Quotes

Columnist misinterprets reasons behind recent lull in activity by district critics

Apr 27, 2007 | Permalink

Keith Stroud, The Capistrano Dispatch “The problem with writing a column that pokes fun at things that are happening in Your Town is that sometimes things are just rolling along so smoothly that there’s really little to belittle. I don’t know if it’s because the Your Town Unified School District has elected new Board Members, but all the shouting and screaming by people who had had their feelings hurt by decisions made by the School Board are suddenly quiet.”

Stroud is a former high school principal and an author and a columnist for The Capistrano Dispatch.

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Recall was unsuccessfull but touched off series of events

Feb 23, 2007 | Permalink

Jonathan Volzke, The Capistrano Dispatch “The recall was unsuccessful but ultimately touched off a series of events that saw the district’s spokesman retire and leak several inflammatory documents to the public, Fleming retire after 15 years at the helm, one longtime trustee decision to not seek re-election, while two other incumbents ran but lost their normally safe seats. Other high-ranking district officials targeted by district critics have also retired.” Volzke is the publisher of the Capistrano Dispatch.

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Critics right, district admits lies about admin building funding but says "move on" with no accountability

Dec 03, 2006 | Permalink

Editorial, The Orange County Register "Another source of frustration for parents supporting the recall was the district’s spending of $35 million on a bluff-top administration building, even as many schools in the district were stuck with inadequate portable classrooms. That seemed to epitomize the mentality at the district under Mr. Fleming’s reign. Critics had argued that funds for the headquarters were coming from Mello-Roos fees paid in various cities, and that such money should not be used for an administration building. District officials responded that the building was paid for with redevelopment funds from San Juan Capistrano. At a meeting Nov. 28 organized by Mr. McCully to account for the district’s school construction and renovation program – itself, a good idea that promotes openness and accountability – the district admitted the critics were right. “[CUSD] officials acknowledged for the first time ... that they had misled the public about how they would pay for a new administration building, but urged the public to move on now that the correct information has been revealed,” the Register reported."

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Recall campaign set stage for ABC Reform Slate victory in November 2006 general election

Dec 03, 2006 | Permalink

Editorial, The Orange County Register "Mr. Fleming was a creative and aggressive administrator, but there’s little doubt that he led the district into some troubling areas. Although the recall effort never made it to a ballot, three of Mr. Fleming’s supporters on the school board were bounced from office on Election Day. The message to the district that voters had gotten tired of the controversy and arrogance apparently has been heard, loud and clear."

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Recall effort focused attention on CUSD, raised public awareness

Aug 21, 2006 | Permalink

Editorial, The Orange County Register "The recall will not move forward, after an insufficient number of valid signatures was turned in. Yet the recall effort sparked a closer look at the district and how it has done business."

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Smollar dares Erin Kutnick to cover Dave Doomeys role in soliciting political contributions from a list of district vendors

Aug 10, 2006 | Permalink

David Smollar, The Capistrano Dispatch "Maybe sleuth Kutnick could revisit Draper telling the Dispatch and other media that contributions from district contractors to the trustee’s Political Action Committee “Kids First” were made from the goodness of their hearts and weren’t solicited. Another not-so-little lie. The business division under Doomey printed out a list of major district vendors for Draper, as directed to do so." Kutnick is a columnist for The Capistrano Dispatch. Smollar is the former Director of Communications at Capistrano Unified School District.

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Smollar rejects Erin Kutnick's suggestion that better PR by Smollar could have averted recall

Aug 10, 2006 | Permalink

David Smollar, The Capistrano Dispatch "Kutnick’s snide little remark, that a better PR effort from me might have avoided the recall, is truly laughable. That old bromide -- “if only we had communicated better” -- apes the broken-record spoutings especially of Mike Darnold. He consistently bad-mouthed me to many, apparently never taking the time to peruse his weekly trustee packet from Fleming, filled regularly with positive articles about CUSD teachers and students published in the seven Register weeklies blanketing the district. Perhaps Fleming and Draper failed to mention to Kutnick the numerous op-ed articles I ghosted for Fleming in the LA Times, or the School News Roll Call newspaper I arranged for the district, or my success in keeping the two from being flailed by John Stoessel on ABC’s 20-20, and so on and so forth. The great pr ideas of a $10,000 consultant hired during the recall effort, at the insistence of Draper, were along the lines of bringing real estate agents to the district boardroom for a briefing and placing inspirational sayings on school marquees." Kutnick is a columnist for The Capistrano Dispatch. Smollar is the former Director of Communications at Capistrano Unified School District.

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Smollar enlightens Erin Kutnick that no amount of PR could overcome facts of CUSD wrongdoings

Aug 10, 2006 | Permalink

David Smollar, The Capistrano Dispatch "Unfortunately, no communicator on Earth could stem community anger that built from genuine controversies over attendance boundaries, school overcrowding in Rancho Santa Margarita, machinations concerning San Juan Hills High and Dennis Gage, and the scope of an expensive new education center. As to the new center, maybe Kutnick could offer me suggestions on how to be a better communicator, when for more than three years Fleming never told me that the cost would be covered almost half through Mello-Roos fees, not solely from redevelopment funds from San Juan Capistrano. You may learn someday, Erin Kutnick, that your communication is only as good as the truth of the information given you by the people you have to trust for the truth. I learned about the center’s complicated financing only after real journalists filed public records requests for funding details." Kutnick is a columnist for The Capistrano Dispatch. Smollar is the former Director of Communications at Capistrano Unified School District.

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Kevin Murphy resigns as recall chairman

Jan 12, 2006 | Permalink

Jonathan Volzke, The Capistrano Dispatch "Murphy announced he is no longer involved with the recall group. The group, now based in Rancho Santa Margarita, said it would continue without him." Kevin Murphy, the San Juan man who launched the recall effort over new high school boundaries, San Juan Hills High School, the district’s $35 million administration building and other issues, said the effort was beset by internal struggles as groups from throughout the district merged.

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Kevin Murphy declares his political life at an end

Jan 12, 2006 | Permalink

Keith Stroud, The Capistrano Dispatch “... after his defeat Kevin made a special point of attending a recent Friday morning coffee chat over at Metro Java ... where he very candidly accepted his defeat, answered all questions openly and honestly, and declared his political life at an end.” Stroud is a columnist for The Capistrano Dispatch.

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Kevin Murphy a gracious gladiator? Hardly. While other leaders say "thanks," Murphy quits and points fingers

Jan 12, 2006 | Permalink

Keith Stroud, The Capistrano Dispatch “He has the feeling that there were those within his battle group who were pulling in opposite directions, which led to the downfall of the movement.” While the Recall Committee accepted Murphy's resignation and publicly announced that the people of South Orange County owed him a debt of gratitude for his role in the recall campaign, the best Murphy could do was blame other recall leaders for the failure of the recall campaign. Nice job Murphy ... that's leadership! Stroud, a columnist for The Capistrano Dispatch, called Murphy a "gracious gladiator" for his "honesty" and "candor," and even called him "honorable" for not mentioning the names of the recall leaders he was publicly smearing by innuendo -- the very kind of offensive conduct for which Stroud criticized other recall proponents in the same article. As a recall leader, Murphy had proven to be a toothless tiger, refusing to acknowledge or confront CUSD on issues of corruption to the delight of a school district sycophant like Stroud.

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Kevin Murphy announces he quits efforts to reform CUSD

Jan 01, 2006 | Permalink

Trabuco Canyon News “In related news, recall organizer and chairman, Kevin Murphy, announced that he would no longer be involved with the continuing efforts to reform CUSD." Murphy served as Chairman of the CUSD Recall Committee until his resignation on December 22, 2006, the day the Registrar of Voters announced that the recall petition campaign had failed.

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Recall Committee pays tribute Kevin Murphy; Committee will continue to lead reform campaign

Jan 01, 2006 | Permalink

Tom Russell, The Capistrano Dispatch "The people of South Orange County owe Kevin Murphy a debt of gratitude for having the courage to start the recall campaign and we wish him well. However, the problems remain and the CUSD Recall Committee will continue to lead the reform campaign." Russell is the official spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.

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Recall Committee says, "This battle is not over"

Jan 01, 2006 | Permalink

Tom Russell, Trabuco Canyon News “This battle is not over – not by a long shot! ... The CUSD Recall has already been a tremendous success. The peoples' eyes have been opened. The serious issues we have raised are real and will not disappear. Never more should the people of South Orange County tolerate the deception that has come to define the current CUSD administration.” Russell, the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee, reacts to the Registrar's December 22, 2005 announcement that the recall petition campaign had failed.

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Kevin Murphy quits local politics, Recall Committee will continue reform campaign

Dec 29, 2005 | Permalink

Sam Miller, Capistrano Valley News "Recall leader Kevin Murphy said Thursday that he would step out of local politics. Another leader of the recall group said the effort will go on." Murphy served as Chairman of the CUSD Recall Committee until his resignation on December 22, 2006, the day the Registrar of Voters announced that the recall petition campaign had failed. The other leader was Tom Russell, official spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee. Russell served with Murphy as a committee member since the inception of the recall committee.

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Murphy resigned, but Recall Committee will continue to lead reform campaign

Dec 29, 2005 | Permalink

Tom Russell, Capistrano Valley News "The only thing that has changed is that Kevin [Murphy] has elected to resign ... The main thing we’re going to do is to make certain we keep the awareness we brought to the issues ... There is always more than one way to skin a cat.” Russell, spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee, explained that the group will plan new strategies as it continues to lead the campaign to reform CUSD.

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Murphy says he has no further plans to continue opposing the district

Dec 23, 2005 | Permalink

Kevin Murphy, The Orange County Register "For me, it’s the end of the story." Murphy said that he has no further plans to continue opposing the district. Murphy served as Chairman of the CUSD Recall Committee until his resignation on December 22, 2006, the day the Registrar of Voters announced that the recall petition campaign had failed.

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CUSD Recall Committee: teachers good, administration bad, no oversight by trustees

Jun 12, 2005 | Permalink

Tom Russell, The Orange County Register "The teachers and education are good. The problem is a wretched administration and a 7-0 board of trustees that doesn't oversee them." Russell is the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.

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Register senior editor predicts that the results of the recall campaign may come down to the pictures

Jun 12, 2005 | Permalink

Steven Greenhut, The Orange County Register "School board elections so frequently operate under the radar screen that anyone interested in openness and public debate ought to welcome this squabble. The election could come down to the photographs - the ones comparing the portable classrooms to the drawing of the resort-quality administration building. For once, the pictures might benefit those who take the "spend it better" side of the argument." Greenhut is a columnist and senior editor of The Orange County Register.

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Recall Committee spokesperson emphasizes "wretched administration" as reason for recall

Jun 12, 2005 | Permalink

Tom Russell, The Orange County Register "The teachers and education are good," said recall activist Thomas Russell. "The problem is a wretched administration and a 7-0 board of trustees that doesn't oversee them." Russell focuses on culture of corruption that is behind most of the serious issues at CUSD. Russell is the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.

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Volzke questions SJC City Council's resolution opposing recall

Jun 09, 2005 | Permalink

Jonathan Volzke, The Capistrano Dispatch "From the beginning, [Mayor] Hart – who called the special meeting – said the council wouldn’t get into the allegations by recall proponents about financial mismanagement. His view: recalls are for malfeasance or misfeasance and since no one challenged the trustees in the last election, they have a “mandate” from voters. He didn’t mention that [Councilmembers] Soto and Allevato received the same “mandate” in the last election, and that he and [Councilmember] Swerdlin received a similar pass from voters in 1998. It might be comforting for politicians to believe they’re unchallenged because everybody’s happy, but the reality likely has more to do with time and money." Reaction to San Juan Capistrano City Council's resolution opposing a recall of the CUSD Board of Trustees. Volzke is the editor of the The Capistrano Dispatch.

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Nielson questions SJC City Council's resolution opposing recall

Jun 09, 2005 | Permalink

Mark Nielson, The Capistrano Dispatch "It is further puzzling as to why the Council and Mayor claim that they need to protect the citizens from a recall. Isn’t it up to the voters to decide? If the trustees have a strong mandate, as the Council claims, what is there to worry about? Or is there a concern that maybe the voters will vote against what the Council thinks, like 57 percent of the voters did on Measure CC, overturning the actions of the Council on Whispering Hills (the same voters that were subsequently ignored by the school board trustees now being recalled)." Reaction to San Juan Capistrano City Council's resolution opposing a recall of the CUSD Board of Trustees. Nielson is a CUSD Recall Committee member.

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"... a campaign dedicated to restoring honesty, integrity and accountability to public education."