State Assembly Candidate Anna Bryson – The Unions’ Favorite GOP Candidate!

When Anna Bryson first ran for election and then re-election to the CUSD Board of Trustees I was one of those who endorsed and supported her. After the 2010 elections, many of my friends who also supported her and I were aghast that she so blatantly switched sides and voted with the Trustees who were elected by the teachers and classified unions.  She is seeking to replace my current Assemblyperson Diane Harkey who is termed out in 2014.  As a resident of South Orange County, I am one of those taxpayers directly affected by her votes and I have no desire to have her as my “representative” in the State Assembly.

The examples below are drawn from the agendas and minutes of the CUSD or from newspaper articles that report on Ms. Bryson’s votes on key issues at Capistrano Unified School District. I always have believed that a politician’s voting record is the very strongest evidence of where their core values lie. In my opinion, Ms. Bryson’s voting record is evidence that her core values do not lie with the taxpayers.

Craig P. Alexander, Esq., Former Elected Member of the Orange County Republican Central Committee.

• THE TEACHERS UNION RECEIVED A $30,000,000 “PAY RESTORATION”
12/07/2010 During a closed session of the Trustee board it appears a majority of the board voted to give the teachers union approximately $30,000,000 in compensation restoration which was not on the agenda for that closed session (which resulted in an investigation by the Orange County District Attorney).

http://sanjuancapistrano.patch.com/groups/schools/p/new-story-emerges-school-board-voted-to-restore-days-9cc6a63095

• ANNA BRYSON MADE THE MOTION AND VOTED YES ON THIS “RESTORATION” TO THE UNIONS WHEN THE BOARD “RECONFIRMED” THEIR 12/07/2010 ACTION IN OPEN SESSION ON MARCH 16, 2011

Agenda:http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/3601640701498831711.pdf
Minutes:http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/3577638514624170765.pdf [pages 25 & 26 of 594, 3 & 4 of Minutes]

• GAVE TEACHERS UNION A MASSIVE GOLDEN HANDSHAKE!
01/25/12 Anna Bryson voted with the union-elected trustees (and against the endorsed Republicans on the Board) to give the Teachers Union a multi-million dollar “Golden Handshake.”

Agenda: Cost of the annuity that pays the retired teachers 85% of their base salary over 5 years is $12,008,405. CUSD Board of Trustee Meeting 3/28/12 agenda item #2 page 7. http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/3801265531793935057.pdf
Savings is due to increase in class size and will only be realized if 17 teacher positions are not filled. http://sanjuancapistrano.patch.com/groups/schools/p/158-cusd-teachers-enticed-to-retire

Minutes: Bryson seconds the motion to approve the retirement bonus – Source CUSD Board of Trustee meeting 1/25/12 agenda item #8, refer to the minutes of the meeting located on the Consent Calendar for the meeting of February 13, 2012 agenda item # 11 page 82; Motion Trustee Alpay; Seconded by Trustee Bryson. http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/3801265531793935057.pdf

• PAID FOR UNION’S GOLDEN HANDSHAKE BY INCREASING CLASS SIZES!
02/29/12 In order to pay for the Golden Handshake she had just given the Union, Anna Bryson made the motion and voted with the union-elected trustees (and against the endorsed Republicans on the Board) to obtain a special waiver to allow the 9th largest school district in California to increase class sizes beyond the maximum permitted.
1/5/12 email from Patricia Koch (assigned by OCDE to oversee CUSD Financial matters) to Wendy Benkert of Orange County Department of Education. Email_that_retirement_bonus_is_tied_to_class_size_increase

Test scores in the district are now steadily declining.

CA Department of Education – CUSD API Scores 2013: 874; 2012: 883. http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/Acnt2013/2013GrowthDstApi.aspx?cYear=&allcds=3066464&cChoice=2013GDst2

• SPENT TAX MONEY TO TEACH UNION LEADERS HOW TO BETTER NEGOTIATE AGAINST TAXPAYERS!
09/12/11 Anna Bryson made the motion and voted with the union-elected trustees (and against the endorsed Republicans on the Board) to spend tens of thousands of tax dollars to send union leaders on a junket where they would be trained how to become more effective negotiators – the negotiator for the taxpayers did not receive the same training.

Minutes: CUSD Board of Trustee meeting 9/12/11 agenda item #23, refer to the minutes of the meeting located on the Consent Calendar for the meeting of September 26, 2011 agenda item # 10 page 55: Motion made by Trustee Bryson. http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/5447917643984452609.pdf

• PROMOTED LIBERAL DEMOCRAT (INSTEAD OF HER REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUE)!
12/12/11 Anna Bryson voted with the union-elected trustees (and against the endorsed Republicans on the Board) to promote liberal Democrat Gary Pritchard (pro-abortion, anti-Prop. 8, etc.) to President of the 9th largest school district in California (instead of her Republican Colleague who was also nominated and who had been proudly endorsed by the OCGOP, the CRA, Lincoln Club, Atlas PAC and most every other conservative organization in Orange County).

Minutes: CUSD Board of Trustee Meeting 12/12/11 agenda items #1-3 reorganization of the board, refer to the minutes of the meeting located on the Consent Calendar for the meeting of January, 2012 agenda item #10 page 84. http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/1057271136406735480.pdf

• REFUSED TO SUPPORT THE ENDORSED REPUBLICANS IN 2012 ELECTION!
11/02/12 Anna Bryson sided with the teachers union and failed to and / or refused to endorse the three conservative Republicans who were seeking election to the school board of the 9th largest school district in California that Anna serves on – and each of those candidates had been endorsed by the OCGOP, CRA, Lincoln Club, Atlas PAC and most every other conservative organization.

THE UNIONS HAVE ENOUGH FRIENDS IN SACRAMENTO – THE GOP CAN’T AFFORD TO SEND THEM ANOTHER!!!