Debra Peterson, sole candidate for 2018 chair-elect of PRSA, should withdraw in the light of fraud charges vs. employer CenturyLink and PRSA’s record of abusive practices.

If she doesn’t do it voluntarily, the step should be taken by Kathy Barbour, nominating committee chair who was 2015 PRSA chair. Nominating decisions are to be made Saturday, July 29, after videoconfencing from New York with candidates and nominees notified July 30. This is a crisis for PRSA, CenturyLink and Peterson that needs immediate action.

Debra PetersonDebra Peterson

CenturyLink will be in a world of hurt because of the charges of overbilling by eight states that will play out the rest of the year. Peterson will have her hands full dealing with such charges. Company stock has dipped from the $30’s in 2016 to the low $20’s. Fines could total $12 billion.

It doesn’t need association with PRSA’s record of anti-democratic, press-avoiding policies and practices carried out by the small group of “Accredited” members who have dominated governance since 1980. Some of the charges are documented below but more are to be added.

Part of the overbilling story is that customers of the telecoms have to pay rent on their TV boxes when people have been able to buy phones since 1980. We pay $20 a month for two boxes in Westhampton.

The New York Times, noting that consumers pay an average of $231 yearly for cable boxes, editorialized Aug. 31, 2015 that they should be able to buy “better, cheaper cable." Also an issue for CenturyLink, a $17.9 billion telecom and other telecoms like AT&T and Verizon, is the alleged healthhazards of electro-magnetic radiation associated with cellphones and cordless phones.

O’Dwyer’s History of PRSA in Works

Below are links to articles that will be in tentatively titled O’Dwyer’s History of PRSA, which will be a digital and printed book published well before the annual conference of PRSA in Boston Oct, 8-10.

Goal is to end dominance of the Society by a small group of “accredited” members, a designation conferred on members by themselves and lacking influence in the job market according to the Society’s own study.

Below are topics to be covered along with links to full articles that have further links.

• Richard Edelman, Dave Rickey and Art Stevens headed in 2010 the Committee for a Democratic PRSA whose goal was to end APR as a condition for office. The initiative, unmentioned in national or chapter media, failed. The Committee also was not allowed to email the membership. http://tinyurl.com/25wrbq9 and http://tinyurl.com/7rbmloe

• $100K PRSA study found self-administered APR to be worthless in marketplace. http://tinyurl.com/o6ukkma

• PR prof-dominated Assembly in 2013 blocked APR reform. http://tinyurl.com/lzz2oyg

• Federal Trade Commission, after PRSA ignored its plea to amend anti-competitive clauses in its “Ethics” Code, in 1977 hit PRSA with a consent decree forcing changes in the Code. http://tinyurl.com/8pv46kf

• PRSA removed enforcement of its Code in 2000 in defiance of members and the Ethics Resource Center. Prof. Kathy Fitzpatrick said the new Code was “inspirational.” http://tinyurl.com/kx8txuh

• Bill Murray resigns early as CEO of PRSA, March 10, 2014. http://tinyurl.com/oobftlw

• Sudden death of PR head Arthur Yann in 2013 at age 48 was withheld from members several days lest the news interfere with Silver Anvils. http://tinyurl.com/nyfpx79

• Gail Baker of Univ. of Nebraska resigned as PRSA Ethics Board head after Jack O’Dwyer told school officials Baker would not return his calls or emails. http://tinyurl.com/hrvgqa8

• PRSA’s sale authors’ articles without their permission from 1978-94 was revealed by O’Dwyer’s, halting the practice that was selling 3,500 packets a year and netting $60,000. https://www.odwyerpr.com/site_images/PRSA-Bill-of-Particulars.pdf

• “Beat You to a Pulp,” says PRSA delegate to Jack O’Dwyer, Jan. 13, 2011. (http://tinyurl.com/k96cqh2)• NY Times shows bias against Jack O’Dwyer in covering $21 million suit of Dean Rotbart vs. O’Dwyer. June 4, 2012. http://tinyurl.com/lslwwrl

• PRSA Educators Academy and Student Society keep distance from O’Dwyer’s. (http://tinyurl.com/hekysv8)

• Wikipedia depicts Jack O’Dwyer as a warlock burning PRSA at the stake Nov. 3, 2012. http://tinyurl.com/cv62e39 and http://tinyurl.com/h8ubpza

• PRSA lists 48 staffers as members, ignoring eligibility rules; other ethical lapses described, Feb. 21, 2017. http://tinyurl.com/jkqmr9s