If the immortal Mick Jagger had been lyricizing about our school board primary election, he could have written "You can't always get what you want...but you just might find you get what you deserve".
Three factors led to the success of the Reformers, and the ouster of past president Phil Abramson: accountability, accountability, accountability. Public outrage over taxes, spending, board secrecy, Integrated Math, and fixation on PSSA scores was obvious. Abramson was replaced by Kathy Mosley, who questioned many of the district's policies. Reformer George Dager swamped retiring board member Robert Leight's hand-picked candidate, Vic Stevens. Stevens, who lost his bid for Richland supervisor in 2005 after using a deceptive web site, was at it again this year:
His campaign literature, designed to blame school spending on the folks in Richland who had defeated him, stated "In ten years the student body has increased by 4277 and 505 new students are expected for 2008". According to the district's official statistics, there were 5002 students in 1997, and 5505 this year, an increase of 503 in 10 years. They project an increase of 68 next year. Perhaps Stevens was using Integrated Math. And who was handing out this misinformation at the polls? Dr. Robert Leight. These flim-flammers got what they deserved.
Region Two is the only race that was not decided by the primary. Dean Wackerman was a landslide winner among both Republicans and Democrats, guaranteeing the tax-control group another seat. The remaining contest will be between Reformer Lou-Ellen Renshaw, and incumbent Linda Martin. Renshaw was an easy winner with R's, and just two votes behind Martin among D's.
The new board shapes up as an excellent balance of incumbents, Reformers, and an "independent". The voters are being rewarded with what they deserve, and certainly what they need.
But the candidate most deserving of her fate is June Hunt. Her last-minute pre-election deception, publicizing an 11-week old email totally out of context, has to rank among the dirtiest tricks ever seen in area politics. Not just because of the timing, but because her accusations were completely contradicted by the other emails she sent and received on the subject.
Hunt, a political newcomer, had no visible campaign until one week before the primary, when she sent a press release to area newspapers attaching an edited version of an email exchange from February - eleven weeks prior - involving Richland supervisor Rick Orloff. It discussed the possibility of her joining the Reformers. Hunt's selected portion seemed to imply that she need not think for herself, but merely vote along with director Paul Stepanoff, who has been fighting for lower spending and taxes.
That email was deceptively pulled from a much longer exchange Hunt had with several people, and also omitted the context of Orloff's statement, which addressed Hunt's concern about not having time to follow all of the issues. If Hunt truly felt offended, compromised, or potentially tainted by the emails, why did she wait almost three months - until a week before the election - to go public? She piously portrayed herself as someone doing a public service, informing The Intelligencer "I'm not telling voters what conclusion to come to, but ... I'll be able to sleep at night". And she confided to the Morning Call "I felt like I was sitting on a smoking gun". Yes, indeed, there was a smoking gun - but it turned out to be in her own hand:
Hunt's other emails reveal that the Reformers repeatedly urged her to think independently. Renshaw wrote to her on February 21: "I want to assure you that those of us running for school board do have our own minds and are not going to be yes men for anyone else on the board. We might not necessarily agree with each other - and that's okay - we will each vote what we each think is best".
Stepanoff himself reinforced that message on February 23: "The platform is NOT we all vote as Paul no matter what! Once elected to the school board there is NO obligation to always vote one way! There must be independence or there would be no reason to have a nine-member board ." Hunt never released those emails to the press.
On March 1, Hunt sent the Reformers an endorsement statement to read at the press conference when they announced their group: "Although I chose not to join the Reform platform, I am in agreement with the long term goals of fiscal responsibility and producing a high quality education ". Again, Hunt omitted this from her press release.
Finally, on March 3, Hunt thanked the group through Renshaw: "Lou-Ellen - Thank you for your words. You and (board member) Manuel (Alfonso) have been so supportive and helpful to me every step of the way. I am honored and grateful for this. So, when he asked me for a (endorsement) statement, I felt it was my turn to give back. Yes, we do agree on many points and I, too, will not shy away from that. After all it's the truth. Again, thank you! Here's to you and me! June".
Not surprisingly, Hunt didn't include this in her public accusations either. Talk about sitting on a smoking gun! Her deceptive derriere was on an entire arsenal! I don't know what was in that smoke, but maybe we need to ask her the "Clinton Question" about inhaling. In the end, voters gave her exactly what she deserved: dead last among the 11 candidates.
As for Orloff's participation, there was nothing remotely improper about it. In fact, it was his elected duty to advocate for Richland residents by finding, and supporting, candidates who would work to control school taxes and spending. Haycock supervisor Henry DePue, and Richlandtown councilman John Norvaisas, also aided the Reformers. Quakertown councilman Dave Zaiser assisted the campaign of Kathy Mosley. Leight recruited Stevens.
All of those folks (except Leight) had the same agenda - to save their constituents' tax dollars. That should be Job #1 for any elected official. It's what we all deserve.