No-Show Corona
After the state legislature passed HB1001, mayor Henry had to appoint a new non-voting advisor to the Redevelopment Commission. This new appointee had to come from one of the local school boards and FWCS board member Steve Corona was chosen.
Since his appointment to the Redevelopment Commission, arguably the most important board in the entire city, guess how many meetings he has attended?
One.
Yes, sadly he’s only bothered to show up for one lousy meeting. If he didn’t want to serve as a member then why did he accept the appointment? Or if he doesn’t have time then why not resign? At this point the mayor should replace him with somebody that actually cares about serving our community in that role.
Did I mention that Corona has also done next-to-nothing to turn around our declining academic performance during his three decade long tenure on the FWCS board? Fortunately voters can send him packing from both positions by voting for Evert Mol in the upcoming election…
FWCS Race Baiting Abound
From day one Fort Wayne Community Schools has leveled the racism charge against anybody that was opposed to their ridiculous half a BILLION dollar tax increase to remodel the district’s buildings. Seeing how the plan was defeated 7 to 2 they must think we have a lot of racists in this community. Here was superintendent Dr Wendy Robinson last year:
Wendy Robinson wonders whether opposition to the district’s proposed $500 million building project is really about raising property taxes or balking at providing better schools for inner-city kids.
“Below the surface, it’s, `Those kids don’t deserve better buildings’.
Now in the latest Fort Wayne Reader board president Mark Gia Quinta picks up on the same tired smears:
“I don’t understand a platform that says you’re going to return to the 1950s,” says Mark GiaQuinta, president of FWCS board. “I don’t understand how you can educate and prepare people for 2050 by going back to 1950. The 1950s was a racist decade in this country. That gave us Brown vs. Board of education. What exactly do you want to go back to, Evert? What about the 50s is it that you want to see?
I thought it was unanimous that Brown v Board of Education was a good ruling - you know, the one that overturned segregation in our schools? I’m not even sure what GiaQuinta is ranting about here - it’s just race-baiting nonsense pure and simple. But GiaQuinta doesn’t end there, he leaves us this supremely ironic gem:
“(Mol) builds himself up by tearing other people down. He’s just a very bitter person who can’t see the benefit of working with people.”
I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. And since they were feeling left out of the race-baiting game our own local newspaper editorial staff piles on:
He has publicly questioned the use of the district’s effective Racial Balance Fund and in an e-mail to The Journal Gazette two years ago, he remarked on TV news coverage of a teachers’ strike in the predominantly black Gary school system: “Judging by the newsreels of the picket lines, it looks like Gary has done quite well recruiting minority teachers. How’s that working out for them?”
Needless to say that is a distortion of Evert Mol’s position and the quote was taken completely out of context. You can read Mol’s response here if you wish. Another interesting observation, if the paper’s editorial staff were capable of such things, would be that the board’s only African-American member, Kevin Brown, isn’t out in public calling people racists. At times he too has been extremely critical of FWCS and the lack of academic progress.
The school board and the administration aren’t capable of solving the issues facing our schools because none of them will even admit there’s a problem. They are all still stuck in the denial phase and think good public relations can save the day. It can’t and it won’t. If we don’t make significant changes in this school district now then it will fail.
It will fail as miserably as Gary and Indianapolis have. If I didn’t know better I would almost assume that’s what these mindless FWCS automatons/cheerleaders want. Here’s the bottom line, more of your property tax dollars go to our schools than anything else by far. Do you feel like you’re getting bang for your buck?
When a governmental body is wildly off track it is our democratic duty as citizens to right the ship by voting for leadership that will apply rational problem solving skills to improve the situation. The only choice that will make a difference is to vote for Oligner, Mol & Schaab - a vote for anyone else is a vote for the status quo…
YLNI Candidates Night Tonight
From YLNI newsletter:
Be informed about local candidates before heading to the polls Nov. 4 (or before for early voting happening now at the City-County Building).
When: Monday, October 27th (TODAY) starting at 6 p.m.
Where: Meeting rooms in the downtown branch of the Allen County Public Library. Parking is free with a library card.Open to the publicMeet candidates appearing on Allen County ballots that evening, and listen to their ideas on how they want to make northeast Indiana a better place to live, work and play as your elected official. National races get plenty of attention, but often local and statewide races can come down to just a few votes, so get yourself informed about the candidates’ positions at this important event. It’s designed for the political junkies and political novices alike. Your vote is your voice so come out tonight to find out more.
FWCS Candidate Steve Corona Files Illegal Campaign Finance Report
After reviewing the various campaign finance reports I believe current board member Steve Corona’s filing was illegal as he failed to itemize $2771.00 in expenditures. Under IC 3-9-5-14 all committees are required to itemize expenditures exceeding $100:
(8) The full name, mailing address, occupation, and principal place of business, if any, of each person other than a committee to whom an expenditure was made by the committee or on behalf of the committee within the year in an aggregate amount that:
(A) exceeds one hundred dollars ($100), in the case of a candidate’s committee, legislative caucus committee, or political action committee;
There is always the possibility that all of his committee’s expenditures were under $100 but I would consider that highly unlikely. What’s more likely is that he forgot to file the itemized expenditures or was hoping nobody would notice.
Our campaign finance laws demand transparency because citizens have a right to know where a political candidate’s money is coming from and how they are spending it. I have filed a formal complaint with the Allen County Election Board (shown below) and I hope the matter can be resolved before the election.
Souder Jumps The Shark While He “Pals Around” With Former Communist and Black Panther
Every time I think congressman Mark Souder couldn’t get any more ridiculous I am brought back to reality and proven wrong. Seriously, how could one top the comment that all the worthless paper assets the government would be buying up via the Wall Street bailout were really worth 95 cents on the dollar?
Now Souder is saying that congresswoman Michelle Bachman’s comments calling all liberals anti-American and suggesting we should have a McCarthyite congressional investigation really weren’t her fault. No, you see she was tricked, tricked I tell you, by that evil genius Chris Matthews:
SOUDER: I read the whole interview. Chris Matthews tried to trick her into that question, over and over for the entire interview. Unfortunately, her last comment, she fell for the trap. No, we shouldn’t have an investigation into Congress. They are elected by the people of the United States. I have full faith and confidence. Now, I think some of them, for example, Sen. Obama, should be careful who he pals around with.
And it doesn’t end there. Souder was also one of 17 politicians to sign David Horowitz’s new book “Party of Defeat - How Democrats and Radicals Undermined America’s War On Terror Before and After 9-11.”
For those of you that don’t know, Horowitz is a former Communist and Black Panther financier turned far-right neoconservative whackjob and racist. Here’s a quote from some of his previous Marxist work:
More than ever before, for humanity to live under capitalism, is to live on borrowed time.
I can only assume that Mark Souder would call the Black Panthers a terrorist organization yet he’s supporting somebody who was a personal confidant to Panthers’ leader Huey Newton. And Souder has the audacity to question who Obama “pals around” with?
Can we please end this sad and embarrassing chapter of 3rd District congressional representation?
Maria Parra Responds to JG Endorsement Editorial
Maria Parra has posted a scathing retort on her blog in regards to today’s editorial where the JG endorsed her opponent for Allen County Treasurer. A few excerpts:
It is right of the editorial board to endorse whomever they want but to be so misinformed about my stance on a campaign issue and then publishing it as fact is appalling and unacceptable. In addition, if a few Democrats are angered because I asked the Trustee to provide documents to justify his spending so be it! I rather have a few disgruntled party hacks upset with me than the taxpayers of Allen County who I am accountable.
[...]
Let me set the record straight for the voters of Allen County. I have not once criticized information on property tax bill as stated in this morning’s Journal Gazette endorsement but the cost of mailing tax bills to the tune of $109,000 a 300% increase in postage and handling.
[...]
Be careful Tracy, I believe your objectivity is out the window with your musical gigs at bars owned by the inner circle of the political establishment.
[...]
Oh by the way, does the last minute barrage of public insults and lies mean someone out there is scared I will win? Wake up voters of Allen County and beware of everything you read.
Evert Mol & the Future of FWCS
Evert Mol, Fort Wayne Community School Board candidate, had an excellent op-ed piece in one local paper today that you should take the time to read. Mol lays out the problems with the current board and where we need to go in the future:
Despite its stated objective and state and federal mandates to improve test scores, Fort Wayne Community Schools has gone five years with no improvement. Incumbent board member Steve Corona and other board members did not set measurable objectives for academic improvement until this year and still don’t have a timetable for coming into compliance. Up to now they have been satisfied with staying the course
This statements get to the core of the problem regarding the FWCS board. Members like Corona would rather yap about public relations nonsense than actually make an honest assessment of our schools and what we need to do to give our students the kind of education they deserve.
Ostriches like Corona bury their head in the sand and refuse to address the serious realities within our school system. Stop telling me we are “ on the verge of greatness“. Stop telling me we don’t have a discipline problem and that we should be a model for every other district. Stop hiring consultants to come in and blow smoke up my ass.
Montagano Still Gaining On Souder
No surprise here but 3rd District Congressional Democratic nominee Mike Montagano continues to gain on Mark “95 cents on the dollar” Souder in the polls.
Souder - 44%
Montagano - 39%
Larsen - 4%
Undecided - 13%
Among those who recognize both candidates:
Souder - 39%
Montagano - 46%
The last set of numbers are encouraging but it just means Montagano has to work even harder to get his message out down the stretch. Voters are definitely looking for anyone but Souder as evident by Libertarian Bill Larsen’s 4% showing.
It’s time for voters to force Souder to live up to that term-limit pledge he made back in ‘94…
Souder Now In Serious Trouble
Democratic 3rd District Congressional nominee Mike Montagano was upgraded from the DCCC’s emerging races list onto their Red to Blue List. This is a big deal. During the 2006 cycle, the DCCC Red to Blue campaign raised over $22 million and candidates on the list received an average of over $400k. Only the top-tier races make this list - the ones the party thinks are the most winnable.
This will likely give Montagano the funding needed to counter the Souder smear campaign over the next month…
Mark Souder - How Much Longer?
Mark Souder voted for the failed $700 Billion Wall Street bailout on Monday which doesn’t come as much of a surprise to me but his logic is a little odd:
Indiana Third District U.S. Representative Mark Souder says his office has received approximately 800-calls in the last 48 hours, and that “hardly anybody” wants him to vote for the bill.
Nonetheless, Souder feels that some type of package is needed, although he’s not sure it’s the one on the table. “I don’t necessarily think it has to be $700-billion and I don’t necessarily agree that it has to be done tomorrow,” Souder said.
“We’ve already seen multiple bailouts,” he said. “We’ve already taken over Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, we’ve already taken over 80-percent of A.I.G. Now they’re coming back with this, and the question is hey, explain this a little better than you’ve been doing. We’re tired of writing blank checks.”
Uh? In the real world votes matter and not political rhetoric. Surely I’m not the only one sick of his hedging by saying one thing and doing another. I mean if you support the damn bailout then just say so but stop treating us like we’re all a bunch of easily-misled automatons.
We get it Congressman. We understand that you’re no conservative and have consistently voted throughout your career to increase our national debt and the role of government in general. We understand that you were for term limits before you were against them.
We understand that you’ve become a typical career politician scared to move back into the private sector where you might have to actually earn your keep. We understand that after 12 years in the majority you couldn’t gain traction with the party leadership and thus never achieved any clout.
We get it. I think Republicans also understand, or at least some do, that the best way for them to get better representation is not through the primary process. No, their best chance is to send him packing now and regroup for 2010 with a fresh, and likely better, candidate. Sometimes, when the dog is painfully sick with no hope of recovery, you have to do the humane thing.
Congressman Mark Souder? How much longer…
