You probably didn't know that there is an MCPS Retirees Association Political Action Committee (PAC). Don't worry, though, because the Maryland Board of Elections doesn't know about the PAC, either. Based on a search of the MBOE database, the PAC is not registered, even though registration of PACs is required by law.
But that hasn't stopped Board of Education candidate Fred Evans from using MCPS resources to promote his candidacy. Evans, who is not an MCPS employee but has MCPS webmaster authority, has created an endorsement page for himself and two other candidates on the MCPS website.
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| Candidate Evans a.k.a Webmaster Evans uses MCPS web site to promote choices of unregistered (lawbreaking) political action committee. (Candidate name section has been removed from this illustration.) |
The site also does not provide an "authority line" with the name of the PAC's treasurer, another violation of Maryland campaign finance laws.
If Evans is elected to the Board of Education, three of the seven adult board members will be MCPS retirees and pensioners.
Looks like MCPS is endorsing a slate of candidates.
ReplyDeleteIf you click on "Webmaster," Mr. Evans' contact is a defunct First Class email address!
ReplyDelete"violation of ...Maryland laws." That does not matter in Montgomery County, Mr. Wilen. The citizens and voters here don't care. And now Councilmember Berliner plans to change state law so the county council can raise gas taxes all on their own. Again, citizens and voters don't care. No worries here in liberal, progressive Montgomery County. We are a model for the nation.
ReplyDeletethis page is no longer on the MCPS Web site: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/mcpsretirees/boardofelections2012.shtm
ReplyDeleteNo - but the retiree association's newsletter is linked on the website:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/mcpsretirees/PDF/MCPSRA_Newsletter_Oct2012.pdf
Here's an excerpt of the association's (Fred Evans is the PR director) newsletter:
BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTION
Every two years, the Association’s Political Action Committee (PAC) invites candidates who are running for office to complete a questionnaire and to interview with the committee. We do this as a service to members because many of the candidates and their positions on issues of interest to MCPSRA are not well known, and for many of us, it is difficult to get information about those individuals for whom we will have an opportunity to vote. This year we interviewed only Board of Education candidates.
Based on the candidates’ questionnaire responses and interviews, the PAC strongly supports the following candidates for Board of Education:
BOE At-Large: Philip Kauffman
BOE District 2: Fred Evans
BOE District 4: Christopher Barclay
This is a sure way to lose the organization's non-profit status.
MCPS should be made aware as well that campaigning is being done in news letters, "Printed by MCPS Editorial, Graphics and Publishing Services."
This means taxpayers are paying for political promotions.
Why don't you run for Board of Ed? Oh yeah...
ReplyDeleteThat's right. Mr. Wilen did run for Board of Education. And because of that, Jerry Weast lost his job. Thanks to Mr. Wilen, Jerry Weast's performance as superintendent became a discussion topic during that election cycle. That discussion yielded the exit of Weast.
DeleteThe DC Examiner broke the story in their "Leave or Get Canned" front page article.
http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=&refresh=C1o9t70R40Qs&EID=37c16da7-84e5-4081-8871-5811232c56b9&skip
And, thus the end of the thousands of dollars in free logo clothing for Churchill High School staff. A perk that was demanded during Jerry Weast's tenure has long since disappeared. Thanks to Mr. Wilen, student funds are now spent on students and not used as a staff slush fund.
In 2010 the BOE candidates up for re-election has a decision to make. Did they want to keep Weast as superintendent, or did they want to get re-elected.
DeleteThey chose to get re-elected and canned Weast.
That's the power of a contested election.
No shame in not winning a primary election. After all, the union's hand picked candidate, Jeanne Ellinport, lost her primary election most recently. And so did the MCEA candidate who ran against Phil Kaufman the last election cycle. More people should run! Not just PTA types, former principals, etc. How about interested citizens who want to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteIt's really important that the Apple Ballot bully anyone that runs. That's how they attempt to keep control of Montgomery County elections. In Montgomery County it's the adults that have cornered the market on bullying.
DeleteBoy, oh boy, are you right. MCCPTA leaders are truly ahead of the curve here.
DeleteSo - do we not vote for Mr. Evans? We have enough folks without values on the BOE already.
ReplyDeleteWell, IMHO, consider the alternative. His opponent is a know nothing party girl. While she held county level PTA offices, she DID nothing. Check the records.
DeleteI don't see how anyone could vote for Fred Evans after seeing this. Spending public money on campaigning and putting his own retiree association at risk of losing its nonprofit status can't mean he'll put kids first. Sounds like we know who he'll put first.
ReplyDeleteWhich MCCPTA records should we check to find out more info about the "party girl"? Can you cite some specifics?
ReplyDelete