A couple of other Web sites and folks around have some thoughts on what's going on in Capistrano Unified School District. Here's a couple.
"We need to support and encourage them for the sake of our children and grandchildren. This current board is trying to hold steadfast to being fiscally conservative and responsible. The school district is facing severe cutbacks again and the Teachers Union is placing tremendous pressure on individual Board members.
The Board has pronounced that all programs and administrative cuts possible have been made but they still fall short of meeting the budget. Unfortunately, it is now time for the teachers to take a cut in some sort of combination of salaries, benefits, and/or retirement benefits to make up the difference. This is a hard pill to swallow and the Teachers Union is irritated and rising up."
That's from a Meet Up site urging folks to attend the meeting. Here's that Web site.
Over in Ladera, meanwhile, one-time CUSD candidate Ram Mukherji is writing a column for the Ladera Times on CUSD.
"The Board approved retaining an attorney at a cost of $25,000 to change the voting by district from June 2010 to November 2010. The Trustees are wasting precious money at the expense of our students’ education.
This is another example of officials misusing their elective power to whatever they want against the will of the voters, and the students they were elected to serve. It was this behavior that the "reform candidates" ran to stop. But once in the majority, the so-called “reformers” have simply given us more of the same. "
Insider,
How can anyone take you seriously if all you do is insult people? What exactly is an "insider" or "outsider"? I think people are suspicious of this 912er group because of a previous e-mail sent out by Ms. Barth, who is not a resident of CUSD, but is running for mayor of Irvine. She asked people from all over to attend the last board meeting and she guaranteed them seats if they contacted Jennifer Beale. I am a parent of children who attend CUSD schools and a taxpayer and I did not get guaranteed seating. How was Mrs. Beale able to acquire these seats for her friends?
Ms. Richardson has the right to invite people to a public meeting. And the people she invites can come from all over but why would they if they do not live or pay taxes in CUSD? What would be their motivation?
I am a parent and not a member of the union but I support the teachers because teachers are the people working directly with my children.
Posted by: Shelly | December 30, 2009 at 01:40 PM
How can Ram Mukherji (or anyone else for that matter) "drop out" of an election race when he never pulled election papers or filed them with the Registrar? That's silly -- he was never actually a candidate for elected office in CUSD and it is improper to refer to him as such.
Posted by: insider | December 30, 2009 at 02:07 PM
And one has to wonder why Ram dropped out... I have "heard" why but would love to have anyone else that might have all the facts to let us know. :) (and Insider you might not like the answer)
Posted by: An Outsider | December 30, 2009 at 02:14 PM
I heard he was intimidated and threatened by recall supporters who threatened to run deep background checks?
Posted by: Ladera Dad | December 30, 2009 at 02:27 PM
Well...
Nobody on the 912 membership list will be invited to my New Year's party. That includes Joe the Plummer (remember his 15 seconds of fame-used up and tossed away.)The same will happen to these people. They will be used by the GOP and then tossed out when they are of no use any longer.
Posted by: Me | December 30, 2009 at 02:38 PM
To Ladera Dad, you've got to be kidding?
Every responsible endorsing organization must determine if the person seeking an endorsement is truly qualified. Looking into a potential candidate's background isn't threatening or intimidating a potential candidate -- it is basic due diligence which is necessary to protect the public, as well as the reputation of the endorsing organization.
Do you really think any political organization would endorse a candidate for public office, especially an office responsible for the education of children, without first looking into that person's background?
Bottom line, I'd love to hear why he chose not to run for office. According to the article in the Ladera paper, Mukherji said he decided not to run for office because the CUSD Recall Committee chose to endorse someone other than him. Please, let's get all the FACTS out there and stop with the unsubstantiated attacks against the CUSD Recall Committee and the board members they helped elect.
Posted by: insider | December 30, 2009 at 02:59 PM
Oh dear - insider must be a Beall or a Russell. REAL insiders I guess!
Posted by: An Outsider | December 30, 2009 at 03:09 PM
Yeah, that's the reason the Bealls didn't run for CUSD board seats themselves. It was their incorrigible children. So they supported the current puppets.
Posted by: On break? Got time? | December 30, 2009 at 03:10 PM
Notice how this 9/12 group also supports Bill Hunt for Sheriff?
Posted by: Another voice | December 30, 2009 at 04:34 PM
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed some "kooky" people supporting the recall board? Aside from the EA we have had the Minutemen, tea party folks from Irvine and now this 9/12 group. What happened to school boards being about education?
Posted by: Fringe groups are all around us! | December 30, 2009 at 06:12 PM