We are delighted to report some GOOD news this dark last day of September 2023: The Orange USD Recall movement, which this blog wholeheartedly supports, has gotten the signatures they need to recall the destructive trustees Madison Miner and Rick Ledesma – ahead of schedule, and on time so that the recall election can probably be placed on the March 2024 primary ballot, saving money and increasing turnout! Let me first post the movement’s press release, then I’ll say some more…
OUSD Recall submits petitions for recall of OUSD trustees Ledesma and Miner
On Wednesday September 27th the OUSD Recall submitted signatures to the Registrar of Voters for the recall of Orange Unified Trustees Ledesma and Miner, much earlier than the November 9th deadline. Far exceeding the minimum 13,046 signatures required, the recall submitted 18,370 and 18,311 respectively for Ledesma and Miner.
The Registrar of Voters has until November 8th to validate the signatures for certification of the petitions. Once certified, the OUSD board would be officially notified at its next regular board meeting, and will then have 14 days to schedule an election. If they fail to act, the ROV determines the date of the election. Proponents of the recall are calling for the elections to be wrapped in with the March 5th presidential primary, in order to save the additional one million dollar cost of a special election.
The OUSD Recall is a grassroots committee of parents, community members, and teachers spurred to action by the egregious mismanagement of the Orange Unified School District by the current board majority. The OUSD Recall is dedicated to fighting fiscal waste, ending staff exodus, and prioritizing student safety. Because of the overwhelming support of the community at large, the OUSD Recall was able to accomplish something 85% of recalls do not: collecting enough signatures to apply for certification.
The reasons that voters of this district should vote to recall Ledesma and Miner this March, along with defeating their ally John Ortega in November, and taking back their school board, are well documented elsewhere, starting with the Recall’s website.
In fact, voters in that area will have a BIG (the Voice of OC would say “outsized”) voice in saving public education in this County this March, as THEY WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO REPLACE THE AWFUL KEN WILLIAMS WITH THE AMAZING DR. NANCY WATKINS, for OC Board of Education!
The Orange Unified School District includes Orange, Villa Park, Anaheim Hills and other parts of East and South Anaheim, Silverado, and parts of Garden Grove and Santa Ana.
Wait — wasn’t Beatriz Mendoza going to run against Ken Williams?
Who’s running against them in the recall? Or will there be appointments?
Beatriz is a Santa Ana lady! She’s running against whatever no-name the Board stuck in Becky Gomez’ place.
Not sure what the answer is, about recall replacements. Recalls don’t work the way they used to.
And the third candidate who MUST BE ELECTED to the OCBOE this March for the SANE-PEOPLE TRIFECTA is our old friend David Johnson, who ran the recall of three corrupt Westminster Councilmen during Covid (which was the biggest thing that tanked that recall.)
Since then he’s done great things in Westminster, transforming THAT school board, which, coincidentally, immediately hired Dr. Gunn Hansen when the Orange USD fired her.
He’s going up against Mad Mari of Barke.
Exciting! But I prefer describing Mari as “Barkeing Mad”!
Made a mistake there on who David Johnson’s running against. (Which I learned as I’m working on a new story about the education races) – David is going against Tim Shaw. Kind of a nice fellow and a friendly conservative, but he doesn’t need to be on the OCBOE where he’s just been another enabler of Williams-Barke madness.
Barke and Sparks are in till 26.