professor who had participated in Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon. After seeing the devastation that his colleagues in the Israel military had brought upon the Palestinians and the Lebanese in the south of their country (which he had earlier described to me in an interview), Oz refused to return to the front and joined other Israeli reservist “refusals” in Yesh G'vul (Hebrew for “there is a limit” and “there is a border.”), 267 of whom would end up serving short terms in an Israeli military prison.

On this particular occasion, Oz was astonished to find himself and his direct experiences on the ground in Lebanon being aggressively challenged by Owens, a know-it-all New York born American Jew, who had never been to Israel or anywhere else in the Middle East and wouldn't get there for more than another decade.

Some time later, Sinai Peter, one of the founders of Yesh G'vul, then an actor and more recently a controversial theater director, who I had interviewed and come to know while I was in Israel, arrived in San Francisco, and I arranged with Spann's producer to have Sinai interviewed on his show.

What would be literally impossible today was rather easy in those days. The Israel Lobby's clampdown on the mainstream media was yet to become what it is has been for the past two decades.

In the interview, Sinai revealed that what the Israeli government of former Jewish terrorist and then prime minister, Menachem Begin, had been saying about the justification for the invasion of Lebanon, which took the life of 20,000 civilians, was nothing but a pack of lies.

The main argument of the Begin regime was that the Palestinians had been shelling Israel from Southern Lebanon, breaking an 11 month cease-fire arranged by American envoy, Philip Habib which the PLO had observed despite repeated Israeli provocations.

Sinai was in a position to know the truth since he had been stationed at that short border and he told Spann, there had been no shelling from the Palestinian side.

When Spann opened the phones to listener's questions, one of the very first was a man who in a very strong European accept demanded to know, “Who is responsible for putting this communist on the air?”

“I am,” Spann gallantly and professionally responded, shielding his producer who, as is normal in the AM radio business, takes care of arranging the program's guests.

What was worse from the Israel Lobby's perspective is that the interview and exchange occured during the third and last hour of Spann's program went out to a national audience.

That, as it turned out, was the end for Spann. He was soon fired and replaced by Owens who has held down the fort there for Israel ever since, being the only host to have survived another station purge in 2011.

Of course, the last thing Israel's friends in America want is the US public to hear the truth about their beloved Israel and they can count on Owens, and others like him, not to tell it and to spoon feed Israel's agenda to his listening audience during the prime morning hours, five days a week.

The first thing visible when opening Owens' blog, posted in 2014, is an apology for having supported Obama in 2012. Obama's crimes: Not having attacked Syria when it crossed the “red line” (which it didn't); that he was negotiating with Iran, presumably having Owens, like Netanyahu, preferrin’ we bomb Tehran; withdrawing US troops from Iraq and, “His contempt for Israel has fractured our relations with our only heretofore trustworthy ally in the region.”

Ronn Owens, doing Israel's bidding which requires fooling the American people. But he can't do it alone. He has a counterpart in every major US city.

Jeff Blankfort

Ukiah

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FEEL THE BERNMOBILE!

Dear Editor,

I appreciated Todd Walton’s “Bernie Brigades” article in the last issue. And bravo to the AVA for having the first Bernie sign in Boonville! Bernie is the first politician to give me hope that it is worth it to put my time and energy into working for change in our government, spearheaded by a truly honorable politician. I have talked to so many folks who say it is the first time they have ever donated to a political campaign. If you don’t know much about Bernie because of the mainstream media blackout, you can go to FeeltheBern.org to learn more about his stance on the issues.

Please join the local effort thru Coast Folks for Bernie Sanders… Come by and sign up to volunteer at the “Bernie Mobile” in Mendocino on weekends, or the (first in California) Bernie Headquarters located at 328 N. Main Street, Fort Bragg, 707-962-3101. Our website, Bernie.mymcn.org, has lots of contact and event information. Follow us on Facebook at Coast Folks for Bernie Sanders, or the public page Mendocino for Bernie.

Properties along Hwy 128 are a great location for Bernie signs to reach the largest audience. Let us know if you would like a sign. Please join the revolution!

Thanks for reading this.

Sara Fowler

Navarro

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STOPPING PROGRESS

To the Editor:

I find myself today flummoxed as to why Mendocino County CEO Carmel Angelo would look at Humboldt County when it comes to offering mental health services. Both Sonoma County and Marin County are closer and offer far superior services. Maybe it’s time for the CEO to step away and allow others to take the lead.

When the former Department of Mental Health Crisis Services Center was developed it was based on the center at Marin General Hospital. I know, I came up with the initial concept, and helped, along with dozens of others, develop it. It was highly successful. It was so successful the State actually had no idea what it was and filed complaints about it — literally trying to force the County into putting people into costly inpatient hospitals instead of inexpensive outpatient services.

Sadly the County today has no memory of the successful programs that mental health operated just a little over a decade ago. They seem to be choosing to ignore the hard work of people like Kristy Kelly, Beth Robey (now Meyerson), and many others. All of us worked hard to make sure people were getting the best treatment possible.

What stopped us? The Board of Supervisors. I have many newspaper articles in my collection from when the BOS started cutting funding — slowly chipping away at all of the great work everyone had done. It was devastating. There were protests — even sit-ins. But the BOS didn’t stop.

And today it appears the BOS is still stopping progress from happening. I simply don’t understand it. They should be ashamed of themselves.

William French

San Francisco & Ukiah

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JOHN COATE’S GIANT MESS

Open Letter to John Coate [tex@well.com]

Former General Manager of KZYX

Dear Mr. Coate,

As you may know, I’ve been looking into KZYX finances lately. And the giant mess you left behind.

Contrary to your goodbye letter, KZYX isn’t in “far better condition” than you found it. You can see that in a fourteen year financial history.

The work you claim to be “proud of” is documented in 990 tax returns that you filed — and then hid from the public. Along with governing documents. That’s what it says in the tax returns themselves. Toward the end. In “Schedule O.” Filed under penalty of perjury. By you.

Lest you try to blame it on the recession, I’ve attached a financial history for KMUD as well. Their net assets have grown during the time that you spent here. By nearly thirty percent. While the net assets at KZYX shrank. By nearly eighty percent. Instead of adopting the daylight policies at KMUD, you kept everyone here in the dark. For eight long years. Leaving the good people of Mendocino County to clean up your giant mess.

Sincerely,

Scott M. Peterson

Mendocino

PS: You can see more nonprofit nonsense at my weekly video comic strip, Mendopia.

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NO BACKING DOWN

Ah Editor & fellow AVAers,

No one is homeless — everyone sleeps somewhere. And while I’m awake, I take a step at a time. This Memorial Day I shall get down on my knees and kiss the ground; contrary to what my doctors said, I can walk, and do, and sing whenever I want immediate mediation.

“Hey, Baby, there is no easy way out.” Twelve hundred spinal fractures with sciatica hurts. (I fell 127 feet onto rocks at 84.6mph on September 5, 1985.) “Hey, baby, I’m gonna stand my ground. And I won’t back down.”

I watch two white swans sanctify Pudding Creek. “And I won’t back down.” Rain tonight. It hurts. It hurts. “There is no easy way out. But I won’t back down. No, I won’t back down.”

Sincerely,

Diana with a limp anti-frack Vance

Bangs her dish. Ciao.

Mendocino

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SLOW DOWN, CHIEF

To the Editor:

This morning I was northbound on Hwy. 101 north of Hopland when the Hopland Fire District administrator vehicle approached from behind at a high rate of speed. I was going 60 in the allegedly unsafe area and he was going far faster. As the vehicle approached, I flashed 55 with my hands. The driver laughed, waved and accelerated.

Clearly not on his way to a call, he was saying “I’m better than you and above the law.“ He reached 70-plus in the 55 and 80-plus in the 65. I risked a citation to capture his arrogance on my dash camera. He never activated lights and drove to the area of the north end fire station.

Who do you report the head of a department to? I’m hoping by reporting him to his alleged bosses ( the taxpayers ) that his arrogance might subside. A marked vehicle gives you no right to drive unsafely when not responding to an emergency and he should be ashamed.

Ken Good

Ukiah

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THE END OF ENLIGHTENMENT

AVA,

In your paper Chris Hedges pointed out how the working white poor people are flocking to the Republican Party and embracing bigotry, racism, idealization of violence and the gun culture.

Donald Trump is the symptom, not the problem. The Republican Party exhibits schizoid behavior, while encouraging the above social phenomena it purports policies economically that are in the direct opposite of the interests of the working white poor people. These policies favor only the ruling oligarchy.

How can we preserve liberal democracy in the face of what Chris Hughes called crypto fascism? Political correctness will not do it. Armed revolution leads to totalitarianism and will not do it. What is needed is an informed electorate say some. Well, we have more information today via TV than people can handle, so that won't do it. Bernie is telling it like it is and he's not getting the votes, so that won't do it.

We are witnessing the demise of the 18th Century Enlightenment. The best explanation I have heard is this:

We now have a global economy, where goods and services are bought and sold globally. Guns, food, materials, and resources are now global. At the same time we have tribal identities such as nation sates, ethnic groups and religious groups all of which are not global. This creates a tension, and the tension sucks our creative energies, confuses the people, and prevents us from moving forward. It seems to be the case that the only event that will bring mankind together is an attack by the Martians.

Lee Simon

Round Hill Farm, Virginia

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HOT GETS HOTTER

Editor,

Climate change is accelerating

Several recent studies in addition to the studies I cited in my previous letters clearly indicate we are approaching critical mass in global warming much sooner than expected. A report just issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) disclosed March was even hotter than the previous month of February which was far above the global long term average, largely driven by climate change. Data just released by Nasa confirmed last month March on record the Nasa data recorded March as 1.65C above the average from 1951-1980 and February was 1.71C higher. Comments by several climate scientists discussed the urgency to reduce global carbon carbon emissions. Prior to this report we had the study that was published in the Science Journal that indicates that because of global warming clouds cooling power will be reduced primarily due to a reduction in the ice in the clouds. I will mention in passing the climate related death of coral and its affect on the food chain. Just one more little item is a rather low key study of the effect of the melting of Himalayan glaciers on monsoons which will impact the millions of people depended upon the monsoons for their crops. Most of the work on this study is being done by the Chinese.. Finally the melting of the ice in the Antarctica which will result in a significant increase in sea levels with extensive flooding world wide. For example, Florida is low lying and much of it will flood — Miami, Everglades, Key West islands, and the Tampa Bay area.

The most recent studies have not focused on the worst part of these changes. Namely the inability to feed billions of people who will starve to death. I have 16 great grandchildren and it is a terrible world they inherit due to the stupidity and selfishness of their forebears.

In peace and love,

Jim Updegraff

Sacramento

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PEACEFUL PASSING

Editor,

What defines “a good death’ in my view has to respect that all lives end. We got used to patining death as a defeat in a fight. The vast majority of Americans resent all interventions to delay the moment of dying for the terminally ill, those who irretrievably lost all contents of awareness and the demented patients when they have lost recognition of self and surroundings. Patients who wish to have resuscitation, put on machines or kept alive by artificial means, being a small minority, should be given the option to opt out of palliative care only. We allow people to shoot themselves in the head, strangle themselves or jump of a bridge in respect to the legal right of self-determination — but we don’t allow them to die peacefully.

Lofty Basta, MD,

San Francisco

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YES ON W

AVA,

A Response to the Employers Council statement about Measure W 

The Employers Council of Mendocino County has made some inaccurate arguments against making Mendocino a Charter County. One wonders why the Employers Council did not research the information more thoroughly.

First, the Charter Commission is made up of volunteers who serve without pay of any kind. There is no cost to the county. When the Charter Commissioners have written a Charter for the county--and with a former supervisor, the mayor of Ukiah, a retired English professor and other talented ones among them,, one would assume they would do a reasonably satisfactory job of writing--the Charter will be submitted to the County, and the County Counsel will analyze the possible costs--or benefits--to the county.

Second, although it is quite true that only a majority of voters can amend or rescind a Charter, one assumes that the Board of Supervisors or the voters, if they wished to amend the Charter, would schedule the vote during a regular election, as the California Constitution specifies that they should. Therefore there would be no costly special election.

Third, a Mendocino County Public Bank, in which the County could deposit its money and take it out of Bank of America, would not use General Fund money to capitalize the bank, since the General Fund does not have $20 million extra. However, if the money were available, it would be perfectly legal to do so. In l920 the US Supreme Court ruled that it was legal for North Dakota to use its money to create the Bank of North Dakota, although the North Dakota Constitution, like the California Constitution, prohibits the state from lending its credit. And North Dakota's public bank protected North Dakota from the 2008 recession caused by the big banks and their risky and illegal procedures. It therefore would be quite legal for Mendocino Charter County to have a county public bank and capitalize it in the most economical way feasible. The reason that at least two supervisors support the formation of a public bank is because their research indicates that the county will save money and reduce risk by having its money in its own bank to use locally.

Fourth, in regard to foreclosures, the Recorder of San Francisco audited their foreclosures and found that 84% of them contained illegal practices. (The big banks were fined billions by the US government for their fraudulent practices.) Nevada's Recorder quite legally required an affidavit of authenticity from foreclosing entities and stopped 70% of the foreclosures because the big banks couldn't swear under threat of perjury that they had the right to foreclose. And I guess the Employers Council didn't read about the family that was foreclosed upon by a big bank-- though the family did not even have a mortgage. Those big, greedy banks did make some mistakes in their rush to evict people from their homes.

In short, please VOTE YES ON MEASURE W AND HELP PROTECT OUR COUNTY, ITS FINANCES AND ITS ENVIRONMENT.

Ellen Rosser, Charter Commissioner Candidate

Point Arena

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CANNABIS & THE MENDOCINO GENERAL PLAN

Dear Editor,

In 2009 the Mendocino Board of Supervisors approved the Mendocino General Plan. The following excerpts, interspersed with commentary from the Cannabis Community, demonstrate how legalization and regulation of the cannabis industry will help fulfill these policy goals.

MENDOCINO COUNTY GENERAL PLAN, Approved: AUGUST 2009

Chapter 2: Planning Principles

The Principles in this chapter are statements of County policy, and have the same legal effect as the Goals, Policies, and Action Items contained in other sections of this General Plan.

Principle 2-1a: Conservation of Mendocino County’s natural resources, farmland, forest land and open spaces is essential to the rural quality of life desired by residents and visitors alike.

Cannabis cultivation as an agricultural product is proper use of natural resources, farmland and forest land when performed in compliance with county zoning laws allowing horticulture and row and field crops. State law currently limits the size of these crops to maximum of one acre. County Law should enact the same limits, to control legal growth and protect the rural way of life that cannabis farmers prefer. Principle 2-1b: Mendocino County’s natural, scenic, recreational, historic and archeological resources are vital to the quality of life and shall be protected for the enjoyment and economic prosperity of present and future generations.

: Protection and enjoyment of the outstanding scenic recreational and natural qualities of Mendocino County require long-term supportive economic and social systems.

The rarely acknowledged, but well known truth is that the “long term supportive economic system” of Mendocino County (e.g.: 40 years since the demise of the Lumber industry) has been Cannabis cultivation. Thus it also has historic value, for Mendocino is the place where new techniques of cannabis cultivation, the development of potent new seed strains, methods of concentrate production, formulas and recipes for salves, ointments, creams and edibles were and continue to be created. The economic prosperity of the present and future depends on supporting and encouraging this vibrant creative sector of the local economy.

Principle 2-1c: Emphasize compatibility between human activity and environmental resources and processes at all levels from regional planning to site design.

The recently passed MMRSA legislation requires those in the cannabis industry to register and work in cooperation with the various Waterboards and with the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, as well as with the various state and county Departments and Agencies tasked with its regulation. Permitting and licensing of the cultivation, manufacturing, dispensing and other aspects of the cannabis industry will enable the Cannabis Community to participate in the planning processes which emphasize compatibility between human activity and environmental resources.

: Encourage safe, cost-effective and environmentally sound community planning and land use decisions.

This is what we are participating in.

: Emphasize development patterns, sustainable practices and materials that are compatible with natural environments and processes and that protect air and water quality.

Cannabis farmers are in the forefront of developing sustainable and perm-culture practices of agriculture. There is a Clean Green certification program that validates organic and hygienic practices. The MMRSA puts cultivation under the Food and Agriculture Department, Mendocino County should do the same, so that the Agricultural Commissioner can carry out his mandated task to inspect and certify farms, and so protect air and water quality.

: Discourage development at risk of natural or man-made hazards.

Under County Zoning Laws, this would be monitored and minimized.

: Ensure that the existing database of County resources, including, but not limited to soil information, slope analysis, sensitive habitat, water resources, air resources, wind energy, solar energy, and hydro energy, is available to guide planning decisions and is kept current as new data is developed.

As Cannabis farmers, manufacturers, dispensaries and others in the cannabis industry come into compliance with various laws and obtain permits for their operations, the County will reap a cornucopia of data on all of these systems, which are currently in the underground economy and hence unreported.

Principle 2-1d: Mendocino County is committed to the health and well-being of all its residents, and shall implement land use plans, policies and programs that promote health.

: The County will strive to promote community health for all neighborhoods, with particular attention to disadvantaged communities and those that have been identified as lacking in amenities.

Allowing cannabis cultivation in permitted row and field crop areas will enable lower income residents to grow their own medicine. Licensing more dispensaries will increase the local availability of this sustainably renewable medicine and all its various preparations, as well as provide jobs for local residents. Thus the money stays in the community rather than going to the big pharmaceutical companies.

* * *

It appears as if the Supervisors foresaw the importance of the Cannabis Community to the health and well-being of the County.

Swami Chaitanya,

Mendocino Cannabis Policy Council

Laytonville

4 Comments

  1. Keith Bramstedt April 20, 2016

    Lee Simon: I’m confident that Bill Pullman and Will Smith can fight off the Martians for us.

  2. Mark Richey April 23, 2016

    Re; Blankfort and Spann..

    One could add, in every ‘public’ radio station, and most other media sites, there is posted a somewhat ‘liberal’ zionist..like Blankfort.

  3. M Kathryn Massey April 26, 2016

    Mr. Peterson,

    Is this a criminal matter? What should the financial supporters know and how should they respond?

    Thank you for your continued interest and investigation.

    I have always maintained that Mr. Coate did not have managerial experience, non-profit Board experience, nor real fund raising credentials. In his past, he basically “created” an online “cloud” community, and not a real non-profit entity with real people he had to support and manage every day. You don’t supervise and work with real people in a virtual community. It doesn’t translate. That, coupled with a Program Director who was running the station, set the station up to fail in all ways, not just financially.

    Mr. Coate over laid his “Farm” mentality and experience, (his real training) as his approach to working with a Board, managing staff, and maintaining the viability of KZYX. He should have never served as the GM and certainly not for 8 years.

    Take a hard look at his resume. You’ll find little if anything that shows the skill set for running a non-profit entity. However, you will find a “cloud” community and lots of web stuff.

    Sincerely,

    Mary Massey
    Mendocino County

  4. John Sakowicz April 28, 2016

    To the editor:

    With regard to Scott Peterson’s letter (AVA, April 20), time will tell that John Coate was the worst thing that ever happened to KZYX. I suspect he was.

    As the former Treasurer of the Board of Directors, I can unequivocally state that Coate did everything in his power to obfuscate station finances. Disclosure just wasn’t his thing. Secrecy was his thing. Obfuscation was his thing.

    That obfuscation includes the station’s so-called “audits”, which were not really audits but something more like pre-audit worksheets.

    A key issue in any audit work product coming from KZYX’s auditors should have ensured that the station was truly operated for public (not private) interests. I’ve maintained for a long time that the station was a jobs program for John Coate, Mary Aigner, Rich Culbertson, and other long-time staff, to wit, John Coate gave himself a 10 per cent raise at precisely the time he elimination the station’s news department.

    That just was wrong — very wrong.

    An audit should have also evaluated procedures for accounting for money paid to individuals, but salaries were always impossible to determine in the station’s audits.

    Audits should have been able to determine whether the station paid any excessive compensation, fees, or benefits.

    An audit should have also ensured that the station protected and preserved its assets exclusively for tax-exempt purposes.

    Let me be clear: Weak audits risk examinations by the IRS.

    Issues in an examination by the IRS may include an organization’s tax-exempt status and classification, whether it paid employment taxes and tax on unrelated business income when required, and whether it filed required returns and reports. Procedures for examinations are explained in detail in IRS Publication 892, Exempt Organization Appeal Procedures for Unagreed Issues.

    KZYX is at-risk for such an examination by the IRS of the station’s books because of the inadequate and incomplete audits, and also because the station’s Form 990 tax returns were withheld from the public — both reasons.

    We’ll get to the station’s 990 returns in a moment. Bear with me.

    The consequences of such an IRS examination may include the following adverse actions:

    1. No change to the organization’s status or liability, with an advisory and later IRS follow-up to see if advice has been followed,
    2. Imposition of tax (unrelated business income, employment, or excise) and/or penalties,
    3. Revocation of the IRS’s determination that the organization is tax-exempt,
    4. Modification of the IRS’s determination of tax-exempt status (for example, reclassifying an organization recognized as exempt as a social welfare orgnaizaton under Code § 501(c)(4) as a business league described in
    § 501(c)(6)), and/or
    6. Reclassification of foundation status (for § 501(c)(3) organizations and § 4947(a)(1) trusts only).

    Coate’s obfuscation of KZYX finances also includes the station’s Form 990 tax returns, which Scott Peterson rightly points out in his letter were withheld by Coate from the public. The Form 990 tax returns should have been posted on KZYX’s website.

    A search of the IRS database will bear out what Mr. Peterson asserts. Anyone can search.

    KZYX is legally known as Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, and their EIN is 68-0050440. Your search will ask you for this information.

    Let’s review the basics.

    First, what is the IRS Form 990?

    The IRS Form 990 is the reporting form that many federally tax-exempt organizations must file with the IRS each year. This form allows the IRS and the general public to evaluate a nonprofit’s operations; it includes information on the nonprofit’s mission, programs, and finances.

    The type of Form 990 to be filed by an organization depends on the filing year and the gross receipts of the organization. The different forms include Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-N.

    Who files the IRS Form 990? Which Form 990 should KZYX have filed?

    Most federally tax-exempt organizations (with some exceptions like churches and state institutions) file a 990. All 501(c)(3) private foundations file a 990.

    The IRS provides information to help determine which form to file.

    Smaller nonprofits with gross receipts of less than $50,000, like KZYX, should file Form 990-N (e-Postcard).

    What happens if our nonprofit does not file IRS Form 990?

    If an organization fails to file Form 990 three years in a row, the IRS will automatically revoke its tax-exempt status. Since 2011, more than 500,000 nonprofits across the country automatically lost their tax-exempt status for this reason.

    The IRS has no appeal process for automatic revocations due to failure to file an appropriate Form 990 for three years. Without this status, an organization could be subject to paying income taxes. Additionally, an organization can avoid paying user fees and filing additional documents with the IRS by submitting its Form 990 each and every year.

    Can IRS Form 990 be seen by the public?

    Yes. Nonprofit organizations are required to make their IRS Form 990 and their exemption application available for public inspection during regular business hours.

    Many nonprofits make 990s available for viewing on their websites. You can also view them at Guidestar, an organization that compiles information about nonprofits.

    Click on: http://www.guidestar.org/Home.aspx

    Again, anyone can do their own search. KZYX is legally known as Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, and their EIN is 68-0050440.

    See for yourself if John Coate really left KZYX in better shape than he found it. See if he really was the financial miracle worker, as he claims.

    And let’s pray that the new management team of Lorraine Dechter and Raoul Van Hall at KZYX weren’t left in a hole so deep that it’s impossible to climb out of. They seem like good people and deserve better. Let’s support them in any way that we can. Become members of the station. Become underwriters.

    And, by God, insist on new standards of transparency and accountability.

    John Sakowicz
    KZYX Board of Directors (2013-2016), Board Treasurer (2014)

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