| Costly Lessons Forbes Magazine April 25, 2005 "...Mutual back-scratching between insurers and unions is ubiquitous with 403(b)s, says Daniel Puplava, who sold the NEA’s Valuebuilder in California when it was run by Nationwide. “When I did work at the union, I had to pay for tables, provide door prizes and dine labor people to market in their territory,” he says. “I felt like a whore.” "These days he runs a 403(b) plan he devised for San Diego County’s Office of Education..." [Blogger's note: From what I know of SDCOE, it's deeply corrupt. What's worse is that it is part of government. Taxpayers have no choice; they participate whether they want to or not.] |
| Daniel Puplava Self-admitted annuity gamer This blogger learned the hard way about the authorized retirement planners for Chula Vista Elementary School District. The union, Chula Vista Educators, was partly to blame. But the district, in the person of Lowell Billings, was deeply involved in the scam. |
| Defamation Suit |
| BLOGS |
| SDCOE |
| "These days [Dan Puplava] runs a 403(b) plan he devised for San Diego County’s Office of Education..." |
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL Feckless, hapless, clueless Handling of county schools conflict of interest is unacceptable March 29, 2009 In the grand scheme of things, the San Diego County Office of Education is something of an obscure bit player. It provides administrative support to local school districts and runs continuation schools for students with disciplinary problems. This fringe status, however, does not excuse it from having to meet basic standards of good government. That absolutely hasn't happened in the case of Daniel Puplava, who manages the office's retirement program while also working as a private broker who sells investments to administrators and teachers served by the program. This is prohibited, according to a 2008 opinion from the state Attorney General's Office. But even with such an opinion, it is obvious that this is an unacceptable conflict of interest. While a full-time school office employee, Puplava lined up fellow government employees for his private brokerage and used his government phone as his primary contact number. Incredibly, Superintendent Randolph Ward himself bought an annuity from Puplava shortly after Ward began work in 2006. Now Ward is refusing to answer questions on the matter. Board trustees John Witt and Mark Anderson also are stonewalling. Trustee Sharon Hartley says it's much ado about nothing, evidently concluding that the county schools office is not answerable to Attorney General Jerry Brown. Board President Sharon Jones pretends she's not allowed to comment on the matter because of “personnel” rules. Only trustee Jerry Rindone shows the appropriate level of dismay. A respected high school principal and Chula Vista councilman before being elected to the county schools board, Rindone understands this isn't how government is supposed to work. That doesn't hold for Ward, Witt, Anderson, Hartley and Jones. Their “what, me worry?” approach is an embarrassment. |
Education Reform Report
