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School Board candidates: Who's running and who's earning

Location: Blogs Marion Politics
Posted by: Ocala.com Election Coverage	4/22/2008 8:00 AM
Candidates are lining up to run against Marion County School Board member Steve Hering this fall. As of today, Hering had four opponents for the nonpartisan District 2 seat: Eleanor J. Drakeford, Jacqueline Porter, Bernard LeCorn and Johnathan Raymon Connell. Although Hering is the incumbent, he has yet to report any campaign contributions or spending, while Porter has contributed $30,000 of her own money to her campaign. Hering isn’t the only elected school official with competition. Bobby James, who was appointed to fill Kurt Kelly’s unexpired term when Kelly won a seat in the Florida Legislature, has two opponents: Mark Gamoneda and Karen Francis-Winston. A third School Board member, Judi Zanetti, is opposed so far by attorney Steve Shaw for her District 1 seat. Superintendent of Schools Jim Yancey may have the toughest competition of all. Voters will have to decide between Yancey and at least one other candidate for superintendent, Ronald John Wray. But they’ll also get to decide whether to abolish the elected superintendent position altogether and let the School Board appoint one, instead, to serve at the pleasure of the board. Yancey has this going for him, though: A huge advantage in campaign funding. He has raised more than $58,000 for his election bid, compared to about $260 for Wray. See the campaign reports for all the local candidates: http://www.voterfocus.com/ws/wscand/candidate_pr.php?c=marion by Tom McNiff

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Re: School Board candidates: Who's running and who's earning

By Ray Strickland (R) for Marion County Commission, D on 4/30/2008 6:52 PM

You are missing the big picture, look at County Commission races! 35% of Chairman Stone’s contributions to date come from one business. That business is one of Marion County Government's largest suppliers/vendors. Over $1,500,000 in direct payments and over $17,500,000 in payments to vendors they represent. Never before has this company’s employees or dependents given so much to any one candidate? Why do they want Chairman Stone to remain in office?

Re: School Board candidates: Who's running and who's earning	By Trust Is Important on 5/1/2008 10:25 PM
They probably want Charlie in office because they TRUST him more than an insurance guy who misrepresented his affiliation with Florida BC & BS in trying to get business with the county. Ray, I'll go with honesty any day of the week over a representative from an industry that is out to screw all of us!!!!

Re: School Board candidates: Who's running and who's earning	By Say What Ray??? on 5/1/2008 10:35 PM
Strickland is just envious of Stone! Stone has many more supporters than Strickland will ever get. So Strickland has to use his vast wealth obtained by his insurance business to finance his own campaign. Don't let him kid you about using his own money. He has to--no one will donate to him.

Absolute Disgrace

By B. Franklin on 5/15/2008 11:19 PM

Have any of you taken a look at the condition of our schools in Marion County! Recently I had the unfortunate opportunity to spend a little time at the North Marion Middle School. It was dirty, old and absolutely disgusting! As a tax paying citizen I have to wonder where all the money is going? It damn sure isn't going to NMMS. Go check out the cafeteria....you wouldn't even want your dog to get up on any of the dark blue plastic chairs. Quite frankly, I was shocked and pretty much speechless as I walked around the school. It is an absolute embarrassment is what it is. I felt sorry for the children who have to attend this dump. Somebody has got to stand up and do something about it. By the looks of it, I wouldn't suggest a school lunch. Even eating a bag lunch from home inside the cafeteria is pushing your luck! The kids don't even have lockers to use. They look like a bunch of backpackers trying to haul their 30 pound packs to their classrooms. Go check it out for yourself......It's beyond words.....It's like a portal taking you back to the early 1970"s

NMMS

By Amen on 5/15/2008 11:36 PM

We went to support our child at some honor student event last week and we had to sit in the cafeteria. It took us a little time to find two chairs that we could stand to sit in. A mother of another student chose her chair, but ended up getting a wad of gum stuck to her skirt. Most of the chairs are covered in grime and stains. They don't appear to have been cleaned since they were purchased.....1980's maybe? Most do have gum stuck all over them. We had the pleasure of discovering one in front of us which appeared to be partially covered in dried up boogers! The floors were horrendously dirty and had no shine to them whatsoever. The stage had one of those 1970's maroon velvet things hanging above it. It looked like one of those velvet curtains you'd see in an old movie theater. They do have rows of lockers at the school, but for some reason they don't allow the children to use them? Who knows what that's all about. They want to know why the kids don't have any school pride! Go take a tour of the lovely facility we send them to every day.

Time for a Field Trip

By KarenR on 5/16/2008 12:07 AM

Maybe Superintendent Yancey should get out of the office and pay a visit to some of schools throughout Marion County. I'm not talking about the new Forest HS, or Belleview HS, I'm talking about NMHS, NMMS, VHS, LWHS etc... The forgotten schools which are in desperate need of repair. I don't even think Kevin C. could defend the condition of some of these schools. For those of you that don't have children in school anymore, check this out. Remember when your mom or dad took you to K-mart or Wal-Mart to get your back to school materials? Well you still have to do that, but now you also have to buy extra stuff for all of the other kids to use throughout the school year. Then periodically throughout the year, your child's teacher will send a little note home asking you to buy additional materials for the classroom. Large boxes of pencils, glue sticks, Kleenex, crayons, pens any anything else they can get you to buy. It doesn't matter that you have ensured that your child has what he/she needs, now you have to support all of the deadbeat parent's kids who show up to school with an empty backpack everyday. This is the one I would like Yancey and his board to answer. They have a rule that your child MUST have a see through backpack. They have to be able to make sure that you child isn't bringing in a weapon or something into school. Very understandable with some of the horrific things that have happened out in Colorado and some other places across the country. If it is such a concern, and they truly believe it is necessary, then why do they allow females to carry purses/handbags into the school which are not see through, and are usually zipped??????? I've seen them inspect some girls pack, but they've failed to checked the humongous handbag she is carrying on her other shoulder! It makes no sense to me and I would like to know the answer to this question. Before you do answer, don't try and feed us a line of crap about how you check their handbags, because you don't. Even if you do, why aren't they see through as well? Haven't you seen some of the handbags they are selling which have built in hidden compartments designed to conceal handguns and other edged weapons? They are out there and you need to pay attention

Should I Stay, or Should I go

By RoSa on 5/20/2008 1:28 AM

Is Graham leaving for the great state of Iowa or what? I guess we'll find out after today's City Counsel meeting. Apparently, Sue-Mo is preparing a cue against Chief Williams in an effort to keep Graham in Ocala. It basically will consist of a written agreement between Graham, Williams and the City Counsel. If the City will pay Williams off and leave before the 2009 Mayor and City Counsel elections, Graham may be the next Chief of Police by this time next summer. It's a lot of IF'S and wishful thinkings, but they may just pull it off. Off course, someone might want to see if Chief Williams is willing to play ball.....after all he is the current Chief, and he is under contract.

See Ya

By RS on 5/24/2008 1:09 AM

I guess you haven't heard? The attempted coup d’état at OPD has been put down and Graham is history. Sue took her best shot, but she's use to taking those. So now we are left with another decision, who's the next Deputy Chief? Maybe they'll look for a qualified candidate outside the department for Graham's replacement? You can say what you want about Graham, but he was good at what he did. Nobody in the department is going to be able to replace him. Looking within the agency, I just don't see it. The two top picks have some deep seated issues, which are going to be difficult to overcome. Of course if they don't pick the senior major, Jenkins and Mary-Sue will probably be leading the march on city hall. For those of you at OPD, you better tighten up your belts. It's going to be a hell of a ride.

Re: School Board candidates: Who's running and who's earning	By Roger Mann on 7/4/2008 11:40 AM
I will vote for Jackie Porter. She is the the best for education.

Re: School Board candidates: Who's running and who's earning	By Tom Gi\rime on 7/20/2008 5:44 PM
I like Jackie Porter. She is younger and better looking than what is in there now.

Re: School Board candidates: Who's running and who's earning	By Jill Daminger on 7/22/2008 11:35 PM
I will be voting for Jackie Ported. It is time for a change.

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