anniej
I read in the U-T that John McCann was going to explore the possibility of getting a restraining order against Stewart Payne. Go for it John. Just don't get lost in the woods when you go exploring.
Just remember this John, the two women you were intimidating in the parking lot have told me they felt threatened by you. It's just not a good idea to harass women, especially in front of a camera.
Look at the face of Ms. Adato. Does that not look like a woman in distress? What did you do to her to make her cry like that?
@Pancho I am friends with Mr. Payne as well. I also shared one of John McCann poorly thought out actions with Mr. Payne, Am I to imply that you are insinuating that I am a liar as well?
Perhaps you might want to consider your words in the future before you press "Post." This article wasn't about Mr. Ramirez, it was about John McCann's actions last Monday night. Simply because you don't like Ramirez doesn't make Mr. Payne or myself liars.
Wait a minute!! Didn't we hear at last years graduations that McCann is a Iraq/Afghan War Veteran??? Doesn't the government train the military to defend themselves? Now he is scared of Stewart Payne in a parking lot with security hired to protect him with our tax dollar?
COMBAT TRAINING COURSE ONE 1. Force yourself into someone's personal space, and continue to back them up When they tell you they will not shake your hand. 2. Cry "wolf" that a mean guy (Payne) had a difference of opinion. 3. Lie about the incident and become the victim. To all the military folks out there, this guy is not one of you.
Wonder what this years commencement speech from him will be??? I have a good idea...just have someone there to serve him recall papers, we won't have to listen, he'll be doing his rendition of "feet don't fail me now".
anniej, you don't have to convince me that something is very, very wrong with him and the district. The real mystery is why Bahnee D went after three board members with subpoenas and search warrants, but not after him. With the bizarre events unfolding in that district, all of them should have been similarly investigated. That hasn't happened yet, and methinks that as long as she is in office, that's where it will stay. Unless, that is, he has a full-on meltdown, which is a distinct possibility.
It is sad and rather disgraceful when someone who is a veteran or claims to be a veteran wants to turn military service into an excuse for all kinds of bizarre behavior. McCann is out of control. Calling the cops after he's gone out of his way to provoke a confrontation with his opponents? This is something out of the wild west of yore with a modern twist. Where did this guy come from? I thank him for his military service in this past decade of war on Islamist terrorists and others, but now it is time for him to cool it, settle down, and stop trying to profit from his service.
One has to wonder what McCann actually DOES for a living to support Mrs. MC and the four little ones. The stipend board members receive has a legal maximum and is minimal. Even with the benefits package (most board members of public agencies receive the same package afforded employees) it must be difficult to make ends meet in the McCann household. He may also be eligible for some pay as a member of the reserves?
That is probably why John is reported to want the CV mayors job, because it pays pretty well I think-- maybe around $100K, plus benefits, of course. Certainly an improvement over the SUHSD board stipend, whatever it is.
Any day now, all California public agencies must report to the public how much each and every person on their payroll earns, including all pension contributions made by the agency, and benefits. His name should show up on the SUHSD list along with the other board members.
Sometimes the board members take 'cash in lieu' of the benefits if they are already covered, but I believe that data must also be included in these new required reports.
(One must also wonder about Cartmill's source(s) of income from other sources. We know that Ricassa has --albeit is now on admin. leave-- a full-time well-paying job at Southwestern. She may be taking 'cash in lieu from Sweetwater as well. )
I believe the reporting form 700 must list sources of income -- except public agency employment -- as well as the 'gifts'.
McCann seems quite angry, acting as if someone is taking something away from him. He seems not to understand that elected public officials do not 'own' their positions; rather they serve at the public's will. The recall process is in place precisely as a mechanism for the public to remove elected officials who do not measure up.
I am glad to hear you are getting positive public response. Something needs to happen. We are not hearing anything from the County Board of Education, I do not believe we have heard anything from Mayor Cheryl Cox on this, and the Star-News once again published an article that seemed rather biased in favor of the malefactors. One would think that the public outcry would be greater against the cast of "Bumbling Trustees of Sweetwater Union, the Reality Show".
I appreciate your thoughts, yet I would ascribe a rather more bleak view regarding why Ed Brand returned to Sweetwater. Put simply, Sweetwater is the only place Ed's arbitrary, unilateral and pernicious decision-making could be tolerated. But he is finding out that--even here, he will no longer be tolerated.
Brand has been assuming that the public here in SUHSD consists of ill-educated and lackadaisical sheep who lack the gumption to stand up for what they know and believe to be right. He is wrong--we will not tolerate his corruption and conspicuous disregard for the public weal.
Hear, hear!
I agree with all your statements. I'm hopint the DA's office is putting together an air-tight case, which is why we haven't heard much from them in a while.
And what you say about Brand is certainly true. He should be held to "caretaker" positions and decisions. Policy-making, long-term planning and building his own realm of creature comforts should not be allowed--the Board should be strong enough to contain such grandiosity. That the Board is not and does not, speaks to their own lack of insight, backbone and wisdom. More on that later.
Why hasn't the county, state or federal government taken over this district? Dr. Brand you are a scam you always have been and you always will be. All of your comments that you love this district and you are back to help is a bunch of crap! The love came with a $20,000 a month price tag and let me tell you that is not love that is greed. You fit in very well with the greedy board you attempt to lead, they are just as bad as you. Shame on you and shame on them for keeping you. But as a friend who was at the meeting last night told me the only people with any sort of brains and/or common sense are the people that speak at every board meeting. They are the ones that care for the students and the staff they do this for FREE and all they get from this board and you are smirks, and a lack of attention to the logical things they are saying. Maybe if you all would put aside the ego's and listen you would find truth and logic into their questions and remarks. This district is a definite hell hole and is drowning in their own lies and ineptitude's. Ms. Luzzaro keep up the good work and thank your editor for now cowering to the idiotic bulling tactics that Brand tried to pose on you because we all know the UT cowered!
I would love to see those reports everyone is referring to that Brand decided not to give to the board, not that they would understand anything or ask questions. Could the reader get a copy of those reports to post them if possible?
At last night’s school board meeting, Public Communication was moved to the end of the agenda. At 10:02 p.m., the school board meeting recessed with only one remaining item left: Public Communication.
I suppose the school board will reconvene someday to hear Public Communication so that the June 11 school board meeting can end.
I had two issues that I wanted to share in the Public Communications part of the agenda. I wanted to discuss how school master schedules are shaping up for the upcoming school year since I have reviewed most of them. They look bad. As they are shaping-up, students will have more program changes than ever before, hundreds of classes will start without a teacher of record, and many teachers will need to be transferred to new schools with little time to prepare for the 2012-13 school year.
The master schedules are not standardized. For example, Eastlake High School’s schedule included the names of some teachers, but not most. Some listed teacher A, B, C,…, others included the names of teachers that have lost their jobs. What a mess. I am pretty sure that the district has not reviewed the master schedules. All-in-all, they are the worst master schedules that I have ever seen. They need to be fixed. School starts next month.
The other thing that I wanted to discuss was that the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) will not allow exemptions to the earning limit ($31,020) for the upcoming school year. (http://www.calstrs.com/Help/forms_publications/printed/MemberHandbook/after_you_retire.pdf) That requires immediate attention since we will need a new superintendent one and a half months into the new school year. There is another option. Our superintendent can work for free.
Our HR department failed to file an exemption for our superintendent and his wife. I understand that they are scrambling to do so since the exemptions must be approved by June 30, 2012. If it is not approved, STRS will require reimbursement for monies received beyond the earning limit.
I sincerely hope that our district does not waste student resources to attempt a legal maneuver to circumvent the law. We have a situation that needs to be addressed quickly.
I ask myself, what made me start wondering what was going on with Sweetwater--and when I started to get that feeling that things were not right, it was several years ago in perhaps the second iteration of the budget reduction. The district website's comment section for sugggestions from the public was so carefully and closely screened that essentially nothing of substance was ever made public.
If you are not hiding something, there is no need for secrets. If you are telling the truth, all the information can easily be forthcoming. It is only when you are trying to keep the public from knowing what they should rightfully know that it is necessary to act the way this Board of Trustees and the Superintendent(s) and all the administrative lackeys have acted, and still continue to act.
What a crew, brewing the festering stew of misappropriations, lies, pay-offs, bribes, threats (to those who attempt to let the truth be known) and assorted sordid goings-on too numerous to mention.
We aren't afraid of you and your threats. I think you know why.
"There is no political motive to anything I do," Quiñones said.
Said the spider to the fly.