Report From The Front

Monday I opened the editorial page of the Dayton Daily News to a big article in which the editors recommended that of the five candidates for the school board, Kettering voters should choose the three current board members seeking reelection -- the “best picks.” I write about it here and about the letter to the editor I wrote this morning.

This You-tube is from the League of Women Voters’ program that will air about ten times on the local cable. Each of the five candidates answered the same questions. In this edit, I just show my responses. I was thoroughly depressed after the taping because I was sure I did horribly. During the taping, at one point I remember meandering down some corridor wondering where in the world I could ever find a conclusion. I felt better after I eventually saw the video and my stammerings and partial thoughts did not stand out as much as I had feared.

My best answer, I think, was the third question, “what project would you like to work on, if elected?” I announced my “little book,” -- “Kettering Public Education In 2022.” The shortest Lulu book allowed, in the style of my first book, is 32 pages. I intend on recycling some of my articles from the first book, but I still need about 16 pages of new material. I show an initial outline here. I am pressing to finish the project by Saturday. I will offer a free e-book but ask for a donation as a fund raiser.

Part of the theme I am attempting to develop in the campaign is the importance of transparency, so, in this video, I decided to talk about issues the other candidates avoided -- the need for a new tax next year, the teachers' raise, etc. Staying quiet is usually considered the smart choice -- I am more likely to be punished for this strategy than rewarded.

Somehow the sound and video are not in synch. The new iMovie has the tools to make the correction -- but I don’t think I’ll take the time to try to redo the whole thing.



The DDN editorial didn’t help me. Had this taping occured after the editorial, I would have responded. Of course, it is a mystery how the public makes its electoral decisions. I’m preparing my ego for the possibility that I could come in dead last. We have two community meetings -- with all five candidates -- between now and the election -- both at churches. Both of these two meeting I arranged with the churches and arranged for Kiwanis to sponsor one evening and the League of Women Voters the other.

I hope to make it to Rome after the election, I’m thinking before Thanksgiving, if we can find a good week-end.