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Capo trustees don't deserve recall October 21, 2010 The recall of elected officials should be reserved for egregious behavior “abuse of office, fraud, illegal dealings” not for differences in political ideology or to shift political power or to stir public ire. In the proposed recall Nov. 2 of two Capistrano Unified School District trustees, the evidence falls short. We urge voters in the South County school district to vote against the union-backed recall of two of the seven trustees, Ken Lopez-Maddox and Mike Winsten, and prevent a possible union takeover from the board. Contorted by seemingly endless controversy, this recall is the third in five years at Capo Unified. Two of seven trustees, Ken Lopez-Maddox and Mike Winsten, face recall efforts backed by three groups: Capistrano Unified Education Association, the teachers union, which earlier this year led a five-day strike to protest a 10.2 percent pay cut; the California School Employees Association, which represents nonteaching employees; and a new local organization, Children First, said to be comprised of parents, teachers, and even political rivals and unsuccessful candidates for the board of trustees. The underlying reason for the recall is not as evident as it should be. Children First and the unions desire to capture a board majority and disrupt the board's current political and ideological unity. The political calculus is simple: Only three of the seven seats were set to go up for election this November, so even if three union-backed candidates unseated current board members, sweeping the election, the union would still be short of a board majority. Hence, the recall-and-replace strategy to convert two more seats for a potential five-two majority. While the teachers' union actively supports the recall, Children First representatives contend their leaders initiated the recall process because they do not agree with the educational philosophy of the current board members, among other things. They also allege the trustees have acted negligently in settling a complex lawsuit against the district, though our analysis of the situation found no substance to the claim, and because the trustees have not voted to institute a "by-trustee area" election method, which is on the ballot as Measure H. (Our Editorial Board disagrees with Children First on Measure H and opposed it in a Sept. 27 editorial. The editorial is at http://ocregister.com/opinion , click on "Opinion's one-stop election source.") Children First members insist they are not conspiring with, or acting as a proxy for the unions, but the two appear closely aligned. The CUEA, the teachers union, has promoted the recall on its website and provides links to the Children First website. Also, CUEA has put out a number of campaign mailers and flyers, and its PAC has spent over $100,000 to gain a board majority, according to campaign filing reports and the union website. One Children First-backed candidate, businessman John Alpay, is running to replace trustee Mike Winsten. Mr. Alpay told us he has refused the support of, or to even meet with, the union, though he acknowledged there's nothing to prevent the union from working on his behalf. Mr. Alpay says he is running because he sees Mr. Winsten as ineffective and alienated from the community though he says he has never made an effort to sit down and talk with Mr. Winsten about the issues. While Mr. Alpay may feel strongly in his positions, they are not justification to recall a candidate mid-term; he should run against Mr. Winsten when his term is up in two years. As Mr. Winsten put it when he talked to us, the recall is essentially "sour grapes by those who lost in the last election." We agree with his assessment. The current board members, including Mr. Winsten and Mr. Lopez-Maddox, got elected by campaigning on a reform platform that included advocating for charter schools, school choice and no parcel taxes. They have been tough in their dealings with the unions and, from our viewpoint, acted decisively to address budget gaps. While some in the community might differ in ideology, Mr. Winsten and Mr. Lopez-Maddox are not even halfway through the four-year-term they were elected to serve by voters who supported their positions at the time. Factions in Capo are using the recall as a mechanism for gaining political advantage and, potentially, to capture a board majority, a majority more supportive of the unions. As the CSEA website stated "This is our opportunity to elect our own bosses." Using the recall as a political maneuver to assert power undermines the democratic process. If ideological opponents of the current trustees take issue with their positions they should use the general election in two years to make a change. We urge a "No" vote on the latest Capo recall. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/recall-272300-board-union.html |
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