Southwestern dissenters get Tribuned

Our pals over at Save Our Southwestern College (SOSC) are plenty POed over an editorial in this mornings Union-Tribune: Community colleges in a vise.

Naturally, the Platinum Equity-owned paper continues to sing Southwestern College President Raj Chopra’s praises while dismissing dissenters:

Chopra has pledged that every current student will get the courses he or she needs to obtain that degree, transfer or career certificate. He has sent a letter to every student outlining the priority system for spring registration. It's a remarkable pledge.
…
But at noon on Oct. 22 students were incited to leave the free speech area by the student center and picket the administration building. That gained the notoriety militants sought, but when street protest turns to civil disobedience, there are consequences to face.

In today’s SOSC post, one can read a fine rejoinder by Philip Lopez (aka “100 Miles down the road”).

Don Wagner and LA County’s tiny golden cross

1. WHAT BECAME OF JOHN WILLIAMS’ “GRAND JURY” PROBLEM? It’s been months since we’ve heard anything about trustee John Williams’ battle with the OC Grand Jury.

The latter slapped him around pretty good four months ago for being an incompetent and cronyistic spendthrift—no, not as trustee but as OC's Public Administrator/Guardian. (See John Williams’ "egregious" mismanagement.)

Two months ago, Red County’s Matt Cunningham ran into Williams, who happily handed him his brand spankin' new retort to the GJ. Cunningham has a link to the document. (Public Guardian John Williams Blisters Grand Jury Report. Here's Williams' retort, a small pdf file. Check it out.)

But has Williams submitted it? If so, has he received a response? Inquiring minds wanna know.

2. TOM FUENTES’ PAL JIM LACY. One of the names that pops up as one peruses trustee Tom Fuentes’ political activities is “Jim Lacy.” Lacy endorsed Fuentes in Tom's last run for trustee. He's the guy who organized the recent Western CPAC extravaganza (Pious turds in a punchbowl), which, naturally, included a spot for both Fuentes and Wagner. (The conference started with a Fuentes B-day party!)

Since Lacy is one of Fuentes' pals, you will not be surprised to learn that he has a reputation as a low-life sleazetarian. According to the OC Weekly, he was one of the classy Repubs who spread the rumor, during the 2008 campaign, that Obama is a Muslim.

Evidently, even many Republicans can’t stand the guy. For instance, on Tuesday, Red County/OC editor Matt Cunningham (Legal Aid For The Lunatic Fringe) wrote:

Lacy has decided to put his legal talents to use making the OC blogosphere safe for smearing, and make himself handmaiden to cyber-cruelty. How noble. How uplifting. How admirable. What a guy.

I'm talking about Lacy's baffling and deeply disappointing decision ... to destroy an innocent bystander in the AD72 special election.

Here's Lacy's letter ... setting forth his unique and dangerous legal reasoning:

"Your client has been established as a public figure by virtue of a widely broadcast media report featured on television on CBS2/KCAL9...concerning a political debate in an election context."

Translation: "KCBS' smear made your client a 'public figure', so my sleazy clients are therefore free to continue the smear." That is an appalling, reckless standard to posit, and the ramifications are frightening. Using Jim Lacy's standard, any media outlet can smear a private citizen and anyone who piles on can claim legal protection because the victim is now a "public figure." Maybe Jim can open up a niche practice, specializing in representing character assassins: "Hi! I'm Jim Lacy! Let me, help you, hurt others!"

I am stunned Lacy would lower himself to this….

Matt’s stunned? Don’t see why. Pay attention, Matt!

3. DON WAGNER AND L.A. COUNTY’S TINY GOLDEN CROSS. Do you recall the controversy four years ago concerning the LA County seal?

The old seal (created in 1957—see at left) sported the usual historical icons plus a small golden cross. But then, in 2004, the ACLU seemed interested in suing the board for its apparent failure, seal-wise, to separate church and state. So the LA Board of Supes had the seal changed. The new seal was very similar to the old one, and it did sport a mission, but the tiny golden cross was gone. (See below.)

At the time, all sorts of people came out of the woodwork objecting to the de-crossification of the seal. “My God!!!!!” they shrieked.

Among that crew was close Tom Fuentes pal (they share a spot at the Ahmanson-funded Claremont Institute) John Eastman, who evidently led a team of like-minded lawyers—on behalf of the likes of David Horowitz—to challenge the Supes’ decision in a legal “complaint.” You can read the complaint here (warning: it is a pdf file, though a smallish one).

Eastman’s team included four attorneys.

But get this: trustee Don Wagner was among them.

According to the 2004 complaint, the

effect of Defendants’ policy of targeting the cross for removal is to convey a message of disfavor of and hostility toward religion in general and Christianity in particular, and thereby to cause harm by sending a message to Christians, including certain Plaintiffs, that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community. Once this policy is implemented, this harmful and unconstitutional effect will be repeated each time the Seal without the cross is displayed.

Good Lord! Imagine getting smashed in the face with absence-of-tiny-crossitude on a daily basis! Oh, the humanity!

The complaint failed. The seal stayed changed. (Read a description of the change here.)

Eastman and 2004 holdover attorney Manuel S. Klausner then appealed (see Ninth Curcuit, May 15, 2007). Don Wagner was not involved in the appeal.

The appeal failed.

Evidently, this crew tried to take the matter to the Supremes, but the latter refused to hear the case.

Note:

• Klausner is with the Reason Foundation, which battles environmental regulations. How noble. What a guy.

• Eastman, of course, is with the Chapman U School of Law. He’s also “the founding Director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a public interest law firm affiliated with the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy” (Claremont Institute--which, again, is funded by wacko Howard Ahmanson).

• William J. Becker, Jr. (Wagner and Eastman’s co-counsel in the 2004 complaint) recently published The American Library Association’s Stealth Jihad Against Free Speech. He’s also the author of The ACLU campaign to advance communist goals. How noble. What a guy.

Conservatism and idiocy's peculiar union

There is no necessary connection, I am sure, between conservatism and idiocy. Lately, however, the noisiest conservatives here in the U.S. have revealed themselves to be either the most cynical bastards the world has ever seen—or, well, idiots. I’m sure you know why I say that.

A few days ago, I noted a new poll that revealed that even more Brits than Americans now favor teaching creationism and “intelligent design” in the public schools.

That blew me away.

Tonight, I read Ben Goldacre’s column in the Guardian (Influence from the Sun and the Moon).

Goldacre notes some idiocies recently blurted forth by some contemporary British conservatives. They are remarkable.

He offers a recent remark by Conservative MP (for Bosworth), David Tredinnick. Tredinnick is a proponent of alternative medicines. Said Tredinnick,

It is no good people saying that just because we cannot prove something, it does not work ... I believe that the department needs to be very open to the idea of energy transfers and the people who work in that sphere.

Energy transfers. I see. He goes on:

In 2001, I raised in the house the influence of the moon, on the basis of the evidence then that at certain phases of the moon there are more accidents. Surgeons will not operate because blood clotting is not effective and the police have to put more people on the street. … I am talking about a long-standing discipline – an art and a science – that has been with us since ancient Egyptian, Roman, Babylonian and Assyrian times. It is part of the Chinese, Muslim and Hindu cultures... Criticism is deeply offensive to those cultures … and I have a Muslim college in my constituency.

Tredinnick is obviously an idiot. Those who question Tredinnick’s peculiar beliefs, reports Goldacre, are met with charges of superstition and ignorance. Skeptical scientists are, says Tredinnick, "deeply prejudiced, and racially prejudiced, too, which is troubling."

Meanwhile, writes, Goldacre,

the flag bearers for conservatism at the Spectator magazine are now promoting climate change denialism … and Aids denialism, even in its print edition. ¶ And the Next Left blog recently pointed out that of all the top 10 Conservative blogs, every single one is sceptical about man-made climate change.

What on earth is going on?

And why are British MPs so goddam ugly, tell me that!

"No angry confrontation in any shape or form"

ZOMBIES. Playin’ catch-up with DtB, the OC Weekly’s Spencer Kornhaber is posting some of our pal Jason’s cool photos of zombies, protesting budget cuts at UCI: Zombies Protest UCI Budget Cuts.

Writes Kornhaber, “The blog for the school's literary journalism program has arty, creepy photos of the event here and here.”

Well, yes, I suppose you could say that they're arty and creepy. I’ve always told Jason that’s he’s got a definite, even an unmistakable, POV.

* * * * *

SOUTHWESTERN. Meanwhile, over on the Save Southwestern College blog, they've reprinted a series of letters sent to the college's administration about Southwestern's “suspended faculty” controversy. You’ll recall that, last Thursday, not long after a student protest over planned budget cuts, four faculty sympathetic to the rally were suspended but were not told why. (Soon thereafter, one instructor was unsuspended, leaving three in limbo.)

El Toro Road this afternoon

Since then, we’ve learned that the odd administrative action was the result of an alleged run-in these faculty had with campus police after the rally. No details have been released.

In today’s post, Mark Van Stone’s letter to administrator Nicholas Alioto (he's all that's left after Southwestern College President Chopra blew town immediately after the suspensions) noted the latter’s recent remark that “No disciplinary action has been taken.”

Well, maybe not, but, in fact, four instructors were handed letters explaining that they were not to set foot on campus or use college email. That may not be "disciplinary," but it surely is a bummer.

He asks,

Why not admit you haven't a case and immediately reinstate the "not-suspended-just-prohibited-from-doing-their-job" professors? And then open some REAL action towards solving our problems together?

A classified (non-instructional) employ named Tom Holst offers his eye-witness account of the alleged incident that led to the suspensions:

[Last Thursday], I took my lunch break and went down in my CSEA t-shirt to show support for our students. I arrived as the last speakers finished. There were a couple of students who urged the group to "take it to the streets." I followed the procession down to the 100 area where they were redirected around the 100 building where the procession stopped at the breezeway between 102 and 100 building. The police blocked all breezeways. At the 102 breezeway, I watched the group question the police as to why they could not enter area. The Sergeant and one other cop explained they could not allow disruption of campus business. I saw absolutely no angry confrontation in any shape or form. A couple of male students were a bit loud but the crowd quickly lost interest and dispersed. A petition was passed around for a minute or two. I went back to work. I was within 10 feet of the whole thing. This whole thing is just ridiculous.

Approaching Cook's Corner

A woman named Eliana Santana demands transparency regarding the alleged wrongdoings of these instructors:

I'd be interested in seeing the evidence you have collected that these three faculty members were engaged in a violent act with the police. Where is the evidence? Besides, if they were involved in violence with the police, there would be an arrest and charges filed. Where are the charges and where is the police report?...The community would like transparency in this matter.

Dan Moody wrote Alioto, expressing surprise

that these three teachers are being accused of "physical confrontation with police officers." As someone who knows these three teachers as I do, I find this allegation absolutely impossible to believe.

Let’s hope that Alioto heeds these requests and explains exactly what is going on— beyond crude intimidation and PR bungling.

Irvine Valley College on a quiet Friday

* * * * *

ENROLLMENTS UP. College enrollment up, mostly at 2-year schools (AP)

…While it's good news more students are enrolled in college, the Census figures say nothing about whether overcrowded two-year institutions will succeed in getting students the credentials they seek or helping them transfer to bachelor's degree programs.

Many are bursting at the seams, cutting some courses to meet budgets and holding others late at night. It's impossible to say how many have been turned away for lack of space (California estimates about 200,000 in that state alone)….

A sculpture, at IVC, pointing towards the sky, and threatening to mean something

El Toro Road near Portola

Zombies at UCI: the dead care

Check out Jason’s photos at the UCIbudget website: UC Irvine: Zombie/Cemetery/Yudoff Protest, part 1

Tales from the illiterate right

I just read a particularly hysterical post on the conservative Red County blog. Written by the lurid Mr. Warner Todd Huston, it is entitled "Sacramento City College Crushes Student's Free Speech."

Really? The college crushed a student’s free speech?

According to Huston, student government president Steve Macias, an Orthodox Calvinist, arranged for an anti-abortion group to participate in SCC's “Constitution Day.” The group—the “Genocide Awareness Project”—was duly approved by the appropriate student government group. They set up their booth, their ghastly photos.

But then, says Huston, “the world came to an end.”

The world?

Huston explains: “Pro-Infanticide groups such as Planned Parenthood” showed up with their own booths the next day.

Why, yes, that’s a veritable holocaust. Any fool can see that.

But that epochal cataclysm was followed by another: “left-wing hatemongers in the student body immediately began to circulate a recall petition to have Mr. Macias removed from the Associated Student Government leadership.”

Huston pronounces that action “insane” and “un-American.”

It might be neither. Evidently, there was a story (possibly false, as it turns out) that Macias got approval for the “Genocide” group using another name—one without "genocide" in it, I guess. No doubt, it was that story that set off the recall effort.

Conservatives have their bugaboos. Naturally, the press, that right-wing bugaboo par excellence, spread that pesky canard. The bastards.

According to Huston, on top of all that (i.e., on top of those world-ending cataclysms), Macias has endured a nasty email exchange with a Sacramento College professor. Or so he says. It has inspired the unpopular student leader to squeal,

"Why Do these teachers feel that it is there [sic] role to put us students down? … I am deeply offended that an instutution [sic] that taxpayers pay for and pay to attend would allow this individual to clearly descriminate [sic] against people of faith. Calling Christianity 'make believe.' [sic] is unacceptable dialougue [sic] from Teacher to student. Especially when you seek out and attack the student."

Oh the humanity! Naturally, the professor wasn't asked to give his side of the story.

Mr. Huston ends with this remarkable piece of "reasoning":

So, what we see with this dispiriting case is typical of the distempered left. All these caring, civilized, open minded, more tolerant lefties are in full attack mode trying to shut down the free speech of people with whom they disagree... as always. Sadly, that's the fascist, Obamaesque sort of actions we are coming to expect from the extreme left and the bubble ensconced, pointy-headed, ivory tower dwellers in academe, isn't it?

Oh my.

UPDATE: does Melissa Fox have a chance in the 70th AD after all?

Today, supporters of 70th Assembly Democratic candidate Melissa Fox wrote us to rebut my suggestion (see Good news for Don Wagner) that her chances of prevailing (against the Republican candidate—perhaps Don Wagner) are “slim.” Said one reader,

Thank you for the mention of Democrat Melissa Fox in the Assembly race in the 70th AD. 

But her chances are not slim.

 In fact, Obama carried the 70th AD by a significant and stunning margin of 8,721 votes (the last Democrat to win here was FDR). Prop 8 won by only .1% in the 70th AD, and several of its largest communities – including Irvine and Laguna Beach—are majority Democrat in voting if not yet in registration. 
The demographics and politics of the 70th AD has changed. A Democrat can win, especially a Democrat as smart and hard-working as Melissa Fox. 

And especially if those who want to stop a right-wing wacko like Don Wagner from representing us in Sacramento get involved in Melissa's campaign.

A more hostile Fox partisan wrote:

Are you so whipped that you think a district that Obama won by 8,721 votes is out of reach?
 If so, then dissolve your blog! 
If not, why don't you get on board with Melissa Fox, who can beat the shit out of Toll Road Jerry Amante or Book Burner Don.

Another reader wrote:

…Like the rest of us, [Dissenters have] seen this scenario before—as well [I] have. [L]et's not pretend, even as we work for change. 
Besides, voter turnout of OC Republican voters in the last election was down—just as Dem voters and new voters was up. So—we'll see.
 But I think chances of El Don going to Sacto are pretty good.

Melissa Fox for Assembly