Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The proverbial cart before the horse....
Just a thought.... Before you decide to go ahead and make judgements about people, it would be a wise and prudent idea to actually speak with that person - or *gasp* MEET them - before you make your decision on who they are and what they support. It is incredibly easy to get in front of a computer and sermonize into cyber space, but until you actually speak to that person, you are merely spreading your thoughts, not facts.
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I apologize if my comment on Jessica's blog sounded like a swipe at you, which it was not meant to be. I hope you will at least agree that it is better that I am actually willing to stand behind what I say, rather than attacking people anonymously as many people have done lately.
ReplyDeleteMy point was that after reading all three candidate statements and observing the job that Susan Manning and Peter Sobol have done, that they are doing such a good job that I wasn't sure how you would be possibly be much better than they already are. I don't think it's unreasonable to make a preliminary decision about whom to vote for after reading all candidates' written statements about their backgrounds and why they are running. A lot of people don't even do that.
In fact, I said that you appeared to be a very well-qualified candidate, and I tried to imply that I would be inclined to support you once one of the current incumbents steps down. If I could vote for all three of you I would! But I can't. Unlike our Village Board (just to name one example), I am very pleased that all seven of the current MG School Board members are people that I voted for. I intend to continue to support all of them until either one of them does something that I find objectionable, or until a challenger steps up that is so outstanding that it would be a detriment to the district if they were not given a chance to serve on the board.
And yes, I am very concerned about the symbolic message that would be sent to Monona if you were to win. In my original comment, I was trying to say that I care about both Monona and Cottage Grove enough that I am willing to vote for "their" candidate (and Peter Sobol) if that is what will help Monona have more trust in the MG School Board. I trust Susan Manning to vote with the interests of the whole district in mind, and so does Monona.
Even though I do trust that you, likewise, would not be just a vote for Cottage Grove, and that you would do what is best for the entire district, I believe that many people from Monona would interpret your victory as a signal that Cottage Grove does not care about Monona. Sometimes perceptions are just as important as reality. I believe this is one of those times.
I have lived in Cottage Grove since 1996, when I was 10. I am concerned that in both the Monona vs. Cottage Grove squabbles, and the actions of the Village Board over the past year, that we are starting to get away from the values and priorities that made Cottage Grove such a great place to grow up. As long as I continue to live in Cottage Grove I will be fighting to preserve and build upon the things that made it great. I suspect that we will agree on 85-90% of the issues. But in this case, I believe that Susan Manning and Peter Sobol are doing a great job and deserve another term.
-Alex Wagner
MG Class of 2004
Alex -
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I was very busy commending your various posts to a friend of mine when she encouraged me to check out your thoughts about me on Jessica's blog. Ouch!! I just find it so ironic, because the arguments that you have been making are the arguments that I have been making, even before I started this School Board journey. I care about this district as a whole.
My main exception with your comments was that you disregard me because I am from Cottage Grove. That is completely unfair and I was very offended by that. If I am a good candidate, I am a good candidate no matter where I live. I think that way of thinking is at the basis of all this - we think of ourselves first as Monona or Cottage Grove and THEN as Monona Grove School District. That is not the way I think.
I do respect that you have done some of your homework - many people do not any. I would enjoy hearing specific reasons as to why you feel the way that you do. I feel that you have been making some generalizations that, if you did happen to talk with me and know who I am, would not hold.
I appreciate your time.
Jennifer
Alex - So you would vote for Monona's candidate, Susan Manning, just to keep Monona happy? You only care if Monona trusts the School Board? What about the people in Cottage Grove? Shouldn't they be happy? Shouldn't they trust the School Board? That kind of attitude just prolongs the Monona vs. Cottage Grove wars that are such a huge problem in our district.
ReplyDeleteWe need a School Board that cares about the School District and the best interests of the children. It doesn't matter where they live as long as they can rise above the petty turf wars and do their job on behalf of the citizens and the children. The School Board will never make everyone happy, but the goal is to make the majority of the people happy, make sound & logical decisions and NEVER cave to the pressure of the vocal minority.
Just curious, when have you seen Susan Manning vote in the interests of the whole district in mind? Didn't she just prove that she can't do that with the vote on the 6th grade? She used the lame excuse of "not enough information to make the decision." Give me a break. Go read Jessica's blog where she clearly outlined all the reasons why she voted to move the 6th grade to GDS and tell me what was in the best interests of the whole district.
Susan Manning has been on the school board for 3 years. She has asked more questions and wasted more people's time than anyone on the planet. If she doesn't have enough information by now, she should pack her bags and go home.