We (and so should UTLA) wonder what the alleged "John" behind wife's Lani Shallman's "West Coast Public Affairs Consulting Company", thinks about the racist, repugnant Hit Piece directed at LAUSD School Board District Five Member Bennett Kayser?
John (husband) to Lani (wife) Shallman: "Lani, I get a tingling sensation up and down my leg when you go negative (allegedly)".
The repugnant campaign consulting craft of exploiting racial divisions for political gain.
As on any given Friday (especially during a political campaign), expect a dropping of the bad into the News Cycle ......., and this Act of Gutter Politics pictured above, personifies that.
The outrage and push back is growing immense over the Independent Expenditure Committee Mailer, pictured above, attacking LAUSD School Board Member Bennett Kayser, who is facing a re-election challenge from two Charter School Advocates, including Ref Rodriguez, who the IE Committee responsible for the mailer, supports.
The condemnation of the mailer, even included one of the candidates listed as supporting, current LAUSC School Board District One Member George McKenna (besides McKenna and Rodriguez, the mailer's also express support for District Three and Seven Board Members Tamar Galatzan and Richard Vladovic respectively).
McKenna, in a statement attributed in LA Times Columnist Steve Lopez's missive on the controversy said the following ........, McKenna told me (Lopez) he didn’t know who that group is, did not ask for its endorsement, and did not want it.
“I am unequivocally opposed to it,” he said, adding that he has in fact endorsed Kayser. Friday morning, he issued a statement calling the flyer “racially inflammatory” and asking the group to withdraw its support of him.
But as the condemnation of the mailer grows, we took time to review the City of Los Angeles Ethics Commission Web Page, seeking to ascertain who the so called "The Parent Teacher Alliance", with major funding provided by the California Charter School Association (CCSA), commissioned to produce the mailer ........., and the answer may prompt an inconvenient episode for Kayser's Number One Supporter, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA).Ethics Commission records show that Encino-based "West Coast Public Affairs", charged a total of $55,424.40 for three mailers, attacking Board Member Kayser, including the $16,302 cost of producing the mailer in question.
If the name of the Encino-based "West Coast Public Affairs" sounds bloggin familiar, it should (and probably is to certain state and federal tax officials). The firm shares the same address and phone number ........., as John Shallman Communications. A quick link to the Client List of Shallman Communications, will find recent, past reference to work with UTLA-supported Board Members, such as the late Margueritte LaMotte, along with current Board Members Steve Zimmer ........., and BENNETT KAYSER.
Thus, in knowingly exposing myself to another "Cease and Desist Rant" from Shallman's Attorney, it seems that the "Private Citizen/Campaign Consultant John Shallman (whoops!! meant wife Lani), is placing the accumulation of revenue paramount, again (via over-inflated billing, allegedly), over her (or is it husband's?), supposed democratic leanings and loyalty to past clients ........, but then there are some past tax liens that may still be outstanding?
Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14
Shallman: Disgusting Charlatan
ReplyDeleteMy original comment on the LA School Report site regarding this:
ReplyDelete"I guess Rodriguez has no real qualifications to run on so they have to use these despicable tactics to play "Look! A Squirrel!" as opposed to telling the truth about Charter enrollment discrimination practices that Kayser has the guts to bring into discussions. Every charter that becomes a "member" of the CCSA must pay (from their site) " CCSA leverages every membership dollar more than 10:1; becoming a member is the best $5 per student you will ever spend." Our public school funds are being used by CCSA to create these false, disgusting and outrageous flyers.
As CCSA states on their membership fact sheet: "The mission of CCSA is to enable our members to increase the number of students attending quality charter schools in California as quickly as possible by securing policy wins supportive of charter schools and providing the supports necessary to open and expand quality charter schools."
So there you go, John and Jane Q. Public. Your tax dollars end up as "membership" fees to CCSA so they can "secure policy wins" by creating false campaign flyers. Why public school funds are allowed for such egregious and dastardly means should be investigated and stopped.
The current Board Members who have not yet spoken out against having their names on this (Ms. Galatzan and Mr. Vladovic, I'm talking to you) should demand immediately that CCSA remove them and stop this disgusting campaign of lies. There is no better champion for ALL children than Bennett Kayser. As an adult with disabilities, he, more than any other board member understands the needs of students with special needs - you know, the ones that charters don't want...."
Just sent Lani and John a little love note through their web site. Meanwhile, Rodriguez is claiming he's never heard of the folks behind the mailer. To which I say: Ref Rodriguez doesn’t get to claim he’s never heard of California Charter Schools Association
ReplyDeleteHey! I feel insulted - I live in the District in Glassell Park and did not get the flyer, although I have gotten others.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the smarmy people behind this mailwer 'filtered' their database for a certain ethnic subset of voters? Might be interesting to look into.
Good post.
Is it possible to simply have decent schools gfor students without these blocdsuckers? They are draining us dry and just of money . They are driving out teachers , depleting our resources and making our children in in to fatalistic cynics. Enough .
ReplyDeleteWe need to get the LAUSD audited , investigated restructured and properly regulated . The fact that PR men, plutocrat's and grifters like Deasy have been invited in to fleece taxpayers while undermining students' educations ad destroying teachers speaks volumes about the fate of this nation.