Internet Video: School Audit to Reveal $Billions

    Body /24-7PressRelease/ - MARINA DEL REY, CA, January 12, 2006 - Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick has dropped some clues as to how she would approach an audit of the massive Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) in a one hour interview with FULL DISCLOSURE host Leslie Dutton. A free eight (8) minute preview is available on this URL: [url] http://www.fulldisclosure.net/flash/446-7_chick_preview.php [/url] as a public service, 24/7, on demand.

Controller Chick described the multi-billion dollar annual budget of the school district and cited the need to assure the public the money was being used properly. FULL DISCLOSURE has reported in previous programs the LAUSD has received $27 Billion in local bonds and state matching funds over the past seven years, while enrollment in the district was declining.

Issues discussed were:

· Necessity for the school district to disclose the amount of interest paid for financing the controversial and incomplete Belmont Learning Complex. Funded by $92 million in Certificates of Participation (COPS) bonds six years ago, without a vote of the people. Chick said the taxpayers deserve to know how the money was used.

The Controller expressed concerns about the separation of Church and State with regard to reports received by the former Belmont prosecutor Anthony Patchett indicating that LAUSD had been donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to various Catholic church charities. She indicated an audit would reveal if there was a public benefit for such an expenditure adding there should be disclosure of what the Catholic church was doing for the LAUSD.

She explained what caused her to drop her support of former Mayor James Hahn for re-election following her audits of the Los Angeles Airport and Harbor Commission contracts where "Pay to Play" issues were raised.

Controller Chick said there is a need for the public to communicate to LAUSD Board Members regarding a need for an audit.

FULL DISCLOSURE public affairs programs are billed as "the news behind the news" and have been featured for the past thirteen years on 40 cable systems and video streamed on the Internet worldwide on the website www.fulldisclosure.net In 2002 the FULL DISCLOSURE program was presented with an Emmy Award for a public affairs series entitled "L.A.'s War Against Terrorism" which was presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Channels and airtimes can be found on the website.

Full Disclosure Network (tm) is an Emmy Award winning public affairs cable and Internet television program.

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