Mr. James,

1) Should all political strategy meetings be open to the public? You show your lack of knowledge when you claim that we are holding secret meetings in a back room. Because if my strategy meetings to get elected are to be held in the open, then so must Debra Matthews, Chip Baker, and, hey - how about the presidential candidates, they keep holding those dastardly secret meetings when they plan out their election strategy.

This is what I hate about politics - people like you throw up these ridiculous arguments to try and take away the focus on the issues and problems faced by Hamilton County by claiming that we are planning these back room meetings in secret - of course we are.

Do you hold your client and strategy meetings to win your legal cases in front of the public for all to see? Think about what you are saying - I mean truly think about the weakness of your argument - it would be thrown out of court.

2) Tim Price - I don't care what your problem is with Tim Price, however, he is not running for school board - and if you think that I take my orders from Tim, Stuart, you don't know a thing about me. In fact, maybe you should endeavor to learn about something before you make comments about it.

You want to fight with Tim Price - have fun, but take it outside. It doesn't have anything to do with the school board. If I am elected, Tim Price doesn't get a vote on the school board. He gets the same thing as everyone else - a voice to talk with me.

Tim, along with many other people in District 4, support me because of my beliefs. If you actually listened to what I believe, you might find yourself supporting me too. Tim wants to change the direction of the school board and is working towards that goal. If you don't like what we are trying to do - then come after me, I'm a big boy and can take care of myself.

3) Control of the school board - absolutely - we'd like to wrest control of the school board to change the direction that it has been going. Maybe you are in favor of spending 82 to 84% of the budget in the classroom as the current school board has, I'm not - I am in favor of spending 90 to 92% in the classroom. Maybe you are in favor of not giving parents a voice in the school system as has happened in District 4, but I'm not. Maybe you are in favor of the current discipline problems facing Hamilton County schools, but I'm not. Maybe you are in favor of wasting money by paying Jesse Register $150,000 to sit on his couch, but I'm not. Maybe you are in favor of the inequality of Hamilton County schools where some are great but many have real problems, but I'm not. Maybe you are in favor of the school board breaking the Sunshine Laws, but I'm not. Maybe you are in favor of lowered expectations for students, but I'm not. Maybe you are in favor of accepting free money without worrying about the strings that are attached to that money, but I'm not. Maybe you are in favor of writing off Howard and the students that go there, but I'm not.

For those of you in Hamilton County, and especially in Districts 2 and 4 - If you are in favor of more of the same from the Hamilton County School Board - the waste, the true back room deals, the refusal to listen to the public - then you definitely do not want to vote for Joe Dumas or I.

I can promise you that Joe and I will not sit with the status quo, we will not blithely spend your money, and we will work hard to turn around a sinking ship. School boards can only do so much, we can't change society, but we can change policies to work with the hand we are dealt. If you want the school board to move in a different direction (Chip and Debra have been there for almost 12 years) then I ask that you vote for Joe in District 2 and Gregg Juster in District 4.

Lastly, I want to thank Mr. James for bringing all the publicity to the school board race. Because of him, we are better able to expose the truth about the problems and the solutions of the Hamilton County school system.

Gregg Juster
Back on Track for 2008 - AND PROUD OF IT
Candidate for District 4 School Board
greggjuster@gmail.com

* * *

I, like Gregg Juster, believe it is ludicrous for Stuart James to accuse
the "Back On Track 2008" team members of having "secret meetings" as
though that were some sort of sin, or even out of the ordinary.

When Mr. James was chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party, did
he invite Republicans or Independents to the "secret meetings" at which
his party and/or its candidates planned campaign strategies? Does he
complain when the Republicans don't invite him to their "secret
meetings" now? Well, OK, knowing Stuart he probably does, but anyone
can see such complaints don't hold water.

In every election groups of like-minded candidates and their supporters band together to support (or oppose) the issues they hold in common. That does not mean they agree on everything, but they do share a common basic mindset and the candidates - imagine this - may even share ideas on how to win the offices they are seeking.

Apparently if those like-minded groups call themselves "Democrats" or "Republicans" that is OK, but if they call themselves "Back On Track 2008" there is something sinister about it. Not.

Gregg Juster, Rhonda Thurman and Tim Price are my friends and my teammates as we attempt to make a positive difference for the students, teachers, parents, and citizens of Hamilton County. While they are my friends, none of them tell me what to do or how to think - nor will they when I become a member of the school board. But I support them and they support me. So get over it, Mr. James.

Joe Dumas
Back On Track 2008 - and proud of it!
District 2 Candidate
Hamilton County School Board
joe@joedumas.com