Richard Michael: Follow the School-Bond Money

I just wanted to comment on the Total Recall story.

All recalls are political. That statement in the story tends to bias anyone initiating a recall.

What I noticed most, however, is that you investigated connections on only one side, that of (Rick) Giffin. It certainly reads like a thorough investigation. Why not (Kathryn) Ramirez’ connections to unions, the PLA, and the unspecified higher office?

Independent journalism is important. If you don’t look at both sides equally, it doesn’t come off that way.

Giffin was portrayed negatively throughout. You downplayed his living in the same district. Why would he target the whole board when trustees are elected by area? Ramirez was portrayed as a victim.

Like Ramirez, Giffin is only one of seven.

If you agree with the Woodward-Bernstein rule of follow the money, the real story will be with misuse of the bond funds. If you’d like to know how individual districts can steal millions of dollars from bond funds, give me a call. Oversight committees, because they are stacked with cheerleaders and lack any incentive to actually do the work of the committee, are just pawns, witting or unwitting, in the grand
theft of property taxes.

Richard Michael
California School Bonds Clearinghouse

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