Karlo (The King) Silbiger
If Mr. Silbiger doesn’t finish at the top of the polls, it would be like a political tsunami going through Culver City. The youngest, most politically savvy educator ever to sit on our School Board, he is finishing up his doctorate in education at UCLA. He understands education policy, front and back. For that alone, he deserves to be re-elected.
Coming of Age
Although educationally wise beyond his years, he lacks the fiscal restraint that comes with age. Being an everyday teacher at a local charter school, he has shown himself to be sympathetic to teacher union causes. He once even foolishly suggested publicly that the School District might fund employee pay raises from its reserve savings account, a source of onetime money.
Dr. Steve (Rocket Man) Levin
Dr. Levin should finish a strong second. A NASA-bona fide brainiac, he still is an approachable, likable guy. While campaigning, he has wisely toned down his association with the UPCC. I wonder, if elected, whose advice he will seek first on District matters. I don’t think he’ll turn his back on the UPCC, an organization he helped found as the first president.
Opening Floodgates
The electorate needs to understand that, depending on how successful he is, he may be but the first of a long line of candidates coming out of this organization’s leadership. If Dr. Levin were to finish first, it would cement the UPCC as a District force.
Sue Robins
A classy, shrewd businesswoman, she taught eighth grade science at the Middle School. Today she is a small business owner, a much-needed point of view missing for years. She is a registered Independent. Non-party allegiance irked the local Democrat Club officials because they chose not to invite her to their candidates’ forum.
Who Really Is Being Honored?
Among her many supporters, she has received the UPCC’s endorsement. Not knowing how to treat this “honor,” Sue’s campaign has downplayed it.
It’s hard to tell who benefits more from it. We will see after the election if it was her honor to receive their endorsement or whether it was the fledgling UPCC’s honor to endorse her.
Independent Thinker
If Ms. Robins is elected, I am sure the UPCC will tout that their endorsement helped put her over. Once on the Board, Sue may surprise the parent union’s leadership by showing that she is an independent thinker.
I pick Ms Robins to finish third, slightly ahead of incumbent Kathy Paspalis. Both have been endorsed by the UPCC, for different reasons.
Kathy (The Pres) Paspalis
One of two incumbents running, she timed her presidency on the Board to campaign from that perch. Too bad the delayed bond measure is not on next Tuesday’s ballot. This would have helped her campaign. Losing her previous endorsement of the teachers and classified workers’ unions, Ms. Paspalis sought and received the UPCC’s endorsement.
I see her finishing a strong fourth. Based only on her incumbency, she might squeak out third place.
Claudia Vizcarra
I believe the first-time candidate will finish fourth or fifth. She is an administrative assistant to LAUSD Board member Steve Zimmer. The problem is the LAUSD Board also holds their regularly scheduled meetings on every Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 PM. These meetings can go on for hours. Many education issues do cross district lines, no matter the size of the district. But it seems too much to ask anyone who works long hours on her day-job concerned with LAUSD policy matters to drive across town and be ready to tackle Culver City’s problems.
Change Is Coming
More importantly, even if Ms. Vizcarra doesn’t win a seat this time, if she does well enough, she should run again in two years. Meantime, she can lead a voter registration campaign, energize the large but seemingly latent Hispanic vote in our small city. It would transform the political landscape in Culver City.
Vernon (The Banker) Taylor
Even though the District is preparing to mount a bond/parcel tax for possible placement on the June ballot, will the electorate think it has to elect a banker to the Board to help us through the campaign? Couldn't the newly-elected Board ask Mr. Taylor, as a concerned citizen, for his financial advice on publicly presenting and selling these bonds to investors?
Nothing Wrong Here
Mr Taylor's campaign theme is”Equity in Education, a slogan that probably scares most El Marino and Farragut Elementary school parents. They already are quite happy the way their children’s schools are faring. They don’t want changes. Now someone wants to shake things up.
Old Habits Hard to Break
Another reason: For some long-held, underlying rationale, our local electorate has yet to elect a black man. Culver City voters have passed on many highly qualified black men in past elections. I don’t see that trend being broken in this election. Mr. Taylor should finish fourth or fifth.
Robert (The Pool Man) Zirgulis
The electorate has shown in the past that it has an organic mind of its own. On Election Day, I could be proven totally wrong in my strong criticism of him. Isn’t that what makes our world go ‘round?
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
