Irvine commuters woke up this morning to new campaign signs — a black banner with hot pink text — proclaiming Irvine’s Education Team of Steven Choi, Jeff Lalloway, Ira Glasky and Sharon Wallin. What what? Wallin is part of a team of Republicans?
It’s a complete lie of course.
Perhaps its the developers syllogism method of reasoning — if the first two statements are true, the third must be true: Wallin and Glasky are running together as a team, Glasky is endorsed by and has endorsed Choi and Lalloway, ergo, Wallin and Glasky are part of the Irvine Education Team. You can get a few bottles of wine, sit and drink and think of “true stuff” all day.
Wallin has a track record of 12 years of the IUSD board of education. She’s a lifelong Democrat who frankly cares far more about the “public service” part of the job than the politics behind elections.
But as far as the “top of the ticket” of Irvine’s education team, some reminders for our readers.
- As an IUSD trustee, Choi won a $10,000 prize in an early IPSF raffle several years ago when the district was really struggling financially. Choi gave $1,000 back and kept $9,000 for himself. Choi was unable to spell Lynn Schott’s last name correctly on a piece of literature from the 2010 election.
- Lalloway’s 2010 campaign for council, he called for the city to give a flat-out $5 million grant to Irvine schools designed not so much to help schools as pander for votes. Funny, Lalloway first wants to give $5 million to schools but voted to gut funding for UCI’s Barclay Theater. Perhaps if his daughters go to UCI and get involved in the drama program there, he’ll feel differently. Lalloway’s fliers talk about the educational policy things he’s voted for, leaving out the fact these things were also voted for by Larry Agran and Beth Krom too.
- Shea’s not on the ballot this time around, but she’s never been a big fan of the city giving money to the schools as this Voice of OC article shows.
Over the course of 12 years of Progressive Council majorities in Irvine, the city’s contribution increased to nearly $10 million a year — more than any city provides the school districts in the cities they serve. Yet, the Irvine Republicans keep endorsing people like Don Wagner and Mimi Walters for state office when they have done precious little to increase Irvine’s well below state average $8,300 an change per pupil spending on education. The State of California average spending per pupil is $10,826 tying us for 34th with Oklahoma (we were 50th before Jerry Brown was elected again).
When Wyoming can spend $19,000+ per pupil and Irvine is below average in a state with below average spending on education, do not look to Republicans to make any claims about being “education first.”
So we you see those Black and Hot Pink signs, remember, someone added Wallin’s name to it. But also note that the IE has thrown Lynn Schott under the bus. Guess providing a service that teaches conservative values for home-schoolers in Irvine doesn’t qualify her for the “education team.”