You’d think after all these years that political people in Placer County would realize that your intrepid blogger will figure out their games after a while. Sometimes we get tipped off in real time.
Information came in to your intrepid blogger that the Rocklin Chamber of Commerce rendered their endorsements and they have been reported out to the candidates already. (Perhaps this explains why the information came in hard and fast)
The Chamber of Commerce endorsed Joe Patterson, Greg Janda and Ken Broadway for Rocklin City Council. Zero surprise. A well-run city with few problems (other than massive budget cuts coming due to the State’s Management and COVID). I’ve received good reports about Josh Rolph, but he is not making a compelling enough case for change at this time. I keep hearing it time and again. I have also been told that Ken Broadway has been busting his tail on his effort.
This gets me to the School Board Races.
In the four-year race, the Chamber set fire to the crazed leftist Michelle Sutherland. The Chamber joined everyone not named Camille Maben, Rick Miller and Jill Gayaldo (all three are trump-hating liberal democrats by the way, get to work Rocklin) and endorsed Julie Leavens-Hupp and Rachelle Price for the 4 year seats on the Rocklin Unified School District.
Then there is the two-year race. After endorsing Five Candidates who really represent Rocklin, the Chamber of Commerce endorsed Camille Maben over Tiffany Saathoff. A 28 year incumbent who has supported every anti-family garbage bill that has come down from the Sacramento Mafia. The Rocklin Chamber endorsed a sworn enemy of Charter Schools. (An issue that polls nearly 70% even in California)
Oh, and then there is the fact that the Rocklin Chamber did NOT endorse Camille Maben in 2016. What changed?
Let’s introduce the new Rocklin Chamber of Commerce President: Jay Lang. Jay is married to Wendy Lang. Lang is also a democrat (who may be registered otherwise at the moment) who is very close to Camille Maben.
Make sense? The President of the Chamber imposed his will and told members of the PAC Board what he expected of them. (So I have been told, an so I believe and can easily ascertain as I know most of the players involved)
Let’s give a little more background on Lang/Maben. One of my first forays in to local politics was in the early-mid 2000’s when the Rocklin Academy was in a knock-down drag-out fight with the Rocklin USD. As the then President of the Placer CRA Chapter, I helped with an effort that unseated two incumbent board members of the Placer Office of Education. That election broke the stranglehold that the Rocklin USD had over the disposition of charters. The Western Sierra Collegate Academy was chartered shortly thereafter and the threat to the Rocklin Academy was mitigated as a 5-2 pro charter majority on the PCOE was ushered in.
The charters were able to appeal the denials of the Rocklin USD to the Placer County Office of Education, game over.
Lang and Maben remained staunchly anti-charter. Other members of that board were involved in the personality fight between the Crazed Mark Klang, the Late Joe Scharrer, Kevin Cooper and myself. I have since become friends, allies and a campaign operative for Bill Halldin and consider Todd Lowell a friend as well amongst others who were then on the wrong side of the Charter Issue.
Anyone that knows Bill Halldin now would never believe he was once on the same side of an issue as Camille Maben.
It was with that background in 2016, that the Placer County Impact Republicans PAC nailed Camille Maben:
I was told via third parties that Wendy Lang became enraged over this mailer. She is alleged to have filed an FPPC Complaint against the Placer Impact Republicans PAC. (I have no direct proof because cowards can file anonymous complaints, I have never filed an anonymous complaint and never will) It was related to me via Hearsay that Lang talked openly about filing the complaint.
Three years, tons of phone calls and emails later – the Placer CIR PAC got a technical violation for the disclaimers on all 16 mailers being incorrect. Note – the fine was not related to Lang’s complaint but was due to something else. It is also well-known that anyone that took money from the Charter Schools Association were targeted at the behest of Gavin Newsom (remember, the CCSA foolishly poured 15 million in to Antiono Villariagosa ) As a result of Lang’s complaint the Placer CIR PAC was fined $500 a mailer times 16 mailers for a total of $8,000.
Kirk Uhler raised the money to cover the fines while people like Ken Campbell, Tom Hudson and bay area liberals like Viktor Bekhet among others were emailing each other congratulations over the fines.
These are the kinds of people that the Lang’s are. I pass that judgement by watching them over a decade+ it is what it is.
Note: I am using a professional treasurer for all current efforts so when the Wendy Langs of the world file revenge complaints, we will be ready to deal with all the FPPC technicalities.
Jay Lang needs to hear from the people of Rocklin as does the Rocklin Chamber of Commerce. This sort of insider game is the exact opposite of what the overwhelming majority of citizens want and especially not in Rockin.
Worse, a Pro-Business group endorsed a woman who supports Split Roll gutting of Prop 13? She supports AB5 which put tens of thousands of independent contractors out of work (the Uber Lyft thing)? If you look beyond Jay/Wendy Lang rigging an endorsement for Camille Maben – just on the base issues of the day the Chamber can’t justify what they did.
Why the Rocklin Chamber of Commerce sell out the business community? Ask the questions and let em have it.
P.S. Update: This screenshot was just sent in to your intrepid blogger: (Note 2 days ago at the time I got this would be 9-22-2020 before the tipoffs we received)
Nothing to see here, move along now.
