Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - BrentwoodPress_08.22.08 - Index

16A | brentwoodpress.com august 22, 2008
Winning Newspapers
“ It is a person’s morals – not an
Award
EDItORIaLs, LEttERs & COMMENtaRY
OpiniOn
National
assistance program – that determines
how they behave.
Kali Martinez ”
AUSD should support RAAMP Academy
The film “Stand and Deliver” is based
on the true story of Jaime Escalante, who not
only taught basic math to minority students
at Garfield High
in East Los
Angeles, but was
editorial
able to motivate
them to learn
calculus and pass the very tough Advanced
Placement calculus exam – despite initial
opposition from students, teachers and
school administrators.
Two Antioch Middle School teachers,
Karla Branch and Lawrence Rasheed, are
accusers should focus on content of complaints
by Bill Richardson
Discovery Bay
Missing entirely from all the current hype about my
letters and the lawsuit is the content of both.
Director Piepho chose to exaggerate the quantity of
letters written in 2007-08 to 100 letters without mentioning
content at all. Actually there were 60 letters. Why would he
exaggerate by such a large amount? Why, indeed?
I provided guest commenter
Guest
comment
Bob Mankin with copies of the legal
documents, signed by me under
penalty of perjury, which identified
the content of the lawsuit so he
would have the facts as I saw them, and we could discuss them.
Instead, he chose to count the pages accurately, but quoted the
content inaccurately.
The meeting Mr. Kier and I had with Mr. Mankin was to
specifically identify details of claims made in the April 25, 2008
Preserve Discovery Bay letter written to the Townspeople about
supposed misconduct by attendees at CSD meetings. He could
Don’t oversimplify Section 8
Editor:
I’m a consistent reader of your paper
and I’m having trouble understanding all
these people complaining that Section 8
renters are all trouble.
Where I live in Oakley, I have
neighbors across the street who own their
home and are white, yet they are extremely
trashy and have had the FBI raid their
house because of drugs. They have two
kids in the home and refuse to pay PG&E
or trash pick-up. And on the side of me
are Section 8 renters and their home is
clean and well kept. Their kids are respectful
and well dressed. I’ve never seen or
heard any noise or problems from them.
So, people: please see the fact that it is
a person’s morals – not an assistance program
– that determines how they behave.
Kali Martinez
Oakley
Too critical of criticism
Editor:
I read Mr. Mankin’s guest opinion of
hoping to become the Jaime Escalantes of
Antioch. They seek to open a charter school
aimed at minority males (but open to males
of all ethnicities) that focuses on math and
science along with instilling an appreciation
of the value of education.
With African-American and Hispanic
students dropping out at a higher rate and
learning Algebra I and other subjects at
a lower rate than other students, there is
definitely a need for the RAAMP Charter
Academy in Antioch. The traditional school
system, despite all its efforts and money, has
failed too many of these youths, and it’s well
provide none, because there are none. That is a fabrication.
As for accusations against me, the last time I spoke in a CSD
meeting was Feb. 11, 2007 where I learned my lesson by being
browbeaten by Mr. Piepho. It is useless to speak.
Mr. Mankin’s revelation at our meeting with Mr. Kier
that neither he nor the other three signatories to the April
25 letter (Mixon Paulson, Welch) authored it, mailed it, etc.,
came as a big shock. I thought the letter represented that it
was theirs, and they were the founders/leaders of Preserve
Discovery Bay. If they are not, who is? Coincidentally, my
lawsuit addresses that same lack of transparency in the way
CSD conducts Town business. Birds of a feather …?
Personal attacks and demonization to silence critics,
such as my being called a “griper,” “screamer,” “cowardly”
and being invited to leave town, etc., is also addressed in my
lawsuit as a method and tactic used by CSD, which violates
the opening Policy Declaration in the Brown Act. It very succinctly
describes how CSD should conduct itself and is worth
reading. It’s too long to repeat here.
Of greatest significance is the content of the lawsuit,
which never is discussed. Just three examples follow, due to
Letters to the editor
last week with an open mind. He seems to
speak with authority on every issue and ends
his commentary by referring to the upcoming
election for two CSD seats.
I agree with him about the election, as
this will be a significant opportunity for the
community to make a choice. I do, however,
find it ironic that Mankin is so overtly
opposed to those who challenge the CSD,
without ever being specific. He downplays
the litigation against the CSD without addressing
the individual allegations; he and the
co-signor of the Save DB letter, Mike Welch,
have written and spoken about the CSD’s
progress being hindered without ever even
hinting at what exactly has not been allowed
to happen.
Mankin talks about how you should
not use letters to the editor to attack, yet he
praises an individual who suggested that
those who do not like the CSD should leave
town. Mankin says Richardson and others
do not represent the feelings of the community.
OK, that may or may not be true, but
what gives him the authority to make that
judgment?
past time to provide more options.
Failing to graduate from high school
condemns many dropouts to a life of lowpaying
jobs or perhaps a life of crime. It’s in
the interest not only of the students and their
families but society at large to do everything
it can to help these students achieve
academically in preparation for the rapidly
advancing, increasingly complex 21st century.
There are many challenges ahead
for Branch and Rasheed. The business of
launching and running a school requires
a different skill set than teaching math, as
Branch does, or English, as Rasheed does. But
From what I hear and read, those who
vocally challenge the CSD always focus on
specific issues or situations such as a more
open local government. What’s wrong with
seeking a more open local government? In
my opinion, open government is good and
many of the specific reasons people voice
disappointment with the CSD may indeed
be valid.
It seems to me that as much as Richardson
and others seek change, Mankin and
Welch have the sole objective of maintaining
our local government just as it is. I truly hope
that local citizens take the time and effort
to focus on what the CSD candidates stand
for before they vote. It is time for all of us to
wake up and understand the issues and not
be swayed by the empty rhetoric.
Mike Witcosky
Discovery Bay
A treasure trove of inaccuracy
Editor:
Antioch’s race for city treasurer is going
negative and deceitful from the beginning.
Janet Davis, sister-in-law to Councilman Jim
Davis, has stated that I, Donna Conley, in
they are intelligent, articulate and motivated.
Branch has a master’s degree that focused on
the problem of minority underachievement;
Rasheed has been mentoring minority boys
for the past two years.
They deserve a chance to try out their
innovative ideas on students seeking an
alternative to the typical school classroom.
Their initial hurdle will be gaining approval
from AUSD officials for their application to
open the charter school in the district. We
encourage the school board to do what it can
to help this dynamic duo stand and deliver for
those who need their help the most.
lack of space here. By way of background, my objective with
the lawsuit and letters is simple: CSD Board, just obey the
law. I want no money or any change in past decisions. How
hard is that? And so much for the “my way or the highway”
drumbeat.
1. Community Services District law, and the board’s own
policy, requires that action by the board be only by “motion,
resolution or ordinance”; that is, by a vote. Examples of CSD
violations of that law, and its own policy, include CSD’s letter
to the Board of Supervisors regarding the No-Ski/Tow zone,
the ZIP Code event, and much more.
2. The TODB CSD routinely, even to date, manipulates and
sanitizes its meeting minutes from what is actually recorded
on the meeting tapes. That conceals from the townspeople
anything critical of CSD. There are many documented
examples.
3. The Brown Act requires that town business be conducted
openly in meetings where timely notice and agenda have been
provided to the people. Just one example of a serious violation
is the ZIP Code event. I have no objection to the event
see Content page 19A
the election of 2004 “ran on a policy that she
wants to reduce the office, but then tried to
make the office a full-time job.”
I have two articles from the Contra
Costa Times, dated September and October,
2004 that state just the opposite. Ms. Davis
needs to check the facts before making accusations
instead of listening to hearsay. She
says she knows I brought things before the
council to try to embarrass members on the
council (Jim Davis and Arne Simonsen).
What I brought to the council was the
fact that these two councilmen were abusing
taxpayer’s money. They were both taking per
diem for meals that were already paid for by
the city. This is against city policy. Jim Davis
also stated that he didn’t even know what per
diem was. Why would he take money and
not know what it was for?
Janet Davis stated that we need to have
an open and honest government. By taking
this matter before the council, I was being
open and honest. I will not lie or cover up
for anyone. Based on my recommendations,
the City Council changed the policy to stop
see Letters page 19A