Sign Wars Continue (This time in the school board race)-
Just an update to the local sign wars as the political season heats up! Catch this FBNow.com piece on the district election and the destruction of one candidates signs. . .
Stay informed and keep in touch!
posted by responsible_dvlpmnt at Monday, May 08, 2006
10 Comments:
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1 texxas redd - May 6, 11:48 am
Whoa – if Mitton spent $150 on a single 4×8 sign, she is far too financially challenged to be elected. I can get them for less than $30. On the other hand, paying an exhorbitant amount for something used for less than 60 days just might be the perfect qualification for schoolboard candidate.
2 Chris Elam - May 6, 12:26 pm
I would have to agree. I tried replying to Liz’s mass e-mail last night, but apparently too many bounced back to her, because her inbox was over quota.
She got FLEECED if she’s paying $150 a sign. I would really question her financial sense if she can’t even be bothered to shop around for a better price on something as common as roadsigns.
3 signwar - May 6, 01:20 pm
I too can get them for less then $30, but I doubt she ordered the quantities necessary to get anywhere near that price. Besides for theft value it would be based on the retail price of getting a single sign produced to replace it. If texxas redd or Chris Elam would be willing to have it replace it for $30 I will make the contribution to Ms. Mitton for as many as have been destroyed. I suggest you give her a call and get some business.
4 Eric Thode - May 6, 02:09 pm
The total cost of the poll was a little over $6,500. More importantly, the expenditure fits well within the budget of the Party (as passed by the Executive Committee) and complies with the rules that the Executive Commitee passed in May of 2004. Although some members of the Executive Committee would like no input from voters…if my emails are correct, Republican Primary voters are very happy with the opportunity to voice their opinion and they are well aware that it is non-binding.
I guess opening up the process is just too scary for some, as evidenced by the fact that Harris County is hosting its behind closed doors event today. Interestingly, many of those who have screamed the loudest about Fort Bend’s poll are absolutely in love with Harris County’s effort. The have evidently decided that including the voters is a bad thing, while closing the doors to voters, the media and interested observers is a good thing. If it weren’t so sad, it would be funny.
5 morality - May 6, 02:28 pm
Is Chris Elam condoning this type of behavior? Is he so morally dense that all he can think about is how Liz Mitton should have done business with him? This type of attitude is what leads people to being willing to do this type of thing.
6 morality - May 6, 04:26 pm
I guess Chris Elam answered the question himself; the following is what he as to say to Liz Mitton;
“Liz, I know you’re new to the political scene, so you probably don’t realize that this sort of thing happens. Its called ‘sign war’, and if you complain about it too loudly, its generally viewed as a negative on your campaign. I know that seems strange and unfair, but its HIGHLY important that a candidate never ever appears ‘whiny’ to the voters.”
I would argue that when you are in the business of selling signs the more that get destroyed the better for business. Humm…
7 The Traffic Underground - May 6, 04:32 pm
Eric –
Are you that disingenious, or just completely ignorant of the true nature of the critical response to your little poll?
Those against your poll are not jack-booted opponents of “opening up the process”. They are not un-democratic thugs who chuckle with glee when they cut voters out of the loop.
They might just be concerned about the fact that your poll is laughable in its scientific veracity. They might dislike the ugly gender bias of the “one per household” rule. They might be worried about who is counting and verifying these results.
A sitting GOP commissioner has already accused you of outright “shenanigans and manipulation” on this very site.
It’s not that “opening the process” is too scary for some. It’s that YOU are too scary for some.
Happy trails, cowpoke. Next time, just exit stage left.
8 Liz Mitton - May 6, 04:56 pm
First, thank you to the many dozens of people who responded personally to me today regarding the damaged signs. Your words of support and encouragement are appreciated.
Second, thank you, signwar, for your kind offer. However, being the thrifty person I am, my sister and I gathered up all the pieces of the signs and have used packing tape to piece them back together. They will be going back up tomorrow in new locations—perhaps not quite as good as new, but up all the same.
Mr. Elam, since I was out campaigning most of last night and all day today, my in-box had filled up with many messages of support. However, I have cleared it now and would be happy to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Liz Mitton
Candidate, FBISD Board of Trustees, Position 6
9 Chris Elam - May 6, 05:34 pm
Morality,
No.
No, but you’re welcome to believe whatever you like about me.
And people who do this type of thing should most definitely stop. Its not right.
Eric,
since you read my blog, you should be quite aware of the fact that Harris County has already announced that they will be hosting a public candidate’s forum on May 27th at UH-Clear Lake. Here in Fort Bend, we have a voter poll that was sent ONE PER HOUSEHOLD before any local forum has been held to give voters a chance to get to know the candidates. So while one county continues to take substantive steps to identify candidates’ viewpoints by holding TWO candidate forums, we play the name ID game in Fort Bend instead of taking proactive steps to identify the best candidate.
If it weren’t so sad, it’d be funny.
10 rubikees - May 6, 07:56 pm
Eric is such a freedom fighting legend, in his own mind.
11 Eric Thode - May 6, 08:54 pm
I applaud Chris Elam for his thoughts at least he makes them in the light of day. As opposed to most of the attacks on this and other web sites, including “The Traffic Underground.” I am confident in the ability of Gary Gillen and the new Executive Committee’s ability to report the results of a poll which was open to all Republican voting households. While it would have been ideal to mail one to every voter, we also know that most husbands and wives vote the same, so it wasn’t necessary.
As for the supposedly substantive attempts by Harris County to learnm about the candidates, they are questionable at best. Closed door…only precinct chairs invited (and the invitations were haphazard at best…no attempt to educate all voters….and on and on and on.
As I have said all along, Congressman DeLay and the Texas Election Code have left the Republican Party a rotten process. We should be doing all we can to get as many people as possible involved… not just Precinct Chairs and certainly not just the foursome who will be selected to make this choice.
At the rate it is going, Nick Lampson’s chances are improving daily.
12 voterwise - May 7, 06:52 am
Eric,
Your second to last paragraph at least looks good in print but your glossing over couples as individuals thinking for themselves is very insulting to females & males. The real solution is to change the law and advance the candidate that you and delay ran against in the primary (the legitimate runner-up, Campbell).
Only in Texas?
13 Dan Kerr - May 7, 12:39 pm
Voterwise –
Right on –
Just because the wanna be candidates are NOW stepping forward does not give them the moral authority to feed on the carcass that was DeLay –
If they didn’t have the backbone or the guts to run against DeLay in the primary – they should just wait 2 more years to run against the person holding the office –
Their excuse that they did not run against DeLay because they supported him is all the more reason they should be upfront and wait until the next election cycle – They want to rely on 4 insiders instead of the voters – If they were honest and NOT opportunist – then they would DO THE RIGHT THING – AND WAIT – While the letter of the law says they can do this – the SPIRIT of the law says otherwise – I ran the poll that asked the voters whether they wanted a special election or 4 pseudo-representative people to SELECT the candidate – 60% favored a special election – As J F Clarke said, “A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman, of the next generation.”
The rest of the country is LAUGHING at you wanna be candidates for you greed and avarice at moving in where you were not voted for.
Remember the words of Sir Winston Churchill, “The nation will find it very hard to look up to leaders who are keeping their ears to the ground.”
Can you say vultures?
14 The Traffic Underground - May 7, 03:15 pm
Thodie –
1. Someone needs to educate you as to the explicit purpose of an “Underground”...
2. They weren’t so much attacks as they were insults.
3. The fact that you continue your flag-waving “I love voter input” routine proves exactly what a disingenious little man you are. The only thing here that is transparent is your motivation.
I know it.
You know it.
Dogs know it.
15 Eric Thode - May 7, 03:27 pm
Voterwise—
As I have said all along, if the Texas Election Code allowed for a new Republican primary, I and the overwhelming majority of Republicans would be for it. Sadly, we don’t have that option, so we are stuck with what the Texas Election Code allows.
The poll is just to give voters the opportunity to show their position on the candidates. While all married couples or homes with more than one voter voter do not always support the same candidate, the fact is that easily 80-90 % of the time married couples and households with more than one voter support the same candidates in Primary Elections. Therefore the one poll per household will give Republicans a very strong indication of where the electorate stands… as opposed to just Precinct Chairs or just 4 people from four separate counties.
Its not perfect. Short of a new Primary nothing will be, but elevating candidate number 2 (i.e., Tom Campbell) who lost to DeLay and never faced other very good candidates is an even worse solution. Like most people, I suspect the majority of his votes were anti-DeLay votes not pro-Campbell votes. Therefore had he faced Howard, Wallace, Talton, Jackson or any of the other contenders for an open seat, his vote count would have been much different.
16 rubikees - May 7, 06:36 pm
Eric you are still thinking inside the box. I disaggree with Dan about the candidates that did not run against DeLay however he has a point that the Demos will use, ‘They supported DeLay’. Then the CD22 race becomes a race of personality and not of issues.
Eric a vast majority of use do not walk the halls of political power. We can suggest, complain, and evern propose ideas but it takes someone in the political process to execute and implement. Instead of making excusses about what you can not do, grow a set and be a leader and do something for the Republican voters in CD22. Get the four chairmen together and look at some of the ideas and get a plan together that will allow the Republican voters to have some input in the choice of a Republican candidate. Maybe a committee to help in putting together a plan.
Yes, the chairmen are limited in what they can do to get a candidate but this disorganized three ring circus only plays in getting Lampson in office as the CD22 rep.
17 voterwise - May 7, 07:16 pm
” Therefore had he faced Howard, Wallace, Talton, Jackson or any of the other contenders for an open seat, his vote count would have been much different.”
That’s just it. None of these people invested the time or money and now they want it handed to them. If they don’t respect the process then the hell with them. Campbell got out and ran. Your bias is shared in the final paragraph, it tells your story and duplicity in all this. Enjoy Houston!
18 Burt Levine - May 7, 07:32 pm
To Terese and Sam Raia and Norm and Jeanne Mason, Linda and Mickey Mixon -all leaders of the once active local Christian Coaltion anyone that came in 2nd in the GOP race for the 22nd March 7 was running agnst “THEIR GUY” and then is disqualified for any consideration.
Anyone that ran agnst “THEIR GUY” is their mortal and moral enemy and to them can not be considered.
19 Richard - May 7, 08:37 pm
Eric,
Since your permanent residence is not in the district and your term has officially expired, you should do what’s right and back away from the process. But you won’t, because you have a dog in this fight and his name is David Wallace. If I’m wrong, just tell me whose name you checked on the survey.
Eric, your intentions are transparent. If you wanted the voters to have a say in this process, you would have called for a special election or sought to have the Election Code changed to permit a Republican Primary. But, instead you wasted no time in trouncing the idea of a special election and then you flipped-flopped and said it would have been a good idea (on April 7th – the deadline for a May 13th special election).
It’s obvious your survey was crafted to benefit Wallace. It was timed with his mailers. You didn’t inform any of the other candidates until it was too late to respond. In fact, you didn’t even tell members of the Executive Committee. They had to read about it in the Chronicle. Had you consulted with the Executive Committee and asked for a vote to sanction the survey then it would have more legitimacy. As far as the cost, I seriously doubt the Executive Committee knew that this would be an expense when they approved the budget.
The idea of a survey has some merit, but the half-cocked way it was implemented has severely crippled the results. The survey can’t be validated. It wasn’t conducted independently. The list of households it was mailed to has not been made public. It’s unbelievably open to fraud. At least the reply card could have the names of the voters and address on it!
Lastly, my wife and I are Republican primary voters and we have yet to receive this survey. Can you explain that?
Unfortunately Eric, you have made this survey a joke! I agree with Chris, it would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic.
20 Kathy Haigler - May 7, 09:51 pm
I was flabbergasted to hear about the Ft. Bend mail-out poll. Regardless of one’s personal opinion, the Texas Election code clearly states who performs what functions when a Primary winner becomes ineligible to run for office. Several players are involved in a process pre-set by law.
The State Party Chair must conclusively establish that the candidate is ineligible; then things fork off in two different directions.
(1)The Governor calls a special election to fill the vacancy between the election date and the Inauguration in January. Governor Perry has publicly stated that he will not call an “Emergency” Special Election, but will call the Special Election for the Uniform November Election Date. Anyone wanting to file for that office may do so – it will not be subject to a Party’s Primary nomination. This will be a public election, voted on by the public, and public forums will be held for the voting public before the election.
(2)The PARTY will select the person to replace its nominee on the General Election ballot, which is for the position from Inauguration Day in January and forward, for the next two years. Once the CD22 PARTY leadership meets in each county to vote for its Elector to the District Executive Committee (sometimes referred to as “The Committee of Four”), then the four PARTY electors will meet to vote on the General Election Republican nominee. Harris County CD22 Republican Precinct Chairs wanted more information before they made this important PARTY decision, so they had a private meeting of the decision-makers in the closed PARTY forum on May 6th.
If the Committee of Four is unable to come to an agreement, the decision goes to the PARTY leadership at the State level.
Once there is a Republican nominee selected by the PARTY, the General Election process becomes a PUBLIC process, and all interviews and forums should be open to the PUBLIC. This is the point in the General Election process where a non-binding poll from the public would actually make more sense, be useful, and serve more than a political purpose.
So, regardless of whether one thinks it’s a “good thing” or a “bad thing” to include the public through a non-binding, expensive, one-ballot-per-household-containing-Republican-voters-from-the last-3-election-cycles straw poll with names of people not even running on the list and leaving out several who are valid candidates and having no valid ballot integrity or security, the Texas Election Code gets the final say, and the law says that it’s the PARTY who replaces its nominee. Wow! Grassroots politics at its best.
There IS a time to every purpose, and I don’t think Fort Bend County has exercised much wisdom or fiscal conservatism in its straw poll. My personal opinion.
21 rubikees - May 7, 10:01 pm
You are right Richard, Eric has been disguising self serving interest with do good deception. I just have high hopes that Eric could realize that self serving interest along with this three ring disorganized picking circus only benifits getting Lampson elected.
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I heard a confirmed rumor this weekend that stated that one of Owen's big contributors (and Houston developer) contacted the Poats for Mayor campaign. This seemed a very interesting twist given the Poats pledge.
It takes someone with integrity to walk away from a situation like that, good going Mr. Poats!
Kinda reminds you of that old Jimmy Stewart movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" . . .what are the party insiders going to do if people/voters wise up???
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From FBN-
Dan Kerr: FBISD By The Numbers
To all those who continue to maintain that the forced resignation of Superintendent Baitland was unfounded; here are the real numbers under her watch and the prior “Old Guard,” according to Texas Education Agency Reports. Anyone who can work a computer and the Internet can get these numbers and compile them as I have done.
I must mention that I make no assumptions of cause and effect; I leave that to you, the reader. I do know that most big businesses that have similar trends will be forced to seek other leadership on both the CEO level and the board level, since the shareholders would demand as much.
Dr. Baitland began her tenure as superintendent in July of 2002. During that time, the district has seen a decrease in overall performance. Before Dr. Baitland, Dr. Don W. Hooper was at the helm from February 1995 to June 2002 when he retired. These two individuals cover the period referenced here.
Fort Bend County has seen a voter population increase from 43,000 in 1994 to 156,000 in 2004, a 360% increase, with an approximate 150% increase in just the years from 2000 to 2004. While the voting public has increased, the number of people voting in a school board election has only seen a rise of 2,400 voters in the same period. The number of voters in school board elections has remained at an average of 5,300.
As you can see from the accompanying graphs (below), while Dr. Hooper was superintendent, the number of schools that went from acceptable to higher rankings rose, while the exact opposite has occurred under Dr. Baitland’s tenure. At the same time, the number of voters that are eligible to vote in the school board race has increased dramatically, while those that actually do vote has remained constantly low.
Unfortunately, due to the low number of voter turnouts by the population, the number of special community interests becomes more of a factor. As indicated by the extreme politically motivated views held on all sides towards both sitting board members and those who are seeking the position has increased this and last year. This has resulted in a drowning effect to those average voters who seek to participate in the process.
As evidenced by a heated exchange between a board member and a candidate during Monday night’s board meeting, the real issues have taken a back seat to innuendos and outbursts. As evidenced by the letters to the editors in the local papers, dirty politics has prevailed. And, as evidenced by the wanderings of those in the blogs, personal attacks, assumptions, and baseless opinion take the place of real debate.
A school board position is neither paid nor is it cheap to get elected. As one person told me, “Why would I ever want to put myself through this again.” Truth sometimes gets trampled over in the attempt to hold onto a belief, and bent according to convenience. Truth always prevails.
As Oscar Wilde once wrote, “The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.” And Confucius wrote, “It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great.”
So, before you utter that next pithy remark, look yourself in the mirror and decide if you would like what you are fixing to say said about you or someone you cherish. If not, refrain. And remember, you have one mouth and two ears, use them in that ratio.
Thank you and God bless.
Daniel Kerr is a consultant with experience state-wide focusing on Fort Bend politics
1 Robert Cocheu - May 11, 10:49 am
Thanks Dan for the reboot on the campaign. You are correct this entire campaign has been run on rumor, fear and desperation (sometimes by both sides, but mainly from those who want a return to the Status Quo). This has clouded the issue. I will close with two items. The first is a paraphrased quote from Dr. Baitland when the bond issue failed:
“The failure of this bond issue shows that parents in this district do not care about their children”
This quote showed an arrogance beyond belief. That was the point I decided that change needed to be made in our school system.
The second item came from the Fresno Candidate Forum. Currently Burton has 90 students that are zoned to Sienna Crossing (SCE) in it’s bilingual program. This is occurring because SCE does not want to have a bilingual program in its school. My position has been this all along for 10+ years. ALL children deserve the very best education and ALL schools should have the same programs. The fact that this situation was allowed speaks to the attitude of the “old guard” of bury your head in the sand and ignore any problem.
BTW – I have been away for a while because unlike some I can’t sit on this blog to control the spin. I actually have to go out and attempt to make a living so I can continue to pay my school taxes while the administration spends it.
2 schoolwise - May 11, 11:58 am
Thank you Daniel & Robert! The data does speak volumes and needed to be shared. I have no doubts as to who to vote for (as my family has already done so). We did what any voter should do and that is find out the voting records and campaign financial backers in the races we followed. Often people in our community now e-mail us and ask who we should vote for and the answer is always the same—“I can’t tell you who to vote for, but I can tell you who not to vote for”. This simple response, with the advice above, can help get most potential disconnected taxpayers/voters more grounded in the process and help them determine for themselves who is backing and expecting from the candidates or incumbents.
Good luck and get out and vote Saturday!
FBISD Administration Files Ethics Complaint Over Candidate's Email
by Bob Dunn, May 12, 02:14 pm
A Fort Bend Independent School District administrator filed a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission and District Attorney John Healey on Thursday, over email sent to several thousand FBISD employees urging they vote for school board candidate Wayne Howard.
Dan Kerr, a political consultant who acknowledged sending the email to 4,000 district employees, said there’s nothing illegal or unethical about doing so, and said the school administration “has no authority” to tell political candidates they can’t send emails to district employees.
Natalia Ashley, a spokeswoman for the ethics commission, seemed to agree with Kerr. The law prohibits an officer or employee of a political subdivision from using that subdivision’s resources for the purpose of political advertising, Ashley said. “The important part of the law is, it applies only to an officer or employee.”
“If you have not already voted, I urge you to go and make your voice heard,” Kerr’s email says, in part. “Keep in mind that you have two paths – the path to the future and a path that leads to the status quo. A vote for Wayne Howard is that path to the future and a future filled with promise.”
Sandra Scott-Bonner, director of campus achievement for the district, said that email “went to, I do believe, just about all of the employees” at FBISD, “and it does clearly ask that you vote for Wayne Howard.”
She said she complained to the ethics commission because all school board candidates had been told they were not to use the district’s email list or email system as a distribution method for political information.
Also, “I sent to District Attorney Healey a copy of the email and a short blurb” explaining it, Scott-Bonner said.
She said Kerr’s email did not identify the sender, but included the disclaimer “If this e-mail arrives at a government site – do not reproduce, forward, or print it.”
Kerr said it would be illegal for school district employees to write or forward email from their school computers containing promotional material about political candidates, but not to receive such information.
“This is definitely politically motivated,” he added. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. And I’m not stupid. I know what’s legal to send out for politics and what’s not.” He added that he did a similar emailing on Healey’s behalf during the recent primary election.
Healey was not immediately available for comment Friday afternoon. Nor were officials from the TEC.
Howard, and FBISD Board Trustee Stan Magee, both said Kerr’s email was not improper.
The school district’s email system “belongs to the taxpayers,” Howard said. “Anybody who’s a taxpayer can send anything inside” to the district’s email system, as long as it’s not something that would be harmful, such as a virus.
Howard said the Texas Attorney General’s office has ruled communication such as Kerr’s is legal. He also said district information technology officials said sending such email was permissible.
Magee said ethics commission attorneys have told him the same thing.
He said the district administration complained about Kerr’s email “because he’s promoting Wayne Howard, and he’s not the administration’s chosen candidate.”
Sounds like a busy election. I wonder if that principal in the "old guard" ever apologized to that family for persecuting that family in the public discussion forums who reported her?
GoPoatsGoPoatsEndCronyismGoPoatsGoPoats
EndCronyismGoPoatsGoPoatsEndCronyismGoPoatsGoPoatsEndCronyismGoPoatsGoPoatsEndCronyismGoPoatsGoPoatsEndCronyism . . .;-)
Reform is on the way!
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