November 2, 2010, CUSD Reform - The teachers union and
their so-called “Children First” group have now spent
$350,000 trying to buy control of CUSD – this is an
obscene amount of money for a local school board
election! The powerful teachers union is outspending
the conservative Reform Trustee incumbents more than a
16 to 1 margin! Supporters of the union spent tens of
thousands of dollars to place the names of the union
candidates on bogus “Slate Mailers” with misleading
names…Supporters of the union have also published
several bogus newspaper ads, and thousands of deceptive
flyers, trying to trick Republican voters into
believing the Teachers Union candidates are supported
by the Republican Party. Whether you are a Republican,
Democrat, Independent or Decline to State voter, these
dirty union tricks are unethical and pervert our
election process...
October 30, 2010, CUSD Reform - Today’s excellent
editorial in the OC Register confirms: The teachers
union and their so-called “Children First” group have
now spent $350,000 since September 30th trying to buy
control of CUSD – $67,000 more this week alone – this
is an obscene amount of money for a local school board
election! The powerful teachers union is outspending
the conservative Reform Trustee incumbents more than a
16 to 1 margin! The Register found the Teachers Union
had even this month begun funneling thousands into a
newly formed Political Action Committee – an obvious
effort to hide from voters and the press the
unprecedented union spending in CUSD...
October 29, 2010, CUSD Reform - Today’s excellent
editorial in the OC Register confirms: The teachers
union and their so-called “Children First” group have
already spent $245,768 trying to buy control of CUSD –
this is an obscene amount of money for a local school
board election. Voters have a very simple choice --
They can continue to support the conservative
incumbents and the policies they promote, or they can
choose the candidates and positions that are endorsed
and promoted by the teachers union. Choose the
conservative incumbents. VOTE NO on the Union’s Recall
of Winsten & Lopez Maddox; VOTE NO on the Union’s
Measure H; RE-ELECT THE “ABC TRUSTEES” (Addonizio,
Bryson & Christensen)...
October 23, 2010, CUSD Reform - Todayʼs OC Register
story reports: (1) The Teachers Union and their
so-called Children First organization are fighting for
control of a school district with a $364 million annual
budget, (2) "Bottom line, there is a takeover attempt
in CUSD – the teachers union is seeking to replace the
current, conservative trustees..." referring to the
$120,605 that the district's teachers union has already
put into the election through Sept. 30 of this year.
(3) The Union Slate is outspending the conservative
incumbents by more than 16 to 1. (4) Measure H is a
union-backed "power grab to take away six of your seven
votes for school board..."
October 22, 2010, CUSD Reform - Todayʼs OC Register
editorial reports: (1) “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.” (2) “the teachers' union actively
supports the recall” and a union website proclaims
"This is our opportunity to elect our own bosses." (3)
The so-called “Children First” group and the teachers
union are closely aligned. (4) The teachers union, has
promoted the recall on its website, provided links to
the so-called “Children First” website, put out a
number of campaign mailers and flyers, and its PAC has
spent over $100,000 to gain a board majority. (5) Using
the recall as a political maneuver to assert power
undermines the democratic process. Vote NO on the
Union-Backed Recall in CUSD...
October 20, 2010, CUSD Reform - Todayʼs OC Register
story confirms: (1) Capistrano Unified Children First
and its ally, the district's teachers union, spent a
combined $173,821 through Sept. 30 in their Union
Takeover Attempt of CUSD. (2) The Union Slate is
outspending the conservative incumbents by more than 16
to 1. (3) "It's an obscene amount of money that the
union has been spending trying to buy control of
Capistrano Unified..." (4) "In the end, when you step
back, voters have a very simple, stark choice... They
can continue to support the conservative incumbents and
the policies they promote, or they can choose the
candidates and positions that are endorsed and promoted
by the teachers union."
September 28, 2010, CUSD Reform - The OC Register just
published a significant editorial today opposing
Measure H -- a ballot initiative promoted and supported
by the public employee unions in Capistrano Unified
School District which would change the way CUSD school
board members are elected in the future. Today voters
in CUSD get 7 votes -- 1 for each of their school board
members. If Measure H passes – voters would lose 6 of
their votes. This editorial is quite significant for a
couple reasons…
May 18, 2010, CUSD Recall Committee - Anti-reform
advocates of a union-backed effort to recall two of
your reform trustees and strip you of your right to
vote for 6 of your 7 trustees are waging a
multi-pronged campaign against your reform trustees …
the reform trustees you overwhelmingly elected in the
last three elections to restore honesty, integrity and
accountability in our troubled school district. This
anti-reform campaign is led by a coalition of union
leaders and their sympathetic community advocates who
have unfairly targeted your reform board with false
accusations of hidden agendas, conflicts of interest,
legal violations, fiscal irresponsibility – anything
and everything to smear the reform trustees who are
trying to fulfill their promises to you, their
constituents, and finally clean up and fix this broken
school district…
May 9, 2010, CUSD Recall Committee - • Union Marchers
Demand 40 Billion in Tax Increases!; OC Register
Condemns Unions' Demands for Tax Increases!; CUSD
Reform Trustees Reject Union’s Unsustainable Demands!;
Voters Must SAY NO to the union’s selfish political
agenda!
March 27, 2009, CUSD Recall Committee - The Capistrano
Unified School Board is facing a crisis. They must cut
approximately $25 million from the 2009-2010
budget…especially painful because they were forced to
cut millions from this year’s budget ... Sadly, the
leaders of the employee unions are refusing to even
consider across-the-board pay cuts, demonstrating these
greedy union bosses are the real problem. They
obviously don't care a bit for the students, families
and taxpayers of CUSD, not to mention the hundreds of
younger teachers who would lose their jobs (while
older, tenured teachers would preserve their fat
taxpayer-funded paychecks)...
November 2, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - Last June,
South Orange County voters recalled two Fleming-era,
old guard CUSD trustees by overwhelming, landslide
margins, sending a clear mandate for reform at CUSD.
Now, with your help, we finally can finish the job by
electing a dedicated and qualified slate of reform
candidates in the Nov 4th general election...
October 6, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - But then,
while hundreds of teachers were being laid off, and
when he thought no one was looking, Carter and Board
President Mike Darnold signed an illegal, secret
agreement purporting to give Carter a new three-year
million dollar contract. To make matters worse, someone
had now inserted into the contract a provision saying
that "If the Trustees fire the Superintendent, he is
entitled to 18 months compensation pay." The Board
never saw this "golden parachute" provision, and when
the truth came out, Carter told the press it was
required by law. A closer look by the OC register
proved Carter lied!
June 29, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - To All Friends
of Reform at CUSD, Last Tuesday’s special election was
a remarkable event. Seventy percent of South Orange
County voters spoke loudly and clearly: “YES” on CUSD
Recall, marking the historic end of the Fleming-era at
CUSD...
June 28, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - VOTERS HAND
DRAPER & BENECKE HUMILIATING ELECTION DEFEAT &
MANDATE FOR REFORM TO PALAZZO & MADDOX. CUSD RECALL
COMMITTEE THANKS ALL WHO SUPPORTED REFORM AT CUSD. In
last Tuesday’s special election, 70% of South Orange
County voters spoke loudly and clearly: “YES” on CUSD
Recall and “NO” to further corruption and financial
irresponsibility at CUSD...
June 23, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - From the desk of
Sue Palazzo & Ken Maddox - To Our Friends and
Supporters: The June 24th Special Election Day is fast
approaching! We urge you to “Vote Yes” on the CUSD
Recall. The targets in this recall election (Marlene
Draper and Sheila Benecke) must be removed from office
now…
June 20, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - Hello, this is
Todd Spitzer – your California State Assemblymember.
Education is my top priority - I care deeply about our
kids. I have children in our public school system as
well. That’s why I'm urging you to Vote Yes on the CUSD
Recall – Tuesday, June 24th...
June 19, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - Come June 24th,
constituents who live in the Capistrano Unified School
District (CUSD) will have the opportunity to make a
positive change in direction of our troubled school
district...
June 15, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - Hi, this is
Assemblywoman Mimi Walters. The education of our
children is one of my highest priorities. That is why
I’m urging you to Vote Yes on the CUSD Recall on June
24th...
June 11, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - You are invited
to attend a Meet & Greet at my home to support the
upcoming Recall Election in which we are trying to
restore Honesty, Integrity and Accountability to Capo
USD...
June 10, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - In a special
recall election to be held on June 24th 2008, voters in
South Orange County finally will have the opportunity
to recall from office embattled Capistrano Unified
School District Trustees Marlene Draper and Sheila
Benecke....
June 1, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - But then, while
hundreds of teachers were being laid off, and when he
thought no one was looking, Carter and Board President
Mike Darnold signed an illegal, secret agreement
purporting to give Carter a new three-year million
dollar contract. To make matters worse, someone had now
inserted into the contract a provision saying that "If
the Trustees fire the Superintendent, he is entitled to
18 months compensation pay." The Board never saw this
"golden parachute" provision, and when the truth came
out, Carter told the press it was required by law. A
closer look by the OC register proved Carter lied!
May 31, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - For the reasons
set forth below, voters should vote "YES" to Recall
CUSD Trustees Draper and Benecke...
February 19, 2008, RSM Republican Assembly - February
19th town hall meeting will feature several local
officials and focus upon the impacts that the State?s
budget crisis will have upon South Orange County will
be held in Rancho Santa Margarita. A panel of several
prominent local elected officials will analyze and
discuss these issues of critical importance to all
residents.
January 16, 2008, CUSD Recall Committee - Fleming-era
Trustees violate open meetings law again! Recall
Committee calls for Trustees Benecke and Draper to
resign; "ABC Reform" Trustees issue joint press release
calling for Trustees Benecke and Draper to resign!
October 19, 2007, CUSD Recall Committee Update - Joint
statement re D.A. report confirming systematic Brown
Act violations by Fleming-era trustees. Please see the
important attached press release issued today by Ellen
Addonizio, Anna Bryson and Larry Christensen, the three
"ABC Reform Trustees" of the Capistrano Unified School
District who were elected last November in three-way
landslide victories. This ABC press release comes on
the heels of...
October 16, 2007, CUSD Recall Committee Update - County
Party Disgusted with Conduct of School Board Members.
Please see the attached press release from the
Republican Party of Orange County, entitled "Republican
Party of Orange County Unanimously Asks Capistrano
Unified USD Trustees to Resign."
October 14, 2007, CUSD Recall Committee Update - At
yesterday's school board meeting, Trustee Duane Stiff
acknowledged publicly that the old guard trustees were
guilty as charged. During public comment, a contrite
Trustee Stiff stated that (a) the old guard trustees
committed the illegal acts set forth in the DA's
report; (b) they did so knowing full well the acts were
illegal; and (c) the time has now come for certain
old-guard members to leave the Board ... Speak Out:
Demand Trustees Benecke, Draper and Darnold Resign
October 5, 2007, CUSD Recall Committee Update - CUSD
Recall Makes Cover of OC Weekly; Mello Roos Audit
Confirms CUSD Diverted Millions; Criminal Pre-Trial
Hearing Began Today; Sign the CUSD Recall Petition
April 25, 2005, CUSD Recall Committe - Arroyo Vista
fire and safety systems rejected as unsafe for second
time - State says our children should not have been
allowed to occupy new builden