Candidate Profile: Scott Zeidman For Culver City School Board

CULVER CITY, CA — The 2020 election is heating up in Los Angeles County, and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but voters will also decide the outcome of state representative and senate seats.

Closer to home, Patch has asked candidates for city council races to discuss their campaigns, publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

In Culver City, Scott Zeidman is running for one of the two open seats on Culver City Unified School Board of Education.

Age (as of Election Day)

58

Town/City of Residence

Culver City

Office Sought

County office

Where appropriate, add specifics about office sought: i.e., State Senate District 1, State Assembly District 2, Temecula City Council District 1, etc.

Governing Board, Culver City Unified School District

Party affiliation (not needed in non-partisan races, including county, city and school offices)

Democrat (but this is a non-partisan race)

Family

Wife Aileen, son Jason (CCUSD graduate, senior at UCSB), son Brandon (Junior at CCHS)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

Farragut Elementary School, Culver City Junior High School, Culver City High School, Loyola Marymount University (Bachelors of Science in Biology), University of California Davis King Hall School of Law (Juris Doctorate)

Occupation

Business person (21 years); Attorney (30 years)

Campaign website

Zeidman4CCUSD.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Previously President of the CCUSD Board of Education 2011; currently serving my third term as a member of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (past chair)

The single most pressing issue facing our (state, district, community, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Unfortunately, it is finances. Schools are businesses that teach students. While we'd all like to think that its all about education, we have to maintain a budget and spend within that budget, otherwise we cannot survive as a District. With California undoubtedly cutting school funding in the future, we need to get our finances under control so we can continue to keep our excellent academic standards and we can keep educating our students.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I'm fiscally conservative. During my four years on the Board, we had a balanced budget. Indeed, we balanced the budget despite the draconian cuts the State made to school funding in 2009-2009. The current incumbents have spent more than the State has provided, such that they had to resort to placing a parcel tax on the ballot. Districts cannot compensate for over-spending by taxing its residents. The other three candidates have no experience in school funding.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

The current Board has failed the community by failing to budget correctly. It's easy to say "yes," to every funding request, every raise, every expenditure. It's easy but it is also dangerous. A board member must not just look to this year and next year, but to five, ten and fifteen years ahead. More discouraging is that we know that State funding will be cut in the near future. The Board has not taken the opportunity to cut costs during this time of distance learning. In fact, i don't believe that there have been any layoffs or reductions, (and if there have been, they have been minimal) despite the fact that the students have not been on campus since March. One might think that if the restrooms were cleaned in March, then we wouldn't need a full custodial staff, at full pay, cleaning what they just cleaned. The funds saved by furloughing employees during distance learning could be used to help when funding in the future was cut. This would require the Board to be proactive. To date, this Board has not proven to act proactively.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Fiscal Responsibility; Safety in our Schools; Curriculum alternatives (industrial arts, etc.); Maintaining arts, music and sports for students upon return to campus.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Four successful years on the Board of Education (2007-2011) wherein our Boards balanced budgets and left the ensuring boards more in reserve then we inherited; Co-chairing the Measure EE campaign raising $6 million for our schools after the State cut funding; Seven years on the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission; Raising over $400,000 for CCHS over the past decade co-chairing the annual Casino Night; 21 years at L.A. Slot Machine Company, Inc. handling day to day activities, including finances. My brother started L.A. Slot Machine Company, Inc. started in my parents garage and he and I have grown the business to one that now employs 30, leases 200,000 square feet in office and warehouse space, and has been featured by the Los Angeles Business Journal, KTLA and KABC, among others.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

First and foremost, I want to leave the District in a significantly better financial position than it is in today. The District cannot continue to hope and pray that the public will bail out the Board's overspending. I would like to leave the Board with a greater reserve than required by the State, and I would like to leave the Board with a financial plan and framework for the next ten years, at a minimum. If I could accomplish that (and I will), I will feel that my term was a success. Naturally, there are more things I'd like to accomplish, but the question speaks of only one such accomplishment.

Why should voters trust you?

I'm brutally honest. I was brutally honest during my four previous years on the Board, and the Board had four very successful years. I am endorsed by the Patricia Jaffe, the Superintendent of CCUSD while I was on the Board, and Ali Delawala, the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services (the money guy) while I was on the Board. The fact that these two individuals, individuals who haven't endorsed any other candidate (ever I believe), have confidence in me after working with me certainly should demonstrate to the public that I am trustworthy and can excel in the position of a Board Member, again. The public should also know that I have no agenda. I will not push a progressive agenda, I will not push a liberal agenda, I will not push a moderate agenda and I will not push a conservative agenda. All lI want to do is make out district better than it is now, and to make certain that our students get the best education possible. My two boys are products of CCUSD, and I am a product of CCUSD, and I simply want the best for CCUSD.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

Clearly, I am fiscally conservative. The Board cannot spend what it doesn't have. The Board should only turn to the taxpayers for help when unforeseen and draconian cuts have been made to funding. I'd like to avoid that happening in the future (hence the 10-year plan). The Board must carefully spend the funds that it is given. The Board also has to deal with a mutli-million dollar unfunded retirement issue that it has had for decades. This cannot be accomplished by spending, spending, and more spending.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Shut up and listen. No one learns anything by talking, but you might learn something if you actually listen to others and consider their point of view.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I've lived in Culver City since the 4th grade and truly love the community and the School District.