Money Isn’t Working In School Board Elections

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When it comes to school board elections something is different. Just ask Michael Bloomberg, Rupert Murdoch and Michelle Rhee. They lost big in Los Angeles.
Despite Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee and Rupert Murdoch's big contributions, LAUSD board member Steve Zimmer was re-elected to the board, defeating their hope that Los Angeles would become the next big pathway to privatized education.
It seems that money, which is a must in other elections, doesn't count for much in school board elections. And we don't need to look at Los Angeles for proof. We experienced this phenomenon in Delaware. Last year I wrote several posts on the upcoming school board elections. I hadn't been paying much attention at the time, but as the election drew near, my attention was snagged. Something different was happening:
I haven’t really commented on the upcoming School Board elections, mainly because I can’t wrap my head around what’s going on. With all the attention on these races – phone polls, money, PACs – I keep feeling I’m missing something – Big. What is going on? What’s on the line? And why the hell is so much money being dumped into an election that, I predict, will still have a dismal turn-out. Basically, what’s the agenda? For the life of me I don’t see it. Yeah, I get the split is between Charter and Choice (Ed reformers) supporters vs Traditional Public School supporters, but that’s hardly new. What’s new are the aggressive tactics being employed and the money being spent. All of this keeps me wondering… Am I missing something about these races; something that makes them vitally important? Is something major about to change depending on who wins these elections? If so, what?
So that's where I started. The amount of money being dumped into our local school board races caught my attention. What held my attention was the emergence of Voices 4 Delaware, a nebulous PAC, that, in essence, became the school board candidate. You couldn't turn around without being hit with one of their mailers or receiving another one of their phone calls. As I write this today, I can't even remember the names of most of the candidates they supported, but I remember them. And just like what happened in Los Angeles, big money lost in Delaware last year.

Economic Myths

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I talk to people. I listen to people a lot too. You may not know it from my blog persona, but I am very good at having grown up conversations. Recently, a surprising number of people I've spoken to have said that they think that the DJIA being high means that the economy is better. Some slightly more sophisticated people think that the DJIA being high means that economic improvement is right around the corner because these "flush with cash" companies will start building factories and hiring people. A few very sophisticated people know that "the Dow" isn't related to our economy much at all anymore. They know that the widespread mythology that the DJIA is related to the economy is a testament to the success that the investor class has had framing their goals and aspirations as the country's goals and aspirations. Who knows though, maybe if we all believe in the DJIA hard enough, if we light candles and kneel before our Jim Cramer (sp?) shrines, companies will put some money back in the system? Maybe the egg heads who are always looking for clear connections between "cause" and "effect" just need to shut up and enjoy a day at the dog track. Maybe it is time for a good old fashioned ghost dance? Sequester, schma-quester - Happy days are here again!!

Shockingly – Chávez passing mourned

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Maybe it isn't terribly surprising that a guy who fought against having his country's natural resources depleted in order to enrich some bloated American plutocrats isn't so popular in the good ole' U S of A. Elsewhere his passing is being mourned.

School Boards and the big picture

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What the Appo referendum brings home for me is the fact that the Republican Party never sleeps. They are very good at playing the long game. There are no small elections for them. Whenever a voting booth is set up, it is an opportunity to build up competencies, mailing lists, donor channels and candidates. If you doubt it, just look at how "Appo Truth" goes from being "all about the kids" and "we respect the teachers" to "Markell, Denn, Ennis, Hall-Long, and Walker must be defeated" in under 300 words. Beating Democrats is the north star, and a measly little referendum is acceptable collateral damage. When you have no policies that can connect with most voters, all you have left is hustle and they have it in spades. Between hustle and their willingness (eagerness?) to not be bound by the truth, the GOP is still a force to contend with here in Delaware and nationally. As Democrats, we only rally ourselves to match their hustle every four years. That doesn't cut it.

Yes, Jeb Bush is running for GOP nomination. No, he is not for the Presidency

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It is pretty clear to me J'bush, onetime "sane" Republican, is not running to be the President. On Monday he flipped and stated that he does not support a "pathway to citizenship" for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., a position other Republicans have taken, at this point, as a given. So what's the deal? J'bush knows that giving a path to legal permanent residency [AND THE VOTE] to 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country is a non-starter with the base, so he has cooked up this new thing.

Richard Forsten’s Response

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I have decided to take down my previous post "Delaware is a small state" about a conversation overheard in a local restaurant about alleged plans to hack DL. Our tipster took a picture of the alleged plotter, and since I had no idea who it was, I posted it here in order to identify the man and dissuade the alleged hackers from attacking the site. The gentleman was identified at Richard Forsten by our readers and by other sources. Mr. Forsten then commented on the post, offering a response and, to my mind, a reasonable explanation to the overheard conversation. I am posting that response below and offering our apology.

Blandly Watching Someone Die

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I heard about this story yesterday, but didn't listen to the 911 call until this morning.
March is only four days old, but this month’s “man’s inhumanity to man” award goes to Glenwood Gardens and the folks who work there. The senior living facility in Bakersfield, Calif., has a policy of calling 911 in emergencies and waiting with the afflicted until medical assistance arrives. But the lack of urgency — the seeming indifference of the personnel to the 87-year-old woman who collapsed in the dining room Feb. 26 — is stunning.

Making Shit Up, Dirty Tricks, Blatant Lies… All in a day’s work for today’s GOP

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totally not shocking...
An escort who appeared on a video claiming Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) paid her for sex has told Dominican Republic police that she was instead paid to make up the claims in a tape recording and has never met or seen the senator before, according to court documents and two people briefed on her claim. The woman identified a lawyer who approached her and a friend to make the videotape, according to affidavits obtained by the Post. That man has in turn identified another lawyer who gave him a script for the tape and paid him to find women to fabricate the claims, the affidavits say.

The Polling Report [3.4.13]

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We have compiled polling results over the last couple of weeks to show you how much better President Obama and Congressional Democrats are polling compared to their Republican counterpart. Meanwhile, we have new polls out in dozens of Senate and Gubernatorial races in 2013 and 2014.

Help Wanted – School Board Elections

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Given Jason's recent post it appears School Board races may heat up against this year. If this is true then we need to get moving! Every year I send out a list of questions to Red Clay school board candidates and post their answers. Here's my problem: Every school district has different concerns and I while I'm familiar with the challenges facing Red Clay, I have no idea what the Appo, Capital, Christina, Seaford, etc. District residents are looking for in a school board candidate. So... I need a few volunteers to contact candidates in their district and report back. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to do this. Actually, I'd really like to find a way where I'm not sending out tons of emails - because a quick look at the number of candidates running is quite daunting, and, contrary to popular belief, I don't get paid for this! ;-)