CUSD Update
Editorial staff

Last week’s blog included an article about interference from the county GOP in city elections. The article didn’t address school board elections, but it should have.

Steven Greenhut mentioned the topic in his OC Register column [“GOP cowers at taking a stand on Carona,” Commentary,” Nov. 24]. The County Republican Central Committee recently involved itself in the Capistrano Unified School District turmoil by deciding old-guard CUSD trustees should resign. The trustees – all Republicans (Marlene Draper, Sheila Benecke, Mike Darnold and Duane Stiff) – admitted to Brown Act violations.

Last week, the Central Committee discussed a similar resolution, which had evolved from its original demand for OC Sheriff Mike Carona to resign. As a matter of comparison, CUSD trustees weren’t facing criminal charges, but Carona is under federal indictment for corruption. Carona backers continue to argue he is innocent until proven guilty. The county GOP resolution was first watered down and then rejected by its members.

Even if Carona’s backers want to claim the school district issues and the Sheriff’s situation aren’t parallel, CUSD residents should be aware that the same political operatives have irons in both fires. The power clan at the county level includes Scott Baugh, Mark Bucher, Michael Schroeder, lobbyist John Lewis and writers at the “Red” county blog. These folks live outside the Capo district, including Mark Bucher who allegedly directed financial backing to the three challengers who won CUSD seats in 2006.

Involved CUSD parents know that Trustee Ellen Addonizio is a true reformer who gathered recall signatures in 2005. She’s qualified to serve on the board, and she has stellar credentials as a CPA. Throughout the past year, she’s led the charge to reform the district, often as the sole trustee who questions CUSD staff members and demands accountability. She beat an incumbent, Sheila Henness, by a wide margin in the 2006 race.

Two other board seats were up for election in 2006, and both geographic areas already had genuine reform candidates in the race prior to intervention from county players. The real problem involves the agenda of the county’s power club: district reform doesn’t seem to be among their objectives. As a result of outside interference, two candidates with no previous reform involvement ended up on the board. They beat candidates who were passionate about reform but lacked financial backing.

Mission Viejo blog staff members will continue to encourage potential CUSD candidates for future elections who have no ties to the county’s incestuous power club. Bloggers will point out any candidate with such financial backing or political association. When candidates have been chosen from afar on the sole basis of their political loyalty to the county power club, they have lacked basic qualifications (including financial knowledge, business background and relevant work experience). The result is ineffective presence on the board and the inability to address administrative mismanagement and incompetence.