It's true we did not extend an invitation for an interview to the three incumbents running to keep their seats on the Delta College Board of Trustees. We've been witness to their performance over the last four years. Here is some of what we've seen:

Board members taken to task by the San Joaquin Grand Jury for Brown Act violations which puts the college in a bad light and endangers accreditation.

These incumbents followed the previous board by continuing to pump money into a Mountain House satellite campus to the tune of $90 million dollars of Measure L Bond monies (a community half the size of Lodi).

These trustees have passed over helping Lodi students get classes due to overcrowded conditions at the Stockton campus. Lodi students represent the second-largest geographically defined student group — yes, much larger than Mountain House.

Mr. Castellanos said in 2008 the old Blue Shield building on Guild Avenue in Lodi would not take much work to become a Lodi Delta site — in 2008!

Just last month, the three incumbents told The Record editorial board they did not want to vote for Jeff Marsee to become the Delta College president, but did anyway. Marsee lasted nine months and walked away with a severance of $350,000 plus benefits, for a total of $550,000.

Just last month, these incumbents discussed taking the last of the bond money (now earmarked for land in Lodi) to pay for the overhaul of the Stockton campus planetarium.

Trustee Castellanos blames Lodi's "broken promises" on lack of funding from Sacramento and the economy. None of our reasons above or the $250 million in bond money were subject to the economy, nor what Sacramento has or has not done. Trustee Castellanos ends his letter by stating, "In an election year campaign promises are cheap." We believe him. In 2008, we interviewed him and he told us he would work to put a campus in Lodi.

Note: Taj Kahn represents Lodi Area on the Delta Board of Trustees and has done a very good job for Lodi. Taj only has one problem: He has just been outnumbered.

Pat Patrick

President/CEO

Lodi Chamber of Commerce