Roccomentary Available Online (It's Free)
Posted by: Jubal | 01/21/2008 1:15 PM
Fred Smoller, political science professor at Chapman University, has finished his Roccomentary about loony OUSD Trustee Steve Rocco. Smoller paid for it with his own money and it's available free for download at RecallingRocco.com.As readers know, there was an abortive attempt to recall Rocco that never acheived any traction. The organizers formally three in the towel a few weeks ago.
The Orange Unified School District Board of Trustees have since redrawn the trustee area lines (Trustees must live in one of seven trustee areas, but are voted on district-wide) and lo and behold! -- Rocco was drawn into the same trustee area as his Board colleague Rick Ledesma. Ledesma is also a pariah to the 5-member board majority, but for different reasons than Rocco: Ledesma thinks for himself and asks questions.
Some observers believe the re-drawing had nothing to do with Rocco, while others -- including myself -- find that hard to believe.
The bottom line for Rocco is the term for the trustee area in which he now lives isn't up until 2010. Since Rocco's current term ends in December 2008, he has effectively been turned out of office with the stroke of a pen. I would have preferred letting voters deal with the matter of Rocco.
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Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
If that's what it takes, that's what it takes. I'm not in the loop on what that was really about but if Rocco is out, all the better.
I worked the recall, we didn't hire a consultant or a firm to collect the sigs, we parents did it ourselves because we see the void on that board. We met people, seniors, young voters, DINKS, who didn't even know about the guy - they couldn't care less about public schools - heck we hardly have presidential candidate who gives a hoot about education. Education doesn't even poll as a top issue nationally.
The issue with Rocco isn't that we don't like his position on the issues, its that he does nothing, takes no position, won't vote, and when he does speak it is a diatribe about a personal issue that has zero to do with teaching and learning. Our kids deserve to be represented by a real board member.
If making sure our kids are represented requires us to redraw the lines so be it. At least our rationale is altruistic and not anything like the gerrymandering done to preserve partisan political careers for a bunch of do nothings in Sacramento and Washington. Would we like to vote, sure, but as we well know, even that can be manipulated through money and political gamesmanship.
I appreciate you mentioning my documentary. I hope that teachers will use it it in class. I have been told it makes a vital point, dramatically and convincingly. It is only 22 minutes long, so it allows time for discussion in a 47 minute class period. I plan to add discussion questions to the web site shortly. For the record, I really believe OUSD Board Member Lissa Smith who says the new area plan, which forces Rocco off the Board, was a "gift from Heaven." Recalls take time and effort. No way it would have been launched if there was a such an expedient way to get Rocco off the board. However, I think the district would be better served if there was no area requirement: it is hard enough to get good candidates to run for this thankless position with out this additional requirement.