Former state Senator Gloria Romero, founded of the California Center for Parent Empowerment, published an op-ed in Monday’s OC Register taking aim attempts by the Anaheim Elementary Education Association to muzzle members who are walking for Robert Baeza, the popular former principal of Benito Juarez Elementary and Palm Lane Elementary schools. Baeza is running for the Anaheim Union High School District Board of Education.
Romero writes:
Larry Sand, a former classroom teacher and president of California Teachers Empowerment Network, summarized it succinctly: “Ah, the commissar has spoken from on high!”
The “commissar” is none other than the president of the Anaheim Elementary Education Association, Kristen Fisher, who dispatched an email to dues-paying union members on Oct. 6.
It seems that Fisher is more than a bit peeved that members are rejecting the union leader’s endorsements made significantly prior to the close of election filing periods. Some members are taking to the streets to walk precincts for the candidate of their choice, former principal Roberto Baeza, who was not even invited to a screening interview by the union’s Political Action Committee charged with making recommendations for endorsement. Further exacerbating Fisher’s frustration was that these members had the audacity to wear their own union T-shirts while talking to voters about why they believed Baeza would be the better representative for students – as well as teachers.
Apparently, the wearing of T-shirts emblazoned with the union logo was just too much bucking of union status quo interests, causing Fisher to issue her directive – from on high – in a mass email blast to all members.
On Oct. 6 she issued the strident reprimand, writing in part:
You’ll have to click here to read the rest of Romero’s column.
What’s that I hear from the tait clown car when free speech and right of assembly and association is threatened by liberal unions? Oh yeah….crickets.
Also, I have been very disappointed over the past couple of years that Mayor Tait made a major miscalculation and error in judgement in regards to the wants and needs of Hispanic voters. The Hispanic vote cannot be won by a candidate who sympathizes with gangbangers and their sympathizers. All the Hispanics I know hate gangs. The voting Hispanic block will vote for a candidate who will promote safe neighborhoods for their families. Jose Moreno had a bad influence on Mayor Tait and that is very sad.