Tell Local Republicans to Meet With County School Superintendents
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It is time to demand Republican Ventura County legislators Senator Tony Strickland (SD 19), Senator George Runner (SD 17), and Assemblywoman Audra Strickland (AD 35) attend a local meeting with all 19 Ventura County School Superintendents. Despite multiple attempts to get these three Republicans to meet and discuss urgent educational issues, all have so far refused. Our local state legislators were invited many weeks in advance to attend a January 23rd, 2009 meeting. Senator Tony Strickland, and Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, both Republicans, claimed they were too busy to attend. The only three who did attend were Democrats Senator Fran Pavley, Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, and Assemblyman Pedro Nava. Instead of doing their jobs by meeting with the School Superintendents, Senator Tony Strickland instead held a card table meeting outside of the Goleta Borders bookstore, in the rain, to an almost non-existent audience. He sent out a press release announcing the event only one day beforehand. Assemblywoman Audra Strickland said she would attend the meeting, but cancelled the same day claiming she had a family emergency. Clearly both are avoiding doing their public duty and jobs. Republican Tony Strickland has no time to meet with educators, yet he finds plenty to sit behind card tables around his district, and to practice and play basketball with the Los Angeles Lightenings - a B league team, owned by a supporter. Republican Assemblywoman Strickland also has time to sit in restaurants around her district. Yet she had found time to introduce three separate laws to regulate transfers of high school student athletes, but no time for the much more serious public-education issues her constituents demand she address. Republican Senator Runner believes California schools are over-funded, and simply has no interest in discussing anything related to public education. In lieu of meeting with all the Superintendents together, in their districts, where it would be both efficient and cost effective, both of the Stricklands asked to meet in Sacramento with each Superintendent, one-by-one, over a few months – a deliberate attempt to avoid the meetings. This wastes everyone’s valuable time and costs the taxpayers dearly – the trips up north aren’t free, and it takes our Superintendents away from their jobs unnecessarily. The invitation to meet with all the Ventura County Superintendents in the district is still open. The Stricklands and Runner all still refuse. Write them and tell them you know they are avoiding their duty, and costing the taxpayers extra money. You can use the message below, or write your own. |
