Another one bites the dust (a very bad day for Shitweasels)

Mightily disgruntled today. Good.

See ARCHIVES: the infamous "SAME-SEX" flier & how we got to this sorry state

From NYT; above, from Time

Familiarly heedless

Rodriguez

O.C. college district foundation closer to OKing Saudi consulting deal (LA Times)

…The proposed deal [with the Rancho Santiago Community College District] has been criticized by faculty members and others who say that it was brokered in near secrecy and who questioned doing business with an absolute monarchy with a spotty human rights record….
. . .
     Chancellor Raul Rodriguez said he hopes revenue from the deal, or others like it, will help support district projects and student programs.
. . .
     "I guess we picked the wrong country to start with," he added, jokingly.
. . .
     Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School who specializes in good governance, said even if it was an honest mistake there are consequences to violating open meeting laws.
     "The public is injured when there is a Brown Act violation like this," she said. "The public is deprived from taking part in their government's decisions."
. . .
     Rodriguez said that the district's primary role in Saudi Arabia would be to consult, help train faculty and set curricula for the two all-male schools….

Another one bites the dust (Fuentes' hagiographer reportedly caught with hand in the cookie jar)

Wu: oops

"So much has changed in my life since I met Tom, and he has guided me through all of it. Who will guide me now?"

—Jack Wu

     Here’s a curious little story. Some will recall that the late Tom Fuentes had some peculiarly avid admirers, including Register columnist Frank Mickadeit and Newport Beach Republican activist Jack Wu. Wu’s writings about Fuentes were so fawning that I dubbed him Fuentes’ “hagiographer,” although Mickadeit equally deserved that description.
     Well, in today’s OC Reg, we read that Congressman Dana Rohrabacher [has filed a] complaint that treasurer Jack Wu stole from [Rohrabacher’s] campaign:

     Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has filed a complaint accusing his former campaign treasurer, prominent Newport Beach Republican activist Jack Wu, of stealing nearly $175,000 from his re-election committee.
     The congressman fired Wu last month after committee members found just $187 in an account that was supposed to have about $185,000, Rohrabacher’s staff said Wednesday. They said Wu has stolen at least $173,500….

     Say it ain’t so!
     It will be interesting to see where this story goes.

Mickadeit

DtB mentionings of Jack Wu:

• TJ Fuentes “to become the most insightful and wily political monster,” says Tom Fuentes’ hagiographer
• A recent Fuentes sighting

P.S.:
     The OC Weekly’s R. Scott Moxley informs us that Nick Gerda (Voice of OC) broke this story yesterday:

Dana Rohrabacher’s Campaign Treasurer Accused of Embezzlement

“Upon discovering this information, Mr. Wu was immediately replaced as committee treasurer and the bank account was frozen. The committee confronted Mr. Wu with these allegations and Mr. Wu admitted to taking approximately $173,500 in funds from the committee’s account. The committee also demanded immediate, full restitution, and Mr. Wu promised to do so, but as of this date has failed to do so.”

On Wu's Twitter account: "Kick ass for da Lord!"

Hans Vogel

Reagan and Vogel, pals

     Earlier today, the SOCCCD community received an email from the district noting the passing and singing the praises of the district’s first board president, Hans Vogel (1922-2015):

     Dr. Hans W. Vogel, President of our first Board of Trustees, recently passed away at the age of 93.
     It was Valentine’s Day in 1967 that residents approved the formation of Saddleback Junior College District, dubbing it the “Sweetheart of Orange County.” In July 1968 the board hosted then-Governor Ronald Reagan for a high-profile dedication of Saddleback Junior College. Dr. Vogel would ultimately serve as Board President four times in his eight-year tenure….

     Over the years, in an attempt to understand our benighted district, I've written about Vogel often. It's pretty clear that Vogel—a war hero, successful volleyball coach, contractor, lawyer, and right-wing paranoid—was a very interesting man and someone perhaps best viewed, as they say, as a man of his time. He sure was!
     Not long ago, I was surprised to learn that Vogel had a significant role in the political career of Ronald Reagan. (Some will be impressed; others will be horrified.) Two years ago, I encountered this description of Vogel in a book by Tom Rogers, chairman of the OC GOP from 1969 until 1972:

     Hans Vogel was one of the first county residents to become involved in conservative politics. As a local businessman and bookstore owner, Hans was able to gather a circle of friends and associates to informal discussion concerning many issues. He was an early supporter of [John Bircher] John Schmitz, but his most impressive accomplishments was to sponsor a book-signing event at his Tustin bookstore, featuring a rising star in GOP politics, Ronald Reagan who had written a book Where’s the Rest of Me? [1965] The event was a success by all standards, and really introduced the future governor to local conservatives who came away with a signed book and a determination to support Ronald Reagan in his political career.
     Hans was also active in the County Republican Central Committee as publisher and editor of the Observer. [Elsewhere, Rogers explains that Vogel did an excellent job in that role. The Observer faded from the scene many years ago.]

DtB posts mentioning Hans Vogel:

• Right-wing paranoia and foolishness c. 1970: "The depths of your own mind"
• A weird windowless library, alleged marauding flag-swiping Hippies, the protean name, and other district mysteries—Solved!
• SOCCCD's first superintendent: clashed with trustees; bailed fast
• The 1967 board: the "immorality" of district membership in the School Boards Association
• Charter trustees: the curious Mr. Alyn Brannon
• Did right-wing loons establish the SOCCCD?
• Bremer: just saying “No” to long hair and windowlessness
• More of John Williams' fascinating campaign documents
• James B. Utt remembered
• The board meeting: faculty address the board re the contract & Nancy carps about a seal

"Utt" Library, September 1972

Rancho Santiago Community College District Foundation Takes Up Saudi Arabia Deal TODAY (NavelGazing)

     The Rancho Santiago Community College District Foundation's board is scheduled today to discuss its controversial $105 million consulting contract with Saudi Arabia that has been chastised by faculty, a student trustee and the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States.

O.C. college district foundation moves forward with downsized Saudi Arabia deal (OC Reg)
     A controversial deal to have the Rancho Santiago Community College District serve as a consultant to two Saudi Arabia all-male technical colleges won tentative approval Tuesday.

June meeting of the SOCCCD board of trustees: just saying "no" to district services relocation

Construction projects: trustees (except Prendergast) deleted #17 on the priority list, i.e., locating district services at a neutral "middle" location. They offered no rationale.

     [See Tere's Board Meeting Highlights.]
     [Meeting agenda available here.]

     6:35 - just arrived. The trustees are gathering. The meeting will start soon.
     Earlier today, the board had a special meeting (3:30) concerning planning the ATEP campus. Evidently, among other things, the first building (for IVC) was discussed. (Agenda available here. See agenda graphic at end.)

     Tere tells me that the agenda looks pretty thick tonight. Dang.

     6:36 - The meeting begins. Actions taken in closed session: 6-0 vote, Padberg absent, approved unpaid leave, part-time classified.
     Lang's invocation refers to the church shooting, etc.
     Recognition: Jacklyn Chasteler, SC hammer throw state champ. Wright reads the res. Jaclyn stands with three others. Applause. Roll call vote. Photo op. J speaks: thanks SC and the coaching staff, et al. Applause. Coaches identified. Yet another photo op.
 
Public comments:
     Jim Leach, the SC foundation guy, who'll be steppin' down. His tenure's almost up. Recites the usual impressive factoids about the SC foundation. Will have $116k available each year in perpetuity. Thanks Burnett, Rickner. Introduces the man who will take his place as Prez, Mike Hamilton, listing achievements, then adding, "and I think he drinks." That got a laugh. Mr. Hamilton steps up, speaks. More blathering of superlatives. "Only two drinks a week," he says. Etc.
     6:46 - Lang speaks. Jim Leach did a "tremendous job" all these years, etc.

Board reports:

     Marcia Milchiker: thanks Jim Leach. Attended commencements. "Incredible." Mentions other ceremonies she attended. SC was ranked #1 in state by some body. IVC has #1 transfer rate in OC and is 2nd in the state.
     James Wright: mentions that Karen Street named teacher of the year. Attended both graduations. Praised both commencement speakers. Appeared on Laguna Woods TV.  Attended celebration of career of a counselor.
     Tim Jemal: Echos praise of SC Foundation crew. "Great job." Both commencements were very well done. Was happy to confer degrees. State budget reflects some moderation. Some one-time money to come into education. Some serious decisions ahead.
     TJ Prendergast: Echos praise. Was sorry to have to miss commencements. Etc.
     Barbara Jay: also attended the graduations. Very impressed. Got a tour with Burnett of Saddleback campus. Also got a tour of district services, 3rd floor. Attended SC scholarships ceremony.
     Dave Lang: best wishes to Mike Hamilton, who will do a great job running the SC foundation. The commencement: this is what it's all about. Attended SC Foundation golf tournament. Attended fiscal update (county organization).
     Student trustee Lemar Momand: welcomes the new college student government presidents.
     Chancellor's report (Gary Poertner): colleges planning for next round of accreditation. This includes a self-study; that'll start in the fall. Then teams will visit the colleges. One part of this that is changing: a much closer looks at district services and the board. They've got a new handbook, sent to trustees.
     IVC Prez Glenn Roquemore: yadda yadda. Introduces new IVC Foundation director(?).
     SC Prez -- substitute guy. Blah blah. Mentions that Hans Vogel just passed away at age 93. He was involved in establishment of the district. [I've described his participation and actions previously.]
     Etc.

     No board requests for reports.

     We've been asked to move 6.1 and 6.2 to earlier in the meeting. (Budget reports.)

6.1 SOCCCD 2015-6 tentative budget (See)
     Deb Fitz. comes up to yammer. Fiscal year begins on July 1. The state has passed a budget since first drafting this. Will have more info in August.
     Goes over goals, guidelines. Reserve, etc. We don't allow "deficit financing."
     Total all funds: $711 million
     Based on Gov's budget back in January. Goes over generally rosy points about tentative budget assumptions.
     7.5% reserve for economic uncertainties: %12.2 million, etc.
     Available basic aid funds: balance of 22.9 million.
Total available FY 2014-2015: $61,352,000
     Basic aid expenses. Funding for BAARC allocation = 61.4 million.
     Budget trends: district-wide personnel costs make up an avaerage of 85% of total unrestricted general fund budget. Etc.
     PERS/STRS rate and cost increases. Annual increase over 14-15 9.2 million
     Looking ahead. Final state budget info will be included in the "adopted budget."
     Any questions?
     Milchiker: given our basic aid funding, growth funding? A: Follow DRAC model. Not from state
     Jemal: enrollments are flat, and yet this is the biggest budget ever. Explain. A: Our capital money is growing. Retiree trust fund is growing. Etc. J: around 90% (actual figure for personnel costs). A concern for us to be at that level? Blah blah blah. Jemal alludes to deletion of term "one-time" re basic aid.
     Lang: this was created before "May revise" (state). Will we get info prior to final budget? Fitz: we can certainly do that. L: didn't we fund for enrollment growth? Funded to level that we would have gotten from the state were we not a basic aid district? Yep. Still true. When you broke down the expenditures of two colleges and district--surprised by how much for district. A: [I didn't understand the answer]
     They approve the tentative budget. Unanimous.

     Prendergast: turns out we did have a board request for a report (all trustees). Request concerning listing sessions. They approve unanimously.

     6.2 - Tentative budgets for SC and IVC student government (See)
     SC kid speaks. Thanks people.
     Budget anticipates decreased funding from bookstore, cafeteria. Otherwise mostly unchanged from one year ago.
     Highlights: blah blah blah. Accomplishments. (This kid is pretty slick.) More tutors available. Big success, evidently. Blah blah blah.
     Any questions?
     Lang: some suggested changes for final budget. You refer to ASB "sticker sales" then "stamp revenue." A disconnect there. Etc. Kid thanks Lang for suggestions.
     Jemal: one quick note. Mentions plan of turning to an "opt out" system (student opting out of paying student fee, I guess). Chosen because it promises to increase these fees. Jemal: Expect reaction. Harsh feedback. OK
     Wright: why sales down in bookstore, etc? Competition with online book sales, etc.
     Prendergast: how do you expect to increase sales of stamps? A: blah blah blah
     Etc.

     Next: IVC SG tentative budget. Linda Fontanilla speaks. Praises student government leadership. Lots of great activities. Kid (Adam) takes over.
     Very similar to last year. $575,537. Goes over "highlights." Events. Accomplishments.
     Mentions our co-curricular programs: speech and debate, IVC Model UN, etc.
     Questions?
     Jemal: praises report. There's a 200,000 difference between SC and IVC. How come? Fontanilla: blah blah blah. Jemal: so the difference is because of co-curricular funds? A: blah blah blah.
     I found this hard to follow, but it seems that the IVC kids have decided to maintain having a say and being very involved in deciding how to use these funds. SC SG has gone another way.
     Wright: IVC is doing much better than SC re cafeteria and bookstore income. How come? Fontanilla steps in. Says "blah blah blah." Refers to talent show, etc. Prendergast wonders aloud if a video is available. Yuk yuk. (Fontanilla appears to be the "den mother" kind of supervisor to these kids. Clueless mother hen. She thinks bringing cookies to local businesses is good outreach.)
     Lang: excellent presentation. Explanation re budget makes no sense though. Lang says something about different arrangements between SC and IVC re bookstore contracts. Brit gal steps up to explain that all revenue goes straight to student gov at IVC, but only a portion at SC. Lang: that makes sense. Fontanilla: our faculty has a long-standing great relationship with student government. Blah blah blah. She emphasizes students' tremendous involvement in governance and decision-making, a point later emphasized by the Ac. Senate Prez.
     IVC Ac Senate prez notes that SC's model was investigated at IVC. Faculty and students chose not to change our way of doing things. The two colleges are quite different. Our model seems to work well for us. (This seems to be about co-curricular activities, which are expensive. IVC students are very involved in that.)
     Two budgets approved unanimously.

7:49 - back to consent calendar. Anything to pull? Lang: 5.12, 5.18, 5.27. Jemal: 5.23, 5.30. Prendergast: 5.2, 5.5. They vote on the balance: unanimous approval.

     5.2 Question about Spanish program, credit by exam, etc. High School courses count? Werle: students must achieve scores on tests of competency. --Approved unanimously.
     5.5 Sailboat surplus - disposal. Prendergast: really? we're tossing these yachts in the trash? Brandye: an assessment was performed. They are unusable. --Approved unanimously.
     5.12 Radioactive waste removal - increase of contract. What's this about? Brandye: this radioactive stuff has been at the science building since 1968. Pendergast: When there was a bid, did we not know about this stuff (the need to remove it)? Somehow, Brandye gave a satisfactory answer. --Unanimous approval.
     5.18 Increase of $30K for work on A400 building. Unforeseen issues. Prendergast: hey, didn't you say that when we adopt the design/build approach, this wouldn't happen as much? Brandye: yes, we've had some challenges in this case. She seems to focus on an unfortunate assumption made by the contractor. "We were forced to do more babysitting than anticipated." Design/build hasn't worked out in this case. But, in other cases, this approach will work, says Brandye. --Approved unanimously
     5.23 Security guard services at ATEP. [Gosh. What are they protecting? Rubble?] Jemal: what are we paying currently? F: This contractor is the same as what we have now, same rate. --Approved unanimously.
     5.27 Lang: (something about storm sewer system). A typo. Another one. A third correction. Prendergast notes another typo. Another issue: language is "loose" somewhere. "I will make those corrections," says Brandye. --Approved unanimously.
     5.30 Jemal: real estate advisory services at ATEP, $35k. What type of services? What are they doing for us at ATEP? Fitz answers. But I didn't get it. Jemal seems satisfied though. --Approved unanimously. (Lang is temporarily? absent.)

6.3 SC Techo and Appl Sciences building swing space project, architec. Services agreement. --Approved.
6.4 Change order on same project. --Approved.
6.5 SC Photo/radio/TV renovation project, change order. --Approved.
6.6 Same project, notice of completion, Approved.
6.7 IVC dean, reorg of Behavioral Sciences and Reorg of Liberal Arts [?]. Approved.
6.8 IVC renaming of A400 --Approved.
Etc.
6.10 - pay for absent trustee (Padberg). --Approved, natch.
6.11 - contract with Neudesic -- approved.
6.12 Contract with Blackboard. Approved.
6.13 ATEP utilities and infrastracture project. Approved.
6.14 Five year plan revision. Lang: has a problem with item 17, I guess. District relocation. Lang wants to amend the motion (namely, he wants to delete district relocation as among district plans, priority list).  Only Prendergast votes "no" to the amended item. [I think that the trustees, except Prendergast, are rejecting faculty insistence that district relocation--to a neutral middle point--is important. See Item 4.1: Lang and others carp about district offices relocation idea]
     [Note that the need for locating district offices in between the two campuses came up in the Climate Survey. Evidently, trustees are unimpressed. Could it be we're entering a new era of board disregard of faculty opinion? Sheesh.]
6.15 approved unanimously
6.16 Board Policy revision, personal leave. Jemal: is all this language necessary? Eliminating a redundancy, evidently. --Unanimous yes.
6.17 Initial proposal to CSEA (California School Employees Assocation - classified union). Open public hearing.
   Public comments? No? Public hearing is now closed. Further discussion? No. Concluded. Turns out, don't need to vote, since just a public hearing.
6.18 Academic Personnel actions. No changes. Jemal: wants aggregate amount for faculty stipends. A big figure, he says. Bugay: we can do that. They vote on item: --unanimous.
6.19 Classified personnel actions. No discussion. --Unanimous approval.
6.20 Sabbatical revision and rescind. --Unanimous approval.

7.0 Reports
7.1 nada
7.2 annual accreditation report.
7.3
7.4 no changes
7.5
7.6
7.7

8.0 Reports from administration and governance groups
(8:33 p.m.) I'm outta here.

From agenda of the "special meeting"

Hans Vogel obit

Obit

Published in Orange County Register on Jun. 28, 2015.

Vogel, Hans William 

Less than 15 years after the first ships traveled from Europe to the U.S. by way of the Panama Canal, Hans W. Vogel made his voyage from his birthplace in Cologne, Germany to the sands of Long Beach, California. Once there, Vogel quickly traded the idyllic Rhine River of his early childhood for the ocean sports of the Pacific. A graduate of Long Beach Polytechnic High School, Vogel had a particular passion for beach volleyball. This passion would eventually lead him to USC where he organized, recruited and coached the university's first men's volleyball team in 1948. Under Vogel's leadership that team would go on to win two National Men's Collegiate Volleyball Championships. 

Leadership was an early hallmark of Hans Vogel who received numerous military honors and decorations, including two Bronze Star Medals for "Actions Above and Beyond the Call of Duty," when he helped to negotiate the surrender of 82 German troops during combat at the Siegfried Line on the border between France and Germany in February, 1945. Eventually, he would be a leader in the Orange County construction industry, an administrator with the Tustin Union High School District, and ultimately one of the founding members of the Board of Trustees for Saddleback Community College. Vogel was appointed the Board's first president and served in that capacity during four of the eight years of his tenure with the college. 

But for Vogel his proudest leadership roles were not to be found in his illustrious and varied military, academic or business careers, but rather in a place much closer to home and his heart. It was in the company of his family, sharing his roles as parent, grandparent and great-grandparent with his wife of 72 years, Barbara Vogel, where he measured his good fortune and happiness. 

On Friday, June 19, 2015, Vogel died at the age of 93 surrounded by his wife and several members of his extensive family. 

Vogel was born on March 14, 1922, in Cologne, Germany as the only child of Elsie F. and J. Jean Vogel. 

While studying for his final examinations at UC Berkeley, Vogel learned of the attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor, and the day that would "live in infamy" - December 7, 1941 - would postpone the completion of his B.A. for another six years. Returning to Long Beach in January, 1942 to await his deployment, Vogel soon met Barbara Bogart. Years earlier, the two had been classmates at Franklin Junior High School in Long Beach. On September 2, 1942, they were married, and one month later Vogel entered the Army Service. 

In 1943, he was assigned to the Army Specialized Training Program in New York City where he completed intensive studies of the German language and culture; he was subsequently trained in interrogation and counter-intelligence at the Military Intelligence Training Center in Maryland. Between 1943 and 1945, Vogel participated in all five European Theater of Operations campaigns. He was honorably separated from active duty in November, 1945, but continued to serve in both the U.S. Army Reserve and the California State Military Reserve, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Judge Advocate General Corps until he retired in 1987. 

Vogel received his B.A. from USC in 1947 and taught German at both USC and the California Institute of Technology. In 1971, he received an M.A. in European History from Chapman College in Orange. He would consummate his academic achievements in 1976 with a J.D. degree from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton. 

He is survived by his wife, Barbara; three children; 17 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren. 

To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store. 

SEE ALSO:

Did right-wing loons establish the SOCCCD?