Hallelujah! The Elections Are Over

It seems like every election is worse than the last. Every election we see politics sink to a new low.  Every year we see candidates elected not on their records but on how well they have attacked their opponent.

There is nothing wrong with stating my opponent supported this bill or my opponent introduced this legislation. What is wrong is linking your opponent with Satan when there isn’t a documented connection.  If you can prove a connection then it is fine.

This is what our founding fathers feared when they set up the Electoral College.  They were attempting to remove ignorance and emotion from the process.

Facebook and social media have helped America reach this new low.  The claims and accusations made were irresponsible. Some of these candidates won and some lost.

America, Virginia and our counties will survive.  Our process remains the best in the world. But it would be nice to see a little dignity.

Charlotte County School Board Elections

Tuesday’s election overturned the status quo on the Charlotte County School Board. For the past two years there have been two factions on the board. Both factions typically voted as a block. Reading the minutes shows Jon Paul Berkley, Jay George and Gloria Talbott usually voting together.  Henry (Buzzy) Carwile, Larry Fannon, Bill Devin and Kenny Redmond typically vote in a block.

In spite of this divide, Charlotte County has one of the best school systems in the Region. Out of 12 counties in the Region, Charlotte is tied for second place or is in third place depending on how you evaluate the numbers.

In the election Teresa Dunaway replaced Bill Devin who had resigned in the Red Oak/Wylliesburg District. Bobby Johnson will replace Kenny Redmond in Phenix/Aspen.  Jay George retained his seat in the Keysville District.

We can only hope this new board will work together in the best interest of the schools and the county.  If one believes social media some of these members have an agenda. The only acceptable agenda is improving the school system at a cost the county can afford.

Everyone should remember that Charlotte has the number two or three system in the Region.  Drastic changes are uncalled for.

Certainly there is room for improvement and some changes need to be made but all seven members should proceed with caution. As several Roman Emperors’ mottos stated, “Make haste slowly.”

No change should ever be made without a plan of action. An example is the removal of Coach J. R. Allen as baseball coach.  According to some board members that issue had been in process for some time.  Good planning would have required a replacement in the wings BEFORE making that decision instead of scrambling for a replacement at the last minute.

One change that needs to be made is the locations of the board meetings. While there can be an argument for rotating the meetings for accessibility by the citizens, if the citizens cannot hear, nothing is accomplished.  More importantly there are no recorded minutes of the meetings.  Citizens who cannot attend a meeting cannot access the recording.  Statements cannot be verified. The record is vague.    

Charlotte County has a School Board office and the Administrator’s office both of which were built for meetings. The supervisors meeting room is already set up for recording. It would be easy and inexpensive to add recording equipment at the School Board Office.

There is no valid reason to avoid recording the meetings. Without recordings it appears the board is attempting to hide something.  This is an easy fix. It costs nothing, makes the process transparent and meets the community needs.

Not only are our children our county’s greatest asset, the Charlotte County School System is the largest employer in the county.  We must protect those assets.