From Blogger to BOE Candidate -- just passing it on as I see/saw it!
I have personally participated in 3 separate candidate’s forums over the past week (literally in a single weekend) and given the lack of “coverage”/“blogger buzz" -- please allow me to share with you what transpired.
Here’s how things panned out:
Our 1st Forum was at Harvest Radio 1070 AM where 6 out of the 14 candidates showed up to participate. Just to keep this simple --- 4 of them were my running mates and I.
Our 2nd Forum was at Cresent Avenue Church sponsored by SEIU Local 32bj - (7 showed Up -- 4 were my teammates and I). According to the single-only gentlemen who spoke with us this was their first foray into BOE elections. There was no panel, no note taking, no “real” dialog -- just my team answering some questions that we had already replied to in writing and faxed in to their office prior to the forum. The two independents and ¼ of a slate were present but the interesting thing was that an entire team (for which one member is also a member of the Union who hosted this event) had been notified and interviewed a week prior to any other candidates being invited. Interesting stuff -- Huh?
And our 3rd forum was sponsored by the Plainfield Chapter of the NAACP for which 9 of 14 were present -- 1 full slate (mine); ¾ of a slate (with a valid reason and a note of introduction and apology), ¼ of a slate (with no note of introduction/apology) 1 independent and another independent absent (with a letter of introduction and apology).
If I had one thing to ask of all future planned forum hosts/hostesses -- it would be to PLEASE allow us to have a genuine debate on the issues and the various positions of incumbents and candidates with regard to the current state of the educational system in this city.
There has not been an opportunity for candidates to actually speak to or about one another, or to inquire about each others reasoning for certain decisions. What are we afraid of in terms of allowing this level of conversation to take place? How else will the general public really know and be able to vet out the best candidates for the position?
Can We Talk???!!!
Progress With Purpose!
11 years ago
6 comments:
Wow! Three forums in a weekend? The only one I learned about was yesterday's NAACP, and only because I received a letter Saturday, that is why I said in today's blog: How are timely news in this city going around? We have to do better than what has been done so far, but this has has to be a community effort, not just one or two people.
Then again, you and your team should also take any informal forum as a way to get to know more people in the community. Read Obama's book where he says that he many times arrived to an empty forum! As for debates, I don't recall any debates, basically all is a Q&A.
Good luck!
Maria -- the Radio piece was via one of my running mates -- I did not receive any direct communication about that...
The Union forum was mailed on Monday; we had to turn in a questionaire by Wednesday (3 pages) and then appear Saturday morning...
The NAACP -- I learned about again through my teammate and then I received an invitation on Friday for a Sunday program.
DEFINITELY AGREE we need to do better! And -- I too agree with Obama's edicts -- that no matter how BIG or SMALL the venue -- the opportunity to speak to the community CAN NOT be taken for granted, ergo why ALL of my RUNNING MATES made the events.
With regards to a DEBATE: Having conducted a candidates forum last year -- I too MISSED the opportunity to allow candidates to have "RELEVANT" debate and thus afford the community with a "TRUE" picture of those running for office. I think had we done that we would have a different take on the people we elected to office this last go'round.
I think it is a GREAT disservice to the community to continue to override this type of forum for a Q&A session.
We are all intelligent, mature adults and a little debate should only invigorate the community and engage the candidates.
Some of the current candidates are just too comfortable regurgitating 100 year old stories and falsehoods instead of offering real world viable solutions!
Maybe PEP can do one that does allow for debate. After a while with so many people having to answer the same question, everyone sounds the same and says almost the same...even if they don't believe it. Too many times you hear folks say it is about the kids and then they get on the board and just say yes to everything....oh and let us not forget....my family's been in Plainfield since 1908.
Maybe the people running these forums should send out press releases and put flyers at the library. I read the papers and some of the local blogs and none of them were mentioned. The Plainfield chapter of the NAACP is notorious for not publicizing their events and then holding them at inopportune times. Not that the bloggers are a real news source, though. Damon publicizes pretty much everything that is sent to him, I know that is the only way I have ever found out about NAACP stuff. Maybe the leadership there didn't send anything. The Courier will certainly print press releases if they receive them in a timely fashion. I didn't hear about any of these events, and I stay pretty current.
Please name the names of those candidates who attended each event as well as those who did not attend.
I'd be willing to bet that members of a particular slate ignored these events--just as they have ignored the needs of the students and the schools until election season.
Of course you can prove me wrong!
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