Klein defends stance against education.

Now Klein takes on the elementary crowd.
Remember, Klein has absolutely NO experience in education. He's never even attended primary, secondary school or college. Fiscal responsibility? Does Klein know that California ranks 42nd in the nation in per student educational spending??

Politics at work in parcel tax?
Meadow Vista resident questions Republican opposition to Measure D

By: Ryan Sabalow, Journal Staff Writer
Sunday, March 27, 2005 11:52 PM PST



The recent political upheaval at Sierra College has moved from the hallways of the Rocklin campus to the rolling hills of Meadow Vista.

Meadow Vista resident Judy Creek, the wife of Sierra College Trustee Dave Creek, said Friday the Placer County Republican Party's choice to oppose a Placer Hills Union School District parcel tax is a direct result of meddling from Sierra College trustees Jerry Simmons and Aaron Klein.

Klein and Simmons sit on the Placer County Republican Central Committee and were part of the five-member endorsement committee that recently voted unanimously to oppose Measure D, a $48 annual parcel tax.

Proponents of Measure D say it would help the district ease a budget shortfall that could result in cuts to student programs and the layoff of at least 15 staff members.

"It's politics as a sport," Judy Creek said. "They just rampaged through Sierra College. Now they found the next school to go after."

The idea there's a correlation between the recent turmoil at Sierra College and opposition to the Meadow Vista tax is "silly," said Ken Campbell, chairman of the Placer County Republican Party.


"Come on," Campbell said. "Ask her if she sees black helicopters and G-men behind the trees."

Both Simmons and Klein deny any sort of political maneuvering, saying their party's disdain for taxes and the poor fiscal responsibility within Placer Hills motivated them to oppose the tax.

Klein, a resident of Colfax, whose family lives in Meadow Vista, said anyone who knows him is very much aware he's against raising taxes unnecessarily.

Klein said he was approached by Meadow Vista resident Ben Mavy, who was upset Placer Hills was trying to increase taxes after what he claimed were years of financial mismanagement.

He came to realize Mavy's concerns about Placer Hills had merit, Klein said.

"I'm a Republican," Klein said. "I've been opposed to tax increases a lot longer than I've ever been a trustee at Sierra College."

Judy Creek, herself a registered Republican and former Central Committee member, suggests ulterior motives are at work.

She said it was ironic that the adopted grandson of former Sierra College president Kevin Ramirez attended a Placer Hills school. Ramirez could not be reached for comment Friday to confirm Creek's claim.

"That's about as silly as her pal Rex Bloomfield's conspiracy theories in his editorial the other day," Klein said, referring to Wednesday's guest editorial in the Journal by Bloomfield.

Bloomfield alleged Klein, Simmons and Sierra Trustee Scott Leslie are part of ultra-conservative Republican conspiracy ultimately led by U.S. Rep. John Doolittle, R-Roseville, to take over Placer County.

This isn't the first time a rivalry between the Creeks and Klein has made its way into the public eye.

Judy Creek was Bloomfield's campaign manager in his November campaign for the Placer County District 5 supervisor seat. Klein was campaign manager for Bloomfield's opponent, Bruce Kranz, who won the supervisor race.

Dave Creek was also the first to call for Klein's recall after the newly-elected Sierra College trustee allegedly pressured Ramirez to resign.

After sending e-mails and speaking critically of Ramirez to faculty and staff, Klein filed a complaint with the Placer County Elections Department, stating Ramirez had used unethical means to fund facilities improvement bond measures at the college.

Ramirez denies any wrongdoing, and the complaint has been forwarded to the California Fair Political Practices Commission. The commission has yet to issue a ruling.

Close to a week after Klein filed, Ramirez announced he wished to retire. After nearly a month of closed-door meetings, Ramirez received a $405,000 retirement settlement from the board, along with potentially millions in State of California retirement benefits.

Ramirez is to remain at Sierra College receiving a full salary as president emeritus until this summer, as his replacement, Morgan Lynn, serves as interim president.

Dave Creek was the only Sierra trustee to vote against Ramirez's settlement, saying in earlier interviews it was ironic that Klein, who campaigned for trustee in November on the platform of fiscal responsibility, wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay Ramirez not to work.

Dave Creek declined to comment on the Placer Hills issue, saying he may bring it up at the next Sierra College board meeting.

But Judy Creek said Klein and Simmons are only using area schools to further their political ambitions. They don't care about the communities they serve, she said.

"We just had these guys make a decision that cost taxpayers a half a million bucks - now they're opposing a small, $48-a-year tax," she said. "These guys treat politics like it's a video game."