Here's my latest theory about the school board election: Most people don't care, but those who do are putting a lot of energy into it.
I wish the first part weren't true, but history shows about four out of five Mecklenburg voters won't bother to cast a ballot. As I've noted before, this year's roster of candidates is long and relatively little-known, which makes it a lot of work to get informed.
What's impressive is how many people are doing that work, and how engaged they are. Last week's interactive debate got a live audience of 175, with another 78 watching live online.
I'm also hearing from people like Christine Mast, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools parent who lives in Huntersville. Even after reading and watching candidates' responses to various groups (she was in the online audience last week), she didn't think she was getting good enough answers. So she sent them her own six-question survey and posted the answers on her CMS-related Facebook page (you have to scroll down to Oct. 17; Facebook is not the ideal forum for a long Q&A).
Randy Forsythe, an Irwin Elementary parent, polled the candidates on their thoughts about the extended school day, to prepare for a PTA meeting. I suspect Forsythe and Mast are just a sampling of the people who are peppering the candidates with questions about the issues they care about.
I'm also impressed by how hard the candidates are working to answer the barrage of queries. The eventual winners are just beginning a stretch of hard work and public criticism, and everyone who's still campaigning seems determined to show they're up for it.
Now we're in the final stretch of the campaign, so we'll soon see what combination of position statements, forums, ads, tweets, yard signs, poll workers and other campaign strategies it takes to propel three of 14 to the top.
And for those who are wondering, the Observer's school board endorsements are slated for publication Sunday. I'm not part of that process, which is conducted by the editorial board.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
CMS election: Who cares?
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37 comments:
We should have a contest like the Observer does to pick the Oscar winners, but in this case, see who the liberal spewing editors at the Observer pick.
Dashew, McCray and Scher are the ones I think they'll pick.
My suggestion would be to vote for anyone other than who the Observer recommends.
Ann:
I am disappointed that you have not posted a segment about the incident at one of the early polling locations with reference to Tim Morgan's hired manager, Larry Shaheen, tossing away promotional literature of one of the candidates for the Board of Education, Keith Hurley. Larry Shaheen has admitted to his action. Tim Morgan did not have a comment to this incident except to inform that he is in this race to win.
I would think that should make serious news as this action by Larry Shaheen has probably cost Mr. Hurley votes. A serious violation like this, in my opinion, should not go unoticed!!
Does the Charlotte Observer believe that is not news worthy??
Were these laws broken? Basically no campaign info is to be within 50 feet of the door and some designated locations (typically churches) no campaign info is allowed on the property.
Voters may carry information in to assist with voting, but must take it with them - or put in trash. Any campaign info left behind by a voter should be tossed - typically by a polling place worker.
General Statutes 163-147 prohibits loitering, congregating, distributing campaign material, or electioneering within 50 feet of the entrance to the voting place. G. S. 163-166.4 calls for a buffer zone which is to be 50 feet from the door where practical but in no case less than 25 feet in which all election-related activity would be prohibited.
1:36, I replied to that issue on a previous strand, but it was late in the back-and-forth. I'm aware of this issue and it's on my get-to list, but below two more issue stories on the candidates, plus individual profiles that have to run starting Sunday.
2:12 PM, BOCC a bigger bunch of m****s, Dunlap, Leake, Roberts.
Problem with at large elections is now it becomes mob rule and who can organize as many vans of "followers" to drive around from precinct to precinct to vote for a pack of smokes and a hamburger. But the kicker will be the closest-in precincts will hold out their ballots till well after the suburb precincts have reported in and vote totals will go haywire liberal.
How can Plotseneder be a candidate "at-large" when he carries a bias against certain schools. Hardly seems fair, therefore, no votes for him.
Hurley, Nelson and Wise please. They are the only ones clear that they are against all this testing and they have not accepted monies from the Chamber people. The fact that Trent Merchant gave money to Dashew and Morgan is reason enough to never vote for either of them!
Loved the questions the Christine Mast came up with. Some of the candidates would have done better by NOT responding... jeesh...
Keith Hurley and Ken Nelson really have taken great positions and truly deserve to win this election. I haven't determined who my 3rd pick is yet, though.
Keith Hurley, Ken Nelson and Jeff Wise will not get my votes.
Keith Hurley and Ken Nelson are against testing, but I can't think of any constructive suggestions they've made to improve CMS.
Jeff Wise said in his Swann answers that he entered the race because he thought Gorman's idea of merit pay could jeopardize his wife's pay and job security. He should have a better reason to run for the BOE.
Ken Nelson has said several times that he cannot think of anything good about CMS (most recently at the Meck Ed forum). I don't want a board member with that attitude--there are no good schools, good teachers, good principals, successful kids? Give me a break!
Anon 2:14 - larry shaheen was prohibited from setting foot in any voting location, so you tell me if he broke any laws. Nice try though. Friends don't let friends vote for Captain Morgan.
On the endorsements: Joe White always says getting the O's nod gains him about 30,000 votes -- and costs him about the same number. He may be right!
Ann is right. Most people don't care.
Here are my predictions for Observer endorsements:
-Aaron Pomis
-Ericka Ellis-Stewart
-Elyse Dashew
The Observer won't support Tim Morgan because he's a republican. They won't support Mary McCray because she's a union boss. They won't support any of the other people because they're fringe candidates.
It's just a theory. Wiley has other thoughts on this. Who do you think they'll endorse?
Anon 7:08...see the first post of this thread...
I said it up there...
Anon 6:30 - if said person is not in the act of voting then the Chief Judge of the polling place should have said person removed - by police if necessary. If not a poll worker - or a person in the act ov voting - must be beyond the 50 foot zone. No exceptions. So if that is an issue contact the Board of Elections
http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/BOE/Pages/default.aspx
Anon 8:42 -- and if anyone beyond the 50 foot line is obstructing or harassing potential voters - same thing - the poll Chief Judge should be able to address it or call BOE or call 911 yourself if necessary.
WC, have you determined your 3 yet?
Which of these folks support Magnet Schools like Elizabeth and Myers Park Traditional.
or at least do not have a chip on their shoulder about them?
TROTS,
Do I have to?
LOL..... Uhhh...yeah two at least...leaning one way on another
9:51 PM, these schools and others like them are the new "class envy" targets. Better get used to this crowd that is all for pulling down the top achievers. They covet these teachers because obviously they know how to teach and want their teachers replaced with these thinking the scores will go up automagically.
My friend had been PTSA President at West Charlotte a few years ago. We were sitting at lunch one day and I asked him what would happen student, score wise if the Providence High School students and the West Charlotte HS students swapped schools. He said scores would be no different for the West Charlotte kids because they did not know how to behave and work for an education and more of them would probably dropout than would have previously. He said if Providence teachers stayed on course exactly like the Providence students had been handled, the WC students would be so disillusioned. He said the Providence kids would have a good year becuase they did have really good teachers at WC. And they had a whole lot of good equipment unused.
WC, I think I know your 2. I am hanging about the 3rd.
But yes, you have to divulge before early voting is over. I am voting early because I have a meeting out of town that day. But I will be back in town late and I am calling the Republican office to find out which precincts they need observers for as they prepare to close and count votes. I wish I had time druign the day to follow some people around.
TROTS...
I'm voting Saturday because I will be out of town all that week and the weekend of the election.
I'm going Nelson, Hurley, leaning Wise.
Ken Nelson is a borderline racist and lunatic. look up knelsud92 on google and stormfront.org pops up,. Also look at his past comments on the Observer comments sections and you'll see his endorsement of pulling out weapons and firing on people if his candidates or choice didn't win. We do not need reactionary people like him in public office in our city, or anywhere else for that matter. The same goes for Larry Bumgardner and Lloyd Scher. Two loons who need no more description here.
Nelson in his own words...
"I feel like the frog in a warm pot of water. The temperature keeps rising. While the increase in warmth is
sometimes nice, I also realize if it gets too hot, the water will kill me. It boils down to how much can one
continue to take. How much can one be blamed for problems that they have no control over? When do you
realize that your voice is not heard on city council or county commission anymore?
It's not so much about the toys. It's about the lies that accompanied them. The light rail is nice, but TELL
THE TRUTH about the cost. The arena is nice, but there was nothing wrong with the one out on Tyvola. It's
not about a changing demographic as much as it is about a drastic change in tax structure. It's not about
failing schools as much as it's about a failure to recognize and fix the problems. It's all about a group of
people in this city who are so flippin' selfish and arrogant!
This city used to be FUN. I remember moving here and enjoying the Carolina Music Fest outdoors for
an entire weekend uptown. That got cancelled due to crime and a poor element moving in. Speed Street
actually used to be fun, and about NASCAR. Now it's all about how much free stuff certain people can get.
There was always plenty to do without the toys. I also didn't feel like I needed to be afraid of having a beer or
two at an uptown bar and then be stopped at some checkpoint. All these **** checkpoints and houses in my
neighborhood are being broken into. I shouldn't have to keep a loaded weapon in my house for protection
while the cops are more worried about the illegals and their DUIs. I can't even send my daughter to the
local CMS schools, due to the 77% FRL, yet she could easily walk to Providence Day, and easily walk to
Christian when she got a little older.
I leave, I take my low six-figure income with me. I can do my job almost anywhere remotely. I take my wife's
nursing skills as well. Who replaces me? You can have 'em. This kind of flight killed the urban Northeast.
It killed Detroit. It killed Chicago. Charlotte was a mecca in the 1990's with it's conservative, yet positively
progressive leadership. It unfortunately became controlled by a bunch of lunatics that have no concept of
recent history.
Enjoy it, Macdawwg. Enjoy the poverty when the taxbase pulls up stakes because they've just gotten fed up."
•
Anon 8:46...
...and your point is?
My point is if this guy hates the city so much, he should move to a more conservative bastion of his liking further out in the sticks. Charlotte decided a long time ago that it's not going to be another Spartanburg or Birmingham, but the next Atlanta or Dallas instead. The writing's been on the wall for a long time. If people want to live in the past, there are many places still living in the past, but Charlotte in moving toward a national and globalist future whether some yokels (and yokel wannabes) like it or not. Nelson has said some incendiary comments in the past and the oters should be very aware of them. If the news media won't shed light on them, I'll simply keep re-posting his classic comments all week long.
11:38, while city leaders may have said they wanted to be Atlanta or Dallas, their actions are leading us to be another Chicago and Detroit.
That is the reality.
Atlanta and Dallas do not have countywide school systems as we do. Their city systems, mostly minority, are struggling but the suburban systems within the counties are doing well, with parents, no matter what their color, and communities actively engaged and supportive. Not sure that we can continue to grow as a city with the type of school system setup we have. There is too much of a disconnect between varying sectors of the city--educational needs are too different but it is political suicide to say so. Ann asks "who cares" about the election. Everyone should, but solutions have become too political and too complex. Over the years the media, the politicians, and the justice/diversity crowd have all contributed to this situation.
City leaders say ? They are planning to lose $ on DNC they dont have time for CMS next year. Its up to the board. The current city interest group CHarlotte Chamber has done a terrible job running CMS last decade. Fact that Stewart, Pomis and Dashew (cashew NUT) took their cash is enough. Ask any of them a question outside their canned speech and you here the crickets !! The two women above say they are running purely on the fact they have been to every school board meeting in the last 2 years. The result has been they know nothing about the board and are borderline stalkers ! The Cashew one sends her kids to a magnet 20 miles from her house. How many parents can do that trip daily? Stewart is so versed in drop out programs I think she entered one with her lack of knowledge. Pomis is a CHARTER school (kid) so his views are small scale at best. I am voting Nelson , Hurley , McCray for guts and knowledge.
To Anon @ 8:46, that's the best you can do?
If I remember correctly, that comment got something like 30 likes.
I love anonymous comments they show the real character and the measure of the, Man just ask the ladies who know the person who post them.
Ken-watcher, please do post (or email me) any such comments. After similar posts a few weeks back, I did look through many of Ken's online comments. I found a lot like what you've posted here -- strong opinions that some people might find offensive. I didn't find any advocating white supremacy or violence, but I admit I didn't have patience to scan them all. If those exist, it would be good to know.
I did a search for knelsud92 on Google and did NOT get any references to StormFront.
And StormFront IS in my Favorites...
Some of the locals did not like what Larry G said a few years back, but today his observations ring true. Ken Nelson is not a racist but a genuine concerned citizen that peels away the onion skin to reveal the facts. He is not afraid of telling the Emperor he has not clothes on.. some folks just do not want to recognize the facts. As of this week EX Supt Gorman validated the "crazies" after Ken has been articulating these concerns for months. Let give him an opportunity to serve.
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Go about 5 pages into google and it's there...
Stormfrontwww.stormfront.org › Stormfront › News › Newslinks & ArticlesCached
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... to get to the conventions to send Ron Paul delegates to State and National. Any other questions, please contact knelsud92 at yahoo dot com. ...
I did a search for knelsud92 on Google and did NOT get any references to StormFront. And StormFront IS in my Favorites...
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