One of the interesting side stories in the side show “I know you are but what am I” battles between Irvine council member and AD-70 GOP candidate Steven Choi and Tustin Mayor and AD-70 candidate Jerry Amante is the news that Choi has thrown Irvine’s pro-education parents under the bus as he pursues political power for himself.
Choi, a former IUSD trustee before his election to city council six years ago, was an advocate of helping Irvine parents lower the threshold for passing a parcel tax that could be used to shore up the massive deficit facing the district due to poor representation in Sacramento by Assemblyman Chuck DeVore and State Senator Mimi Walters. He supported Irvine’s proposed parcel tax twice and the proposal garnered support of the majority of voters in Irvine who care about education – just not the two thirds needed. But in a candidate’s forum, Choi, eager to tout his “conservative tax fighter” credentials, is distancing himself from Irvine parents who support education by renouncing steps to lower the bar for passing a parcel tax.
From the story: “Choi dismisses Wagner’s attacks. He says he did not vote for parcel taxes, but simply responded to constituent requests to put the measures on the ballot. He says he’s since changed his view of the two-thirds requirement and now supports it.”
Perhaps Choi sees failing Irvine schools as a marketing vehicle to steer new customers to his tutoring business of “Dr. Choi’s School.” But what can you expect from a man who, as an IUSD trustee won $10,000 in an IUSD raffle years ago and kept $9,000 of the prize money for himself?
Well Dan, right on target I see. Guess you must see Choi as a threat if you are starting to throw the dirt, this early. Don’t think you are going to get much traction from Irvine voters who refuse to consider giving up the 2/3 vote on tax increases, regarding of how noble the cause. Frankly, no one wants to give the government any more of their money to waste, a fact you Democrats can’t seem to comprehend? Perhaps, when a lot of your big spenders, including a few of our own, are spanked and sent home from Congress in November, the light might come back on?
Now, let me see if I understand this other accusation correctly. Steven Choi was on the School Board, purchased some of the Irvine Public School Foundation raffle tickets and won the $10,000 prize? Since you referenced he kept $9,000 of it, I assume he donated 10% of it someone? I am absolutely shocked that Steven would have the audacity to keep raffle money that he legitimately won in the raffle. I may never vote for him again!!!!!!! Now, I say that with tongue in cheek because I know what you would have done and know what I would have done had my name been drawn and it wouldn’t have been giving the money back to the Foundation. Dan, if you hope to be the great “spin-master” for Melissa Fox in her upcoming campaign, you are going to have to do better than these accusations. Perhaps you should go back to taking photos of Steven’s car and seeing if you can get photos of him not at his apartment. Or you could hire the services of Orange County’s most famous Private Eye, Bill Hunt.
I did like one thing about this article though. The blown up and enhanced photo of “Comrade Pelosi” in her Marxist attire, made me wonder what she is going to do for a living after November? Since I read somewhere, she is now quoting the Bible, I hear there are openings at the nunnery. Best wishes and keep that computer humming.
The primary is next week Pat. The fact is the vast majority of Irvine parents support an easing of the two thirds requirement for a parcel tax. Since our Republican state representatives and state senators can’t even elevate Irvine schools to half the state average, what options do we have? And the funds at IUSD are hardly wasted; how would you feel if I said bonuses for cops in Irvine who average $118K a year are wasted money?
Choi hardly needed that raffle money; it was there for a fundraiser for the schools. Any decent public official would have turned it all over to IPSF. I’d emphasize the word “decent.”
Choi has aligned himself with a political pariah who sought to blackmail political enemies by routing websites he procured to NAMBLA and gay porn for thousands of dollars to pay overdrawn credit card accounts that he’s now being sued for credit card fraud by lenders for. Weren’t there are reputable Republicans Choi could have used Pat?
Pelosi is a devout Catholic Pat. Quoting the Bible is appropriate because at least Democrats can look out for the poor and the sick seven days a week not just during Mass. And this has been a very productive Congress passing hgealthcare reform, financial reform, repealing DADT, passing new health benefits for Veterans and more.
Dan, your responses were better than usual.
If so many Irvine voters support the Parcel Tax, let’s get it on the ballot for a vote. Sorry, but I do not support dropping the approval below the 2/3 majority for new taxes. As we all know, government has never met a tax it didn’t love and want to increase. Small today, larger next year and on and on. If your assumptions are correct, there should be no problem getting a sufficient number of votes. I might even vote in favor of it myself, as I do support our schools (within reason).
Perhaps in the meantime, the School District could separate essential education services, from enhanced education services. I will leave the determination to them, but would expect to see Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies and Languages under essential education. Only these subjects would be funded with tax dollars. With enhanced services like; computer classes, art, music, athletics and other such topics, there would be a user fee. Divide up the costs between the students wanting to participate, assuring a break even ratio and then letting the parents pay for the classes. There could be a waiver for low income families, which are a small minority in Irvine.
Is this an ideal solution, not in the least. In my book and I am sure yours as well, education of out kids should be at the top of the list of priorities in this country. Certainly higher than the trillions of tax dollars pumped into backwater holes around the world, where people hate Americans. However, in the real world, the bottom line is that with current economic times and a chance of them getting worse in the future, people are rebelling against government and taxes. I think we have to consider all options?
While I support our Public Safety (Police & Fire) employees, don’t confuse me with one who supports unlimited pay and benefits. There were times in the past where the country and City of Irvine fell on hard times and everyone had to bite the bullet. In those days, employees were treated like assets and not throw-a-ways, as they are today. We were all to happy to get on board and do our share, going without pay increases until things improved. Times are tougher today than I have ever seen before and my gut feeling is that despite assurances from the wizards of Washington, we have yet to see the bottom. If I am correct and I hope I am not, Public Safety in the future will not only take large cuts in salary, but loose a lot of employees, as well. However, the Cops will do what we have always done, more service, with less resources.
Dan, all those nice things you referenced in your last paragraph, have only compounded the similar miserable fiscal management by George Bush and brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy. While you see such entitlements as making people happy, I see an enraged sleeping giant not only awakened, but being highly enraged. Unless I miss my guess and I have been wrong before, the giant will speak loudly in the November elections. I will stick to my suggestion of Pelosi heading to a nunnery. She needs the rest of her life to contemplate the damage she has helped inflict on this country. Best wishes.