I am a Tennessee resident, but spend time in Florida, so I keep up with local news on the Chattanoogan.com and the online TFP.

I am a voter in Tennessee and will vote for Dr. Joe Dumas for school board in August. One of the reasons I choose Dr. Dumas is his public commitment to devote four years (the length of the term) to the office he seeks. Mr. Chip Baker refuses to answer the question - if re-elected, will he fulfill his term on the board or try and obtain a seat on the county commission. Why is this such a hard question to answer? He owes it to the voters in District 2 to let them know how long he will serve if he receives their vote.

Any reasonable person would look at his comments on July 2 in the TFP - Mr. Baker said he would "weigh all the facts" before deciding whether to run (for Dr. Casavants's seat in 2010). This statement, along with his refusal to commit to completing his school board term if re-elected, says it all. Dr. Casavant endorses Mr. Baker (if he decides to run) as a county commission candidate in the same article.

Furthermore, Dr. Casavant states he does not know why it would be considered a negative if Mr. Baker runs for a commissioner's seat. It's not a negative, if Mr. Baker is available to pursue his aspirations without leaving a four year school board term after two years, but the school board is not a holding pen for a candidate to sit in while he awaits an opportunity to run for another office, leaving behind a vacancy and a bad taste in the mouth of those who supported him.

As Mr. Gregg Jester, candidate in District 4 states in the same TFP piece, "Joe (Dumas) has a commitment to District 2, and he's asking Chip (Baker) to make that same commitment. That's not unreasonable."

As a voter in your district Mr. Baker, I ask you to publicly announce your intentions. Will you remain on the board, if re-elected for four years, or not? Simple question. Your statement that you will "weight all the facts" before deciding to run for a county commissioner seat gives me the answer to this question, even if you will not.

John Carson

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Mr. Carson,

For your information (and that of all District 2 residents), below is the pledge, word for word, that I asked Mr. Baker to sign with me so that the voters would know that the person they elect to the School Board will serve out the full term of office. It is very straightforward and the meaning is clear.

So far, my opponent has yet to sign it or even communicate with me about it since the candidate forum at which I brought it up. You and other readers can draw your own conclusions from the fact that a candidate for office is unwilling to agree to something that should be an obvious win-win for himself and the voters.

I hope everyone will consider my opponent's non-response when they go to the polls on Aug. 7 (early voting begins July 18).

"As a candidate for Hamilton County School Board, I pledge the following to the citizens of District 2:

"I promise to complete the four-year term of office on the School Board unless I am prevented from doing so by legal disability; death or serious illness of myself or a member of my immediate family; or other major emergency that renders me unable to continue serving in elected office.

"I specifically promise, if elected to the District 2 School Board seat on Aug. 7, 2008, not to seek any other elected or appointed political office prior to the 2012 election cycle, when the term for which I am now running expires. At that time I may choose to run for re-election for the same office, or pursue a different office, or choose not to run at all.

"This pledge will take effect upon being signed by both candidates seeking the office."

[awaiting signature] D. C. "Chip" Baker

[signed] Joe Dumas

Joe Dumas
District 2 School Board candidate
joe@joedumas.com