Some people look to the alignment of planets as a sign of great future events. Few, however, realize that another conjunction is an even greater indicator of strange and often bizarre occurrences. Specifically, the month of October marks the only time in the calendar year when all professional sports transpire; and I do mean all: bowling, golf, lacrosse, etc. (There are some indications that the professional bicycling season ends in September, but this has not been confirmed and does not seem to negatively affect the following.) The strong forces that October brings together result in an even stronger and stranger event: the candidates' forum for the Marin Community College Board of Trustees.
This year there are actually seven contenders for four seats, three of which are held by incumbents running for reelection. The forum, sponsored by the campus senates, was a rather lengthy affair that revealed little about any of the candidates, unless you knew where to look and what to listen for. It seems that neither planetary alignment nor concurrent athletic competitions were successful in bringing together one thing, namely people to hear the candidates. The forum was sparsely attended, with only about 40 people in the audience. At various times students from possibly history or English classes marched through, but when their class hour ended, they left. Each candidate was given time to make an opening and closing statement, and in between all of them responded to questions submitted from the audience to a representative from the League of Women Voters. Recognizing that they were running for an education-related position, all of the candidates opened with remarks on their academic ties. Herewith are the
Otis Bruce: A graduate of a community college (Merritt) whose wife attended and graduated from the CoM nursing program and whose son will probably attend a community college.
Eva Long: Her son attended a community college and she probably spends "a couple hundred dollars a year taking classes." In her closing statement Ms. Long indicated 36 years of experience as a school administrator and that she has taught at College of Marin as an "adjunct" faculty.
Peter Romanowsky: His ancestors were educators.
Larry McFadden: Graduate of Foothill Community College, taught at CSU Hayward.
Vivian Bronshvag: Currently a substitute teacher in Marin; formerly, as a State Assembly person, she oversaw funding for Education in the Legislature. "I have so much on record where education is concerned."
Frank Parnell: Failed an audition before the CoM drama department, adjunct faculty at UCSF.
Phyllis Metcalfe: "I would work here if I were qualified, but I'm not so I'm a trustee."
The above "sound bites" are probably as uninformative and distorting as those on the evening news, so allow me to expand. One would hope that the questions put before the candidates would illuminate their positions and attitudes. This of course presupposes meaningful questions. Not!
Such a collection of insignificant, wimpy and meaningless questions I have never heard. There were maybe two that had any sort of meat to them and muckraking potential. Allow me to present the other questions. Of course there was the "IVC question": open or close it. Rest assured, all of you faculty whose primary site is IVC, your job is secure. No candidate even hinted at closing IVC as any kind of option. Then there were questions on supporting diversity in students, supporting diversity in faculty, supporting Emeritus College, the lack of affordable housing for students and supporting women's studies at CoM. One could be a candidate for any office and know the answers to those questions: yes, yes, yes, need more and yes. Boring. Fortunately a group of students was able to get in a question about supporting recycling more actively on campus (that's an obvious yes), but also to the extent of assuring that the bookstore and reprographics use more recycled products and not sell any products produced in sweat shops.
Vivian Bronshvag: Apply for state and federal grants, foundation money.
Otis Bruce: Parent volunteers, research income sources, promote it to the community.
Frank Parnell: Has given ongoing support while a Board member.
Eva Long: State grants are at a maximum, but the people who work in the program "are right on top of it."
Peter Romanowsky: Shame sources into providing more funds or negotiate to get more funding.
Larry McFadden: Marin County does not have the will to have child care facilities.
Phyllis Metcalfe: Her response indicated that she knew we were negotiating and could not directly comment.
The last winning question to each candidate was over the next five years what is the greatest challenge the Trustees will face and what will be your role? To a person the response was a resounding "fiscal solvency."
Is it just me? Where was the "I'm no crook" or "you're no Jack Kennedy"? That's the stuff the people want to hear. That's the stuff that offends and provokes. So in the interest of provoking and offending everyone, I am going to offer my personal opinions on all of the candidates, in no particular order.
Otis Bruce: Extremely eloquent and knows how to talk the talk. The only candidate from North Marin (Novato). His tag line is that trustees are "ambassadors for the College." Definitely community minded, but unknown how he will align with management and labor. He is a member of SEIU at the county level (he is a Deputy District Attorney), but he never asked for UPM/CFT's endorsement.
Eva Long: Now when I hear "adjunct" faculty at CoM two things cross my mind: What did you teach and why "adjunct" (we officially and informally use "temporary" or "part-time")? So I did some checking. There is no record of her ever having been paid on any credit or non-credit salary schedule. She has never paid dues to any campus union. The closest anyone could come was that she proposed a one- or two-day workshop as an independent consultant in Com-munity Service, but no one currently on staff has a record that it was ever given. If this qualifies her to state on her resume that from "1997-present" she is a faculty member, everything else becomes suspect.
Peter Romanowsky: His guiding philosophy is the Golden Rule: He who has the gold, rules (and he does not have it). He has lots of energy, he says, and if you want to make my own Tuesday night Board meetings more entertaining, get this guy elected. By his own admission he is a perpetual candidate for anything, running for all offices to eventually get some sort of name recognition. He seems very determined to accomplish some sort of economic and/or social equalization.
Larry McFadden: Incumbent with a strong business background and influence (President of Fairfax Lumber, which might be why his solution to student housing problems is to build more multiple unit housing). He has a lot of ideas, but as his last four years on the Board have indicated, they are not necessarily ideas that UPM could promote, and he is too willing to give support to management just because they are management. He does have at least one clever and sane perspective. His campaigns are run with virtually no money and he encourages anyone who would donate to him to give instead to the Marin Foundation.
Vivian Bronshvag: She has such a flamboyant past and lengthy record that it almost appears that her record should be elected and not her. Her attitudes seem to be correct, but can she really come through? Sizzle vs. steak comes to mind. It's probably hard when you believe you really have done so much, but . . . Tough one, when the credentials are good, but . . .
Frank Parnell: If you did not know him, you still might not know him. He wrote a very bizarre ballot statement lamenting the numerous lawsuits against the District and its perception as a deep pocket. Of course some of those lawsuits were filed by UPM. One of only two candidates who has asked for UPM's endorsement, and one of only two candidates that the Executive Council has endorsed. Very supportive of all labor unions on campus and not afraid to ask the difficult and often unpleasant questions, especially at public Board meetings.
Phyllis Metcalfe: Really believes what she says about College of Marin and sees that the problems the College experiences are not always the fault of its employees (e.g., blame the State for not funding at a level that allows for salaries and support that the employees deserve). The most senior member of the Board (in service, not age!) and her historical perspective is invaluable and essential in keeping issues on track. One of only two candidates who has asked for UPM's endorsement, and the other candidate that the Executive Council has endorsed.
I am sure that some or all of the above will rub some or all of the candidates the wrong way. I only hope that if they are elected they can demonstrate to me and the members of the United Professor of Marin that I was wrong, if that is their belief. As for the rest of you, let me know if you spot any professional cyclists out there, and remember: If you don't vote you can't complain.
