College District’s Recall Effort

What was portrayed by proponents as a “broad-based community, faculty and student effort” to recall me was--despite an unprecedented campaign of smears and demagoguery--unable to garner even one-quarter of the voters who did not vote for me in the last election. Apparently, only 20,000 signatures were mustered of the 38,000 registered voters required.

During the entire six-month period of the recall campaign, I did not defend myself or organize opposition to the effort. I had the courage of my convictions and did not believe that the community in which I served in the Marine Corps (El Toro), have lived for 30 years, raised my family, worshiped and worked as an educator and a trustee would be swayed by lies and deceptions aided by ample, unbalanced coverage by the media.

So, the recall proponents lost “fair and square.” However, not satisfied, they are launching yet another recall, and with it will surely repeat the same lies and smears to be regurgitated in the local newspapers.

Only this time the recall group must resort to hiring a firm from outside of Orange County and paid signature bounty hunters to try to buy a recall election.

Just so people know the truth, I must again state what has become a litany: that the Holocaust is one of the greatest atrocities in human history. I have the highest respect and regard for the Jewish faith, the Jewish people, and have taught respect for all creeds and nationalities.

Associate professor Lisa Alvarez is among the recall minority of faculty malcontents. In the March 15 Times, she wrote, “We’re enthusiastic, friendly. We smile but worry.” One would have had to see her screaming and chanting at Board of Trustees’ meetings to be reminded of the old adage, “One may smile and smile yet a villain be.” The faculty malcontents don’t care about the costs of a recall.

While board president, I never gaveled down Alvarez or any recall proponents. I just went on to provide our district’s students with the maximum selection of high-quality classes.

The board’s priorities were to stop deficit spending, cut administrative overhead and redirect budget savings to create more classes. This action was in response to the nearly 18,000 students wait-listed at both colleges in 1996.

The non-credit canceled JFK assassination seminar was proposed because polls show that as many as seven of eight Americans reject the government’s official explanation.

As a history teacher, I examine various theories but don’t espouse them. The red herring of anti-Semitism is hateful and untrue. I stand for tolerance and respect and have always opposed racism and anti-Semitism. The radical extremists who throw out hate-filled epithets at board meetings or in letters to the editor are using the worst of McCarthy tactics.

STEVEN J. FROGUE

Trustee

South Orange County

Community College District

Lisa Alvarez (“Recall Efforts Give Voters Midterm Voice,” Orange County Voices, March 15), perhaps unwittingly, makes a strong case for eliminating not only the one reactionary trustee at the South Orange County Community College District but also the other 436 trustees who rule the roost in the 71 districts throughout the state.

I’m sure that Alvarez would be the first to acknowledge that these elected boards are essentially rubber stamps to decisions already made by their college administrators and faculty.

The concept that the elected boards ensure local control is already proven to be an anachronism--a most expensive one to boot.

Not only do regular elections cost millions to hold, but each trustee is paid a sizable stipend for attending monthly meetings. In addition, he or she receives health and retirement benefits that add to the pie.

It should be obvious that a community college system without trustees in California is inevitable. Budgetary support is as dictated in Sacramento. In addition, since the practice of “free flow” has become a major component of college enrollment, the notion that trustees represent the students or clients attending the colleges which they oversee is invalid. Some colleges have over 50% of their enrolled students from outside their geographically assigned district.

Alvarez has performed a valuable service in alerting the public, normally indifferent to community college operations, to those problems which she views as trustee-related.

LEFTERIS LAVRAKAS

Costa Mesa

Lisa Alvarez bemoans the fact that the recall effort against Steven J. Frogue failed, but she fails to understand that it probably failed because most voters understand the real issue was free speech.

Even politicians have a right to free speech. When a small group of citizens tries to keep a politician from exercising that right because they don’t like the content of his speech, then it is incumbent on all righteous citizens to stand up for free speech, whether they agree with the politician or not.

H. MILLARD

Costa Mesa