Whom do you like in the School Board race?
Did Roger Maxwell’s withdrawal two days ago change your mind about anyone else?
How did it affect the dynamics in a six-way race for three open seats on Nov. 3?
Thoughtful voters probably will need to conduct research because five of the six are running for the first time, Alan Elmont being the only veteran.
The Teachers Union has chosen the three it will endorse — Karlo Silbiger, Kathy Paspalis and Gary Abrams, perhaps not the lineup that would have been guessed a few weeks ago.
Who deserves to win?
Whose chances are slim or less?
For a candid assessment of the field in the early stages, — Election Day is two months from Thursday —the newspaper consulted a woman who has been studying the School District, its personnel and its policies for 14 years.
She asked not to be identified so as not to interfere with the candor of her evaluations.
Her rankings in her words:
Karlo Silbiger — The odds-on favorite. He has the bloodlines. He is the hardest working candidate. The best campaign machine is behind him. While extremely young, in his mid-20s, he has experience the other five don’t have.
Kathy Paspalis — She is even money. Politically astute. Two former mayors on her committee, Alan Corlin and Sandi Levin. She has said and done the right things. A constant presence at School Board meetings, she has the financial experience that distinguishes her from the others.
Alan Elmont — Odds: 3 to 1. The biggest benefactor of the Maxwell disappearing act. Elmont’s background and prior experiences on what not to do in a campaign will serve him well. He has signed up a number of well known Culver City personalities, and that will help, Scott Zeidman, Paul and Madeline Ehrlich, Jeff Cooper. Having Janet Chabola as his campaign manager, along with the presence of Jerry Chabola, will be a big boost, in part because there must be at least 12 voting Chabolas in the city.
Patricia Siever — Odds: 15 to 1. She has reasonable experience, but none with the School District. As a professor at West L.A. College, she has the pedigree to learn, but she has yet to display knowledge of the workings of the District.
Gary Abrams — Odds: 25 to 1. A genuinely nice man, he does not yet understand what the campaign is about. When he does, he will be formidable.
Robert Zirgulis — Odds: 50 to 1. He is a true believer, which can work for or against his candidacy. The public is not going to buy what he is trying to sell when he talks about reaping millions from oil revenues. He needs a different theme.
