Thursday, December 15, 2011

The 2012 board elections: major LOOMitude

"How could they tell?"
Dorothy Parker, upon being told of the death of President Calvin Coolidge

Fuentes
     I just received notes from the latest meeting of the faculty union (Faculty Association). Evidently, during the meeting, members were reminded that “Four seats are up for election [of SOCCCD board trustees] in November 2012. Those seats are currently held by Trustees Jay, Lang, Fuentes, and Meldau.”
     That’s four of the seven board members.
     No doubt the “union boys”—well, they are mostly male—are on top of this.
     I don’t talk to ‘em much.
     Judging by occasional reports, Bill Jay is in poor health. He’s missed the last three or four board meetings. I’d be surprised if he were to run for reelection.
     I’ve heard that Dave Lang is tired of the trustee gig, which he's held since 1996, but that’s little more than a rumor, I guess. (I'm sure as hell tired of him.) One wonders why he would want to stay on; if anyone is the “odd man out” on the board, it is Lang—excepting Tom Fuentes of course, whose seat will surely be open for 2012, for he's terminally ill.
Meldau
     Frank Meldau replaced John Williams, who resigned a year ago, and though Meldau is the quietest member of the board (at least in open session), he seems to be growing more comfortable with his trustee role. I’d be surprised if he were not to run for reelection. He seems to be a reasonable guy. (I'm sure the union crowd focuses on his conduct re contract negotiations. Dunno about that. I'm not quite so monomaniacal.)
     Union-friendly trustees TJ Prendergast and Marcia Milchiker won’t be up for reelection until 2014.
     Looks like, for the SOCCCD, the election of 2012 will be of the "make or break" variety. We say that with each election, but this one really is different, what with possibly three contested seats sans incumbent.
     Of course, Tom Fuentes could pass at any time, and he is likely to do so well before November. (I should know better than to try to predict that guy's expiration date.) If that happens, the board will have to deal with an empty seat; the process would likely produce a replacement and that replacement would be reelected, owing to his/her incumbent status. So Battle #1 will likely occur starting with Fuentes' passing. Battle #2 will be the 2012 campaign for the remaining one or two seats: Jay's and perhaps Lang's (if Lang drops out). (I'm assuming that the union, like me, is OK with Meldau. Don't really know.)
Jay
     In recent years, Team Neanderthal (roughly: the Education Alliance crowd, though that organization's status is unclear at this point*) has been reasonably organized and somewhat effective. But I suspect that, as November approaches, most Republicans (i.e., knuckle-draggers and some moderates) will be bummed either by the GOP's Presidential candidate (Romney) or, if it isn't Romney, by the fellow's meager chances, and the prevailing "conservative" dire glumitude will suppress the right-wing vote.
     That'll be good for the college crowd.
     But what do I know?

     *EA's website link no longer works

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

How would you feel about having a retired faculty member on the board? I live in Jay's district. I'd vow to shine a light on IVCs many problems.

Anonymous said...

Come on bvd, you know Obummer, ya know that stinky socialist, is going down in Nov.

Roy Bauer said...

Such a person--a retired faculty member--should contact the union folks--people like Lewis Long at IVC.

Anonymous said...

I see we have an intellectually challenged little fellow using a cute term (Obummer) which is a sure clue that the tyke is feeding off of his parents, probably Republicans, and pretending to have some sort of cerebral cortex.

Unless it's someone pretending to be a sub cretinous fungi who is stirring up the proverbial pot for some fun.

Roy Bauer said...

The problem with our little troll is that, if you delete his blatherings, he merely increases their frequency. It is best to say nothing and to hope that he drools himself to sleep.
If you argue with him, he argues back, and you really don't want that. His counterpunches are shitballs. I don't want no shitballs on my blog.

Anonymous said...

How many times has IVC's A-100 been re-modeled in the last five years? Can we move our classrooms in there and can they move their offices into the A-200 and A-300 buildings? Please? pretty please?

Anonymous said...

A100 looks like a rat maze.

Philip said...

BoT elections are something faculty members--and faculty unions--should be involved in. We have a chance to elect our own bosses.

Last year and 100 miles down the road from you, we spent lots of time and money to elect a new board majority. Our local incarnation of the Goo is gone, along with his main henchmen/hitmen, faculty are actually a part of decision-making, and things are much, much, MUCH better on campus.

Try it. You'll like it!

Anonymous said...

rumor has it that arlene greer, who ran agains jay last time and got over 100,000 votes is going to run again. a former member of Newport Beach's Environmental Quality Affairs committee, she now serves on the Newport Beach Arts Commission.

Roy Bauer said...

Believe me, Phil, we've mounted our share of campaigns to rid the district of lousy bosses. But we're a big district, and it's hard to get everybody on the same page. No doubt our union has thought through what needs to be done. And the Prez is a smart guy. But the larger a group is, the more it behaves like a dolt.

Roy Bauer said...

Last time around, Greer was supported by the likes of Fuentes, Royce, and Bryson--a very bad lot. She's obviously connected to the usual right-wing suspects, which means she'll have money (if she runs).

Anonymous said...

Maybe Arlene's related to Phil?

Anonymous said...

Come on guys get with it. Arlene Greer is Phil Greer's wife. It's Chinatown.

Roy Bauer said...

Yes, it's Chinatown, although Arlene makes no effort to hide that she's married to Phil.

Anonymous said...

have you seen arlene, she is georgeous, why she hangs out with phil is the question of the decade

Anonymous said...

What is the "Environmental Affairs Committee"? Sounds a bit Orwellian.

Anonymous said...

No bvd, it would be China Town only if Arlene was also Phil's daughter and gave birth to their son, Raghu

Anonymous said...

As to a retired faculty member serving on the BOT. Maybe. Depends on the person. Some, I suspect, would be meddling since the individual knows too much about one or both colleges and district. Bob Bliss would probably have made a good, disinterested BOT member if he had been elected.

Anonymous said...

in newport the environmental affairs committee is the group appointed by the city council to recommend things like a ban on leaf blowers and smoking on the beach. bunch of commies

Anonymous said...

1:42, Even better if she gave birth to quintuplets: Raghu, Chris Street, John Williams, and Tom Fuentes.

Anonymous said...

Yeah she's pretty hot. I bet she's no good in bed.

Anonymous said...

China Town - Incest.

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...