A lot to catch up on.
Since we can’t exhaust our main sheet with 80 inches of candidate forum coverage (it’s for the best, believe me), let me (briefly) recap here some of the other positions the 10 candidates took at this week’s Oconee Board of Commissioners forum.
Move the courthouse? Nope. Even Post 2 Commissioner Don Norris, who answered the question earlier this month by saying “it depends,” wouldn’t raise his hand Tuesday to say he wanted to move the county courthouse from Watkinsville.
Professional fire department? Nope. The county’s volunteer department ain’t broke, all the candidates said.
Commission districts? Nope. While at least half of the candidates (Sarah Bell, Johnny Pritchett, Mike Maxey, and incumbents Chuck Horton and Margaret Hale) are all for changing the county’s form of government and taking the chairman’s position down a peg or two, none of them said they’d support a move from at-large elections to having commissioners elected by district. A lot of counties made this change years ago because minority populations were being under-represented. Oconee doesn’t exactly have many minority populations to under-represent, though.
Beer and wine? Incumbents all stood by their votes in April on a controversial ordinance allowing beer and wine sales in county restaurants. Esther Porter was the only challenger who said she would have voted for the ordinance. Maxey said he thought the ordinance was a “mixed bag,” probably not in the county’s best interest, and then gave a convoluted line of reasoning about wanting to make sure the county spent its current revenue wisely before accepting a new revenue source (he meant alcohol license fees, I guess).
That other board? Moderator Tim Bryant said that in recent interviews candidates invariably told him the relationship between the county commission and the Oconee County Board of Education was “getting better.” He asked candidates what they meant and what they would do to improve the relationship. Horton, who spent 8 years on the school board, called the school system “the engine that’s driving the train” and suggested lowering the county’s charge to the school system for collecting property taxes. Maxey, too, said that communication between the two boards is key. Post 1 Commissioner Jim Luke said that at some point in recent history, the two boards had developed “a culture of not getting along very well” and suggested twice-annual joint meetings to hash out issues between them. Luke’s challenger, former Clarke County fire marshal and current Bishop Mayor Johnny Pritchett, said school board members need information about new residential rezones in the county, because new residential growth means more students. Chairman Melvin Davis suggested the two boards look at opportunities for sharing facilities and purchases.
Also on my mind Tuesday was the fact that The Oconee Enterprise has been lambasting the citizen groups who held a series of candidate forums earlier this month, implying that the groups planted people to ask questions that not only weren’t about the issues but amounted to an “ambush” of Davis, Norris and Luke.
The guys who hosted the forums -- Friends of Barber Creek President Lee Becker, preservationist advocate Russ Page, Citizens for Oconee’s Future President Charlie Baugh and Farmington fan Tony Glenn – have had their share of tussles with the county commission, and for the most part they seem to lean toward the candidates who aren’t somewhat tied to the development industry (Davis, Norris, Luke, Porter and Maxey, as tradition goes).
So, was the deck stacked against incumbents? Sure. But were the forums rigged? Not a chance.
Baugh, Becker and Becker's wife, Ann, asked questions at the forums, so there’s a possible issue there. Chuck Williams also pointed out to me, after the citizens Board of Education candidate forum that Baugh, the moderator for that forum, has an Ashley Hood sign in his yard. Williams threw that fact in as we were talking about the possible pitfalls of a completely open forum like these guys held. He said he was watching to see if Baugh was biased toward Hood in the way he directed questions. Williams said he didn't see anything, and neither did I. Lee Becker, confessing that he's another Hood supporter, took issue a couple days later with my description of Hood as a "self-described 'mother of five.’" But here’s the point: The forums weren’t presented as anything other than completely open, town hall-style question-and-answer sessions. Anyone could have asked questions, and the hosts felt that "anyone" included them.
There were loaded questions at the Chamber of Commerce-sponsored forums this week, too, and they swung both ways. Bryant started off with a question about the beer and wine ordinance and asked if it was just a stepping stone to get voters to approve liquor sales and thus (the horror!) bars in Oconee County. Then, there was a question aimed at Horton and Hale's votes against the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir, accusing them of sabotaging the Nursery industry.
I was at all the forums, except for the Chamber's Board of Education and State Senate session. I gotta say: The difference is all in the presentation. The chamber forums were pretty slick, with a professional moderator who asked good questions, while the citizen forums were cramped, hot and let folks ask candidates whatever was on their minds -- a method that often worked but also broke down at times, just like this crazy democratic country we call home.
- Adam Thompson's blog
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I have an Ashley Hood sign in my yard too
Except when the vandalism occurs repeatedly in the my subdivision. I have picked them up and put them back in the ground at least a half a dozen times. Ashley Hood has a long history of community involvement and activism at both the county and school level. She is a populist community activist and an involved leader with the experience necessary to work well on our Board of Education.
Chuck Williams is not exactly a paragon of virtue either. I would imagine he has his developer buddy signs in his yard
Dan Matthews
Politically-minded hooligans?
I guess Chuck's point was, how can these folks ask fair questions or moderate a fair forum when they're obviously (and openly in at least that one case) supporting some candidates over others? It's a decent point -- but then again, these guys are Oconee residents, just like the Chamber of Commerce folks and the business owners, and every single other voter who went to both forums and asked questions. They've got the same stake in things, so how is that unfair?
I also meant to commend the candidates who went to the citizen group forums because they had to know they could be facing some ax-grinders.
I guess "mother of five" is
I guess "mother of five" is good as any other qualification for office, although I suppose so many sprouts puts quite a strain on the school system's budget.
As far as the wine and beer vote, Oconee Co. certainly has more than the normal share of Taliban idiots, who think the sky will fall just because some restaurant happens to serve a beer with your pizza. I hope the holy-rollers get a grip and find some other causes to support.
I don't have an Ashley Hood sign in my yard...
In my view, Kim Argo is the best-qualified candidate for the Post 3 Board of Education seat. She brings experience as a longtime classroom teacher and administrator, plus she has served on county boards for years. She was my fifth grade teacher at the old Oconee County Intermediate School (now Colham Ferry Elementary) and I have many great memories of my time in her class.
Also, being a Republican, I want to vote for the candidate who is truly a Republican. I remember in fifth grade on Nov. 8, 1994 (the date of the Republican Revolution in Washington), a classmate asked, "Mrs. Argo, who did you vote for today?" She said, "I voted for the Republicans." I question Mrs. Hood's committment to the party and our principles.
Some will say partisan politics do not have a place in county elections, but as long as those elections are partisan, I'll continue to vote for who I believe will best represent the true conservative Republican principles that I hold dear.
By the way, Chuck Williams is a banker, not a developer.
Another Hood Supporting Mom
I am surprised at all of the interest in this election. When did being a mom become a bad thing? I strongly believe that having children in the system is an asset to the school board. Ashley Hood will have a vested interest in the success of Oconee County BOE. I wonder about a conflict of interest with a principal from another county being on our school board. If she likes Oconee County so much, why did she leave us?
In addition, I find it totally inappropriate for a teacher to announce how she voted. She is supposed to teach--not sway or unduly influence the minds of children. My father has been a professor for years and has always prided himself on his uncany ability to remain impartial.
Finally, food for thought. . . we moms of numerous kids are good at lots of things other than having unprotected sex. Stop insulting our intelligence and ambitions. I bet I can outbudget anybody who works for Oconee County and my time management/multitasking is to die for.
Becky a proud self described mother of four
acting party secretaries should remain impartial, Jay
Sorry Jay, gotta call you out on this one. First of all you violated Ronald Reagan's XIth commandment "Thou shall not speak poorly of other Republicans." Second of all you have trumpeted your supposed impartiality here and elsewhere, although I am certainly happy to give you a mulligan on the State Senate District 46 primary nomination between your boy Cowsert and another Oconee resident in Tommy Malcom. Third as an elected member of the local Republican party machine in Oconee, you know you are supposed to not take sides on any contested primary election. I think partisan politics are needed to determine the character and company of many of those, and those that rise above the greed and corruption of bankers, developers, pavers, graders, insurance agents and real estate speculators. I think builders may be the least guilty of all the developer chain for the economic woes in Oconee. I love Georgia and how people can cross over and vote for the other party, much like your preferred candidate Argo has done on a recent occasion. I thought the Republican party was a supposed to be unfurled under a big umbrella, but apparently it has a sign on the door saying "Your kind ain't welcome here" if you do not pass the Jay Hanley litmus test.
Dan Matthews
Forum not an ambush
Thanks Adam for the comments.
As one of the organizers of the forums held on June 2nd and 4th, I thought I'd add my two cents on a couple of the issues discussed here. First, when I stepped forward to help with the forums, I put my reputation and integrity on the line. I treat everyone with respect, whether I agree with their policies or not. The two forums we organized were NOT designed to ambush certain candidates. They were "forums" by their very nature and definition; they were opportunities for citizens to ask their questions in a public arena without any screening or excessive moderation. I agree there were some individuals who asked questions or made statements that were too direct and not appropriate for the venue, but these were not staged or planted. The rabid, unfounded accusations from the Oconee Enterprise clearly had their own agenda. The personal attack on Russ Page made that all too clear.
Incidentally, one of the candidates that was supposedly attacked on June 2nd approached me at the end of the forum and stated how much he appreciated the open and frank discussion. He stated that while he was initially reluctant to participate, he was glad that he did, and he furthermore stated that he would like to see such town hall type forums held more often. For me, that was the ultimate measure of our success that evening.
As for concerns over yard signs, I made it a point not to display any support for any candidate until after the respective forums were complete. I likewise did not attend any campaign-related meetings with candidates. It was important to me to remain publicly neutral until after the forums.
Lastly, the issue of local partisan elections is one I'd like to see discussed in greater detail. Can anyone tell me what "Republican principles" actually relate to local issues? For that matter, what Democratic principles relate to local issues? Please don't cite fiscal policy. Fiscal conservatism is a thing of the past, especially at the federal level. For local issues, we all want our government to do more with the resources that they have. None of us likes paying more in taxes. That is a universal non-partisan principle. So beyond that, please tell me what defines a Republican or a Democrat when it comes to county politics? It is clear that partisan affiliation only has value with regard to state and federal policy. I firmly believe non-partisan local elections benefit the general population and the overall principle of representation. It was a bitter battle to convert Athens to a non-partisan system, but I think it has worked quite well. I think it's time to contemplate such a model in Oconee County.
Tony Glenn
Ashley Hood
Adam,
My comment to you about Ashley Hood was more complex than you suggested. You described each of the candidates and gave their occupations. In the case of Ashley, you used the phrase "self-described 'mother of five'" as the sole descriptor. She is a mother of five, and she told you what she will do if elected to the board. I objected to the "self-described" part and suggested you should have said what she wants to do on the board.
This blog summarizes the issues regarding the forms quite nicely. I want to add the following observation. Charlie Baugh shares his house with his wife. She could be the one who put up the sign. In the end, however, what matters is whether Charlie was fair as a moderator. I think he was, and it seems you do as well.
You also should congratulate the candidates who showed up at the Chamber forums even when they knew the Chamber was not supportive of them.
Lee
Lee