Jeff Rogers and friends promote TUSD “crisis”

“Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” ~ Cesar Chavez

Pima County Democratic Party Chair has joined in on the exploitation of TUSD students for political purposes. Rogers sent out an email to fellow Democrats promoting the lie that TUSD administrators attempted to prevent free speech at today’s Cesar Chavez celebration. Rogers told democrats, “TUSD administration has attempted to block the staging of the event.”

However, it was TUSD Governing Board member Adelita Grijalva who had decided to move the event. After learning that her father’s congressional aide, Ruben Reyes, had been caught using TUSD employee addresses to send out fundraising requests, Adelita Grijalva believed that it would be best if the rally honoring the civil rights leader should be held off TUSD grounds. She understood that the event was less a celebration of the life of civil rights leader Caesar Chavez and more a political rally. Organizers planned on circulating petitions for the recall of TUSD Board member Michael Hicks and petitions for her father’s, Raul Grijalva, reelection campaign.

After they secured St John’s Church, Augie Romero, TUSD’s Equity director, and Adelita’s good friend, advised Abel Morado, head of TUSD’s high schools, that they were going to use Pueblo High School. Morado told Romero that he needed Romero’s help. He asked Romero to prevent too much political speech because he didn’t want an “ass kickin’ from the Board or the unofficial Mexican American Advisory Board.

In a betrayal of Morado, Romero started telling the obsessed MAS media types that the district was trying to stop free speech and “disrespect the Mexican American” community. Discontent and distrust began brewing around Augie’s exaggerated recitation of Morado’s instructions. The press began calling.

According to those close with Morado, the district’s Superintendent Pedicone then instructed Morado to tell Romero to go to the press and tell them the truth. Romero refused the order.

Jeff Rogers, never one to waste a good crisis, or an opportunity to create one, began fanning the flames.

“Now that Rogers has weighed in on behalf of the Pima County Democratic Party he has confirmed what everyone already knew…this was always about using public resources for partisan purposes. TUSD has wisely decided not to use public resources to support partisan politics, and that was the right choice,” said one district insider.

On Friday, some Tucson High School students were told by their teachers that they would earn extra credit if they attended the “celebration” and wrote a report about it.

The were no community complaints or outrage this year, when the district took steps this year to prevent partisan activities in some schools in the district. The Sabino High School Young Republican Club held a debate for the CD8 special election this month, and were required by the district to invite all candidates from all parties in the race. Democratic candidate Ron Barber did not accept the invitation.

However, TUSD property and personnel has been a cheap and easy resource for democratic candidates.

Curtis Acosta, the Mexican American Studies teacher often offered up as the icon of Raza Studies, has used the TUSD email list service to disseminate Congressman Raul Grijalva’s aide,Reyes’s telephone number.

Amy Rusk, sent out an email dated February 7, to TUSD employees Corky Poster, and MAS teacher Maria Federico Brummer, among others including Ann-Eve Pedersen and Vera Pfeuffer, with a subject line, “Please consider attending!”

The email read:

“Wenona for Arizona Congressional Campaign Committee

Invites you to a house party with
Wenona Benally Baldenegro
Democratic Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, Arizona CD-1
Wenona is seeking to become the first American Indian woman
Ever elected to congress

Friday, February 10, 2012
5:30pm – 7 pm

The home of Sally Rusk and Tim Warfield
XXXX North X Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705

RSVP with Sal Baldenegro at
sal@wenonaforarizona.com or 520-XXX-XXXX

If you are unable to attend, please visit us at www.wenonaforarizona.com
To make an online contribution. Or you may send a check to the following address, payable to “Wenona for Arizona”:
Wenona for Arizona

XXXX Woodlands Village Blvd.
Suite 300-203
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Contributions or gifts to “Wenona for Arizona” are not tax deductable. We can accept contributions from an individual of up to $2,500 per federal election (the primary and general are separate elections). Federal PACs may contribute up to $5,000 per election. Federal law prohibits contributions to campaigns from corporations, labor organizations and national banks: for any person contributions to another personal fund: from foreign nationals who lack permanent resident status: and from federal government contractors.

Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report three name, mailing address, occupation and employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $250 in an election cycle.

Authorized & Paid for by the
Wenona for Arizona Campaign Committee

Sally Rusk is a TUSD employee and was a plaintiff in the federal lawsuit by MAS instructors until Judge Tashima threw out the teachers as plaintiffs in the case.

Raul Grijalva’s top aide sent a fundraising email to TUSD teacher Steve Bracamonte. Bracamonte then sent it out to his 16 year students on behalf of Grijalva. The email was dated Feb 15, 2012 and the subject was “Countdown to Campaign Kickoff 2012.”

When the public’s concern about the email came to the attention of State Senator Frank Antenori, he sent an inquiry to the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board regarding the use of government resources for the purpose of conducting partisan political activity.

A.R.S. 15-511, the use of school district resources, which includes provisions:

The attorney general or the county attorney for the county in which an alleged violation of this section occurred may initiate a suit in the superior court in the county in which the school district or charter school is located for the purpose of complying with this section.

For each violation of this section, the court may impose a civil penalty not to exceed five hundred dollars plus any amount of misused funds subtracted from the school district budget against a person who knowingly violates or a person who knowingly aids another person in violating this section. The person determined to be out of compliance with this section shall be responsible for the payment of all penalties and misused funds. School district funds or insurance payments shall not be used to pay these penalties or misused funds. All misused funds collected pursuant to this section shall be returned to the school district or charter school whose funds were misused.

Earlier this year Rogers, invoking the Southern Democrats Klan member methodology of the past, called for TUSD Board members Michael Hicks, Mark Stegeman, and Miguel Cuevas to be “tarred and feather and run out of town on a rail.”

Hate mongering and race baiting are the focus of the Democratic Party this year. Any opportunity to create hate and distrust is exploited, as evidenced by Raul Grijalva’s statement last week comparing Arizona’s immigration laws to the tragic death of black teenager Travon Martin at the hands of adult Hispanic George Zimmerman.

On Friday, Dr. Pedicone moved to put Augie Romero, the designer of the district’s Social Justice Project in charge of writing the new multi-cultural curriculum.

The Arizona Daily Independent has filed a Request for Information regarding TUSD emails. Check back for more information.