For and Against Orange School Board

Re “Make Votes Count in Orange,” Orange County editorial, May 6:

I agree; the Orange Unified School District is a mess and the board is responsible. The board is also responsible for voting each election year not to share a ballot with any other entity.

The 21,000 registered voters who signed recall petitions hoped for a less expensive election June 5 and to share the cost with the city of Orange. The school board voted to use taxpayer money for a separate (more expensive) election June 26.

This is typical of past elections for this board. Most of their private elections cost around $100,000 and draw less than 7,000 votes. Obviously, an election involving multiple issues and candidates would cost much less and involve many more voters--if more people voted, they could lose.

We could save $70,000 each election, but it won’t happen with this board.

N.J. Brunner

Orange

Re “Differing Views of a Bid to Recall School Trustees,” Letters, May 13:

I read Gisela Meier’s letter concerning the Orange recall with interest, but I nearly fell off my chair when she said that the decision to recall three board members was a sad and difficult decision. Give me a break.

She says she is a parent, and that is true. But she didn’t mention that she was a union-endorsed candidate who ran and lost against one of the trustees she is now helping to recall.

The recall is politically motivated and a smear campaign by the union against three board members who are not endorsed by it but who have served this district well.

Naturally, the union wants all union-endorsed trustees on the board. It’s about control. But should the union be allowed to endorse, help elect and possibly control the very ones who are going to negotiate and ratify future union contracts?

It doesn’t take much of an imagination to see that that’s a perfect recipe for a huge fiscal disaster.

As a union carpenter, parent and grandparent in Orange, I support the teachers of Orange Unified but I am voting “No” on the recall.

Dale Dieleman

Orange