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

Laguna Beach’s hippie past

     Watch Nick Schou and Rich Kane’s video: “When Laguna Beach was the LSD Capital of the Universe” here. (The arrest of Timothy Leary, etc.)