List of all Upcoming MoCo Political Events

I've started a list of all upcoming MoCo Politics events, whether sponsored by a MoCo Dem Club or any elected Dem official or MCDCC. It's at http://bessel.org/government/upcoming.htm 

The purposes are (a) to provide everyone with a single place where everyone can see all upcoming MoCo Dem party events and avoid conflicts, and (b) to give as much publicity as possible to all these events. 

It has 30 events listed so far and if anyone notices anything on this webpage that should be changed, or anything to be added or deleted, please feel free to contact me at the email address shown on this webpage.

Welcome Home Alan Gross

There may be differences of opinion about the actions President Obama announced today to normalize relations between the U.S. and Cuba, but everyone agrees that it is great that Alan Gross is home after being in a Cuban prison for 5 years.

And it's great that our Congressman Chris Van Hollen accompanied Alan Gross on his way home and both our Senators, Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, were at the airport to welcome him.

As a practical matter, those who are opposing President Obama's actions should be asked what they would do instead. Keep the isolation policy that has been in place for 50 years with little or no effect?

Democrats Party at Leisure World

Members of the Democratic Club of Leisure World (DCLW) held a holiday party tonight, with food, socializing, and a local high school band.

DCLW also welcomed many elected officials: MoCo Executive Ike Leggett, MoCo Council President George Leventhal, MoCo Council Member for our council district 3 Sidney Katz, State Senator for our legislative district 19 Roger Manno, State Delegates for our legislative district 19 Ben Kramer, Bonnie Cullison, and Marice Morales, Karen McManus representing Congressman Chris Van Hollen who was busy with the "Cromnibus" bill in Congress tonight, State's Attorney John McCarthy, MoCo Board of Education member Jill Ortman-Fouse, and MCDCC (MoCo Dem Central Comm) Secretary Wendy Cohen and members Harold Diamond and Melissa Pinnick.

Darrell Anderson New MCDCC Chair

Tonight, Darrell Anderson was elected unanimously to be the new Chair of MCDCC (Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee). He was the only candidate and was elected unanimously.

He was a three-term mayor of Washington Grove and a teacher for 20 years.

Charlotte Crutchfield Unanimously Selected by MoCo Council for Merit System Protection Board

A few minutes ago the Montgomery County Council unanimously selected Charlotte Crutchfield to be a new member of the County's Merit System Protection Board. This is a high honor and Charlotte deserves it.

Until this appointment, Charlotte was President of the District 19 Democratic Club where she was doing an excellent job. Because her new job requires her to avoid partisan political activity she will be leaving the D19 Dem Club position and Paul Bardack will take over as president.

Interestingly, both Charlotte Crutchfield and Paul Bardack ran for the district 19 House of Delegate seat in this year's primary election. Both ran excellent campaigns but neither was successful.

Donny & Marie Show at National Theatre

Some people love them and some don't, but there's no denying that Donny and Marie Osmond are putting on great entertainment at the National Theatre in Washington D.C.

You can read a review at http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2014/12/03/donny-marie-christmas-national-national-theatre/

MoCo Council President and Vice President
    
At today's session of the MoCo Council, George Leventhal was elected to be Council President for the next year and Nancy Floreen was elected Vice President. Outgoing President Craig Rice was lauded for his excellent work as last year's Council President.

George Leventhal was previously MoCo Council President in 2006 and Nancy Floreen was Council President in 2010. Both have been Council members since their election in 2002.

John Brown

December 2 is the anniversary of the execution of John Brown in Charles Town, Virginia. Even today, 155 years later, he is a very controversial figure.

Some feel he was insane but there is no evidence of that. Most historians now agree he was a man who was so opposed to slavery on moral grounds that he was willing to put his life (and that of his sons) on the line to eliminate it.

The trial itself is interesting. John Brown was tried in a Virginia court for treason, but treason is a crime only against a jurisdiction to which one owes allegiance and John Brown did not owe allegiance to Virginia as he was not a citizen there. He was tried for murder but there is no evidence that he intended to murder anyone -- although of course he was willing to do that if necessary to help destroy slavery. 

There were also procedural problems with his trial. Virginia authorities insisted on rushing his trial. It started 9 days after he was captured, when he was still so ill he had to be brought into court on a bed. He asked for a short delay so his lawyer could arrive but that was denied and he was assigned lawyers he did not want. 

After a week-long trial, and jury deliberation of just 45 minutes, he was sentenced to be hanged. That is when his greatest moments began.

John Brown gave interviews, met with Virginia authorities, and wrote letters. Even his most vehement enemies said they found him to be a man of principles. 

Victor Hugo wrote from Europe that the execution of John Brown would be "an uncorrectable sin." Henry David Thoreau wrote an essay describing John Brown as a man whose commitment to justice forced him to fight state-sponsored injustice, and questioned why others who opposed slavery did not act as John Brown did. A modern historian, Stephen B. Oates, has described John Brown as being "one of the most perceptive human beings of his generation."

Present at his execution were Stonewall Jackson, John Wilkes Booth, and Walt Whitman.

His final written comment has become famous:

"I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had as I now think, vainly, 

flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done."

Just a year after John Brown's execution, and after the election of Abraham Lincoln as U.S. President, South Carolina and then other states seceded from the United States, and just four months later the Civil War had begun and fully 5% of the U.S. population were dead within four years --- but John Brown's goal of the end of slavery in the U.S. had been achieved.

Swearing in of Re-Elected and Newly-Elected MoCo Executive and MoCo Council Members

MoCo Executive Ike Leggett and the 9 re-elected and newly-elected MoCo Council members were sworn in at a very nice ceremony this morning at Richard Montgomery H.S. Former Council Member Phil Andrews was thanked for his 16 years of extremely productive service on the Council. The auditorium was almost full and Ike Leggett, the Council Members, and everyone in the audience appeared to be optimistic about the future of our County.

Council Executive Ike Leggett described his 6-point plan to prove that MoCo is friendly to businesses and will help them.

JFK Assassination Anniversary

November 22 is a day that is burned into the memory of many Americans. Every year I remember exactly what happened that day and those that followed.

Rather than focus on what happened and whether there was a conspiracy (believed by many although there is no solid evidence even after more than fifty years), we should remember how JFK inspired so many people to have a better view of the good that government can do.

Kevin Walling

Kevin Walling joined the MCDCC (Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee) this summer and was almost immediately elected its Chair. I believe that is the first time this ever happened with MCDCC, and Kevin was also the youngest person ever elected to this position. He has now resigned.

There are some who have a negative view of Kevin but I am firmly on the other side. I have worked with him and found him to be intelligent, considerate, and willing to work hard. Yes, he made some mistakes just as all of us do, but he was willing to check into them and figure out ways to improve.

There's no point now in going further about my admiration for Kevin Walling. He has chosen to leave and MCDCC accepted his resignation and will choose a new Chair at its meeting in December. However, I hope he will be remembered for the good things he did, which are many.

Hopefully, MCDCC will come out of this stronger and more able to deal with the real problems the MoCo Democratic party faces.

Gettysburg Address

Today is the 151st anniversary of Abraham Lincoln delivering what has come to be known as "The Gettysburg Address." Today as then we should be "dedicated to the great task remaining before us" and help insure "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.

Vote Counting Still Going On

The election was held on November 4 and results were announced by news media and "unofficial" results are on the websites of the MoCo Board of Elections and the Maryland Board of Elections. However, the official count of ballots is still going on.

Today at the MoCo Board of Elections there will be a count of the remaining absentee ballots. And the official certification of the ballot count is scheduled to be completed December 9, 2014. Until then, all election statistics are unofficial.

Remembering a Veteran on Veterans Day

On this Veterans Day I remember my father, Martin Bessel, who served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War 2 from 1942 to 1946. He was about 25 years old in the photo above. He was very proud of his Honorable Discharge card which I believe he always carried in his wallet. 

He passed away a little over 37 years ago. I'm always pleased when people tell me I have even a slight resemblance to him. He was a wonderful man who would have loved my wife Barbara and she him.

Abraham Lincoln Won Reelection on this Day 150 Years Ago

On this day 150 years ago, November 8, 1864, Abraham Lincoln was reelected President of the United States.

No president had been reelected for 32 years and many thought it could never happen again. And many more, including Lincoln himself, as recently as August thought he would not be reelected.

His opponent was the former leader of all U.S. armies in the Civil War, Major General George B. McClellan. McClellan was very popular with his troops but virtually every historian agrees that he was an awful general, afraid to fight, fearing his enemy always had more troops than he did and always wrong, and meddling in politics which military officers should avoid.

McClellan didn't even resign from his military office when he was nominated for president or when he was a candidate for many months. He only resigned on November 8, the day he lost the election, by telegram to Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln won all the Union states except three, and won resoundingly in the military vote. The soldiers who had loved McClellan voted instead for Abraham Lincoln, to complete the job they had begun.

Comparison of Some 2014 and 2010 Votes in Leisure World of Maryland and MoCo

All those who watch politics are looking for explanations of what happened in the surprise vote for Maryland Governor 2 days ago. Can it be explained by voter turnout?

Just to use one area as a test case, I compared the votes in Leisure World of Maryland in the gubernatorial elections of 2010 and 2014, for Maryland Governor, Comptroller, State Senator in District 19, and Montgomery County Executive.

The total votes were down from 2010 compared with 2014, by 6-8%. However the percent of votes received by the Democratic and Republican candidates for Maryland Comptroller, State Senator and County Executive were almost exactly the same in both years.

The voting for Governor was a completely different story. The percentages for the Democratic and Republican candidates in 2010 was 68% vs. 32%. The percentages in 2014 were 60% vs. 40%.

This made me wonder if the Leisure World results were unique or if the same pattern might show up in all of MoCo and District 19.

The total votes were down from 2010 compared with 2014, by 15-16% (Leisure World almost always has better voter turnout than MoCo). And the percent of votes received by the Democratic and Republican candidates for Maryland Comptroller, State Senator, and County Executive were exactly the same in both years in District 19 and MoCo, just as with the Leisure World pattern.

The voting for Governor was a different story. The percentages for the Democratic and Republican candidates in MoCo in 2010 was in  69% vs. 31%. The percentages in 2014 were 63% vs. 37%.

Conclusion: It appears that although the voter turnout in 2014 was lower than in 2010, the percentage of votes received by Democratic vs. Republican candidates in at least three races, statewide, countywide, and Leisure World, stayed the same. That is, all had fewer votes but in about the same proportion. The only race that was significantly different in terms of one party's candidate having a much lower percent of the votes, was the Governor's race, and that was true countywide and in Leisure World.

Should You Really Bother to Vote? What Does It Matter?

Many people ask themselves these questions and decide it's too much of a bother to vote and it doesn't matter anyway. It's worth thinking a little more.

November 15, 1917:Under orders from the superintendent of the Occoquan Workhouse, forty guards with clubs went on a rampage, brutalizing thirty-three jailed women. They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head, and left her there for the night. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed, and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate Alice Cosu, who believed Mrs. Lewis to be dead, suffered a heart attack. According to affidavits, other women were grabbed, dragged, beaten, choked, slammed, pinched, twisted, and kicked. 

What was the crime these women had committed? They participated in a demonstration to allow women to vote. No kidding.

May 7, 1955 · Belzoni, Mississippi

Rev. George Lee, one of the first black people registered to vote in Humphreys County, used his pulpit and his printing press to urge others to vote. White officials offered Lee protection on the condition he end his voter registration efforts, but Lee refused and was murdered.

August 13, 1955 · Brookhaven, Mississippi

Lamar Smith was shot dead on the courthouse lawn by a white man in broad daylight while dozens of people watched. The killer was never indicted because no one would admit they saw a white man shoot a black man. Smith had organized blacks to vote in a recent election.

June 21, 1964 · Philadelphia, Mississippi

James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Henry Schwerner, young civil rights workers who were trying to register Mississippi African Americans to vote, were arrested by a deputy sheriff and then released into the hands of Klansmen who had plotted their murders. They were shot, and their bodies were buried in an earthen dam.

Is there still any doubt whether voting is "worth it"?

Governor O'Malley's Great Performance at Leisure World for Brown-Ulman

Today (Nov. 3) Governor Martin O'Malley came to Leisure World in Silver Spring, MD, and sang and played the guitar and banjo. It was a great performance, focused on encouraging everyone to vote for the Brown-Ulman team in tomorrow's election.

Governor O'Malley was funny and entertaining, and he had the audience captivated. At one point he introduced Ken Ulman's (Lt. Gov. candidate) daughter (8 days from being 9 years old). She did a rap song "It's about about the vote" and had the audience clapping and singing along.

It was a wonderful event, followed by a phone bank to encourage everyone to vote for Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman for Maryland Governor and Lt. Governor tomorrow.

The Only Emancipation in the U.S. by Popular Vote - Maryland on November 1, 1864 - 150 Years Ago Today

It's not well known how emancipation came to the United States. 

At the time of the Revolutionary Was slavery was lawful in all 13 states. Between 1776 and 1861 just about all the northern states abolished slavery or were close to completing abolition.

Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the Confederacy but there were still 4 states in the Union that allowed slavery: Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. All four were reluctant to heed Lincoln's argument that if they didn't abolish slavery during the Civil War -- with compensation to the owners paid for by the federal government, the war would automatically abolish slavery with no payments to slavewners.

In Maryland those who opposed slavery, led by Thomas Swann, later a Maryland Governor, and John Pendleton Kennedy, another very interesting Maryland politician, author, and philanthropist, pushed for a new Maryland Constitution that would include a provision prohibiting slavery in our State. It said, "That hereafter, in this state (Maryland), there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except in punishment for crime ... and all persons held to service or labor as slaves, are hereby free."

The result was success, albeit by a very small vote margin. The voters of Maryland on November 1, 1864, exactly 150 years ago, adopted a new Constitution that abolished slavery in our State forever. 

The margin was extremely small, about 300 votes out of almost 60,000 cast, with the votes of Maryland soldiers serving in the Union Army overwhelmingly in favor of freedom. And historians have pointed out that there was a great deal of fraud and intimidation in the election.

Still, Maryland abolished slavery by vote of its people. I believe no other state can say that, and I doubt that any other state or nation in history can say that. Marylanders have the right to be very proud of this accomplishment today on its 150th anniversary.

Candidates who Respect Voters and Candidates Who Don't

Each year the League of Women Voters and many other groups send questionnaires to all candidates from all parties asking for their positions on the issues, so the voters can vote intelligently.

However, if you look at the Voter's Guide published by the League of Women Voters, for example, you will find that some candidates simply refused to show respect to the voters. They didn't even respond to the request for their views on the issues.

For example, in my district the State Senator is Democrat Roger Manno. He gave detailed answers to all the League's questions and he has a website where he gives even more details about his positions on the issues. 

His Republican opponent is Felix Gonzales. He has not responded to the League's questions at all and he doesn't have a website or, as far as I can tell, any other place where he could tell the voters his views. 

Despite this, some people are saying voters should elect some Republicans for "balance." Why? Do the people who say this want voters to blindly vote for candidates who don't tell the voters anything about what they would do if elected? Isn't that the opposite of good government?

The 2014 Election has Begun

The 2014 General Election in Maryland has officially begun today with the start of Early Voting.

Voters in Montgomery County can vote in any of 9 locations regardless of what is your voting location on Election Day. Early Voting days are October 23 through and including October 30, from 10am to 8pm. Information about the Early Voting locations, including addresses and current wait times, can be found at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/elections/index2.html

Those who prefer to vote by mail (sometimes called absentee voting) can still do so. Information about voting by mail is at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections/Absentee/Questions.html

And of course you can vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, from 7am to 8pm, at your assigned polling place. You can check on that at https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/PollingPlaceSearch

150th Anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek -- Important Lessons

Today (October 19) is the 150th anniversary of the Civil War Battle of Cedar Creek. Why is that important to us today? It's the story of how one person can totally change history.

By October 19, 1864, the main Union and Confederate armies in the east were in a stalemate in trenches around Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia. To relieve the pressure, Robert E. Lee had sent part of his army to threaten to capture Washington DC and they had come close to succeeding, but by now they were in the Shenandoah Valley on their way back to Lee.

The Confederates staged a surprise assault on the Union army around Cedar Creek in the Valley on this day, and they initially were completely successful. The Union soldiers were in full retreat and this could have had very important consequences for the future of the United States.

Then the commander of the Union Army in the Shenandoah Valley, Major General Philip Sheridan, 33 years old, arrived on the field and as described by everyone who was there he completely changed the situation. In minutes he had his routed soldiers inspired to turn around and fight, and by the end of the day it was a complete Union victory over the Confederates. For the rest of the Civil War the Confederate army would never be able to use the Shenandoah Valley.

The lesson for us now? That one person can truly change history. If Philip Sheridan had not been the person in charge of this Union army, or if he had been a less charismatic person, it is entirely possible that the Civil War might have ended in a different way, and thus the history of the United States would be entirely different.

Maryland Lt. Governor Discussion

Kojo Nnamdi invited the Democratic and Republican candidates for Lt. Governor of Maryland for a "discussion" (not a debate). It was a joy to watch and listen to, because it was mainly positive and civil and focused on real issues.

You can see and hear it at http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2014-10-16/maryland-lieutenant-gubernatorial-debate

"Elmer Gantry" at Signature Theatre

"I have principles. I just don't let them get in the way of what I want." That funny line describes Elmer Gantry, a charismatic figure who helps make Sister Sharon Falconer's revival meetings hugely successful. In the process he falls in love but in the end there is tragedy and redemption.

Burt Lancaster was mesmerizing as Elmer in the 1960 movie, and the show now playing at Signature Theatre adds great music and amazing singing by a terrific cast. If you're interested in the human spirit, the role of religion in our society, political corruption, and the indescribable beauty of love, you should see this show.

A more detailed review is at http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2014/10/16/elmer-gantry-signature-theatre1/

A Very Good Day for Anthony Brown

Today started with Anthony Brown receiving the endorsement for Governor from the Washington Post, then the second debate between him and Republican Larry Hogan.

The Washington Post said, "Mr. Brown is the more knowledgeable man and the more nimble politician: he would make a better governor....Mr. Brown's breadth of experience, coupled with the lack of credibility at the heart of Mr. Hogan's program, inform our endorsement. So does Mr. Brown's more substantial record of achievement in public life....Mr. Brown is the more serious and substantial candidate. He has a better grasp of how to operate the levers of government and how to bolster Maryland's competitiveness while tending to their basic needs."

This was followed by another debate between Anthony Brown and Larry Hogan, dominated by negative attacks. However, once again Anthony Brown clearly had more facts at his command and his proposals made more sense than those of Larry Hogan, whose campaign seems to consist simply of cliches repeated over and over.

Nobel Prize Winning Economist Paul Krugman Evaluates President Obama - One of the most "successful presidents in American history"

An article that should be read by everyone is in Rolling Stone magazine and you can find it at http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/in-defense-of-obama-20141008

It's written by Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman. He deals with those who criticize President Obama from both the right and left, and then evaluates what the president has done in key areas. 

His conclusion is that Barack Obama is one of the most consequential and successful presidents because of what he did about health care, the economy, regulation of the financial market, care of the environment, and other issues.

This is an article that is important for everyone to read.

Brown - Hogan Debate

I'm trying to be as objective as possible about last night's debate between the Democratic and Republican candidates for Maryland Governor. (Full disclosure: I support Anthony Brown.)

Having said that, it seems to me that Anthony Brown did a much better job in the debate than Larry Hogan. Brown provided more facts while Hogan was more negative (although both were more negative than I would wish). Brown's opening and closing comments were much better than Hogan's.

Brown was animated and definitely seemed ready to be Governor while I didn't get the same feeling about Hogan.

We'll see how the other debates turn out.

District 19 Democratic Club

The District 19 Democratic Club held its Annual Meeting last night (Oct. 7) and it was a full house with lots of enthusiasm.

Congressman John Delaney spoke about current issues in Congress including his bills which are bipartisan and focus on improving our country's infrastructure to prepare us for the future.

New officers were elected: Charlotte Crutchfield as President, Paul Bardack as 1st VP, Maxine Banks as 2nd VP, and others.

The District 19 Democratic Club appears to be doing very well and has a bright future.

Some Statistics About Democratic Voter Turnout in the 2014 Primary Election in MoCo and LW

Some interesting statistics have become available about Democratic voter turnout in the June 2014 Primary Election in MoCo and in LW (Leisure World).

Counting those who voted early, absentee, provisional, and on election day, 26% of registered MoCo Democrats voted in the Primary, while 47% of registered LW Democratic voters voted in the Primary.

As might be expected more LW Dem voters voted absentee than in MoCo, 9% vs. 6%, and fewer LW Dems voted early than in MoCo, 14% to 18%.

41% of both LW and MoCo Dems who voted in total, voted on Election Day.

These figures come from the MoCo Board of Elections.

Turnout in Maryland Governor Elections

What will be the turnout in Maryland and MoCo in the coming election for Maryland Governor? Past history may be an indication.

Counting votes for the Democratic and Republican candidates for Governor, below are the changes and percent changes in total votes for Governor in MD and MoCo in the last 6 elections.

	Democratic	Republican	MD	%	MoCo	%
	Candidate	Candidate	Increase	Inc	Increase	Inc
1990	William	William	9,519	1%	9,561	5%
	Donald	Shepard
	Shaeffer
1994	Parris	Ellen	299,200	27%	48,611	24%
	Glendening	Sauerbrey
1998	Parris	Ellen	125,134	9%	21,792	9%
	Glendening	Sauerbrey
2002	Kathleen	Robert	157,685	10%	18,461	7%
	Kennedy	Ehrlich
	Townsend
2006	Martin	Robert	74,729	4%	8,688	3%
	O'Malley	Ehrlich
2010	Martin	Robert	53,537	3%	(14,886)	-5%
	O'Malley	Ehrlich

Georgia Ave & Randolph Rd Intersection

On September 30, 2014, SHA (Maryland's State Highway Administration) had an information session at Kennedy High School about progress on improving the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Randolph Road.

Anyone who drives through that intersection is aware of how necessary it is to improve it. To do so, the ultimate plan is a tunnel for Randolph Road under Georgia Avenue and other improvements. And to accomplish that goal, SHA will move both Georgia Avenue and Randolph Road for about 3 years.

SHA said its plan is that starting in January 2015 Georgia Avenue will be moved to the east and Randolph Road will be moved to the south around this intersection, to allow them to build the Randolph Road tunnel. They plan to complete that and return the two roads to where they are now in 2017.

Public Financing of MoCo Elections Passes

Today (September 30) the MoCo Council adopted a bill to become the first jurisdiction in Maryland to implement public financing of elections.

Candidates will have to meet a threshold of small donations, and once they do that donations will be matched by a public fund. Small donations will be matched at a higher rate than large donations, so the public should have a greater voice in how money is raised for campaigns.

The MoCo Council spent many hours today going over this bill, making many amendments that most people feel generally strengthened the bill.

As was said by a Council Member, this public financing bill is the result of years of work by Council Member Phil Andrews. He supported and pushed for public financing of elections to make the public a more influential voice in elections than large donors. He will soon be leaving the Council but this, as well as many other initiatives of his in the past, will influence the citizens of Montgomery County long into the future.

First Candidate Forum for Bd of Ed Candidates

Last night (Sept 29) we had what I think is the first candidates forum for Board of Education candidates on the November 2014 ballot. All 8 candidates showed up for the forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the MoCo Council of PTA's.

While it was interesting to see and hear all the candidates, I doubt that anyone in the audience or those who will see a rebroadcast on Channel 21 will find this forum helpful in assisting them to decide for which candidates to vote.

In my opinion some candidate forums are too rigidly controlled. All the questions were prepared in advance by the forum organizers, or selected from written questions submitted by the audience. Unless I missed it, there were no controversial questions. For example, all responded to, "What will you do about diversity in MCPS (MoCo Public Schools)? by saying, "I support more diversity but no one should lose a job."

I suggest that organizers of future candidate forums allow and encourage questions directly from the audience, and not allow every candidate to answer every question. That will make forums more interesting and will give voters a clearer indication of which candidates they wish to support.