Re “Enthusiastic Supporters of Candidates Should Disclose Their Connections”
Sour grapes – www.merriam-webster.com – noun plural: Unfair criticism that comes from someone who is disappointed about not getting something.
All the criticism of the School Board candidate union endorsements and that endorsement process have not come from Kathy Paspalis personally. Nor, to my knowledge, have they been prompted by her. Instead, they have come from folks who are concerned by what happened and how it happened.
To the extent that my name is on all of Kathy’s materials as her treasurer, it is obvious that I support her. But I’m not writing to bolster her. She doesn’t need it. Her record speaks for itself. I have been writing because I am disturbed about what happened with the School Board members who didn’t do their homework and support moving a bond forward this past summer in the face of having a professionally prepared Needs Assessment document showing our schools have $165 million in facilities’ needs.
As for the “sour grapes,” union endorsement, and Kathy issue, to the extent that I personally have something to add to this “conversation,” it is neither unfair, nor is it criticism. What I have to add are the facts:
1. One of the union leaders is a prominent member of one candidate’s (Karlo Silbiger’s) campaign committees.
2. That same union leader oversaw the endorsement process, was presiding over the endorsement interviews and process, and wrote at least a third of the questions.
3. The questions are available for your review; decide for yourself if the process was run fairly or not; was biased or unbiased; was free from obvious conflicts of interest, or whether the outcome was predetermined.
4. Kathy has been endorsed by over 60 CCUSD teachers and staff members, and counting. She has more teachers endorsing her than were in the room voting at that endorsement meeting by a factor of seven (so far).
Here are the 10 questions presented to the seven School Board candidates at the meeting where the Teachers Union and Ace, the Assn. of Classified Employees, voted their endorsements:
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Ms. Alexander, former City Treasurer, may be contacted at cczaralex@gmail.com
