Shame on the Cleburne Times-Review

by Alden Nellis

May 19, 2009

Shame on the Cleburne Times-Review for dragging school board candidate Tolin Navarrete through the mud after the election (T-R, 5-17-09, Editorial). It repeats gossip that we and many others had never heard until we read it in the Times-Review, and it gives the candidate a negative feeling about the race. They and we should be praising him for having the courage to run and encouraging him to run again next year.

My hat is off to all three of the men who ran for Place 3 on the school board. They had the courage to do what very, very few people do – seek election to a non-paying public service office.

Wendell Dempsey won for several reasons – one being experience. This was the third time he ran. The first time he got 26% of the votes as a write-in candidate. The second time he got 45% of the votes running against the school’s political machine’s pick, and this time he won. Mr. Navarrete made a really good show for a first-time race. He should be encouraged to run again next year. Matt Snider made a respectable showing, especially considering that he chose not to put up campaign signs.

I too am unsettled by the election, including the things the Times-Review mentioned and much more.

I am unsettled that the school district picks and / or supports candidates for the board. The school should be neutral. They should stay out of the races and be willing to accept whoever the voters send.

I am unsettled about reports that school employees were told by other school employees that they and their families must vote for the school’s chosen candidate, Tolin Navarrete in this case, or the so-called anti-school candidate would get elected.

I am unsettled that barely over 10% of the CISD registered voters made the effort to vote in the election. This is about the usual participation despite several hot issues on the ballot.

I am unsettled that six of our seven board members are from the southwest quadrant of the district while the board continues to resist going to Single Member Districts.

I am unsettled that the Times-Review continues to drag two of the candidates, Mr. Navarrete and Mr. Dempsey, through the mud even though the election is over. We expect more from “our” daily paper. Our expectations must be tempered by the fact that the Times-Review is just one of a large conglomerate of papers owned by an out-of-state company, an Alabama corporation.

All of that unsettledness is countered by the settled feeling I get when I think about us soon having a board member who is equally concerned with educating our children and looking out for the taxpayers. Welcome on board, Mr. Dempsey, and thank you, Mr. Navarrete and Mr. Snider, for giving us a choice. I hope both of you will give it a go again next year.