The Voice of OCpublished a story yesterday on an “Anaheim Youth Civic Summit” being held today and tomorrow, and sponsored by the Orange County Congregation Community Organization:
The two-day training at Anaheim High School “seeks to educate youth with an introduction to civics and how the government works…and provide opportunities for youth to become civically engaged in Anaheim through experiential learning,” according to organizers with the Orange County Congregation Community Organization.
Scheduled speakers include Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait, Anaheim Union High School District Superintendent Mike Matsuda, Los Amigos of Orange County President Jose Moreno, Orange County Congregation Community Organization or OCCCO Executive Director Miguel Hernandez and Ryan Ruelas, founder of the student leadership group BROS.
In other words, Anaheim high school students get to spend two days being “educated” in politics by the liberal political activist superintendent of the AUHSD, the left-wing head of Los Amigos and a school board candidate and teachers union activist who is also a member of the State Council of the CTA – one of the most powerful special interest groups in the state – and the incumbent Republican mayor who is running for re-election and working with a left-wing coalition to pass a by-district council elections measure on the November ballot.
The Anaheim Civic Youth Curriculum builds off the past success and covers five general areas:
1. Active Citizenship 2. Civics 101 3. Transformative Leadership 4. Knowing the Issue 5. Taking Action
With generous support from the ACT (Accelerating Change Together) Grant the curriculum is being developed to increase civic engagement and participation among Anaheim’s most at-risk youth. Grounded in the Anaheim Civic Youth Baseline Survey, the curriculum seeks to educate youth with an introduction to civics and how the government works, it also seeks to influence current attitudes towards voting and participation and provide opportunities for youth to become civically engaged in Anaheim through experiential learning. [Emphasis added]
Maybe I’m jaundiced from years of watching how politics is conducted in our public schools, but events like this set of alarm bells for me. OCCCO is a good-hearted, faith-based organization, but it’s politics are definitely left-of-center, as are those of almost all the speakers. This event sounds more like a two-day campaign volunteer recruiting seminar – especially for the by-district elections campaign. Moreno, Tait, Ruelas andOCCCOall actively support the passage of the by-district council elections initiative. Ryan Ruelas’ BROS youth group, for example, has been a presence of pro-council district rallies.
Funny how the issue of by-district elections keeps cropping up?
Encouraging our youth to be civically engaged is a good thing; a representative self-government depends upon an informed and engaged electorate understands the nature of representative government and the principles upon which the American Republic was founded. There is little of that in the “Anaheim Civic Youth Baseline Survey.”
However, engaging our youth in politics ought to be the job of political parties and other civic institutions, and ought to be kept clear of our K-12 public schools. The AUHSD certainly should be host of and participant in an ideologically-slanted event with all the markers of being thinly-veiled rally to recruit volunteers for the by-district elections campaign.
Following: photos from the March 22, 2014 rally in support of the by-district elections campaign, organized by OCCCO and OCCORD:
Anaheim BROS, a youth group organized and moderated by Ryan Ruelas, AUHSDteacher, union activist and school board candidate.
Jose Moreno exhorting the faithful at OCCCO pro-districts campaign rally.
Mishal Montgomery, aide to mayor Tom Tait, speaks at OCCCO pro-district rally.
This an egregious abuse of the ACT funding that was meant to provide programs for at-risk youth in our community – kids who are literally hungry, homeless, or in need of basic necessities and services to help their quality of life. Not to indoctrinate them for political gain. Tom Tait and Jose Moreno should be ashamed and held accountable for abusing this program and using public resources for political programming. I’m sick to my stomach.
Who was that guy commenting last week that said he was on the OCGOP Central Committee? I would like to know if events like this where Tait and Montgomery headline are being reported back to the voting members. I find it hard to believe that is the case.
Trust me – I plan to let committee members know about this. Tait has crossed the line big time! And for those who are members of the Anaheim Republican Assembly and witnessed Tait and Company attempting to take over their meeting this month, you are on notice that this guy is a liberal conspirator and there is no explanation that excuses his actions. Icing on the cake that his cohost Moreno finally registered as a Dem for the coming election.
There is legitimate concern in Central County surrounding CALVOTER’s tactics and methods. The “district director” is a Santa Ana Council members campaign manager, who until recently was in the US illegally, he suddenly received an visa and work permit, despite having worked her as an adult for four years.
He, Alex Flores, was also the student body President at Santa Ana College and a well spoken DREAM ACT advocate. Glad he was able to “earn” his keep.
But, the questions surrounding his CALVOTER office remain, especially in the contested senate race between Solorio and Ngyuen How can a guy who CAN NOT VOTE be in charge of enrolling voters?
The answer my friends is baked in the cake.
Look for Alex Flores and CALVOTER to begin a HEAVY push in West Anaheim in the coming days, he just received $750. in pizza coupons for canvassers.
It is outrageous that Tom Tait is working hand-in-glove with these leftist to help them engineer a Democratic takeover of Anaheim city government. Is he so blind that he cannot understand what he’s doing? Or is he so caught up in his petty resentment of all the people who elected him that he doesn’t care?
It is also outrageous that Orange County Republicans are so clueless to what he’s doug and keep giving him a pass.
Jose Moreno sends the wrong message to youth by claiming they are being denied an education.
This an egregious abuse of the ACT funding that was meant to provide programs for at-risk youth in our community – kids who are literally hungry, homeless, or in need of basic necessities and services to help their quality of life. Not to indoctrinate them for political gain. Tom Tait and Jose Moreno should be ashamed and held accountable for abusing this program and using public resources for political programming. I’m sick to my stomach.
Who was that guy commenting last week that said he was on the OCGOP Central Committee? I would like to know if events like this where Tait and Montgomery headline are being reported back to the voting members. I find it hard to believe that is the case.
Trust me – I plan to let committee members know about this. Tait has crossed the line big time! And for those who are members of the Anaheim Republican Assembly and witnessed Tait and Company attempting to take over their meeting this month, you are on notice that this guy is a liberal conspirator and there is no explanation that excuses his actions. Icing on the cake that his cohost Moreno finally registered as a Dem for the coming election.
Indeed. Be sure to highlight the dastardly deployment of youth to pray for the protection of children around the world.
I can think of nothing more sinister.
Thank you, Captain Beside The Point.
Hey! Look who’s back.
Thanks for publishing my comment a week later. Much appreciated.
There is legitimate concern in Central County surrounding CALVOTER’s tactics and methods. The “district director” is a Santa Ana Council members campaign manager, who until recently was in the US illegally, he suddenly received an visa and work permit, despite having worked her as an adult for four years.
He, Alex Flores, was also the student body President at Santa Ana College and a well spoken DREAM ACT advocate. Glad he was able to “earn” his keep.
But, the questions surrounding his CALVOTER office remain, especially in the contested senate race between Solorio and Ngyuen How can a guy who CAN NOT VOTE be in charge of enrolling voters?
The answer my friends is baked in the cake.
Look for Alex Flores and CALVOTER to begin a HEAVY push in West Anaheim in the coming days, he just received $750. in pizza coupons for canvassers.
Who’s vote or whose vote???
It is outrageous that Tom Tait is working hand-in-glove with these leftist to help them engineer a Democratic takeover of Anaheim city government. Is he so blind that he cannot understand what he’s doing? Or is he so caught up in his petty resentment of all the people who elected him that he doesn’t care?
It is also outrageous that Orange County Republicans are so clueless to what he’s doug and keep giving him a pass.