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New blood for Sweetwater district?
My first post responding to the lease/sale deal for the district offices disappeared as well. I waited a while to see if it would reappear, and when it didn't, wrote again. I don't know if I was flagged or not. Didn't say anything that violates the rules!!— August 22, 2014 7:30 p.m.
New blood for Sweetwater district?
Back to the lease of the new district offices...I seem to recall that the interim board made an attempt to defend their action by stating that they needed to jump at this opportunity, or they would lose the opportunity...which to me sounds like more of the Ed Brand/Tom Calhoun line of self-serving, over-hyped salesmanship that Sweetwater has fallen prey to in the past. I am far from being the wisest person around, but I do know that if a real estate person is telling you that you need to buy NOW because the property is going to be snapped up by someone, at least 90% of the time that is nonsense. Was this the only property available within the boundaries of Sweetwater? I rather doubt it. Why the great need to lease/purchase in the Eastlake business park area, when that is not the geographic center of the district? Is it because it is seen to be more convenient for the long-term board members--if, say Cartmill somehow manages to get re-elected? Is it because Ed Brand has some favors he is still dishing out? Nothing about this deal makes sense. I have not heard from one single individual who thinks it is a good idea, and that includes people who live in the Eastlake area. All anyone really needs to do is take a look at the map of the district. What is a reasonable central location? In my opinion, something near the 805 corridor would make sense. I haven't checked to see what is available, but, again, why was the leadership of this district in such a big hurry? It makes me think that Ed Brand and friends had something they wanted done before all the secrets were no more. There is no good reason to make a hurried decision when it comes to millions and millions of tax dollars. Anyone who tries to hurry something through is NOT TO BE TRUSTED. That would include Tom Calhoun.— August 22, 2014 3:57 p.m.
New blood for Sweetwater district?
Things will continue to heat up. But back to an earlier question...regarding the lease on the district offices, what I recall hearing was that it was a ten year lease with two options--to lease for an additional 10 years, and/or to purchase--but I am unclear on the timeframe for the purchase. The legality of that entire deal seems questionable to me, in that it does not appear that all the protocols and procedures were done--more law suits? Is Sweetwater once again the best friend attorneys have ever had? Will we get the pubic forums so that we all get to meet and speak with the candidates, and determine what their main concerns are? I hope so. We cannot just continue to vote along ethnic lines--that has proved disastrous for Sweetwater. We need to find the people with the greatest sense of what the students need, what is practical in terms of using the resources available, and how best to encourage the within all the schools and the greater community. And we really do need to know just who all the real estate silent partners are--the Ed Brand Empire of Fraud and Deceit needs to tumble down.— August 22, 2014 1:35 p.m.
Working parents should live in Chula Vista
Well, once the school districts get straightened out, and the bay front is cleaned up, and Chula Vista figures out what they have to do to support the Olympic Training Center (roll it into a college or university?), it is possible it will be a good place to be. It could be a very good place to be--but we need more "audience participation", i.e., more people who pay attention to local news, good and bad. We need an informed populace who will vote responsibly, and who will pay attention to the fine print. Years ago, possibly even ten years ago, I said that Chula Vista needed a desalination plant. Now that we are in year three of a drought, maybe more should be done about that. Carlsbad is getting one. The county has been trying to tell us that we who live south of 8, but west of Coronado will end up with the toilet-to-tap project. In a perfect world, that might be fine, but I have read that there are problems with the micro-micro organisms that have the ability to evade the best filters available. So, I firmly believe that if Chula Vista ends up with the toilet-to-tap project, real estate values will go down. You just can't argue with the "ick" factor. So it might be less expensive for a family to live in Chula Vista, but there might be many people who will not believe the value for money is worth it if they are subject to the toilet-to-tap water, when more upscale areas have more appealing sources of water.— August 22, 2014 2:28 a.m.
New blood for Sweetwater district?
There are a few things we here in Sweetwater can feel somewhat better about, but those few things are still not creating the whelm of correction that is needed. Wabbitsd, you are very right. Who are all the people behind the names? Shouldn't the public know exactly who is handling (spending) all the district's money? Why is everything such a big secret? anniej, you are right, why more closed session meetings on the subject of the vast Sweetwater real estate holdings? erupting, you are right, we need the interim board to stand by their word. oldchulares, you are right, Kevin O'Neill is a stand up guy. We can all learn from his example. What will it take to crack things open, and go after the "meat-eaters", as has been mentioned in the comments of earlier articles on Sweetwater. Shouldn't John McCann have figured out some of these things and gone public with the information? He certainly has attended a great many closed session meetings. Didn't Ed Brand say that McCann requested Brand get campaign donations for McCann? Are the ties still binding? Just how does McCann get away with playing the big innocent? The interim board should know they are not here to continue supporting the Ed Brand Real Estate Boondoggle--unless they, too have been coopted in the great undermining of education in Sweetwater. Can we find some honest people? And if we find them, can they get elected? We all need to work on bringing really responsible people forward, people with enough strength of character and intelligence to build educational institutions that support the children of this district, so that the children of this district will have reasonable futures. Not truncated futures, not futures in which their gifts and talents go unused and underused. Human lives really are at stake here. People need to learn to make good decisions. If the interim board and interim superintendent Glover will not make good decisions, what chance will the students have? Oh, that's right, they won't have a chance.— August 21, 2014 8:54 a.m.
Sweetwater district’s mellow ruse
So very true.— August 20, 2014 12:25 a.m.
Sweetwater district’s mellow ruse
There is enormous truth in what you have to say. If you have not already, please write, email or call Interim Superintendent Glover and the Sweetwater board members and state exactly to them what you have stated here. They need to hear the true thoughts of this extended community, and know the weight of the opinion of this community. We cannot be pushed aside again and again, in favor of certain real estate interests...who are these people who have such control over our tax and bond monies?? Why is it so impossible to control this process??— August 18, 2014 12:33 p.m.
Sweetwater district’s mellow ruse
Precisely.— August 18, 2014 12:28 p.m.
Ian Campbell blasted in opera magazine
Opera is about human foibles, failings and aspirations, comic as well as tragic elements of idiocy included. (I'm not arguing, just considering--it amazes me that the human imagination can be linked in such a way that opera exists. It is such a cooperative effort, which is also why Mr. Campbell's complete disregard for all who had contributed creatively is simply mind-boggling).— August 18, 2014 7:25 a.m.
Ian Campbell blasted in opera magazine
Unless it is convenient.— August 18, 2014 7:02 a.m.