Submitted by Paul Nimmo.
Growing up, the term “A-I” (ay + eye) was an acronym for “Alternatives for Individuals” This was a school in the Clover Park School District that continued the education for those that could not attend in what would be called a traditional school environment.
Later, as I entered the fun world of Veterinary Medicine, “A-I” was the term for “Artificial Insemination.” My employer, Dr. Jones, was responsible for the start and continuation of the Red Wolf project at Pt. Defiance/NW Trek. We used this term a lot.
In the computer and science world, the term “A-I” stands for “artificial intelligence.” There are many science fiction movies dedicated to what can go wrong with “Artificial Intelligence.”
For the 2021 elections, I have produced another use for the term “A-I”. For me, it stands for “Against Incumbents.”
For the City Council positions, it is hard for me to support incumbents that are happy with the status quo. We simply will not have true representation in Lakewood until we district the Council Positions. The Clover Park School District’s Board of Directors represent specific districts, why can’t the city do the same?
Lack of artificial intelligence (or lack of any intelligence) had me shaking my head when the Council filled a vacant Council seat. The position was filled by a professional government employee who had resided in Lakewood for a whopping 2 years. Yep, certainly a good voice for Lakewood citizens. I wonder if they had to provide that person with a map to find City Hall?
I continue my “Against Incumbents” theme with the Clover Park School District. Marty Schafer was first appointed to the Board in 2005. 16 years is quite a lot. While graduation rates have somewhat increased (thank goodness for Harrison Prep and Lakes), the top is sometimes a wonderful place to institute change.
The second incumbent still has me very concerned. Not only do I believe this person is riding the coat tails of their father, but I still have trouble with a Board Member of a Public School District that attended private school. With a school district that has an extreme poverty rating, having a meeting at Villa Madera also calls into question the desire to represent all children of the district.
Yes, these are opinions of mine. Those that support these candidates will not be swayed. Those that support their challengers will not be swayed. It is the 20% of the undecideds that will make the difference. So please vote. For me, it is vote “A-I.”
I agree. The CPSD incumbents have had time to make necessary changes and have failed to do so.
Bring in the new.
1. Who did you want for that Council position?
2. Do you measure intelligence by how many years a person lives in a city? In that case, I’m a genius and you are waaaaaaaaaay less intelligent.
3. Do you believe government employees are not full citizens of the city in which they live? Are you prejudiced against anyone who works for the government? Are they less than others?
4. If I gave you a map, could you find your way back to being less insulting to others? You didn’t need to insult the council member.
5. Tell me: if you needed brain surgery and were given a choice, do you want the doctor with proven experience or the one with zero? Change means nothing if the quality of the replacement isn’t competent.
6. Do you even know Alyssa Pearson and her qualifications? “Riding the coat tails of her father?” Have you watched any of the candidate debates? She runs circles around Jeff Brown. Do you make it a practice to routinely demean the competency of women?
7. Let me get this straight: You chose to send your child to Harrison Prep, brag about how it is better than all the other schools and now fault other parents for sending their child to a school they thought was better for what she needed? Good grief!
8. Do you understand that people with a lot of money are funding David Anderson and Jeff Brown? Take a look at their donor lists! Why are you obsessed with one candidate who happens to be a woman? She does not deserve this.
9. You may be a nice man, but these personal comments are so unnecessary..
How about changing your A-I to Against Insults. It’s a win/win!
I’m part of that 20% that is undecided, but I do agree with some of your points. However, ‘d like to point out a couple of things from my perspective. First, I think the school board president is chosen by the board itself. So if the president is not re-elected, there will indeed be change at the top but it might not be the president’s opponent. Likely an existing member will get the position. Second, much has been made about another incumbent riding the coat tales of her father. Because their last name is fairly common, I had no clue of the relationship until it was repeatedly pointed out by her opponent’s supporters. It’s not really coat-tail riding if the relationship isn’t readily apparent to the average voter.
I believe both the incumbents and the challengers all mean well and want only the best for the schools and students, and in most cases I prefer to see new people replace the long-serving. But I have to say the negative tone and at times verbal spittle mostly of the challengers and those that have risen to their offense have introduced a truly worrisome mean-spirited us-and-them environment. In some ways I miss the days when people with something to say had to expend real effort to broadcast their opinions. If those with so much to say and repeat are the adults in the room then the children are in trouble, and I can only hope mutual respect and a more civil behavior are evident among the Board after the election.
You can call it “coat tails” when Pearson prominently displays her maiden name “Anderson” in the largest font on all her campaign signs and literature. That’s not a very subtle endorsement. He father, Don Anderson just happens to be Mayor of Lakewood and has used that position of power to “persuade” others to vote for his daughter to the chagrin of some who’ve had their arms twisted. He is also the author of a diatribe published in the Suburban Times, 7/25/2021 wherein he calls this author and a current Board member, Paul Wagemann “………..misogynistic septuagenarian retired majors who’s careers peaked 40 years ago…..” How’s that a good reason to vote for Pearson?
https://thesubtimes.com/2021/07/25/letter-school-board-race-disinformation/comment-page-1/
Change from the top in any organization often requires change at the top. In Lakewood the position of Board President or City Mayor is elected by the Board or Council itself. In some municipalities (I think UP for instance) the position of Mayor is rotated among council members so everyone has that learning opportunity: not here in either Board or Council.
Those so elected are supposed to be “first among equals” and essentially parliamentarians for meetings. Too often the power of the position has grown to that of a gate keeper in and out of the organization, more like the position of Speaker of the House, to control the Board and dictate the agenda. By the way: how long has Don Anderson been on the Council and Mayor? Remember that in two years when he comes up for re-election.