School Board Post-mortem


GA congratulates the winners of the 2011 School Board election: Carmelo Garcia, Peter Biancanamo and Frances Rhodes-Kearns. 

Someone had to win; I'm sorry it was you. But that's water under the school bus. I wish you all the best in continuing the positive direction of the past 2 years, in working constructively with  School  Superintendent Toback.   Two-thirds of your team were part of that,  having voted with  Kids First since they  took the majority in 2009.

And they still have it.  

As for the Kids Firsts slate: Jean Marie Mitchell, Clifford Godfrey and Steven Feinstein, you guys are terrific. Thanks for stepping up and for all of your hard work.

Jean-Marie,  you've been a wonderful Board member.  In spite of your demanding job and being a single mom, you've given countless hours of your time to the district, done great work with a perfect meeting attendance record, and always a smile. You are one of the most positive people I know.  Love your attitude, love you girl. Thanks so much for giving it your all.

And Liz Mulholland. You are a force.  Thank you for existing.

Now, for the post-mortem.

It's not rocket-science. Turn-out was lousy.  GA voted at Calabro at  about11:45 AM; I was number 26. OK?  That's about 1 voter every 10 minutes.  Pathetic.

Why?

A smorgasbord of reasons. Pick one: the public schools were closed, folks were away on vacation, lack of awareness it was election day, voter apathy.  GA  ran into those last 2 while volunteering yesterday. There was the lady pushing a stroller who waved her hand in my face and said brusquely, "I don't have time!"  Or the mom at the playground who told me casually that she wasn't registered.  La-di-da.

The other side's massive, unprecedented GOTV operation for the School Board was part and parcel of the strategy to 'take back the schools, take back the City Council'. And Deep Uvula was right; this single-minded drive, this tactical cohesiveness, the money... well, proved too much against an apathetic, tuned-out base.

Do we need another 47% tax hike to wake up these dummies? 

I have the numbers written down somewhere; let's just say we got beat on the machines. And the VBMs... by 10 to 1.  A wake-up all?  What kind of alarm can wake the dead?

Well, May 10 is a different animal.  There are 6 battles being fought by different armies. The other side is fighting with one strategy. We've got 6.  Their strategy worked in yesterday's citywide race. But will it work in 6 wards with varying demographics and issues?

We shall see.

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