The toll at Sierra College

Re "Sierra College woes," letter, Sacramento Bee
June 21, 2006

I joined the effort to recall Jerry Simmons and Aaron Klein from the Sierra College board of trustees for substantive reasons. They have damaged the college and risked its accreditation and future vitality.

They have caused a highly qualified president to resign; intimidated administration and staff; tried to quiet the student newspaper; received a vote of no-confidence from the community in the bond measure failure June 6; scoffed at Placer County grand jury findings that their charges against ex-President Kevin Ramirez were groundless and without merit; failed to heal the damage from their actions with the community, college and Ramirez by apologizing.

Since joining the recall effort, I have been amazed at the deep-seated and pervasive nature of the problem. People have come up to me when I am gathering petitions to tell me their experiences with Simmons and Klein. These members of the community are teachers, administrators, student leaders and staff at Sierra College. Lifelong Republicans tell of being accused of being left-wing radicals because they are left of Attila the Hun (read Jerry Simmons). Stories abound of people being intimidated by these two.
Simmons and Klein must go!

-- Steven C. Phetteplace , ColfaxChairman, Simmons-Klein Recall Committee