Jameson County Game Thread: County Commission Race

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The Jameson Herald

Board of Education Faces Growing Shortfall
The Jameson County Board of Education met last night at Pinkerton Elementary. Members received a presentation by the board office's Treasurer, Liz Downton. Ms. Downton reported that the shortfall grew due to a slight drop in enrollment and an increase in administrative spending. State aid for compensating teachers has also declined. This led to a many pay increases across the county to go unfunded.

Dr. Wilcox, member from Hensley, advocated for fellow board members to spend some time with budget and come up with a solution that doesn't affect the students. He agains raised concerns that Hensley Elementary and Hensley Middle are underfunded when compared to other schools.

Board members made a modest attempt to begin dealing with the shortfall. Members voted 5-2 in favor of laying off Jameson High math teacher, Mr. Wolfgang Heinzel. Mr. Heinzel is a German immigrant in this country on a worker's visa. He was educated in engineering in the United States and supports his family by teaching at Jameson High.

If financial trouble continues, the Board may be forced to raise property taxes, the only form of taxation the board has authority over. The increase would be quite dramatic, nearly $120,000 a year. Failure to address the shortfall could lead the state department of education to intervene and take over Jameson County Schools.


Residents of Norma Deliver Transportation Petition to County
Road conditions have been a major source of conversation in Norma. Citizens delivered a petition with 600 signatures to the County Commission calling for action to be taken on deteriorating road conditions.

The Norma Chemical Plant is a powerful economic base. It pays it's annual Business Operation Taxes and accompanies their tax bill with a $10,000 donation to Norma Elementary-Middle. However, the plant requires heavy machinery and trucks to be transported on Norma roads. This is the primary cause of road deterioration in the area.

Citizens in Hensley are mostly isolated from the road situation given the financial health of their city government. Georgeville residents have long complained about the lack of effective infrastructure in their area. A rock slide damaged a road in Georgeville a year and a half ago and it remains unfixed. Pinkerton residents are generally supportive of improving infrastructure.

Editorial

Frank McKinley, Jameson County Republican Chair

Jameson County Republicans have proposed a solution to our crumbling roads. And we do it without doing damage to our local businesses while protecting the jobs created by the Norma Chemical Plant.

First off, let's go ahead and say what we can't do. County Democrats want to create a new tax on large trucks and machinery. Basically, the truck tax is going to raise taxes on the chemical plant and make it harder for it to do business. That's not going to be good for anyone. If we lose the chemical plant, all kinds of families in Norma will lose their livelihood. We can't let that happen.

The Republican Party is proposing a reasonable solution to the problem. We are proposing a 1 cent tax on every gallon of gasoline and a 3 cent tax on every gallon of diesel. This gas tax is small and doesn't affect household budgets like a plant closure would. This plan will raise money to finance hundreds of thousands of dollars in transportation bonds.

Republicans are proposing a reasonable solution to building our roads. We oppose any Democratic attempt to bankrupt the Norma Chemical Plant and send their jobs out of county.

Ike James, Chair of the Jameson Democratic Party
People need good roads to get to work, buy groceries, and support their families. Infrastructure is vital to keeping our economy healthy and alive. The Jameson Democrats are dedicated to rebuilding our roads and bridges.

Republicans are once again trying to let corporations get away. Big Businesses like the Norma Chemical Plant drive massive trucks on our roads and cause them to break down. The chemical plant is the root of our current infrastructure problem. That doesn't mean we should shut it down, but they should cover the cost of repairs.

Democrats are proposing something very simple and straightforward. The county will levy a new tax on the heavy trucks and machines the plant moves on our roads. The new money will be used to hire workers and buy supplies to rebuild our roads. The plan is simple and pays for itself. The person causing the damage pays for fixing it.

Republicans are trying to fleece our community with a tax on gasoline. They oppose our efforts to make Big Business pay for the problems they cause. The gas tax will drive up the cost of living for people in Norma, Pinkerton, and Georgeville. Rural communities run on gasoline. Don't let Republicans let Big Business get away.

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Farmer's Gazette

Pinkerton Elementary Gets A on School Report Card

Pinkerton Elementary once again turned in an 'A' grade on the annual school report card. The school received a 90%, the minimum grade required to achieve the grade

Pinkerton Elementary have once again demonstrated their skill at teaching students. Teachers at Pinkerton have received a pay increase despite the decline in state aid for hiring and employing teachers.

Pinkerton performed 9 points better than Hensley Elementary. This marks the 13th year in a row that Pinkerton performed better than Hensley Elementary. The school also performed 10 points better than Hensley Middle. This marks 16 years of Pinkerton being better on the report card than Hensley Middle.

Norma Elementary-Middle School received an 87 on the report card.


Gas Tax Proposed, Hurts Farmers 
The gas tax proposed by the Republicans hurts farmers. The tax is supposed to finance a new plan of transportation bonds to build roads across the county. It raises enough revenue to finance the bonds and construct the roads.

Democratic Chair Ike James issued the Democrat alternative to the plan. In it, large trucks, which are the root cause of the road problems, will be taxed to fund improvements. The money will hire unemployed people to work on road construction and stimulate the economy.

The Republican plan favors Big Business and taxes farmers, who use gasoline to run their farms. In this paper's opinion, the Republican plan places unfair burden on rural communities in favor of Big Business.

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The Hensley Record

Hensley Schools Show Significant Improvement
For years, people have claimed that Hensley schools are failing. For the first time in years, those people are wrong. The annual school report card shows Hensley Elementary reaching 81% and Hensley Middle reaching 80%.

The two 'C' grades are both dramatic improvements from last year. Hensley Elementary picked up 10% in the previous school year while Hensley Middle picked up 11%. School officials at both schools are celebrating their success and have been awarded with recognition from the county school board.

Catholic school St. Peter Elementary once again earned its reputation as the best performing school in the county with an 'A' grade of 95%. School supporters recognized the elementary school students with a school carnival. "We just really believe these kids should be rewarded for their success," one parent said.

Jameson High School continues to lag far behind state averages. Attendance declined last year and the discipline situation worsened at Jameson High. The deterioration was followed by a 73% 'D' on the school performance report card.

City Launches Business Development Fund
The Hensley City Council approved a $100,000 Business Development Fund at their last meeting. Citing the extraordinary financial health of the city, the council voted unanimously to approve the loan-guarantee fund.

"I'm very pleased with the fund's creation. It is really going to bring in some business and create more economic activity in the area. And the way they're doing it, through loan guarantees, really saves the city money," said one area business owner.

City Republicans are supporting a plan that would use the new tax revenues from the businesses to reduce business taxes on everyone. "In our plan, everyone wins. The new businesses pay a lower rate, but so does everybody else," said Mayor McCrimmon.

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OOC: If Mel Darren wanted to write the Norma Caller and anyone wanted to write a letter to the editor, add to the top of your post which paper it's going to.


Basically, we're going to spend a little bit fleshing out Jameson County by debating proposals and getting into it. A few days into this, I'll announce what elections are going on and we'll go from there.

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To the Jameson Herald:

The school board has, once again, kicked the can down the road a little bit further. Instead of capping administrator salaries and taking on the demands of high maintenance unions, the board has decided to lay off and, by extension, deport Mr. Wolfgang Heinzel. Mr. Heinzel is a math teacher at Jameson High.

I'm a student at Jameson High School and I see first hand the failure of our school system. Mr. Heinzel is not one of those failures. He's an extraordinary math teacher. Mr. Heinzel is an engineer, meaning he can teach students how to actually apply the stuff they learn in class. He's a model of student engagement. There wasn't a single class disruption the entire time I had Mr. Heinzel.

If the school board believes they have played it safe politically by avoiding taking on the administrators, they were wrong. Hundred of students have had Mr. Heinzel and he's a universally adored figures. We're ready to go to bat for him. There is a group of students who will be attending the next board of education meeting and I encourage every member of the community to turn out.

We have to show the school board that it's time to get their wasteful spending under control.

                                                                                        -Nick Weaver

Mr. Weaver is a junior at Jameson High and chair of the Jameson High Young Republicans and a member of student government.

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I might put up limited specials at the Kitchen and/or a events calendar. Until the Elections start.

This would be good. If you all want to run events of your own, that would be great. It would make it more organic. Like the union organizers can decide to try to unionize a business, I'll provide the employer's response, etc. Church services and the conversations thereafter are good too

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Franklin Drake is a businessman. He owns three sets of apartments, two gas stations, an appliance store, and several oil and natural gas wells. Drake has used his money to sponsor local charities and school clubs. He's a known contributor to candidates on the board of education and is very involved in the Hensley PTA. He's been a big believer in Hensley schools

Frank has raised the concerns of a lot of Hensley parents saying that Hensley is underfunded and the county's priorities are out of whack. He spoke at a Faculty Senate meeting where both Middle and Elementary from Hensley are present. He praised their ability and called them the best the county had to offer.

Frank then visited Norma school and wrote a $10,000 check to cover school supplies costs for teachers. He spoke to the Faculty Senate meeting focusing on their consistently high grades. "This is a smart investment," he said.

Many say Frank Drake is eying a spot in the upcoming At-Large board of education elections.

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The Info thread says there is one seat for every district and 3 at large seats.

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The Info thread says there is one seat for every district and 3 at large seats.

Ah, I must have mis-read that. I thought that 3 seats were split between districts.

Nope, so now there is confirmation of the three at large seats being up.

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County Elections: At Large

County Commission

One of the two Democratic County Commissioners, Ike Bolby, is up for re-election. Bolby has served on the County Commission for 16 years and is commonly viewed as a relic of the "Machine era' of politics. He is supported by the traditional Pinkerton and Georgeville bases of the Jameson Democratic Party. Bolby also wins landslide support from the African American community in Hensley. His political strength is the fragile balance he holds between the African Americans and working class whites in the rest of the county.

Bolby has a well-earned reputation for being a political scrapper. Public opinion of him is mediocre at best, but his position as Commission President lends him a certain level of clout he uses to keep his machine together.

The County Commission received a proposal from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in partnership with Friedman Industries, a housing developer, to construct and manage a low-income housing development near the county line in Georgeville. The development would be connected by public transit to a medium-sized city, Trentonberg, that is 45 minutes away. Recently, Trentonberg have been undergoing a homelessness issue that disproportionately effected its African American population. The housing development is one step they're taking to attempt to reduce the situation. County Republicans are supportive of selling the government land. The Jameson County Business Association has endorsed the project. County Democrats have not commented officially, though some officials have voiced concerns for a possible decline in property values in already impoverished Georgeville.

Additionally, the roads question has not been answered. Republicans and Democrats are deadlocked on the gas tax versus business tax when it comes to funding road construction. The case is still being made across the county with Georgeville and Pinkerton solidly in favor of a business tax while Hensley, typically a swing area, supports the gas tax by large margins. Norma is the potential swing region when it comes to the road question, with support split evenly on each side.

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The Candidates

Commissioner Ike Bolby (D-Pink): 16 year incumbent, political scrapper, Commission President. Bolby depends on an uneasy coalition of African Americans and the populist Democrats of Pinkerton and Georgeville. He is famous for his powerfully negative campaigns to preserve his job. His opponents are very outspoken and his supporters tend to be a silent majority. (Think Harry Reid)


Frank McKinley (R-Hen): Jameson GOP Chair, President of Jameson Neighborhood Bank. McKinley is not a lightning rod figure. He has run the Jameson GOP for 5 years and the Bank for 12. He has funded Jameson Republican candidates for years. He is a consensus builder by nature and always considered a run for office. (Think GHW Bush)


James McCrimmon(R-Hen): Owner of Hensley Hardware and Mayor of Hensley. He attends St. Peter's Catholic Church every Sunday. His children attend St. Peter Elementary.  He takes a middle of the road stance when it comes to theological issues in the church. As a Republican, Mayor McCrimmon is a stalwart ally of small businesses. He is currently serving in his first term as mayor. He was elected on his record of service as a three-term city council member.


Melinda Gearheart(R-Pink): Pinkerton Councilwoman and Chair of Jameson Farm Bureau. Melinda was elected on the same ballot as the current mayor of Pinkerton. Due to the slant of the area, Melinda is viewed as a strong candidate for future office within the county. She is a very divisive figure in Pinkerton politics, with 50% support and 50% opposition. Republicans believe if her half of the Pinkerton electorate shows up, Bolby is done. (Think Scott Walker)


Bob Staats(R-Norm): Owner of Dexhart Pharmacy and Manager of "NO ON QUESTION 1". Staats got his start as an anti-tax crusader against the school levy last cycle. While everyone assumed the levy would pass, Staats took up the cause to defeat the tax increase. The entire Jameson School board and the teachers campaigned for the levy, but didn't run a comprehensive Yes campaign. On Election Day, the levy failed 65-35 and Staats now had a claim to fame. His followers want him to seek higher office. (Think a TEA Partier on tax issues only)

The Election

The campaign will began on January 1st and end November 4. The filing deadline for county commission is January 22nd. This will give people three full turns to jump into the game.

The Herald will conduct every other week polling and their will be either a newspaper or radio interview every turn. You will also compete at round tables with local interest groups.

Turns will be 7 days in game time, they'll last approximately 2 days in the real world subject to the needs of the players.


Sign up now for your candidates. If you feel the need for another type of candidate PM me. We don't need to fill all of these candidates, they could run for other offices elsewhere in the county.

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Excited to see this up and running again.

Would you like to play?