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Picket at Sweetwater trustee Cartmill's home
I agree with Visduh! Especially the question 'whether picketing the trustee's house will have any effect at all on him or his votes.' Instead, it has the potential to backfire and raise anti-union sentiments in favor of Jimmy at the next ballot if he manages to survive his present troubles at the courthouse. What in the world are the pickets trying to accomplish? Draw attention to the fact that they are unhappy? It would be good to remember that nothing occurs in a vacuum. It is not that the teachers do not have legit issues...they do...but perception is everything and picketing just adds to the perception of shouting and demanding union rabble. Teachers, like everyone else affected by the current SUHSD structure, will be better off only if, and when, the remaining board members and their maestro, Brand, are gone.— January 19, 2014 10:15 a.m.
No process yet to replace Sweetwater trustee Ricasa
In a sane society, this is where the court, or the State Superintendent of Education, or the County Board of Ed would step in as a 'conservator'...much as what happens when individuals are unable to manage their own business. It is clear the Sweetwater Board is impaired. In the meantime.....tick tock, tick tock....until all the perps have had their day in court. I also smell a big rat, and timing is everything. If the three seated board members yet to be tried (Cartmill, Quinones, Lopez) manage to stagger and delay their time (or unless they do plan to go to trial as scheduled Feb. 18 or so) the vacancy will drag on and the 60-day clock will expire, forcing an election for just Ricasa's seat while the fate of the remaining three is in limbo. There are others yet to come before the judge: Alioto of SWC 'fame'; Sandoval; Flores; Gandara..— January 17, 2014 11:37 a.m.
No process yet to replace Sweetwater trustee Ricasa
It occurs to me that it takes two to tango. In this case, the DA and the Judge both agreeing to the gross reductions of charges against those the DA worked so hard to investigate and indict. Seems the press conferences are all over for the DA and she is now willing to reduce the pleas to nearly nothing. I think part of the outrage should be directed at the DA's office for their complicity in the plea reductions......WHY BONNIE, WHY ???? along with WHY ANA WHY????? It seems few in the legal biz want to put their shoulders to the wheel to litigate anything...it is so much easier to take the pleas and run. At this stage, there are still some cases to go forward .....Cartmill, Quinones, Lopez, as well as the granddaddy of charges, Sandoval. Let's make sure the DA hears our concerns as well as the judge.— January 16, 2014 9:31 a.m.
No process yet to replace Sweetwater trustee Ricasa
Kicking the can right into the County Board of Education's playing field. If there are not enough board members for a quorum, per state Ed Code, the Board of Education is to appoint their own members to sit as interim board members at SUHSD. That might not be such a bad idea as it would, one hopes, open their eyes to the perfidy and give them the experience of actually paying attention to SUHSD and to Ed's shenanigans. The downside would be that CBOE board members would likely not be predisposed to canning dear Eddy, leaving that chore to those elected in November to fill however many vacant seats there might be at that time.— January 15, 2014 4:46 p.m.
No tough justice for former Southwestern College official
I recommend that Judge Espana take a good look at the plaque of remembrance that honors judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys who significantly contributed to criminal Justice in San Diego County. The plaque was dedicated in 2008 in the Hall of Justice (main courthouse) at 330 W Broadway, San Diego. I suggest she ask herself if those honored on that plaque would have taken the easy way out in handling multiple trials for corrupt public officials. "A civilization will be judged on the manner in which it enforces its criminal laws."— January 14, 2014 11:40 a.m.
No tough justice for former Southwestern College official
It would be a good strategy to make copies of the Board's own bylaw regarding filling a vacancy and distribute them at the door to all who attend the meeting. That way, everyone present can be informed of the steps the Board is supposed to take to fill the vacancy and need not rely on Ed's interpretation of the rule.— January 11, 2014 10:38 a.m.
No tough justice for former Southwestern College official
I am disappointed, but not surprised. I have learned not to expect sober behavior from a drunk, or in this case, ethical behavior from those who have none.— January 10, 2014 5:05 p.m.
No tough justice for former Southwestern College official
My point was, and is, that the judge is part and parcel of this problem. I never said she has too much work; I said that she chose to accept the pleas in order to avoid the pesky work of actually managing so many trials with so many indictment counts.....which one might say is her job. I also believe that the process was orchestrated by the presiding judge of the superior court in San Diego who also chose to toss the whole kit and caboodle into the South County Court so it would just 'go away'. Judges are paid handsomely (by guess who? us again) and some would rather take the pleas and clear their calendars. I agree that the issues are greater than just the judges, but they have the ultimate power to send the message we all wanted to hear, and the message that would ring loud and clear among those in public office who would be tempted by the easy pickin's in public coffers. I also agree that the ultimate resolution is the ballot box....not only for the sitting perps, but for the judge as well.— January 10, 2014 10:10 a.m.
No tough justice for former Southwestern College official
Nickdanny, I do not believe Chris Moran (former UT reporter who once covered Southwestern College) is in any way related to Greg Moran....they may even be different races. I believe Chris is now working as a journalist out of state when he was offered a better career opportunity there during one of the UT's downsizing in the early 2000's. I do not believe Chris Moran was in any way complicit with Zasueta...and know personally that Zasueta was inept dealing with the press and afraid of reporters. I also knew Chris Moran and do not believe he was ever anything a good and ethical journalist. You may recall that the Prop AA case was about Zasueta and Remer's conspiracy to pay for the production of a Prop AA commercial with public money (which is illegal) and then claim that the college money used was to buy 'outtakes' for use in film production classes. Zasueta risked (and lost) his college presidency for the $6,000 he could have easily raised in a post-election 'reduce the debt' campaign. Instead he and Remer faced the Feds (wire fraud because the production company was out of state) in the Federal Court. The Feds seem to be able to bring their perps to meaningful trials, whereas our DA gets them indicted and then so-called local judges are more willing to plea bargain down to nothing in order to avoid the labor ---- effort and work ---- to supervise trials. Judge Espana gets to clear her docket with every plea she bargains. I fully believe that the presiding judge in downtown superior court fully understood the work load of having so many indictments and so many counts at one time and chose to 'shuffle them off to south county' where they would quietly go away. So far, Judge Espana is doing just that.— January 9, 2014 10:08 a.m.
No tough justice for former Southwestern College official
Yes,Mr. Brickley, indeed it was it was criminal behavior. So sad that her honor looks the other way in order to avoid a labor-intensive trial that this perp, and others deserve. This is all about avoiding the extra work for the judge that bringing the criminals to trial where they would surely have had to face their community peers. John Wilson had a high administrative position, one that commanded the highest of ethics. Instead, his performance was of the lowest kind, taking all he could get. He owed everything to Southwestern College and yet gave it nothing but stealing whatever he could get. Dr. Kirkwood did her best to argue for the community..it was too bad Johnny Wilson does not understand what that is all about. Judge Espana may 'love' the college, but what about the taxpayers who have funded Wilson's escapades? "Huge error in judgment?" ...no your honor, a huge ripoff of the community's taxpaying public. Judge Espana, we understand your aversion to having to hold the trials that the public deserves in these serious matters of criminal taking of the public's money. We do not applaud your decision and wish you would take more responsibility in your role as a judge.— January 8, 2014 8:22 p.m.