Ex-Sierra College President Kevin Ramirez exonerated by state political watchdog
Five-year-old case filed by Trustee Aaron Klein finally closed by Fair Political Practices Commission
The Fair Political Practices Commission has found no wrongdoing after a review of 2004 allegations filed against former President Kevin Ramirez by Trustee Aaron Klein. Klein’s complaint to the commission and the uproar that followed led to Ramirez’s departure six months later with a $500,000 contract buyout, a call in a grand jury report for an apology by Klein, and a short-lived recall campaign against Klein and another trustee, Jerry Simmons. An Applegate resident, Ramirez continues to work as a consultant with colleges around the state. “I’d just call it closure,” Ramirez said. “It provides tremendous closure for me, albeit a long time coming.” Klein issued a short statement on Friday: “I respect the FPPC's decision to overlook the committee's failure to properly disclose its donors prior to the election, yet I maintain my firm belief that full disclosure of political campaign donors before Election Day is critical to the health of our representative democracy.” Klein stated. Klein had contended Ramirez violated conflict-of-interest provisions of the Political Reform Act in connection to solicitation of donations by the Sierra College Foundation. The donation were to support a bond-measure campaign for improvements at the Rocklin campus. Klein, who was newly elected to the board in 2004 and continues to serve, had accused Ramirez of what a 2006 Placer County grand jury report described him calling a conscious money-laundering scheme. The allegations by Klein were based on his conclusion that the foundation was used as an intermediary to raise funds for bond campaigns while keeping donors’ names secret. Commission Counsel Zachary Norton’s statement on the decision to close the case states an investigation “did not reveal evidence that the foundation failed to meet its disclosure requirements.” Ramirez said the FPPC filing by Klein in December 2005 precipitated his decision to agree to a contract buyout. He had been appointed Sierra president in 1993 after three years as vice president. In all, Ramirez has 35 years of service in California community colleges before his June 2005 retirement. The grand jury report was scathing toward Klein, noting that no foundation donors had requested anonymity and the error in not reporting names was quickly rectified once it was pointed out. The commission probe came to a similar conclusion, that there was no wrongdoing by Ramirez. As an intermediary, the foundation had collected contributions and turned over the funds and the lists of contributors to the committees that were primarily formed to support the bond measures, Norton said. Intermediaries do not have filing obligations under the Political Reform Act but are required to disclose to the recipient the identity of the contributors, he said. The foundation provided donor lists to the committees prior to the November 2004 bond election but the committees were initially unaware that they were required to disclose this information, Norton added. When it was known, the committees filed amended forms, disclosing the information identifying donors, he said.
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Aaron...man up!
It brings up the same question that many people who comment here regularly are asking.
Why did John Doolittle resign if he did nothing wrong?
Why did Kevin Ramirez resign if he did nothing wrong?
Should we assume both men are guilty of something because they decided to leave their job?
gregcalac, I don't believe there are any assumptions necessary on the part of Kevin Ramirez. He has had his day in court...a couple of them. He has been exonerated I think. John Doolittle should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, but I would sure like to see him have his day in court.
It can be proven that John Doolittle did something wrong. Many times. The question is does the government want to keep spending money to prove it because he has access to enough financial resources from his donors (which might be implicated, and thus charged with being accomplices) to keep fighting it. His lawyers have made it expensive.
His wife took a job doing nothing but being a figurehead for a fake company that was using foreign funds provided by Abramoff's clients and by Delay's ex staffers and associates. She also took a 15% cut of every campaign donation. The receipts are there. The financial records are there. The payments are there.
He was actively trying to sabotage a DOJ investigation into his taking Abramoff's money, and others, by getting US attorney Carol Lam fired.
Doolittle resigned because he was not getting political donations to run for another term, and he was in debt, and his polling numbers were very low. And the IRS was after him, apparently, for his very creative bookkeeping. Lots and lots of amended FEC filings. To defend one's self takes very expensive lawyers. He was using campaign funds for that. Once Bush &Cheney were out of office, they could not help him any more with that.
Doolittle helped put many lower level Republicans in office locally, much to the detriment of the district. They hate government, yet they feed at it. They are only for ideological purges based on religion. Yuck.
... and I am very thrilled to finally see Dr. Ramirez exonerated of this partisan witch- hunt conducted by the Doolittle machine.
I would also like to see the Doolittle saga come to an end.
Are we to assume everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, or just the court of public opinion?
My question is and will remain, why did Ramirez throw in the towel? Did it have anything to do with some type of wrong doing, or was it just his opportunistic way to get out of the Jr. College biz with a fat exit check?
If Ramirez were a Republican we'd hear a lot of grumblin' and rantin' coming up from the below the rim of the canyon.
Klein just got his tail kicked publicly by th FPPC and this is the best he can do by way of apology for his wrongful infliction of great harm on an innocent human being: “I respect the FPPC's decision to overlook the committee's failure to properly disclose its donors prior to the election, yet I maintain my firm belief that full disclosure of political campaign donors before Election Day is critical to the health of our representative democracy.” Klein stated.
Fanatics can NEVER admit they are wrong or their actions have really harmed another human being or they simply are so tied up by their own ego they believe they can never be wrong because they are who they are. And tragically Klein is still on the Sierra College Board of Trustees.
Fedallah
In reference to your 10/30/09 at 10:12 PM last paragraph. I have met Aaron Klein on a few occasions and never considered him a fanatic. However I should probably bow to your apparent overwhelming personal experience on being a fanatic.
Greg: Your second post is 100% correct. Someone needs to lift the arm on CanyonRats record player.... seems as though it is stuck in a groove and keeps playing the same stanza over and over again. BOORING.....
Jack,
Takes one to know one.
Fanatics can NEVER admit they are wrong or their actions have really harmed another human being or they simply are so tied up by their own ego they believe they can never be wrong because they are who they are.
That salmon dinner is tasting better all the time. I hope we both live five years to find out. My doesn't the FPPC move fast.
Greg, Ramiriz was exonerated. Your question is moot and seeks only to prop up a partisan hack like Klien. At least Mr. Ramiriz has the students best interested in mind. Aaron wouldn't know about such things as he never stepped foot in a class room. Ramiriz stepped down because he was battling UNFOUNDED charges and wished not to drag the college in the petty political squabble. Have you ever met Ramiriz? It's time for Klien to step down. He has consistently tried to choke out reason and debate and has hampered the day to day activities of the trustees. I guess that's what happens when an under-educated partisan hack get's in over his head.
chuxx, that's quite a stretch. If you read the story carefully, the FPPC clearly said the law was broken. Klein's error was not having more than circumstantial evidence, so no fine was levied. I'm not sure why the Journal is so intent on shooting the whistleblower in this case. It certainly won't encourage others to stand up when government officials don't follow the rules.
Klein has been in office now for five years. I haven't agreed with everything he's done. He's spent a lot of time talking about putting high school kids into college level work when I don't think they're ready. But on the budget, this economic climate has validated everything he said when he was running. His foresight back in 2004 about balancing the budget and saving up reserves was right on. Sierra College would have laid off HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS last July if not for the $6 million in reserves saved up since Klein's push for a balanced budget in 2005. $6 million is exactly the amount they used to save teachers and classes for students.
Has the Journal written about this? Of course not. Somebody has a friendship with someone, but the bias is perfectly clear to see.
gregcalac: The difference is that Ramirez has been investigated & officially cleared...what a waste...just watch the dufuses vote Klein in once again.
There is only so much nonsense one can take from the religious zealots.
Have the Proposition 8 donors, and the National Organization for Denying Marriage, aka Mormon right wing PAC, do "full disclosure" in their million dollar money laundering schemes for these various state referendums and amendments, and get back with us when you are willing to follow the campaign finance law, Mr. Klein. Otherwise you're just blowing hot air .
Watching McClintock successfully pilfer funds out of his state accounts, for his federal level election, watching the Prop 8 crowd donate thousands, no, millions statewide, illegally and unattributed, and McC finishing up his 1st campaign in debt, that has yet to be creditably explained, and it's clear that's it's business as usual in Republican Placer County.
It makes ZERO sense for people actually interested in higher publicly funded education to support and elect candidates who stated they wanted to abolish the Federal Dept of Education, who wish to privatize schools, end unions and benefits, who use lawyers of developers pushing phony zoning subdivision plans for colleges for the super rich, and who tell their districts NO when they beg for money for essentials. People have at least the right to know who installed the automatic "no" vote and who is trying to kill off public education. Business run education for profit based on Medieval Feudal System = Third World quality educational system.
Canyonrat: if that were true, why did Klein vote this year to spend the $6 million in reserves on saving teachers and classes? That doesn't sound like someone who wants to starve public education of money, end unions and benefits, or privatize all schools.
Do you have any facts to back up that wild post you just wrote? Or are you just painting Klein with a broad brush because he happens to be a Republican and some Republicans think that way?
Canyon. Make a complaint to the FPPC and FEC. Of course you will have to submit real proof not BS.
Klien's allegations were deemed incorrect by the Grand Jury. They reccommended that Klein appologize, which he did not. Even now The Fair Political Practices Commission has found no wrongdoing. Klein needs to appologize. His immaturity and inexperience are apparent. Congratulations to Ramirez. Klein is a wantabe Doolittle using his tactics. Klein needs to resign. Sierra College deserves better.
From the FPPC: “The Foundation provided donor lists to the committees prior to the election, but the committees were initially unaware that they were required to disclose this information. The committees filed amended forms, disclosing this information. The Commission has completed a review of the forgoing allegations and closed this case without finding a violation.”
They broke the law, but they didn't know it. We've all been told that ignorance of the law is no excuse, but now it appears that under certain circumstances ignorance means innocence. This new standard has some appeal if it were to be applied equally to the citizenry instead of to only those of particular political leanings or those with connections.
In this case Aaron is absolutely right. Voters have a right to know who is funding political campaigns.
Greg-Why did Ramirez resign? Let's look at his choices, a generous financial agreement to walk away (which by the way Klein orchestrated), or more of the same harassment from Klein (et al) for who knows how long. Which would you choose?
The way I read and understand it is that the Committee did make a mistake. The FPPC chose not to hold their feet to the fire for the mistake.
Doolittle, who I cannot stand did not resign, he did not run for a new term.
Mc Clintock ran for the D-04 seat and won over Charlie Brown.
Klein is a whinny kid who on occasion writes a post for such things as defending the "appointment" of Uhler's wife to a $92K/ yr job with Place County Child Support Services, a job that was not posted and remained unfilled(read unneeded) for over two years and other gaffes by our elected officials.
Fedallah, when you speak about fanatics I hope you are not in front of a mirror, I know people like you will never be able to be objective but if you go back and read some of your posts you will find the true meaning of the word fanatic.
Everyone, have a great Sunday, enjoy that extra hour of sleep.
Fishdhella, Where is that list of donors, their names, addresses, and occupations? What are you trying to hide?
Ben_Mavy: It was simply a procedural error that was immediately corrected...there was no wrongdoing.
Stop attempting to justify Klein's HUGE blunder of which he took little time to make once he was elected.
LoomisResident: Not sure why we have to denigrate people we disagree with. You bring up the Uhler issue. I actually called Klein on that one because I thought he was wrong. He explained his logic on the matter, and even though I disagreed, I respected his thoughtfulness.
I just don't know how you can call a married 30 year old with two children a "whiny kid."
Steelybob: it wasn't corrected until *after* the election. Not quite immediate. Useless information then.
It seems like a double standard for you that Klein was calling for pre-election full disclosure on $100K of donations from big developers like Tsakopoulous and you are trying to shoot the whistleblower?
That's where I start to belive this is less about the facts and more about partisanship. If you just can't stand Klein because he's a Republican say so.
It sounds like errors were made but there was no proof of "intent".
So the rules were broken, and Klein presumed they were intentional but they were not.
Its virtually impossible to prove intent, so we probably will never know for sure.
A couple of quotes to ponder:
"Commission Counsel Zachary Norton’s statement on the decision to close the case states an investigation “did not reveal evidence that the foundation failed to meet its disclosure requirements.”
This quote may be of interest to journalreader2007:
"The foundation provided donor lists to the committees prior to the November 2004 bond election but the committees were initially unaware that they were required to disclose this information, Norton added."
Yes, the donor lists were provided *prior to* the election; no harm ,no foul...everything was in order at election time.
And it is possible to be a whiny kid who happens to be 30 with a wife & children.
Klein should man up.
The donors were always listed on the fundraising website for all to see. As such there was never "intent" to hide the names of the donors. All they failed to do is to file the proper paperwork. Once they were aware of the mistake they filed the paperwork,
If there was any hint of intent, then the donors names might have been hidden from public view on the campaign website. That was not the case.
Klein went on a political witch hunt. He lost.
There is no escaping it. Klein has to admit he was wrong.
GregCalac, I must completely disagree with you. Mr. Klein is a Republican party hack and he is responsible for trashing a man's career to boost his own - shame on him for that. Shame on us for electing/re-electing him. Shame on him for not apologizing as the scathing report from the Placer County Grand Jury recommended. He is an embarrassment to us all in Placer County, send him packing at the earliest opportunity. What goes around,.....
Klein. Is. Not. To. Be. TRUSTED!!!!!!!!! It takes character to admit that you have made a mistake, character and Mr. Klein are not on a first name basis, in fact they are completely estranged.
Sincerely,
Robert Capp
The Journal has been biased on this story from day one. If the shoe were on the other foot, the headline would be "Klein broke the rules, FPPC fails to prosecute."
The answer to the question "did the committees publicly report the donors in campaign finance reports before the election" is NO. Plain and simple, they failed to comply with the law. Even the scathing grand jury report admitted that.
Again, only hyperpartisans could overlook the fact that $100K in big developer donations were kept hidden until after an election and criticize the whistleblower just because he happens to be a Republican.
journalreader2007. can you read?
The names of all the donors were always ready for viewing to anyone who wished to visit the fundraising website. Hardly hidden.
Yet that doesn't fit your storyline now does it?
You're just like Mr Klein. You've got a losing hand yet, you keep tossing chips into the pot.
Time to fold them cards.
journalreader2007
Though the Journal's bias on politics is obvious there are folks commenting that disagree with your position and are not in the slightest bit hyperpartisan or even from a different party that Aaron is. I sertainly wouldn't consider chrishamm or bcapp1 to be hyperpartisan.
bcapp1
Never seen you that wound up on a topic before. You will have to give me some background over Diet Pepsi and coffee some time.
chrishamm: journalreader2007 must be blind to that section of the article that states full disclosure was made prior to the election...I'm not envious of journalreader2007's position of having to deny reality to feel he/she is winning the argument.
When someone calls someone a partisan Republican hack it certainly makes them look partisan themselves.
I don't get this line of argument that Klein did this to launch his career. He was already elected. The traditional politician approach is stay quiet and get re-elected. He didn't do that, to his own detriment.
Steelybob: you read. The foundation gave the donor info to the committees pre-election. The committees didn't file it in campaign finance reports for the public until *after*.
Once more, amazing to watch people shoot the guy who was against keeping $100K of big developer money a secret until after the election. A little hypocritical...
bcapp1,
Aaron Klein did what he did for his own reasons. I won't make excuses for him.
My question remains, why did Kevin Ramirez quit a great job with terrific benefits, and a hefty salary?
He was exonerated by the FPPC. So what? The facts speak much louder than the findings.
It appears more like a skunk that was caught in the headlights on the highway at night, he doesn't know on which side the on-coming car will pass but he decides to run to the left, and luckily makes the right choice!
You can say what you like about Aaron Klein, he's a big boy and he doesn't need nor is he asking for my help. But, I think you are missing the obvious point that an honest man doesn't spook easily.
I find it curious that under tremendous pressure to resign, Klein stayed and Ramirez bolted. Doesn't that make anyone else think about what really happened?
gregcalac: Thing has been thoroughly investigated...by the FPPC & the Grand Jury...to still insist that this was in any way Ramirez' fault is just playing in Klein's hands...any wrongdoing committed was on the part of Klein.
What you have read is what REALLY happened...by this time, anything that deviates from that would have been exposed by now.
steely,
If you know so damn much then why did Ramirez quit?
How could newly-elected-trustee Klein force him out? That seems a bit implausible to me.
So what if he was exonerated by the FPPC! Why did he leave in the first place?
If he was doing nothing wrong then why did Ramirez flinch so hard?
Probably the same reason John Doolittle left his job.
gregcalac: Doolittle/Ramirez...bad analogy, try again. Klein was the ring leader, his minions Jerry Simmons & Mini-Me Leslie were the accomplices & Nancy Palmer was right there with them--together they formed a super majority on the board.
You're sure getting worked up over this...if the Grand Jury & FPPC investigations weren't sufficient, tehn waht would you suggest.
You & journalreader2007 are on the losing side of this one...have fun.
steely,
Let's go a different way with this since you aren't understanding my point.
Yes, it's great that the Placer County Grand Jury and FPPC both have concluded that Dr. Ramirez did nothing wrong. That's wonderful and I'm happy for him. I've never accused him of anything.
But why did he quit his job if he was innocent.
Why do you keep avoiding that question?
I suppose you believe OJ was innocent because he was "found" innocent by a jury? Please!?!
Nice try.
Maybe he could see that this board was going to be a disaster & he could have been nearing his retirement anyway...if you think he was guilty of something then the burden's on you to track that info down & present it instead of asking me why he quit.
chrishamm,
Really? Aaron "Klein went on a political witch hunt"? Looks like he caught a nervous witch.
The only thing that needs to be admitted is Kevin Ramirez flinched, obviously when he didn't need to. Why did he do that?
steely,
I'm asking you because we're the ones talking about it and you're the one accusing the board of doing something wrong with respect to Dr. Kevin Ramirez.
OK, I admit the question will never be answered due to employee confidentiality rules. I know that and maybe you do as well. But every fair minded person should be asking that question, "why did he quit without putting up a fight?". Everyone who assumes the Principal/Superintendent at Colfax Elementary is guilty because he quit his job over an accusation should be asking themselves the same thing, why did he do that?
Do we make assumptions just because our political beliefs fit well with one conclusion, but when evenly applied in another example we take the other tack. Is that fair? I think not.
Fact is neither of us know why Ramirez quit. We can speculate and that's all it will be. But an honest person will have to admit it looks pretty damning when a person bails out of their job under fire from their employers.
Can we at least agree on that?
steely,
Sorry I said "you are so damn smart". I was wrong to say that.
We can disagree on this but that doesn't mean I think you're a nut. At least you didn't throw Tom McClintock's name into the discussion. ;-)
You can have the last word if you'd like. Good night.
gregcalac: You're a gentleman.
Chrishamm: we're not talking about intent here. I can intend not to shoot someone but if I point a gun at them and pull the trigger, I shot them - whether or not the DA decides to prosecute.
If the standard was that it's okay to file false campaign finance reports for the public as long as you thank the donors (with zero mention of $ amount) on an obscure web site that nobody knows about, then I guess you guys were okay all along.
But that wasn't the standard. You file names of donors in campaign finance reports so the public can determine if there are conflicts of interest or hidden agendas *before* the election.
The absurd response to this by the Journal and local liberals will be a big deterrent to future whistleblowers. The clear message is: don't take on the good old boys club (unless the good old boy is a Republican and you're a liberal).
Greg, OJ was found to be "Not Guilty". Not guilty is not having enough facts to prove guilt. A "Factual Finding of Innocence" is when the facts prove that a person should not have been charged in the first place. In other words not guilty doesn't mean one was innocent.
Greg,
There are many reasons why a person in his position would resign. One may include the realization that a prolonged battle with at least 3 board members would be ugly, especially if you intend to continue to live nearby and would like to have at least a semblance of a normal life.
You see Greg, a school board member may be elected and have the "authority", but very few have the ability to govern a school and understand the nuances that it takes to run an institution of learning. A person of great wisdom and unreproachable character can be an effective board member in the area of governance, a person that will understand the leadership of the school and respect the expertise that the leader brings to the table. A person of low regard and/or character can easily trash a person's career and reputation without caution and because the board member has authority and political in nature can be reckless without conscience. That definition is how I see Mr. Klein. Every person that is in a management position has reason to fear board members of low regard and zero wisdom such as Mr. Klein. He is a cancer upon the public system and should be excised, before he kills the entire body.
Greg, I respect your opinion, I simply do not agree with it. Mr. Klein will NEVER receive my vote, and I will continue to urge others to find another candidate to vote for as well. (even Mickey Mouse would be a better candidate than Klein)
Sincerely,
Robert Capp
Robert, I beg to differ. A School Board is responsible for hiring and firing the Superintendent. They are responsible for setting policy (usually based on the recommendations of the superintendent). They hire the Superintendent, President, or Principal to run the institution. If you have seen very few board members with these skills than the Superintendent has not done a good job of selling the board on all the available board member training materials and classes provided by the State.
Some folks in the community had issues with Ramirez's management style and decisions other than financial. I thought the Sierra Board should have just waited until the contract had expired and not renewed it.
JonGreen,
Yes, they are responsible for hiring and firing - not just the supe, but every employee as well. They are also responsible for governance, NOT site leadership. In this instance, Mr. Klein, Mr. Leslie and Mr. Simmons trashed a man's 35 year career without consideration to the effect on the organization as a whole (serious lack of wisdom and vision) Also, it begs the question as to the buyout and $500,000. of taxpayer money. Was there wisdom in that or could there have another way to "ride out" the contract and then not renew. The first act of the new board in 2004 was to run Dr. Rameriz out of his career, thus throwing the very institution that they were elected to support, govern and preserve into a financial tailspin as well as damaging the morale of the entire staff. Those three men were especially venial in their combined approach to Sierra College as well as just plain stupid. Mr. Kline is a party hack - bought and paid for by the Doolittle machine and reprehensible in their deeds. They took an honorable man and made him out as a crook with innuendo, just to boost their own ambitions. Mr. Kline has the authority, but has NO credibility nor ability to govern an institution of learning.
Sincerely,
Robert Capp
Bob, "They took an honorable man and made him out as a crook with innuendo, just to boost their own ambitions." That's exactly what happened and all the Klein apologist need a reality check.
Chuxx,
We agree. Klein is a republican party hack that needs to be removed from office. He lacks credibility and ability. He knows so very little about education and educational leadership that it is surreal that he is in the position that he is in.
Bob
Gosh, I keep hearing this Republican Party hack stuff and it is cracking me up. Bob, have you ever read any of the things he has to say on his blog? A conservative he may be on many issues, but a GOP hack he is definitely not. He's done enough criticizing of his own party to surprise me many times.
Is it possible that you've allowed the Auburn Journal's biases to color your thinking?
I'd challenge any of you to read a few posts at his blog. I'm a regular reader, and while I disagree from time to time, he's a thoughtful guy. I've also talked to him on the phone (never met in person) and have come away impressed (though not always in agreement).
http://www.aaronklein.com/
journalreader2007,
Yes, I have read and commented on his blog many times. It is a self-promoting site (as would be expected) My information does not come from the Auburn Journal. And yes, I still believe that Klein is a republican party hack and has earned our derision and not our support.
Robert Capp
"Mr. Ramiriz has the students best interested in mind". Yes, when Sierra paid off one of the employees to protect his administration. He took great liberties when building the 3 story admin building to make sure he would have his own taj mahal, but he got caught and had to back off. Since he has been gone the college is actual in in better financial shape.
The grand jury was setup to demonize Klein, look who the Foreman was. That Grand Jury was misused for personal and political gain.
The committee admitted that it had not followed the law but not intentionally.
Robert, Superintendents, College Presidents are "at will" employees and serve at the pleasure of the board. Boards approve the hiring and firing of everyone else upon the recommendation of the superintendent. Removing a superintendent is not site management. As I stated in my previous post Ramirez had other issues.
As an employee It is difficult to manage one boss. Superintendents have to manage five to seven bosses. The superintendent needs to have a majority of the board on his or her side to keep their job and get things done. Same for County Fair Managers and CEO's of large companies.
As I said before, I would have just let his contract expire.
Aaron should resign. I doubt that he is man enough to do so. He is bought and paid for and fears his masters. As he climbs the local RNC ladder he pays little heed to the damage he has wrought.
JonGreen,
I have the same type of job that Dr. Rameriz had (much smaller scale) as a public school administrator/supe. and work directly under a board. I do know what I'm talking about.
When you say "Superintendent has not done a good job of selling the board on all the available board member training materials and classes provided by the State. ", that was impossible for Dr. Rameriz to do since this whole incident happened about ten minutes after Klein took his chair as a Sierra College board member. That is because he had his marching orders from the Doolittle machine and stupidly followed them.
As Chuxx just wrote, Klein pays little heed to the damage he has wrought, his lack of vision/wisdom won't allow him to see that far.
Robert Capp
There will always be some individuals who will never admit to themselves or others that they were wrong or that other possibilities and explanations might exist…whether it be the subject of this article, or community posters on this forum.
The actions of a few people, headed by Mr. Klein, reeked havoc on Sierra College. The whole flavour of the college changed, morale was visibly decrease…even students felt it. Regardless of your feelings for Dr. Ramirez, the treatment he received was undeserved. As to why he took the retirement instead of continuing his work; it would be better just to ask him, rather than throw out all these assumptions. One should truly take time to consider the implications before capriciously wiping out another persons career.
It can take years to build a masterpiece, and seconds to destroy it.
I was appalled when Mr. Klein was reelected. I personally feel he is short sighted, self serving, and has little real interest in the well being of Sierra College as evidenced by his historical behavior. That is, of course, my opinion. Others may have seen different character aspects. I did not vote for Mr. Klein before, and I will not vote for him again.
The biggest loser in all this has been the College (Dr, Ramirez too, of course). It will take a long time for Sierra College to completely recover from the malaise of this situation.
Robert, and I was the President of a 6000 student unified school board and a board member for five years. Ramirez should have been paying more attention to what the public thought of his administration of the college building program and to the public's opinion of the oversight of the elected members of the board.
I would give the same advice to everyone that works for a board private or public.
Did Ramirez meet with all the candidates running for board positions? Wouldn't you?
Robert, and I was the President of a 6000 student unified school board and a board member for five years. Ramirez should have been paying more attention to what the public thought of his administration of the college building program and to the public's opinion of the oversight of the elected members of the board.
I would give the same advice to everyone that works for a board private or public.
Did Ramirez meet with all the candidates running for board positions? Wouldn't you?
Robert, and I was the President of a 6000 student unified school board and a board member for five years. Ramirez should have been paying more attention to what the public thought of his administration of the college building program and to the public's opinion of the oversight of the elected members of the board.
I would give the same advice to everyone that works for a board private or public.
Did Ramirez meet with all the candidates running for board positions? Wouldn't you?
EXONERATED. Kevin is being dishonest. The FPPC didn't make a "decission to overlook" They EXONERATED Kevin Ramiriz. What don't you Klein apologist and Aaron himself find it so hard to understand. Kevin you are being purposely dishonest but the way justifies the means, Right? That's the way of the RNC and you know what side your bread is buttered on.