Sunday, March 02, 2008

Public Schools Being Used As Stage For Carson Campaign

Well, if you aren't already upset about how our Sheriff's Department is being used as a political arm of the Andre Carson for Congress campaign, then you should hear about how he's using our public schools to promote his campaign. "AndrĂ© Carson, Democratic Candidate for Congress in Indiana ’s 7th District, will visit two Indianapolis elementary schools during Read Across America Day tomorrow, March 3, 2008," reads a press release from his campaign." "Carson will read to the students and discuss the need for investments in their future." Which of your taxpayer-financed schools are staging these political events for Carson? Wendell Phillips School (IPS #63) and George Buck School (IPS #94). Is this Supt. Eugene White's way of thanking Carson for voting against new charter schools during his short, six-months on the Indianapolis City-County Council? To e-mail your complaints to the IPS Board and demand these events be cancelled immediately, click ">here.

UPDATE: I received this reply from Supt. Eugene White this morning concerning the staged campaign appearance by Andre Carson at two IPS schools this morning:

Mr. Welsh,

The Indianapolis Public Schools is a local government entity and it does not endorse or favor any political candidate over another one. However, if a candidate goes through the proper procedures to use a school facility for a meeting the District attempts to cooperate. This applies to candidates from all parties.

I will look into your concern, but please know that the Indianapolis Public Schools are open for our citizens to use them as long as the use does not compromise or interrupts school events or activities.

Dr. Eugene G. White, Superintendent
120 E. Walnut St. Room 702 A
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

That's fine, but if Mr. Carson was only interested in promoting the reading program, he would have just gone to the school and participated in it without sending out a press release announcing the time and location of his appearances so TV cameras and reporters could follow him to the school and promote his appearance. That is clearly interrupting or compromising a legitimate school-sponsored event.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Doesn't he have that new (2 weeks after joining City Council) job with Cripe (architects for many public school projects)??

Does he just not have to show up for work like the rest of us or ??????

Gary... can you get to the bottom of this?

Anonymous said...

Someone should ask Andre why
he wouldn't attend a public university such as IUPUI for his post-secondary studies, instead of the private places that he selected.

Anonymous said...

You can bet he wouldn't be showing up for this event if it weren't election time.

Anonymous said...

Geeez, Gary! Just get Jon invited somewhere like that instead of bitching about it. Politicians do this shit all the time.

Anonymous said...

I would not like to see this event cancelled as it is happening in many schools. It is on this date every year to coincide with the birthday of DR. Suess. I would say send them an email demanding Andre not be allowed to attend though.

Anonymous said...

This is an annual event. I dn't really have a problem with him doing it.

But, if I were runnning his campaign, I wouldn't schedule an event at a public school...given Andre's questionable collegiate matriculation.

Just sayin'.

The Cripe job is private-sector. If their principals are OK paying a guy to be elsewhere, that's their business.

But I do know a good friend who complained to Councilman Carson about some DPW issues in his council district. In November. Nothing done about it yet.

Anonymous said...

"Someone should ask Andre why
he wouldn't attend a public university such as IUPUI for his post-secondary studies, instead of the private places that he selected."

IUPUI has standards for admission. Diploma mills like the Lincoln Tech of business schools take money from anyone.

Anonymous said...

This read program is a national program involving city leaders coming into the schools and reading to the young students. Andre Carson should be commended for doing this for our children. Once again, your partisanship is showing.
Your candidate could have gone to school here in the city also but elected to go somewhere else....so please dont set up yet another double standard.

Anonymous said...

Who said Carson was going to be at these school today, anyway?

Gary R. Welsh said...

Carson's campaign sent out a press release to the news media yesterday announcing the time he would be at these two places. The point was to get the media to follow him to the schools and film and photograph him reading to students and hear him promote his plans for education. This is an annual event for the school. It is not an annual occurrence for a public official to use it as a photo op for his campaign, particularly one that is one week away.

Anonymous said...

Well, they had better give Carson the third grade primer to read in advance so Wilson can tutor him before his big splash event with the kids.

Also Wilson can videotape Carson and put it on youtube. Everyone will be dashing to their computer to hear Andre' read a story so he can get some media coverage.

Anonymous said...

If the voters of the 7th district can't see through this BS scheme they deserve Carson.Cream rises to the top and the best candidate wid,isn't that the American way.Shout out to Louis Ferrakan.

Anonymous said...

Grandma Caarson use every photo opp she could to fool voters. Why not Andre?

Anonymous said...

A catering friend was working an event for the democrats last year at a school. They bought Arte's BBQ for 5,000 people at what equated to a school orientation day.

Julia was there.

GOT TO GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF EDUCATION!