Part 5: When “Conservative” Becomes a Costume
How Wiersma and Komrosky Betrayed the Principles They Claimed to Represent
1TVPAC Team
When Jen Wiersma and Joseph Komrosky ran for the Temecula Valley Unified School Board, they wrapped themselves in the language of conservatism: limited government, parental rights, fiscal responsibility, and traditional values.
But once in office, their actions told a different story.
Their tenure has been marked not by thoughtful stewardship or principled governance — but by impulsive decisions, reckless spending, disregard for the rule of law, and a total failure to deliver results for students.
What they practice isn’t conservatism. It’s performance politics, dressed up to look like it.
🧾 Fiscal Responsibility? Try Fiscal Wreckage
Conservatives believe in protecting taxpayer dollars. Wiersma and Komrosky? They spent over $300,000 of them on losing lawsuits, illegal policies, and politically motivated stunts.
$200,000+ in legal costs defending a CRT resolution that courts ruled unconstitutional.
$50,000 to cancel a contract with a law firm they falsely claimed was working “pro bono.”
$70,000+ defending a “parental notification” policy the state declared illegal.
$40,000+ in legal fees for retaliating against a teachers union president.
None of this improved education. None of it helped students. All of it could have been avoided.
This is not fiscal conservatism. It’s ideological indulgence — paid for by Temecula taxpayers.
⚖️ Rule of Law? Or Rule of Political Expedience?
Conservatives traditionally uphold the law. Yet Wiersma and Komrosky repeatedly ignored legal warnings, bypassed negotiation requirements, and dismissed professional advice:
They passed policies without vetting them through district attorneys.
They ignored California state education laws, labor codes, and court orders.
They attacked colleagues for following legal mandates — calling it “sabotage.”
The courts, not political opinions, ultimately determine whether policies are constitutional. Wiersma and Komrosky lost those legal battles time and again — but instead of taking accountability, they cried “activist judges” and doubled down on failed talking points.
Respect for the law is not optional. It’s foundational. And they violated it over and over.
🧍 Local Control? They Hijacked It
“Local control” is another favorite phrase of conservative candidates. But under Wiersma and Komrosky, “control” meant:
Making decisions without community or staff input.
Silencing dissenting voices, both in meetings and on social media.
Acting unilaterally, ignoring checks and balances.
Ironically, their conduct helped trigger new state legislation (AB-1078 and AB-1955) that limited school board authority statewide — a direct result of the reckless policies they pushed.
In the end, their version of “local control” undermined local autonomy for every school district in California.
💢 Moral Panic ≠ Moral Leadership
Wiersma and Komrosky talk constantly about protecting children from “woke ideology.” But they have no evidence to support the dangers they claim exist.
CRT was never in the curriculum.
Social studies materials they opposed were state-approved and teacher-vetted.
Their flag policy targeted cultural inclusion under the guise of neutrality.
Instead of solving real problems — like reading scores, mental health, or classroom crowding — they obsessed over hot-button issues pulled from national cable news and YouTube influencers.
This isn’t moral clarity. It’s culture war cosplay.
🧠 Who Actually Represented Conservative Values? Not Them.
While Wiersma and Komrosky staged political battles, it was Board President Melinda Anderson, Board Clerk Emil Barham — both Republicans — who upheld actual conservative principles, and Democrat Steve Schwartz pushing for fiscal responsibility:
Barham voted to rescind unlawful policies and end costly litigation.
Schwartz emphasized responsible budgeting and evidence-based instruction.
Anderson, also a Republican, focused on governance, not grievance.
Wiersma and Komrosky may yell louder, but it’s their colleagues who have actually governed with discipline, restraint, and respect for the law.
🎭 This Isn’t Conservatism. It’s a Costume.
Real conservatives don’t:
Waste tax dollars on doomed lawsuits.
Disregard the law to score political points.
Attack fellow Republicans for doing the right thing.
Wiersma and Komrosky aren’t leading. They’re performing. And while they rehearse their roles, Temecula’s students, teachers, and families are left picking up the pieces.
🗳️ What Comes Next?
Temecula voters need to look beyond the slogans and start judging trustees by:
Their outcomes.
Their respect for the law.
Their ability to work together for students.
Conservative, progressive, or independent — none of those labels matter more than results. And the results under Wiersma and Komrosky speak for themselves: legal defeat, fiscal damage, and educational stagnation.
✅ Coming Next:
Part 6: Moving Forward Without the Noise — What True Leadership Looks Like in TVUSD
