Here are bios of the six new DeKalb board members. Impressive credentials by any standard.
Here are the bios of the six new board members from the governor’s office.
Both these bios and Gov. Nathan Deal’s comments at the press conference that just ended indicate that the selection focus was on a fresh start and on a board that could work together. Deal noted that several of the appointees have experience in mediation.
The board will be sworn in at 1 p.m. today, so DeKalb can now hold meetings and take action.
As I noted in my first blog on the six, I have seen Thad Mayfield in action; he headed the 20-person citizen panel that reviewed school enrollments and recommended closings three years ago. I thought he did a good job, and the panel was fair and efficient. (That the school board didn’t act on its recommendations is fodder for another day.)
The statement and bios:
Gov. Nathan Deal today announced the names of the six new DeKalb County school board members.
“I tasked the nominating panel with finding excellent board members who will put the school system back on track toward full accreditation, and the panel performed a Herculean task with a quick turnaround so that the board could get back to work on behalf of the county’s students as soon as possible,” Deal said. “We had many outstanding community leaders offer themselves for service, and the high caliber of the candidates reflects well on the county. I faced an enviable problem: It was difficult to choose between so many great applicants. I truly believe that the board members will do an incredible job for DeKalb County. The volunteers who served on the nominating panel and as my liaisons to the county school leaders have given of themselves, and they have made a tremendous difference. I cannot thank them enough for their service.”
Acting on the recommendation of the State Board of Education, the governor suspended six members of the DeKalb school board In February. He then appointed a panel to nominate replacements and tapped Brad Bryant and Robert L. Brown to act as his liaisons to the DeKalb board and Superintendent Michael Thurmond. The nominating panel received a total of 403 applications and interviewed more than 60 applicants before narrowing the list to six finalists.
The new members of the DeKalb County school board, who will be sworn in at 1 p.m. today are as follows:
John Coleman
District 1
John Coleman
Coleman is a strategic planning manager at Invesco. Previously, he held a variety of leadership roles at McKinsey & Company. He also serves on various nonprofit boards. Coleman has a master’s in Business Administration from Harvard and a master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. He resides in Atlanta.
Michael Erwin
District 3
Michael Erwin
Erwin is a U.S. Navy veteran and has been a research assistant at Duke University Medical Center and the University of South Carolina. He has worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Services and is past chair of the NOAA fisheries committees on fish species and fish diseases in Maine and South Carolina. In 2008, he earned a Ph.D. in Biological Science from the University of South Carolina. He has been a member of the faculty at Georgia Gwinnett College since 2009 and teaches undergraduate students in biological science. He graduated from North Carolina Central University with a bachelor’s in Biology and a master’s in Biological Science. Erwin resides in Decatur.
David Campbell
District 5
David Campbell
Campbell is a senior manager with Georgia Power, where he supports the company’s energy conservation efforts. He is a certified public accountant with managerial experience. Campbell received a degree in Business Administration from Albany State University. He is a former chair of Leadership DeKalb, a member of the DeKalb 100 Black Men and an active member of St. Phillips AME. He formerly served on the Stephenson High School Council and resides in Lithonia.
Joyce Morley
District 7
Joyce Morley
Morley is the chief executive officer of Morley and Associates and is a nationally known public speaker and trainer. She is a certified counselor, a trained mediator and serves on several local and national governance boards. Morley has a doctorate in Counseling, Family and Worklife from the University of Rochester. She received her specialist’s and master’s degrees in Counseling Education from the State University New York College at Brockport, and a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the SUNY College at Genesco. A Stone Mountain resident, Morley has lived in DeKalb County for more than 22 years.
Karen Carter
District 8
Karen Carter
Carter serves on the faculty of Georgia Perimeter College where she is chair of the Business and Social Science department. She received a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications from Denison University and a law degree from Ohio State University. Carter has served as a classroom teacher and has held several senior administrative roles in the field of education. She is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb and is an active community volunteer. Carter is a resident of the Lakeside Community.
Thad Mayfield
District 9
Thaddeus Mayfield
Mayfield is a senior partner with FOCOM, Inc., a Georgia-based business development firm. He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Mercer University and received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Tougaloo College. He co-chaired the successful Friends of DeKalb Education SPLOST IV Campaign and is an active member of several business and civic organizations in the metropolitan area. Mayfield is a resident of Lithonia.
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383 comments Add your comment
OriginalProf
March 13th, 2013
12:24 pm
@ Dr. Trotter, 11:37 am: “I presume that the Governor has found his “good black people.” Let’s see what they can do. Can they tap dance? Sing upon demand? Or, at least do the electric slide?… I hope they will be independent but I seriously doubt they will be.”
From their biographies, it sounds like these new Board members are highly q
Dr. John Trotter
March 13th, 2013
12:24 pm
@ Private Citizen: My “love affair” is not with the former DeKalb School Board. My “love affair” is with democracy.
@ DeKalb County Grad: What “name-calling” and “mud-slinging”? May I not use metaphors? May I not just tell the truth? I told a colleague a few minutes ago that some of you guys don’t really want me to get very blunt. I could tell you what is really happening to the Voting Rights Act in very colorful language. But, some of the posters don’t give a heck about the Voting Rights Act…mainly because you have always been white and have never needed it. But, my immediate family and extended family have “children of color.” And I also know what happened to my ancestor who fought for black people in the Georgia Capitol. DeKalb County Representative Robert A. Alston was murdered in the Capitol on March 11, 1879. What was at stake? Money. The Convict Lease System. It’s all about the money.
tim
March 13th, 2013
12:26 pm
Next…
CEO Ellis and his cronies
Bye Bye
Chamblee Dad
March 13th, 2013
12:26 pm
Joyce Morley “. . . has a doctorate in Counseling, Family and Worklife from the University of Rochester. She received her specialist’s and master’s degrees in Counseling Education from the State University New York College at Brockport, and a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the SUNY College at Genesco”
Not my district, but this Southerner married a Yankee – a beautiful lady from Brockport, NY and based on my knowledge of the high quality of education available for teachers & all in the education field throughout Western New York, she is most likely VERY QUALIFIED to serve on this board. My wife, mother-in-law (retired principal from Brockport), & virtually all aunts & cousins have education degrees from these schools &/or other SUNY nearby, and all are super-sharp. Saying that for real, not likely they’ll read this. This is somewhat due to fact that there are few jobs in Western NY for a super-educated work force other than education (death of Kodak & many more – taxed to death too). And partly the reason my wife is here, could be why Morley is as well.
I’m 99.9% certain we will not have a SCW or Zepora Roberts with her. Let’s hope her electorate warms to having such a qualified representive. At first glance the others look very good as well.
Maude
March 13th, 2013
12:29 pm
I see Mr. Trotter is back with his hate filled racial card.
Darlene Disenfranchised
March 13th, 2013
12:31 pm
concerned mom, thanks, I guess that is helpful. The “never heard of her” part, not the PTA part as that only means she is well acquainted with McMahan who is a puppet for Orson and Womack who have been working with Walker to deceive the public, protect Crawford Lewis, save their own real estate investments, scare the families out of Tucker and chase them over to Lakeside so they can justify the property values or build more McMansions. I would rather let Thurmond run the whole thing and have the nominating committee serve as an interim board whenever he tells them that he needs more money. Georgia Power is now involved? Is this because Nancy Jester caught on to how much we were funneling to them for electricity over budget and after closing multiple schools so now they need their own guy on the board to do PR damage control?
Well, as they say in the state-sponsored, poorly funded, under paid depressing pre-K program that is the model for the nation, “You get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit.” But, I really do feel like pitching a fit right now. I really, really do.
Dr. Trotter, can you tell me how they managed to have an election here in DeKalb in July when the state law clearly states that the school board elections are to take place in November? Did they change the law and not tell anyone? We didn’t even have final maps for the school board districts at the time that they stopped allowing any new candidates to register. Talk about the end of voting rights. I don’t consider it much of a right when the candidates are rigged against me no matter whom I select at the ballot box and someone decides to place a school related election in the middle of the summer when no one is thinking about school and most families are on vacation?? And then they let the ones who did not win re-election sit around and stew in their anger for 5 more months before having to actually give up their thrones? A lot of damage can be done in that 5 months… like some “leaks” to SACS, don’t you think?
I suspect the July 2014 election will be as poorly covered and poorly attended as every other election held here. People do not care because it truly does feel like a lost cause. Just wish we didn’t keep sending troops to other countries to risk their lives if we have nothing but a sham to hold up as an example for freedom anyway.
Madge From Accounting
March 13th, 2013
12:32 pm
How many educators in the bunch?
How many republicans?
Anyone wanna hazard a guess?
Local girl
March 13th, 2013
12:33 pm
I work at a school in another county but I grew up in DeKalb and currently live there. I have a young child and we have debated leaving, but we really love our home and community. I have decided to be optimistic (while trying not to be naive). At least on paper, these candidates seem highly qualified. In my opinion, it is not as necessary that they have teaching experience, but rather, that they are people who know the importance of LISTENING to the teachers and ACTING on behalf of students. I am happy to see the combination of life experiences listed above, and I am hopeful that we will see change slowly start to happen. It won’t be fixed tomorrow, but I believe it CAN be fixed.
On another note, I am so tired of hearing about the “dumb, stupid voters of DeKalb.” Please keep in mind, that voting for most school board members is not done at large – we are restricted to vote only for the people running in our districts. Some incumbents WERE voted out, but we did not all have the chance to do this! I am making a personal pledge to get more involved in the next election in my district, to make sure that my friends and neighbors are informed voters. I am sure I am not the only one.
MAC
March 13th, 2013
12:33 pm
Are Trotter and Eugene Walker one in the same?
mathmom
March 13th, 2013
12:33 pm
Are we to assume that the people whose photos did not appear are white? Ugly? Camera shy?
Will any of these people, all of whom appear to be smart, competent, ambitious, etc., be able to understand the challenges faced by teachers and administrators who are dealing with students who do not share those qualities? Who will speak for the personable, polite, kind and generous student who is not academically talented in any way?
Looks like a Fantastic Group
March 13th, 2013
12:33 pm
This looks like a group of well-qulaified people who have the training, skills, and experience to turn things around. Glad to see a CPA was selected.
I thank them for volunteering for such a important and challenging project, and I’m wishing them the best of luck!
Dr. John Trotter
March 13th, 2013
12:34 pm
Hey “living,” you have to satisfy the voters. Is this concept foreign to you? By the way, I don’t give a rat’s behind if I can across arrogant to you or anyone else. The height of arrogance is taking away the voter’s right to choose their elected officials.
No one is doubting these appointees’ credentials. I am not. I would not care if Governor Deal had appointed Junior Samples or Mitt Romney or David Axelrod. This is not the point. The point is this: The voters’ right to choose was summarily taken away. This is wrong, and I don’t give two cents what anyone else thinks. I don’t care if I am the only one on this blog or in this State of Gerogia who is willing to state this…with my own name attached to it.
New Poster
March 13th, 2013
12:34 pm
Maureen, why do you continue to let Trotter use you and the AJC for free advertising for his MACE group that has represented and continues to support the lowest performing crud of teachers in metro Atlanta? This “for profit” group/gang/mix of losers does nothing more than demonstrate themselves as fools and take money from rotten teachers who lose their jobs due to incompetence. Please do your research on this clown and block his efforts to continue his cheap advertising on AJC blogs.
Linda
March 13th, 2013
12:34 pm
You folks should do like I do and just skip over Trotter’s comments. I also skip Mary Elizabeth’s comments. Anyone who writes as much as they do are probablenarcissists looking for ego reinforcement.
Linda
March 13th, 2013
12:34 pm
*probable narcissists*
mathmom
March 13th, 2013
12:35 pm
Oh, my computer took a long time to load the other photos! Nobody is ugly.
retired teacher
March 13th, 2013
12:38 pm
I’m normally a fan of Dr. Trotter, but he finally managed to offend me today with his racist remarks. (Oh Maureen! Why was he allowed to get away with this?)
The current board does look extremely impressive and I hope that they are able to untangle the mess that Dekalb has become in the last 10-15 years. Hopefully, they will start by putting in requirements about disallowing cronyism in the school system. Then, they need to get the salary schedule under control. A security guard should NEVER make more than a 1st year teacher, much less a teacher with a PhD and 17 years of teaching experience. And don’t even get me started on a secretary who made almost $60,000 a year. After that, they really do need to cut down on administration costs. If they can manage to do just these three things in a couple of months, you’d be amazed at how morale will increase among the faculty.
Michelle-Middle School
March 13th, 2013
12:39 pm
CONGRATULATIONS to Governor Deal. I am impressed with his selected officials for the new board. I am also quite pleased with the way the Governor did not cave to the radicals of the black community to give them the right to select their own black members. Racism is still rampant in Georgia and Nathan Deal has dealt with the outrage of these radicals in an effort to bring stability and excellence to the new board. He deserves great credit for the board that truly represents the makeup of the school population. Perhaps this change will give Dekalb County Schools the jolt it has needed to get out of the quagmire it has built on its own. Great leadership and innovation by the new board could significantly enhance the educational experiences of every child in the system. My hat is off to Governor Deal and to the exceptional cast he has created on the new board.
cautiously optimistic
March 13th, 2013
12:41 pm
@Trotter – the voters also voted for the allow to removal of the board members.
OriginalProf
March 13th, 2013
12:43 pm
@ Dr. John Trotter, 11:37 am: “I presume that the Governor has found his “good black people.” Let’s see what they can do. Can they tap dance? Sing upon demand? Or, at least do the electric slide? …I hope they will be independent but I seriously doubt they will be.”
Don’t you have strong ties to some of the former DeKalb school board members from the days in 2007-8 when Clayton County disposed of its school board members and you were prominently involved? Curious, rather racist comments (as Private Citizen implies) here about these newly appointed Board members, whose appointment only will last till the 2014 board elections.
From their biographies, these board members seem like highly trained professionals who will most likely go back to their day jobs once the next board elections take place. One a certified public accountant, another a trained counselor and mediator, another with a law degree, two college faculty members; two with Master’s degrees, two with Ph.D.s Their professional skills seem to have been much needed by the former board, and I’m very glad they’re donating them to the county now.
the good doctor
March 13th, 2013
12:43 pm
Wait and “un-learn?”
Devil's Advocate
March 13th, 2013
12:45 pm
The purpose of business is to turn a profit.
The purpose of government is to serve its people.
Both require management, budgeting, and stellar performance across the board to be successful but the different motives do change the animal.
Don’t dwell on the fact that these new board members have strong business backgrounds. Hopefully the real benefit is that they are all intelligent enough to see the problems that Dr Trotter presents to us time and time again, and do what is necessary to correct them.
Dr Trotter’s style may turn off many posters but the substance of his message is valid. What difference does it make how good these people look on paper if their performance is more of the same? I don’t live in Dekalb but I’m pulling for them to rise up just like I’m pulling for Clayton County.
Like I said yesterday, the biggest problems with schools nationwide are inside the classrooms. Students need to be motivated and well-behaved, parents need to enforce discipline at home and will it upon their kids to remain respectful away from home, and administrators need to support the teachers and allow them to teach.
In the business world, when there’s a problem only one of two things happen. 1, executive management empowers line managers to make proper adjustments to address the problem. 2, executive managers line their pockets and fortify their golden parachutes while letting the chips fall where they may with the organization.
Companies fall apart all the time and it’s not always because people just don’t want their offerings.
Let’s hope this group is like those in the first scenario.
Maureen Downey
March 13th, 2013
12:45 pm
@To all, The governor’s office sent me this note in reference to whether the board members have kids in the school. I will add only that I believe Mayfield had kids in the system:
From gov’s office:
concerned citizen
March 13th, 2013
12:46 pm
I’m pleased with the make-up of the group, and it’s great to have some people in place. They need to make policy and budget properly, and I hope they can do this. But, of this very moment, HR is doing a terrible job. A certified teacher just hired agreed to take a position as advertised as the retiree rate, but just prior to signing, HR told her that she would have to accept $25 an hour, which he is already making with Title I. What HR did this school was “bait and switch.” They hired fully certified part-time teachers, advertised the positions on PATS for two months, but at contract signing time, decided to declare these teachers “tutors.” HR cut the salary to $25 an hour, about half what a PT retiree should make. Until the Supt gets his ship righted and the departments straightened out, nothing really is going to change. The new board cannot set out kicking___. Please, Supt Thurmond, put the salary of teachers where it should be. It’s going to take your doing, because HR is doing whatever it wants to and calls it “consistency..”
Dr. John Trotter
March 13th, 2013
12:49 pm
Linda, we probably have strong, well-nourished egos…because, unlike you, we use our complete names and don’t really wither like wallflowers at your misguided and small-minded criticisms. Ha!
@ Maude: Is it “hate-filled” simply because it is the truth?
I haven’t mentioned “MACE” one time on this thread. But, you know what? I continue to notice that not one of you little digital-scaredy-cats have been able or willing to take on the content of what I have written. Not one. You just come out with pleas like, “Stop, Dr. Trotter!” or “Enough, Dr. Trotter!” or “MACE is corrupt!” or “MACE only helps rotten teachers!” or “MACE is a tiny third-rate union!” All of this is laughable and quite comical to me. You don’t know a thing about or about MACE, but you can only engage in ad hominem attacks because you simply lack the wherewithal to attack my statements or my ideas. Why? Because deep down in your hearts, you really know that I am right and that I just have to guts to state the truth. You don’t, and this is why you are frighteningly jealous of me. Jealousy is a powerful emotion.
Maureen Downey
March 13th, 2013
12:50 pm
@To all, I have been busy taking down comments today. Mind the rules of civility. Spare us the racist drivel.
Maureen
Mary Elizabeth
March 13th, 2013
12:51 pm
@ bu2, 12:01 pm
One of the primary job functions of members of any school system’s Board of Education is to appoint a Superintendent of Schools. That Superintendent of Schools, who will more than likely have an educational background, will also have an educational vision for that school district.
Again, I do not think that an educational vision which based upon a business model will serve students, or teachers, well if that business model is filtered into the daily functionings within the classroom. A business model has its place in a capitalistic society, but not in the classroom, in my opinion. Hopefully, the fact that four of the six new appointees have business backgrounds was based strictly upon their credentials to administer, and not upon a business educational ideology. It is good that they are well qualified in their areas of expertise. Only time will tell whether their business expertise will also manifest itself in an educational ideology based on a business model in which public school teachers and students must conform – which I do not support.
Insider
March 13th, 2013
12:51 pm
When does the National Organization for Women – or Dr. Trotter – start protesting the fact that Deal replaced two of the suspended female members with men?
living in an outdated ed system
March 13th, 2013
12:53 pm
@Dr Trotter – no one is taking away democracy. I think you are overreacting here, in my opinion. These folks are now up for re-election in the next cycle. I for one, would be supportive of a school board and superintendent that reports into the mayor. You can then vote your support at the ballot box! And while we’re at it, I find it inefficient and “outdated” to have a separately elected state school superintendent instead of it being appointed by the governor. Organizational experts would laugh at this structure of duplicate functions (DOE and GOSA).
war eagle
March 13th, 2013
12:57 pm
Dr.Trotter, if indeed you are a Dr.-The NAACP is nothing more than a race baiting org. that has outlived its purpose. The Gov. stepped in to save teh school system from being discredited. Just like in the national election, when you let low informed/uninformed people who vote with their skin color, the out come is “elections have consequences.” Garbage in-garbage out. School is not a place for GIGO! We have schools that are being run by the inmates with the principals afraid to do anything to the bullies and we have kids failing in the system. We need a TOUGH school board to help the kids learn, and to toss the bullies into AEP/BootCamps/Military school. Next election, I hope people vote with facts and not just the person who has the same skin color. We have seen THAT experiment blow up in our faces already.
Insider
March 13th, 2013
12:58 pm
Oh.. and Dr. Trotter… this country is not – and was never intended to be – a democracy.
mebeingme
March 13th, 2013
12:58 pm
Darn! I didn’t see John (NAACP) Evans name anywhere.
Private Citizen
March 13th, 2013
12:59 pm
original prof, dr. trotter was not disciplined a great deal as child, therefore (maybe like eugene walker) he is a free spirit. we must teach him correct and successful methods of appropriate reference. truth is the new log-in system may have some type of up /down vote “bury” feature so that the shrieking mullahs who come after me, for say… posting a song via YouTube, will also be able to kenetically click their mouse in furor. I must say, despite the minstrel comments, comparing SACS treatment of Clayton and the result on the area with the carpet bombing of college-town Dresden was interesting. I can empathise Dr. Trotter’s upset with decline in Clayton. I wonder how much of is due to school system and how much to the macro state economic conditions.
Decatur Dad
March 13th, 2013
12:59 pm
Thad Mayfield had a child to graduate from Southwest Dekalb High School. David Campbell is a very good, well respected person. He’s very qualified for the board and the kind of person that everybody wish they had as a next door neighbor. I don’t mean to bash Jay Cunningham, but Campbell is LIGHT YEARS more qualified to be on the board than Cunningham. I’m surprised that Nancy Jester was not replaced with another complaining white woman.
Bernie Matt
March 13th, 2013
1:04 pm
Very interesting comments on “the so-called qualifications”. Resumes are very much impressive and that’s a good thing for their professional careers. However, this is very problematic if african-americans accept this as the new standard for black candidates in government.
Government is for the people by the people, which means that there should be room for “commoners” in the government. This new “Barack” standard for blacks is very dangerous, because meanwhile, the person appointing them is a backwoods hill-billy who was facing bankruptcy before being elected governor and has never run a successful business outside of government.
So the new government, if this is allowed to stand, will have hill-billy whites telling educated blacks what to do!
Very Interesting?
Parent
March 13th, 2013
1:06 pm
I really don’t think the voice of the voter is all that Dr Trotter and others make it out to be. Citizen voters don’t always make good choices. After all, entire states have voted to outlaw gay marriage and without the court system we would still have segregated schools. The voters of the US couldn’t even come together and ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
Dr. John Trotter
March 13th, 2013
1:08 pm
@ “living”: Washington, D. C.’s mayor does appoint the school superintendent, and when Michelle Rhee became so enormously unpopular, she helped bring about the mayor’s defeat in the next election.
As for me, I like an elected State Board of Education. I don’t like that it is governor-appointed. I could go along with an elected state school board with an appointed superintendent (though I think that Dr. John Barge is doing a good job with his hands tied) but not appointed both. I actually prefer elected both…on the state level and the local level. I have worked in each type of set-up…appointed board and elected superintendent, appointed board and appointed superintendent, elected board and appointed superintendent, and elected board and elected superintendent. From my experiences, the last one works the best. When a superintendent and/or board members start acting like as$es, the voters just vote them out of office. This is much better than SACS and the Governor doing a hostile takeover.
Bernie
March 13th, 2013
1:09 pm
what stands out to me is that the selection of John Coleman does not meet Dekalb County residential status. A reasonable thinking person and voter would have thought that this would be an obvious required qualifying issue?
Granted he is educated but surely out of ALL of thousands of candidates, you mean to tell me there was not another who could meet a similiar educational level and live in Dekalb County?
I smell a HUGE RAT already!
In Light of the Numerous North dekalb residents who are already dissatisfied and frustrated with this system. Surely one of them could be have found to fill this slot! A selection with that thinking in mind would have been a GREAT offer of an Olive Branch saying, We hear your concerns and we want your direct involvement,participation and representation.
Just maybe that was truly not a concern and it sends a meesage go ahead and follow through with your plans for you have the EAR of the Governor! This is
just another ACT of smoke & Mirror of Georgial Political SHENANIGANS at work. Right before your very EYES! Surely King Nathan is quietly Laughing and smirking saying such FOOLS!
Such purposeful action in SILENCE, is another long held form of Communication in the South. A signal has been given to those who are ready supporters of this Governor and his actions. they are needed for his successful re-election. No way would The Governor offend this GROUP even if it is at the expense of the Thousands of Dekalb County democrat registered residents would never, ever support his return as Governor. This selection was the WINK! to North Dekalb…saying “I have YOUR BACK!”
SHAMEFUL!
intown parent
March 13th, 2013
1:09 pm
As someone who is used to smelling the wiffs of backroom control politics under the guise of whatever the crapstorm of the day is with APS, I find it interesting so many folks are squawking about Dr Trotter but basically no one is addressing Darlene…
But then again, I just read Linda’s comment about not reading long-winded pieces:
Maybe *that’s* partly why DeKalb’s in the feces hole it is… -?
Private Citizen
March 13th, 2013
1:09 pm
May I not use metaphors?
There is a limit. College students are removed from campuses for writing a joke on the wall of the type of some of the “metaphor” you be slanging. For example, a female rape victim is not going to be too cool with your use of “sluts” for go-along-to-get-along principals. You could also say “prostitute” which is not so sexist and associated with trailer-park abuse talk. A black man who has been racially harassed by police with not appreciate the tap-dance comments, and a many would get real hot about it. So, yes, there are some lines to this type use of language on a discussion.
clem
March 13th, 2013
1:11 pm
seems like good start
paulo977
March 13th, 2013
1:12 pm
Dr.John Trotter….”This is not the point. The point is this: The voters’ right to choose was summarily taken away. This is wrong, and I don’t give two cents what anyone else thinks. I don’t care if I am the only one on this blog or in this State of Gerogia who is willing to state this…with my own name attached to it.”
________________________________________________________
Gee all these posters trying to dance around the major point that you have stated are either ignorant of democratic procedures or just autocratic in their thinking!!!
cautiously optimistic
March 13th, 2013
1:14 pm
@Bernie, all candidates have to live in the districts they are representing. You can have an “Atlanta” address and still live in Dekalb. Until Dunwoody became a city, they had an Atlanta address, as does Brookhaven.
catlady
March 13th, 2013
1:17 pm
It appears to me that all these folks are very energetic, which is what is needed after years in the doldrums. Dig in, guys, and get to work. Start your first meeting now. Cut off the legal fee payments. Begin to find out what is needed for the children to be successful. Direct your superintendent to do extensive input sessions from the teachers!
Bernie Matt
March 13th, 2013
1:17 pm
I can’t wait til the next election to see what the mostly white republicans, vying for the U.S. Senator seat resume looks like.
I will bet $1,000 against $1, that the most impressive educational and business resume does not win that election!
lucinda
March 13th, 2013
1:17 pm
So, a guy that knows about FISHERIES is relevent because…??
Private Citizen
March 13th, 2013
1:20 pm
However, this is very problematic if african-americans accept this as the new standard for black candidates in government.
Government is for the people by the people, which means that there should be room for “commoners” in the government.
I think ether 1) you’re crazy, or 2) you must look like the people who are in power around you and therefore you won’t get messed over. Be it white or black, this “local power” tends to look after their own and mess over anyone else. This is a nightmare for professional workers who get drawn into their employ. Although in my experience, it is very rare, I have also seen one U. S. community go toward a Latino power base with the result being some really unfriendly “La RAZA!” return-power-to-Mexico stuff. I’m talking the Latin business manager treating the white workers like they’re dogs, I’m talking stop in to buy fuel and the Latino store acts like “We don’t serve your kind” like out of 1950’s movies. Yes, I have seen this, although it is one instance that does not at all track with my overall experience doing much work and contracting with clients, including Latino. Come to think of it, U. S. Vietnamese business communities are also extremely insular. Not unfriendly, just insular.
So, Bernie Matt, if you dig this, you must be a white guy living with white people, or a black person who wants a black power structure, or a Latino who believes in La RAZA! and lots of “Payback!” but as far as professional functioning, it is a wreck.
Dr. John Trotter
March 13th, 2013
1:20 pm
@ “insider”: I am well aware of what the Founders intended. I understand the argument between “democracy” and “republic.” You may want to consult Richard Hofstadter’s American Political Tradition for detailed discussion here. But, are you willing to go back to all of the Founder’s original intent. Do we want to allow the General Assembly to select (not elect) our U. S. Senators? What about just returning to slavery and counting the slave’s a 3/5 of a person for Census purposes? I don’t think so. What proves too much proves nothing at all, “insider”?
@ “war eagle”: Two real doctorates…UGA and Mercer Law. Thinking about going back for a third. Perhaps Auburn. My dad earned his undergrad degree there in 1948. I grew up an Auburn fan, but gravitated to the Dogs when I earned two degrees there. I appreciate your concern about my education, “war eagle.” You see? We do have something in common.
indigo
March 13th, 2013
1:24 pm
Five Blacks and one White.
Is DeKalb County 75+ % Black?
rlm
March 13th, 2013
1:25 pm
This is an example of good black leadership the kind that should be voted in. These people do not have to pull the race card to get elected. They are about quality. Many blacks have this but they do not want to get in the nastiness of politics that unfortunate abounds when either the black or white card is pulled.