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….