Sneaky website addresses that purport to represent an anti-incumbent school board candidate and groups but instead lead to opponents' webpages are stirring controversy in the Capistrano Unified School District.
One of the misleading URLs — www.bill-perkins.com — uses the name of a candidate for the Aliso Viejo board seat, but instead takes browsers to Perkins' rival, incumbent school board President Gary Pritchard.
Pritchard could not be reached for comment.
Other URLs hijack the names of people or organizations that have questioned Capo Unified policies. For example, www.dawnurbanek.com reroutes web surfers to the website of Trustee John Alpay, who is running for re-election in San Clemente. Likewise, a website purporting to represent Hold CUSD Accountable actually leads to Capistrano Unified Children First, which is often at odds with the first group.
There’s even a fake Patch URL that leads to Children First.
Alpay could not be reached for comment.
Children First’s President Fran Sdao said her group has nothing to do with the misleading re-directs.
“We have no control what individuals do on their own,” Sdao said. “There are rogue characters in every campaign."
She added: “We have been trying to stay above board for the past three years. We’re parents, not political operatives.”
The misleading websites were registered through GoDaddy.com. Children First’s recent financial forms show a $134.61 payment to that company, but Children First Treasurer Gail Benda said it was for re-registration of the group’s own website, www.capounifiedchildrenfirst.org/.
Perkins said he has contacted an attorney about the matter to get GoDaddy's subsidiary, Domains by Proxy, which shields the identity of domain holders, to reveal who owns the URL that includes his name.
“The only thing you have in this life that they can’t take away from you is your name,” he said.
Julie Collier, president of Parents Advocate League, has also contacted a lawyer for what she believes is misappropriation of her name with www.juliecollier.com and the name of her nonprofit organization, www.parentsadvocateleague.com, which doesn’t endorse anyone for CUSD trustee.
“At the very best, it’s a childish, immature prank that you wouldn’t expect from adults,” said Collier’s lawyer, Wayne Tate, who is also representing his organization, Hold CUSD Accountable, in its efforts to combat yet another redirecting URL, www.holdcusdaccountable.com.
“More ominously, it could have substantial legal consequences,” Tate said.
Urbanek fired off a letter to GoDaddy on Monday morning, copying the missive to all CUSD trustees, Superintendent Joe Farley and the Orange County district attorney’s office.
A vocal critic of the district, Urbanek also sent an email to her supporters:
“I want to make you aware that the Domain name DAWNURBANEK.COM is being redirected to the website for Trustee John Alpay for the purpose of deceiving parents into believing that I support John Alpay for Trustee. I DO NOT SUPPORT JOHN ALPAY,” she wrote.
The state Fair Political Practices Commission said misleading website addresses don't fall under its purview.
A GoDaddy spokeswoman said such matters are "something we've dealt with in the past," but declined to comment further.
I admire anyone who can beat the system. One of my favorite google searches is "perfectly legal". It's amazing how many "perfectly legal" things a person can do that they wouldn't have otherwise thought possible.
If and when it becomes an actual proposal, I'll report it.
It is clear that Pritchard, Alpay, other board members and MacCormick have some ideas about closing a school though. It is my thought that they are planning to close a high school to cut costs so they can maintain pay and benefits for CUEA. It wouldn't be in any minutes or on any agenda. It would be discussed much more quietly in an "unofficial" closed session away from the district office. Some might call it a Brown Act violation, they think of it as team building, lol. If they can blame OPA-even better, as far as the union's board is concerned.
As for Alpay, he has told several people, including me that he is running for SC City Council in 2014. His original intent was to finish out Winsten’s term, and then run for CC in 2012. But then he read the writing on the wall and realized he couldn’t win a Council seat, so he is running for CUSD again. That way, if he doesn’t win in 2014, he still has a job at CUSD. If he is reelected now and then wins in 2014, Area 3 will have to do this all over again to fill a vacancy. He has also gotten really dirty with sign removals. Read the Comments section of this story to find out what he and his campaign handlers are doing. http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2012/10/sign-thief-caught-proud-and-unrepentant-in-capo-usd/comment-page-1/#comment-210973
I have been reading the Patch for some time now, and I admit I voted to recall Mr. Lopez. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to meet him, and now I understand why he made some of the decisions he made that might now have been popular, but they were correct. He is a former police officer, military reserve, Assemblyman, and a staff member for the Board of Equalization. He knows a lot more about government than nearly all of us. He is actually a very humble man who got displaced by a bunch of vindictive characters who are doing nothing but doing the union’s bidding. The $400 thousand used to recall him and Mr. Winsten could have been put to a greater use, and I believe our district would have been in better shape financially right now. I clearly made a mistake in my voting.
I don't have a perverse thing for Ken, you do. I could give you $31 to $51 million reasons why you're wrong, but that would be way over your head, even though a cave man or woman could get it. As for being fooled, the only fool is you with your bizarre attraction to Ken.
I love how all these candidates say we have nothing to do with these flyers but then they wound up being used as a mail piece with the candidates face smiling all over it.
Penny - you are showing a bias by cherry picking what stories to cover. I clicked on the whoisjohnalpay link and went to a site that shows a photo of John Alpay in a circle with a line through his face. As soon as I saw that, I clicked off the page. It is not simply a recitation of his voting record, it is a hit piece website and uses his name. I believe none of these tactics are ethical and your careful reporting of one topic while not covering the other shows an unfortunate bias.
I'll be honest, it is so obvious when someone is personally attacking another person in these blogs. I've been reading for awhile, and always noticed Kathleen K jumping on Ken, and I've learned ro tune out her union mumbo jumbo. Every time I've read Ken's blogs, he has been spot on. Thank you Ken.
BTW : It is my understanding that if the fliers are under $1,000.00, you do not need FPPC numbers. So ... it is not illegal. But hey, nice try.
See: http://sanjuancapistrano.patch.com/articles/after-heated-exchange-trustee-pay-reduced-by-50 and http://sanjuancapistrano.patch.com/articles/so-far-no-pay-cuts-for-cusd-trustees
http://sanjuancapistrano.patch.com/articles/children-first-volunteer-tied-to-misleading-website-addresses