To the voters of Los Angeles:
My name is Arthur Christopher Schaper, a resident of Torrance, CA. Please forgive my presumption in writing to you on behalf of a political candidate running for office in the Los Angeles area, but I believe that this candidate deserves special intention, recognition, and your vote on March 5.
I am not writing to you about the LA mayoral race, or any of the seats up for election in the City Council. To the point, I am commenting on a little known government agency which is taking a greater role in the lives of young Angelenos, in part because of spending cuts which are harming public education for k-12 students, but also limiting the options for high school graduates who cannot afford the post-secondary education of the UC or the Cal State system for a four-year course of study. Because many students seek out community colleges to complete general education requirements, to acquire technical skills, and to supplement their income with more certification, fiscal prudence and heartfelt respect for all students, along with burdened faculty and staff, is needed now more than ever.
Normally, the race of the LA community College District Board of Trustees would not even get my attention, but one of the two candidates for the Seat #4, Jozef "Joe" Thomas Essavi commands enough respect with me. At a local meeting in the South Bay, where I live, he paid a visit to gather support from many like-minded fiscal conservatives and LA area residents who care about public education. He waited patiently to relate his campaign and share his platform for bringing better management and financial stability to the Los Angeles Community College District. He gladly explained his views, going out of his way to make his case to prospective voters. If community college students need anything, they need leadership and representation that will reach out, listen, and implement the views and values of all LA area students.
With higher tuition and more regulations flowing down from Sacramento and descending from Washington D.C., the last thing that students should have to contend with is more bureaucracy. Essavi wants to give each community college more freedom to plan and implement their goals. Essavi wants to permit more freedom for better management in all nine campuses. He wants to give students more say in the financial management of the Community College District. He also welcomes reinstating student newspapers on all nine campuses, along with promoting the Van De Kamps satellite into a tenth campus in its own right.
More teachers, more access to digital media, and lower course and book fees are also top priority for Mr. Essavi. He will also demand a full financial audit of the College District budget when elected. His call for term limits for all trustees is a timely reform, one which will allow future leaders and current trustees to pay attention to the needs of all Angelenos, especially the young adults in our communities who want to work, who want to do well, and who want to provide a welcoming future for their families.
On March 5th, please vote for Joe Essavi for LA Community College District, Board Trustee #4.
