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Santa and Grinch visit Sweetwater District meeting
The only way there can be a competency hearing is per the 'quo warranto' process that the state 's Atty General must approve. It has be to be formally requested. I am not sure who would initiate, perhaps the County Board of Education or a petition to the Atty General. Once found incapable of serving under this legal process which must be by a trial judge, the public official can be removed from office. See my prior post on this subject.— December 18, 2013 4:55 p.m.
Santa and Grinch visit Sweetwater District meeting
FYI, Lembo's salary is in excess of $200K per year. However you slice it, she's in an elite, highly-compensated (with our money) group. I'd say the gun is quite hot by any measure.— December 16, 2013 2:14 p.m.
Santa and Grinch visit Sweetwater District meeting
Thanks for the update. Of course Ed is promising jobs to the board members who have to resign! That has always been his stock-in-trade...payola of you will. Ricasa already has a good day job; so does Bertha; Cartmill is always 'available' if you get the drift; Quinones has no other visible means of support except whatever her pension (I think she was a classified employee, not a teacher in the San Ysidro district. She has always been 'well connected'.) Hmmmmmm Of course, one or more may choose to go to trial....but I think that has a low probability. According to the State School Boards Association, the process for filling multiple (majority) vacancies in a local school board at one time is for the County Board of Education (see, they actually DO have some responsibility here) to appoint some of their own board members to fill the vacancies until an election can be held. That is probably the best possible scenario we could hope for....although I think Ed would be safe until new bodies are elected to fill the seats given his cozy relationship with the County Office of Education. By the way, make sure to see the UT report on the non-profit CEOs who make more than $200K,,,,South Bay Community Services exec Kathy Lembo is on the list. The SUHSD contracts with SBCS for at least $1 mill each year, and that organization is cozy with Ed and Co in the Castle Park Promise Neighborhood project debacle.— December 16, 2013 1:33 p.m.
Santa and Grinch visit Sweetwater District meeting
Speaking of the four board members who stand indicted and who were supposed to appear in court Friday 12/13 for a readiness hearing in Judge Espana's courtroom prior to February trials ....anyone know what happened?— December 16, 2013 12:40 p.m.
Santa and Grinch visit Sweetwater District meeting
erupting: I also hope you are correct, but how do we know that Ed has not found a way to siphon district funds into their lawyers' pockets? He, and they, are so slimy. I absolutely agree with eastlaker about the financials.— December 13, 2013 12:14 p.m.
Santa and Grinch visit Sweetwater District meeting
chulateacher = timtim=toady........don't take their bait, it expends too much of the valuable energy we will need to put honest folks in office whenever our next chance at the ballot box arrives.— December 12, 2013 5:46 p.m.
Santa and Grinch visit Sweetwater District meeting
Now that is SCARY....David Malcolm, Mr. scummy with the 'for sale' sign up again, after he looted the Port District? Next we'll have Steve Peace (Mr. electric degrgulation czar when we all paid through the nose) in the group, and everyone hold onto what's left of your wallets. YIKES!— December 12, 2013 2:34 p.m.
Former South Bay schools officials have day in court
Good info BBQ. It is my understanding that the County Board is to appoint one or more of their own members to fill any vacancies in the SuHSD board to make a quorum should it happen that there are multiple vacancies at once. Happy to hear you finally received a response from Nealon, who should be a point person on this issue. Where has she been? With regard to the disappointing results and rulings from Judge Espana: I do hope that she can recognize the impact of the assaults on the SUHSD by the remaining perps, and perhaps will count the MULTIPLE counts they have against them in making more substantial rulings in their cases. So far she disappoints with regard to the extent of the crimes against the public and the public trust. Perhaps a letter campaign will remind her that her trial case workload should be a secondary concern when it comes to maintaining the public trust. The remaining perps have more than 20 counts EACH of potential felony crimes on their dockets. WE are watching, Judge Espana! You may not want to try so many cases, but you have had sufficient time to manage the docket and we do expect that you will perform your duties on behalf of those you serve (that would be us...the public.)— December 11, 2013 6:45 p.m.
Former South Bay schools officials have day in court
anniej.....check out the Ed Code section 3072 regarding removal of an elected official from office....one of the ways it can happen is with 'an adjudication of a 'quo warranto' proceeding declaring that the incumbent is physically or mentally incapitated due to disease, illness or accident ...." It is my understanding that 'quo warranto' proceedings must be authorized by the State's Attorney General and that they are not very frequent, but it might be worth a try. By the way, the same code also states that an elected official is subject to removal from office with the 'conviction (with a trial court judgment) of a felony, or of any offense involving a violation of his or her official duties. Seems to me that a misdemeanor qualifies as an 'offense involving a violation of ....official duties.'— December 10, 2013 9:59 a.m.
Former South Bay schools officials have day in court
Of course, it would be dandy if all the accused were convicted of all counts of felonies they face and do jail time. The reality is that ONE felony conviction is enough to remove the elected officials from office, and I think that is a remarkably wonderful goal, which will be an important first step to seating a new board that is responsible and respects the public it is supposed to serve. I would love to see the perps in sack cloth, ashes, and publicly flogged, but that just will not happen. I have heard, and believe, that 'Revenge is sweetest when served up cold." Think what it will be for them not to have the curried favor of being among the 'elite' on the dias and not to be able to order folks around 'just because'. By the way, I think it is a terrific idea to allow the public to address the court at the sentencing hearings. The public trust has been violated many times over. Go for it!— December 9, 2013 5:36 p.m.