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These are the monsters, Mayor Cox
It's here the political season, I am just waiting for all the signs to go up on every unincorporated fence and traffic island in town. I have already started to recieve pollster calls and I realize that I may know the names in the South Bay Races, but I do not know squat about what these individuals stand for. If I listen to the proponents of each candidate they are better than sliced bread, if from the opponents of the candidates they are satin's spawn. So, other than the few I have had personal contact with, or the professional politicians, or the overly connected, most of which I wouldn't vote into dog catcher, who do I vote for? What do these people stand for, where and what experience do they have that may make me think they will correct the past and guide us to a healthy future? I'm mad as hell and do not want to be a misinformed voter anymore! I want representation, not some smug politician protecting his cronies and slopping from the public trough. I expect there are a number of you that feel the same! Candidates "WHERE'S THE BEEF?" in your campaigns? BBQ— September 23, 2014 11:35 a.m.
Pimp hand strong in Chula
Back to the Future, "Political First Cousins", it's amazing that Politics is the chosen "Family Business" of many of our Community leaders, both "Governmental and Social Services". BBQ— August 26, 2014 10:33 a.m.
Pimp hand strong in Chula
A History and Vocabulary lesson about the **Kakistocracy** that is South Bay Government and Politics, weather it is Sweetwater, Chula Vista or the other elected officialdoms of the area. The Lincoln Club and other political movers and shakers of the region (**Political Elite - PE**) all believe that their ideas and representation is what is best for us the **Plebeian Citizenery-PC.** Where they, the **PE** seem to have fallen out of touch is that they all think they are leaders and intellectuals, deserving our attention and a reward for being. This is derived from the “Me” Generation of Yuppies and Yuppie wannabes who currently see themselves as the Governmental Elite in our region. The **PE** have convinced themselves through their political inbreeding that the **PC** have lost the ability to choose wisely and monitor their doings and undoings of our governance. In some circumstances, they may be correct, however that does not give the **PE** the right to: 1. Pre-select the platforms and direction of our communities 2. Pre-select and financially back their **“Political First Cousins–PFC”** to be our candidates 3. Gorge themselves and assorted **PFC**s at the Public Trough. Enough is enough, too much nepotism and cronyism within the South Bay as well as the region, state and federal Governments. We, the **PC** need to decide who and what type of officialdom/government we want, and not just follow the sound bites from the **Kakistocracy**!!! Oh, **Kakistocracy** means **“Government under control of the worst or least-qualified citizens”** BBQ— August 25, 2014 11:15 a.m.
Democracy costs, even in Chula Vista
Funny, Mayor Cox's name has come up more in the last two Months than in most of her tenure as Mayor. It seems she has opinions on everything, Sweetwater, election processes, taxation.... it's funny what happens when your about to be on the street so to speak... The last Month the only names I have heard more often than Mayor Cox are McCann, Cartmill, Lopez and Brand, not the best name recognition group to be associated with!!! Let's see what happens with runoff elections before throwing the baby out with the bath water... BBQ— August 8, 2014 10:24 a.m.
33% of the profit? No problem — hey!
Ed and Ms. Russo out-smarted themselves on this one.... They backed themselves (and Us, the taxpayer) right into the corner with the Balloon payment due on "L" St and the desire to have the Ed Brand Executive Adminstration Campus of Sweetwater at Eastlake, (New Admin Campus). They were in such a hurry to cover their Butts in 2011 (When the board brought Ed back) that they would have agreed to anything to keep the shellgame quiet!!!! Now however we all know about the real estate shellgame and how much it has cost the district, not only in money and prestige, but also distraction from the business of education, so no more hiding. They proably thought there was little chance of "Profit" depending on how you account for it with the "L" St deal $15 Million in the red, the future accounting of this if it continues will be very interesting. As they say hindsight is usually 20/20, the recent and current Board Members did not and do not have a clue as to what their roles are and were in the fiasco. Where were/are the Lawyers who should have approved any contract like this, where is/was the open accountability and public review, where is/was the facility review that we have been paying $2.4 million for over the last three years? I suspect all of those things were behind closed Doors in Ed's Office or more likely at a Steak Lunch in a Dark Resturant we paid for... It's time to review the past, control the present and plan the future, keep watching closely and vet your candidates for the Nov. election. BBQ, CAVE— August 1, 2014 6:37 a.m.
Cartmill for Sweetwater board — get real
anniej, I value your work and opinion, however you said it in your comment " ...Cartmill and Brand had the total control, the power relinquished by the other 4...." It is the "relinquishing of the power" that most disturbs me.. As I have tried to state there is much to celebrate in what Ms. Lopez did but no matter the reasons, she was not an effective Trustee. Having anyone from the old board come in as an incumbant with "Experience from the most recent Board" is experience we do not need. No offense but having any holdovers from the confused and weak previous board will only make the new board weaker!!! Sorry Ms. Lopez I understand what you did and tried to do, but I do not think it is enough to back you or encourage anyone to vote for you. You should back someone without the baggage of the previous Board and Superintendent, to develop the future, without the stigma of the past. With Respect, BBQ— July 18, 2014 4 p.m.
Cartmill for Sweetwater board — get real
As I only know Jim Cartmill as a member of the SUHSD Board of Trustees, I am sure he has friends and loved ones that do not deserve to be dragged into the issue of weather he was or will be a good member of the new Board, I feel the same of Bertha Lopez. The real question is who, what and where were these individuals as the two terms of Ed Brand and one of Jesus Gandara were going on? Yes, I know it maybe unfair to lump the two together but neither handled the situations very well. Jim has been involved with the district since the beginning of the "Property Speculation", it appears that his eyes were bigger than his ability to judge the Real Estate Market... His undieing link and faith in the Superintendents was at least sickening and at most negligent of his feduciary responsibilities to manage the district. His desire to rejoin the district seems to be more about vanity, personal gain (He needs three months to be vested in the State Health Care Plan) and not about fixing the district!!! He's had plenty of time to complete that. As Dr Phil Says "The best prediction of future behavior is past behavior..." As for Bertha, even though she objected to and often was the only desenting vote to a "Brandian" topic or issue, she was still an ineffective Trustee, she should have demanded topics be removed from the agendas if she had not been given the proper background information, she should have expanded her group of advisors and been more inclusive of the public and been more prepared on all of the issues. Again I could say the same of the other three former Board members, but I ask not only Jim and Bertha but all of the voters in the SUHSD isn't it a time to make a clean break from the past, good ol'boy network, elect five New members of the board, continue community forums and develope a new stratigic plan for the future of the district? Even though I can only vote in my district I will be picking the five best candidates to work with, for the future of the SUHSD and the region. BBQ, CAVE— July 18, 2014 9:52 a.m.
Who’s minding the jewels?
To all Cave people, especially the main four, I have said I would run for the Board if Jim Cartmill was going to try to get the seat he lost through corruption back. As we are in the same "District or zone". I would like to find a time and place to meet, mostly to not split the anti-Cartmill vote, making it easier for him to be (re)elected. Eastlaker, Chris Schilling and other Eastsiders what is it going to take to unify and find the platform and candidates we want. I will be attending the Mayor's meeting on Wednesday, perhaps time for a short chat after that? BBQ, CAVE— July 14, 2014 12:08 p.m.
Who’s minding the jewels?
Whoa... Dr Glover has only been in the office for a bit over a week, give him a chance. As for the consultants sending info to Ed that is another story.... They work for the District and not Ed! The communication from last week on, is priveleged to the District, not that Friends of Ed still on staff won't pass it through to him. So my next question is who really holds the bags for "Plan9Partners (L St) and now E2ManageTech? I suspect that many of the same players are affiliated somewhere in the background. If the impending transactions (Sales) are reasonable, within industry standards with regards to commisions and actions i'm OK, but if for example Mr. Diamond has already been paid as a consultant to set up the deal would it not be a conflict if he or E2ManageTech recieved a 30% chunck of the sale price? Where is the Fudiciary responsibility of the Acting and former Boards? I guess we could ask that of the 20 year lease on the new Adminstration Building.... So we need to dig into the principals of E2ManageTech and the other players to see just who is really pulling the strings, but give Dr Glover a break, for now at least, he walked into a Hornet's nest over there... BBQ, CAVE— July 11, 2014 8:18 a.m.
Ed Brand’s time at Sweetwater is over
As the changes occur at SUHSD, we need to be sure all of the current issues are documented and remain open. Throughouit this ordeal of mis-management, corruption and lack of vision within the district I have always advocated open dialog with the Board, staff, teachers and public. I hope this is the chance to move forward. The real question that by working with the Interium Board, Dr. Glover, Mayor Cox's Initiave and candidates for the Board of Trustees is a creation of a "Road map to the future of the SUHSD". This "Plan" must include all of the current known internal business failures such as: Real Estate Speculation, Financial Audits wrt Mello Roos, Internal Loans and transfers, Prop "O" spending, Review of the facility usage and class overcrowding, Open Boundrary, Facility Projects and Maintenance, these allong with the Academic Failures within the district, Poor ESL results, 2/3 schools on Academic Probation, Less than well rounded students and curriculum. I am sure that there are other issues that members of the SUHSD Team can easily come up with to add to this list. So where is the start of the list and what is the priority? I assume that the next few weeks will be critical for Dr. Glover and the continuation of the Mayor's meetings will assist but from all I have seen the readers and commentators to the reports in the Reader have to continue to lead the charge. CAVE (Citizens Active for Value in Education) is alive and is still needed to monitor the future actions of the SUHSD BBQ, CAVE— July 8, 2014 11:51 a.m.