Saturday, January 19, 2008

PROFILE: the Foundation’s Adam Probolsky, Superhero

.....IN MY OPINION, not enough is said about the remarkable people who serve on the Irvine Valley College Foundation.
.....—People like the ubiquitous ADAM PROBOLSKY, who serves on the Foundation’s Board of Governors along with his pal Jon Fleischman, who, until about a year ago, was Sheriff Mike Carona’s Deputy Director for Public Affairs.
.....Dissenters first encountered Adam Probolsky back in July of 2000, when the GOP’s Tom Fuentes showed up at a special board meeting to apply for the role of replacement of resigning trustee (and Holocaust denier. Oops!) Steve Frogue. At the time (see Duck crap), we reported:
.....Fuentes’ appointment seemed to be, well, highly orchestrated. Consider: of the three candidates who were interviewed on the 12th [of July, 2000], only Fuentes showed up with written answers for each of the Board’s questions. Someone in the audience told me that the pro-Fuentes remarks offered that night by three Old Guard unionists [including Ray Chandos and Sharon McMillan] were read from documents written in the same font as was displayed on Fuentes’ prepared answer sheets. Possibly this verbiage was provided by the remarkable Adam Probolsky, a fat man in a white shirt who kept running around the board room fixin’ things. Probolsky, one of Fuentes’ lieutenants, is a consultant for local right-wing politicos. His partner is the son of Lou Sheldon (of the “Traditional Values Coalition”).
.....Another remarkable personage entered (or reentered) the picture at the time—Mike Schroeder, OC kingpin and head of the local “Republican mafia” (evidently, a role he inherited from Fuentes). I had a meeting in July or August of 2000 with Fuentes in which Schroeder sat in. Schroeder had been the state GOP chair, and, in that role, he assisted our attempt to recall Mr. Frogue.
.....Still with me? OK. Just two days ago, Mr. Probolsky’s name came up in Dana Parsons’ column (see Replacement for Carona too close for comfort) in the Times. Parsons revealed the curious politics behind the selection of Jack Anderson as exiting OC Sheriff Mike Carona’s replacement:
.....…Under federal indictment on corruption charges [Oops!], Carona had returned to office Jan. 7 after a two-month paid hiatus but decided to step down this week so he could get free legal help—something he couldn't do if he stayed.
.....Slight problem. Who would take over?
.....When he took his initial leave, Carona tapped loyalist Jo Ann Galisky to run the department.
.....Slight problem. It's unclear whether the county [Republican] party would fall in behind her as the permanent face of local law enforcement.
.....However, it would fall in line behind Jack Anderson, an assistant sheriff and member of the party's central committee. So, Carona, who made it clear this week he wanted Anderson to succeed him on a permanent basis, named him second in command.
.....Here we see the Mafia in action. Pay attention to what comes next. According to Parsons,
..... [Carona] couldn't name [Anderson] undersheriff, the position Galisky held, because Anderson didn't meet the county requirements for the post. Before he left office, Carona demoted Galisky.
.....—Garsh!


.....Our boy Probolsky now enters the picture. Parsons continues:
.....Anderson met the press Tuesday, assisted not by any of the paid Sheriff's Department spokesmen, but by Adam Probolsky, an ex-officio member of the GOP's central committee and a volunteer with the Sheriff Department's reserve program.
.....Probolsky serves on a few local governmental positions and is a pollster by trade. He said he helped Anderson in his role as volunteer reserve. He has stepped in for the county on other matters, Probolsky said, such as helping out with media during the protracted wildfire season. All he did for Anderson, Probolsky said, was provide reporters with names of public officials who had worked with Anderson and could offer perspective on him.
.....Not to be naive, but I asked Probolsky—well-known as an unapologetic political animal—if politics shouldn't have been separated from Anderson's press event.
....."I don't think you have to separate the politics," he said.
.....The central committee is sprinkled with names of people holding elective office, he noted, adding that the Sheriff's Department is a political office, as well.
.....I asked him how he happened to be at Anderson's event. "Did I get a call from a higher power?" Probolsky said. "No. I took it upon myself to say, 'Here's a project I think I can help with.' "
.....Mindful of Probolsky’s outsized helpfulness and ubiquity (he even helped with the fire!), Rebel Girl calls Adam a kind of “superhero”—you know, with special abilities from some higher power. I've got to agree.

.....A couple of summers ago, Adam suddenly appeared in one of my philosophy courses, listening intently. Amazing! How does the man do it all!

.....Another place where the P-man pops up is the current JANET NGUYEN saga. You remember: back in 2007, she ran against Schroeder-anointed Trung Nguyen for OC Supervisor in a special election to replace resigning Lou Correa. Carlos Bustamante also ran—seemingly as the GOP cigar-chompers' favorite. But on election night, it appeared that Trung won, though just barely. But Janet had her eye on the Mafia and she cried foul over perceived irregularities in Westminster. (See Claiming voter fraud.) So she got a recount, and she emerged the winner by three votes! But, see, Team Schroeder hates to lose, and so he took the matter to a higher court and, yesterday, the matter was finally settled in Janet’s favor. (See Janet Wins.) Whew!
.....But what about Probolsky? Here’s where things get seriously zany. Eleven months ago (see Probolsky won’t involve himself ), we had occasion to quote Martin Wisckol’s THE BUZZ. Martin had quite a story to tell concerning that wacky special Supervisor election. Prima facie, the local GOP backed rising star Carlos Bustamante, who was opposed by Janet Nguyen and Trung Nguyen, among others. Here's the story:
.....The venerable Lincoln Club apparently had its own money used against it to defeat the club's candidate, [Republican rising star] Carlos Bustamante, in this month's special election for county supervisor.
.....The OC club is made up of Republican business people that participate in campaigns on many different levels….
.....The PAC, which was coordinated in part by GOP consultant Adam Probolsky, ended that election with about $2,700 left. The account was collecting dust when somebody decided to rename it, raise more money and use it for attacks on Lincoln Club-endorsee Bustamante.  [My emphasis.]
....."It just gets weirder and weirder," said Matt [“Jubal”] Cunningham, the Red County/OC Blog editor trying to unravel the intra-party cloak-and-dagger affair.
.....The new treasurer of the committee, now called the Orange County Healthcare, Education & Neighborhood Leaders PAC, hasn't returned Cunningham's calls. But Cunningham tracked down some of the PAC's latest contributors as also being Janet Nguyen supporters.

.....Probolsky, it so happens, has done some work for Nguyen, and that has lead to speculation that he had a hand in transforming the PAC.
....."There is no advantage for me to get involved in that discussion," Probolsky told the Buzz when asked if he would deny the speculation.
..... .....--Now wait a minute. Probolsky's pal Mike Schroeder is Janet Nguyen opponent Trung Nguyen's attorney. Right?
.....This don't add up. Well, whatever. The point is that the Foundation’s P-man sure does get around. And he's clever. And he sure is helpful.

TRIVIA:

.....I looked up the above-mentioned PAC (see Contributors) and found that, in October of ’06, the Lincoln Club gave $15K to this PAC. That makes sense, I guess. That’s when the PAC was geared to getting Bustamante, not Janet N, elected.
.....Another contributor listed is the “LAW OFFICES OF HOWARD J. KLEIN,” who contributed twelve days earlier.
.....Wait a minute. Isn’t Klein the Chairman of the IVC Foundation? (See IVC Foundation.) Yep.
.....Klein was also a contributor to Sheriff Mike Carona’s first campaign, as was the Foundation’s Mark H. Cheung, John Fleischman, Mary Aileen Matheis, and, of course, Adam Probolsky.
.....As you know, several years ago, the IVC Foundation named Mike Carona IVC’s “Hometown Hero.”
.....Oh yeah. Guess who's the treasurer of the Saddleback College Foundation Board? It is none other than Adam's brother, Brian!
.....Gosh, it sometimes seems like everything’s connected! Know what I mean?

22 comments:

torabora said...

Yep, we've got the same "mafia" problem up here!

Now get those 990's. They're online at Foundation Center. Free!

Our Foundation was the recipient of some $150000 worth of college general fund monies. General fund monies were also used to pay for tuition, dorm, books , and cafeteria fees for hand picked students who were apparently almost all wrestlers.

Not a penny of these embezzled funds were reported on the 990's.

Gee, don't you also call that kind of malfeasance money laundering?

Yes! It is possible to use a non- profit to launder funds.

You've got to have the inside dope on what your Districts books look like too. Classified employees are your friend.

Go get 'em tiger!

Anonymous said...

All these guys volunteer their time to the college Foundations because they care about public education, Chunk - it's not about blind ambition or money laundering - really.

Anonymous said...

We sure have changed from the Cold War era when there was a stinking commie pinko behind every tree. Not many pinko's anymore, especially since Slick Willie's impeachment, so the remaining pinko's now see right-wing Cosa Nostra behind every campus desk. Oh how I long for the old days ;-)

Anonymous said...

Those two brother are just very comunnity-oriented guys. Their parents raised them right. And Tom Fuentes too!

Anonymous said...

The plural of pinkos does not require an apostrophe.

Jeez.

torabora said...

4:43 Ha HAAA Ha Ha!!!

Anonymous said...

It's obvious that Adam P. values higher education - that is why he serves selflessly on the board of the foundation and why he signed up for Chunk's Intro to Phil course. He understands the transformative power of learning.

Anonymous said...

How long did Adam P. stay in your course, Chunk? Did he complete the assignments? My evil, sick mind suspects his motives.

Anonymous said...

Adam wanted to learn about critical thinking plus he was working on his GEs.

Chunk can't speak about students and their particular performances in classes - this violates the rights of students - as RAGHU KNOWS SO WELL.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the free tutelage, 5:26. Are you as anal when it concerns "English Only" and illegal immigration? I hope so.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, perhaps improper use of quotation marks too. I sense irony everywhere.

School me, baby, school me.

You're a male, aren't you? With, uh, certain issues?

Thought so.

Yes, those are dramatic self-standing sentence fragments.

Anonymous said...

ha ha

I do wish some of these trolls would direct their energy to creating their own blogspace...that way they can spew about Slick Willie and Hill-Bill to their hearts' content. It's not really relevant here but they have so little to work with...

Anonymous said...

Don't feed the trolls people!

Let them eat themselves, please.

Anonymous said...

but the trolls are so cute with their talking points and pointy heads...

Anonymous said...

I do have issues, 10:21 and I am male. Thank you for noticing. That means you must be female, or at least somewhere close to it. So, now that we got that out of the way, lets have some fun. What say we analyze one of my more interesting issues, natural selection? The natural selection of our world practically always boils down to survival of the fittest. So, if we put Chunk and Goo in an enclosed fight ring with no-holds barred fight rules, which would come out on top?

Anonymous said...

troll alert!

stay away from the bridge!

Anonymous said...

Where did the Probolsky brothers get their education? Anyone know?

torabora said...

"There is no such thing as a conflict of interest in politics"

Adam Probolsky

wow!

Anonymous said...

I think Goo would kick Chunk's fat ass.

Anonymous said...

Come on. The little trolls are irresistable.

Especially the one known as "pinko's" - he's almost as cute as those xenophobes who spell border as "boarder."

torabora said...

6:26 If someone is against illegal immigration because it is ...well illegal, and pro-Goo (despite his willful and persistent defiance of laws, regulations, and codes) does that make for a conflict of interest?

Bohrstein said...

Chunk was raised by wolves. I think it's obvious who the victory would go to.

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...