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College
Hot Topic at NAACP, Concerned Citizens Candidates Forum
Outburst by
college district special trustee aimed at Dymally, author of AB 318
and candidate for the 25th Senate District
By
Allison Jean Eaton
Bulletin Staff Writer
COMPTON – There
were fireworks of sorts at a recent candidates forum held at the transit
center after a Compton Community College District special trustee took
offense to remarks made relative to the loss of accreditation at Compton
Center.
Each candidate running for State Assembly and State Senate was asked
what he or she would do would to revise or reverse AB 318, the piece
of legislation authored by current 52nd District Assemblyman Mervyn
M. Dymally that paved the way for the current partnership with El Camino
College.
Dymally is being termed out and is running for the 25th Senate District
seat.
During his response, Special Trustee Lorraine Cervantes stood up from
her seat in the crowd and yelled out, accusing Dymally of playing a
role in what many view as the college’s demise.
“That’s not true,” she exclaimed passionately as
Dymally explained that the college lost accreditation due to corruption
among
past board members. “You killed the college,” she waged. “We
lost accreditation because of AB 318.”
The bill effectively stripped the board of trustees of its powers and
provided for a bond-financed loan to restore fiscal solvency to the
college district. Had it not been passed, the school very likely would
have had to close its doors. This, Dymally said, would have left Compton
taxpayers with such a tremendous amount of debt that he said their
children would end up paying as well.
Accreditation was lost after the school failed a make-or-brake evaluation
by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
Later, as Dymally exited the forum, Cervantes called out at him again.
“He’s a liar and a backstabber,” she yelled angrily
before being held back by several other attendees.
Dymally’s only comment on Cervantes’ remarks was: “I
love her.”
Earlier during the forum, he said that people should to stop “escaping
the truth” relative to what happened to the college.
The forum was hosted by the Compton branch of the NAACP, Concerned
Citizens of Compton, National Association for Equal Justice in America
and UCLA.
Questions ranged from plans to reinstate all services at King-Harbor
and getting Compton College back to plans for crime reduction and resolving
the state budget crisis.
During the first portion of the forum, microphones were not provided
to the candidates, only to the individuals asking questions. This angered
some in the crowd because they could not clearly hear the candidates,
some of whom are soft-spoken. It took several frustrated requests from
the audience before candidates were permitted to borrow the lone microphone.
Several residents said they were disappointed in the way the forum
was held and the questions being asked.
“This is ludicrous. This whole shenanigan is ludicrous,” said
Compton resident F.C. Herbert. “They selectively did not address
my questions to specific candidates.”
Herbert said he wanted to ask two different candidates pointed questions.
One was directed to Councilman Isadore Hall, who is running for State
Assembly, asking why he and the City Council were not more active in
the fight to save Compton College from the get-go. Additionally, he
wanted to ask Linda Harris-Forster, who is also running for the 52nd
Assembly District seat, where she is obtaining funds for her campaign.
“They don’t even have adequate microphones,” he said. “And
all of the questions they are asking are based on generalities… They’re
(the candidates) all talking smoke and mirrors as far as I’m
concerned.
Attendees also complained about the state of the transit center, labeling
it as downright embarrassing.
On top of the lack of microphones that day, one of the hottest thus
far this year, the air conditioning was not initially functioning and
the exit doors were blocked and could not be opened to provide some
form of air circulation. Additionally, the lighting was poor, the hallway
walls were dirty and covered in scuffmarks and at the end of the hall
below the window was a large pile of dead flies.
Concerned Citizens President Marie Hollis described it as a disgraceful,
embarrassing situation for the entire city.
A second round of questions was asked of candidates running for the
2nd Supervisorial District seat and for U.S. Congress, which rounded
out the second portion of the forum.
The election is next Tuesday, June 3.
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