Belvedere Citizen / Eastside Journal, Number 5, 30 January 1980 — Ballot Issues [ARTICLE]

Ballot Issues

In the Feb. 5 special election, two candidates are running for the open seat on the Board of Education. Tom Bartman, San Fernando Valley attorney, has gained considerable fame over the past few years as the attorney for the Bustop organization, which is fighting the mandatory busing plan in Los Angeles. He has the support of three board members Bobbi Fielder, Richard Ferraro and Roberta Weintraub and has pledged to provide a fourth vote to try to end mandatory busing. Bartman has also identified as areas of concern an Impending financial crisis for the district, overcrowding of schools and instituting accountability in education for teachers and administrators. Alberto Juarez, former director of the One-Stop Immigration Center, is a Highland Park resident and is employed as a legal office manager. He currently serves as president of the Civil Service Commission for the city. Juarez has the backing of the three remaining board members Kathleen Rice, John Greenwood and Rita Walters and has received support from

many Democratic elected officials. Juarez has identified himself as a support of voluntary as opposed to mandatory integration, and has also expressed hopes of dealing with future changes in bilingual education programs. He has called for a depoliticization of the board, and for the parttime elected body to function asa "big PTA.” Northeast Newspapers makes no endorsement in the race. ISSUES Four ballot issues are also before voters next Tuesday, all of them city charter amendments. Amendment 1 and 2, companion mesures, would provide that city election officials use one Instead of two types of petitions in gathering of signatures for nomination and to substitute for filing fees. Number 1 deals with school board candidates, and 2 with all other city candidates. We recofnmend a YES vote on both. Amendment 3 would provide that certain grantfunded jobs can be filled outside of the civil service system. We recommend a YES vote. Amendment 4 wpuld remove crossing guards from the Civil Service system. We recommend a YES vote.