Surprise, surprise! Don Wagner votes against campaign disclosure

Assembly fails to pass campaign disclosure bill (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Wagner: opacity is good

     SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Lawmakers have rejected a campaign disclosure bill that would have required top donors to be identified in television, radio and print advertisements.
     The Assembly on Tuesday failed to pass AB1148, which fell two votes short of the two-thirds needed, 52-26.
     Democratic Assemblywoman Julia Brownley of Santa Monica said her bill would have demanded more transparency as special interests take advantage of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case, which grants political speech rights to corporations.

Giving liberals the stink eye

     Republican Assemblyman Donald Wagner of Irvine said the bill would have taken the state in the wrong direction and driven campaign spending underground.
     The bill would have specified the size and color of printed disclosures, as well as the duration for which they must appear.

An Open Challenge to Disingenuous Don Wagner (OJ Blog)

Vern’s account is well worth reading

     In today’s OC Blog, our pal Vern Nelson offers the best coverage yet of yesterday’s hearing regarding former OC Public Administrator (and former SOCCCD trustee) John Williams: John Williams Agonistes.
     Here’s a little bit of it:

   …So I walked up and introduced myself, shook his hand. “Ah Vern Nelson” – yes he had read all my stuff lambasting him over the last two years. I wished him good luck with whatever comes next in his life, we kind of agreed that there are different sides to every story, and he eventually told me a couple things he thought I should know (to which there happen to be good counter-arguments by the way) – he says the two famous “scathing grand jury reports” on him had been retracted because of their “faulty methodology” – and he insisted he WANTS the new “Colantuono report” to come out because supposedly it vindicates him. (No it doesn’t.)

Barely one

   But the burning question he refused to answer, … was WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING SO HARD TO KEEP THIS JOB? Why can’t you go out with a little dignity? You’re sixty, you’ve got three pensions to get you through your retirement, your family’s in Florida, you’re obviously out of your depth, EVERYONE says you’ve been doing a horrible job, even your bible-thumping former friends like John Moorlach have turned against you, but you just keep fighting to stay on. Is it just because staying on a little longer might make your pension a little higher? Or is Phil Greer dragging you along for a little more loot?

Richard McCullough

     Earlier today, South Orange County Community College District personnel received word that Richard McCullough has died.
     In a letter from Saddleback College President Tod Burnett to denizens of Saddleback College (forwarded to IVC), we learned that

   Dr. Richard D. McCullough, Saddleback College’s beloved president from 2004 to 2008, passed away this morning after his brave battle with cancer.
   As you know, Dr. McCullough truly loved Saddleback College, and he was greatly loved in return. All who worked with him or were taught by him admired his unmatched intelligence, compassion, and charming sense of humor. He will be tremendously missed by all of us.
   Dr. McCullough started at Saddleback College in 1971 as a professor in the department of biological sciences. During his 37 years at the college, Dr. McCullough served in many capacities, including president, vice president for instruction, and dean of mathematics, science, and engineering. Dr. McCullough designed the college’s electron microscopy laboratory and was instrumental in building our solar observatory. He will be forever remembered for his vision and leadership in building the Saddleback College Veterans Memorial….

Williams’ motives become clear

Williams chose retirement date to boost pension, county says (OC Reg)

     John S. Williams, Orange County’s locked-out public administrator, selected a retirement date that would boost his pension income when he negotiated his departure with the county’s leadership, the county said in court papers Monday.
     The papers were filed hours before Orange County Superior Court Judge William Monroe denied Williams’ emergency petition for immediate reinstatement to his elected office and told the parties to come back to court in March for further hearings.
     Thomas Mauk, the county’s top executive, said in a declaration filed before Monday’s hearing that a confidential review of the Public Administrator/Public Guardian office prepared by outside attorney Michael Colantuono at the county’s request “revealed that actions taken by (Williams) had created significant financial and liability risks for the county.”
     Colantuono’s report also showed that Williams’ attorney, Philip Greer, “had been given access to highly confidential PA/PG case files, including Adult Protective Services referral reports,” in violation of the state’s Welfare and Institutions Code, Mauk’s declaration says.
     Greer didn’t immediately return two phone calls seeking comment on Mauk’s declaration.
     Mauk’s statements, made under penalty of perjury, bolster the county’s argument that Williams agreed to retire from his elected post as part of a deal with the county’s Board of Supervisors, and that Williams is now attempting to renege on that deal.
     Williams contends he never resigned or retired and was merely contemplating retirement when he wrote last March to Bill Campbell, then chairman of the Board of Supervisors, stating “It is my intention to retire as Public Administrator – Public Guardian on Jan. 23, 2012.”
     After Colantuono delivered his confidential report in February 2011, Williams and Greer began negotiations with Mauk and the Board of Supervisors on Williams’ resignation, Mauk said. All parties to the negotiations “understood and agreed that (Williams) would resign to avoid disclosure of the Colantuano report and to minimize the county’s liability exposure,” Mauk said.
     “However, (Williams) wanted to extend the period he received his full county compensation in order to enhance his pension benefit, based on his years of service as a community college district trustee,” Mauk said.
     “Ultimately, (Williams) suggested that he would resign if the county agreed to extend his salary through Jan. 23, 2012, a date (Williams) suggested, apparently because it enabled (Williams) to qualify for a more generous retirement benefit through the Orange County Employees Retirement System,” Mauk said. “To obtain (Williams’) resignation, the county accepted (Williams’) offer to retire effective Jan. 23, 2012.”
. . .
     Leon Page, a deputy county counsel who represented the county at Monday’s hearing, said in an email that Williams’ pension benefit “was apparently tied, in some way,” to Williams’ 18 years on the South Orange County Community College Board of Trustees. Williams resigned from that board in December 2010.
     Page said he didn’t know how much Williams’ agreement with the county boosted his pension benefit. “Over the next few weeks, we hope to conduct discovery that should provide the answers to these and other questions,” he said.
     Williams and the county are due back in Monroe’s courtroom on March 13. In the meantime, the parties will conduct discovery, including taking Williams’ deposition. The Public Administrator/Public Guardian office will continue to be managed by Lucille Lyon, a veteran estate administrator who was appointed by the Board of Supervisors last July.
. . .
     Williams, 60, has served as the county’s elected public administrator since 2003. He had also served as the appointed public guardian until the Board of Supervisors fired him from that role in June.
     As public administrator, Williams earned salary and other pay of $153,558.44 annually.

Nitpickery for a Monday night

Philosophical musitude

     [UPDATE: it appears that the needed correction has now been made at the SOCCCD  website.]
      I noticed this evening that the SOCCCD website declares that

Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College are both fully accredited, preparing students for associate degrees, transfer to four-year colleges and universities, workforce development and basic skills training.

     Tsk, tsk. I seem to recall that, according to the Accreds, it just won’t do to assert that one’s college is “fully accredited.” Why? Surprisingly, for a very good reason. You see, it won't do to talk of a "fully accredited" college for the same reason that it won’t do to talk of, say, someone's being fully dead, for, deadwise, one is either dead or not dead; deadery does not admit of degrees.

     I decided to find where this is made official.
     Found it:

ACCREDITATION REFERENCE HANDBOOK
A Publication of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Policy on Institutional Advertising, Student Recruitment, and Representation of Accredited Status (Adopted January 2005)

Part C
p. 68:

The phrase “fully accredited” shall be avoided, since no partial accreditation is possible from ACCJC.

Policy on Representation of Accredited Status (Adopted June 1998; Revised January 1999; Edited June 2003, August 2006)

Part C
p. 96

Representations of accredited status should be limited to the following statement. Additional modifiers such as “fully accredited” are not appropriate since no partial accreditation is possible.

     So there you have it. At the SOCCCD, cheesitude prevails, Accred-claim-wise.

IVC's new "Student Success Center"; CAFÉ (Library iteration) opening Wednesday

Pics of IVC "Student Success Center," taken today

     The President of the Irvine Valley College Academic Senate, Lisa Davis Allen, has long dreamed of a special facility for faculty—a center for “excellence.”
     I’m on the Senate. Maybe it’s just me, but it always seemed that one could hear crickets whenever she mentioned this idea at senate meetings.
     But she persevered, and, by late last spring, goshdarnit, her dream of a CAFÉ—i.e., a “Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence”—started gettin’ real. As it turned out, at about that time, administration was playing yet another round of facilities musical chairs—that never seems to end—and, by summer, it appeared that the Media Resource Center (MRC)—inside the fancy new BSTIC building—would be sent packing, to be replaced by, well, the faculty CAFÉ.
     Now, you’ve got to understand that the space then occupied by the MRC was seriously cool. It had (and has) lots of sleek Mac computers, an ultra-modern transparent wall, a wrap-around view, and so on. It is surely the coolest space at the college.

The internal entrance to the "Student Success Center."

     Naturally, the MRC/CAFÉ switcheroo was done very badly. People are never told what’s going on at IVC—they’ve pretty much only got rumors and after-the-fact reports. (Name any issue. Ask people what they know about it. A: nothing.)
     In this informational vacuum, people knew only that the MRC was getting evicted from the super-cool space in BSTIC, and faculty would take its place with something called a “CAFÉ.” Naturally, people took umbrage, aghast at the very idea of replacing student-in-cool-space with faculty-in-cool-space. Some of these employees even seemed to think that the CAFÉ was gonna be, well, a café!

     In the absence of info, people draw those kinds of conclusions. Why wouldn't they?
     To make matters worse, the Senate held a CAFÉ grand (or semi-grand or sub-grand) opening during Fall Flex Week, and the flier for the event made clear that only full-timers were invited! It all sounded kinda elite.
     We at DtB noted all of this, of course. No effort to clarify matters for us was ever made. We heard nothing from anybody.
     Pretty soon, there was yet another reshuffling of the IVC facilities deck. The plan to move the CAFÉ into the BSTIC space was nixed. All the computers remained there, but, for an entire semester, that space remained empty and unused! No explanation was given for any of this.
     Typical.
     When I returned from my sabbatical (early January), I was told that the CAFÉ has at long last found a home, namely, the former Student Learning Center in the IVC Library (see earlier post: CAFÉ BIBLIOTHÈQUE).
     The Grand Opening is Wednesday. (See flier at left)
     Meanwhile, after an entire semester of disuse, that cool space in BSTIC has been given over to something now called the “Student Success Center.”
     Let’s hope that idea sticks.
     I dropped by the SSC today and spoke briefly with the person in charge, namely, Dr. Brooke Choo. I know her; she’s good.
     Looks like the SSC is in good hands.

This, of course, is BSTIC. The Student Success Center is on the bottom floor, at left.
Naturally, BSTIC is not used in ways originally intended, owing to program shrinkage
and other fortuities. They should rename it MISC.

SEE ALSO:

• Really? Adjuncts not invited?
• Visiting the MRC
• "This is so f-ed up”
• The MRC, CAFÉ, and IVC Ac. Senate

The unfortunate (i.e., bungled) August "launch" of the CAFE. Redolent of elitism most foul.

Williams' emergency petition denied; final decision in six weeks

• Williams’ bid for immediate reinstatement denied (OC Reg)

OC's "It" boy

     An Orange County judge this morning denied an emergency petition by John Williams, the county’s locked-out public administrator, for immediate reinstatement to his office.
     Instead, Superior Court Judge William Monroe ordered further hearings on the issue.
     Williams was locked out of his office last week, after he failed to step down on the day he had said he intended to retire.
     Facing accusations that he had mismanaged his department and the estates of some deceased people, Williams last March wrote to Bill Campbell, then chairman of the county’s Board of Supervisors, saying he intended to retire on Jan. 23, 2012, which was last Monday.
     However, Williams recently informed county officials that he’d changed his mind about retiring. He showed up for work on Tuesday, Jan. 24, staying at his Santa Ana office until about 2 p.m. After he left, county workers swooped in to change the locks. John Moorlach, current chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said he approved the lockout and Williams’ removal from the county payroll.
. . .

John Moorlach

     Judge Monroe this morning heard arguments from Williams’ attorney, Phil Greer, as well as from Leon Page representing the county. Monroe then denied Williams’ request to be reinstated immediately. The judge suggested he wants more information and testimony on the issue, ordering both sides to agree to a schedule for hearings.
. . .
     The parties will return to court on March 13.
. . .
     Williams, 60, has served as the county’s elected public administrator since 2003. He had also served as the appointed public guardian until the Board of Supervisors fired him from that role in June. He continued to receive annual salary and other pay totaling $153,448.44 for the two positions.
. . .
     In exchange for Williams’ agreement last March to retire, the Board of Supervisors agreed not to cut his pay during his remaining 10 months in office and not to release a “highly critical” report on his performance prepared for the board by an outside lawyer, according to a letter sent to Williams last week by County Counsel Nick Chrisos.

Cousin It

• For Now, County Can Keep the Locks on Williams' Door (Voice of OC)

     ...The county's filings argued that Williams' action is "essentially a thinly veiled attempt to remain on county payroll -- and boost his pension entitlement -- even though he had been previously stripped of virtually all of his official duties."....

• John Williams Told to Stay Away (Navel Gazing)

   ...Williams' own attorney testifies to his client's incompetence, confirming that he did send the board a letter of resignation. Williams later changed his mind, according to the mouthpiece....

Send Lawyers, Guns and Money

Red Emma has posted his second review in his new column over at the O.C. Weekly.

This week, OC Bookly's bibliofella reviews Chapman professor Tom Zoellner's new book, A Supermarket in Arizona: What the Gabrielle Giffords Shooting Tells us about the Grand Canyon State and Life in America.


The title, of course, tells you what you need to know but Red manages to connect the dots between that tragic day last year and Warren Zevon, the Costa Concordia and Jean Luc Godard and more. Go figure.

One day Red will return to write for us but until then we'll enjoy his rants on all thing literary and orange.

excerpt:

What famous American asked: "What is government if words have no meaning?"

​Multiple choice: a) Warren Zevon b) Situationist philosopher Guy Debord c) Newt Gingrich d) Stephane Hessel e) Jared Lee Loughner.

Okay, only three are even Americans. And if you chose everything but "e" you're forgiven. But as journalist Tom Zoellner, lately teaching at Chapman University points on in his newest book, A Safeway in Arizona: What the Gabrielle Giffords Shooting Tells us about the Grand Canyon State and Life in America, the mentally ill Arizona assassin himself offered this actual interrogative at, yes, a public forum years before he arrived at the now-iconic supermarket parking lot to shoot Giffords in the brain with his Glock 19.

To read the rest, click here.

*

25 year pin

I got a pin in the mail recently—the one you get if you manage twenty-five years employment in the South Orange County Community College District. (It was the Saddleback CCD when they hired me.)

Lego Man in space

The John Williams "ANGRY TURD" game

Based, of course, on the popular Angry Birds game
—only with a turd instead of a bird. Yeah, and Supes
instead of green pigs. —Extra points if you blow up everybody,
including that awful brown turd. —Especially that awful brown turd
CLICK ON GRAPHIC TO ENLARGE

In the mid to late 90s, Williams specialized in Brown Act
violations. Gawd, what an asshole. We called 'im "Brown Boy"

• Dana Rohrabacher Gets Lectured For Lying on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher (Navel Gazing)

• Dana Rohrabacher Blames "Rude" Female for His Gaffes on Bill Maher's HBO show

TigerAnn, cat

I looked into her eyes. As usual, she said nothing. She didn't blink (she never blinks).
Nothing could be clearer than that she would remain both mute and blinkless
then and, indeed, later.
Brat.

Accused killer of Saddleback student in 1986 awaits trial

Murderer pleads not guilty to 1986 O.C. killing (OC Reg)

     A convicted Illinois triple murderer pleaded not guilty Friday to the slaying of five Southern California women.
     Andrew Urdiales, 47, pleaded not guilty to five felony murder charges and denied nearly a dozen sentencing enhancements, according to Orange County Superior Court records.
     Urdiales, a retired Marine who was stationed at Camp Pendleton and other military facilities from 1984 to 1991, was sentenced to death for three murders in Illinois, although two of those convictions were later commuted to life without the possibility of parole.
     Urdiales was extradited to Orange County last year to be tried in the death of Saddleback College student Robbin Brandley, who was killed in 1986, as well as the slayings of three women in Riverside County and one from San Diego County from 1986 and 1995….

There's a can of worms here somewhere

Public administrator sues to get his job back (OC Reg)

    John S. Williams, who is disputing whether he retired from his elected position as the county’s public administrator, has sued the county to be restored to the post and to regain access to his office, from which he has been locked out.
    A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday at Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana on Williams’ petition for a writ of mandate ordering the county to restore him to his elected office, County Counsel Nick Chrisos confirmed….

Fireside Chat #2

     South Orange County Community College District Chancellor Gary Poertner has issued yet another of his “Chancellor’s Perspectives,” which, coming within memory of his predecessor's 8-year reign of (essentially) Republican misrule (see The Wrecking Crew), come across like goshdarn Rooseveltian fireside chats. I present an abridged version. (Do use the link to read the whole thing.)
     The upshot is that, in the last year, substantial steps have been taken to remove obstacles (apneas?) to what I’ve called the “ATEP dream," i.e., the flowering of fancy and impressive technical whizbangery, including partnerships with Big Money People, out where the Marines used to keep their helicopters in Tustin. 
     Perhaps most crucial were the two acts of clarification—regarding ATEP “ownership” (between the two colleges)—that occurred at Monday’s meeting of the SOCCCD Board of Trustees. 
     For IVC, it was a "good news/bad news" development. On the one hand, the notion nurtured at the college that IVC has special ownership of ATEP is now, officially, toast. On the other hand, Poertner's Solomonic decision to cut ATEP in half--each college gets half of the baby, including matching pink and blue buildings of equal square footage!--really favors IVC, given that Saddleback College is twice IVC's size. (On the third hand, there's so much space out at ATEP, each college can pretty much pursue its own projects and programs; but the money's still gotta come from the district, and it's hard to imagine that that moola will be equal. It'll likely go to whoever's got the tastier plans to sell to the BOT. Am I wrong?)

CHANCELLOR’S PERSPECTIVE:

     It has been 13 months since I became Chancellor and promised in my first opening session to facilitate a resolution on issues related to ATEP, including what its focus would be and whether it would involve one or two colleges. Over the past several years, the district and colleges have struggled with ATEP issues that caused unnecessary friction district-wide. I have worked diligently to facilitate discussions with the college presidents and board of trustees in order to resolve these issues that impede progress. I am happy to report the following accomplishments and outcomes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND APPROVALS
     There were many policy decisions that needed to be made in order to pave the way for progress. Over the past year, the board of trustees:
     Reaffirmed their values and commitment to all students in the SOCCCD service area by reiterating that ATEP is, and always was, intended for both colleges to develop career technical education, workforce development and advanced technology training in order to meet the priorities set by the Board of Governors and State Chancellor’s office and contribute to the economy. At the board meeting earlier this week, the board approved two agenda items related to this. The first was to re-affirm the colleges’ original service areas and to identify ATEP as an independent service area for use by both colleges for career technical, workforce development and advanced technology training. The second agenda item specified that the land at ATEP would be available to both colleges in equal proportions.
. . .
     Reallocated and approved $12.5 million in basic aid to help pay for the next buildings.
. . .
     Supported discussions with the City of Tustin and County of Orange to facilitate land swaps of equal proportion that will provide an improved land configuration and allow for increased square footage build-out and better traffic flow. It is estimated that we could build between 900,000 and 1.7 million square feet on the 68 acres. That is enough square footage for the two colleges to do just about any programs they want, and it will also provide the district with ample land to develop partnerships to help pay for it….
     Heard presentations from the colleges in September and December about proposed programs and partnership development for the site….

No fireside chats for Mathur, unless
he was roasting someone on a spit

DELINEATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
     At this point, policy decisions have been made, barriers have been removed and the board has signaled its support to accelerate the development at ATEP. Who will be responsible for what? District Services will continue to oversee site development, facilities planning, future partner ground and space lease agreements and funding efforts as is the case with other district/college development projects. The colleges will be responsible for identifying instructional programs, developing curriculum and offering classes at ATEP through their own planning processes. The college presidents are providing leadership to collaborate on a mutual agreement that will define the programs each college will offer at ATEP. As soon as this is accomplished, architectural programming, site planning and pending funding pursuits for the next buildings can continue.
     The work that was appropriate for District Services, putting the foundation in place for the project to proceed, has been accomplished for the initial college building phases. Now the responsibility lies with the college presidents, academic senates, faculty and staff to make this goal and board direction a reality.
     Everything is now in place for real progress to be made at ATEP and I hope that resolving these lingering issues will pave the way for increased cooperation and collaboration district-wide so we can move forward to better serve the needs of our community….

p.s.
     In his “OC Politics” blog, occasionally self-destructive and routinely off-the-wall local politico, Art Pedroza, has written a semi-critical (and vaguely laudatory) “good-bye” to Tom Fuentes: O.C. Republicans Fuentes and Royce, Sr. wrap up their political careers. You might find it semi-amusing. Probably not.

Smouldering, anyway

     We got a couple of favorable mentions today in our pal Vern’s piece in today’s OC Blog (Is the OC’s tumor John Williams leaving or not? Carlson out in AD-74).
     He notes our involvement in early (and persistent) effort to draw attention to John Williams’ incompetence and corruption.
     Then he turns to Frank Mickadeit’s recent hagiographical crap about Tom Fuentes asking Keith Carlson to drop out of a race:

     ...Well, Schroeder lost that battle when sainted and moribund OC GOP chairman emeritus (and priest-abuse apologist) Tom Fuentes called Allan and Keith to his bedside and begged them to work this out for GOP unity. Homoerotic cigar-chomping courtier-columnist Frank Mickadeit has the whole pastel scene. Keith is out. Our tireless colleague Roy Bauer – who’s been on fire lately – reminds us of some history and what the scene was probably really like, with an appropos 15-year old passage from the Times:

     …The list of people who accuse Fuentes of trying to arm-twist them into abandoning bids for public office includes a host of loyal Republicans: Assemblywoman Marilyn C. Brewer (R-Irvine), former Newport Beach Mayor Evelyn R. Hart, former Superior Court Judge Judith Ryan and management consultant Nathan Rosenberg.
     All of them, at one time or another, sought the Republican nomination for public office. None heeded Fuentes’ advice, but only Brewer won the nomination.
     “He said my business would be ruined, and that my husband’s business would be ruined,” said Ryan, a challenger to U.S. Rep. Robert K. Dornan for his seat in 1992. “I was taken aback.”
     Fuentes calls Ryan’s charges “ridiculous,” but he does not deny that he tries to dissuade people from running against GOP officeholders.
     “I am staunchly loyal to incumbents,” Fuentes said. “I make no excuses for that.”….

     Yeah, Frank. What about that?

Greer v. Supes (whose attorney is, um, Greer)

Williams Staying Put, Vows Court Battle (Voice of OC)

     Arguing he is an independently elected official, Orange County Public Administrator John Williams threatened a court battle this week unless county supervisors relent and allow him back into his office.
     County supervisors have locked Williams out, arguing he effectively resigned last March when Williams offered to retire in exchange for a reprieve from recall efforts over his mismanagement of the office.
     Earlier this week, Willliams' attorney [Phil Greer]* advised CEO Tom Mauk that he had simply changed his mind and no longer intended to retire. Supervisors, through their county counsel, have advised Williams that his resignation is final saying there's no turning back.
     While Williams' bio is still prominently displayed on the Public Administrator's website, he's been locked out of his office and the county is mailing him his final paycheck.
. . .
     By early 2011, supervisors had stripped him of his public guardian role and appointed an executive manager to take over operations for the public administrator post. Finally, Williams agreed to a deal whereby he would be able would retire on Jan. 23, 2012.
     Now, Williams' lawyer, Phil Greer, is promising to go to court for injunctive relief by Friday if supervisors don't back off from their demands that he leave his job.
     "It's improper and possibly illegal," said Greer, who has represented several [in fact, 4 of the 5] supervisors in recent years. "The board doesn't have the ability under the law, the California Constitution or the county charter to do what they've attempted to do. There was no retirement or resignation on the part of the Mr. Williams."
. . .
     It's the third time in recent years that county supervisors are dealing with the unseating of a countywide-elected official, having witnessed the removal of Sheriff Mike Carona over a federal indictment and the stripping of investment powers from Treasurer-Tax Collector Chriss Street.
. . .
     Campbell repeated numerous times in an interview that: "John Williams is an honorable man. He put it in writing to me that he intended to resign," Campbell said. "Why wouldn't we take him at his word?"….

*You'll recall that the SOCCCD paid Tom Fuentes' crony Phil Greer $25,000 to represent Raghu Mathur in his "negotiations" with the district—negotiations rendered necessary by (1) Don Wagner's desire to fire Mathur's conniving ass and (2) Fuentes and Williams' opportunity to give crony Mathur the best "deal" (i.e., fabulous cash prizes) whilst simultaneously tossing a fabulous cash prize to their Republican crony Greer, a fellow with a history of ethics issues but a nice ability to collect valuable cash prizes whilst hanging with Republicans in government (e.g., four of the five Supes of the OC Board of Supes).

Santorum attacks colleges again, doesn't know what he's talking about, is asshole

Santorum Attacks Colleges on Religion, Politics (Inside Higher Ed)

     Rick Santorum, the Republican presidential candidate, on Wednesday again bashed colleges in a campaign appearance, urging those at a campaign event to stop giving contributions to colleges, CBS News reported. "It's no wonder President Obama wants every kid to go to college," he said. "The indoctrination that occurs in American universities is one of the keys to the left holding and maintaining power in America. And it is indoctrination. If it was the other way around, the ACLU would be out there making sure that there wasn't one penny of government dollars going to colleges and universities, right?" Santorum also accused colleges of being anti-religion, and of turning students against religion. "If they taught Judeo-Christian principles in those colleges and universities, they would be stripped of every dollar. If they teach radical secular ideology, they get all the government support that they can possibly give them. Because you know 62 percent of children who enter college with a faith conviction leave without it." (Several recent studies contradict Santorum's ideas on the relationship between higher education and faith. One study in fact found that while many young adults become less religious, the declines are greater among those who don't attend college than those who do.)

Mixed Portrait of Freshman Political Views (Chronicle of Higher Education)

     New research reveals that college freshmen hold increasingly liberal views on key social issues like same-sex marriage and rights for illegal immigrants. But the progressive viewpoints haven't translated into significantly greater levels of activism or heightened enthusiasm for national politics….

OK, let's see Colantuono's report!

Public administrator refuses to leave office (OC Reg)

     John S. Williams, the county’s embattled public administrator and former public guardian, is refusing to leave office as he had said he intended to do.
     Williams in March signed a letter to Bill Campbell, who was then chairman of the county’s Board of Supervisors, stating “It is my intention to retire as Public Administrator – Public Guardian on Jan. 23, 2012.”
     However, Williams recently notified county officials that he does not intend to retire, and he reported to work on Tuesday, Jan. 24, staying at his office until about 2 p.m., said his attorney, Phil Greer. After Williams left, county workers moved in to change the locks on his office.
     John Moorlach, current chairman of the Board of Supervisors, released a letter dated Tuesday to Williams from County Counsel Nicholas Chrisos.
     “(T)he purported oral notice to the CEO and to me via your counsel that you desire to rescind your nine-month old resignation, is not effective,” Chrisos wrote.
     Moorlach said he told County Executive Officer Tom Mauk “we could change the locks and he’s off the payroll effective the 23rd.”
     Williams, 60, has served as the county’s elected public administrator since 2003. He had also served as the appointed public guardian until the Board of Supervisors fired him from that role in June amid accusations of mismanagement.
. . .
     Williams was most recently reelected Public Administrator in June 2010, when he received 204,175 votes, or 58.4 percent of the total cast in a four-way race. His term expires in January 2015.
     “They cannot throw an elected official out,” Greer said, adding that county officials are “behaving completely outside the scope of the law.”
     Williams won’t attempt to return to work while he is locked out, Greer said. “We’re not going to go in there and have some kind of confrontation. We’re trying to resolve this with the county if we can’t do that, we’ll obviously be in court,” Greer said.
     The Board made several agreements with Williams in exchange for his resignation, according to the letter from Crisos:

“(1) The Board allowed you tor [sic] remain as the Public Administrator for a one year period following the beginning of your term of office, which commenced in January 2011, at your full salary for both Public Administrator and Public Guardian, even though the Board had the power to reduce your salary when it removed you as Public Guardian; (2) The Board would not publicly release the highly critical report of your performance prepared for the Board by Special Counsel, Michael Colantuono; (3) The Board discussed with the CEO the option for the CEO to, within his authority, retain you as a consultant to the County for transition purposes.”

     Williams never formally resigned or retired, Greer said. Williams’ letter to Campbell “indicated he was considering retiring around the first of the year,” Greer said….


SEE ALSO:

• John Williams Told to Stay Away from Public Administrator Office He Was Forced Out Of (Navel Gazing)
• O.C. administrator won't step down, is locked out of office (LA Times)

Spitzer weighs in

     One of the comments that this morning's VOC article (about former trustee John Williams) attracted today is by former Assistant DA (and current Supervisorial candidate) Todd Spitzer. It reads in part:

     Is this really a shocker that the disgraced, former, PA/PG John Williams would refuse to leave despite his written promise to resign effective Monday? He should have been walked out of the County once it completed its outside audit of his mismanagement practices, pension spiking and inflated salaries. The County had to replace the locks to keep John Williams out. Unbelievable. We have had Mike Carona, Chriss Street and now John Williams when the County is supposed to be more accountable.
     Yes, I lost my job as an Assistant DA because I unknowingly called the Public Guardian on behalf of a crime victim to inquire whether the PG had an on-going investigation. I had no idea that the DA's fiance, Peggy Buff, was the Assistant Public Guardian. I had no idea until about a month later that he was involved in taking over the TapOut case and was reversed by the Court of Appeal. I did not know then that Williams's scheme was to go after decedents' estates in order to gain the court ordered administrative fees so that Williams could offset his padded and bloated budget with those fees after he was warned by the Board of Supervisors to get his fiscal mess in order about a year earlier.
     Williams was stripped of his duties; Buff was demoted and because of her political connections landed another job in another county department and the DA's staff assisted in helping Williams craft a press release to make me look like the bad guy which continues through their spin today.
     I was let go because I uncovered a needle in a haystack which led to another OC scandal involving a lot of high powered political figures…. [My emphases.]

     Gosh, what do Mike Carona, Chriss Street, and John Williams have in common?
     Each was championed (as a public official) by OC GOP kingmaker--and, since 2000, SOCCCD trustee--Tom Fuentes.
     Fuentes was instrumental in having Carona--now serving time in federal prison--receive Irvine Valley College's "Hometown Hero" designation. Carona was invited to numerous IVC events, such as 911 commemoration ceremonies.
     Fuentes arranged to have former OC Treasurer Chriss Street give occasional presentations before the SOCCCD Board of Trustees.
     Fuentes helped Williams secure the Public Administrator gig in 2003, despite Williams' utter lack of qualifications.

Williams won't leave?!

Orange County's Public Administrator Won't Leave (Voice of OC)

     [Note: Voice of OC has since UPDATED this story. Use link above.]

     Last March, Orange County's embattled Public Administrator John Williams staved off a political execution by agreeing with the Board of Supervisors to retire on Jan. 23, 2012, which was Monday.
     But despite that agreement – and an order to change the locks on his office door – Williams showed up for work anyway.
     On Tuesday, he was officially told not to come back.
     "The Board of Supervisors accepted your resignation as Public Administrator of Orange County effective January 23, 2012 up receipt of your letter of March 9, 2011," wrote County Counsel Nicholas Chrisos in a letter to Williams.
     Williams' attorney and spokesman, Phil Greer, couldn't be reached for comment.
     Williams has been a controversial figure in county government since 2009 when two scathing grand jury reports criticized his management of the offices of public administrator and public guardian, which oversee the complex estates of deceased people without heirs and those of indigent people.
     The spotlight on Williams became intense in late 2010 when high-ranking assistant district attorney, Todd Spitzer,was fired by Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas after looking into allegations that Williams was mishandling a case involving a domestic violence victim.

Enthusiastic Republican Peggi Buff

     The controversy was fueled by the fact that Rackauckas' fiance′, Peggy Buff, was Williams' second in command.
     The Spitzer affair also drew a heightened focus on how Williams ran his office. An investigation determined that the county faced potential legal liability over mismanaged estates.
     In the wake of the investigation, Buff was quietly moved into a six-figure job at the county despite a hiring freeze because of her relationship with Rackauckas.
     Meanwhile, county supervisors, like John Moorlach, who were one-time political mentors to Williams as a fellow Republican quickly turned on him. They stripped him of his public guardian role. And appointed an executive manager to take over operations for the public administrator post.
     It was the third crisis between county supervisors and a countywide elected official in recent years.
     In 2008, supervisors had to figure out how to get then-Sheriff Mike Carona to step down. By the next year, they had to figure out how to get rid of then-Treasurer Tax Collector Chriss Street. And by 2010, Williams was under pressure to leave.
     County supervisors can't remove an independently elected office holder like Williams.
     So whether it's a federal indictment in Carona's case, or a bankruptcy-related lawsuit for Street or Williams' mismanagement, these countywide elected officials can't be forced to resign. They can only be recalled.
     That was the road that Williams was on back in March until his attorney, Phil Greer, was able to broker his resignation.
     Under the terms of that deal, as described by Chrisos in his Jan. 24 letter to Williams, he was able to stay in office with his full salary of $153, 206 even though all his official duties were handled by others appointed by county officials.
     For example, Lucille Lyon was appointed Public Guardian in July.
     Supervisors also placed an initiative on the June ballot that would transform the Public Adminstrator back into an appointed position.
     On Tuesday, Moorlach said Williams – whom he once supported – had become a poster child for the campaign to turn the post back into an appointed slot.
     Yet Chrisos' letter also noted that county supervisors had previously agreed to keep a lid on Williams' mismanagement of his agency by not releasing the results of their independent investigation to the public.
     They even gave authority to CEO Tom Mauk to retain Williams as a private consultant during the transition, according to Chrisos letter.
     Yesterday, supervisors apparently ran out of patience.
     "The Board has fulfilled its portion of the obligation," Chrisos wrote. "Therefore, the purported oral notice to the CEO and to me via your counsel that you desire to rescind your nine-month old resignation, is not effective."
     "Your final salary check and any leave payout will be mailed to you at your address on file. The CEO will separately determine the need to retain your services as a consultant."

Gosh, he must be soooooo wise

     OC Register columnist Frank Mickadeit’s relationship to Tom Fuentes is, well, embarrassing. He hangs around ‘em like a puppy dog. He even genuflects.
     Today, he tells the heroic tale of Fuentes, the old soldier, guiding the local party to victory with his dying breath, more or less:

Fuentes plays kingmaker from bedside (OC Reg)

     For months, the remapping of the county's coastal Assembly seat, running from Huntington down to Laguna, has been a headache for conservative Republican leaders.
     Last week, Huntington Beach Councilman Joe Carchio announced he is running for the new 74 Assembly District seat. This brought to four the number of Republicans in the race. The others: former state-party officer Keith Carlson, Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle and Assemblyman Allan Mansoor, whose current district encompasses 20 percent of the new district.
     Even before Carchio announced, the conservatives were worried that Carlson and Mansoor would beat up each other in June's primary, burn through money and pave the way for a Daigle win in November. They don't consider her a conservative.

     Neither does Tom. You’ll recall that Tom was the guy who loved to label some of his colleagues in the GOP “RINOs” (Republicans in Name Only). I remember the time he called people "whores." He has no trouble judging who counts as a real Republican and who doesn't. And then he makes life difficult for those who don't measure up.
     Sweet guy.
     He seems to gravitate to felons, frauds, shysters, and creeps: Carona, Street, Rackauckas, Greer, Schroeder, et al.
     He's very pious.
     Mickadeit’s hagiography continues:

     Enter Tom Fuentes.
     As chairman of the Republican Party for two decades, he's had that talk a few times. I've had more than one politician tell me how angry – at least initially – they were when Fuentes told them not to challenge a more-experienced Republican….
     Now, chairman emeritus [of] the county GOP and hobbled with cancer, Fuentes last Friday summoned Carlson and Mansoor to his bedside at his Lake Forest home. Current Chairman Scott Baugh and GOP insider Jon Fleischman were also there.
     "It would be by the grace of God if I were around to vote for one or the other, so if I could offer a little counsel, that's about the best I can do at this point," Fuentes told me Tuesday.
      "We just closed the bedroom door here and had a heart-to-heart. I've been convinced from the beginning that Keith and Allan are more devoted to the cause, the conservative movement, than to their own careers, and I think somebody just needed to remind them of that. I offered my sober reflection as best I could offer it, (in order to) avoid wasting conservative dollars. I don't feel it took a lot of nudging, we just needed an opportunity to lay it out on the table, or the bedspread, as it were."
     In Fuentes' view, Mansoor, a former Costa Mesa mayor and sitting legislator, was clearly in a better position to take on Daigle than is Carlson, who has little name I.D. outside the party.
     "The old chairman was saying we need party unity, and so I decided, yeah, (I'll) step down," Carlson said. "He makes a compelling case. It was not a strong-arm thing; he just wanted unity."

     Yeah, whatever.
     For the sake of balance, check out this article from the LA Times:

• Guiding With an Iron Hand (LA Times; Dexter Filkins) July 11, 1996

     ...The list of people who accuse Fuentes of trying to arm-twist them into abandoning bids for public office includes a host of loyal Republicans: Assemblywoman Marilyn C. Brewer (R-Irvine), former Newport Beach Mayor Evelyn R. Hart, former Superior Court Judge Judith Ryan and management consultant Nathan Rosenberg.
     All of them, at one time or another, sought the Republican nomination for public office. None heeded Fuentes' advice, but only Brewer won the nomination.
     "He said my business would be ruined, and that my husband's business would be ruined," said Ryan, a challenger to U.S. Rep. Robert K. Dornan for his seat in 1992. "I was taken aback."
     Fuentes calls Ryan's charges "ridiculous," but he does not deny that he tries to dissuade people from running against GOP officeholders.
     "I am staunchly loyal to incumbents," Fuentes said. "I make no excuses for that."....

Santorum's rules of honesty

The rules of a noisy Christian

Santorum: I don't need to correct claim Obama is Muslim (CBS news)

     Rick Santorum said Monday he doesn't see the need to correct audience members who make misstatements. His comment came after a woman critical of President Obama at a forum misidentified the president as Muslim.
     The woman told Santorum, "He is an avowed Muslim and my question is, why isn't something being done to get him out of our government?" Santorum responded: "Believe me ... I'm doing everything I can to get him out of the government."….

     Here's what an honest man would do. He'd explain, first, that someone's being a Muslim (avowed or otherwise) is not a reason to "get him out of government."
     Second, he'd explain that there is no reason to suppose that President Obama is a Muslim. On the contrary. He is, in fact, an avowed Christian.
     Rick Santorum is not an honest man.
     Neither are his followers, who listen to this crap without objection. (Well, obviously some of his followers are in yet another group: unbelievably ignorant people.)

Debra Morgan illustrates honest rhetoric

January's meeting of the SOCCCD Board of Trustees: despite some friction, ATEP moves forward

     (See Tere's Board Highlights. Also: streaming video.)
     It’s time once again for the monthly meeting of the SOCCCD Board of Trustees—that clueless crew that gets together exactly once a month to make decisions that they seem perennially incompetent to make. Well, at least the board is much less political than it used to be. How come? Fortuity, mostly.
     Luckily, these days, we have a Chancellor who is very familiar with the colleges and who generally steers the board clear of folly.
     Presently, the colleges await their fate at the hands of the accreditors, a crew that manages to be as clueless, in their own way, as trustees. Thou shalt devote many hours per faculty to SLOs, saith the accreditors. Would any intelligent being approach college accountability via SLOs? Absolutely not. Will that factoid slow the SLO speedwagon? Absolutely not. Can one find otherwise intelligent people defending this SLO cluster****? Yessireebob.
     Plus there is our district’s (i.e., our board’s) continued embrace of the ATEP "dream," aka tossing big chunks of taxpayer money at the dirt 'n' derelicts of the old Tustin helicopter station in hopes of yielding—well, we-know-not-what. Reminding one of Sayre’s Law, in recent years, the ATEP “dream” has inspired a turf war between the district’s two colleges. It appears that, tonight, Chancellor Poertner will make like Solomon and cut that baby clean in two.
     Long-term, the district faces serious money issues, like everyone else (see We need a $billion), but, short-term, we’re in high cotton—though said cotton (the basic aid gravy train) is projected to shrink with each year. Further, there are those in this state who, with increasing passion and focus, seek to toss us into the weeds along with everyone else.
     About that, nervousness prevails.

* * *

     It's 6:27, and the meeting is supposed to start at 6:30. A jacket hangs over Board President Nancy Padberg's chair, but no Nancy. Hmmmm.
     6:40 — looks like the trustees are emerging. Roquemore and Poertner are huddling together. Looks pretty serious, i.e., Glenn doesn't have his usual plastic grimace.
     6:44 — Nancy arrives.  Aha! Bill Jay has returned (he's been absent for months). Now, if Tom Fuentes shows up, I'm just gonna freak! (He doesn't.)
     6:46 — Nancy looks like she's ready for business. TJ Prendergast is talking with her. Everybody's here but Tom Fuentes, who I half expected to show up tonight just to piss me off. He's like that.
     6:48 — Silence! The meeting begins!

     Actions taken in closed session: nothing of consequence.
     Lang does non-religious invocation. Pledge of Allegiance.

     Resolutions:
     (1) IVC comes up to receive a "resolution" for being selected as a "military-friendly school." So, as usual, somebody's getting a prize for getting a prize. Later, no doubt, IVC will get a prize for getting this resolution, ad infinitum. We get to use a "military-friendly" logo. I wonder if the logo will get a prize?
     8 or so people stand up there near Glenn Roquemore basking in their resolutionariness. Marcia reads the resolution. "Very exciting," says Marcia, with little excitement. (She makes up for that a moment later by saying "aye" with such staccato violence that I have gone deaf.) There's applause. Speechifying occurs.
     Glenn shows the plaque; he says he won't read it cuz it repeats what's already been said seven times. A photo op.
     (2) Saddleback College President's Award for "leadership and innovation." Marcia produces much confusion over who should mention recipients—to the amusement of all. One of the honor recipients "passed away recently," says Burnett, which kind of takes the starch out of the thing. Some of the usual suspects up there: Claire, et al. No doubt they are deserving. Burnett explains that they're "all nominated by their colleagues."

     PUBLIC COMMENTS:
     Anna Maria Cobos — librarian, chair. Speaks in support of Academic Senate resolution (see later) re name of Library. She hopes that everyone will return in the fall to what is "really a new building." Let's embrace this by renaming it. (She joins the SC academic senate in asking that it no longer be named after James B. Utt, right-wing lunatic.)
     Joseph Hassine and Shireen Ebrahim — two student leaders. An issue has been brought to us. UCLA has John Wooden. Boston U has MLK. Saddleback C has Ronald Reagan. Here we have "James B. Utt." He explains Utt's record. He quotes Utt's notorious remark about "barefooted Africans," etc., and mentions his opposition to Civil Rights legislation, etc. As a student, says Joseph, I believe that the college promotes diversity. James B. Utt doesn't stand for those things. Encourages the board to rename the library.

     BOARD REPORTS:
     Bill Jay — Glad to be vertical for a while. Thanks for the get-well cards, letters, etc.
     Frank Meldau — wants to take a personal moment to introduce daughter, Anna, in the audience (she's very embarrassed, but she stand up; very attractive young lady). Looks forward to meeting with Chancellor. Will attend games, etc. Looking forward to "Astounding Inventions" this weekend at IVC.
     Marcia Milchiker — we're delighted to have you back, Bill. Attended budget workshop at Saddleback College. Fitzsimons ran it, did a great job. We're doing great compared to many other colleges. We hire the best, and they're doing a great job. You can watch a video of the presentation.
     TJ Prendergast — Got to attend staff holiday event at IVC. There's a photo out there of me wearing antlers. Attended intersession BBQ at IVC. Will be at Astounding Inventions.
     Nancy Padberg — Missed the Presidents' cup games (IVC vs. SC basketball). The Academic Senate gave to SOCCCD services a plaque. She holds this up. Went to some event where our new trustee area boundaries were approved. Astounding Inventions this Saturday.
     Dave Lang — Happy New Year. Wasn't aware of Trustee Jay's health travails — I'm glad that's he's back. Lang says there are some commentaries out there about areas and constituencies—driven by "student success" mandate that we now have. We'll need to spend more time on these areas as a board. Core (?) constituences—Emeritus, Community Education—I would hate to see reductions there. Those areas are important to us, especially to Saddleback College. Looking forward to those discussions.
     Student trustee: (Nancy briefly skips this kid's turn and he either feigns or actually has a look, unmistakebly communicating offense. Sheesh.) Goes on about how he has managed to avoid buying textbooks, and yet has a 3.3 GPA. (Golly.) Goes to the Library and rents textbooks. Asks the board, please enable books to be rented. That would help lots of students.
     Chancellor Poertner: two areas, already mentioned. One, redistricting approval from OC committee on school district organization. Student success task force? We'll wait to see what this means to us. We do not know yet.
     Board requests for reports? None.

     Discussion item: none tonight.
     Consent calendar. Only one item pulled.

Solomon's wisdom

   6.1 Service areas. IVC, Saddleback, and ATEP
     Gary Poertner: board actions requested to help define development of ATEP. We're trying to answer the question: is ATEP within any particular service area? What about on ATEP campus?
     Last spring, there was much discussion about whether there is a boundary line that defines the service areas. The notion of El Toro Rd. as boundary line came up. (We see crude map.) Research was done. The board defined this boundary in 1985, when IVC was first approved as an independent college. Foresaw possible difficulties.
     This issue did come up to some degree. Well, if this is the line, does it follow that ATEP belongs to IVC? This agenda item reaffirms the line, but says that ATEP is not included in this definition. Back in 1985, there was no ATEP. Probably want to act on this first.

Lisa Davis Allen

     IVC Senate President Lisa Davis Allen: some concerns expressed by IVC faculty. I'm requesting that we delay this item for one month for opportunity to get clarification for concerned faculty.
     Padberg: this isn't about programs. I don't see the problem.
     LDA: faculty have concerns about the service areas. The notion that IVC has area to north, etc.
     Prendergast: can we wait a month, Gary?
     Poertner: one month will likely not matter, unless it concerns the "new market tax credits." We need a program design for that. So we need to settle who has programs at ATEP. I don't know if this makes a difference.
     Fitzsimons (Vice Chancellor of Business Services): yes, a month would make a difference. We need to show progress, and we're behind. Waiting could jeopardize our funding.
     Poertner: Is it one college or two colleges at ATEP? 6.1 settles only that. (I'm not sure I understood his point.)
     Padberg: I don't think we ever intended that the whole thing (ATEP) would go to one college! It would be very unfair to have all of that acreage controlled by one college.
     Prendergast: we've been given clear presentations from both campuses—a month ago—so I don't understand what IVC faculty are concerned about.
     LDA: I have received concerns from IVC faculty. They seek clarification on the service area inside ATEP—how it will create problems for the larger service area of IVC.
     Padberg: I don't hear you saying the type of concerns.
     Lang: I'm a bit confused about why IVC faculty need more time. This has been a long-standing issue in the district. I realize that there are lots of internal politics about this issue. But the Chancellor is only asking for clarification: are both colleges participating here, programatically? How would feedback in a month change anything?
     LDA: Saddleback College senate was not made aware of programs until December. This hasn't been "shared out" to our senate either. Faculty have not been informed of programatic decisions(?). (I think that's what she's saying. Not sure.)
     Padberg: this has been on agenda repeatedly. If faculty haven't paid attention, they bear some responsibility. We need to move forward. Nothing here will impact either college.
     Meldau: the board wants to allow both campuses to make use of the facility, have programs.  All we're asking here is to agree that there is an interest in having both colleges have access to land at ATEP. (Meldau has definitely been speaking up more in recent months. A good thing, I think.)
     Matter carries unanimously.

Exhibit B: ATEP à la Solomon. Saddleback pink, IVC blue

     6.2. Next question. How will each college participate in the ATEP property? Shows a map (exhibit B; see above). We don't actually own the property below the pink line on the map. We've been told for years that this would be settled. In the short run, we'll try to avoid land we can't build on. So we asked planners to plan so that both colleges share the land that we can build on. There's so much square footage here, there's lots of room for both colleges. Two sections: one for IVC, the other for SC. They are equivalent. Pink and blue on the map. We designate the "pink" building as SC; and the blue as IVC's building. For as long as there's disagreement, we can't go forward. We can always go back and repair our decision if it proves problematic. So 6.2 concerns these two 5 acre sections only (above the pink line).
     Lang: I do have a problem here. Why can't we share the space of two buildings between the two colleges. Why are we locking into each college getting its own building?
     Poertner: Saddleback's proposed use will be harder to share. Joint use of the facility would not be possible.
     Lang: let's leave our options open here. Those with the best plans and programs should get set up first. Why lock into this two building idea? I have a problem with this concept plan.
     Padberg: seems angry: Why don't you make an amendment to the motion? she shouts. Or so it seems to me, but I'm sensitive, as you know.
     Lang: tries to speak, Nancy says no, others get to talk, dude.
     Milchiker: we've been discussing ATEP for "way too long." (Understatement of the century.) We learned that ATEP cannot be run by the district. So each college has to have their own programs on ATEP, if there is to be accreditation. So we should give a portion to IVC, a portion to SC. Let's get moving. We can change things later. This will force the two colleges to start planning. So let's approve this. (I'm weirded out by how sensible Marcia sounds tonight.)
     Poertner: another thought: when we begin building this out, there's nothing stopping us from sharing the first building and working out an agreement until the other building is built, etc. It is not absolutely necessary to have two buildings, but we've got to say there are two colleges, and here's each one's space. We need to make this decision. Let's go forward.
     Prendergast: there's plenty of space out there. We don't have to worry about equity between the colleges. This is just getting the ball rolling.
     Meldau: I like the idea of splitting the land. We have to get started. The process is taking way too long — it seems to drag out. Nothing we're doing here will inhibit process going forward. We want to get moving.
     Lang: I don't want to delay the project any further either. I want to ask the Chancellor: how important is exhibit B (the map with two buildings) to the item?
     Poertner: if we don't make a decision, we'll get in dutch with the tax credit thing.
     Fitzsimons: we need parameters here. She goes into the tax credit stuff and my eyes are glazing over. We need to provide specific detail to give confidence to investors. We don't have that now.
     Jay: this gives maximum flexibility, so will support it.
     They vote: unanimous.

     6.3 Nomination of blah, blah, blah.
     6.4 review and study of policy revisions. Accepted, unanimously
     6.5 Sabbaticals....
     Milchiker: read all of the 19 sabbatical proposals. Fascinating. Can we have a presentation to the board of these sabbaticals?
     LDA: it's a requirement to report results. Some of these can be presented to board. Sure.

     6.6 Academic Personnel actions. Carries unanimously.
     6.7 Classified Personnel actions. Carries unanimously.
   
Reports: (little or no discussion throughout)
     7.1 Speakers
     7.2 Basic Aid report
     7.3 Retirement trust fund
     7.4 Facilities plan status report
     7.5 Financial status report
     7.6 Interfund transfer of cash

Written reports: shared governance groups, etc.

James B. Utt

     Saddleback College Academic Senate: resolution read. (See it here.) Senate recommends that the Library be renamed. Mentions Utt's record and remarks. The Library was never properly named. Senate Prez wants to "encourage" this as agenda item.
     IVC Academic Senate, LDA: mentions lecture series, etc.
. . .
     IVC President Roquemore: presentation before accreditors (ACCJC). Based on smiles in the room, seemed to go well. (Uh-oh.)
     Saddleback Prez Burnett: also presented before the ACCJC. We hired a new financial aid directors. "We stoled him." Blah, blah, blah
   Etc.

     I should add that at least one student group (Saddleback College student government) supported the Saddleback College Academic Senate "library" resolution. So the trustees were getting it from all directions.
     That was about it.

SEE ALSO: The December board meeting: ATEP of the mind