I agree and disagree with statements made in the string ?“School Board Elections?” below. I agree that this race probably has the most qualified candidates on the ballot. Keep in mind, though, that qualifications alone are not enough. You have to look beyond the political shell that all candidates put up around themselves for the election. Look at the City races. People that have a proven and publicly documented record of taking whatever measures are necessary to support the explosive growth in the area are campaigning as controlled growth candidates. Give me a break. I realize that one former Mayor is convinced the voters of Pickerington are stupid, to use his word, but are we? If a person has been part of the problem over the last several years, how can they now say they are the solution? Look beyond what they say and look at what they do or have done. If a person has proven and documented financial ties to developers, how can we trust them to reduce those same supporters?’ profits?
Back to the School Board. We are fortunate to have so many qualified candidates vying for the seats. But look beyond what they say to what they do or have done. Take Ms. Reade for example. Agree or disagree with the way she has done things, she has consistently stood by her guns in support of controlled growth. Her committee, her petitions, and all are demonstrations that she walks the walk. The verbal assaults given by City leadership were all taken with grace and dignity. Did Ms. Reade have aspirations all along to be on the School Board because of its glory and high salary? I think not. I think she simply put her money where her mouth was and decided she could sit by and complain or run for a seat to try to make a difference. Mr. Brink has repeatedly assailed the School Board over their apparent lack of demonstration of fiscal responsibility. He didn?’t just make this stuff up for this election. Look at the minutes of meetings and read what he said and when. He has run before. He is perfectly willing to put his money where his mouth is and run for the Board to make a difference.
Voters, I plead with you to look behind the campaign slogans into who these people are and what they do. Do they walk the walk or just talk the talk? When was the last time you ever heard of some of these candidates speaking at a Board meeting to say all the things they now say in their campaign literature? When is the last time some of these candidates spoke before Council to demand slowing down residential growth? When is the last time some of these candidates initiated or even circulated petitions to demonstrate their stance on controlled growth? When have these candidates written letters to editors or offered Op-Ed columns to sate their case? The answer is that they never did. They just talk the talk because someone told them that is what you wanted to hear. That goes for all candidates running, not just Board candidates. Have you EVER heard of some of these people before?
Look behind the campaign literature and the carefully scripted written responses to newspaper interviews and see who supports these candidates. Are Reade and Brink supported by any booster organizations? No. They are supported by people with proven controlled growth records. Are they supported by educators? Yes. The people who we trust with our children more hours a day than we are with them support some of these candidates. The teacher?’s contracts are coming up for negotiation soon. Whom can we trust to negotiate with the single biggest employer in the District? Whom does the PEA trust? Whom should we trust?
Make the right choices. Don?’t prove one of our former Mayors right when he says we are stupid.
By Soap Box Hero
Back to the School Board. We are fortunate to have so many qualified candidates vying for the seats. But look beyond what they say to what they do or have done. Take Ms. Reade for example. Agree or disagree with the way she has done things, she has consistently stood by her guns in support of controlled growth. Her committee, her petitions, and all are demonstrations that she walks the walk. The verbal assaults given by City leadership were all taken with grace and dignity. Did Ms. Reade have aspirations all along to be on the School Board because of its glory and high salary? I think not. I think she simply put her money where her mouth was and decided she could sit by and complain or run for a seat to try to make a difference. Mr. Brink has repeatedly assailed the School Board over their apparent lack of demonstration of fiscal responsibility. He didn?’t just make this stuff up for this election. Look at the minutes of meetings and read what he said and when. He has run before. He is perfectly willing to put his money where his mouth is and run for the Board to make a difference.
Voters, I plead with you to look behind the campaign slogans into who these people are and what they do. Do they walk the walk or just talk the talk? When was the last time you ever heard of some of these candidates speaking at a Board meeting to say all the things they now say in their campaign literature? When is the last time some of these candidates spoke before Council to demand slowing down residential growth? When is the last time some of these candidates initiated or even circulated petitions to demonstrate their stance on controlled growth? When have these candidates written letters to editors or offered Op-Ed columns to sate their case? The answer is that they never did. They just talk the talk because someone told them that is what you wanted to hear. That goes for all candidates running, not just Board candidates. Have you EVER heard of some of these people before?
Look behind the campaign literature and the carefully scripted written responses to newspaper interviews and see who supports these candidates. Are Reade and Brink supported by any booster organizations? No. They are supported by people with proven controlled growth records. Are they supported by educators? Yes. The people who we trust with our children more hours a day than we are with them support some of these candidates. The teacher?’s contracts are coming up for negotiation soon. Whom can we trust to negotiate with the single biggest employer in the District? Whom does the PEA trust? Whom should we trust?
Make the right choices. Don?’t prove one of our former Mayors right when he says we are stupid.
By Soap Box Hero
