Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his Chief Legal Counsel Tom Saenz are confronted with raucous opposition to what has been widely described as a power grab involving billions of taxpayers
dollars intended for the Los Angeles Unified School District. In a special Full Disclosure Network's8482; cable television series on 43 California cable systems all the major players are
featured. A free seven minute Internet video preview of the two-part TV series is available here on the URL: http://www.fulldisclosure.net/flash/470-471.php available 24/7, on demand, as a public service.
Issues that are hotly debated in this two-part special program are the major components addressed in AB 1381 sponsored by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and that is awaiting the
Governor'ss signature soon, they include:
1)Consolidation of power in an appointed Superintendent that answers to both the School Board and a new Council of Mayors
2)Setting up a new bureaucracy known as the Council of Mayors
3)Control through the Mayor'ss Community Partnership
Those featured in the video are:
Antonio Villaraigosa, L.A. Mayor
Roy Romer, LAUSD Superintendent
Gloria Romero, State Senator
Tom Saenz, Chief Counsel to the Mayor
Jackie Goldberg, Member, California State Assembly
Kevin Reed, LAUSD General Counsel
Fabian Nunez, California Assembly Speaker
Marlene Cantor, President L.A. Board of Education
Scott Folsom, President 10th District PTA
Alex Padilla, Los Angeles City Councilman
Gerry Miller, Chief Legislative Analyst, L.A. City
Gene Krischer, Friends of the Children
Bernard Parks, Los Angeles City Council
Marebelle Delatorre, City of San Fernando Council Member
Other highlights include:
* The California State Assembly Bill 1381 was proposed to give power over the funds and the schools to the Los Angeles Mayor to take power from the elected School Board members. In this
video many of the critical points are debated while legal experts predict the legislation is unconstitutional and will be invalidated if approved and signed into law.
* The complete one hour, two-part special Full Disclosure's8482; series features behind the scenes skirmishes not reported by the mainstream media, that including portions of a letter
from Fresno Mayor Autry and statements from School Board President Marlene Canter and Mayor'ss Legal Counsel Tom Saenz regarding the billions at stake in the power struggle.
* Assembly Education Committee Chairperson Jackie Goldberg loses control of the meeting to members of the audience who object to statements made by State Senator Gloria Romero and the
Mayor'ss Chief Legal Counsel.
Billed as the news behind the news the Full Disclosure Network's8482; is an independent, educational, public affairs cable program featured on 43 cable systems and the worldwide Internet
website www.fulldisclosure.net Hosted by Leslie Dutton, who in 2002 was presented with a public affairs Emmy Award from the Academy of
Television Arts and Sciences for their series entitled L.A.'ss War Against Terrorism. Channels and airtimes can be found on the website.