Lynwood, CA - Local newspaper reports that Dr. Lal left the school board meeting right before his performance evaluation.
Read story here.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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36 comments:
Dr. Lal is a selfish prick!!!!
How dare he say he really cares about our kids. He doesn't care about any kids but his own. The only reason he's saying this is because he wants to maintain his contract the way it is. If he really cared about the kids, he wouldn't be asking for so much money, benefits, and perks.
this bastard needs to be fired!!!!
The school district needs to open up and release their budget, so the residents can see how they spend OUR money. What happened to them getting a new attorney. Leal and Trejo charge the school district 100,000 a month. Why don't the school board look at that?
Ad hominem attacks lack persuasion,intellegence and are illogical invalid debate tools. Feelings are rarely based on fact. Please provide facts- not stories, ad hominem or red herring arguments to support your dissenting opinion. Your argument is emotional and irrational at best. Facts should include dates, times, names, places and other supporting documentation. Your argument does not follow the logical process or rules of debate and forensics. Please review and revise your rough draft. To assist you in your revision, A useful revision tool are the Graphic organizers for Persuasive essays, speeches and arguments in the Holt One Stop Planners. Please review, revise and then restate your dissenting opinion in a well thought out logical manner so that we may engage in an adult debate about the issues.
who's money, aren't you the one whose wife is on the welfare and working in the surname while you have a up job
Its all the stategic plan of the corrupt and homosexual SOLACHE!!!
All he's concerned about is keeping Dr. Lal happy and paying him a lot of money.
Hey Solache, is Dr. Lal doing other personal favors for you? Is he giving you something behind closed doors that we don't know about?
Solache is an idiot and doesn't have a clue and he doesn't know what he is doing. He is only corrupting our children.
Solache is a negative role model for our children. Do we really want our children exposed to his personal agendas with men!!!!
I would say NOT.
Feb 28th 8PM...
To the midget on other side of the street Oscar E. thanks... thanks for your thoughful advise. Now release the school district budget so we can see how you are really spending the money.
Incorrect assumption.
The advice given on Feb. 28, 2008 at 8:00 pm was Mr. Morales, president of the board of education, aka "Useless fat ass".
He loves to use fancy attorney language to intimidate parents and staff because he feels that he is better than anybody in Lynwood just because he completed law school at Loyola law school. Morales favarite words are as follows: "at most", "Fact", "emotional", "dissenting arguments", just to mention a few.
FYI, Mr. Leal graduted from Loyola law school too. Could it be any connection between Morales and the Law firm. Also, Dr. Lal worked for Kaplan before Solache brought him to Lynwood and this company now enjoys a lucrative contract worth ($7,639,500.00) millions of dollars. Even after our Lynwood teachers have a disapproval rate of 90% and a very small group of teachers are really using the material, some are even throwing them away. Do you want prove Morales?, check Lal's application, review Hosler's report given at the beginning of the year and check the district financial reports. Oh, I forgot that you are really busy with your law career that your decisions are based on the meaningless and misguided reports given to the board by Lal's staff that do not reflect the district's reality and the students needs.
Before anyone calls someone else a bastard.... check their birth certificate and their pedigree....
The corruption going on at Lynwood Unified School District should be reported to the district attorneys office. Go to Steve Cooley's website and report it. Also, you can gather the evidence yourself and request an investigation.
SOUND LIKE LYNWOOD UNIFIED?
L.A. Unified consultant under scrutiny of D.A.'s watchdog
The Public Integrity Unit chief is looking into alleged bill-padding in school construction effort.
By Evelyn Larrubia, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 28, 2008
The Los Angeles County district attorney's Public Integrity Unit is reviewing whether a high-level consultant for the Los Angeles Unified School District's building program engaged in a conflict of interest.
David Demerjian, head of the unit, said Wednesday that his office has been looking at Bassam Raslan, a district regional director of construction and an owner of TBI Associates, which he co-founded to supply staff to the district's $20-billion school construction effort.
"It's still in the review stage," said Demerjian, whose unit prosecutes misdeeds by public and appointed officials. "We're not at the point yet where we can say there was a conflict."
One of several articles about the firm published by The Times last year revealed that Raslan had approved timecards for a TBI employee accused of inflating his hours.
The district's inspector general launched a fraud investigation regarding those allegations last year, but has not released any reports on the subject.
Raslan did not respond to a message left at his office Wednesday afternoon. He has repeatedly declined to comment on the substance of the allegations, saying only that he did not violate district policies or procedures.
A district spokeswoman said the school system would not comment until the investigation was complete.
The Times articles detailed allegations against Stephen Cole, who billed for dozens of days when a district inspector's log shows he was absent from his principal job site, an addition at Mount Washington Elementary School. Raslan signed Cole's timecards over three months, records show, and billed the district $88,000 in fees for Cole's time.
Cole's immediate supervisor said he had refused to sign the timecards because he thought they were fraudulent. The supervisor, who no longer works for the district, said that when he reported his concerns about the padded hours to Raslan, the manager ordered him to continue signing Cole's timecards. A district spokeswoman said Cole left the school system last summer.
The district said it hires consultants for about 70% of the staff that manages its school construction program, because the practice allows for greater flexibility and attracts better candidates.
The district pays contract firms hourly rates for time billed on behalf of the consultants, who officially work for the private firms. Those firms take a portion to cover profits, overhead and, sometimes, benefits before paying their employees.
In 2002, Raslan and two other then low-level consultants founded TBI to capitalize on the district's burgeoning program, records show.
Business went well as TBI became a subcontractor to several large firms. Last year, the company supplied 38 of 311 contract employees in the construction program, more than any of the 64 other firms that supply them.
Global construction management firms typically hire small, local companies such as TBI as subcontractors to meet the district's goal of 25% small-business participation.
Guy Mehula, L.A. Unified's chief facilities executive, has said that he wasn't concerned about a conflict of interest by Raslan. But after The Times revealed that nine TBI staffers worked under Raslan and that he had signed timecards for five of them in a five-month period, Mehula said he would change district policy. Raslan's boss must now sign off when he approves the hours for TBI staffers.
evelyn.larrubia@latimes.com
Never believe a Superintendent's underlings for factual info. THey all serve at his pleasure and POOF your job is gone at the end of the contract. LUSD is corrupt. It is in dire need of housecleaning!
Our kids should not accept political appointees and propaganda inserts placed by Lal. Many are related to Lal's wife or "friends". All
That for $250,000 per year + benefits for one person?
The current council promised not to raise fees. Well did you check your most recent water bill. It says that there will be a bimonthly single family increase. What happened? Why not tax the businesses. You promised not to do this. But you did vote to give yourself a salary raise. What a fool you have made of the people of Lynwood.
The sweetheart contract for $7.5 million with Kaplan should be spent on helping our kids in the classroom not on ripping off taxpayers! 90% of teachers consider Kaplan stuff imported trash from Florida! California is 47th in spending per student and wasteing it on Kaplan is a travesty.
You are the fool that doesn't have his/her facts straight. The increase on the water is automatic. Approved by prior council. And it will continue to go up. Just another thing you can thank your prior counil for. Oh and the salary increase that the council voted for isn't really an increase. They are currently making 780 dollars a month. What they approved is 1,287 dollars a month but doesn't go into affect till December of 2009. This salary is based on the assembly bill that was passed. Still at that this council is still and will be making less then half the prior council was making. Maybe you should attend council meetings...
People only focus on the city council and forget that there is a lot of corruption in the school district. Let's get Lal and Solache out of the district. Neither one cares about the kids nor do they care if they learn.
Lal is over paid and so is Solache they both need to be out out out out out out
Let's fire LAL along with his puppet Solache
Dr. Lal needs to go, period. And if the current board gives him another contract then they need to go to. IT'S RECALL TIME BABY!!!
The new water bill has nothing to do with the prior council. Get your facts straight. Get over it. The prior council is gone. Everything that is going to happen from now on is the new councils responsibility. Move on you idiots, it's a new day. You want it, you got it. Water and drash will go up even more, and so are property taxes. Are you going to blame this on the old council too? There is no other way this city can survive and keep from filing bankruptcy. You will find out that the new council has no choice but to raise it. Just as the old council did. Now, maybe you all realize what it takes to run a city. What are you going to do now? recall the new council too, you idiots. Once again, you fight redevelopment so much, something that would bring big business and big money to this city, this is the end result. Pay up.
I cannot believe some of the stuff I read on this blog. To the person who is blaming everything on the old council; you're an idiot! What needs to be said is that the old council had the guts to bring in new development to help our community but that was all shot down with the recall. The new council doesn't know their head from a hole in the ground and cannot find a way to bring income into our city and they are too afraid to do anything similar to the old council for fear of recall. They need to look back into the Angeles Field project; that (and GOD) is the only thing that's going to save us. We need BIG development in order to sustain and we need it now!
Aide just want to let you know that your touched up picture on the city website looks worse. The glamour shot needs to GO! You can fool some people some time, but when they see you in person they will see the real you for the parrot face that you really are. Nice try parrot face with down syndrome! HAHAHA!
If the current council is not willing to bring new projects to the city of lynwood for revenue, they should really look into eliminating many managment positions that are highly overpaid. We must remember that many of these positions were created by the corrupt Enrique Martinez.
Positions held by overpaid good for nothing employees such as Autra Adams, Laura Aldrete, Greg Wood, and Debra Jackson. Their postions are not significant with the current financial situation with the city of lynwood.
The current council should also look into cutting the exessive and unheard of salaries that corrupt Enrique Martinez created as well. The city of lynwood can't afford to pay these kind salaries. We are not a big city to be paying such salaries.
2:01 - 3/11 and 7:13 - 3/13
You are so right. Let's turn everything around. Let's re-call the new council if they DON'T bring back the Angels Field Project. This city is being kept in poverty because the new council is not acting responsible and bring in big business, that will bring revenue and make all our lives easier. Message to the people who try to stop developement,- move to the desert.
Besides management there are other redundant positions too. Anybody noticed how many secretaries the city managers office has. Not saying all should go, but some should go, becuase there is not that much work there to do. LETS BE REAL. They may have been given fancy names, but what do they really do. Do not look at the desription of duties they were hired for, look at what they are really doing. Its sad becuase you often forget how many people actually sit behind those buzzer doors. You forget becuase some of them do not do much, they pass their day away on our tax dollar. If there are suppose to be budget cuts, why are deparments like media services/Laura Alderete hiring more people. Maybe she should come to work more often, and get there on time, and she would not need a secretary just to pay her bills.
Complaint and complaint, but until you get out and do something it doesn't matter.
We need to go to the city clerk and request information regarding Salaries and Budgets for Travel on all City Elected and Directors.
That way you know who is the big spender and if their position is really needed.
Ask specific questions, look at he block watch captains, Raised Hell about Graffity and trash and now you see our city a litle more clean.
Look at the Sheriffs and now they are more active you see them more often patroling, althogh some are going to complain but hey can have it bouth ways.
My question to you all What are you doing for your city.
or better yet "Don't ask your city what it can do for you, But what can you do for your city"
Get envolve turn in the lazy the crook and wastfull.
Read the agendas, the Web and file complaints and do follow ups don't give up put them to work you pay their salaries.
Lynwood Watch Dog!!
You've got to be kidding,,,,,,Aide Castro recieves an award as mvp parent? I didn't even know she had children. They are never with her. Maybe she has them locked up in thier rooms sworn to not talk about mommies secrets. Do I smell Shawn bucking for another contract??????? That's one contract that is a waste of the tax payers money. Parks and recreation or media department should be handleing that task. How hard can it be?
Don't talk about people kids. If you haven't seen her kids then you must be blind. Ramon, Maria, and Aide are smart to keep their family away during council meetings. But they all bring their kids and spouses to special events. If you would had attended the council meeting you would had known why she got the award. Ramon, Maria, and Aide have always participated in their kids sports. Don't hate on her for being a good mom. Shame on you for using kids to attack someone. By the way Shawn already has a contract.
what about city enployees that work for the city and don"t get no awards????there been working for so many years and nada zero only supervisors gets the credits '' THATS BULL SHIT..AND FOR THE COUNCILS YOU NEED TO GO AND TALK TO THE ENPLOYEES OF EACH DEPT AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY NEED ..LISTEN TO THE ENPLOYEES OK ..
I agree, no attacking the children.
Sylvia Ortiz
Operation Touchdown - HAS GOT TO GO!
Sylvia,
You should take responsibility for you own miserable life. You chose:
to be a prostitute on Long Beach Blvd
to spend your life using drugs
to be an alcoholic
commit welfare fraud
purjure yourself in court
not make an honest living like everyone else
Take responsibility for your life situation. It your fault that at almost 50 years old you have done nothing to justify your existence. Don't blame the community. You have only yourself to blame!
What's operation touchdown?
Lawyer's council dealings questioned
By Gene Maddaus, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/22/2008 11:25:32 PM PDT
A lawyer with a reputation for shady political dealings has been courting Carson City Council members as they seek to hire a new city attorney.
Francisco Leal, who serves as the city attorney in Maywood and Huntington Park, has met with all three members of the council majority.
Leal's associates also contributed $3,800 to Councilman Mike Gipson's campaign for the Assembly in November. Arturo Fierro, an attorney who works for Leal, gave $900 while his wife, Maria Fierro, contributed $1,000.
The council voted to put the city attorney's contract out to bid in January. It was a surprise move and passed on a 3-2 vote over strident opposition from Mayor Jim Dear and Councilman Harold Williams. The bids are due Monday.
At the time, members of the council majority gave only a vague rationale for the decision, saying it would be "healthy" to go through the bid process and would ensure greater "transparency."
But a source who attended a meeting between Leal and Gipson in November said the decision came at Leal's urging.
At the time, Gipson was struggling to raise money for his campaign for the 55th Assembly District. He would go on to lose that race to his better-financed opponent, Warren Furutani.
According to the source, Leal made repeated offers to bundle contributions for Gipson, beginning in late October. Ultimately, Gipson met with Leal and Fierro at the Sizzler restaurant in Carson in mid-November.
At the meeting, Leal urged Gipson to put the attorney's contract out to bid, according to the source who attended. Gipson said he had no control over the votes of the two other majority members: Councilman Elito Santarina and Councilwoman Lula Davis-Holmes.
Leal told Gipson not to worry because he had already secured their votes.
"If you've already got their votes, I'm in," Gipson said, according to the source.
Gipson said he would not bring up the issue before the special Assembly election, which was held Dec. 11. But he said he would do so after the new year, the source said. The attorney's contract appeared on the agenda of the council's first meeting in January.
A few days after the Sizzler meeting on Nov. 21, Gipson received the $900 contribution from Fierro and $1,000 from Fierro's wife, according to campaign finance records.
On the same day, Gipson received $1,000 from Ruth Castro, a former school board member from Alhambra. While on the board in 2003, Castro voted to hire Leal as the district's counsel. Gipson took another $900 from Johnny Leal, who was listed as a "courier" with "Leal Courier Services."
The source said all four contributions were bundled by Francisco Leal, who insisted that his name not be used on the contribution reports.
Contacted about the contribution, Arturo Fierro said he met Gipson once.
"We were at the same place," he said. "I don't remember what we talked about."
Fierro said he decided to contribute to Gipson because "I liked him as a candidate."
Gipson said he had met Leal, but could not remember the circumstances of the meeting or what was said. He said he had no recollection of the four contributors, including Arturo Fierro.
"If he's an attorney, and they will compete, that will not at all have any bearing in terms of my judgment on who to select," Gipson said. "Just because they supported me in the state Assembly seat doesn't mean it's going to compromise me or influence me."
Santarina said he had met Leal through his friend, Dhyan Lal, who is the superintendent of the Lynwood Unified School District. Leal has worked as a contract attorney at Lynwood Unified.
Santarina said Leal and the superintendent are good friends, and that he has met Leal socially in the recent past.
"I am friends with everybody," Santarina said. "I will always base my decision on objective things. If it is Leal, or Malcolm X, or whoever, nothing is going to influence my decision. When the time comes I will make the right decision for the city of Carson."
Davis-Holmes said she, too, had an "introductory" meeting with Leal.
"I told them we're going to interview the best firms," Davis-Holmes said. "I don't know anything about him. I cut those conversations off real quick."
The council's minority members, Williams and Dear, said they had not been introduced to Leal, and had no idea whether he was interested in the Carson job.
"I have not met with any attorneys at all on this," Dear said, noting that he still opposes going to bid on the contract. "I think it's unnecessary and a waste of taxpayers' money."
Leal did not return calls seeking comment.
Over the past decade, Leal has developed a reputation for getting involved in the politics of small cities in order to acquire or retain contracts for lobbying and legal services.
According to reports in the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers, Leal and his associates have often threatened to finance recall campaigns against their political opponents. Leal is also known for contributing to his allies' campaigns.
"He becomes like a sixth council member, in a way," said Robert Fierro, a councilman in the city of Commerce, who is no relation to Arturo Fierro. "That's the way he works. He contributes, he makes people happy, and they vote for him."
Leal has generally worked in the small, heavily Latino cities southeast of Los Angeles. Legal contracts in those cities can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Because Carson is larger and it has a very active Redevelopment Agency, the legal contract there is thought to be more lucrative. It is perhaps worth as much as $1million.
Leal was fired from the city of Commerce in 2005, when a new council majority took control. Leal submitted about $126,000 in invoices to the city, which the council decided not to pay in the belief that the bills were inflated.
Leal sued, and the city countersued, alleging that he had violated state conflict-of-interest laws by taking Commerce on as a client of his lobbying firm, Legislative Advocacy Group.
Ultimately, Leal agreed to an out-of-court settlement. His claims were dropped and he agreed to pay $70,000 in legal fees to the city, said Eddie Olivo, the city's new attorney.
Leal did not pay the settlement amount, however, causing Commerce to file another lawsuit to collect the attorneys' fees, plus interest. A few weeks ago, Leal delivered a cashier's check for $175,000 to the city, Olivo said, ending three years of legal wrangling.
"He did a lot of wrongdoing here," Councilman Fierro said. "No city should have to go through what we went through with this guy. He was a cancer to the city."
gene.maddaus@dailybreeze.com
To the blogger on 3-24-08, Your name calling on Sylvia Ortiz is really getting boring. Where's your proof to your claims? Why don't you sign your name if your so informed? Without any proof, your accusations are just hot air.
I have no more time for you complainers. If you want to make a change, LOBBY for it. Stop wasting you time on this blog and start putting presure on our elected officials. This blog has turned into a gossip blog without proof or merit.
Attn: 1038pm 27 Feb..
Before you call anyone a bastard:
1. Look up the definition of "bastard" in the dictionary and then
2. Check his birth certificate: Where it says name of father, and does it state "hijo legitimo" or "hijo natural" or words to thay effect ??
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