tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7893272060787897238.post6854295196730852864..comments2024-03-19T08:42:45.690-04:00Comments on The Delaware Libertarian: John Kowalko shoots from the hip . . . and gets it wrongSteven H. Newtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09097470960863103473noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7893272060787897238.post-2329752574576698872012-04-28T16:48:13.718-04:002012-04-28T16:48:13.718-04:00"Biased" questions reflect interests, an..."Biased" questions reflect interests, and it is perfectly appropriate for some organizations to have interests (e.g. unions) because of their constituencies that is inappropriate for other organizations to have because of the neutrality they should maintain resulting from their non-partisan public character (e.g. PTA's).Dana Garrettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7893272060787897238.post-44322115575643017092012-04-28T13:53:37.783-04:002012-04-28T13:53:37.783-04:001. Political self-interest: Mr. Kowalko position...1. Political self-interest: Mr. Kowalko positions himself as the champion of independent school board elections while taking the exact position of one of his most consistent campaign contributors--various DSEA PACs.<br /><br />2. Half-truths: finding a particular question to be biased when used by DE PTA, but having no trouble with the same question when used by the teacher's union.<br /><br />3.Inaccuracies: characterizing Ms. Johansen as "a Rodel candidate" without knowing anything about her past contributions, her positions, or having any evidence that her intent to serve on the School Board is to be a Rodel puppet; mischaracterizing her service on parent-teacher organizations; accusing the DE PTA of somehow coverting supporting the Vision 2015 agenda, when their support has been overt and transparent for years.<br /><br />4. Misrepresentation: again, characterizing himself as a champion of school board independence while ignoring the fact that the union that has consistently support him was (a) the first organization to monetize school board elections; (b) dumping over a million bucks into state politics to influence those election; (c) one of his own campaign contributors. Furthermore, to suggest that DE PTA is a "special interest" group without acknowledging that DSEA is one also is misrepresentation.<br /><br />Dana,<br /><br />I realize you are a John Kowalko fan, but this letter is simply grossly erroneous, obviously politically rather than morally generated, and full of unsubstantiated assertions.<br /><br />For example, where is the evidence that anyone in Joanne Johansen's campaign has ever used Kenny Rivera's union membership against him (unless merely mentioning it is to be presumed an attack), and where is the evidence that any of the literature produced by Voices 4 Delaware Education in Red Clay has made any such attacks?<br /><br />Mr. Kowalko asserts that such attacks will be made; his is the burden of proof and he doesn't meet it.Steven H. Newtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09097470960863103473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7893272060787897238.post-32119453445046826532012-04-28T12:43:20.875-04:002012-04-28T12:43:20.875-04:00I don't see where you have shown that "th...I don't see where you have shown that "the letter is a thin tissue of political self-interest on Mr. Kowalko's part, cynically filled with half-truths, inaccuracies, and misrepresentations." Can you be specific?Dana Garrettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7893272060787897238.post-81319695355898734342012-04-28T12:13:53.164-04:002012-04-28T12:13:53.164-04:00Just because the views of the Governor, of Vision ...<i> Just because the views of the Governor, of Vision 2015, and of the Delaware PTA do not comport with Mr. Kowalko's does not make them in any way illegimate.</i><br /><br />Correct, it validates neither and it invalidates neither.Ed Diagnosticianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15327161701331135519noreply@blogger.com