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School Board member Karlo Silbiger addresses Unity Rally yesterday in Culver Crest.
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A portion of the huge turnout listens intently to Mr. Silbiger’s speech. Photos, Barbara Honig.
It was no surprise to find union leaders David Mielke and Debbie Hamme huddling yesterday afternoon at School Board member Karlo Silbiger’s Unity Rally.
What were they shmoozing about?
“How to get Karlo Silbiger elected to the School Board,” said Mr. Mielke, president of the Teachers Union.
How do you do that?
“You organize the progressive part of Culver City,” he said. “There are more progressive people in Culver City than we know about. We are seeing them right here,” as his eyes swept across the huge turnout at a private home in Culver Crest.
Will Mr. Silbiger’s memorable July 1 speech that called an abrupt halt to a bond measure campaign just building momentum, negatively affect his chances, as some have said?
“I don’t think so,” Mr. Mielke said before alluding to the millions in community debt that was used as an anti-bond argument. “When it comes to spending people’s money, you want to make sure you know what you are doing. There is nothing wrong with being prudent and cautious. Let’s know what we are doing before going forward.”
Ms. Hamme, president of ACE, the Assn. of Classified Employees, spoke up:
“To anyone who went to the bond issue discussion at the Vets Auditorium, it would have been obvious we weren’t ready to move forward and put it on the November ballot.
“People in the community had an awful lot of questions about the bond issue, none of which had been answered by the bond people and others before Karlo spoke up.”
The Candidate Says
Billing yesterday’s meet ‘n greet event as a Unity Rally was not a term of art, said Mr. Silbiger, but an authentic effort to draw together disparate community groups.
“I have been very concerned that some constituency groups have been trying to tear apart our community, pitting one group against another.
“My goal today was to try and bring together every group – parents, teachers, staff, students, community members and see if we can’t identify areas where we have commonality instead of areas where there are differences.”
(To be continued)
