We are SOOOO BAD!

[momof3]

gatormom said:

I have to give him credit. He called me and probably regrets not viewing the site first but in the end, he did cut and paste the parts about this blog from two other reporters.

Here is a problem I have with that article. The byline reads John Zimmerman. Back when I was in school, "cutting and pasting" others' work and then putting your name on it was called cheating or plagiarism. Is this common practice in the newspaper industry...? To 'cut and paste' others' work and not give them credit?

[movingforward]

gatormom said:

I am glad that CV found the editorial by John Zimmerman to be excellent and the attention the Herald gave to this issue appropriate.

I wrote to John Zimmerman this week regarding that editorial and he called me yesterday to follow up. We spoke for quite a while. He told me that no, he had not viewed this site before writing that editorial. It seems his experiences in blogging were with some pretty out of control blog sites.

I have to give him credit. He called me and probably regrets not viewing the site first but in the end, he did cut and paste the parts about this blog from two other reporters. While he felt he was able to justify his stand, I had to disagree with him on several points. That is called a discussion.

Are you saying that he (Zimmerman) wrote his editorial, which included comments about this board, without having ever looked at this board? That doesn't seem right.

Before rendering an opinion on this site he should have spent at least an hour going through posts here to get a general flavor .

This site is generally very respectful and moderated quite well IMO.

As far as CV goes, anyone who followed the dialogue of this site for the few weeks prior to the election would know that a comment ON the night of the election stating, "You're next" was NOT a threat. I feel very strongly that CV follows this board and knew that. That is MY opinion.

Also, a question for 'PINK', Can you ask CV if she has ever posted to this board?

That would be the real double standard.

[gatordog]

pink said:

CV quote from pink's post:
...
While we are all certainly entitled to our opinion, in my mind it becomes an entirely different matter when negative communications are written to insight hatred, hostility and fear mongering against those intended for the purpose to promote particular political agendas and desired outcomes. One example which comes to mind is a recent pre-election email authored by an ex-school board member chock full of negative spin-doctor with the bottom line basically inferred that I and others have agendas that will “hurt our kids and the district”. As you know, this has never been nor will ever be my intention nor do I know anyone with these intentions in mind!

Arch, I am confused also here. To understand what CV means by "hatred, hostility and fear mongering", I went and looked for what she cited as an example. Here is an email I found, this must be the one she is referring to :


Dear friends,We have an extremely important election facing the District 204 community. I am writing to encourage you to take the time to vote on April 17th. We have 3 excellent incumbents running for the District 204 school board. These are people of integrity who have our district on a path to being one of the best school districts in the state of Illinois. As some of you know I served on the District 204 board for 8 years and I know the kind of individual it takes to make the best decision for all the children in the community with no parochial interests or agendas. Mark Metzger, Curt Bradshaw and Alka Tyle have proven to me that they are the right people to continue leading our district forward.

Mark Metzger's website Home

Bradshaw for 204

Alka Tyle - Home


As I watched one of the candidate forums it became very clear to me that some of the challengers come to this race with agendas including but not limited to:

*Wanting to put a stop to the building of the new high school - which would be seriously detrimental to the education of our children and could have a very negative impact on property values.

*Wanting to change the site of the new high school - I suspect there is a developer who is behind this agenda.

*There are candidates that are supported by a group that has been in major opposition and worked to undermine the district since 2001

*There are Tall Grass residents who want to reopen the boundary issue so that their children can attend Neuqua Valley - I think it would be very detrimental to the district for our community to have to go through that process again especially given the fact that the board looked at all sides of the issue and listened to the community before making their decision.

We have two wonderful high schools and will have a third. As a parent of children who attended both Neuqua and Waubonsie I can vouch for the fact that one is not better than the other and as a community it is time to put this perception to rest and not allow developers or an individual subdivision to put a wedge between our community members.

It also became clear to me that the challengers truly do not understand the way the district currently operates and if they really understood they would not be making the comments that I heard at the forum. I am very concerned about agendas that will hurt our kids and the district.

I would be very happy to answer any questions you may have about the candidates. Please send this to any of your friends and neighbors who would be interested in the future of District 204.

These incumbents are good and decent people who care about all the children. I believe they have earned our continued trust and support.

I respectfully ask you to vote! Mark Metzger, Alka Tyle, and Curt Bradshaw

Sincerely,
Kathi Baldwin



To me, this is politics. This is issue-driven. This is campaigning, hard-nosed campaigning, but campaigning nonetheless. All of us can read for ourselves and think if this example email crosses the threshold of becoming "hatred". I think to draw such a conclusion is very much an over-reaction. And I cannot understand how is this "inferred" to be about CV in any way??

Lets not frivolously paint discussion of issues, even when we may take strong stands one way or another, as "hate" or "hostility".

[wvhsparent]

pink.
where did you get this communication from CV?

[gatordog]

Is this the ex school board member letter that CV characterizes as "hatred, hostility, and fear mongering".? I am trying to understand where her concern lies...

Clear choices for Dist. 204 board

During my 21 years on the Indian Prairie District 204 Board of Education (1980-2001), I learned that the very best school board members are those people who make decisions based on what is in the best interest of all the students, regardless of what neighborhood they live in or the school(s) their kids attend.

It is fortunate that we have three such people — Curt Bradshaw, Mark C. Metzger and Alka Tyle — who currently are seeking re-election to the District 204 board.

Relying upon their knowledge and experience, Bradshaw, Metzger and Tyle have been able to make positive contributions and many difficult decisions because they have not had an ax to grind or a special interest/issue that motivates them.

That, of course, does not mean that all of those decisions, e.g., high school boundaries, have been popular or made everyone happy because such no-win, unbiased decisions seldom do. Nevertheless, I am grateful to and offer my unqualified support to these three incumbents because of those difficult, but unbiased decisions and because of the many hours I know they have devoted to studying and agonizing over the issues.

Despite many angry phone calls, and often-misunderstood motives, they are enthusiastically coming back for more. Why? Because they really do care about the quality of education District 204 provides all of our students.

Please join me in voting for the re-election of Curt Bradshaw, Mark C. Metzger and Alka Tyle on Tuesday.

They are the highest qualified candidates and they have earned our support.

Owen Wavrinek

Naperville

[doctorwho]

gatordog said:

Is this the ex school board member letter that CV characterizes as "hatred, hostility, and fear mongering".? I am trying to understand where her concern lies...

Clear choices for Dist. 204 board

During my 21 years on the Indian Prairie District 204 Board of Education (1980-2001), I learned that the very best school board members are those people who make decisions based on what is in the best interest of all the students, regardless of what neighborhood they live in or the school(s) their kids attend.

It is fortunate that we have three such people — Curt Bradshaw, Mark C. Metzger and Alka Tyle — who currently are seeking re-election to the District 204 board.

Relying upon their knowledge and experience, Bradshaw, Metzger and Tyle have been able to make positive contributions and many difficult decisions because they have not had an ax to grind or a special interest/issue that motivates them.

That, of course, does not mean that all of those decisions, e.g., high school boundaries, have been popular or made everyone happy because such no-win, unbiased decisions seldom do. Nevertheless, I am grateful to and offer my unqualified support to these three incumbents because of those difficult, but unbiased decisions and because of the many hours I know they have devoted to studying and agonizing over the issues.

Despite many angry phone calls, and often-misunderstood motives, they are enthusiastically coming back for more. Why? Because they really do care about the quality of education District 204 provides all of our students.

Please join me in voting for the re-election of Curt Bradshaw, Mark C. Metzger and Alka Tyle on Tuesday.

They are the highest qualified candidates and they have earned our support.

Owen Wavrinek

Naperville

Does seem like an overcharacterization based on this doesn't it ? And after 21 years of service he is not allowed his opinion either ? It seems like only one opinion is allowed - that seems wrong to me. This is the only statement I have ever seen from Owen. If I was Owen I would be very upset.

[gatordog]

CV has literally, literally because her paragraph is smack in the middle of her discussion of the email incident, linked an email that she perceived as a threat and reported to the police, to an email for election campaigning by a previous SB member. She calls it an "example".

That is outrageous

[wvhsparent]

Which is also why I am confident nothing will come of it.

[Arch]

To me, this sounds like a nasty business temper tantrum tactic.

It goes a little something like this:

When you can't win in the marketplace based on your own merits and strong points, call in the lawyers and try to sue your competition just to see what can stick to the wall.

...such a great example... for the children.

[bob]

Then:

District 204 board member Christine Vickers, who was not on the ballot, filed a police report after receiving what she called an “e-mail threat” that arrived in the early morning hours after Election Day and in the wake of the shootings at Virginia Tech.
“In the subject line it said, ‘Good Night Christine,’ and then in the body all it said was: ‘You’re next,’æ” she said. “I e-mailed this person back and told him I knew who he was and I didn’t understand his message, but I take it as a threat.”

Now:

On the eve of Election Day shortly after midnight, I received what appeared to be a threatening email authored by an individual under the guise of a cartoon caricature. In fact, this same person has been heavily involved in spreading libelous information about me and others. I believe the intent and purpose of these actions is to harm the reputation and character of those intended. This same person has been a moderator and administrator of an allegedly “unbiased” political web blog. Additionally, I have been privy to information which confirms that this same individual utilized similar tactics to taunt and intimate other non-incumbent candidates as well as various personal acquaintances of mine. (To those friends this occurred to: My sincere apologizes for this inappropriate behavior!)

Anyone notice a change in the story?

[Arch]

when the email was supposedly received....

... the timeline is different.

[gatordog]

wvhsparent said:

Which is also why I am confident nothing will come of it.

Parent, here is what I think should come out of all this:

The emailer to CV should sincerely apologize to her. I hope CV finds it in her heart to accept the apology.

CV should apologize to Kathi Baldwin and (or?) Owen Wavrinek for linking them with this incident. I hope they too find it in their hearts to accept the apology.

Then we all together move on with 204 business.

[doctorwho]

gatordog said:

wvhsparent said:

Which is also why I am confident nothing will come of it.

Parent, here is what I think should come out of all this:

The emailer to CV should sincerely apologize to her. I hope CV finds it in her heart to accept the apology.

CV should apologize to Kathi Baldwin and (or?) Owen Wavrinek for linking them with this incident. I hope they too find it in their hearts to accept the apology.

Then we all together move on with 204 business.

Conciliatory would not be a term I could see applied to the note:

Also Pink or whoever else wants to address -- can you tell me how an e-mail like you posted here - to a limited audience of obviously like minded people - with one person's opinions only - is different than exactly what this site is accused of being in the note ?

Why doesn't everyone in 204 get this note ? At least everyone in 204 has access to this site.

[Arch]

Doc... now that it's posted here, every person in the district and beyond can read it. Voila!

While they're here, they can also read the postings to see just how big and bad the board really is, and arrive at their own conclusions.

[warriorpride]

wvhsparent said:

pink.
where did you get this communication from CV?

Pink seems to be on the CV friends email list, as they posted another CV email on this board, prior to the election: ipsd204.proboards76.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=2007sbe&thread=1174613706&page=5 (scroll down a little)