Morgan, your interpretation of the grand jury and FPPC reports is inaccurate at best, and just plain wrong at worst.

You say "I’m pleased to learn the grand jury and the Fair Political Practices Commission cleared Ramirez of wrongdoing." but both reports found him to have in fact, failed to properly follow the FPPC rules for disclosure.

How can they find him at fault and yet not proceed against him? Easy, they had insufficient proof that he intended to do anything wrong, so it was treated as a mistake. A mistake.

Its like if you ran a stop sign and when pulled over, the officer figured you made a mistake and let you go rather than hauling you off to jail.

Morgan, With all due respect, Klein was able to do what he did because he was an elected board member. The administration, staff, and some board members were not paying enough attention to public opinion about the college building programs, general financial issues, and management. The College Administration and the Board were not able to convince the voting public to elect people other than Klein, Simmonds, and Leslie.

Morgan is only angry at Klein because she was forced to leave her six figure post when she refused to implement common sense reforms by the new President, like scheduling classes at times that students needed them, or ending Sierra's rock bottom statewide ranking when it came to efficiency and productivity.

So rather than have to work hard to move the college's performance up, she had to "retire" and find a different six figure state job to do nothing in. She is the worst example of an ineffective administrator and couldn't care less about Sierra College.

And I got this information from a friend who worked there, not from Klein.

Let's not get carried away. There was a problem with the reporting but the FPPC deemed it not to be malicious. That is a looooong way from exoneration.

How does one determine if there was malicious intent or not? Do you ask the person? I'm sure in that case the answer would be " No sir, I did not do it maliciously.

Come on, Klein is no angel but let's not get carried away. Perhaps if every politician that does something we do not agree with is forced to resign we would have a better Country or perhaps it would be anarchy.

It is really simple, if you don't like him, don't vote for him but don't demand resignation simply because you don't like him. Let's try to get partisanship out of school boards, oh and unions too.

Morgan,

There is a lot of chatter about Aaron Klein coming onto the Sierra Board of Trustees and "firing" Kevin Ramirez. Are you kidding me?

Kevin Ramirez did not need to resign.

Anyone can say what they want about Aaron and question his reason for acting the way he did in this matter. And that's what we've seen over the past several years each time this topic returns to the headlines, we've seen a lot of opinionated comments. Whether those comments have merit or are simply hot air from people who don't like Aaron for reasons that have nothing to do with his ability to perform his job as a trustee, I believe many of them are just that, hot air.

In my opinion the focus of this matter should never have centered around Aaron Klein.

The question that should be paramount to this discussion, has always been, and should always be......

..........why did Kevin Ramirez feel intimidated enough to leave his job?

Greg: precisely the same question applies to Morgan. She too resigned as a "retirement."

There is more to this than the political hacks and trolls like Morgan would have you believe.

Why was Doolittle running a casino money mafia operation, and inserting casino money flunkies like Klein onto the board of the local community college ?

It's the lobbyist kickbacks, stupid !

And here come the partisan trolls.

Morgan Lynn was highly respected by faculty and staff at Sierra College. She lead with integrity. The fact that she wrote this letter is stunning and carries a lot of weight with people who have had the privilege to work with her or for her. When the school was reeling from the unbelievable attack on college leadership launched by freshly elected board members, Morgan did an amazing job of keeping staff and faculty from panicking. The whole thing broke her heart, so it is no wonder that she chose to retire rather than to work under a board as long as A.K. was on it.

Aaron Klein had been looking for a way to get his name on the front page for some time. He started out by running for the Placer Hills School board under the theme of "Parents are the Experts", before he was 20. Nevermind that he had never attended a public school. Then he was appointed "spokesman" for a group that sought to ban books from the local public library. The word that always comes to mind when I see the name Aaron Klein is "hubris".

Now if only any of that were close to true the way you spun it.

What's your real name, Karl Rove or James Carville?

I agree with Morgan Lynn's comments regarding Klein. Someone suggested from the previous letter and resulting round of comments that it was time for Klein to "Man-Up". I think Klein doesn't know how to "Man-Up". It's time for Klein to apologize, resign, and withdraw from his interpretation of 'public service'.

Essay and jaybird. Aaron wasn't even on the Board when the original contract with Ramirez was first signed. And unfortunately, almost criminally, its become all too common for upper-level bureaucrats to sign half-million dollar "golden-handshakes" when they end employment. Roseville just had a City Manager walk away laughing at everyone, with a half-million taxpayer bucks in his pocket. Yet Ramirez walked away with even more. By all means, "follow the money!" Kevin Ramirez sure did.

Klein had to "man up" enough to take the diatribe, jabs and hate pointed at him by mis-directed souls, partisan hacks and those who were just plain spiteful. Klein took more than enough and still remained equitable to people when he could. He continued to do his job. The one he was elected for. You don't like him? Don't vote for him!

In Ms. Lynn's case, most people who've left for a lucrative upper-level state job would go about their business. Aaron Klein doesn't deserve her or others mean-spirited sniping from the sidelines.

But don't allow a contract like that to be signed again.

It's over. Move on.

CanyonRant,

Adjust your Zoloft dosage and come back tomorrow.

"Mafia, flunkies, stupid?", are these the words that make people want to take you seriously? No, this is exactly why they don't.

I've read enough of your musings over the past two years to know you are capable of bringing thoughtful, accurate facts to this forum, but you've also brought the equivalent of unintelligible muttering.

Too bad you marginalize yourself in that way.

"The whole thing broke her heart, so it is no wonder that she chose to retire rather than to work under a board as long as A.K. was on it."

Shows her lack of administrative ability. Good administrators work with many individuals and groups they oppose, to blame one member of the board for her resignations speaks volumes on her ability to manage Sierra college. It also appears in the aftermath of both her and Ramirez' resignations, the College, even with the down turned economy has actual been more productive.

Ramiriz resigned for the sake of the college. Klein should follow suit and pay us taxpayers the costs of his debacle.

Greg, Klein would have all schools eliminated in favor of home schooling. He's a poser. He was elected solely on his RNC creditials and we all know the Republicans in this area vote to keep out men of true value. Instead we end up with Doolittle/McClintock/Klein clones.

ChuxxR,

That's hilarious!!! :-0

"..we all know the Republicans in this area vote to keep out men of true value".

Oh yeah, and all Republicans get together several times a year, give each other that special handshake, lay down the sacred list of which men are of "true value" and which are not, and then figure out how to get those "other" worthless bums installed into all the locally elected offices throughout Placer County. It's a little tedious, but it works!

That's some great stuff!!

Well, on that note I'm calling it a night. I was going to stay up and watch Conan O'Brien, but now I've had my good laugh for the night. Catch you tomorrow, Chaz. ;-)

Greg, I'm glad you agree. When honorable men like Charlie Brown are swiftboated it doesn't say much for the electorate.

Excuse me "When honorable men like Charlie Brown and Kevin Pamiriz are swiftboated, it doesn't say much for the electorate.

gregcalac: I don't think it's as complicated as you make it out to be...I'll bet you guys just have a chat room & do it from the comfort of your own homes...but you really need to stop it before the next election...

steely,

No, it is that complicated. When you get this many people to agree to this level of conspiracy it's going to take a lot of effort to pull off. You could say it's "mission impossible".

I can't believe I'm getting another good laugh outta you guys for the second night in a row! ;-0 Thanks!

BTW, ChuxxR, I've never said Charlie Brown was anything other than a patriot and an honorable man.

Greg,

When the "committee" gets together next I'd like to be there to help find another candidate other than Klein. Maybe skeptic, I think he'd be more principled than the mistake that is in there now. At least find someone with a college education to govern a college. Only in America can we have a non-college graduate govern an educational institution.

All I need to do is learn the secret handshake and secret motto.

Hyper-partisan nut jobs need not apply.

Count me in!

Robert Capp

Bob,

Yes, Skeptic IS a study in consistency, but he would need to show up once in a while to justify his paycheck.

If he could perform the job from home he'd be a shoe-in.

.....and, Yes, you are a hyper-partisan-nut-job! What's rare about you is your willingness to openly admit it in mixed company! ;-)

Greg, you make light of the damage done to the college by Klein. Your support for him is unwarranted.

Bob, the college would do well if Klein was replaced with someone like yourself.

LOL, Greg and Bob, you two are too funny! Don’t forget the “password.”

Chuxx,

Thanks, but we'd trade one jerk for another.

Bob

ChuxxR,

You're wrong on both claims.

I have never said I support Aaron Klein.

I have never said anything about how the college was run when Kevin Ramirez was still president, or about how it is now run since his departure.

My question has always been, why did he leave?

ChuxxR,

Another thing.

I hope you realize I consider you a friend. I think you also know that I don't agree with you on many topics. You're a Liberal and I'm a Conservative. That doesn't matter to me.

I don't look at my relationships from a "support" standpoint. I either like you or I don't. Anyone who knows me well knows that the list of people I don't like is very, very, very small.

Heck, I'd go to dinner with CanyonRat if I was given the chance!

Greg, Ramiriz quit for the good of the college. It took 5 years for him to be exonerated. Had he not quit and given a fight the college would have had to go through the mess with him. Klein is keeping his head down for a reason. His masters told him to do so. You may not believe that Ramiriz is not an honorable man but I'll never understand why.

ChuxxR,

You have no idea why Ramirez quit. Why do you keep making a reason that conveniently fits what you want to believe?

Show me some proof and not simply speculation.

I've never said Kevin Ramirez was dishonorable.

I've never said Klein was correct in his actions.

I've never said the college was run poorly when Ramirez was president.

I've never said the college is running better now that he's gone.

You keep telling me what I've said, and you're wrong. Besides, I have nothing against Ramirez. I think he's a great guy.

You're reading too much into my comments on this subject, and I also think your dislike for Republicans has clouded your objectivity and further fueled your disdain for Aaron Klein.

You have no proof that Ramirez quit "for the good of the college". You want everyone to believe this guy gave up his career, his great benefits package, his terrific salary, "for the good of the college"? How do you know that?

No, I believe he seized the opportunity to get out early, he grabbed the money and ran.

Due to confidentiality constraints in personnel matters, he can sit back and let the speculation go on because no one will ever be able to look at his files. All the while the Republican haters continue to make up reasons for his departure and continue to portray him as a martyr, and he sits up in Applegate laughing each month when he thinks about how much money he made in the deal.

Greg, Ramiriz himself stated the reason for his departure. You think I made this up?

I don't hate republicans et al. I don't like a good man being swift boated. Klein earned my disrespect when I found out he had no formal education and then lied about it. He doesn't know what is best for the college and serves to undermine those that do, because of their political affiliation.

Your opinion of Ramiriz "he grabbed the money and ran." is way out of line. You are just fishing for anything you can in order to support what was truly a reprehensible act. Ramiriz still works in education administration. He is not in it for the money. The deal worked out between him and the college was barely fair. Why do you think $500,000 is too much?

Klein needs to be recalled but in the deaf, dumb and blind world of Placer County Republican voters it will never happen.

You have constantly given your support of Klein and choose instead to point at an honorable man like Kevin Ramiriz and say he did wrong.

Chuxx,

The position of Board of Trustee member (school board member) is suppose to be one on NON-partisanship. That notion ceased when Klein ran for and became a school board member. He is a pawn of the former Doolittle machine. I don't believe that he is in any way qualified to be a school board member and should not be in office. It is our shame that he got elected and then re-elected. Even though I didn't vote for him either time he ran, it is a shame on me as well as all of us in the district. A board members duty is to serve the needs of the students in that district in the area of governance. I don't believe that is his motivation. I believe that the Republican party is more important to him than the students of Sierra College.

Greg,

You state that Dr. Rameriz "sits up in Applegate laughing each month..." - how do you know that? The problems that he went through 5 years ago will be painful for the rest of his life, even though he was EXONERATED by the FPPC and by the Placer County Grand Jury.

con't....

Greg and Chuxx,

You both know me well enough to know that I'm fairly conservative and that this really is not about conservative/liberal issues, this is a non-partisan position that has become highly politicized. When politics become the norm for our schools, our kids lose. When people of low character and regard become factors in our schools, the kids lose. When a no account, non-formally educated immature person becomes a factor in our schools, our kids lose. When a board member has a political agenda, our kids lose. The theme here is a loss for our kids. Klein is a SHAME for our kids, and a shame on us.

Robert Capp

ChuxxR,

I reject the notion that Ramirez left his job to save the college, and for me this has never been about Aaron Klein, and it has never been about how the school was run.

For me, it has always been about Kevin Ramirez and my utter disbelief when he threw in the towel so easily. Do I think $500k is too much to leave your job over? Well, I think $500k is a lot of money to most people, but to the president of a community college I think he sold himself out pretty cheap.

You and Bob have your views of what happened in this matter, and I have no problem with that. I don't share those views, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get upset about it and deride Kevin Ramirez the way you two have Aaron Klein. I have a different view, but that opinion seems to bother both of you tremendously.

So, we disagree and that's that.

I'll see you on Thursday, Bob, and you'd better come prepared for a brawl!

Oh, and I'm hoping to take a little time off in the morning tomorrow to attend the Veteran's Parade. Maybe I'll see you there ChuxxR.

Greg You have no reason to deride Ramiriz. You're trying to hard and yes you are all about Klein. Yeah you can have your own opinion but it is not justified.