Stop, Drop and Roll

07 April 2008 | AUSD, Alameda Community | John Knox White

So what is wrong with Action Alameda and it’s seemingly sole-member, David Howard? When he’s not attacking Planning Board members, elected city councilmembers, city staff or members of the city’s other boards and commissions, he’s off attacking volunteers who hold opinions different that his. And I’m not talking about “hey, I disagree with person X’s ideas!” that’s not personal. I’m talking the constant proclamations of malfeasance (which are almost uniformly wrong).

Ok, so the obvious next question is what the hell is wrong with me that I care? And it’s a good point. Usually I just laugh (or giggle) and ignore these rantings. But then, like yesterday, someone points out yet another classic in which someone (this time it’s Ron Mooney and the Alameda Education Foundation with a side order of Brooke Briggance) is unjustly smeared. And for doing what you ask? Caring so much about Alameda’s schools that he (and they) got involved and tried to work on the issue.

I’m sure we can all remember Action Alameda’s last contribution to this effort, an attempt at tying their his favorite whipping boy, redevelopment, directly to the school budget problems. That issue has been reduced to AA/DH crowing about how Frank Matarrese is asking for school affordable housing funds to be more clearly identified in the budget so that Mr. Howard can find the easier. (I bring it up, because it’s a theme). That’s right, in the end, after trying to stir up a revolt against the schools, it turned out that all the “could it be true that…” and “since I can’t find it, it’s possible….” accusations added up to zilch. The money was right where it was suppose to be, being used for exactly what it was supposed to be used for. Yet another conspiracy theory that fizzled.

Which brings us to the new crop of conspiracies (Action Alameda, a new theory each week. Come back soon to see the new one!):

First there was the malfeasance in the filing of the Pac that is supporting Measure H (the school parcel tax):

Now comes a new PAC with the acronym KASE and the state FPPC #1303778 advocating support for the parcel tax. It’s not clear who is behind that group and the “Who We Are” page does not live up to its promise.

…

California Form 410, the form that KASE would have had to complete to get their state FPPC# clearly states that for City Committees, the organizers must file a copy with the “Local filing officer who receive the original disclosure statements.”. In Alameda, that would be the City Clerk’s office. I was at the City Clerk’s office this morning, and they did not have on file a Form 410 for KASE FPPC #1303778, which it seems, by law, KASE should have filed with them.

Which was followed, just a few hours later by:

A correction to my previous email - The Keep Alameda Schools Excellent PAC filed a copy of their organizing form, not with the City of Alameda, but with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. The filing was made with remarkable foresight by Alameda Education Foundation Secretary Ronald Mooney on January 29, 2008.

“Remarkable foresight” being a euphemism for “knowing where to file things, especially when you’ve been involved in political campaigns in the past….but perhaps you think I’m being unfair.

Given that this parcel tax will be voted on by Alameda voters, and affects Alameda schools, one could be forgiven for thinking the PAC would file a copy in Alameda City Hall….The point is transparency…

“The point” being Mr. Howard’s inability to find things where he is looking for them (rather than where they are suppose to be. See Matarrese comment above).

So now that the filings have been made correctly, it’s time to attack AEF.

The management of the AEF largely consists of Alameda homeowners living in the Gold Coast section of Alameda, which overlaps with the Franklin School district. It is widely understood within Alameda education circles that Franklin School would be the next school to close due to state education funding cuts.

Ronald Mooney, an AEF official and Alameda resident who lives in the Gold Coast just a few doors west of Franklin School filed organizing statements for the Keep Alameda Schools Excellent Political Action Committe (KASE PAC) with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters on January 28, 2008. The website for the KASE PAC encourages readers to “Vote YES H” - that is, to vote in favor of “Measure H, a temporary parcel tax to benefit Alameda’s public schools.”

As a charitable organization, the Alameda Education Foundation is not permitted to advocate a position on a ballot measures such as Measure H.

So here’s the thing, as a charitable organization, the AEF is categorically NOT precluded for advocating for ballot measures. They are not allowed to advocate for Individual Candidates, but ballots measures are fine. That’s a pretty big thing to get wrong.

You can see how Mr. Mooney, who has yet to do anything wrong, is clearly untrustworthy because he lives in the Gold Coast (Egads, run for your lives). When you don’t have anything to say, try to make something like where someone lives an issue! (I wonder how Action Alameda’s great benefactors Pat Bail and Doug de Haan, who gave Action Alameda most of the money it has raised, and both of whom live in what I am lead to believe is the evil-neighborhood, feel about their choice of neighborhoods precluding from them having opinions on things.)

Because he hadn’t crossed over the “high irony line” yet, Tuesday at Alameda Daily News, a news-themed website, Mr Howard included this gem in another typical rant:

“Maybe the AEF could start by putting back on the website the list of the names of AEF officials and their school affiliation.”

Anyone has visited the Action Alameda website should be busting a gut at this point. From their homepage:

Q: Who runs Action Alameda?
A: Action Alameda is governed by a five-person executive board…The names of the executive board members are available on request by sending an email…

So, in Action Alameda Land, demanding to know who’s behind a well-respected organization is a righteous action, even as you hide the membership of your own, personal fiefdom. Hilarity ensues again!

Add in Mr. Howard’s attempts to say he actually supports the parcel tax (with friends like these!) and you can skip the comics, real life trumps them again.