Recall Campaign 2007
Quotes By Catagory

Darnold follows Draper's example, telling outright lies to cover up the disgusting truth about the decrepit facilities at CUSD

Mar 10, 2008
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Mike Darnold, CUSD Board Meeting "…the recall people and their employees were in front of the markets showing photos that were ten years old, taken of the portables that don’t exist and a toilet that was repaired back in 1994."

This statement by Trustee Mike Darnold is an outright lie. The pictures of decrepit portables were taken by recall volunteers after the recall campaign began. Because the old guard trustees had allowed CUSD classroom facilities to fall into such disrepair for so many years, such photo opportunities were readily available throughout the district at that time. Only after recall proponents embarrassed Superintendent Fleming and the old guard trustees by revealing the disgusting conditions they had caused by years of neglect, did the district begin making some improvements, many of which were, and remain, only cosmetic. Read More...

Darnold blames and attacks the press, proving once more that he doesn't have a clue

Mar 10, 2008
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Mike Darnold, CUSD Board Meeting "I think it is a very sad…sad state of affairs when a handful of very strong-minded and self-serving people is empowered to destroy the reputation of an extraordinary school district. This is only made possible because we have allowed them to manipulate and deceive the public’s opinion with the full support of the local press, to present a lopsided and distorted view of our school district…If you only hear what you are being fed by the Register and other local papers, and at special meetings, you’re not getting the whole story, and you’re not getting the truth about CUSD."

Darnold read this statement from a prepared speech he read from the dais at the March 10, 2008 CUSD board meeting. Darnold is one of the Fleming-era CUSD trustees.

Darnold blames and attacks the ABC reform trustees, completely ignoring the problems created by the old guard

Mar 10, 2008
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Mike Darnold, CUSD Board Meeting "Until this board was joined by the ABC reform candidates, we had a committed governing body that worked closely with all the administration of CUSD -- the teachers, the staff and the students and the parents -- to ensure quality education. Since the new board members have come on board and joined us, we no longer have continuity and progress. Instead, we have confusion and diversion."

Darnold read this statement from a prepared speech he read from the dais at the March 10, 2008 CUSD board meeting. Darnold is one of the Fleming-era CUSD trustees.

Darnold tries to frame the issues and direct the press, but misstates every reform goal due to his ignorance of real reform issues and his complete denial of the real problems at CUSD

Mar 10, 2008
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Mike Darnold, CUSD Board Meeting "Why are they trying to destroy us? That is the question the press should be asking. Why do they want to place people in board positions that have no knowledge or interest in public education. What is their agenda? I challenge the press to do some real journalism and find out who these people are, why they want our district to be destroyed, why do they want to…why do they want us to tear down San Juan Hills High School and sell the district office, sending our kids to overcrowded schools and our administrators and staff back to cramped, rented portables. Doesn’t anyone get this?"

Darnold read this statement from a prepared speech he read from the dais at the March 10, 2008 CUSD board meeting. Darnold is one of the Fleming-era CUSD trustees.

RSM councilmember says responsibility for money or effort wasted on recall election falls on the Fleming trustees.

Mar 10, 2008
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Tony Beall, The Capistrano Dispatch "It’s a moot point now. That was an issue before we turned in signatures. We gave those trustees every opportunity to resign and they chose not to, that’s a question for them. Removing trustees Draper and Benecke will save the district millions of dollars. They are wasting millions of dollars at virtually every board meeting.”

Beall is a Rancho Santa Margarita councilmember and a member of the CUSD Recall Committee.