SCHOOL BONDS FEED THE BEAST? Video News Blog (10 min)

Los Angeles, CA. The Full Disclosure Network® presents an exclusive video report on how California Taxpayers pay matching funds every time voters in Los Angeles approve billions in school bonds for the what is described as “the Beast” or an economic engine known as the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). And those bonds end up costing taxpayers double the amount with interest paid to bond holders

LAUSD officials describe in the video, how a new proposed $7 Billion dollar school bond, if it is approved by voters, should be considered an “Economic Stimulus Plan” for the region. They tout the bond will employ workers, generate construction of new schools during a time of economic slow down in the area.

Appearing the ten minute Video News Blog with comments pro and con are the following:

• David R. Hernandez, Exec. Director San Fernando Chamber of Commerce
• David Brewer, Superintendent Los Angeles Unified School District
• Monica Garcia, President Los Angeles Unified Board of Education
• Guy Mahula, Chief Executive of Facilities Division, LAUSD
• George Buzzetti, Los Angeles City Activist
• Keith Richman, Former California State Assemblyman
• Leslie Dutton, Moderator

At the end of the video viewers are asked to leave their comments and participate in an online survey by voting on the following questions:

• Should all Californians vote on the LA Bonds too, since they pay matching funds?
• Should the bond language disclose how much interest will be paid for the bonds?
• Which should be the priority of the school district be: 1) educating the children ? or 2) stimulating the economy?

Known as “the news behind the news” Full Disclosure Network® cable and Internet videos provide coverage rarely reported by the regular news media. The videos are also featured on the YOU TUBE at the following URL http://www.youtube.com/FullDisclosureNetwrk.

Cable TV Series: Video News Blog Specials....... on Foreign Student Visa Loopholes, School Bonds and LAUSD Audits & Investigations

The Full Disclosure Network® presents a Video Blog Special covering Foreign Student Visa Loopholes, School Bonds and the Audits and Investigations of the LAUSD, to be featured the Week End on Cable TV as follows:

L. A . Cable Channel 36 & LIVE on the Internet at URL: http://www.la36.org/ on

Sunday May 11th 8-9 pm.

Monday May 12th 4-5 p.m.

or

WATCH these short video news blogs 24/7 from title links below:

Terrorist Visa Loopholes (8:21 min) Covering the crossroads battle over immigration and how the powerful education lobby influences U. S. Immigration Policy and student visa policies. Featuring:

• Jim White, Legal Counselor UCLA International Student Services
• Richard Knickerbocker, Constitutional Attorney
• Georgie Anne Geyer, Syndicated Columnist & Author

Secret School Bonds Create Billions Public Debt. (7.30 min)
LAUSD School Bonds issued without voter approval approach a billion
dollars in outstanding debt, features:

• Edwin Meese, III , U.S. Attorney General (1985-88),
• Kathleen Connell, California State Controller (1995-2003)
• Anthony Patchett, Special Assistant D. A., LAUSD Belmont investigation
• Jim Mc Connell LAUSD Chief Facilities Executive
• Don Mullinax, former LAUSD Inspector General
  
  

IRS Relents to School District Clout (9.30 min) IRS waives
penalty and sanctions for school district’s illegal use of non-voter
approved bonds. Features:

• Dominick Shambra, Director of Planning & Development for LAUSD Belmont project
• David Cartwright, Sr. Partner, O'Melveny & Myers, outside legal counsel on Belmont
• Anthony Patchett, Head of Belmont TASK FORCE Investigation for D. A. Cooley
• Edwin Meese, III former U. S. Attorney General and Chief of Staff to Calif. Governor Reagan
  

Prosecutor Attacks FDN on School Bond Cover-up Blog. (8.23 Min)

The truth is revealed from all perspectives on the questionable financing on Belmont.

• Anthony Patchett, Former Special Assistant D.A. Prosecutor on Belmont
• David Cartwright, Sr. Partner OMelveny & Myers LAUSD Outside Counsel
• Dominick Shambra, LAUSD Director and Planning & Development (Belmont project)
  

School Auditors & Investigators Speak Out on Lack of Prosecution (9 min)

for big dollar crimes in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Features:

• Don Mullinax, LAUSD Inspector General
• Anthony Patchett, Special Assistant D.A., Belmont Task Force Investigation
• Jerry Thornton, Acting LAUSD Inspector General
• Bob Williams, Acting Deputy Inspector General, LAUSD OIG
• Karen Sexton, Investigator OIG

The Full Disclosure Network Video News Blogs on the Internet are produced by host Leslie Dutton and T. J. Johnston and are presented in half hour format and distributed to 45 cable tv channels.

Chaos Follows Corruption Allegations in OC School District: Citizens Battle to Reform the Capistrano Unified School District

Orange County, CA. The Full Disclosure Network® is re-releasing a ground-breaking six part series covering the historic battle to restore honesty, integrity and accountability to the the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD). The citizen revolt began in 2005 with a petition drive to recall all seven members of the Board of Trustees and has now culminated in a full scale criminal investigation of the school board members and the indictment of former superintendent James Fleming for multiple felonies.

PROVOCATIVE SERIES

This provocative series will be featured on Cox South Orange County Cable Channel 31 starting Wednesday March 12th at 6 p.m., and will continue each and every Wednesday for the next six weeks.

Listed below are air dates for the six episodes, with links on titles to a short video previews:

1. "Parents Declare War on School District" Part 1-2
Part 1 : Wednesday March 12th 6 p.m.

Part 2: Wednesday March 19th 6 p.m.
Reform leaders first make public allegations that CUSD officials had squandered $52 million on luxurious administration building for themselves, while students and teachers are relegated to dilapidated portable classrooms. Ignoring massive community opposition, CUSD then also proceeds with construction of a $150 million high school next to South Orange County’s largest active landfill.

2.

"Citizens Provoke DA Raids on CUSD" Part 3-4
Part 3: Wednesday March 26th 6 p.m.

Part 4: Wednesday April 2nd 6 p.m
Superintendent James Fleming is forced to retire in disgrace and under fire from the community, while elected Trustees loyal to Fleming vote to use taxpayer funds to pay for Fleming’s criminal defense attorney. District Attorney investigators armed with search warrants raid the District offices. Charges that District officials interfered with the Recall Petition process prompt a growing number of public officials to speak out against corruption and mismanagement of the District.

3. "Local Officials Speak Out: Trustees Step Aside?" Part 5-6
Part 5: Wednesday April 9the 6 p.m.

Part 6: Wednesday April 16th 6 p.m.
Following the indictment of Superintendent Fleming and his Assistant Superintendent more local officials from across South Orange County join the call for the “Old Guard” Trustees to resign from office. Even with the election of three newly elected “reform” Trustees, the Old Guard continues with “business as usual” and are found by the Orange County District Attorney to have engaged in systematic illegal secret meetings to freeze out the public from the democratic process.

Featured in the series are CUSD Recall Committee leaders and elected officials:
• Tony Beall, Mayor, Rancho Santa Margarita (CUSD Recall Committee leader)
• Patricia Kelly, Council member, City of Mission Viejo
• Neil Blais, Councilman City of Rancho Santa Margarita
• John Paul Ledesma, Councilman City of Mission Viejo
• Gary Thompson, Mayor Pro-Tem City of Rancho Santa Margarita
• Tom Russell, CUSD Recall Committee Leader
• Jennifer Beall, CUSD Recall Committee Leader
• Carmen Cave, Mayor City of Aliso Viejo
• Mark Nielson, City of San Juan Capistrano Council Member
• Anna Bryson, Vice Pres. CUSD Board (newly elected)
• Gail Reavis, Mayor City of Mission Viejo
• Ellen Addonizio, Trustee CUSD Board (newly elected)
• Lon Uso, City of San Juan Capistrano Council Member
• Steve Knoblock, City of San Clemente Council Member
• James Fleming, Superintendent, Capistrano Unified School District
• Shelia Henness, CUSD Board of Trustees

Known as “the news behind the news” the Full Disclosure Network® television programs are featured on 45 cable systems and the Internet since 1992 and produced by Emmy Award winning Host Leslie Dutton and Producer T. J. Johnston. In 2002 the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented a local public affairs Emmy to Full Disclosure. Channels and airtimes can be found on the website at http://www.fulldisclosure.net/ .

How Did Belmont Cost the L A Unified School District A Half $Billion? DVD Documentary Series (Preview 7 min)

Los Angeles, CA. Learn how the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) managed to spend over a half a Billion dollars building the still incomplete (2007) Belmont Learning Center, renamed Vista Hermosa. Now available in a Documentary Collectors Series of 23 DVDs. Watch 7 min preview here.

The Full Disclosure Network® has recorded the historical battle within the L.A. school district that started back in 1994. Fourteen years later the school has never been occupied, partially demolished and under re-construction, with costs mounting.

From start to finish, find out how the L.A. Unified School District got into this mess and hear the participants offer their opinions regarding who was responsible.

“Belmont: The World’s Most Expensive High School” DVD collectors series provides in-depth background of the deep conflict between an out of control school district and unaccountable administrators who, empowered by a political powerful law firm, confounded the issues of conflicting interest. The participants describe the frustration of the investigators who were neutered by a District Attorney whose political ambitions rendered him unable to take action.

THE SERIES:

Comprised of ten interviews with experts each describe their role:

• Planning & Development
• Legal & Financing
• Toxic hazards
• Investigation of fraud.
• Purchase of land
• Failure to prosecute crimes

Each DVD contains two-part interviews with the major players involved, and the series includes two summary programs: “The Best of Belmont” and “The Black Hole of School Construction” and include exclusive footage of the December 2004 demolition of 60 percent of the brand new, never occupied buildings. Click here for a downloadable flyer listing all those interviewed is available here.

Produced by Emmy Award winning Host Leslie Dutton and Producer T. J. Johnston, the series was videotaped originally for cable television and aired on 45 cable systems in California.
The DVDs are available individually or as a set with special prices for institutional organizations. For individual or institutional savings contact Full Disclosure Network® Executive offices at (310) 822-4449 or http://www.fulldisclosure.net/

Full Disclosure Network® Cable TV Series: How California Parents Won Back Their School District

Click here to watch 1:30 min video demo

Orange County, CA. Learn how the parents in South Orange County successfully fought to take back control of the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD). Full Disclosure Network® has recorded the historical battle in school district that started back in 2005 and has taken almost two years to completion. The parents war against CUSD is documented seven episodes to date, including six complete shows along with three stimulating viedo news blogs all available on DVDs. Produced by Emmy Award winning Host Leslie Dutton and Producer T. J. Johnston and featuring all the parents who led the Recall of and Reform campaign and elected officials from small cities within the District.

HOW PARENTS WON BACK THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT

Collectors Set of Seven DVDs

1. "Parents Declare War on Their School " (Episodes 1-2)

2. "Citizens Provoke DA Raids on District" (Episodes 3-4)

3. "Local Officials Speak Out: Trustees Step Aside" (Episodes 5-6)

4. (Episode #7) Three Video News Blogs (on one DVD) includes the following:

5. Video News Blog #1: " School Corruption Sparks Citizen Revolt"

6. Video News Blog #2: "Recall Election Corrupted: Parents Expose"

7. Video News Blog #3: "Has the OC Registrar Broken Down?"

ADD THIS COMPLETE SET TO YOUR PERSONAL COLLECTION OR DONATE IT TO YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY TO SHARE WITH OTHERS

COLLECTORS SET SPECIAL PRICE $99.99

Place your order, click here or call 1-310-822-4449

ELECTED OFFICIALS JOIN CALL FOR OC SCHOOL TRUSTEES TO STEP DOWN: Internet Video Preview (8 min)

Orange County, CA: A growing number of elected officials are joining with parents, taxpayers and citizens who have been frustrated with the leadership of their local School Board. and are now calling for "Old Guard" Trustees to step down or be recalled. The political revolt taking place in South Orange County provides a text book case for how a citizens campaign can successfully conduct an orderly revolution, using the democratic process.

The Full Disclosure Network®(FDN) is releasing the latest two episodes (Part 5 and 6) covering the history and new developments in Capistrano Unfied School District (CUSD) controversy along with a FREE eight minute Internet video preview (click here to view) of the on-going cable tv series on the real life grassroots campaign to recall or replace all seven of the elected CUSD Trustees.

• While the CUSD recall petitions (2006) were disqualified from the ballot under unusual circumstances, the organizers and citizens went on to defeat three of the incumbent Trustees in the next regularly scheduled election (2007). The Trustees were replaced by candidates supported by the Recall Committee. However, the four remaining “Old Guard” Trustees are now being accused of undermining the efforts of citizens and the new Trustees to truly reform the District and restore accountability

• Latest episodes to be cablecast during the first two weeks of September throughout California. The recall leaders are now joined by elected officials from many small cities in the District who describe their own horror stories of dealing with the former Superintendent James Fleming who recently resigned. A short time after his resignation, he was then indicted by the Orange County Grand Jury for alleged use of taxpayers funds to prevent the recall petition from qualifying for the ballot.

• The FDN series on CUSD documents the historic battle to reform the District starting in 2005 up to present. In all there are six, half-hour Full Disclosure® programs and three Video News Blog on the Internet each reporting step by step, the citizens struggle to regain control of their school district.

Elected officials are featured in the episodes calling for the "old guard" Trustees to step down or to face another recall election are:

• Mayor Pro-Tem Gary Thompson, City of Rancho Santa Margarita
• Tom Russell, CUSD Recall Leader
• Mayor Tony Beall, City of Rancho Santa Margarita and CUSD Recall Leader
• Mayor Carmen Cave, City of Aliso Viejo
• Councilman Mark Neilson, City of San Juan Capistrano & Recall Leader
• Trustee Anna Bryson, Vice Pres. CUSD Board (newly elected)
• Mayor Gail Reavis, City of Mission Viejo
• Trustee Ellen Addinizio, CUSD Board (newly elected)
• Councilman Lon Uso, City of San Juan Capistrano
• Councilman Steve Knoblock, City of San Clemente

One of the major obstacles encountered by the recall leaders was the difficulty in gaining media attention to the problem due to refusal of the District and the Trustees to be interviewed. Indeed, the Full Disclosure Network® encountered fierce resistence as well, when the CUSD Administration and Trustees steadfastly denied interview requests. This fact is doumented in previous FDN episodes and in correspondence posted on the CUSD FDN website page and most recent email rejecting our requests for interviews from the new Director of Communications.

The Full Disclosure Network® (FDN) is known as “the news behind the news” covering, in-depth, important issues the mainstream media often ignores. As an independently produced and privately funded cable access program FDN is currently featured on 45 cable systems in the State of California and on the Internet as a public service. Producers of the program are host Leslie Dutton and T. J. Johnston. In 2002 the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented FDN with a local public affairs Emmy Award for the series "L.A.'s War Against Terrorism". Channels and Airtimes for the programs can be found on the website.

L.A. Mayor's Battle For Power: Sunday on Cable LA Channel 36: Internet Preview (7 min)

Los Angeles, CA On Sunday, August 12, 2007 from 8-9 p.m. L.A. Cable Channel 36 will feature the two-part Full Disclosure® series on the historic attempt to take over of the Los Angeles Unified School District and it will be repeated on Monday, August 13, from 4-5 p.m.

The series features Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his Chief Legal Counsel Tom Saenz as they are confronted with raucous opposition, led by then LAUSD Superintendent Roy Romer in a State Assembly hearing and presentations before the L. A. C ity Council.Opponents have described the Mayor's actions as "power grab” involving billions of taxpayers dollars intended for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Although the Mayor's take-over plan fell victim in an historic court battle with the LAUSD, the breath taking legislative struggle for power was recorded in this special Full Disclosure Network® cable television series featuring all the major players. The series is also being re-run on 45 cable sytems. A FREE seven minute video preview of the two-part series is available here 24/7, on demand, as a public service.Issues that are hotly debated in this two-part special program are the major components addressed in AB 1381 sponsored by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez:

1. Consolidation of power in an appointed Superintendent
2. Setting up a new bureaucracy known as the “Council of Mayors”
3. Control through the Mayor’s Community Partnership

Those featured in the video are:

• Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
• 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
• Bernard Parks, Los Angeles City Council
• Marebelle Delatorre, City of San Fernando Council Member

Other highlights include:

• 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.
• The complete one hour, two-part special Full Disclosure™ series features behind the scenes skirmishes not reported by the mainstream media, that including portions of a letter from Fresno Mayor Autry and major players involved in the power struggle.
• Assembly Education Committee Chairperson Jackie Goldberg loses control of the meeting to members of the audience who object to statements made by State Senator Gloria Romero and the Mayor’s Chief Legal Counsel.

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 http://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.