Supporters of the petition to force a special election in the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) do not like to describe their campaign as a recall of recently appointed trustee Harald Martin, who is widely acknowledged for his racist leanings. But the effort will result in the ouster of Martin from the AUHSD school board – and I like the sound of “Recall Martin.”
The Times published an article about the campaign which pointed out that Martin is a “Target of left and right.” Here are a few excerpts:
Opponents of Harald Martin include Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, who is a former Republican speaker of the Assembly, and liberal activist Nativo Lopez, whose Mexican American Political Assn. has committed $1,000 to a campaign that he agreed attracted “strange bedfellows.”
Martin first garnered headlines in 1995, when he proposed that the district sue Mexico to recover the cost of educating illegal immigrants in the district.
Four years later, after a teenager who was sexually abused for years by a Cypress High School teacher was awarded $2.5 million in damages, Martin said the size of the award stunned him. “If both parties kept it secret
I think a lot of people are sick of the cronyism that is rampant in governing bodies. The fact that Martin was second from last in vote getting, only to be given the job by the remaining rats on the BoE just stinks!
There is absolutely no justifying that disregard for the voters who had repeatedly turned him down as their choice.
This thing has legs because people are waking up and striking back at this kind of ineptitude and bully tactics used to force us to accept people who don’t really represent the rest of us.
The Attorney Generals fiasco is an outrageous example of political coercion threating officals at the highest positions in law by political power seekers at the expense of the rest of us. Just because they can.
Maybe citizens are sick of basic rights to fair representation held in disregard by “leaders”.
I think the Union’s reponse is part of the overall picture of problems in that district,too. I think the Teachers need to give those officials a good looking over. Lazy, excuse-giving “leaders” suck. I bet they suck when a teacher needs representation, too. I just bet you.
I think we should send Mexico a bill for educating their citizens and providing them other benefits. Why should Mexico get off the hook by pushing their problems on to us?
It is standard practice to forgive people’s pasts when they are in politics.
Look at Michelle Martinez, Santa Ana council member, who after being elected admitted she was a gang banger who sold drugs to the kids of Santa Ana. She has apparently been forgiven for her crimes.
Why shouldn’t Harald Martin be forgiven? The only thing he did was come up with public policy that local Latino organizations didn’t like. That’s not even a crime. In addition, he has done nothing wrong since being appointed to this office. All these complaints about him were already hashed out in the past.
It becomes a slippery slope when someone suggests that any elected leader we don’t agree with should be recalled, especially when the reasons are not even current. Maybe several of the elected people who represent my area should be recalled, since I definitely don’t agree with a lot of their policy decisions, and some of them have pasts that make them unworthy for office.
When you consider the expense of a special election when money for good governance is scarce enough anyway, and it becomes clear that these recalls should be used only in special circumstances.
This is not one of those cases where a recall is absolutely necessary.
nativio lopez .amin david . two creditable guys . that where in the hermandad scandal . nativio lopez who wants spanish spokrn in schools and was rejrcted by his own people . not to mention he is a open border let everyone in from mexico . i like he the fact that he billed mexico for the teaching of their kids .
#2
If you and Senor Martin are prepared to bill Mexico for educating children and providing benefits then it’s only right that the U.S. government issue an annual check in the amount of $7 billion dollars made out to Mexico.
That is the annual amount of payroll taxes that are dumped into our Social Security sytem. That’s money the illegal immigrants will enver see again, and it has for years helped to keep the entitlement program – Social Security – afloat.
The way I see is Social Security lives off ill-gotten goods – the stolen taxes of millions of people, and the assumption that they’ll never be claimed.
How odd that the closed-border, closed-mind isn’t nearly as troubled by this part of the equation.
Some of the responses to this post point out the theme of the original article. Conservative, liberal, fringe and just plain wacky understand that Martin was a bad choice. The board has been pretty consitant since it appointed Dr. Farley as Superintendent to fix the mess Martin and others had made wasting Measure Z monies.
This is one of those rare times that the cost of a special election is worthy to correct a wrong that this elected body has done to this district. There were several experienced and qualified candidates from which to choose. Brandman was the most logical because of his showing in the November election. But others with school board and community experiance applied, why the board majority would make such a bonehead selection defies understanding.
Until…you check out a meeting or two, Smith is a nut. Most of the time you cannot tell what she is talking about. I’m not sure she understands what she is talking about. I’ve heard she was against Bandman because he didn’t have children. But she had kids and made the choice to put them in private schools instead of AUHSD schools. Now she’s making decisions for our kids!
Houglin is a political animal, he sides with whoever will give him the most power. The November election relegated him to the shadows (where he belongs). This appointment gives him three votes. Expect to see him magically assume the presidency of the board at the next re-organization.
Brian O’Neal is a good man. But he should have stuck to his guns. At best he should have sided with Percy and locked up the appointment forcing an election. I know he did what he thought was best for the district, but is now finding out just how damaging that vote change was. Too bad, good man, bad decision!
This Saturday sign the pettition! If Martin is the best candidate you can vote for him, but I think the parents will let the board know what they think.
Its not about immigration, its about a trustee who doesn’t understand that he represents parents and the kids. Never will we want someone who blames a child for rape or molestation. The immigration issue is federal and very personal for many, but not a school board issue.
Teach our kids, help us prepare them for their future, help us to keep them safe, partner with communities to accomplish these goals and you would have done your job!
La Voz:
Do you really want to make that trade? Really?
Ill trade that $7 billion and the thousands of cases of identity theft that go with it for reimbursement for the $8 billion in CA state dollars we spend educating the children of illegal aliens.
And we are just getting warmed up.
Of course, silly me, I haven’t drank the kool-aid and I don’t regurgitate the propaganda that suggests importing millions of poor and uneducated illegal aliens is somehow a net benefit to our society.
I am always amused by those who think that importing millions of people who make under $20,000 a year and pay pennies in peripheral taxes is somehow beneficial. I mean, just think of how great this country would be if we didn’t have so many college educated Americans making over $20,000 a year.
:beatsheadagainstthewall:
It could be that those who appointed Harald Martin knew exactly what they were doing and acted in the best interests of the district.
“The people” are not always right. Look at Steve Rocco, trustee for Orange Unified, for example. The public made a huge mistake electing him.
Let Martin do his appointed job and see how he does.
ANON #3
“Harald Martin, I know Michele Martinez, Michele Martinez is a personal friend of mine, Mr Martin, you are no Michele Martinez.”
While some issues have been hashed out in the past, they are still unresolved. Mr Martin has not demonstrated that he has changed his ways while Ms Martinez has forged ahead in a new positive direction.
If you feel your electeds are not representing your views, then by all means, initiate a recall election. That is your right and prerogative as a voter. That scenario seems to be playing out in the case of this extremist Martin.
The expense, while a factor, is not significant as compared to the damage potential of this BOE member.
I suggest they recall this Houglin opportunist as well.
What a comedy. I can only hope that the good CITIZENS of Anaheim come out and vote to keep Mr. Martin. It would be terrible to see this city become just like Santa Ana.
RE: Joseph Turner
Is that your real name or our you that “matt” guy who comments on the OC register viewer comments section.
Nevertheless, here’s your reply with my two cents.
“Do you really want to make that trade? Really? Ill trade that $7 billion and the thousands of cases of identity theft that go with it for reimbursement for the $8 billion in CA state dollars we spend educating the children of illegal aliens.”
You might want to also include the million of gallons of oil that Mexico sends to the US every day. I can see the long lines at the gas station if Mexico stopped sending oil to US.
Then of course, I’m sure you are more than willingly to spend 100% or more for food products that are picked, cooked and served on your table. You seem to know everything so don’t you think your principle here when you eat at a resturant or shop at a grocery store knowing all well that an illegal Mexican’s hands touched what you are putting into your mouth.
Here’s a suggestion! Why don’t you guys instead of talking about problems with illegals from Mexico start your American owned, produced and manufactured industries. See, you guys could pick your fruits, milk your own cows, gather your own eggs. Then you could sell your own food products at a store that is 100% american picked or produced. Hey, open the only 100% American serviced resturant, using the food products from the American only farm.
Hey, if people are willingly to pay $5 for blended coffe beans mixed with water, they might be willing to pay $25 for a grand slam plate.
You don’t have to be an idiot to understand that there is no way a business like this can stay in business.
I’m gonna go out on the fence here and say there has not been that Immigration reform that out of touch or “racist”individuals are requesting because in America business is the heart.
This is why in your statment things like “I am always amused by those who think that importing millions of people who make under $20,000 a year and pay pennies in peripheral taxes is somehow beneficial” happen.
It’s the US business industry that needs this low income, low skilled workforce and your inability to understand this simple numbers crunching fact allows me to understand why you are no longer a state emlpoyee working for $25,000 a year. That’s terrible, and don’t you have a degree. that’s $5,000 more than some illegal from Mexico makes. Somebody got’s issues and needs to blame somebody for his predictment.
Let’s move on.
How about taking into consideration that fact that either you or one of your so called loved ones, that’s parents or grandparents will be sent off to some nursing home. Yes, they will depend and/or rely on some under $20,000 CNA to care for them because unfortunately in some cultures it’s a becoming very common to abandon their parents or grandparents in the name of better care. Yeah right.
My point is!
I just hope that before you eat and shop at resturants that you know hire illegals, you ask for their papers and then enjoy the food.
I hope that if you every have a love one that is sent to a nursing home or other care facility that you tell all the brown skin people CNAs, LVNS, and RNS that you think they should go back to their country. Why does bed sores and sleeping in your own racist feces come to mind?
That’s the answer dude. If you don’t like the illegals, stop patronzing all the business that you know support the illegal aliens with employment.
I’m sure you like every other hitler- type minute-man will talk the talk but walk the walk as it suits you needs.
Jose
You need to follow the money and you need to look at what the results are.
The results are: Massive illegal immigration has been allowed to happen under many different federal and presidential administrations. The most so far, is under our current president. WHY is that?
Bush wants some sort of amnesty program to make the undocumented, legal. WHY is that?
Because if you follow the money, US business wants cheap labor. And labor can even be purchased at sub legal wages for not legal workers.
I refuse to entertain the divide that our government forces on us by its refusal to secure the ports and borders. If there are kids here, they need to be educated. We don’t need racists moralizing over how to pay for that. The government doesn’t ask for illegal/legal status of students because the official policy is to let the undocumented in. The government already pays for students to attend school. The last thing any school district needs is a moron like Martin who forgets that the school district has the money for education and the BoE’s job is to make sure it is spent properly. No one wants to hear his racist bias on how he wants to do his job.
He’s been defeated multiple times for a reason. Let that nutball move to another state that has no documentation problems. Clearly he refuses to understand even the most basic issue of where funding actually comes from and why.