http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPwRo0YTTe4

I don’t know enough to say it’s not a witch hunt. More power to you for knowing your facts.

The reality is this: bond monies for construction should never be used for reasons other than what the voters approved.

You’re right about Tim White being an honorable person. He’s a stand-up guy. But, whatever the politics behind the scene, he should always be aware of what the bond spending criteria is, especially what the monies shouldn’t pay for.

Legal costs are considered administrative in nature. They are to be covered by the General Fund. The work that B&B has done should therefore be paid for by the General Fund. If the bond monies paid, then the bond fund needs to be reimbursed.

Turner

When Randy Ward was still the State Administrator and Roy Coombs was his General Counsel, Mr. Combs personally assigned Meredith Brown, from the independent legal firm of Bryant and Brown, to work directly under the supervision of Tim White on Facilities department legal matters, rather than under his own (Combs’) supervision. Meredith Brown had been working with OUSD since long before Tim White ever came to OUSD from Compton. When Combs, with whom Tim White often disagreed, allowed Tim White to supervise his own department attorneys, Tim took it as a sign of Combs’ professional respect for White’s always-respectful, apolitical approach and ability to get in and get the impossible done. It now appears that this was a setup, designed to eliminate the paper trail to those truly responsible for the underhanded dealings regarding the proposed sale of OUSD’s downtown headquarters and adjacent properties to developers, who were planning a massive waterfront condo development. Those who were actually running the program regarding the sale of the property? State Superintendent Jack O’Connell and his staff: Gavin Payne, Susan Ronnback, and Kathleen Moore; State Administrator Randy Ward and his Chief Academic Officer Kimberly Statham, who became Ward’s first successor; and the erstwhile Javetta Robinson, who was fired by Statham a little over a year ago. Javetta Robinson, like Tim White, resisted the crooked dealings of the State in this scandal, and when the blowback from Statham’s dismissal of Robinson led to Statham’s subsequent departure from the State Administrator job, those left behind to consolidate their power knew that they needed to handle Tim White’s refusal to play ball much more delicately — so they left it alone for a time.

Now that Deb Cooksey, who is working without a contract as the Interim General Counsel, has risen to prominence, she has decided that she resents not having direct authority over Tim White’s department legal matters. With the support of the “Strategy Group” — who saw their opportunity to bring down Tim White and eliminate the last threat to their gang’s dirty little secrets — Ms. Cooksey launched an investigation. In a deeply disappointing move, our elected school board — rather than asking Tim White for his side of the story — descended into a petty squabble over race and, when they moved beyond that, began making demands for an investigation. Where was the demand for an investigation two years ago when the state and its cronies were trying to co-opt our school property for a sweetheart deal with private developers? Where was the demand for answers when, as FCMAT evaluator for the past five years, Roberta Mayor — whom the school board has now inexplicably throned into authority as OUSD’s new Superintendent, and who is now presiding over this “comprehensive review” of district operations — gave Tim White and his Facilities department only the highest evaluation marks?

As head of Facilities, $50 million to $100 million of capital projects expenditures come across Tim White’s desk from clerks for signature every year. I am highly suspicious about Ms. Brown’s billing errors — reportedly approximately $50,000 worth of “accidental” item duplications buried within reams of legal invoices. But whether these irregularities are accidental or just another kickback for her part in a nasty episode involving East Coast developers — it’s not Tim White we should be looking to for blame. It’s the seething criminality of the State Superintendent, the State Administration, and its many adherents within OUSD. Tim White is perhaps the only innocent left among the lot of them. I am appalled at yet another example of willing submission by our elected board, and by the absence of a resounding chorus of public support for Tim White. It is telling that Tim feels he will get a fairer result from an impartial investigation by the Alameda County District Attorney than he would get from his own peers at OUSD. It will be a travesty if we let them get away with scapegoating him in the phony name of “Oakland SUCCESS.” The proper name is Oakland SHAME. Please raise your voices, defend Tim White against this witch hunt, and call the hunters to justice.

Christopher Waters
OUSD parent and Oakland activist

The Legal department can’t be paid out of bond funds because the language did not specify that salaries could be paid for with those monies.

Turner

Sometimes I feel like you are channeling Steve Allen’s Tonight Show bit when he read the letters to the editor in an angry tone. Difference in style is Steve Allen would pick things that most people wouldn’t be upset about (source of ha, has) and you are dealing with sensitive and difficult issues.

Katy: question I have is how is the in-District attorney that is covering the same issues as Bryant and Brown law firm being paid? Is it also out of Measure B bond money?

One of the duties that B & B law firm was paid Measure B was working with the Citizens Oversight Committee and if you read the education code that committee is suppose to get district resources without tapping construction bond money.

Seems the legislature was concern with the practice of districts creatively diverting bond money intended for construction costs.

If the District’s attorney dedicated to facilities bond issues is being paid to work with the citizens oversight committee out of bond funding, both cases are a violation of the education code.

Possibly it is a violation of the education code in listing Measure B Committee as part of the justification for $150,000 and previous monies the B & B law firm received.

Jim Mordecai

My 2001 experiences with the district legal office did nothing to dispel rumors of its lack luster performance. But far be it from little old white me to criticize and cause a “race problem” by drawing unwanted attention to some “black folks trying to make some money,” as was alleged by Afro board member Spearman about Latino board member Gallo in response to his concerns about possible fiscal waste and duplication of services associated with bypassing the district legal office for outside (Bryant & Brown) African American legal services.

I recall the district legal office as largely staffed by African Americans. Perhaps this is no longer true making it necessary to bypass that office in search of ‘outside’ African American lawyers? Or perhaps the facilities office bypassed OPS legal services for the same reason parents are increasingly bypassing the OPS for outside (private, charter, & elsewhere) school services – TO GET BETTER RESULTS!

But let’s keep it ‘Oakland simple!’ As long as OUSD doesn’t’ hire a white non-minority law firm and is giving ‘filthy rich Oakland home owner property tax money’ back to the (Afro American) minority community it shouldn’t be a problem, unless you’re “racist” or a cold hearted uncaring fiscal pragmatist.

Moreover , its OK plitically for blacks to criticize white or other races, but when another race even looks crossly at a black person, out flies the racist attack.

And we wonder why the schools and this city is in the shape its in? This system of racial patronage is very entrenched in this country and if we continue to accept and excuse this type of attitude in America, we will be doomed.
Two types of racist exist, those that attack based on color and those that attack to defend based on color.

Spearman should be ashamed, and you as a taxpayer, pissed off.