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Mary York, editor
NEWS
Summer Edition 2012—Vol. 55, Iss. 6
Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: news@theswcsun.com
Board passes campaign finance reform By Mary York News Editor
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n another effort to drive the pay-for-play culture out of Southwestern College, the governing board passed a campaign finance reform initiative proposed by trustee Humberto Peraza that limits political contributions to $1,000. Based on city and community college models, Peraza said the reform is an attempt to minimize the influence construction companies and architects can have on board elections and district decision making. “I support reform, SCEA supports it,” said Andy MacNeill, president of the college faculty union. “It makes sense with what we just went through. I think it sends a message to the community that we’re done playing around. The people who did the pay-for-play are gone and we are here to be responsible.” Peraza said the pre-election season was the best time to pass the policy in light of SWC’s history. “Somebody got a $30,000 check in the last election,” said Peraza. “That’s overboard. That’s what we’re trying to prevent.” Peraza, who is up for re-election this cycle along with trustee Dr. Jean Roesch, said the timing and the intent of this policy are exactly what the community needs to hear from its governing board. “It’s about transparency and rebuilding trust in the community and showing them, ‘Hey, we’re trying to do it right’,” he said. “Campaign finance reform is something that that community wanted to see changed. We are coming up to an election time and I thought this is something we need to try to input before the next election. This isn’t something we should wait on, this is something we should do immediately.” Roesch, the only board member to oppose the item, said she disagreed with Peraza. “I don’t think it’s necessary and I really don’t agree with it,” she said. “There are some people under this policy that wouldn’t be able to raise much because they don’t belong to organizations that could really provide that kind of financing.”
Serina Duarte/Staff
A STEP FORWARD — Governing Board Vice President Humberto Peraza pushed for the campaign finance reform initiative, a step he said is important to take before the November election.
Unions, which often support candidates, stand to lose a lot by this new policy, but MacNeill said the faculty union still favored its passage. He said unions would be able to lend their support by helping candidates connect with the community, which, he said, is more important anyway. “Any candidate we are going to support we would get plugged into our network,” said MacNeill. “I think there are people who may need to run again in the future and they are relying on donors and contributors who gave more than what the policy will be limiting it to. People have their pots of money that they rely on and they might rely on those big amounts rather than a whole bunch of little amounts. And I think they’re probably worried about having to use a lot of their own money. I think if you have a good message, that message should carry itself.” The governing board openly discussed the issue of campaign finance reform at its monthly meeting to the praise of community members who said they are happy to see the board has
stopped having these discussions behind closed doors. Chula Vista resident Nancy Stubbs said the issue of campaign finance reform is a crucial one at this point in time. “This is a pivotal next step in earning back the trust in the community,” she said. “The pay-toplay culture, whether perception or reality, must end now. This is a very real part of that perception of corruption. That was the past, it’s time to move forward. It may be easier to take money from vendors but they are far removed from the community that you represent.” Board President Norma Hernandez and Trustee Tim Nader expressed concerns about the initiative’s enforceability, which he said is almost non-existent. “I passionately believe the campaign finance reform on every level in our country is necessary,” he said. “Unfortunately, the Supreme Court majority has really tied our hands as far as what we can do, to the extent that we aren’t already tied by the fact that we are a community college and not a city.” Very few community colleges in the state have enacted policies like this one and there is little precedent to foreshadow the consequences of enacting such a policy. Nader said he believes an initiative without enforcement would really cripple the honest and help the criminals. “There’s no consequence if you violate the policy. None,” he said. “We can’t fine you or throw you in jail. We reward those who are willing to break the policy and penalize those try to do the most ethical, high-road approach.” But SWC graduate and community member William Perno said he is looking to the board to send a message. “Your actions tonight can go a long way to restoring trust in the community,” said Perno. “I hope this item will serve as the catalyst for other local governing boards to also enact campaign contribution limits. You are fixing the problems of the past, this is an opportunity to fix the potential problems of the future.”
Budget: Classes, student services face steep cuts in 2012-13 Continued from page A1
community college campus childcare centers. As outlined by Brown, new work participation requirements could make it nearly impossible for low-income students to gain access to community college resources. Half of the $5 million SWC deficit will be paid with $1 million from reserves, $1 million from Full-Time Equivalent Student (FTES) funding cuts by the state and $500,000 in cuts to operating budgets (administrative and academic). If Brown’s tax initiative on the November ballot fails, SWC’s budget committee is scheduling fewer classes for fall 2012. Randy Beach, SWC Academic Senate President Elect, said this for ward thinking is beneficial because if the initiative fails, class cuts are already in place. “Students can plan better, faculty can be hired and student services can better prepare for the projected student load,” he said. Student fees will increase to $46 a unit for the summer semester, which has been severely reduced. Beach said no other fee increases are currently being considered at this time at the state level. Changes to the Board of Governors (BOGW) fee waiver include a 110 unit cap and students will be required to maintain satisfactory academic standards. SWC students are ineligible for BOG after completion of 100 units. Requirements for Cal Grants may increase the minimum GPA to qualify to 2.75, up from the current 2.0, though Cal Grant changes are not expected to pass, said Patti Larkin, SWC Director of Financial Aid. Larkin said 13,507 SWC students currently receive BOGW with changes affecting around 100 students. Changes to Cal Grant could affect about 920 students,
Task Force: Proposal would use new financial aid rules to push degree, certificate completion Continued from page A1
Roosevelt Palafox/Staff
BAD NEWS FROM SACRAMENTO — (l-r) C. M. Brahmbhatt, Bob Temple and Academic Senate President Angelina Stuart discuss implications of next year’s budget cuts. SWC administrators and employees recently agreed on how to cut $5 million from the college budget.
she said. “It’s not so much as to make students leave as soon as possible as it is to encourage them to progress,” said Larkin. “It’s important for students to progress because in the case of Pell Grants you don’t want to spend a lot of time using that money.” Salary cuts will likely go into effect in FY 2012-13 after faculty and employees voted narrowly to approve a five percent pay cut negotiated by administration and labor groups on campus. Bruce MacNintch, president of the California School Employees Association, said the only thing left is salaries. Current negotiations revolve on distribution of cuts, an increase in employee contributions to health and welfare benefits, furloughs and the possibility of freezing step increases, he said. “All the groups have made a commitment that if it’s a choice
between jobs and salary, we’ll look at salary,” said MacNintch. “We’re opposed to job losses, but we don’t know how severe future cuts will be.” The pay reduction is expected to generate $3.1 million. Federal financial aid changes take effect July 1. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants will no longer submit a copy of their taxes with their application. Tax information will be sent directly from the Internal Re ve n u e Se r v i c e . Pe l l Gr a n t s recipients are reduced from 18 semesters of financial aid to 12, giving students less time to pursue educational goals. A six-month grace period of no interest is being eliminated on federal student loans and interest rates, and future loans will double unless Congress extends the 2007 law keeping current interest rates. Last semester 39 employees took
part in the Supplemental Early Retirement Package (SERP) that saved SWC about $1.7 million last year. SERP is not a viable option to finding the money needed this year, said Andy MacNeill, budget committee co-chair. He said it has been determined that there will be no SERP for the 2011-12 budget year and there is no commitment to offer SERP next year. “You can’t offer it every year as you lose too much of your work force,” said MacNeill. “There also comes a point where you just can’t save any more money.” Summer 2013 is expected to look similar to summer 2012 with the main campus, for the most part, closed to students. Fall takes the majority of funding with 54 percent FTES allocated, while spring only gets 46 percent and summer gets what little remains to fund programs that require summer courses.
recommendations would restrict access to some students while forcing others through the system as quickly as possible. Gone are the days of sampling classes and exploring other fields of study. Recommendation 3.3 would provide students with the opportunity to consider the benefits of full-time enrollment. Their reasoning behind this is “the faster a student completes his or
her education, the less time there is for life or family issues to get in the way.” Recommendation 3.4 states students not ready for college would be required to enroll in basic skills courses to better prepare them to accomplish their goals. Due to budget reductions, basic skills courses are already well over capacity. Another recommendation would focus on course offerings that contribute
to a student’s progress. In the process of aligning course offerings to core courses, it could cut off funding to non-credit courses that do not contribute to an educational plan. Critics claim the recommendations requiring all incoming students to participate into assessment, please see Task Force pg. A4
Lawsuit: Board aims to recoup some payments lost on original contracts Continued from page A1
and that could lead to questions of money,” she said. “So both issues are being looked at legally.” Pasadena-based Seville Construction Services was awarded a $2.7 million contract in October 2009 to provide project management for the college’s entire Proposition R construction. Henry Amigable, the first project manager, only worked until December 2010, when Seville terminated him. In January, the San Diego County District Attorney’s office charged him with two felony counts, bribery and influence peddling, related to his actions at Sweetwater Union High School District. In March, he agreed to a plea bargain in which he would admit guilt to one misdemeanor charge and avoid prosecution for the felonies. He is due in court next month and still faces up to $1,000 in fines and six months in jail. Amigable is expected to testify against school board members and administrators also charged with crimes. The governing board terminated its relationship with Seville and BCA in January. BCA, which is headquartered in San Francisco, was awarded a $3.1 million contract in April 2010 to draft architectural plans for the entire corner lot development, including buildings and landscaping. The plans were awarded a Community College Facility Coalition (CCFC) Award of Excellence late in 2010. Paul Bunton, BCA’s president, appeared in court March 26 to plead guilty to one misdemeanor. He also faces a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. Echo Pacific Construction, of Escondido, was awarded the construction management contract in July 2010. In January 2011, Chris Rowe, Echo’s president, hired Amigable to provide construction management for Echo Pacific’s Proposition AA projects on the SWC campus, including the new Time Out Café. Amigable is now on leave, according to an Echo spokesperson. In September, the governing board terminated Echo Pacific for convenience. Rowe has not been charged by the district attorney. In November 2009, five months before BCA was awarded its contract, Bunton took Amigable and Nicholas Alioto, SWC’s former vice president of business and financial affairs on a well-documented Pebble Beach golfing vacation. Three weeks before Echo Pacific won its bid, Rowe joined Bunton, Amigable and Alioto on a Napa Valley trip won at a Southwestern College Education Foundation event. It cost Rowe $15,000. A spokesman for Seville said that the board’s decision to take legal action against the firm came out of nowhere. “As reported by The Sun on February 27, SWC and Seville were working toward a mutual solution to dissolve our contractual relationship,” he said. “After months of negotiations we thought we had reached a mutual agreement to dissolve the contract. Therefore we were shocked by the board’s choice to disregard its legal counsel and instead pursue legal action.” The spokesman also questioned the board’s motivations for taking this step. “We feel this sudden about-face is a disingenuous attempt to win political favor rather than doing what’s best for the college,” he said. “Additionally, we believe that any litigation will be a tremendous waste of taxpayer money, and that the time of SWC administrators could be better spent on seeing the improvements to the college come to fruition.” Bunton, whose plea in part read, “I paid for e-mails and entertainment for Southwestern College officials. My actions triggered reporting responsibilities by these officials under the rules [of the] Fair Political Practices Commission. We are cooperating with the D.A.’s office and working with school administrators throughout California in the hope of making sure everyone knows about essential reporting laws.” Despite repeated calls and messages, Echo Pacific executives refused to comment. For legal reasons, the governing board declined to expand on its original statement. The spokesman said that Seville stands by its belief that litigation is detrimental to all parties involved. “SCS has always operated and acted in good faith throughout our relationship with the district, and we have proactively assisted in the investigations by Seo Consulting as well as the D.A.’s office,” he said. “The board’s decision to not seek a mutual resolution can only prolong the negative impact on the college and community.” In March, the board suspended all work on the corner lot, pending an update to the college’s educational and long-range master plans. In addition, the board plans to complete construction 10 years earlier than original projections. Bidding for additional Prop R projects is scheduled to begin in April 2013. With or without SWC, Seville will continue to provide project and construction management services. “We are grounded in our unshakeable principles,” the spokesman said, “and we will continue to be steadfast in our commitment to providing high quality services, operating with integrity in all our dealings, delivering customer satisfaction and achieving excellence for our clients.”