‘The $5-Million Fiasco’

Your editorial (June 20), “The $5-Million Fiasco,” lashes out at the Los Angeles Community College District trustees and places the blame for the decision to borrow the $5 million at the trustees’ feet. To some degree that is fair, since we are the responsible governing body. However, there is more to the story.

You say, “Last fall the college trustees granted teachers a 6% pay increase despite warnings that they did not have enough money for the end of the year.” This is a misleading statement. At first, staff members did give warnings but then reversed their position. The chancellor recommended that 6% raise and the vice chancellor of business services assured the trustees that we did have sufficient funds. He advised that it would be tough to get the money and it might hurt some programs but the raise could be squeezed out of the present budget. The trustees accepted these assurances and voted for the raise because our staff had not had a real raise in three years.

You say, “That (the trustees) kept quiet about their financial problems until after the city runoff election.” That may be true of some trustees but it is not true in my case. If that was kept quiet from the public, it was also kept quiet from--I believe--a majority of the trustees. We were led to believe in April that we had a $2.85-million shortage that was being solved. I received a letter on Election Day indicating we had not solved the $2.85-million problem. In fact, we now had a $5-million problem. That letter was the first knowledge I had that such was the case.

You say, “Their (the trustees) acceptance of staff recommendations has created public indifference about the trustees and the colleges that they run.” I agree with your perception, unfortunately. I do feel a majority of our board has too often accepted staff recommendations too readily, and all seven trustees--myself included--share some of the blame.

I strongly agree with your editorial comment that says, “They should name (as a new trustee) someone willing to ask college administrators the tough questions that obviously need asking, and willing to say no when the answers are not satisfactory.”

I pledge to work diligently to find such a candidate to replace Trustee Rick Tuttle and will give my vote accordingly.

HAROLD W. GARVIN

Member

Board of Trustees

Los Angeles

Community Colleges