Hot off the press. But a note to candidates…releasing news after 5PM on a Friday is usually a kiss of death that no one will pick it up. Bad form from Brandman’s consultants on this.
For Immediate Release: October 19, 2012
For More Information Contact: Dennis DeSnoo, (714) 921-1181
Troubled Board Member Katherine H. Smith Continues Campaign of Harassment
(Anaheim) – Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) Trustee and small business owner Jordan Brandman today categorically denied the false accusations made by disgruntled Board Member Katherine H. Smith. Jordan Brandman called the baseless allegations made to the District Attorney, a “politically-motivated vendetta which is wasting precious taxpayer dollars.”
“This is another groundless personal attack by Katherine Smith to smear my good name. She has repeatedly attacked me personally in public since I joined the Board of Trustees.” Smith has been allied with AUHSD school board candidate Thomas “Hoagy” Holguin and controversial former AUHSD school board member Harald Martin. Smith opposed Brandman’s appointment to the Board and opposed his successful elections in 2008 and 2010.
Smith’s reckless actions in 2007 forced AUHSD to hold a special election costing the taxpayers over $250,000. Jordan Brandman won that election and has served honorably on the Board ever since. He has promoted a Reform Agenda that has resulted in significant student academic achievement improvements including Oxford Academy being the number one school in California, expansion of career technical education pathways, and initiatives that have created jobs and saved the taxpayers millions of dollars.
“Mrs. Smith has continually proved to be an erratic and troubled Board Member. This week at an AUHSD candidates forum, she stated that she is against both Proposition 30 and Proposition 38. However, at the Board of Trustees September 20th Meeting she voted ‘Yes’ to endorse Proposition 30. She also voted ‘Abstain’ on Proposition 38.” For years Mrs. Smith has been a fiscally irresponsible Board Member. Her record includes grossly mismanaging the Measure Z school bond funds resulting in a loss of almost $50 million in school construction dollars.
Brandman is calling for an immediate halt to Mrs. Smith’s obsessive behavior and believes the public will reject her negative politics on November 6th.
Meanwhile, Jordan Brandman continues to engage in a positive campaign, building his coalition that will keep Anaheim moving in the right direction. It includes the Anaheim Neighborhood Association, Anaheim Chamber of Commerce PAC, Anaheim Firefighters’ Association, Anaheim Police Officers Political Action Committee, Democratic Party of Orange County, Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, Orange County Business Council, Orange County Labor Federation, Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, Orange County Labor Federation, Orange County Taxpayers Association PAC, Support Our Anaheim Resort PAC, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Senator Lou Correa, Assemblyman Jose Solorio, councilmembers Gail Eastman, Kris Murray & Harry Sidhu, former mayors Tom Daly & Curt Pringle, and many other community leaders.
The election for two open Anaheim City Council seats will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
For more information please visit Jordan Brandman’s campaign website, jordanbrandman.com.
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Perhaps he was aiming for Friday afternoon, thinking it had to be addressed but this was the quietest way of saying Jordan had acknowledged it without giving it too much press. Actually it was bad from for DeSnoo to release this at all. Better to ignore it, the traditional media was not touching this story, the average voter had no idea this is happening, and the more attention is brought to it the more likely that someone IS going to pick it up and run it. Crickets are chirping on this story, let it die. I agree, the people griping about Jordan have hated him from the beginning, they are the Harald Martin crowd, and Jordan needs to just move on, the charges will go nowhere. But DeSnoo is an idiot to give this any attention, Friday afternoon or Monday morning, makes no difference.
No Cynthia, Dennis is overrated. Jordan should fire Dennis for not protecting him from Art’s attacks. Dennis could easily make a condition for Art to leave Jordan alone in order to get paid. They made Art leave Agran alone two years ago, DeSnoo told me that personally.
Jordan, hire someone who actually knows what the f_ck they are doing. You’re too good for Dennis DeSnoo.
This has nothing to do with anyone other than Jordan himself and questions of misuse of public facilities, staff and funds.
He knows, whether he pushed school district staff members to conduct tasks for his personal and campaign use while working and on the clock. He knows, how he conducted himself while collecting his paycheck as a County employee. He knows, if he used his position to place meetings on the calendars of district executive staff members some without any prior knowledge. He also knows, if he continuously attempted to place political resolutions unrelated to school business in front of trustees but never chose to bring forward a resolution in support of a temporary OPT-OUT clause for reprinting of textbooks which will cost the district MILLIONS OF DOLLARS! He knows, of the attempt to get the district to seek a 30 Million Dollar Loan for construction and used it as a play to get trade endorsements for supporting local jobs for which district contracts never had local workforce mandates. He knows, he was responsible for bringing Deferrment of School Fees for residential construction for Developer’s ONLY without local work or prevailing wage clauses placed in any agreement nor the opportunity for the local resident/homeowner considering additions to their properties to be able to take advantage of the same deferrment of fees. He knows, he recently publicly ridiculed two district staff members for recommending a piggyback agreement, that through his own comments made it obvious he didn’t even understand what a piggyback entailed or accomplished, but one could assume he knew it wouldn’t be with a company that has connections with a fellow Utilities Commission member, who just happend to be present at this school board meeting.
Come on folks, look beyond the smiles and start paying attention to the pattern, the blank red faced moments, the NON PUBLIC NOR IN PERSON denouncing of accusations, the continuous use of the words “YES,BUT . . .” whenever an attempt is made to pin point his answers with regards to specific issues. And lastly, I wouldn’t consider AMIN DAVID to have ever been connected positively or in support of or with Harold Martin! But, (LOL) I do recall a recall in which Jordan and his good buddy Alexandria were instrumental in bringing forth which resulted in a costly special election for the school district rather then waiting a few months for the general election which would have been at a substantially lower cost to the district!
And the bottom line here is the so called motive that this is to be an attempt to hurt his City Council campaign or keep Jordan from being elected is absurd, after all is said and done that would only put him back at the school district where the allegations originally refer to complete the final two years of his term.
For months I have heard about these “charges” that were going to be filed, with no other details, so we all waited, wondering what was going on. Now this close to the election, with no time to clear an investigation, folks got the headlines they were looking for-that Jordan Brandman is being investigated. And the “evidence” we have been waiting to hear about is that he has been seen coming and going from an empty office? Sorry, but that is lame, and I would have ignored it in his shoes. That said, if there is more, such as what clearviewinanaheim is saying, why has that not come up? And this excuse on the timing, that Kathy Smith was trying to get this investigated but was thwarted by higher ups…uh..who is higher up than the Board? Something is not right about the whole thing, and even if Jordan is stupid enough to overlap his District duties with work or campaign (hard to fathom, but we are all human and screw up) then the timing on calling him on it is questionable at best. Giving it more air time by responding just gave them openings to post even more to the blogs. How does a professional do this?
Oh wait, the same professional that sent a mailer that “Republicans Endorse” Jordan Brandman? Yeah those 4 names of Anaheim Republicans (who can kiss their GOP base goodbye in the future) really outweigh the backing of those pesky folks at Central Committee who thought THEIR endorsement of two Republican candidates was the real deal. Go figure. That stuff not only does not fool Republicans into voting Brandman, frankly it pisses people off.
Jordan and I no longer see eye to eye politically (something I hope does not last forever) but honestly I am sad for him right now, this was his to lose, and with the help of his team that might actually happen. For Jordan to be anywhere other than out in front means something very, very big has shifted in Anaheim. Either he misjudged how forgiving voters would be over the hotel thing, or his team sucks. Maybe both. But sad.
Quit giving it air time! For once I agree with Loretta Sanchez, just quit while you’re ahead, kid.