The case for separating Malibu’s public schools from the Santa Monica-dominated district is compelling, as The Times recently editorialized.
Much less compelling, indeed worrisome, is that after the democratic imperative and moral certitude of the separation, is whether Malibu can form a school board dedicated to the needs of students and not a fumbling, corrupt conceit.
Regretfully, that’s what the present Malibu City Council has become, with its subservience to a conniving city manager and a bloated bureaucracy, be it out of complicity or just ineptness.
Then there is the council majority’s wrongful treatment to a conscientious, sincere if strident Bruce Silverstein, denied appointments in favor of the disgraced Realtor Paul Grisanti.
And this, despite the public relations ploys of City Hall and the opinions of the local propaganda publication posing as a newspaper, further compromised by its lack of editorial judgement, if simply nastiness, however anonymous.
To be sure, there are local persons of intelligence and dedication who could provide the leadership for a school board, in particular Craig Foster, our persevering SMMUSD representative.
But then there is the ubiquitous Karen Farrer, who for years has been an applaudable advocate of a Malibu district. Then Farrer ran for city council and, despite her campaign pledges, exposed herself as an untutored conservative and a doltish apologist for City Manager Reva Feldman.
Whether out of vanity, greed or sadly, whatever, Farrer’s continued officious involvement in the school separation effort has to throw the endeavor into question. It is sometimes hard to separate persons from select enterprises, no matter how worthy.
Sam Hall Kaplan