Stick a Fork in This Guy
In the primary election we endorsed Louis Pugliese for the 3rd District School Board seat currently held by Jon Lauritzen. We found his experience refreshing and the fact that he wasn't loser school board member Lauritzen or Villaraigosa toadie, government lawyer Tamar Galatzan was more than enough to support Louie.Lots more if you click read more!
Louie didn't win the election, but he did happen to make a very impressive showing for a low budget campaign, capturing nearly a fifth of the vote, forcing a run-off between Galatzan and Lauritzen.
Louie held off for some time as to which - if any - candidate he would endorse. Of course he did promise us an exclusive, but hey you know, shit happens.
The Galatzan campaign announced Wednesday that Pugliese has endorsed the "Roberta Weintraub of her generation," despite overwhelming concerns during the primary election as to Galatzan's independence from Villaraigosa.
A lot has changed since that March primary - Villaraigosa has pretty much lost his bid to take over LAUSD via state law and Lauritzen has essentially imploded upon himself. I guess Louie had no real choice but to back Galatzan, especially if he has further political ambitions. Nothing better than to help a powerful mayor elect his favorite puppet, er, candidate.
When Lauritzen and the school board do bonehead things like approve the charter renewal for Academia Semillas del Pueblo and turns down a successful charter school like Green Dot's plans to expand, its hard to even try to defend the status quo. One would assume Galatzan would have voted the other way (and to be fair, Lauritzen did change his mind later, too little, too late).
But you can't blame Louie. It gets worse for Lauritzen. The San Fernando Valley Republican Club is about to endorse Galatzan as well. With no GOP candidate in the race the elephants have to choose the slightly less liberal of the two Democrats running. LA County's do-nothing Republicans watch their base continue to shrink, attempt very little to develop and run any candidates let alone good candidates and some of them even go as far as to accept money from Democrats.
By the way speaking of money do you wonder why Galatzan has been able to raise upwards of a million dollars for what was (until this past primary) a part time elected position that paid less than $25,000 a year. In fact, school board deputies drive district vehicles that are five, ten or more years old. Well of course you have to follow the money and you can see people in whose interest it is to be in the good graces of LAUSD and the Mayor.
Getting back to Lauritzen, stick a fork in him. He's done. He loses. Next! Maybe the teachers' union will regret bouncing Caprice Young from the seat - the only thoughtful, engaged, visionary individual to have served or will serve in the seat. Maybe when Wendy Greuel becomes City Controller in two years and Galatzan runs for Greuel's council seat (though she may have to go up against former Assemblymember Cindy Montanez) as planned; we can get Caprice back.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 4/26/2007 12:44:00 AM
36 Comments:
Mayor Sam,
Since you are endorsing Tamar Galatzan i decided to research her.
Did you know the blogger you respect the most is on her payroll?
No, not that one, but Zach Behrens is her webguy -- i like that guy alot, if she is smart enough to bring him on board, and with his knack of common sense i think his choice of Tamar along with your's says alot.
Also -- according to her website Caprice has endorsed Tamar too -- now with Pugliese it looks like all the people you respect and enjoy have signed on with the Tamar scoolbus.
Go Tamar!
Mayor Sam, ol' Buddy, ol' Pal
Truly- I worked on a letter most of today exclusively for you as promised-
And as I sat down to finally send it tonight- (check your inbox)- Lo and behold, ya scooped them anyway!
This was a tough call, long in coming, but as I said in the letter, I didn't get into this race to keep the old guard going- I jumped in to help get rid of it -and at least we still have that chance.
Louis
Michael,
You disappoint the hell out of me. Your not being a parent speaks volumes here. Only a parent knows the importance of having a relationship with their school board member and if you live in the valley and you aren't dead and you're paying attention, you know damn well that the mayor's office doesn't roll that way.
If I hear one more mayor hater say they are voting for Tamar, I will puke. She is not your savior. She can do nothing for LAUSD. She is simply a mayoral puppet. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Last week Lauritzen told a group of homeowners to go vote for Tamar if they felt the need, but he doesn't work for them. He works for the homeowners. That is what he was elected to do.
Louis, another reason why people shouldn't have voted for you. You have no chance of getting rid of the "old guard". Even if the mayor gets all of his candidates elected. The old guard will turn into something you may be sorry you wished for. Be careful.
But at least the mayor and the councilmen will get their hands on those billions of dollars that LAUSD has and the city wants.
Longtime reader, less time poster
In my anger, I made a mistake in the above post when I said that Lauritzen said he worked for the homeowners when I meant to say he DOESN'T work for the homeowners.
He works for the parents and the children of the parents who vote for him. He has no business gettting involved in planning issues in his council district. He shoud be involved only in planning issues in his school district. The mayor should be working with them, not against them.
If the mayor were to grab control of LAUSD, parents would have zero input into the school district any more than the citizens have input in what His Magesty wants to do with the city.
Tamar Galatzan's endorsers and supporters are brainless twits.
Excellent weekly paper today in the North Valley. I loved the two front page stories.
One - Will Valley Vote to Keep Local Control? Or "Outsource" Seat to City Hall on May 15?
Two - Lauritzen Has Support, Trust Of Our Classroom Teachers
Then on the inside, there are two editorials. One is entitled Jon Lauritzen for School Board - 35-year Valley School Teacher is Our Best Hope. The other editorial *** Tamar Eyeing Council Seat? ***
The two cartoons were even better than all of the anti-Tamar articles, editorials and letters from readers.
One - Villaraigosa has his arms crossed and he has LAUSD writing standards on the chalk board, Parents Have No Rights. Parents Have No Rights. Parents Have No Rights. Parents Have No Rights, etc.
Two - Schoolchildren looking at a picture of Villaraigosa with their hands over their hearts saying, "We pledge of allegiance to the mayor and the Los Angeles Unified School District for Which He Stands..."
Higby,
About damn time you had some sense and decide to put Lauritzen out to pasture.
He has not helped me or my kid -- we live in the valley and he does everything in his power to stop charter schools. Why? Because his union bosses tell him too -- and if the Mayor via Tamar Galatzan will be more supportive to charter schools which break-away from the bureacracy and let parents and teachers design what local needs suit them best then "THANK GOD". Walter, I support vouchers too, but they aren't around and i have child's education to worry about NOW and charter schools have in my opinion saved his life.
Why that previous poster slams you Higby shows he is just an out-of-touch non-reality based person who is letter his hate for the mayor color his perspective on what is actually good for kids.
I am voting for change this election, I am voting for Tamar Galatzan.
12:34
You mean that rag of a shit that isn't even worth wiping the crap off my shoe in the north valley?
isn't it that the paper mel reiter will sell to the higest bidder for attention?
I think lauritzen paid 5k to be endorsed by the paper -- no ethics, no values, does not speak for the valley.
P.R.I.D.E
The San Fernando Valley Republican Club is endorsing her. That is rich. Funny thing is, didn't we read here not so long ago that the San Fernando Valley Democrat Club couldn't get enough votes to endorse either of them?
Not so much different between Valley Dems and Valley Reps, eh?
This is so funny. No wonder the Valley is always complaining about their fair share. They're too stupid to do anything about it. They don't get it!
12:44
Where are the charter schools that Lauritzen is stopping? Seriously.
State the names of the schools in the valley that would affect your kid because Jon, with his infinite part-time $24,000 a year power, has stopped.
You also are glossing over the fact that although you may claim all you wish that Jon does what his "union bosses" want him to, that is exactly what Tamar will do, except that the mayor has a different set of "union bosses" he is pandering to.
Wake up!
Vote for Jon Lauritzen!!
Wasn't the mayor a union organizer before he started pretending like he was a respected white businessman in order to get votes in the white businessman valley?
Too bad those demographics are changing!!
12:53
My son attends Granada Hills Charter High School.
My son principal is Brian Bauer.
In 2003, 2005 and again last year Lauritzen tried to introduce moratorium to stop charter schools.
To be more specific because you don't know shit -- Lauritzen SPECIFICALLY mentioned Granada Hills and El Camino high school two schools that were trying to become charters. But because of Lauritzen's opposition El Camino withdrew its application (my alma mater). Granada Hills ended up getting it DESPITE Lauritzen's ILLEGAL MOTION.
So yes mr idiot poster -- Lauritzen stopped El Camino -- and thankfully didn't have the leadership skills to stop Granada Hills my son's school.
Now before you reply, respond, come back at me anonymously -- let me one-up you right now.
My name is Lyle Cook -- my son is 15 and I live in Granada Hills.
Who the hell are you?
Even though I don't know shit, isn't the principal of your son's school - which isn't getting rave reviews for their charter program by the way - but isn't Brian Bauer's dad the principal of El Camino (your alma mater)?
Do you see some kind of weird connection here, Lyle? Where are all the satisfied parents of this Granada Hills Charter School? One never hears from them.
It doesn't matter who I am. I'm just Mr. Poster who doesn't know shit and ain't lucky enough to live up thar in Granada Hills where they got them charters to keep out the "bad" kids.
Nice job on the way y'all kicked out the deaf kids at your Granada Hills Charter.
12:44
Q
Where are the charter schools he is stopping??
A
They don't exist! Duh!
Isn't this called "begging the question?" like...
Q
Do you still beat your wife?
A??
Hey "Valley Voice"
Your helplessness is pathetic. Prisoner syndrome.
How can the worst get any worse?
C'mon-don't tell the homeowners he doesn't work for us- we pay him and we vote , and we should have any damn better school system that we want. The schools are not day-care centers, they are public institutions whose goals must be to serve ALL the people. That's why they're called PUBLIC schools.
You be careful! Because you're starting to sound like a charter/private/voucher guy yourself. How about you suggest that only parents with kids in school should vote here?
Yeah-that's the ticket. Ya really think they'd vote to continue the repression and bullshit that's being shoveled at their kids now?
Wake up- school sucks. Fix it!!!
You said I didn't know shit. So name the schools that he has prevented from becoming charter schools. They don't exist.
The mayor is not the answer to your problems.
Lauritzen does what he thinks is best for the kids and parents.
You wake up, then get some education and tell me just how it is that Tamar can reform the schools.
Don't just parrot the drivel that Michael Trujillo and Daniel Tamm have been brainwashing you with. They are there to do the mayor's work. I doubt the mayor even knows how LAUSD works.
He just wants their money. End of discussion.
Oh yes, I forgot to answer your (maybe rhetorical?) question.
How can the worst be worse?
By giving up the power to the mayor instead of working on breaking up the school district. Your energies could be better used elsewhere rather than pushing the mayor's agenda.
IF he were to win and that's a big IF since half of the valley is mad that he's our mayor now that he is here, then you'll see how bad he can fuck it up.
Dear Mr. Don't Know Shit,
Well, at least you know you don't know shit. So do we.
Nice job the way y'all and your fabulous LA schools kicked out the poor kids (check yer dropout demographics, genius)
And where are all the satified parents of non-charters? "One never hears from them." -Unless you count. That's one.
BTW- and FYI- You Don't have to live in the area to go to charter schools.
Come to the dark side. Don't be afraid.
Okay, dude, I'll try this One More Time.
(use Geico Gekko Voice)
Like, (pause) IF I prevent a school from being, (pause) THEN (pause) what is the name of the school?
See, (pause) I then have NO school. (pause, upturned palms) See? So I can't possibly know the name of the school. (pause) Can I?
Let me be clear - I am not endorsing Tamar. I'm saying that John is in deep doo doo. I don't know if I am voting for John, but in good conscience I can't vote for Roberta, uh, I mean Tamar. So it's either a John vote or a blank vote. We'll see. But it doesn't really matter because unless Tamar does something stupid she has the money, momentum and endorsements to win. And Lauritzen is not scrappy like say Tokofsky. For Christ sake he doesn't have a website!
Of course Caprice endorsed her, this is nothing new, she did so months ago. Caprice has no need to go against the mayor for what - the guy and the union who f'ed her four years ago?
One upside to voting for Tamar is that she'll be on the City Council in two years and she'll be the 2nd district's problem. Then Caprice or Louie or someone decent can take the school board seat.
But I agree with the poster - no matter who controls the board nothing will change. LAUSD is too broken and anything to "reform" it is futile. They've been trying reform since like the 50s. None of this is new. There are three things that will help the schools in LA - charter schools, vouchers and breakup.
Oh and FU to the person who said I have no right because I am not a parent. First you don't know that and secondly I'm paying the fucking taxes to educate your kid(s) with no guaantee of return on investment.
Mayor Sam -
How many of these anonymous posts are from Mike Trujillo?
Whoever believes that Lauritzen is not trying to block Charters is an idiot and doesn't deserve to have children.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-charter30mar30,1,266784.story?coll=la-headlines-california
1:14am
Dude we aren't getting rave reviews, thats our school won the LAUSD acedemic decathlon for the first time ever.
Interesting how that happened, once we became a charter school.
OR,
The Republican endorsement energizes Lauritzen's already meaty Demo support.
They mobilize. They send out troops. (Reps don't).
Low turnout election, it makes the difference.
Good point. UTLA could send out lots of mailers to the union faithful "Watch out! Republican (big letters) endorsed (small letters) Tamar Galatzan is coming to the LAUSD! Gasp! They might even use my words "Even right-wing blogger Michael 'Mayor Sam' Higby calls Tamar the 'second coming of Roberta Weintraub!'"
The last part is just a joke, but yea Tamar might want to re-consider the GOP endorsement. The last thing she needs is a last minute mailer with pictures of her and President Bush! Want to keep mired in a quagmire in Iraq? Then vote for right-wing Tamar Galatzan!
EEK!
(of course given how hopelessly liberal LA politics has become left of center folks like Tamar are the right wingers!)
One counter though to the high propensity Democratic union voter is that I am not sure there are as many of them in this district as in other parts of the city. There is another high propensity group in abudance though, older individuals of Jewish origin. Tamar is being heavily promoted in the Jewish community and Jewish local press. I don't think Lauritzen is Jewish is he?
Hey Louie - Villaraigosa is not old guard?
I think you're a good man but even if you got elected you'd be one man against the system.
Forget Lauritzen being done, stick a fork in LAUSD, there really is probably no saving it.
However if Tamar wins that's good for you Louie cause it opens up another shot in two years when Tamar goes to the City Council as opposed to four years wtih John.
"Anonymous said...
OR,
The Republican endorsement energizes Lauritzen's already meaty Demo support.
They mobilize. They send out troops. (Reps don't).
Low turnout election, it makes the difference."
HAHHAHHAHAHHAH
OR
Republican's turnout at a higher rate because its a low-turnout election. Which is how elections actually work dumbass.
Yeah -- go ahead and believe Dems will come out because they hate the Mayor -- HHAHHAHAHAHHA.
Most idiotic strategy ever!
#####ZAP ALERT#########
ZAP ALERT *********
DO NOT CHANGE THE STATION THIS IS JUST THE ZAP NETWORK BREAKING IN WITH NEWS.
JON LAURITZEN WILL RUN FOR THE ASSMEBLY AGAINST STUART WALDMAN WIN OR LOSE THIS RACE.
LAURITZEN HAS RUN FOR OFFICE 5 TIMES MOST OF THEM FOR ASSEMBLY.
BEWARE -- YOUR VOTE FOR LAURITZEN IS A VOTE AGAINST WALDMAN.
THIS HAS BEEN A TEST OF THE ZAP NETWORK.
NOW BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMED SHOW.
ZUMA DOGG IS GAY??????????
ZD - so either way we could get Caprice back in 1 to 2 years? ZD would like Caprice. She's the only no nonsense elected official LA has had in recent years. You have to give her credit that she went against both the teachers union AND the NIMBY homeowners as President of the School Board. Politically suicidal sure but shows massive integrity, vision and cajones. What an insult to have Jose have followed her as board president.
The San Fernando Valley Republican Club meeting is next Tuesday May 1st. There has been no endorsement issued for Tamar and any implication that we as a group support her will be the topic of debate at the meeting!
The meeting is at GAlpin Ford, Explorer Room at 7:00PM
Mayor Sam,
You just made my point.
Caprice has the integrity to know a great candidate when she sees one and that's why she support Tamar Galatzan for School Board.
Why is it you can say all of those nice things about Caprice but not transfer those same qualities to her decision to endorse Tamar often and early.
Mayor Sam,
You listed 3 programs that you support. Charters, break-up and vouchers.
Lauritzen opposes all 3.
Galatzan supports charter schools big time, why this doesn't translate into a policy agreement from you is at worst suspect on your part at best just plain old awkward.
Don't accuse Lauritzen of opposing charters or break-ups if you don't know the complete truth. That is just wrong. And I don't mean clippings of newspaper articles. Give the voters some credit.
Of course the school board members should be extremely careful when turning over your tax payer money to charter schools. Don't be insane. You don't just hand over money without thorough investigations. Thank god Lauritzen has been careful and thoroughly. He's approved and he's voted against.
Correct, he is not for vouchers as most informed people aren't. There is too much cross-over into religion with vouchers and that must be kept separate as you'll all (Democrats and Republicans alike) agree.
Galatzan supports charters big time? Why? Is that what she has been programmed to say? Because she has zero experience in this issue. None. Nada.
Are you challenging Mayor Sam to translate Tamar's support of charters into some kind of policy agreement? Or you suggesting that since Tamar's training was, Yes charters, Yes Villaraigosa, Yes (whatever mayor and Riordan want) that Mayor Sam should automatically endorse her?
Charter school dad - please explain yourself.
Jon Lauritzen ran for Assembly in 1999/2000. He ran again in 2001/2002. (he barely lost in that white, Republican distirct) He ran for School Board in 2003 and won.
Stop your ridiculous hyperbole and total complete bullshit by saying he ran for anything 5 times. Especially when you call it assembely.
ZUM DOGG IS GAY???????
2:46am
"Don't accuse Lauritzen of opposing charters or break-ups if you don't know the complete truth. That is just wrong. And I don't mean clippings of newspaper articles. Give the voters some credit."
Sorry mr anonymous if the two newspapers of record have lauritzen opposing both.
Mr. chicken shit -- you understand what the word "moratorium" is? Perhaps i should stop talking about what the newspapers say and start just pulling straight from the resolution he introduced. the word "moratorium" appears 6 times in it. Perhaps it was a typo and i really do not understand anything.
Then the district's lawyers pretty much told Lauritzen what he was trying to do is illegal. Now maybe because i wasn't there myself you are going to tell me the district lawyer never said that.
As for Tamar i love how you jump to conclusions that she is being told to say certain things, when in fact you have no proof, just your distorted lies.
I on the hand have provided one rock solid piece of evidence after the other.
You have shown that you know how to cry at 2 in the morning.
Who was crying at 2 in the morning? I just read these posts and I saw no tears on either side.
I agree with the poster who said that a vote for Galatzan is a vote for the mayor and his "plan" which makes it no different than a vote for Jon being a vote for the "union".
The bottom line is there is nothing that either candidate can actually DO for the school by themselves without major reform and I for one, will not vote for someone who just wants to use the children as an excuse to grab a high paying council seat. No way. No how. The mayor can't possibly enact the reform the district needs. He should be off caring about gangs, police, the environment and city issues.
Why does he care so much about LAUSD?
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