The Ventura County Board of Education has hired lobbyists to help get funding from the state and federal government. The more I find out the worse it sounds. At the state level wouldn't Assembly Woman Audra Strickland be working for us if we are asking for funding for valid and needed projects? Who exactly are we lobbying? State legislative Democrats? At the federal level the Republican board has been trying to get an earmark. Do Republicans only think earmarks are bad when other people get them?
The earmark has been held up thus far by "partisanship" according to the lobbying firm. What was the Republican dominated board thinking when they hired a lobbying company that had Republican ties to lobby a Democratically controlled congress?
The Ventura County Democratic Party is now helping county board of education candidates coordinate their attacks on the contracts for lobbyists. To read their latest press release click on continue reading. Here are some excerpts:
According to an article in the Jan. 16 edition of Roll Call, Anchor Consulting dreamed up a plan for the VCOE to partner with another one of its clients, Grace College, an evangelical Christian college in Indiana, to obtain No Child Left Behind (NCLB) money to fund a project for at-risk youth in Ventura County.VCBE member Chris Valenzano, a former legislative aide to Tony Strickland when he served in the Assembly, proposed in September of 2006 that the board consider hiring lobbyists, according to board minutes.
"The unwarranted spending by the current board on dubious lobbyists with little or no accountability must stop. As a trustee, I will be an effective advocate for public education in Sacramento and our nation's capitol," Lisagor said.
The $396,000 contract is one of the largest expenditures for educational lobbyists in the state. Only a handful of other county offices have hired lobbyists.
Do you think it has been a wise use of resources to hire lobbyists to lobby are own elected officials?
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Sandra Kinsler
Ventura County Democratic Central Committee
Lobbying firms paid by Ventura County Board of Education
rack up big charges for taxpayers, show little results
The Republican-controlled Ventura County Board of Education's (VCBE) contract to pay two out-of-town firms more than $396,000 to lobby on behalf of the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) has produced little more than additional bills for taxpayers and a possible partnership with a private Christian College in Indiana which could help build the college a new $8.5 million building.
Since 2007, the VCOE has enlisted the services of Anchor Consulting, LLC, of Alexandria, Va. and Capitol Venture, LLC of Sacramento. Each of these lobbying firms received $10,000 a month from the VCBE. The board majority originally voted to use money garnered from leasing educational broadband services to pay for the lobbyist expenses. Now it is using money in reserves.
According to an article in the Jan. 16 edition of Roll Call, Anchor Consulting dreamed up a plan for the VCOE to partner with another one of its clients, Grace College, an evangelical Christian college in Indiana, to obtain No Child Left Behind (NCLB) money to fund a project for at-risk youth in Ventura County.
"The biggest chunk of the budget would be a new $8.5 million building on the Grace campus that would be used to host VCOE at-risk youth for four sessions of a two-week summer camp," the Roll Call article states. "Grace would continue to use the building throughout the year."
Currently, no earmarks for the at-risk youth program have been placed in the re-authorization of the NCLB measure, which was stalled in the last legislative session.
"No Child Left Behind is underfunded as it is," said VCBE Trustee Mary Louise Peterson, a critic of the lobbying contracts. "And we're trying to take money away from a program that is underfunded to give to a private college?" she asked.
The board's other paid lobbying firm, Capitol Venture, recently billed nearly $800 in expenses for a meeting with Wal-Mart executives to talk about a Regional Occupational Program, Peterson said. "We're their only education client." This bill was in addition to their monthly $10,000 fee, Peterson said.
How were these two firms selected?
VCBE member Chris Valenzano, a former legislative aide to Tony Strickland when he served in the Assembly, proposed in September of 2006 that the board consider hiring lobbyists, according to board minutes.
(more)
Records from the California Secretary of State indicate Joseph G. Yocca of Capitol Venture made a $1,000 donation to Republican Tony Strickland in October of 2006 during his failed race for State Controller. Anchor Consulting also made a $1,000 donation to Strickland's race at the same
time. Strickland is now running for State Senate District 19, which serves Ventura County and portions of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles County.
Not long after, in February of 2007, according to board minutes, VCBOE member and Ventura County Republican Central Committee member Dean Kunicki said he was considering six lobbying firms for the County Schools Office. He did not provide costs at the time he presented his recommendations. In March of 2007, a majority of the board voted to pursue contracts with these two lobbying firms. No other firms were presented for the vote.
The $396,000 contract is one of the largest expenditures for educational lobbyists in the state. Only a handful of other county offices have hired lobbyists.
Capitol Venture was also involved in work on a failed bill authored by Assembly member Audra Strickland last year. According to the Ventura County Star, AB911, introduced on behalf of the VCOE, would have equalized the amount of money counties receive for students in Regional Occupational Programs. The bill would not have helped the local schools, former Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Charles Weis told the Star, "It would have taken money away from us."
Recent online reports filed on behalf of the Ventura County Board of Education for the 2007-08 state legislative session show no lobbying activity reported in the second, third and fourth quarters. A report from the lobbying firms presented to the board blamed partisan politics for the lack of activity on behalf of the county schools.
Two candidates currently running for seats on the Ventura County Board of Education will bring much-needed change. Dr. Mark Lisagor is running for District 3, which serves Camarillo, Somis, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru, Meiners Oaks, Oak View, Ojai and Wheelers Springs. Dr. Ramon Flores is running for District 5, serving Oxnard, Colonia, Ocean View and El Rio.
"The unwarranted spending by the current board on dubious lobbyists with little or no accountability must stop. As a trustee, I will be an effective advocate for public education in Sacramento and our nation's capitol," Lisagor said.
Jan. 16 Roll Call article:
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_79/news/21585-1.html?type=printer_friendly
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As a taxpayer, this unwarranted spending on lobbyists has to stop - especially when spent on lobbying of elected officials that should be representing us anyway. Not to mention that Chris used to intern for the Stricklands and presumably has a relationship with them.
Vote for Dr. Mark Lisagor. He has close to 400 community leaders that have endorsed him. Time to take back the schools from wanna-be politicians.
Thank goodness this information is finally coming out. I saw the Roll Call article earlier in the year and was shocked that it was getting absolutely no coverage locally. I had to read a DC paper to get info about our own school board!
Is this a wise use of $? Absolutely not.
Shouldn't the ties between Valenzano & Kunicki, the lobbyists, and their campaign contributions to the Stricklands be investigated? Follow the money.
This isn't about advocating for our kids. It's about lining pockets.
"...a plan...to obtain No Child Left Behind (NCLB) money to fund a project for at-risk youth in Ventura County..."
Yeah right.
This isn't about at-risk youth at all. It's about using public funds to build a new building at an evangelical college in Indiana. Our board is the only public entity they could sucker into using our at-risk youth as pawns to get them their new building with public funds. "We're their only education client"? Red flag!
Didn't this board sponsor a corporate charter school in Oxnard "for our at-risk youth" that has ties to the Strickland pocketbook too? Is/wasn't Tony on the corporation's board? Tony's new slogan, when polls show education is hotter than the environment: "Tony: the education candidate - pawning off our at-risk youth."
And isn't the guy running against Dr. Flores for this board an evangelical minister in Ojai? Anyone know if he really lives in District 5 boundaries (greater Oxnard)?
Vote Lisagor and Flores - for our kids and for the financial integrity of our county schools!
See www.marklisagor.com and drflores4vcbe.com.
These lobbyists say they are working with Walmart on behalf of the County Schools and magically two $3,600 donations from Walmart have appeared in Tony Strickland's campaign coffers. And the lobbyists have claimed to be working with Chrysler for the schools and lo and behold there is a donation from Chrysler in Tony's coffers, too. Funny how that works out.
And taxpayers get handed an extra $800 bill from the lobbyists for schmoozing with Walmart.
Hello, VC Star...Some investigative reporting might boost circulation!
Sounds like you have a story here.
Funny how you can hear the crickets on this blog as soon as local Republican truths are exposed.
Educator, I'm a Republican and I am not proud of the lobbyist fiasco. That is why I support Dr. Mark Lisagor in his bid for Ventura County Board of Education.
I am also not proud of what is going on in the 5th District of the Ventura County Board of Education race. I support Dr. Ramon Flores for this reason - time to clean house.
Thank you, Katie, for the reminder that not all Republicans are well-represented by the current local party leadership. My comment wasn't aimed at the average Republican, but at the evangelical and/or greedy extremists who have taken over the local party, as evidenced by the topic of this discussion. Typically they come out on this blog swinging, but are strangely quiet as soon as factual information and real issues are presented for dialogue.
Like you, I'm working for the common good on common issues. This is a great example of where we can work together to clean house, as you say.
Drs. Lisagor and Flores are the clear choices in this election - no matter how you slice it.
....cricket..................cricket....
.................cricket....
Lisagor and Flores are absolutely not the clear choices in this election.
Chris Valenzano has proven himself to be the best candidate for Area 3, with the fine representation and leadership he has shown in this district over the last 4 years. He is an experienced and seasoned educator and advocate for the needs of children and he will continue to truly serve the interests of the parents and their children in this district if reelected.
Dan Miller is the best candidate to represent Area 5. He is a local businessman and church pastor with an enormous interest and background in the community and the education and advancement of its youth. He will serve this district well if elected.
Lisagor and Flores are being pushed by the teacher and employee unions because they are viewed as more likely to act favorably in terms of approving new pricey contracts that will be demanded in the next go round by school district employees.
No thanks. We don't need more puppets of self-interested, special interests. We need real leaders.
Vote for Valenzano and Miller on November 4th!
Not a Coincidence,
Actually, I think those Wal-Mart donations may have been engineered by Mike Gibson, a Strickland devotee from Ventura who ran for City Council last year, I believe. He has known ties to this company and, in fact, has been working steadfastly with Wal-Mart as a consultant to help them get a foothold in Ventura, where they are not wanted by the way.
Take it from me. I have been working for the opposition to help qualify a ballot measure to prohibit big boxes in the City of Ventura and Gibson has been working non-stop to make it happen over the will of the majority of Ventura residents.
Nice spin but it isn't true. Teachers' unions do not care much about the county board. Their contracts are signed with local school districts for almost all public school teachers in Ventura County.
Also, how is Valenzano an educator? He sits on a part time board!
Is he being paid to do it?
Oh baloney, News Flash, the anti-Wal-Mart folks don't even know who this guy is and wouldn't post what you just did.
You're a legend in your own mind.
Not Educator:
Valenzano's record is documented in the article above. You support such leadership? It doesn't seem very fiscally conservative. And it doesn't get much more self-interest, special-interest, puppet-like than paying lobbyists to do nothing but promote your religious views and political friends with taxpayer money.
You clearly are not educated on what the County Board is about and seem to be jumping to conclusions about the unions and these two candidates. See L.'s post regarding the unions. As L. says, nice, but so obvious, spin. It's possible the unions aren't backing V & M because they haven't even bothered to ask. I wouldn't be surprised, given that they haven't even bothered to campaign.
Also I believe CAPC has endorsed both LISAGOR and FLORES, and they clearly state that they are against the undue influence of special interests.
Does Miller have a website or anything I can go to to get info? I haven't seem him campaigning at all and want to make an educated vote. Do you have any specifics on his "enormous background and interest"? Does he really live in Oxnard? I've heard that he doesn't live at his registered address.
Thanks for joining us. Dialogue can move us forward.
L. - I think board members get a small monthly stipend and some benefits for their work. Nonetheless, such work does not make you an educator!
Not Educatro-
Valenzano doesn't even show up at his own kids school, what makes you think he gives a crap about other kids education?
Go code 3 to the polls and vote for Lisagor! Unless you don't give a crap either.
L.,
Yes, it is common knowledge that Gibson is being paid by Wal-Mart to help them counter the anti-Wal-Mart group's efforts to ban big boxes from coming into the City. I know he's active on a couple of Chamber of Commerce committees, which has an interest in bringing Wal-Mart to the City as well.
I don't think there's anything necessarily illegal about it, since he's not on the City Council or any City boards or commissions. But, I'm sure it has enabled him to request financial support from Wal-Mart for other candidates in the November election (like Tony Strickland).
Drs. Mark Lisagor and Ramon Flores will be a breath of fresh air on the Ventura County Board of Education. Both are highly educated and committed to serving the needs of the community. The $20K a month to lobbyists is an embarrassment. I know Lisagor is supported by Republicans, Dem and Independents. Valenzano is not. The choice is clear. Vote Lisagor (and Ramon Flores if you live in Oxnard/Port Hueneme).
Good points, Katie. Valenzano is only supported by Republicans and the VCRCC. I think you were a member of that organization at one time, weren't you? You must have deserted them when they started to get all ultra-conservative, huh? Good for you. We welcome you with open arms to the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.
Thanks for the welcome News - but I'm still a conservative Republican! I did leave the VCRCC when it became a candidate organization instead of a Republican organization. But as before I always speak truth and Dr. Lisagor and Dr. Flores are the candidates to support. Obviously, I'm not alone in this assessment.
Vote for Dr. Lisagor and Dr. Ramon!
Don't listen to Katie. She's got no gumption and she's got no game. Hell, we just witnessed right here on the Dennert blog her near conversion to the Democrat Party. She claims to be a conservative Republican, but she's no such thing. She's been bangin' the pots for the Dems for some time now. Why don't you just go ahead and make it official, Katie. Head on down Mr. Schmidt's place and fill out the re-registration form. You'll finally achieve the peace of mind you crave so deeply.
Give it a rest. I'm a Republican and I support Mark Lisagor - just like hundreds of other Republicans. I bang the pots for people with integrity - integrity always trumps party.
More bull from News Flash