Voters Approved of Steven Frogue

* Irving Friedman castigates Orange County citizens for failing to recall Trustee Steven Frogue, who retired on June 30 (Letters, July 9). Frogue was the target of a three-year campaign by some faculty dissidents and their cohorts who vowed to “shut the colleges down” (their own words) and attempted, but failed, to deny reaffirmation of accreditation (which resulted in the U.S. Department of Education sanctioning the accreditation agency).

Why? Because Frogue cut their “release time” away from teaching duties, voted to require full-time faculty to teach full-time class loads (full-time work for full-time pay that eliminated their $115,000 per year club) for 10 months’ work. He worked to reduce class “wait lists” for students, cut deficit spending to help the district save $2.5 million in annual costs since 1997 and led this board as president when it became the first public entity in Orange County to formally oppose an airport at El Toro.

Friedman is correct in saying that Frogue “should have no problems from the citizenry of Orange County.” Taxpayers elected and reelected Frogue because he looked out for their interests. Perhaps Friedman should acknowledge that the two recall attempts failed because the “Orange County citizenry” he criticizes knows better.

JOHN WILLIAMS

Trustee

South Orange County

Community College District