Dave Grant is a curious man. He’s the kind of man that loves crew, sailing, exotic journeys, and getting school buildings named after himself. It was that last, incredibly narcissistic fact made me curious about this man, and his campaign to capture a seat as a Trustee for Coast Community College District. In next no time at all the story of the OCC David A. Grant Collegiate Rowing Center unraveled itself on my computer screen. The building which is part of Orange Coast College’s “navel base” (and as an obelisk to this man’s self reverence) was recently renovated with tax-payer funds, ahead of a project to build a sorely needed replacement for Orange Coast College’s Math, Computing Sciences, and Business buildings. The costs on new construction had over-runs, and something had to be canceled, and the District had to nix it’s plans for the new math building. But who cares, right? After all, David Grant doesn’t teach math, he coaches crew. And he got the updates to his “Navel Base” to continue doing so, in style.
One peak at his financial disclosure forms, kept at the Registrar of Voters office in downtown Santa Ana, further convinced me that Dave Grant would NOT make a good public official. Who makes an appearance on his donation records? The same developers who updated the OCC Dave Grant Sailing Center (they do a quite a bit of work for the District), the super conservative law firm Rutan & Tucker, who is retained by the district as consul, and pretty much every other player with financial interests in the District. This man wants to be a Trustee. He is so bought and paid for, I shudder to think the damage he will wrought on the District, and it’s long term interests should he get elected.
His biggest opponent is Judge Lynne Riddle. She’s a retired United States Bankruptcy Judge with over a decade and a half on that bench. She has accumulated one extremely impressive academic and professional accomplishment after another, which you can check out on her site here. And, get this, the other opponent on the ballot, Bob Mosely, ceased campaigning. In his own words “there’s a much better candidate, and it’s not me. I’m urging voters to support Judge Lynne Riddle, who has the integrity, experience, and knowledge to continue the reforms, protect taxpayers, and put students first.“.
Wow. Please check out Lynne Riddle if you live in the Coast Community College District, this is one candidate that I have no doubt will put her constituents, and the rule of law, first.
Bought and paid for? Just like Lynne Riddle was giddy to bought and paid for by the unions? Let’s not forget that the faculty union who is putting TONS of money behind Lynne Riddle recently got a raise when students are struggling to enroll in courses! At least it looks like David Grant will bring money to the college instead of just spending it!
Steve, I think it’s awesome that you are endorsing two people that have received union contributions upwards of $200,000.
You are disgustingly wrong on your figures. I just looked at the disclosure forms on Monday, the donations for BOTH Dave Grant and Lynne Riddle don’t amount to more than $60,000, and according to Lynne’s form, she is predominantly self-financed. Nice try!
Diane and Anonymous…Dave Grant was endorsed by a union,too, so you can’t hold that against his opponents. The fact is that Dave Grant knows only OCC, never worked anyplace else. Lynne Riddle is an outsider who has experience as a judge and college faculty member. She will work for the students. Dave Grant will work for his rich friends.
Thanks, George, for your comments on this post. Bob Mosley says it all: Mr. Grant is one of those “good old boys” that Republican and Democratic analysts have warned us about: lots of behind the scenes deals to protect a privileged few, more hiring of relatives, Brown Act violations, and other corrupt things. And, it’s true, that another union did endorse Mr. Grant, so, frankly, his “anti-Union” arguments just don’t make sense. Dr. Riddle will put students first and strive for the same level of opennness and transparency that people at Coast have become accustomed to under Jerry Patterson, Jim Moreno and Lorraine Prinsky! Sure, Mr. Grant is a great sailor, but is really the right person for Trustee?