McCain/Obama event—for the faithful only; Dems to protest Cheney fat cat hairball

YEAH, LIKE WE FIGURED.

Just as I feared. (See our It's the old Saddleback Church shuffle.) In the OC Reg:

Saddleback charged some members for presidential forum: No public tickets will be available for Saturday's event with McCain and Obama:

For the past couple of weeks the general public had been told via the Saddleback Web site that ticket information would be forthcoming. Then last week the message changed and said a limited number of tickets would be available tomorrow. Last night the message was revised again. This time it said all tickets had been distributed.

Why didn't they say straight away that nobody but the faithful was invited to this thing? Why all the endless talk of making tickets available to the public? In the end, the so-called public forum is a fundraiser (the cheapest seats are $500) inviting only congregants. 

At best, Rick Warren and Co. are looking mighty disorganized. At worst.....

BIG RAT BASTARD HONORS LI'L RAT BASTARD.

Meanwhile, according to the Reg, some Democrats plan to protest Vice President Dick Cheney’s fundraiser tonight, an event in honor of Republican Congressman Ken Calvert. (See our earlier What's the matter with us?)

Who is that? Why, Ken Calvert is yet another corrupt Republican! According to Wikipedia,

Calvert went with businessman Thomas Kontogiannis and now-convicted Congressman Randy Cunningham on a … 2004 trip to Saudi Arabia. They were accompanied by Rancho Santa Fe businessman Ziyad Abduljawad, who paid for the trip. Kontogiannis is currently an unindicted co-conspirator…in the Cunningham scandal. ¶ The activities of lobbying firm CLJDW…is currently under investigation by a federal grand jury. On May 23, 2006, the FBI obtained Calvert's financial records at the same time it pulled the records of Representative Jerry Lewis, who is at the center of the [CLJDW] lobbying controversy. Calvert helped pass through at least 13 earmarks sought by CLJDW in 2005, totalling over $91 million. ¶ In May 2007, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the [House] sent Calvert a letter stating that his earmark request for $5.6 million for the Corona Transit Center did not, in the committee's opinion, constitute a "financial interest". The transit center, a hub for rail commuters and a transfer point for bus connections, is in the vicinity (from .1 miles to 1.7 miles) of seven properties in which Calvert has an ownership interest. Calvert had successfully obtained earmarks of $700,000 in 2004 and $500,000 in 2006 for the transit center.

Yeah, and one more thing. 15 years ago, Calvert was arrested for soliciting a prostitute. Wikipedia provides all the sordid details. Calvert now claims that he has "matured."

That's what I'm afraid of.

Back to Cheney: Well, Democrats plan a “protest march” in San Clemente. I'm glad to hear it. 

Cheney’s office won’t say where the fundraiser will be held, but everybody knows it will be at Casa Pacifica, aka President Nixon's "Western White House." 

As usual, it's FAT CAT CITY with the good ol' GOP.

Free textbook; plus a defeat for opponents of same-sex marriage

• A VICTORY FOR STUDENT POCKETBOOKS.

This could be the start of something big. This morning’s Inside Higher Ed reports on a milestone in the “open textbook” movement (Open Textbook Meets Community Colleges).

The movement seeks to provide textbooks—written by reliable experts—on the web, downloadable free for use and modification.

Well, now that’s started, at least for Statistics:

Connexions, a prominent online “open educational resources” hub based at Rice University, announced Monday that it has published a statistics textbook [Collaborative Statistics, by Barbara Illowsky and Susan Dean] online that’s widely used in transfer-level community college courses. Officials at the site hope the zero-dollar price tag will help students deterred by ever-increasing textbook prices.

The book’s content has been configured for easy editing. Ancillary materials will also be made available. (Dean and Illowsky are math professors at De Anza College in California.)

In my own courses, I use Blackboard. On my course Blackboard sites, I provide virtually all class readings (they are mostly lecture notes and commentaries of primary text that I authored), and so students don't have to buy textbooks. Students seem to be thrilled about that. And no wonder: a single text can cost one hundred dollars or more.

• A MINOR DEFEAT FOR OPPONENTS OF GAY MARRIAGE.

Meanwhile, according to this morning’s San Francisco Chronicle (Prop. 8 backers drop challenge on wording), the wording of a ballot initiative that seeks to eliminate gay couples’ newly-acquired right to marry will remain as written.

This is a defeat for opponents of same-sex marriage in California: “Sponsors of the measure argued that the title and summary drafted by Attorney General Jerry Brown were argumentative and designed to encourage voters to oppose Prop. 8.”

Twice now the courts have turned down a challenge by the “Yes on 8” forces. Evidently, Brown’s wording has been deemed accurate.

The “Yes on 8” people will not seek appeal.

Evidently, a major financial backer of “Yes on 8” is Orange County’s own Howard Ahmanson, Jr., a close friend of trustee Tom Fuentes, and, it seems, a proponent of Church=State. See Stoning gay people to death.

• TODAY'S CONTRA PALAVERITIES.

(Check out my post today on Contra PalaVerities: To the undergraduate ear. If a philosopher lectures about "A-ness," his students might hear something else.)

Semester at sea

• CRITICISM = HARASSMENT?
In this morning’s Inside Higher Ed (Presidential ‘Pabulum’ and a Professor’s Punishment), there’s yet another disconcerting story about a university's flouting of academic freedom.

It concerns a professor’s less-than-worshipful response to his college’s president’s email.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s President, Shirley Jackson, had sent an email out to everyone, whereupon professor Donald Steiner—evidently, a respected member of the university community—responded (to “all”), writing “Sadly, I found more of the same subterfuge and insulting pabulum.”

Steiner also highlighted Jackson’s other alleged failings, including a failure to advocate for faculty, follow the faculty handbook procedures, etc.

In response, Steiner was cut out of RPI's email system. On what grounds? Steiner, said RPI, had violated two rules: one about everybody’s right not to be “harassed by others,” another about the responsibility to respect the rights (including privacy rights) of others.

Wow. I guy criticizes the President and he gets pulled from the email system 'cause he's a harasser! Sounds familiar.

Some RPI faculty contacted Inside Higher Ed, saying that Steiner is dissenting, not harassing:

They note that in an era when some faculty critics attack presidents in anonymous blogs full of four-letter words, Steiner offered his critiques without hiding and without getting vile. Further, they note that in the context of intense debate over governance at RPI, kicking a critic off the RPI e-mail system reinforced the view that the administration won’t tolerate dissent.

A veritable shit-storm has been blowing over RPI in the last year:

RPI’s administration has replaced the Faculty Senate when its members voted to give voting rights to those off the tenure track, and kicked off campus a controversial video art exhibit that upset College Republicans. And those decisions followed a debate over President Jackson that resulted in her narrowly avoiding a vote of no confidence.

I’m reminded of my own adventures ten years ago here at the South Orange County Community College District. When I distributed a newsletter (Dissent) that (fairly, albeit humorously) criticized the college president and the board of trustees, a letter was placed in my file (a precursor to termination) according to which I had violated the district’s policies. 

I took ‘em to court. There, the district argued that I was the district bully who had single-handedly intimidated the community into silence and had even caused the colleges’ accreditation difficulties! (In the course of its action against me, the district had violated several "handbook" rules, which it seemed to gladly acknowledge.)

Luckily for me, throughout the court process, the judges opined that the district’s claims about me were absurd and the district’s methods were Orwellian:

…[T]his is a case where [the concept of workplace violence], is being stretched for the purpose of taking a vigorous critic of the administration and the board of trustees and trying to keep them quiet. (See Bauer’s court victory.)

I think I’ll drop Steiner and crew a line. Do check out the comments at the end of the IHR article: Presidential ‘Pabulum’ and a Professor’s Punishment.

• YOU'LL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
Inside Higher Ed also reports the arrest of a U of Iowa political science professor regarding a series of alleged incidents. In one alleged incident, a student went to see the professor about what she could do about her poor grades. He told her she’d have to “do something.” He then “grabbed and sucked on her breast”:

The student said that the professor sent her an e-mail congratulating her on earning an A+ and offered to meet to help her get into law school.

• OK, OFF THE FREAKIN' BOAT!
Finally, IHE reports on the U of Virginia’s tough anti-plagiarism policy, which was recently enforced on two students who were enjoying the university’s Semester at Sea program off the coast of Greece. The university explained that “students who are forced to leave the ship are never disembarked in unsafe locations….”

Oh good.

• PARTé.
Last night, a former student (he’s now a full-time professor in the CSU system) and his fiancé dropped by—and that turned into a party. I’ve posted some pictures. Pictured are: Mortimer, a fine young man who is uncommonly quiet and alert—he was the life of the party. Also: Jason and Robyn, the bloggers behind the fine 13 Stoploss (do check it out). Also: Melissa making a point with my 44 Magnum. (It’s my late brother’s beyond-repair gun that, long ago, blew up in my hand down at the range. My first and last experience with such a thing.) Also: Shelly & Robyn. And Ken & Mortimer.

Santa Barbara City College President Andreea Serban recently spotted in her new Cadillac.

See also "Tell me more, Herr Bauer"

Candidate statements (SOCCCD)

At the end (below), I have links to pdf files of candidate statements for those running for a seat on the board of the South Orange County Community College District (the election will be on November 4).

Arlene Greer’s statement confirms that she is indeed Tom Fuentes’ ally (challenging incumbent Bill Jay). She even borrows from Fuentes' statement. (Well, I suppose it could have gone the other way around.)

First, here are some excerpts that I thought you might find interesting (all emphases are my own):

AREA 1 (Irvine, etc.)

CAROLYN D. INMON
…Please vote for Carolyn," The Teachers’ Choice"

DAVID B. LANG
I have been … providing principled leadership to Saddleback and Irvine Valley Colleges. …Other District accomplishments during my tenure on the Board include: capital improvements of over $79 million, including development costs of the Tustin campus, without a bond measure, expansion of online education courses, implementation of cutting edge technology, and many other successes….

[Among Lang's "principles" is undying support of ruthless, incompetent, and despised chancellors--and a commitment to do just about anything for the sake of furthering his political ambitions.]

AREA 3 (Laguna Beach, etc.)

ARLENE GREER AGE: 56
OCCUPATION: Businesswoman
As education becomes more essential in the global economy, our Community Colleges are increasingly called upon to transition our sons and daughters from high school to four year institutions and real world employment. As parents and taxpayers, we expect our Community Colleges to meet the needs of both high school graduates and older adults who are returning to our campuses. As your Trustee, I will hold my board, the faculty and the staff to standards consistent with achieving those goals and objectives.

Supervisor Pat Bates endorses my candidacy because of my advocacy of community involvement. Trustee Tom Fuentes and Congressman Ed Royce endorse my candidacy because of my commitment to sound, conservative, business principles. Capistrano Trustee Anna Bryson endorses my candidacy because of my promise to enrich the academic curriculum, enhance our physical plant and extend community outreach.

Some forty years ago, then Governor Reagan broke ground on our community college district with a promise and a commitment to serve the students and community of South Orange County. I intend to honor that promise and commitment by working to ensure that our college district remain an educational beacon on the hill….

[Evidently, Greer has not heard that curriculum is within faculty, not board, purview. I love the gratuitous reference to Saint Ronald. Now, who do you suppose gave her that idea?]

WILLIAM (BILL) JAY
…My forty-one years as an educator have taught me this: If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Just make it better!....

AREA 6 (Lake Forest, etc.)

BOB BLISS
…Saddleback and Irvine Valley Colleges must also promote values and work habits that will serve our students well in their future endeavors - values such as honesty, hard work, family and personal integrity….

THOMAS A. “TOM” FUENTES
Ronald Reagan broke ground for the South Orange County Community College District, forty years ago. As your Trustee, I have sought to utilize his conservative values and principles to guide our District.

As a result, our District is financially solvent and our campuses are safe for our students.

Modern classroom technology and instructional equipment have been implemented by the prudent expenditure of limited funds. Enrollment has increased and the renovation and construction of college buildings have been achieved without new taxpayer burdens of bond measures.

Course offerings for students have grown tremendously with online classes. A Master Plan for education and facilities is in place. Faculty and staff are held accountable for student success. As a consequence, our District has achieved high transfer and job placement rates for our students.

Because of my strong conservative fiscal and educational leadership, Supervisor Pat Bates, Assemblywoman Mimi Walters, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, Senator Dick Ackerman, Supervisor Bill Campbell, and Congressman John Campbell have endorsed my re-election, as have Bruce Herschensohn and countless students and graduates of our community colleges….

[No mention of the Accreditation sword hanging over each college's head--thanks to Fuentes and his allies. Observe that Fuentes takes credit for our high transfer rates (etc.). We have high transfer rates because of faculty and staff. They certainly aren't helped by Fuentes' occasional Wackadoo eruptions.]

AREA 7 (Mission Viejo, etc.)

CARL CHRISTENSEN
Formerly a president of the SOCCCD Faculty Association...
…Saddleback College offers only one section of US History Since World War II as compared to offering 32 sections of American history dealing primarily or exclusively with American History before World War II. … I was a sergeant in the Korean War….

[Here we have a man suffering from both monomania and blindness.]

JOHN S. WILLIAMS
…Campus police officers keep our colleges safe and secure.
…My endorsements include all members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Chairman John M.W. Moorlach, Vice Chair Pat Bates, Bill Campbell, Janet Nguyen and Chris Norby, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, Assemblymembers Mimi Walters, Todd Spitzer, local elected officials, educators and law enforcement….

[Vote for me 'cause I'm part of the OC Republican Party Machine! Plus I was cop!]

PDF files:

AREA 1 (Irvine, etc.)

Carolyn Inmon candidate statement
Dave Lang candidate statement

AREA 3 (Laguna Beach, etc.)

Arlene Greer candidate statement
Bill Jay candidate statement

AREA 6 (Lake Forest, etc.)

Bob Bliss candidate statement
Tom Fuentes candidate statement

AREA 7 (Mission Viejo, etc.)

Carl Christensen candidate statement
John Williams candidate statement

Greer is Fuentes' ally (contra Jay)

Reality check: TOM FUENTES, of course, is one of the key reasons that, for the first time in the history of our district, our colleges are threatened with loss of accreditation. (To see the ACCJC's letters, go here and here.)

• FUENTES + GREER.
Yesterday, we posted about the trustee race here in the South Orange County Community College District. I noted that someone named Arlene Greer was running against trustee Bill Jay (Laguna Beach, etc.). I said that I had little information on her, aside from her involvement in Newport Beach politics.

Something interesting popped up last night. Earlier, Chris Enami had posted on Red County/OC Blog about "Community College District Races,” noting who was running in each race. That post generated a few comments.

But then, last night, “Anonymous” wrote:

district three ought to be interesting, arlene greer has the endorsements of pat bates, ed royce, tom fuentes and many more. she paid for a ballot statement which will help significantly. and, rumor has it that she is a very good fundraiser,,,

Naturally, I have no way of knowing whether Anonymous knows what he/she is talking about. But it certainly could be true, and this sort of thing was expected. (UPDATE: See next post: her candidate statement confirms that Greer is on Team Fuentes.)

In any case, it will be very difficult for any challenger to beat the incumbent, who has done nothing that can easily be exploited.

• FUENTES FUNDRAISER ON TUESDAY.
The following is listed under "upcoming events" at the website for the Orange County Republican Party:

Campaign Kick-Off Smoker With Bruce Herschensohn
Committee To Re-Elect Tom Fuentes Trustee, South Orange County Community College District

Where: Duke's Place, Balboa Bay Club

Please join Tom Fuentes on the patio at Duke's Place, Balboa Bay Club on Tuesday evening, August 12th, at 5:30pm for a Campaign Kick-Off Smoker with guest Bruce Herschensohn. Admission is free to this informal summertime Smoker on the bay. Complimentary cigar and a no-host bar for guests. Attire is casual for the evening's gathering of friends. Bruce Herschensohn has a marvelous new book out, called Above Empyrean. There will be copies available for $20. Bruce will be happy to personally autograph the book for you. RSVP to kathy@tavpro.com.

You'll recall that Fuentes held a very similar event last November, also at the BBC.

The trustee races

I visited the County Registrar of Voters website this morning to find out who’s running for a seat on the board in our district:

Trustee Area 1
(Irvine, etc.)

CAROLYN INMON, Retired College Professor

Candidate Statement Issued:7/31/2008
Candidate Statement Filed:8/7/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:7/31/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed:8/7/2008

(Inmon is the faculty union’s candidate going up against Dave Lang. Lang is a strong supporter of Chancellor Mathur.)

DAVID B. LANG, Trustee, SOCCCD

Candidate Statement Issued:7/15/2008
Candidate Statement Filed:8/6/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:7/15/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed:8/6/2008

(Lang, of course, is the Benedict Arnold of SOCCCD. Several years ago, horrifying long-time faculty supporters, he suddenly became Mathur’s greatest champion, after Tom Fuentes. On the Red County blog, Lang is described as Tom Fuentes’ “ally.”)

Trustee Area 3 (Laguna Beach, etc.)

ARLENE GREER, Businesswoman
Candidate Statement Issued:8/5/2008
Candidate Statement Filed:8/8/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:8/5/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed:8/8/2008

(Near as I can tell, Greer is somewhat involved in Newport Beach politics. She’s interested in environmental or “green” issues. I think she’s the president of a NB home-owners association. Elsewhere, she seems to call herself a “homemaker.”)

WILLIAM (BILL) JAY, Governing Board Member, SOCCCD
Candidate Statement Issued:7/25/2008
Candidate Statement Filed:8/7/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:7/25/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed:8/7/2008

(Bill has been a solid supporter of the faculty. He’s supported by the faculty union.)

RANDALL S. JOHNSON, Real Estate Investor
Candidate Statement Issued:7/29/2008
Candidate Statement Filed: NOT FILED?
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:7/29/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed: NOT FILED?

(I’m having trouble finding out much about this guy. In Red County, he’s described as a “new face.” Hmmm. The question is: is he a member of "Team Fuentes"? Dunno.)

Trustee Area 6 (Lake Forest, etc.)

BOB BLISS, Retired College Professor

Candidate Statement Issued:7/23/2008
Candidate Statement Filed:8/5/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:7/23/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed:8/5/2008

(Bliss taught at Saddleback College for many years. An author. Supported by the faculty union.)

THOMAS A. "TOM" FUENTES, Trustee, SOCCCD
Candidate Statement Issued:7/17/2008
Candidate Statement Filed:8/6/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:7/17/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed:8/6/2008

(An open enemy of faculty. Somewhat of a conspiracy nut re accreditation.)

Trustee Area 7 (Mission Viejo, etc.)

CARL CHRISTENSEN, Retired Educator

Candidate Statement Issued:7/28/2008
Candidate Statement Filed:7/28/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:7/28/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed:7/28/2008

(Christensen, a retired Saddleback College professor, has appeared at board meetings, complaining about the poverty of history courses in some areas at SC. His priorities seem, well, odd.)

MO ENTEZAMPOUR, College Professor/Administrator
Candidate Statement Issued: NONE?
Candidate Statement Filed: NONE?
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:8/8/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed:8/8/2008

(This fellow has been an adjunct at IVC. He appears to be a division dean at Cypress College.)

JOHN S. WILLIAMS, Trustee, SOCCCD
Candidate Statement Issued:7/15/2008
Candidate Statement Filed:8/6/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Issued:7/15/2008
Declaration of Candidacy Filed:8/6/2008

(Williams is supported by the faculty union.)

The “candidate statement” links at the county site appear not to be working. I'll provide the statements when I can.

Debating the merits of Tom Fuentes in the blogosphere

On Monday, “tylerh” posted about the SOCCCD trustee races on the popular “Red County” blog (District races). (See my Red County whistles in the dark.)

(You know about local political blogs, right? In these parts, Red County is the most popular conservative blog.)

Tylerh, a denizen of the Red County's blogpen, referred to “Tom Fuentes' efforts to maintain fiscal sanity,” and I took him to task for that. This generated a fair among of back-and-forth between Tylerh and me and between others and me. The former was civil and reasonable. The latter: not so much.

At one point, someone who calls himself “Amused,” entirely ignoring my substantive points, accused me of fallacy. He’s mistaken, of course. I just posted a response to that, but I see that it does not yet appear. Hmmm.

Check out the thread here.

Retired Saddleback College professor Carl Christensen's contributions to the "debate" are amusing. Remember him? Months ago, he addressed the board complaining about a lack of certain history courses at Saddleback College. He's running against Williams, who has union backing. (His blog.)

Chris Emami has just posted (on Red County) concerning the county's college trustee races.