The Final 5?
5 Candidates met Tuesday's deadline to file nominating papers to run for the LA school board seat left vacant by Jose Huizar.The City's Election Division is starting the process of reviewing the nominating petitions to validate signatures and check other errors.
The 5:
- Christopher Arellano, a representative of UTLA.
- Maria Lou Calanche, an instructor at East Los Angeles Community College
- Ana Teresa Fernandez, manager of school development for the California Charter Schools Association
- Monica Garcia, Huizar's chief of staff during his tenure on the Los Angeles Unified School District board
- Enrique Gasca, vice chair of Region 3 of the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee
Steven Song dropped out of the race.
Posted by Anonymous @ 1/03/2006 06:55:00 PM
8 Comments:
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Monica Garcia is a good person, but she cannot represent District 2. As everyone who has dealt with the LAUSD Board knows, Jose Huizar had the worst staff. The head of that staff was none other than incompetent, "I'm afraid of my shadow" Monica Garcia. Things were so bad that Jose had to bring in a consultant (David Cobb) just to do the things Monica could not. Monica cannot turn around the mess that Jose left.
Voters in District 2 need someone different than the same old crap. Voters in District 2 should take a hard look at the other candidates and overlook Monica.
Signed,
Concerned LAUSD Employee
8:04-- agreed. the turnover at Huizar's school board office was very high and you have to wonder what was going on with the management over there.
why does Enrique Gasca's handout say (in Spanish) that he is the vice-president of the LA Democratic Party. that is not a true statement. he plays a minor role in the Party.
Things were so bad that Jose had to bring in a consultant (David Cobb) just to do the things Monica could not.
I don't know that S. David Cobb can precisely be described as a consultant. Nor that Monica is afraid of her shadow. I think that if Cobb's backing extends to Monica, it makes her formidable as a candidate. If memory serves, Cobb's old org was registered as a City lobbyist. He knows his way around, and certainly he takes calls from Monica, if he's not already involved in her campaign.
But Jose did indeed leave a mess. And in what sounds like pure Skelton scripting, touting the virtue of apparent honesty over delivered results, it's a mess he readily acknowledges. Whether or not the mess sticks to Monica or not will be key to her campaign.
I sat down with Chris Arellano not long ago (at Philippe's) and he's an interesting and generally engaging guy. So are some of his crew; they are genuiniely mild-mannered, not in the fake way that so many pol consultants are. I have maintained that someone from the Union could make this a very interesting race, at very least putting any Antonio endorsement into check, and Arellano's entry into the race has done that.
I've met Monica and Chris but none of the other candidates; I'd like to check them out. I hope they are invited to speak before some of the various neighborhood councils in the district---that could help the communities learn more about them, and about the school board too.
Re: Christopher Arellano
I agree with Mallander.
Joseph:
I will admit that Cobb is a crafty fellow, but you give him far too much clout. In this city, Cobb doesn’t even register a blip on the influence scale. This is the guy that, as a lobbyist, had clients with matters before the LAUSD Board while working for Jose. It wasn’t a very well-kept secret.
I also think your read on Monica is far off the mark. She is no Jose. By that I mean she doesn’t come with the stellar academic credentials and private sector experience that people like Eli Broad and Richard Riordan are so fond of. What she does share with Jose is the unwillingness to take political risks. The common refrain I hear from people that had business before the Board was that Monica just didn’t understand how politics works (I make a distinction here b/w politics and campaigning). And, she never understood the policy implications of decisions made by the Board. Accordingly, this is not someone I would want representing District 2.
Since I don’t know Mr. Arrellano, I will withhold judgment.
Who is running these campaigns anyway? Skelton with Garcia? Shallman?
william michael morrison is a dead beat father and should not be voted for. How can you represent Family Values if you cant provide or choose not to provide for your own children
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