Guest view as authorized by a local Mission Viejo blog. www.missionviejoca.org. There are surely two sides to every campaign story. My name can be added to all those who will be promoting a NO vote on this ballot measure. I will also be voting against the recall. The difference between the Juice editor and myself is that I live AND VOTE in the CUSD so I am closer to the actions and eventual impact of decisions made by any CUSD Board. Larry Gilbert.
” Stop the Union Takeover Attempt in CUSD
by Mike Winsten, Trustee, Capistrano Unified School District
Powerful union leaders and their supporters are campaigning to take control of our school district on Election Day – seeking to replace your existing conservative Reform Trustees with a new pro-union majority, and with their ballot initiative known as Measure H, to literally take away from every voter 6 of our 7 school board votes. Let me explain.
Unions Seeking Control of the Board.
Three of your Reform Trustees are up for reelection in November – the “ABC Reform Trustees” (Ellen Addonizio, Anna Bryson and Larry Christensen). The union is campaigning aggressively to replace each of these well-respected trustees. However, the union didn’t just want to gain three seats – they wanted to gain control of the seven member board in one single election. That is why they spent months and thousands of dollars to place an early recall election on the November ballot for two more of your Reform Trustees – CUSD Trustees Ken Lopez-Maddox and myself.
As a result, if the union succeeds in electing their five pro-union candidates to the Board, they will have effectively taken control of your school district in one election. This is bad. But it gets worse – much worse.
Measure H – Union Seeking To Take Away 6 of Your 7 Votes.
The unions also spent months working to get Measure H on the November ballot – they want to reduce the board’s accountability to voters throughout the entire school district by changing the way your school board representatives are elected in the future.
Today you get 7 votes — 1 for each of your school board members. If the union’s Measure H passes — you will lose 6 of your votes. That’s right, they would take away six of your votes! Passage of Measure H would diminish your voice and reduce board accountability – your vote will only influence 1 board member (not 7). You could lose the right to vote for the trustee representing the area where your children attend school – or the area where your Mello Roos taxes are spent (resulting in taxation without representation).
No other Orange County school district elects their school board this way – but dysfunctional L.A. Unified does. Local control by voters would be severely diminished – while union influence would be increased. Keep in mind, unions spend more on politics than anyone else – it is not in the best interest of students or taxpayers to increase their power.
Many prominent elected officials and organizations have come forward to officially oppose Measure H, including:
Pat Bates, Orange County Supervisor, Fifth District
California Republican Assembly
Tony Beall, RSM Mayor Pro Tem and OC Republican Party Central Committee Member, 71st Assembly District
Family Action PAC
Robert Ming, Laguna Niguel City Council Member, Co-Author, Vote SAFE Now Initiative and Author, Voter ID Act
Committee to Reform CUSD
Jack Anderson, Assistant Orange County Sheriff (Retired.), Former Planning and Traffic Commissioner, City of Mission Viejo, and OC Republican Party Central Committee Member, 71st Assembly District
Lincoln Club of Orange County
Craig Alexander, OC Republican Party Central Committee Member, 73rd Assembly District
The CUSD Board Has Implemented Many Positive Reforms.
Over the past three consecutive elections, voters elected each of the seven current members of the CUSD Board of Trustees to restore honesty, integrity and accountability to CUSD – and we’ve accomplished much.
Bringing reform and positive change is especially difficult in a district which spends approximately 85 percent of its budget on salaries/benefits for public employees – most of whom are represented by powerful union leaders fighting to preserve an unsustainable status quo.
Despite continuous union opposition, we have successfully balanced the budget; stopped deficit spending; refused to increase taxes; reduced bloated administration; reduced union contract expenses by 10.1 percent; enacted strong anti-nepotism policies; created a district-wide facilities assessment; promoted conservative fiscal policies and family values; and fought to keep smaller class sizes.
This year, student achievement in CUSD soared to its highest levels. In fact, this year Capistrano Unified was the State’s highest-achieving large school district!
Help Stop the Union Takeover Attempt.
For the sake of each student and taxpayer in our district, I urge you to:
Re-elect the “ABC Reform Trustees” — (Addonizio, Bryson & Christensen).
Vote NO on the Recall of Mike Winsten.
Vote NO on the Recall of Ken Lopez Maddox.
Vote NO on the Union’s “Measure H”
To repeat. Larry Gilbert will be voting to reelect the ABC Reform Trustess and will be voting NO on the recall as well as casting a NO vote on Measure H.
Learn more: www.CUSDfacts.com“
I live and vote in CUSD too (for almost 40 years).
“Powerful union leaders and their supporters are campaigning to take control of our school district on Election Day”
Larry, this is utter crap and I think you are smart enough to know it. The union isn’t involved here. In fact, it’s my understanding that the teachers’ union doesn’t even like some of the Children First candidates very much and the feeling is mutual.
“The union is campaigning aggressively to replace each of these well-respected trustees.”
Again, the teachers’ union isn’t involved. Of course individual teachers are, but the union is not.
But more important, those three trustees are not “well respected!” In fact, Anna Bryson is a complete joke even to the other 6 trustees. If you remember, she was a joke to the OC GOP up until she was elected to the CUSD board and then they had to start taking her seriously. Larry and Ellen are mostly tolerated by the community but they’re tarred by association with the other losers on the board which is ANYTHING but “well respected.”
Seriously, Larry, I can’t believe you’ve fallen for this OC GOP disinformation. Do you believe Obama is a Muslim, too?
The so-called “reform” trustees all USED TO want to change the way by which trustees were elected in CUSD. But then they got elected and now they don’t want it anymore! Shame on them.
“The CUSD Board Has Implemented Many Positive Reforms” Another lie. The only thing they’ve brought to the district is turmoil.
The fact is that several years ago we had an awful puppetmaster/superintendent, Jim Fleming, who was enabled by a horrible board of trustees. Fleming and his gang of devils are gone now, but Fleming’s puppetmaster role was taken over by Tony Beall. Tony pulls the strings attached to Winsten and Maddox. He’d like to control the 5 others but they don’t always cooperate, which makes Tony furious.
Cut the puppetmaster’s strings — take away Tony’s power. Vote yes on H!
Mr. Gilbert has never taken a second to actually pick up the phone and verify any of the lies and “bulls**t” he just placed on this blog. The facts don’t matter to him or the other Beall clones and puppets. One of these days Larry will actually grow a backbone and reach out and fact check. Those of us that are really behind Measure H and/or the recall will prove to him that the unions have nothing to do with these efforts.
I think I just answered my own question. Why doesn’t Larry have the courage to check his “facts”? Because he knows that he doesn’t have any facts and if he actually made an effort to determine the truth he might actually have to admit that what he and Beall keep spewing is a pack of lies.
Better to live in ignorance then be exposed to the truth I guess.
Larry you should be ashamed of yourself. Or, how much did Tony pay you to post his drivel? IF you like these blood payments then sue CUSD and get the Beall puppets-Bryson, Maddox and Winsten to pay you off using classroom money in another set of bogus lawsuit settlements.
Neutralize. BS.
Oh. Are you troubled that one of the Juice bloggers happens to take an opposing viewpoint on this election and posts a response from one of those attacked non stop on the Juice? That my friend is true Democracy. Giving the opposition the chance to voice their opinion. This is NOT a slanted blog. We come from all ends of the spectrum on our opinions.
NOBODY pays me off simply because I am not for sale. Simply ask Vern and Art and they will confirm that I am not beholden to ANYONE or even any particular party as demonstrated by my primary election endorsement of Lee McGroarty over my congressman Gary Miller.
Of course once I see Mike Winsten’s name attached to anything I know everything that follows is a joke and untrue. I can speed read what he writes and chalk it up to fantasy and propaganda.
The most damaging event in the history of CUSD was the day Winsten got elected as a Trustee. His associations with the most unsavory and rotten characters in South Orange County are enough to cause a person to lose their lunch.
Winsten will be removed and Measure H will pass. Educated voters won’t be fooled again. Lies won’t win this election Tony and Mike. Enjoy your retirement from public life
I like area-specific elections. They generally help increase minority representation and they make it easier for citizen-activists to win. It is hard to walk an entire district, but anyone can walk one area.
In 2008, unions spent approximately $100,000 trying to elect three candidates to our school board – including Erin Kutnick.
Today, Kutnick urges you to support Measure H – but in 2004, she wrote a newspaper column supporting our current system, in which she stated:
“This system is known as being “elected at large” and there is a very good reason for this. Often times in an elected body, some personalities are much stronger than others.
What if hypothetically, one area had a very domineering board member representing them who was only interested in making decisions that were best for their area?
If we could not vote that person in or out because they were in another area, there would be no accountability.
Likewise, if we did not have a balance of board members located throughout the district, we could potentially have another battle…where decisions were made based on one community’s desire rather than the needs of the district as a whole.
Each board member must be accountable to all of the voters within the district.
Public schools of course, have to remain focused on the big picture. Having all seven school board members accountable to the entire voting population keeps them focused on working together rather than trying to further a personal agenda.
It also provides balance. Each trustee can provide valuable first hand information and knowledge because they know the schools in their area.”
VOTE NO – Don’t let the unions and Erin Kutnick take away 6 of your 7 votes
http://www.cusdfacts.com
Whatever. Kutnick ain’t running for anything.
Anything else irrelevant?
Not sure why you posted this Larry. Isn’t this the same old ballot statement that is being challenged in court, and which we had fun demolishing last week while you were gone?
That was over here.
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010/08/another-good-capo-lawsuit-defending-measure-h-by-area-elections/
I know, you probably have to jog a few laps to get back in shape and catch up with what’s been going on here.
The point Mr. Gilbert is that you haven’t tried to verify your facts. This blog is for many viewpoints but you can’t make up your own facts and truly believe that they are anything but total lies.
When you will remove the yellow stripe and get a backbone? When will you make even the slightest attempt to meet with the parents and others that got these recalls qualified or got this measure on the ballot? What are you afraid of Gilbert? The answer: you are afraid of the truth. You are afraid that once you learn the true story that you will have to retract and correct all the lies you have forwarded.
ANON. Do you live in the CUSD?
Perhaps we can meet so that you can show me your evidence.
What am I afraid of? Let me turn the tables on you. I live in the area of Mission Viejo where my neighbors children attend CUSD schools. Simply send me an email so that we can mutually agree on the time, date and place. Thank you!
Note: In the past 22 years I have opposed the recall of an elected city official and have worked to remove an elected councilman in Mission Viejo. In both cases our side won.
“As authorized by the mission viejo blog” What???!??!
This is a reprint of the false and misleading ballot statement put forth by Beall and friends to oppose Measure H. The courts will throw most of this stuff out. This has nothing to do with the mission viejo blog unless you are finally admitting that anything printed in this blog is really just the same thing as reading Tony Beall’s opinion pieces? Winsten signed this ballot argument but it was written by his patron and controller- Tony Beall.
The “REAL” union candidates? They are: Anna Bryson – current member of two unions and a participant in county and state pension systems. Ken Maddox – current member of a union, triple dipping pension qualifier and a current recipient of The Teamsters support and money!! Addonizio and Christiansen who both took union support and money when they last ran for office.
Gilbert won’t report on this because it doesn’t fit into the required propaganda story that Tony paid him to print and promote.
Shame, Shame, Shame on Larry G and those who pull his strings
If anyone checks out this site you would quickly learn that the information contained in those pages is as false and sinister and the most biased of any “news” source. They use several names for Ken Maddox by the way which helps prove the case that Ken doesn’t have a valid name for the ballot.
This is the Tony Beall propaganda site and Larry Gilbert asks people to visit it for “facts”. What a travesty but proof that Gilbert is addicted to false information and a “source” that is run by someone who gladly helped siphon money out of the classroom into his personal bank account.
Don’t let outside special interests continue their stranglehold on CUSD. Stop these evil interests from destroying the education of our kids and the reputation of our schools. Vote YES on H, vote YES on the Recall. Vote to Recall, Remove, Recover.
Throw them out
CUSD facts. Can you provide the names of the “special interests” so that other readers will be able to determine for themselves if you are blowing smoke?
Let’s see. Is it some developer or school district supplier who will benefit from the decisions made by the Trustees?
Do these people walk around with a badge on their chest reading “special interest”?
Juice readers want to know and wait patiently for your documented response.
Larry, isn’t it interesting that anyone who disagrees with the union and their sympathizers (like failed union-candidate Erin Kutnick) is immediately subjected to vicious personal attacks and name calling — with no facts to back up their outlandish claims.
This is the same type of type of bullying and thuggish behavior exhibited by the unions at virtually every CUSD Board meeting ever since the seven conservative reform trustees were sworn into office two years ago.
Thank you for having the courage to support true democracy and public debate by posting here on Orange Juice the other side of these important political issues.
Folks.
Don’t get all worked up . Let’s see what the court has to add to this ongoing debate.
And no Vern, I will not have to jog around the block to get in shape after spending a full week snorkeling. The difference between Hawaii and CA is that we swam with hundreds to a few thousand tropical fish and manta rays. Now that we have returned I will be swimming with an eye open for a pack of sharks as I follow several campaigns.
The Education Alliance, The Pacific Research Institute, The Family Action PAC, Howard Ahmanson, The OC Republican Central Committeee…this is just a beginning of the list. None of these organizations are located in CUSD. This is a non-partisan board and the local GOP Beall rubber stamp committee shouldn’t be involved in these races ever. The OC Register has a complete listing of these out of area special interests. The articles are all listed along with other details at caporecall2010.org.
Larry, look at the list of people who donated money to these trustees over the last election cycles? Tony and Jennifer Beall, Jim Reardon, Tom Russell, Case, Furniss. Now look at the list of people that authored the challenges to the ballot statements – Reardon, Beall. Now take a good look at those that benefited from those out of court settlement votes that resulted in over $650,000 being paid in late 2009- Reardon, Beall, Beall, Russell, Furniss, Case, Reardon, Beall, Beall. See a pattern Larry? Add to this non-parent and complete wingnut Craig Alexander who is on the Board of Directors of The Education Alliance and, surprise!, is listed as the lead attorney challenging fellow-Republican and CUSD Trustee candidate John Alpay!
This is a sick group of people that have no guilt about siphoning money out of the classrooms right into their own pockets. Reardon, Beall, Russell and friends contribute money to Winsten, Maddox, Bryson and others and as soon as possible their newly elected puppets vote to send hundreds of thousands of dollars right back to the same people that financed and managed their campaigns. At the same time the kids have to now provide their own paper for the classroom. Do we allow this in OC? If we leave it up to the OC Register or the MV Dispatch we do!! These publications would allow them to stay in office and permit their masters to get more settlements. According to what I observe Larry, as long as someone says “union” or “thug” often enough some in the “press” will freak out and start pointing the finger at those Beall tagged names at “pro-union” and that means the press fails to do any research and check their facts. This is mob mentality and propaganda manipulation at its mose vile. The MV and OC papers are so concerned about pleasing Tony and beating up on non-existent union connections that the real crimes go un-reported or if there is a mention it presents only Beall’s spin on it.
Gilbert, I noticed another poster asked why you haven’t met with the recall or measure H people? Why haven’t you? Why haven’t you investigated why Phillip Greer’s name keeps popping up around these people? Bryson’s employment with County Treasurer Chriss Street? Maddox’s real address or name ( he doesn’t even live in his trustee area)? How about Maddox’s revenue stream from The Teamsters? There is so much you could be objectively reporting on rather then copying and pasting propaganda from Mike Winsten or others. Mike Winsten was Tony Beall’s co-chair of the first recalls. Mike and wife sued CUSD to keep “other kids” out of their homogeneous elementary schools. Mike starred in a film critical of CUSD. Mike’s comments about teachers and special ed kids are famous. Mike responded with “what about them” when asked about his constituents. Mike voted twice to award over $650,000 to his campaign donors. Mike is a pariah in San Clemente and loathed across CUSD.
Gilbert, when you buck up and meet people involved in this you will meet non-union voters in CUSD. They will be normal, mostly Republican, parents and homeowners most of who voted for the original recalls and most of these trustees. Are you afraid to confront and report the truth?
I am conservative. I have always gone to great lengths to promote the value of the truth and the power of honesty. It is a standard that I personally try to meet, that I hold my family to, and that I work to instill in others. That is why I could never support this board and their denial of the truth. They should not be in charge of educating young people. They lie. The teachers are not “behind” the disgust. It’s the people who value honesty.
With all due respect to the opinions on both sides of this issues, unless you have actually run a campaign in this large district you really don’t understand how/why we got where we are.
I certainly didn’t until 2008 when I faced the daunting task of trying to reach over 200,000 voters with little to no money. And I was successful in getting my message out to my community in San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, and San Clemente but couldn’t do it district-wide.
Why do you think we had no challengers in 2000 and 2004? Was everyone perfectly happy? I doubt it but no one wanted to run in this large district. No one had $100K to finance a campaign and it’s not easy to raise that kind of money. If we had more candidates and challengers for our school board over the past decade i don’t think that our district would be in the mess that it is today.
There would have been more options and more change over time. The idea behind the voting by area is to bring more candidates to the table and to allow people to be more involved. Can you imagine having to research and learn about every Senator or Assembly Member in California to vote? It would be impossible which is why we elect our local representatives. In a large school district the same thing applies. Unfortunately the average voter doesn’t have/take the time to get to know those candidates. There is already so much going on in each election by the time the page with school board trustees is turned, voters are on overload. And to figure out info about several candidates can be pretty tough.
But what if you only had to research who to vote in your one area? Candidates would have to be accessible and visible to get the voters attention. A little more manageable and when that person is elected, they would be far more accountable to their constituents.
There are certainly pros and cons to both methods of voting and no one way works for all but our district has grown far too large and does have too many special interest groups. The at-large method worked for many years but no longer serves the best needs of the district. By breaking down the voting, you will actually eliminate the need for large outside donors as well as encourage local, grass-roots candidates to run. You will make your vote count instead of being over-ruled by another city.
No one claims that this is perfect — nothing ever is, but the current system is failing us all and that’s why change is needed.
Please vote YES on H and support local control.
Erin.
Having been deeply involved in several MV races within a voter block of 50,000 to 60,000 registered voters I can appreciate your comments as the challenge of running for office in a large district.
Some have suggested that CUSD be split which might be a good topic for a future post. How large should a school district be to remain effective?
That is an excellent question and I wish I had the answer. Clearly a district such as LAUSD is not effective. A small district cannot benefit from economy of scale which is critical to maximizing the limited revenue sent from the state. I’m sure that there are many theories but no exact science. I only know that to split up a school district is a very big deal. Changing the way we elect trustees was a real and achievable goal.
Erin. If my memory hasn’t gone on vacation I seem to recall, to use that word, a Mission Viejo city council discussion of forming our own school district rather than being served by both Saddleback and CUSD. If I find the reference I might add it to this discussion. By the way. Our city council has sued BOTH of our school districts in the past few years.
Larry, I know you really are independent-minded. That’s why it’s so sad to learn that your strings are being pulled by the most evil puppetmaster of all, Tony Beall. Stop listening to him. He’s even worse than Fleming ever was.
Answer for Gilbert.
If you have been reading the Juice over the past four years you will find that I have posted thousands of stories covering a wide array of topics. We do this as a free public service to readers from across the country as confirmed by our sitemeter data.
Art and Vern can confirm that until now I have not devoted time to any of our education topics leaving that to others who cover that issue like a blanket such as the SAUSD where we have had over 1,000 comments.
It might surprise you but there is more to my daily volunteer efforts than reseaching and reporting to entertain and inform people like yourself.
Right now I cannot afford to cover every possible issue that crosses my in box. To do so would result in my becoming ineffective in any cause I choose to place my focus on.
That is not to say I don’t care about the education of our children, or grandchildren. Serving as a Trustee on any school board is a very vital role that for the most part, is under the radar screens.
Before the ballots hit our snail mailbox I will shift my focus from some city and statewide races to hear from parents who are not engaged on the blogs.
This post was simply to provide a rebuttal to the YES report. It was not written by myself. That being said, I will be voting for the present Board and will vote NO to the recall.
To accuse PRI of being a “special interest” is off the wall. What is their hidden Agenda? You cannot produce one because there is no smoking gun.
To accuse PRI of being a “special interest” is off the wall. What is their hidden Agenda? You cannot produce one because there is no smoking gun.
That is now the definition of a “special interest?” You have to have a “hidden agenda?”
That’s a very silly comment. A typo? The Pacific Research Institute is just as much a special interest as unions are, and the agendas of both are right up front. Unions fight for the interests of their workers, and the PRI fights for privatization, higher corporate profits, and lower taxes.
And reforms like Measure H make it easier and less expensive for a regular caring citizen to run WITHOUT needing the help of either of these special interests.
Vern.
Re: PRI. Are you opposed to lower taxes? If that’s a special interest I will proudly wear that badge.
Brother Vern.
Will you be voting for Card Check if it ever hits the ballot?
Is the solution to our nation’s problems forcing everyone who works in America to have mandatory membership in one form of union? And to think that by approving Card Check we will have less than 8% unemployment with big fat pay checks is a dream.
No its a pipe dream that will crush what’s left of the free enterprise system that has served this nation well for over 200 years.
What’s the biggest problem in America? Pensions and benefits negotiated by unions. If that burden was lower we would not see city’s laying off staff to balance their budgets.
And since Measure H has absolutely nothing to do with unions I will not be diverted into a discussion of “card-check” on this thread.
You’re so expecting everything to be a partisan squabble. I was not insulting PRI by saying that one thing they fight for is lower taxes. I was just plainly showing that there’s nothing “secret” about the agendas of most “special interests” including unions and PRI.
Despite multiple posts regarding Tony Beall’s opposition to the fairness of Measure H and his “reform” board opposition to Measure H driven by protectionism rather than reform, something is missing in the ensuing comments sections… the voices of teachers.
If the union is behind Measure H, why do they not weigh in on the discussion? The truth is they have no role in this reform. Changing to area voting and local control was the reform board’s duty and the parents have had to call them out as failures. No teachers necessary. But the public’s learned a lesson.
In fact, if you read the post above and anything else about CUSD, the only group that HAS performed to expectations are the teachers. Yet the current trustees continue to hide their shortcomings, pleading “Don’t do anything if it’s the teachers that want it.” We need challengers who can think for themselves and not just spout Beall-speak to break this cycle of adversity.
Measure H will limit the politics of lies, blame and lock-step thinking. Local control must prevail. Yes on H.
If voters are tricked into passing Measure H, CUSD will cease to be responsive to elected leadership. Public education is already dominated by public employee unions and the taxpayer’s last line of defense are the elected members of our school board. In CUSD, we are witness to an overt effort on the part of the unions to gain control of the school board and through Measure H, to dominate it in the future. Their denials of involvement are not credible.
We’ve all seen the union strike, the current recall effort, and the Measure H initiative come forward in a coordinated way. During the strike, the union allowed teachers to claim credit for picketing if they would collect signatures for the recall ( http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=220713&id=112723732080474 ). Support poured-in from unions, including the NEA, who placed the local strike clearly in the context of a national struggle for progressive workers’ rights ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3s3m6IOEzs ). Intimidation of parents was widespread. Students were manipulated like puppets.
Now we are to believe that those who authored Measure H have some altruistic motivation?
What we are witnessing is a struggle for political control of our school district. Those seeking control have the most direct “special interest” — that of the public employees. For them, what is at stake is the future direction of compensation, working conditions, and their precious pension privilege. Education is barely on the radar. In fact, this election has more to do with pushing a liberal social agenda than it relates to anything concerning education. If you support the union, the recall and Measure H, you are saying that you believe that decisions about education should be taken out of the hands of voters left to the “professionals”.
On the opposite side are those who oppose higher taxes and the imposition of a social agenda in public classrooms. Here you will find those who are not education professionals, and not dependent on public pensions. Here you will find those who are paying the bills.
Vote no on Measure H and vote no on the union recall.
No group should politically control a school district. Everyone’s children must be educated, so a school board should stay far away from politics. One of the most compelling arguments for the recall and challengers is that they represent diverse points of view, not just one group or political party. Measure H will allow each of seven diverse areas to have a voice on what should be a diverse and uncontrollable team.
Lol, that’s funny. Ken Lopez Maddox is not dependent on a public pension? You’re kidding right? He’s got, what, three of them?
And he works for who? http://www.boe.ca.gov/members/msteel/district_staff.html
Ken Lopez-Maddox: Senior Advisor, Legislation and Policy – email
Ken Maddox serves as Senior Legislation and Policy Advisor to Board of Equalization Member Michelle Steel. From 1998 to 2004, Ken represented Orange County in the California State Assembly. Upon leaving the State Legislature, Ken was named a Senior Fellow of Public Policy at U.C.L.A. and worked as a principal of a public advocacy and consulting firm. A former Garden Grove city councilman, Ken now resides in Dana Point with his son, Kenny.
Wait, I thought he lived in Aliso Viejo, where he represents Area 5? Which is it Kenny?
And what’s wrong with being an education professional? You mean a TEACHER? The issue here is this, Gary Pritchard, who is a teacher, has a child in the school in area 5, bought a home there and lives there FULL TIME.
Right now you have two board members who are PUBLIC employees. What we want are PARENTS in the district who care about about the kids than political statements. This family values crap?
And no ASKED for taxes to be raised, so I don’t know where Winsten came up with that BS. Was there a secret meeting where people begged for their taxes to be raised that we missed?
This is all a distraction, the union red herring. And the more you shout it, the more it becomes apparent that the current board is just annoyed that people see through their incompetence.
And how dare they take credit for the higher tests scores. The gall!
It’s their old one-string guitar, Capo Parent, all they have to play. Union, union, union. Twang, twang, twang.
By the way, I’m pretty sure it’s “Maddox-Lopez.” Well, I’m not sure really. A judge will decide.
Mr. Gilbert touts the status quo as desirable from a democratic point of view: “Today you get 7 votes — 1 for each of your school board members. If the union’s Measure H passes — you will lose 6 of your votes. That’s right, they would take away six of your votes!”
As I am sure Mr. Gilbert is aware, one aspect of the general poor health of our democratic institutions is the deplorable fact that, generally, in the case of down-ballot issues, voters are clueless and, in the absence of information, they tend to vote for incumbents.
The status quo—according to which each trustee is elected by the entire district area rather than the specific area of their trustee/representative—increases the advantage of the incumbent and makes it less likely that a challenger will succeed. That is because, as things now stand, one can run an effective campaign challenging an incumbent only if one has the obscenely large amount of funds enabling one to communicate with the electorate of the entire district area—as opposed to a fraction of that area.
A vote for Measure H is a vote FOR democracy, not against it, for it reduces campaigns to manageable zones in which candidates’ messages have a hope of being heard by voters. As things stand, little is heard, and whoever has power is liable to retain it, no matter how foolish or incompetent they may be.
To Superintentions: anonymous blog posts carry little to no weight. You have your opinion but don’t expect to sway others without your name.
I was one of a handful of parents who wrote the petition, gathered the signatures, presented to the county committee and helped to qualify this measure for the ballot. I am not now nor have I ever been a part of any union. EVER!
What I have been is a parent volunteer and public education advocate for 18 years. I believe in our education system and in democracy.
The change in the way we elect trustees (Measure H) was initiated by parents. We want better representation. We want a school board who values education and is willing to work with the community. Parents worked together to bring this change to the voters because we believe it will help to end the political battles in CUSD and return the focus to students and education.
Any claims made by anonymous bloggers to the contrary are out-right lies.
Sure Erin, Spin away.
Also, I find it interesting that the current trustees were elected because of the fact that the ‘Status Quo’ crowd had virtually ruined our district. I find it interesting that the union side wants to go back to the ‘status quo’ of self negotiation and an utter lack of fiscal responsibility. Yup. Status quo. (this is the same thing that the union wanted when they forced the district into impasse) Coincidence? I think not.
All I can say is that if we get Measure H, you will see the union backed candidates like ‘Saam’ being elected by less than 10,000 people and impacting the other 200,000 voters, with them having no say in the wackiness that would support a newly minted high schooler for a $400,000,000 budget. No way.
Remember, the union has foot soldiers who get a tangible financial return on the investment of walking doors and funding their candidates. The rest of us see no direct financial gain by the election of qualified responsible trustees. That alone is a reason not to give them the power to sway a small community by their sheer power.
I find it oddly humorous that those that are benefactors of the union aggressiveness are the ones crying that the trustees are rewarding their keepers. Now, why would the union spend $100K on Erin in the last election if they weren’t expecting a return for their investment. Well?
Can’t type the name Saam without using “scare quotes” eh? It’s that silly of a name to you. It’s getting to be a big, diverse world in Orange County isn’t it? Best to get used to it.
And “wackiness?” Do you remember who Saam is running to replace? Histrionic Chriss Street employee and Jane Austen-wannabe Anna Bryson? It doesn’t get any wackier.
Vern,
Are you sure that ‘Saam’ is his real name?
You folks run fast and loose with facts and quotes and photos but god forbid someone else qualify a name.
I always love the progressives who bring race into everything. Such simpleton tactics.
“I find it interesting that the union side wants to go back to the ‘status quo’ ”
False dichotomy. People like me were opposed to Fleming and his 7 dwarves. We are now opposed to Beall and his puppets. Personally, I think we can do better than either of these bad regimes.
“A vote for Measure H is a vote FOR democracy”
Quite correct. I vote for only one county supervisor, only one state senator, only one assembly candidate, only one member of Congress. Larry, are you implying I should be able to vote in all 5 supervisorial races? Should I get to vote for all 53 of California’s Congressmen/women? All 40 state senators and all 80 assemblymembers?
I believe it is a false argument to say that we should be voting on all 5 supervisors and/or all legislators…
WE DO vote at large for each of our local legislators and for good reason. The issue is sphere of influence and impact. The sphere of influence is the why behind the decisions and the risk of potential impact is the balance of the argument.
It is so obvious why the union wants this to be the law of the land. They take in approx $10K per MONTH for their political action committee… and this war chest spends better when they only have to use half of it each election…. (or they can use it all and double down on the spending per impact voter).
Like I said before, the only one who gets a direct return on the investment… is the unions.
At least be honest.
It is so obvious why Pacific Research Institute, the Education Alliance, Howard Ahmanson, the California Republican Assembly, and Family Action PAC don’t want to change the law of the land. Their war chest spends better when nobody can compete with it, and they only have to use half of it each election…. (or they can use it all and double down on the spending per impact voter).
Like I said before, the only one who gets a direct return on the investment of keeping the STATUS QUO … is not the unions.
Try to be honest.
Brother Vern.
Are you calling me dishonest by your comment?
Brother Larry, that comment wasn’t directed at you. It was a parody of the comment that preceded it. Which was by some anonymous guy of course.
Thank you Ven. I should have backtracked to find the culprit.
I live in Aliso Viejo, area 5. My children’s elementary school is in area 5, their middle school is in area 6 and their high school is in area 4. If measure H passes, how will the interests of my family be represented?
Aliso Viejo,
You will have to trust and rely on the CUSD constituents in those other Trustee areas to elect a person that is both willing to and will look out for the welfare of the entire district, not just their own. Considering you (along with 6/7 of the rest of the district) are not one of their constituents that votes for them, I am not inclined to believe they will put much weight on putting your interests/needs over those that voted for him/her. This asks for an unreasonable amount of trust from us, and requires us to give up too much of our voting rights for representation. This is a High Risk change.
Vote NO on Measure H
I thought the one of the main reasons the trustees wanted to hold off the decision on the change was to get the results back from the census? They knew they already had to change boundaries due to the number of voters in areas…I would think they would use this opportunity to change the boundaries so no one area would be disenfranchised. There was talk about aligning it more with high school boundaries but then they would have one extra for the new Rancho MV area…but for now have that one double up on a highly populated area? Remember they had to pay for some sort of report that Maddox was upset at because the census was right around the corner.So all the numbers will be there, they will have all the students newly enrolled, there is hardly any new homes…but they know where they will be built , why is this even a discussion now? I thought thought this was being settled whether or not Measure H was being passed. Even At Large my area trustee should represent me from elementary to high school…because isn’t the theory of them having to live in the area a requirement so they know and fight for “their” area in the quest of making CUSD better?
Hey confused,
You might want to check where Ken Lopez-Maddox-Lopez really lives.
And he sends his kids to private schools.
And adjusting districts to match new census data isn’t all that hard with the type of software that is readily available now. If consultant contracts were awarded by competitive bids to any qualified vendor, this would cost about 5K.
What difference does where Maddox live? I noticed on MV Dispatch a Fran Sdao quoted,”CUSD is required by California Education Code to examine and adjust trustee area boundaries following each federal census. The population of each trustee area must be balanced among the seven trustee areas. Residents of Mission Viejo must make their voices heard when new trustee areas come before the board. The city is currently represented by three trustees yet it has taken years of activism by Mission Viejo parents to get significant improvements to Newhart Middle School and Capistrano Valley High School. A trustee area representing a consolidated area that includes all of Mission Viejo would better represent the CUSD parents of our city. Parents and community members would know the right person to contact with their concerns.” http://missionviejodispatch.com/politics/will-measure-h-hurt-mission-viejo/ This makes sense to me…each area having their own pitchman…I understand there will be some quarrels- but they will be up on the dais for all to see, with the facility report for all to read, to see what really is more important.
Unanimous! That was the decision this evening by the Mission Viejo City Council to pass a resolution opposing Measure H!
Every single one of the councilmembers saw past the empty rhetoric and claims of benefit that this Measure promises, and agreed that voting for Measure H would be bad for CUSD and Mission Viejo!
Not a single proponent or advocate in favor of Measure H had the salt to show up and defend it.
Vote NO on Measure H
Robert.
Sorry I could not attend the meeting but did watch and listen as you addressed the council. Please send me an email as I have a related request for you on this issue. Thanks. Larry Gilbert lgpwr@aol.com