I hope that bully boy Dana (I Am Not a Bully) Russell, the School Board’s self-designated attack dog, takes heat on Tuesday night for his ill-advised letter to the editor of the Culver City Observer a couple of days ago. The dentist’s inability to control his temper and his too-tart tongue have reduced him to the leading disappointment on the School Board. Moderation does not appear to be on his dial. What I love about some liberals, such as the doctor, is that their emotions drive their petulant behavior. Their bluster blows up like a cheap balloon, flustering them, causing them to overlook nuances that are obvious to serious people. Except for the elephants rushing toward him, Dr. Russell noticed everything else in his path. As a Purple Heart-wearing veteran of occasional marital combat, one of the reliable lessons I have absorbed is that parties who spew usually are guilty of the very accusations they level at their adversaries. And so it is with Dr. Russell.
Quick, Hand Me a Mirror
He charges the reporter Martha Tucker with writing a “misleading and inflammatory” story in reporting on the last School Board meeting. Au contraire. His crayon-level letter is a sterling example of “misleading and inflammatory.” Unaccountably, he mis-assigns the fault for his notion of bad information. If he had not been so bloody mad, he might have read the words of her story through clear eyes instead of tears. He blames the reporter for plainly quoted statements made by upset teachers at the Board meeting. It is a pretty big point to overlook. That’s our boy. That’s why we call him Dr. Disappointment, the Prince of Petulance. You see, if this model of meticulously measured moderation is unable to differentiate between statements made at a School Board meeting and the unlaundered version of those statements in the newspaper, it demonstrates that our expectations of certain Board members have been too high. Let’s be satisfied that they drive safely to the meeting every other Tuesday night. Anticipating more would be needlessly burdensome…
Time for a Little Sunshine
In response to the criticism of retiring District Supt. Dr. Laura McGaughey in yesterday’s Essay, a gentleman familiar with the inner workings of the School District rushes to right the record. Insisting on anonymity for himself, he cites seven accomplishments by the Super for which she should be honored. (With apologies to Dr. Russell), I quote:
• “Test scores in the School District have risen quickly and in large amounts.
• “Several programs that no longer are new have been initiated through Laura’s innovative leadership.
• “An amazing relationship has been established with Sony Pictures that did not exist before Laura. It has benefited the entire District.
• “Laura is a very good judge of character, and she reads people well. She has personally hired people who have brought their programs forward. She deserves credit for the program successes as much as the managers do.
• “Laura has managed to keep the campus Youth Health Center open for students by working with appropriate agencies on behalf of the students.
• “Laura has fostered relationships with some of the local community service groups. She has encouraged additional participation on behalf of students.
• “Laura has improved the visibility of the actual successes of our students by hiring Geoff Maleman’s public relations company. In turn, Geoff has done an excellent job, when directed, to promote the School District.”
Admitting that he is a fan of the Super, our correspondent “her obvious efforts to constantly improve the educational opportunities for students should be known by the community. She is extremely student-focused first.
“As for controversial subjects, they are part of the discussion because they are controversial only to a small number of people who try to make them big subjects. They have been few and far between. But they still managed to take space in the newspapers. They were not long-lasting. Through Laura’s involvement, their effects rarely caused a ripple”…
