Los Angeles, CA: The multi-billion dollar budget of LAUSD attracts power hungry politicians on the Full Disclosure Network® special Video News Blog (12 min). Featuring the raucous debate over AB 1381 between the major players in the battle for control over the Los Angeles Unified School District. This video is available on demand, 24/7 as a public service.
Those featured in the video are:
- Antonio Villaraigosa, L.A. Mayor
- Roy Romer, LAUSD Superintendent
- Gloria Romero, State Senator
- Tom Saenz, Chief Counsel to the Mayor
- Jackie Goldberg, Member, California State Assembly
- Kevin Reed, LAUSD General Counsel
- Fabian Nunez, California Assembly Speaker
- Marlene Cantor, President L.A. Board of Education
- Scott Folsom, President 10th District PTA
- Alex Padilla, Los Angeles City Councilman
- Gerry Miller, Chief Legislative Analyst, L.A. City
- Gene Krischer, Friends of the Children
The California State Assembly Bill 1381 was proposed to give power over the funds and the schools to the Los Angeles Mayor and to take power from the elected School Board members. In this video many of the critical points are debated while legal experts predict the legislation is unconstitutional and will be invalidated if approved and signed into law.
Full Disclosure® has assembled video clips from a public hearing of the Assembly Public Education Committee, conducted by Chairman Jackie Goldberg, plus clips from the five-hour discussion on this issue by the Los Angeles City Council. Featured are searing debates between angry citizens and the Mayor's Chief Counsel Tom Saenz and LAUSD General Counsel Kevin Reed.
LA City Councilman Alex Padilla concludes with the question "This bill is concerned with HOW to take control. But I haven't heard the answer to the question: 'Then what?' Then what will the Mayor do to improve the schools?" This question remains unanswered.
Billed as "the news behind the news" the Full Disclosure Network® is an independent, educational, public affairs cable program featured on 43 cable systems and the worldwide Internet website www.fulldisclosure.net Hosted by Leslie Dutton, who in 2002 was presented with a public affairs Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their series entitled "L.A.'s War Against Terrorism". Channels and airtimes can be found on the website.
Comments to date: 27. This is page 1 of 3.
m. l. rubio west los angeles, ca
Posted: 07:37 pm [PST] on August 12 2007
impeach the mayor now before he
completely takes over as dictator
royal. mayor villaraegosa has
allowed his position to go to his
head and is now drunk with power.
Donna Varesi Orange County
Posted: 03:37 pm [PST] on April 11 2007
Mayor Villarigosa should concentrate on taking care of the city issues. Too much power for one person.
Lisa Los Angeles
Posted: 07:56 pm [PST] on February 19 2007
I was one of the parents in a yellow shirt at this meeting. The mayor's 44 page plan had Special Education and English Language Learners listed on one of the last pages as "LEFTOVERS". He walked out of the meeting before public comments, leaving his legal representative to answer questions. The mayor had arranged to have the press available and was outside giving speeches rather than staying inside to answer to the public. His money comes from Westside construction companies and he only does photo ops at charter schools. Many charters discriminate against special needs children and I fear for the future of our schools if Green Dots and their ilk choose only to serve the "easy ones".
Dawes Lodi, CA
Posted: 04:43 pm [PST] on November 25 2006
This is just another ploy by the Reconquistas to take over California. Education is controlled by the State government not the City government, and the Mayor has no business & absolutely no authority. Those State legislators that are for this bill (AB 1381-Nunez) are traitors.
Skinner SB County
Posted: 03:21 pm [PST] on November 16 2006
Romer is doing a great job leave the man alone and keep the Mayor out of it...
Martha Sanchez Los Angeles, 28th St School
Posted: 04:40 pm [PST] on September 30 2006
I feel really overwhelm, does the Mayor have any idea about what really means to take control of something that has no control? He must be crazy! How can he pretends to take control if there is no cooperation, parents and teachers understanding plus all the problems that evey student carry out inside theirs backpacks when they go to school from home?
He wants to change but without people's participation nothing can be done. He must be brave, crazy, mad or probably he is a visionary, Who knows! Why we don't stop to critize him and let him try and do what he wants to do??? Perhaps he is right. Instead of attacking let's push him to do what he promise to do, at least anything will be pro or against or children. Let's take resposability and take a part on the game.
Sally Los Angeles
Posted: 04:22 pm [PST] on September 30 2006
I don't know!
Which of the two evils is the less?
LAUSD Vs MAyor
at the end noone will do nothing to improve our children's education what a shame!
Hildania Schnorfelson Koreatown
Posted: 06:15 am [PST] on September 20 2006
Can you skew the questions so that they suggest a response any more than you have?
Stop prentending to be a journalist and not a partisan lackey.
Diana Cliff PSA 28th St. School
Posted: 01:01 pm [PST] on September 19 2006
I was a supporter of the Mayor until he took office and started harping about our "troubled" school district. Doesn't he have anything else to do? I'm also aghast at his recent attack on 2 L.A. radio personalities because he didn't like their take on immigration. There is another L.A. radio personality (Tom Likus)who spends all of his on air time denigrating women. We are 1/2 of the population but he seems to think that insulting us is OK.
Helene Halperin Southern California
Posted: 10:30 pm [PST] on September 06 2006
A very thinly veiled power grab by the Mayor designed as a further photo op bonanza on his way to the Governorship. What can he offer by way of education ability, leadership, etc to the School District? What will his contributions be to improving education? Nothing is concrete except the great turmoil this will cause in the school district, further depleting the efforts and energies of those who attempt to serve and educate children. Very bad political cronyism, with the Mayor calling in all his old favors to push this through!