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| Still yammering about his Chancellorizing philosophy more than two years after he lost the gig? Oh sad, sad Raghu. |
In typically half-literate Mathurian fashion, Raghu entitled his blog Dr. Raghu Mathur Statement (DRMS).
The darned thing sports exactly five posts, two of them during the campaign, three not long after. As you'll see below, the first post was a draft, heavy on finger-pointing, that Raghu expanded in two subsequent drafts/posts.
Question: To whom does he point his nasty little finger? Answer: at me and at Don Wagner.
Like Raghu himself.
Still, you ask, what's Raghu's blog like? Well, long-time DtB readers are familiar with Raghu's tendency to become bitter and angry in defeat, or when directly challenged about his wrongdoing or incompetence. Consider Raghu's remarkably bitter letter to voters after losing his SVUSD board seat in 1992—or his vituperative response to getting his first "vote of no confidence" back in 1998!
During the 2012 City Council campaign, I made an effort (a pretty small effort, as I recall) to inform voters of Raghu's actual record whenever his name came up in the press. Judging by Raghu's remarks on his nasty little blog, in his mind (if not in reality), my efforts were successful.
As far as bitterness and anger are concerned, DRMS does not disappoint at all. Check it out.
Some highlights/lowlights:
Post 1. No Title, September 12, 2012 - He briefly introduces himself.
...I was engaged in tough and successful contract negotiations with the faculty and staff unions due to declining economic conditions affecting our taxpayers. However, a disgruntled faculty union member has created blog [sic] with continued irresponsible, unprofessional and defamatory false statements about me and my outstanding work as Chancellor.Post 2. Reason for my retirement, October 28, 2012 [still pre-election]
I retired from the college district when an elected member of the Board of Trustees directed, and, in fact, pressured me to perform an illegal and unethical task,* which would have cost an unnecessary expense of more than $250,000 annually for many years. I declined to perform such a task because it was against my principles and conscience as well as against the best interest of the students, and the taxpayers. Therefore, I respectfully and honorably retired.
Post 3. Reason for my retirement from the SOCCCD, January 16, 2013 [post-election]...I was engaged in tough and successful contract negotiations with the faculty and staff unions due to declining economic conditions affecting our taxpayers. However, a disgruntled faculty union member has created blog [sic] with continued irresponsible, unprofessional and defamatory false statements about me and my outstanding work as Chancellor.
I retired from the college district when an elected member of the Board of Trustees directed, and, in fact, pressured me and attempted to blackmail me** to perform an illegal and unethical task, which would have cost an unnecessary expense of more than $250,000 annually for many years. I declined to perform such a task because it was against my principles and conscience as well as against the best interest of the students, and the taxpayers. Therefore, I respectfully and honorably retired.
...However, a disgruntled faculty union member had created blog [sic] with continued irresponsible, unprofessional and defamatory false statements about me and my outstanding work as Chancellor as supported by my outstanding performance evaluations.Post 4. My Accomplishments as Chancellor of South Orange County Community College District, July 4, 2013
I retired from the college district when an elected and married male member of the Board of Trustees, directed, and in fact, pressured me to perform an illegal and unethical task, which would have cost an unnecessary expense of more than $250,000 annually for many years. I declined to perform such a task because, as a fiscal conservative, it was against my principles and conscience as well as against the best interests of the students, the three campuses and the taxpayers. Therefore, I respectfully and honorably retired.
Specifically, I chose to leave related to a moral and ethical issue, when an elected and married male member of the Board of Trustees demanded of me to create a new Dean position and pressured me to promote his unqualified girlfriend to fill that position. The position came with a secretarial support position at a total annual cost of $250, 000, and was unnecessary, illegal in the context of employment laws for public higher education institutions and outright unethical. While the colleges were offering a limited number of courses for students due to budget constraints, I declined to add any administrative positions and thus participate in wasting taxpayer dollars. This was against my principles as a fiscal conservative as well as against my conscience and the best interests of students, college campuses and taxpayers. Therefore, I respectfully and honorably retired as Chancellor of the South Orange County Community College District. The Board of Trustees chose to honor one year remaining on my contract as the Chancellor. I most sincerely wanted to work and earn the money; instead, the Board chose to pay me severance pay per contract, and still paid full salary and benefits to another Chancellor when I left. Some Trustees wanted me to stay and earn my pay which I was totally prepared and willing to do.
Evidently, I have "created blog"
...Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College were accredited by WASC, completed development of student learning outcomes in response to new standards, and were preparing for 2010 site visits. A positive outgrowth of the accreditation process has been the institutionalization of strategic planning at both colleges which includes establishing district wide goals that are integrated within the college planning cycles....Post 5. My Philosophy and Experiences as a Student Centered Chancellor of SOCCCD, July 28, 2013
On a daily basis, I provided leadership by reminding everyone in our district that we exist, first and foremost, to meet the educational needs of our students. I encouraged faculty to attend workshops on student learning outcomes. I supported reassigned time for faculty so that they can provide leadership and coordination in development of assessment and documentation of student learning outcomes at course, program and degree levels.Golly.
. . .
As an individual, I model and reflect accountability, transparency and visibility in the colleges and the community.
Notes:
*For an interesting (and very believable) account of why Don turned on Raghu, read this. No, Raghu did not take the moral high ground. As usual, his connivery got him into hot water.
**I believe that Raghu leveled this charge in a formal complaint that was mentioned in an OC Reg article back in February of 2010, but Don, who was in the middle of his own campaign for an Assembly seat (the primary), evidently did an effective job of damage control, and, at any rate, the charge went exactly nowhere. (See here, here, and here.) The press was, I think, unimpressed by Raghu's yarn. Or by Raghu.
