Council races filling up fast as courageous challengers may be signalling a bit of dissatisfaction with City taxes, assessments, the status quo. We will just use names here, nothing else. We leave it to the candidates to tell you why they are running.
Duman versus Caroline Martin for Joe Barlow's vacated seat. One term Incumbent Gardy challenged by J. B. Varney hoping to continue the "one term theme." Alvin Copeland takes on incumbent Charles Paar and Bill Newsome dares to put the gloves on with the perennial Charles Brown. It is great to see citizen interest in selecting eight people to determine the success or failure of the few thousands of us that still believe ones vote is important. Changing the local election to November may make a difference in the tallies.
Far more important is the brain quality offered by both incumbents and challenges so there is a reason to vote one way or another. People living in a particular borough should give that more thought than their relationship with the candidate. Sadly that is seldom the case and we plow on with trial and error. Each candidate should be forced to tell us exactly why they are available, what they would attempt to change and why. That won't happen.
Any candidate for Council or School Board is welcome to place their reason for running here in Insidesuffolk. We will provide a space for it later n the year, closer to the election.
18 comments:
Get the popcorn Bob, this is going to get good. Remember VOAI VOAI VOAI (Vote Out All Incumbents)
I'd like to hear from the candidates not the democrat incumbents already seated, what open and transparent government means to them. How will they rebuild trust in our local government and what will they do to bring about hope and change.
Has anyone met a used car salesman as quiet as Mike Duman has been lately about the issues in Chuckatuck? Usually they talk up a storm about this and that. What does he have to say about his campaign?
In the meantime the powers on Market Street are not pleased there are contested elections in Suffolk and Chuckatuck. Look for Linda's version of Rahm Emmanuel to be making special offers so candidates drop out. I recall somebody had his property rezoned out of agriculture by council just days after dropping out of running for council seat. It must have been a coincidence.
Parr will be re-elected handily if Alvin Copeland is the best that could file to run against him.
Duman wins with 60%+ - he is the known quantity
Gardy vs. Varney is a tossup. If Varney can raise the cash he's definately competitive.
Brown vs. Newsome - we'll have to see. I won't be surprised either way.
Owen vs. Copeland - Owen wins
Goodman vs. Skeeter - Toss up - The council race results could have an effect on this race.
Hill vs. Bouchard vs. the other woman - tossup
Debranski vs. Wahlstrom - Debranski - He may get over 60%.
Anyone think differently?
Why should Debranski with little to offer beat Wahlstrom with a doctorate in school management? Or are you pointing out that voters don't vote with their brains. Debranski is there to sell stuff to students.Not a good idea to allow that. If he wins he has only deprived us a talented person that could do much good as a board member.
Debranski is popular in the district. In 2006 - albeit a May election - he received over 70% in what was expected to be a little closer of a race.
Debranski is popular among the teachers. He was their choice in the mayoral race. The Suffolk Education Association endorsed him in the mayoral race. In the Suffolk Borough,he won or came in second at all 3 precincts (in 2008) in a crowded field of challengers. People will remember voting for him and will be inclined to do so again.
Wahlstrom (whom I have met once or twice) is a nice woman, but is not a politician.
I'm not saying he's the best SB member, or that he brings a lot to the table. I'm saying that people will vote for a household name. Remember when Charles Brown endorsed Debranski in '08? That helped in the AA community which has a presence in the borough.
Between Mike's decent support among African Americans and his strong presence in the center of the borough, I'd say that 60% could be too low of a number.
Wahstrom's candidacy has been almost as mute as Duman's. They must be reluctant to risk foot in mouth syndrome so common amonst our elected officials. Still there's no excuse.
The challengers will need plenty of walking around money if they want to be elected in the Suffolk and Cypress Boroughs. Those voters are still smarting from the last election when they failed to receive their "free" rent and gas. Four years ago Parr pulled off an big upset and so did Gardy. That election however was in May and not November where there will be many more voters that are not familiar with the issues. The whole process is as simplistic as the average Suffolkian, he who has the most signs, fat bank rolls and poll watchers, wins!
8:10 Said it best Debra isnt a politican. More reason to vote for her.
VOAI
My Predictions:
Parr wins big:(
Debranski loses by a wisker:)
Duman wins huge:)
Gardy loses by 10%:)
Brown wins big:(
Owens wins:)
Goodman wins:(
Bouchard wins:)
Why didn't a more formidable candidate emerge to take Parr on?
I'm not saying he's good or bad. I'm just curious as to why he has a second-tier opponent.
Ladies and gentleman, the next Vice Mayor of Suffolk (and possibly mayor in 2012), Charles Parr.
Anon, June 10 - 8:30 a.m.
Throw out a topic and I'm ready to answer. I'll have a link to my website (where I outline things I'd like to bring to the table) early next week. But let's start with something you are interested in.
I hope you'll find that I'm never afraid to put my foot in my mouth. I do it often.
The morning's Virginian Pilot indicated that six principals as well as purchasing staff made the decision to go with Jostens. The School Board is in a supervisory role in the school district. The principals fall under that. Debranski is a school board member. The principals know him well. Debranski is onsite all the time in the schools selling his wares. Isn't this a conflict of interest?
The School Board candidate's platform is?
Anon @ 12:12:
Can you tell me what all of the incumbents have done or not done that have taken away their need to be re-elected? Specifically, what has each councilman/boardmember done to lose the trust of the citizenry?
Here's a link to my new School Board website.
http://debwahlstromforschoolboard.wordpress.com/
I'll be adding to this regularly, so please visit often.
I'm only adding this because I know that all candidates are welcome to provide their websites on Inside Suffolk. Bob will be making sure there is a place for any candidate who wants to share information. (Thank you, Bob!)
my predictions:
The only thing that will change in our representation on city council and school board will be the seats in the chuckatuck borough and the Holy Neck Borough city council seat is a tossup given the voting history of this borough.
Debranski is extremely popular in his district and across the city, and until i see otherwise, he is a lock for this seat. Wahlstrom has many proponents of her candidacy on this website, but this is still a small town ppl, personal connections do still matter.
Mike Duman has the Black vote locked up. How do you know you say? By the Mike Duman stickers on the back of their cars. I think Pock also has one.
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