Could someone on the PIRG/FUND staff or a signficant funder or client, please call for full disclosure of the relationship between Doug Phelps as sole owner of Telefund and Grassroots Campaigns Inc (the largest combined canvass and telephone operation in the US) and the positions he holds with the family of PIRGs including Chair of the Board of USPIRG, The FUND, Green Century Funds, Greencorps, NAOPI, CALPIRG and CALEnvironment, etc. etc. etc?

There are certain myths about the situation with Phelps that are so patently false they raise deep alarm bells as to the level of denial and the lack of transparency occuring in the PIRG/FUND movement.

Myth #1: Phelps is wealthy because he inherited his wealth.  False. False. False.  Phelps had no money when he was hired by the PIRGs and has never received money from his family.  Quite the opposite:
His multi-millions and his lofts and houses are as a result of the profits from Telefund and GCI.  He doesn't take a salary because he takes the profits.  He is not an employee of Telefund and GCI who is on salary -- he is the owner of those businesses and therefore owner of the profits.

Look, let's get real here: These multi-million dollar companies could not have been created without appropriating the technology of canvassing and phoning from the FUND.  These companies could not have been created without key senior staff siphoned off from the PIRG and the FUND. And, at least in the case of GCI could not be sustained without use of the FUND canvasses today.  The PIRG/FUND movement was used to create these private businesses and the movement continues to be used to drive profits for Douglas Phelps --- to the tune of multi-millions.  This may not be illegal, but is it ethical? Is it transparent?  Does the staff and the public and the funders understand that this is the reality on the ground, ie that the same person who holds every significant position of authority in the PIRG/FUND movement is also the sole owner of Telefund and GCI?  Is it perfectly transparent that Phelps used and uses the PIRG/FUND movement to continue to build up his businesses?  Is it perfectly transparent how exactly this in the best interest of the PIRG movement?

Myth #2: Phelps works 20 hour weeks.  This is a joke.  Phelps can certainly focus intensely when he needs to, and is genius at creating the sense of working all the time, but if you look at, say, a typical day in the life of Phelps in Santa Barbara -- let's see -- he'd get in at 11am, drive to UCSB for one of the best bean burritos in the world with a young female personal assistant around 1pm, "oversee" 3-5 personal assistants at any one time to pick up laundry, organize personal schedule, to get his videos and busied himself with the purchase of property for himself and family members from the Telefund profits. He'd leave at 5 to take swing dancing lessons.  I suppose if you count his attending the numerous PIRG/FUND parties and gatherings of young people that happen consistently in the PIRG, of his hanging out cavorting with the new young Greencorps organzers, work, then you could add some serious hours to his work day.

Myth #3: Phelps is a real leader and the PIRG/FUND couldn't get along without.  Get real:  This is a man who consistently takes credit for other people's work, lies like a banshee, a guy who has stolen technology, names, who is despised by many many many but who surrounds himself with a bunch of loyal sycophants that in the words of Jerry Brown "all who have those particularly dead PIRG eyes."

we are talking about a man who will leave an entire senior staff waiting for hours and some times days while he sleeps in or gets his thoughts organized, who will make on a whim a several hundred person organization change travel plans (and force staff to personally cover the cost to do it who will, just to show who is boss, hold back already agreed upon salary increases for entire staff's for years at a time while enriching himself, who spends most of his time plotting against his internal enemies, a person very few like or feel any affection towards, a man who uses fear, humiliation, and bullying to get his way. We are talking about a man who truly creeps out more than a majority of the senior staff and alumni women.  Alot of women won't be alone in a room with him.  How's that for leadership?

Name one PIRG person who has challenged Phelps on one issue of import and I'll show you a staff person who regardless of how slow or overt the process, was ultimately villified and/or forced to leave the organization.

Myth #4. Because Phelps was a significant player in the 1960s, he is therefore entitled to make every significant decision within the PIRG/FUND movement, treat staff like like shit, use the organization as his personal playground, and become a multi-millionare in the process.  First of all, who ever heard of Phelps' impact on the 60's???  He was in the area when Wounded Knee occurred and along with a bunch of other college white boys tried to help.  What exactly does this entitle him to today?

The situation with Phelps and the PIRG movement is a disgrace to the progressive movement, and the top will be blown off one of these days if one of the key funders, clients, or staff members doesn't act first.