Sherry, I had asked earlier about what types of involvement you'd had with the schools. According to your N&O blog ( http://blogs.newsobserver.com/voter...istrict_12_sherry_altman&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 )you were the Auditor for Riverwood Middle School PTSA and active with the East Clayton Elementary School. It is admirable that you volunteered as the auditor for the Middle School. What other activities were you involved in at these and other area schools? I also noticed the following: http://www.fredsmithco.com/riverwood/TheMarketOpens.htm I didn't realize you were so personally tied to the Riverwood Community. Others have asked - what has Senator Fred Smith done for the schools outside of the Riverwood community? I'd like to ask you the same question. When you asked me if I was personally involved with Fred Smith Company in some way - I didn't realize that you operated a business in the community. The newspaper ad says your business is in the Riverwood Community. I could be wrong, but wouldn't that make Fred Smith's Company your landlord? Are there neighborhoods outside of the Riverwood Development that have children that attend Riverwood Schools? Not only was donating the land for the schools a wise business move - it was also a generous gift to the Riverwood Community & the homes surrounding the area. I see plenty of developers putting up new subdivisions - but I haven't seen them go as far as donating land for the schools or doing some of the other things Senator Fred Smith has done for the Riverwood and surrounding areas.
That one you might want to take up with Jerry Meek. :? But seriously, I can't speak for the Johnston County party as a whole, but I see a lot more activity than we had just a few years ago. We have been down, but we're not out, and we are building momentum. As we get our message out, people see that we do share many of the same values. http://www.ncdp.org/ Like a certain church whose messages you may have seen, we have open hearts, open minds, and open doors. We welcome all, and want to work for all Americans.
http://www.sherryforsenate.com/education.html Sherry, I took these quotes from your site: Most of the parents I know do start teaching their kids long before they enter kindergarten - even though the state may not be spending lots of money telling them they need to do so. I'd honestly prefer to save the money that would be spent on ad campaigns and use to it actually purchase instructional materials for the schools. Those who don't bother working with their kids in anyway before kindergarten probably won't be swayed by an ad campaign. I’m blessed to live in a great area - filled with lots of responsible parents - which is part of the reason I chose to live here in the first place. Many schools are already utilizing these programs. However some schools may have found alternative methods other than these. I think this needs to be determined on a school-by-school basis depending on the schools report card, and the needs & wants of the schools. Yes AR & Reading Renaissance are great programs - but there are other options. In addition - there would have to be money to pay for these programs. Currently Westview Elementary is trying to raise $23000 to implement AR in our school. If we raise the money, the school board has agreed to give the school the extra $10,000-$11,000 needed to implement the program. (check out our pta website www.westviewpta.com to learn how you can help us reach our fundraising goals) I get a Tuesday folder every week. I can stop in & speak to my child’s teacher any day I feel a need. I know her email address & the phone number to the school. She has never hesitated to let me know how my child is doing in school & I have never hesitated to ask my child's teachers any type of questions I've had concerning his progress. You can lead a horse to the water - but you can't make him drink. If you have a parent who just doesn't care - you're not going to be able to get that parent to take the time to look on-line to see how their children are doing. The teachers could use the extra time they would be spending punching in data - to actually teach the kids. I could be wrong - but I think most involved parents know exactly how their children are doing without posting everything on-line. Also, each child’s capabilities are different. As long as that child is doing there best - that is what matters. Some of the children in my son's class are listed as AG students. My son is a wonderful student - but I'm not sure that I want him - or myself to know exactly how he ranks with the rest of the class. What I do want to know is that he is doing his best. Our teachers don't have time to do what they need to do already. I'm not sure they will have the time to punch in the results of every quiz and every assignment so parents can see the information real time. Are you saying that immediately after each test - the teacher should rush over & enter this information? Honestly, I'm happy just reviewing my child’s Tuesday folder each week. I can’t speak for the schools in other areas – but I’ve heard many, many wonderful things pertaining to the teachers & parents in the 40/42 area concerning school performance. I don’t think we need It never hurts to place extra emphasis on education – but I do really think the parents and teachers in this area are doing a wonderful job already.
From her website ^ ... http://www.now.org/ Well, that's all I needed to know, thanks Grandma! Oh, and just for the record, Smith will get my vote. :wink:
In the interest of time, let's just address the "democracy" question. Now, saltman described her idea of how government should work. What she described is a democracy. Unfortunately, this country's government is not a democracy and never has been. It is a Representative Republic. Does someone who doesn't even know how our governement works deserve to be a part of it? She's trying to get a job and she doesn't even know how the company is run. Yeah, I'd say that's pretty important. Tell ya what, Jen; you say tomato and I'll say tomatoe. The fact is that whether we say a dependent "serves" or not, being a dependent doesn't give you first hand knowledge of what being in the military is like. If you don't put on the uniform and take up arms, you don't know what it's like. Second hand knowledge, maybe...
Imagine that!! A liberal who likes to sue people? Hey Wiyne, did you ever ask your lawyer about letting those child molesters back out on the streets?
Why? That's a rhetorical question. Out of the list of five issues that NOW "strives" for, the only one you're against is abortion. (I am too) But can you truely sit there and absolutely vote for Mr. Smith simply because Ms. Altman is supported by an organization which holds one single issue you are against? (I presume you are in favour of the other four issues, as any sane person would be.) Is your vote for Mr. Smith, or against Ms. Altman?
And personally I would like to see our country as a utopian society, but what I would like to see and what it is are two different things. We are not, as you put it, a "representative republic". We are, actually, what the CIA World Factbook describes us, as a "Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition". Ideally, if the government worked as it should, the majority of the population would control this country through their elected representatives. Read that again, ideally the majority are in charge. That's what a democracy is, in the loosest sense. This is not to say that the majority can do whatever they want. the Constitution limits us to staying within the rights of even the minority. In reality, though, the US has lost a lot of it's democratic traditions. Far too many lobbyists have control of the electorates. Too many incumbants are too worried about getting re-elected. The majority elects someone to do their bidding and then that person goes to the capital and does what they please. In short, though, this country is, at its basis, democractically run.
Come on Barney726 - I thought I had the most long winded responses/posts in the history of the 4042 Discussions Group on one thread. Just the other day Hught ceded that title to me. Are you saying I lost the title so soon? Well darn. I'm heart broken & crushed :cry: In Ms. Altman's words you Just kidding I just felt the need to squeeze that particular quote in somewhere today. As amusing as my 7yr old would probably find the use of the "pee" word in something written by an adult - I didn't think it was exactly appropriate for a candidate who earlier stated: Ms. Altman - as I've stated before you do seem like a wonderful individual. However, if someone's post rubs you the wrong way - it might be a good idea to hold off on pressing the send button and reread your response a 30 minutes after you have written it in efforts to vent. This extra time should give you a chance settle down before you hit submit. Others on this board often use aliases - so what they've written can't truthfully be attributed to them. However, right now your name & face are every where so you no longer have the luxury of making off color statements without worrying that they may come back to bite you. If you ever assume a leadership role in a position like the one you are currently seeking - you will no longer be a role model just for your family & friends - you'd also be a role model for the rest of our children. I know you were just trying to be funny - but you may not want to let posts upset you to the point that you type things that make you sound any less than a mature, responsible individual who is capable of holding a public office. One of the many reasons I've never run for public office is because I already know my skin isn't thick enough for all the criticism that would accompany such a position. However, I think that if I were running for public office and someone disagreed with me and my true goal was simply to win the individual's vote while maintaining my dignity & respect - I would probably take the time to try to reasonably address their issues before saying something rash. If I couldn't think of any comebacks other than you I would probably just ignore the post all together and hope the heckler would go away. Unfortunately I think your statement probably just stirred the pot a little more.
Actually Clif, there are three reasons why I wouldn't vote for someone whose campaign is endorsed by NOW. 1) They support/promote abortion (so yes, you got that part right) 2) They support/promote gay marriage. http://www.now.org/issues/marriage/index.html And if my not supporting it constitutes homophobia, then I'm a homophobe. :roll: 3) IMO, they are a radical feminist organization out to destroy traditional family values. http://www.now.org/issues/ So, if someone is endorsed by NOW, then I have so assume that they, in return, endorse NOW. I'm opposed to NOW. As for Mr. Smith... well, I went to high school with 3 of kids (Heather, Jule & Amber) and his wife, Ginny, was a teacher there at the time (pregnant with his youngest son, Reid)... so, I'm familiar with this man and his whole family. Never heard of Sherry Altman before this thread. My vote is for Mr. Smith!
Unless of course, your mother wants to kill you before your head is pulled out of the birth canal. Next time one of them tells you they're pro-choice, say, "Great, so am I, and I choose life", and see what happens. They're so open minded, they wouldn't let the sitting governor of PA, Robert Casey, speak at their national convention because he didn't tow the line on abortion. Some plagiarism for Clif's enjoyment: "In 1992, Robert Casey was a very popular Democratic governor of Pennsylvania. He was a New Deal Democrat all the way, and he toed the modern party line. Given that he was from such an important battleground state, he would have been a natural choice to introduce Bill Clinton at the convention that year. Instead, he was not allowed to address the convention at all. Why? Because he digressed from the party on one issue: He was pro-life."
Then ask them if they support your choice to keep and bare arms and your choice to have the Ten Commandments displayed in public. They only "choices" they support are the ones they agree with. So when BobF tells us that Joe Leiberman is a parriah and that Zel Miller is a crackpot, he's showing them his open heart and open mind? Is that how you all invite people to "church"? Gimme a break! The dems are about as tolerant of others as Hitler was... :roll:
Simply from a revolution standpoint. We all complain about politicians being in someone's pocket. The next guy is no better than the last. So...break the cycle and vote the 'nobodys' into office. They are beholden to none and may not have an agenda. BTW, I do know this is a theory, a long shot and along the lines of chaos theory, but it would be fun to stir things up a bit in this way. Imagine getting all of the career politicians out of office and scaring the poopie out them, regardless of Dem or Rep. Also, an observation...Notice how the thread got nasty as soon as certain people showed up? The first three or four pages were actually constructive, civil and informative. People took their turn and waited patiently. Not so anymore, I think Ms. Altman (however brave she was for coming on here in the first place) has probably gotten 'swift-boated' by we-know-who. 'Tis sad.
One more thing. Fred Smith campaign *SPAMMED* me. I rec'd an unsolicited email from him with the message "I thought you would like to see this" and a link to a video. I watched the video - same stuff from last campaign. It said I was subscribed as EMAIL. I have never subsribed to anything of his knowingly. Who knows where people get your email from these days, but I never actively subscribed. I did look at homes in Riverwood once, but it felt very children-of-the-corn-ish to me out there. Maybe the realtors kept my info and used it in his campaign. Could that be legal? Nothng against Mr. Smith, but I despise spam and dubious marketing techniques (telemarketers, etc.).
Re: Sherry's Answers Thank you for answering my question and you are absolutely correction about making assumptions. I am enjoying all the interaction and respect your opinion. I hope to change your mind before November 7th, but if I don't it doesn't make either of us a bad person. Both are trying to do the best for our area with our vote.
Melynda, have you gone up against Stinger yet? Actually that is one of the nicer retorts I have seen when dealing with this individual.
When I worked in the corporate world I traveled a lot, so I was unable to be as active as possible in the elementary school my daughter went to (ECES). When I was out of town my mother would volunteer at book fairs and in the library. When in town I went to every single PTA meeting, school board meeting and school board candidates meetings, asking questions. As can be verified by every one of her teachers, I proctored and helped in any way possible. When my daughter started elementary school I had the money to make a choice whether to send her to public or private school and I decided that if I ever wanted to make a change in the public school system she should attend a public school and I should help in any way to make changes. Also, when in town, I ate in the lunchroom, audited classes and helped teachers with whatever was needed within the classroom. While she was attending ECES my mother, an ex-banker, setup a kid’s bank partnering with KS Bank. The purpose of the kid’s bank was to allow children to bring money in, of any amount, put it in their own account and learn the process of saving money. The fifth graders were the tellers. This project fell through because instead of the bank setting up individual accounts they put all of the money into one account and the children did not receive individual statements to understand what interest they were earning. We, along with Dr. Peggy Smith decided to close the bank and return the money. This concept has worked at other schools and my mother helped to setup those in her years as a banker. We did explain to the children that KS had put it all into one account, which would not make them learn about the system. No one faulted KS and parents commended my mother on her attempt to do this. By the time my daughter started Riverwood Middle School I had been laid off and was taking care of my mother, as she had cancer. I volunteered to be room mother, attended PTA meetings and helped the teachers and staff when they needed it. I have always been a proctor and if need be anyone can check with the administrators and teachers to verify my statements. I could not find a job, at the time, because of the Enron ordeal and 9/11. It seemed as though every accountant was out of work and friends were telling me that they had people with master’s degrees applying for clerical jobs. Several friends came over to my house with different business plans stating they would help me start my own business. I thanked them and looked at each plan. I decided that picking up and delivering dry cleaning would both save people time, cut down on the use of gasoline and keep the dry cleaning dollars in Clayton instead of another town or city. Individuals and businesses were very receptive to this idea and became customers. When Fred started the Village at Riverwood I went over to see what the plans were. I noticed that he had planned on building a full service dry cleaners and thought this would feed right into what I was already doing. It was my daughter’s idea not to have anyone build a full service dry cleaner, but to have a drop off and pick up station. She stated to me that after seeing the back rooms in dry cleaners she thought that the least amount of chemicals going into the ground would be best for our environment and yet would still keep the economy growing in Clayton. I hope this answers all that you asked.
I know that Stinger likes to push buttons - and you are correct in that I've seen others come back with MUCH nastier remarks than Ms. Altman's. I just think she should try to keep her head high and not get into arguments like that. I think a good ole Southern "Bless Your Heart - have a nice day" comment seems to work a lot better than stooping to the same level as those trying to start a destructive fight rather than a constructive debate. As admirable as it is for Ms. Altman to try to answer some of our questions - I hope she can learn to avoid those who are just been mean spirted and argumentative. Some folks live to start arguments. No, I don't really think she said anything terrible - I just thought she currently has a fairly decent reputation for answering the question posed to her in a mature, respectable way - and hopefully that pattern will continue. I know my son is just the average little boy - but I try telling him that he should try to keep himself from over using words like "pee", "poop" & "butt" in his conversations with others. I usually have to turn my head to keep him from seeing me giggle about his word choices before I give him my serious Mom look and ask him not to repeat his comments. I just thought somewhere in the election campaign book of ettiquite there would be a chapter advising candidates against the use of potty words in regular conversation
Have you heard of Democrats for Life of America? The subject of abortion has come up a couple of times in this thread, and I think most people (in general, not just members of the 40/42 community) think of Democrats as being pro-choice. They would be correct about probably the majority of Democrats, but not all. DFLA has a goal they refer to as 95/10, that is reducing the number of abortions in America by 95% within 10 years. There are a couple of bills in Congress addressing the issue. One bill provides support for pregnant women; the other includes pregnancy prevention elements. The reason for separate bills is basically that everyone involved can agree on encouraging women who are already pregnant not to terminate their pregnancy; not everyone can agree on contraception and sex education. There is an article about the two bills on DFLA's web site: http://www.democratsforlife.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=209&Itemid=2 Personally, I think we need to do everything possible to prevent unwanted pregnancies, and to make adoption easier and more available. Sherry Altman described her attempts at adoption and how she finally had to go to Ukraine to adopt a child. I have friends who have travelled to Russia and to China to adopt children. Why can we not promote adoption in this country? These are certainly issues that can be addressed at the state level.
