The Righteous one
Ever since the recall effort began against Sandy Shakes and Eric Christen, recall backers have been calling for Shakes and Christen to resign their seats. On Monday, September 25th, Christen offered to do just that. He asked Superintendent Terry Bishop to act as an intermediary to talk to John Gudvangen on his behalf. Through Bishop, Christen offered to resign his seat in exchange for Gudvangen publicly backing the appointment of one of the losing candidates from the 2005 election. Even though these candidates lost and were outspent by 5 times, each of them still received more votes than any other candidate in D11 history with the exception of the 3 winning candidates in 2005. The recallers have said all along that they did not object to Christen's ideas, but they did object to his delivery.
Gudvangen refused to accept any compromise with Christen. He wanted an unconditional resignation so that he could appoint a fellow liberal ideologue to the Board. When Christen made his offer public, Gudvangen panicked. He called a press conference where he handed out a prepared statement. He then became angry at reporters who tried to ask him questions about why he refused to agree to Christen's offer.
At the September 27th Board meeting, Gudvangen launched into a lecture about back-room political dealings. Even though Christen wanted the whole offer of resignation to be done in public, Gudvangen tried to make it into some behind-the-scenes secret deal. He actually stated that he would NEVER be involved in any behind the scene wheeling and dealing.
Below is a short timeline of events after Gudvangen's election:
John doesn't condone back room deal brokering?
Let's revisit recent history:
November 1, 2005, the slate of Gudvangen, Hasling and Mann wins the D-11 board seats.
November 2 and 3, 2005, discussion begins among the directors-elect about board officerships.
November 4, 2005 - Sharon Thomas attends the Education Trust conference in Washington DC. She spends approximately 6 hours on the phone between 8 am and 6 pm with Maryellen McNally.
November 5, 2005 - John Elliott hosts a party at his house celebrating the passage of the bond. John Gudvangen, Sandra Mann, Tami Hasling, Karen Teja and Mary Wierman gather upstairs to discuss board officerships. Maryellen McNally communicates to Sandy Shakes that "we got them elected and they'll do what we tell them". Gudvangen, when he wasn't in the family room playing his accordian, was expressing his disgust at Teja and Wierman for lamenting Shakes not being supported as President, citing his experience and collaborative nature as rationale for choosing him.
November 7, 2005 - Meeting arranged by Sharon Thomas at Tracy Cooper's house. John Gudvangen picks up lunch prepared by Sodexho, paid for by taxpayers, for meeting with Sandra Mann, Tami Hasling, John Gudvangen, Sandy Shakes meet with Tracy Cooper, again, discussing board officerships.
November 20, 2005 - "Bloody Sunday". Meeting held at the temporary office of "Friends of D-11" on East Bijou. In attendance were one unknown woman, Maryellen McNally, John Gudvangen, Tami Hasling,Lois Fornander, John Morris (head of Democratic Party), Janice Hahn, Sandra Mann and Sandy Shakes. It is at this meeting that McNally tells Shakes she is to fly right or face the wrath. It is at this meeting that the final officer positions deal brokering is finalized.
Are we to assume that John has a separate set of standards regarding his own back room deal brokering than he wishes to hold Director Christen to?
However you slice it, you're looking at a real, live hypocrite when you cast you gaze upon this man.
During the November 5th meeting, although Gudvangen had not been sworn into office yet, he was still an "elected official." He was working a behind-the-scenes deal with 2 sitting Board members, Karen Teja and Mary Wierman.
On November 7th, he again was working a behind-the-scenes deal with a the superintendent, and he even picked up meals for this clandestine meeting that were paid for by the D11 taxpayers. Tracy Cooper, who hosted this secret meeting, was on the D11 payroll at the time as a "purple packet" employee. She was directly hired by superintendent Thomas, and neither has informed the public as to Cooper's duties on the public dole.
On November 20th, Gudvangen was involved in an ambush attack against Sandy Shakes. This is yet another behind-the-scenes meeting that Gudvangen will not explain.
Since his election, Gudvangen has spent countless hours on the phone and in meetings with Thomas and Hasling and school district attorneys. While all of these meetings and phone calls cost the taxpayers thousands of public dollars, Gudvangen has never taken the time to explain to the public or his Board colleagues what he talked about or accomplished during these secret meetings.
While the public continues to suffer through endless Gudvangen "righteousness" sermons at Board meetings, his conduct has been anything other than righteous.
Gudvangen refused to accept any compromise with Christen. He wanted an unconditional resignation so that he could appoint a fellow liberal ideologue to the Board. When Christen made his offer public, Gudvangen panicked. He called a press conference where he handed out a prepared statement. He then became angry at reporters who tried to ask him questions about why he refused to agree to Christen's offer.
At the September 27th Board meeting, Gudvangen launched into a lecture about back-room political dealings. Even though Christen wanted the whole offer of resignation to be done in public, Gudvangen tried to make it into some behind-the-scenes secret deal. He actually stated that he would NEVER be involved in any behind the scene wheeling and dealing.
Below is a short timeline of events after Gudvangen's election:
John doesn't condone back room deal brokering?
Let's revisit recent history:
November 1, 2005, the slate of Gudvangen, Hasling and Mann wins the D-11 board seats.
November 2 and 3, 2005, discussion begins among the directors-elect about board officerships.
November 4, 2005 - Sharon Thomas attends the Education Trust conference in Washington DC. She spends approximately 6 hours on the phone between 8 am and 6 pm with Maryellen McNally.
November 5, 2005 - John Elliott hosts a party at his house celebrating the passage of the bond. John Gudvangen, Sandra Mann, Tami Hasling, Karen Teja and Mary Wierman gather upstairs to discuss board officerships. Maryellen McNally communicates to Sandy Shakes that "we got them elected and they'll do what we tell them". Gudvangen, when he wasn't in the family room playing his accordian, was expressing his disgust at Teja and Wierman for lamenting Shakes not being supported as President, citing his experience and collaborative nature as rationale for choosing him.
November 7, 2005 - Meeting arranged by Sharon Thomas at Tracy Cooper's house. John Gudvangen picks up lunch prepared by Sodexho, paid for by taxpayers, for meeting with Sandra Mann, Tami Hasling, John Gudvangen, Sandy Shakes meet with Tracy Cooper, again, discussing board officerships.
November 20, 2005 - "Bloody Sunday". Meeting held at the temporary office of "Friends of D-11" on East Bijou. In attendance were one unknown woman, Maryellen McNally, John Gudvangen, Tami Hasling,Lois Fornander, John Morris (head of Democratic Party), Janice Hahn, Sandra Mann and Sandy Shakes. It is at this meeting that McNally tells Shakes she is to fly right or face the wrath. It is at this meeting that the final officer positions deal brokering is finalized.
Are we to assume that John has a separate set of standards regarding his own back room deal brokering than he wishes to hold Director Christen to?
However you slice it, you're looking at a real, live hypocrite when you cast you gaze upon this man.
During the November 5th meeting, although Gudvangen had not been sworn into office yet, he was still an "elected official." He was working a behind-the-scenes deal with 2 sitting Board members, Karen Teja and Mary Wierman.
On November 7th, he again was working a behind-the-scenes deal with a the superintendent, and he even picked up meals for this clandestine meeting that were paid for by the D11 taxpayers. Tracy Cooper, who hosted this secret meeting, was on the D11 payroll at the time as a "purple packet" employee. She was directly hired by superintendent Thomas, and neither has informed the public as to Cooper's duties on the public dole.
On November 20th, Gudvangen was involved in an ambush attack against Sandy Shakes. This is yet another behind-the-scenes meeting that Gudvangen will not explain.
Since his election, Gudvangen has spent countless hours on the phone and in meetings with Thomas and Hasling and school district attorneys. While all of these meetings and phone calls cost the taxpayers thousands of public dollars, Gudvangen has never taken the time to explain to the public or his Board colleagues what he talked about or accomplished during these secret meetings.
While the public continues to suffer through endless Gudvangen "righteousness" sermons at Board meetings, his conduct has been anything other than righteous.
posted by Craig Cox | 8:48 PM
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