Not corrupt enough

As you know, Chancellor Raghu P. Mathur makes it a practice to occasionally meet with each of the Schools and Divisions of Saddleback and Irvine Valley colleges. He does this, one might suppose, to establish relationships and to start dialogues.

That's a bad idea. That's because Raghu is the sort of “leader” who is incapable of dealing openly and honestly with people. Working with Raghu means giving him what he wants. And, ultimately, he wants respect, flattery, obeisance. Give ‘im that, and you can do business. Otherwise, forgetaboutit.

Today, Mathur met with Irvine Valley College’s School of Humanities and Languages. It was a mildly unpleasant meeting. Faculty—there were maybe twenty—were mostly silent, reserved, unhappy to be there.

From DtB file M

The only discussion topic was an old complaint. Somehow, despite our School’s consistent high performance, plans to build a Humanities Building or just to provide dedicated classroom space seem always to disappear or to be pushed down the priority list.

Years ago, Raghu visited our School, and some faculty made the mistake of “dialoguing” with him about this issue. His face lit up. He immediately took advantage of the situation. “Ah,” he thought. “They want something!” Suddenly, it seemed, Raghu was our friend. He would advocate for us.

We never heard from him again. That was probably because we didn’t immediately sing his praises.

We didn’t understand the deal.

Today, in the course of the latest discussion of this issue, Raghu suggested—more than once—that a reason that H&L isn’t slated for a new building is that its faculty do not “participate” in the process.

I heard this as, “It’s your own damn fault you don't have enough classrooms to teach in.” Raghu was wagging his finger at us. He loves to wag that finger--especially at us, his most vocal and persistent critics.

Naturally, some of us were pissed. One instructor got up and left the room.

If Raghu’s word “participate” were to refer to sharing in the work of making IVC a better college, then no one would suggest that H&L does not “participate.”

In Raghu-world, “participate” is code. It means: lobby me. Tell me what you can do for me.

I sat there thinking that it would be lovely to work in a district where decisions about the construction of new facilities and buildings would be based on need and effectiveness and bang-for-buck. In such a district, probably, the School of H&L would have had its own building long ago.

From DtB file G

It may well be that our School would be wise to pursue a building aggressively—not with Raghu, but within the processes of the college. That means competing for attention, ultimately, and that sucks, but I guess we can live with that.

But I can’t see any of us ever working with Raghu P. Mathur. We're just not corrupt enough.

From DtB file G

The IVC "Hometown Hero" corruption trial shocks and delights

From 9-11 ceremony

Things are getting especially special at the “IVC Hometown Hero” corruption trial. According to the OC Reg (Carona trial: FBI agent tells of 'secret closet' in sheriff's office),

The government's final witness in the public corruption trial of ex-sheriff Mike Carona testified Wednesday that FBI agents removed files on concealed weapons permits and volunteer reserves that were stashed in a "secret closet" in Sheriff's Department headquarters.

FBI Agent Jon Habben said he and other investigators found the hidden room in Carona's old office on May 23, 2008 – after they were alerted by then-Acting Sheriff Jack Anderson.
…
Anderson, who took over temporarily after Carona stepped down in January, led agents to a supply room closet where there was a "hidden button" to open a door, Habben said.
…
"I have discovered that inside the closet is a concealed button that activates an electronic latch which opens a secret compartment door that leads to a secondary small room," Anderson wrote in a confidential memo that was obtained by the Register. "Inside this clandestine smaller room is stored two computer towers, two monitors, a keyboard, a power backup unit, and a safe."

Habben, who is the government's 34th witness, will continue testifying Thursday….

UPDATE (12/11): a friend informs me that FBI agent Jon Habben is a former IVC student. It's a small world, I guess.


Naked people invaded Chapman University today

Even Beelzebub had a mentor

Did you know that trustee Tom Fuentes had a mentor?

No, not Richard Nixon, although Tom did suggest that Irvine's "Great Park" be named after him. Tom’s mentor was Orange County supervisor Ronald Caspers, who disappeared in 1974, along with nine other people, just nine days after his reelection.

I found this old New York Times article:

June 17, 1974, Monday

Search for yacht Shooting Star, which has been missing since June 13 off coast of Baja Calif, continues on June 16. Sailboat, dinghy and various pieces of furniture from yacht are recovered off coast of Mexico. Among passengers is Orange County Supervisor Ronald W Caspers (S).

Governor Ronald Reagan appointed Thomas Riley to replace Caspers in September of 1974.

As I was researching Caspers—there’s virtually no information about him—I came across an OC Weekly article that noted that Tom “once told the Los Angeles Times that he could ‘tell you the registration of the people in a house by observing the neatness of the lawn and what cars are in the driveway.’”

Fuentes is one swell guy.

From DtB file R

We won't have Ruiz to kick around anymore

From DtB file Q

On the Reg’s College Life blog, Marilyn posts about Armando Ruiz’s successor on the Coast Community College District board of trustees (The Changing of the Coast Guard: Coast Community College District Has a New Board Member and a New Board):

There’s a new board in town, with a new kid, too…. The new “kid,” or new trustee, is Lorraine Prinsky, who won the Trustee Area 3 seat from 25-year-incumbent, Armando Ruiz, in a heated contest. Dr. Lorraine Prinsky, who is a sociology professor at California State University, Fullerton, will be ceremonially sworn in (she was officially sworn in a few days prior) to her new position as a Board of Trustees member for the Coast Community College District. Prinsky’s place at the trustee table is not a small thing, as she is replacing Armando Ruiz, who held that seat for two decades. Prinksy and the citizens who elected her promise change….

Meanwhile, Marla Jo Fisher posts that the CSU TA strike has been postponed (Teaching assistants won’t strike today after all):

Union officials called off a strike by teaching assistants that had been hastily planned for this morning, after being ordered late Monday night.
…
The primary sticking issue between the union and CSU has been whether student academic employees would receive tuition waivers similar to those received at most other universities….