News-Record.com

That's a great suggestion because, as far as anyone knows, all the endorsements of Garth Hebert on the previous post could have been made by Garth himself.

That's not to suggest they were, only to say that anonymous endorsements have no credibility.

I think that is pretty pathetic to suggest that Garth would do those postings Doug.

I agree. Garth has always used his real name when he posts. He certainly doesn't need to drum up votes from the few people that read this blog!

Real names, please?

Again, you've convinced us that editorials coming from the N&R carry no credibility since nobody "steps forward to be counted".

I am excited though, that this year's political endorsements printed in the N&R will NOT be anonymous. You guys always set the best examples!!

Thanks!

Is that the best you can do?
We do step forward.
Our names are listed on the page every day.
If you call with a request to speak to the author of a specific editorial, we'll gladly connect you. It's no secret.
We sign our personal columns.
My name and picture are on this blog; same with Doug and all the rest of our bloggers.

Thats right, I remember several times over the years requests for the editorials to have names put on them.You have never done it.

After all, if you geniunely believe in your editorials, shouldn't you be willing to step forward and be counted?

I guess that has made my mind up. You wont be getting my name. You can see my IP address though. I think you can see its not Garths.

We will, when asked. Will you say who you are when asked?

Allen,

You are fighting a losing battle on this one.

That fast-name-change crew lost credibility with me a long, long, time ago.

David:
You're probably right. Doesn't speak well of a candidate's supporters, however, if they are reluctant to say who they are.
With friends like them ...

Allen, you're looking for any excuse. Be a man!

Still waiting, Deep Throat.

David Hoggard,

You didnt lose credibiity with me. You never even had it in the first place.

Having fun Allen?

Allen and Doug,

This is truly pathetic. What exactly are you trying to accomplish with this? And, Doug, to even suggest that Garth would make posts supporting himself is a disgrace for you and the News-Record. You two are acting like small children with this thing. Why do you care what people's real names might be? Making a list for future reference? I am of the opinion that the two of you have already decided to endorse Debbie Maines, and you are attempting to subvert Garth Hebert in some manner. Nice try, boys.

Besides, I have sent the two of you emails in the past with my real name, and I never even got the courtesy of a reply to my concern from either of you. So much for credibility. Show some credibility to your readers, and maybe they will trust you more.

Truth,

I agree. We saw plenty of Dave Hoggard a few years back, and we didn't like what we saw. He does fit nicely, though, in the News-Record lineup.

"Given the buzz on the post below about Maines and Hebert"

Allen, I don't see any posts anonymous or not for Debbie. Where are her supporters?

Actually, we haven't decided that race yet. But it would seem odd that supporters of either Maines or Hebert would mind revealing their identities.
As for the lack of a response under your real name, when was this?
We do our best to respond to all emails that request a reply.

Re-reading my post confirms my memory that I specifically said I was not suggesting that Garth DID post all those comments. But he could have, or any one person using different false names, could have in order to create the appearance of a groundswell. Not one single person is willing to sign a real name to these comments?

Comparisons to editorials are invalid because, as most people understand, they represent a collective opinion, not any individual's. As Allen said, the names of the people who make up the collective all appear on the editorial page daily.

I answer my emails.

Allen and Doug, will you be standing at the polls NOV. 7th, kicking and screaming and demanding that those people come OUT from behind those curtains and reveal their identity and who they're voting for?

Maybe you just better take your bloggity blog and go home.

I'd like to not only have names revealed, but ethnicity too. Let's just put the truth out there for all to see. That's what you're really getting at, isn't it boys? Doesn't it always boil down to race?

Doug, this "collective" that you are referring to is in dire need of new members.

Don't you guys get tired of getting schooled by the folks over at the Rhino?

This is very deep. I mean, what is a name?
For a person that comes on a blog and always blogs as "outthere" then surely his name becomes "outthere" for the people that read the it?

If he suddenly opened up and said I am really A.N.Other would that really change anything?

Would that satisfy Allen? Will it make Doug feel better after his vicious unprovoked accusation on an honest hard working valid candidate for district 2 school board ?
I dont think so....

What is the point of this strand?

hey Deep, you forgot to say your color!

What's your color, man?

That's what this thread is all about! COLOR!!

That's what EVERYTHING is about! COLOR!!!!!!

SO, WHAT IS IT?...BLACK, WHITE, GREEN, WHAT?

TELL ME!!!!!!!!! I MUST KNOW!

I also "contimue" to be blue.

But we are not talking about color here. We are talking about names.

Arent we?

Allen,

I think you (or more probably Doug) have really peeed off a few people here.

On a positive note I think the real issue is as you say "accountability". Shouldnt we be having a discussion on how we want Debbie and Garth, or better still, the school board to be accountable and what does that really mean?

What does that really mean?

I think it means that they have to educate "ALL" children. Not only those that live in areas like Northwest. We need education at Smith, Dudley, Central, Southwest and Andrews.

That is a more serious and valid discussion. I hope you agree with me.

Serious:
I agree. Fully.

Allen:
Just so you know my posting - when I do post I do post under my name. A while back I used a "foreign" computer and posted under a different acronym, but it was trivial and after I read it I found the error in posting and felt the post so innocuos as to not be worth alerting staff for a correction. Since that posting I have felt a bit less true to myself and regret not having the trivial corrected. That being said I post as I am.

FYI I would never post a self endorsement or encourage anyone to do so. I have a hard enough time looking at my name on all the signs. I prefer the quiet, behind the scenes approach and am not a public person.

Having said that, a real question comes to mind. Why have the political parties who have in the past agreed that school board is not partisan, begun endorsing school board candidates? I believe that years ago it was decided to keep the parties out of this sacred arena, why has it reentered. This might be a more worthy topic of blogertdom than whos endorsing whom on the blogs.

I was approached by the republican party asking to endorse me and I asked that the race remain out of the party arena...evidently the democratic party leaders didn't bother to ask Debbie.

Am I being too niave to believe that we can maintain party independence on the board?

I am that I am...Garth

Serious, you can't be serious, can you? Seriously though, you are right.

Could you please tell me who wrote paragraph #6 of today's editorial? I read it online but couldn't find names of the contributors.

Thanks bunches!!

Doug and Allen,

You finally caught me. The time has come to come clean. For the past two and a half years almost all the posts on the blogs, letters to the editor etc. protesting the N&R's indefensible stance on the High Point school atrocity, have been written by me using a massive bank of computers located in a large werehouse on Gallimore Dairy Rd.. The 200+ people who have disappered off the rolls of public schools in just the last two "Map C" months alone and the hundreds more who have left for private schools , home schools and Davidson Co in the last two years are also fake idenities created by me. The 800+ people who told Dot to cram the Choice Plan at the SW "Hearing" in Feb 2004 where mostly blow-up dolls who had implantable voice boxes all programmed to say the same thing. It's all been one big scam.

Here I thought I was clever and I was getting away with it. It just goes to show, true intelligence wins out in the end.

Congratulations to Doug and Allen. You are credits to your profession.

Actually, I'm glad it's over. I couldn't continue much longer.

Tracie Fellers wrote the whole thing.

Garth, the parties have chosen to endorse in several nonpartisan races, including judicial races. It would be nice if they didn't.

Nice confession John. I'm sure you feel better.

Did you also provide blow-up dolls to Lt. Hinson and his police pals over Greensboro or did they use real hookers?

Gate, that's a different department, but I think they are in the next werehouse over.

Hey Doug, what do you think about the post on "The Chalkboard" by Truth, which actually might be me, (apologies Truth) on the 'Mission Possible strand. Now let's follow the path of a child who lives near the corner of Brentwood and east Greene sts. in High Point ( I would adress this also to Allen Johnson, but I'm reasonably certain he has no more idea where E. Greene and Brentwood sts. in High Point is, than Deena Hayes did about where White's Mill Rd. is when she suggested they send the White's Mill area to Andrews- we could maybe get Allen a quick geography lesson from Dot like Dot's gave to Deena.)

So, we have a child who maybe was struggling a little bit at Andrews, maybe not. He was riding the bus maybe 30-40 min a day. Now, thanks to his Aunt Dot and Uncle Walter and a few cousins in the High Point NAACP like cousin Joe and Cousin Bruce, he is on a bus to and from SW for One and a half hrs a day AND when he get's there he finds, the good math teachers have been...moved to... ta-da....Central or maybe a few to Andrews due to Mission Possible.
So you've not only hacked an hour out of their study time but moved the teachers out from under them too. This is genius!!!! Unadulterated genius. Thanks Aunt Dot, Thanks Uncle Walter

My original point stands:
Your support for your candidate of choice would hold a lot more weight if you'd simply give your name. It's not hard. People do it all the time.

Must be some sociological reasoning to explain how what began as a call for openess and standing up for one's choice of candidate degraded into a war over anonymity.

Both Doug and Allen answer emails, I can attest.

As for the call to educate all children, it's a worthy sentiment. The sticking points occur when one tries to decide both how and whether all children can be educated the same "way". Reams of data and research show they cannot. Thus, there must needs be differentiation in the allocation of resources. This is especially the case where the deeper pockets of some parents often are able to provide significant extras for some schools.

Does either candidate propose any really revolutionary ideas? Like, for example, decoupling address from school assignment entirely, and allowing vouchers for any parent to send their child to any public school in the system? This would break the bidding wars that drive up housing costs in the "better school" zoning areas, which effectively keep the lower-economic students out of those schools. Hence the attempts to redistrict and bus. Do we really want most every child sitting beside a child only of a similar background?

Garth Hebert is the best choice for District 2!

The real issue at stake in this District 2 election is who can best represent and stand up for, the students and teachers of District 2. We absolutely need someone who understands numbers and can sift through the school budget and explain to the Board (since the staff doesn't always paint an accurate picture)what the budget means, what achievement data is really saying, and who isn't afraid of hurting feelings to speak out...clearly, unbiased, factually, and of needed firmly and loudly. Garth Hebert

The issue of fiscal accountability with the current Board of Edcuation (and GCS administration) is seriously lacking and confidence in their ability to understand or manage dollars of any kind for any purpose is greatly undermined in this entire county but the lack of business and financial expertise on the Board. This will serve to hold back any future possibilities for financial support by the general population. The community deserves the facts and someone who will stick to the facts. Garth Hebert

Garth Hebert brings expertise, accountability, and a vocal reprewsenation that I simply have not seen evidenced by another candidate in recent history.

This position, this year, must be in the hands of someone who is knowledgeable about finances, can analyze data(without a preset outcome in mind) and is willing and able to be vocal about the critical issues and lack of performance by current Board.
representation. Garth Hebert

The decision is simple, Garth Hebert is the only candidate who has the ability to represent in this capacity. He will be good for this district and for the entire school system. Garth Hebert for District 2 Board of Education!

Thanks, Kathy. That is a credible endorsement.

Jim, it seems this system is in place in Forsythe Co. and has been for quite some time. It appears that most students and their parents still adhere to a neighborhood school concept and there is still a significant difference in schools such as Reagan and Reynolds and E. Forsythe when compared to Parkland and Carver.

It's clear that schools can only be helped, on a local level if the people who's kids attend the schools support their school, refuse to accept compromise, and get behind the teachers and a competent schoolboard's efforts to educate their kids.

It's clear that NCLB / Title I rules and regulations etc. are insane in that certain schools get trapped in a death spiral of people opting out etc. If a school has a downturn and all the better students opt out, the school goes into an even bigger death spiral and before you know it you have an empty building. No taxpayers anywhere can afford this. There has to be some way to demand that the community or government hold accountable the admin, board and teachers to educate these kids without sending schools into death spirals. This must be changed at the Federal level.

All the measures Grier and a few bad actors on this board have done is divide the community deeply and removed and alienated people in High Point who have heretofore supported public education, removing even more resources, both monetary and other types of support, from the system.

It must change.

Doug, just curious, how did you really know that really was Kathy Bull? If mean, not just a regular Kathy Bull but a "credible' one at that. Seriously. Retinal scanning? DNA testing? You had a cyber- investigator quickly match up her IP? Just curious (as always).

I accepted it at face value. I suppose it could be an imposter. I've been told that happens on the blogs. If we had specific knowledge of someone posing as another person, maybe some action would be called for.

Doug, in the end, all names are arbitrary and metaphorical, are they not? There is no rhyme or reason why the man whose picture gracing the top of this blog is named Allen Johnson or your blog is managed by someone who goes by the moniker "Doug Clark" other than some distant ancestor decided arbitrarily that they liked the name Clark or Johnson, just like there is no reason for me to be known as the Skeet Club Savage other than my great, great, great times seven, grandfather decided to take the name Savage. Go figure, and hey, it's okay in the end.

Doug,

What "action" would that be? Maybe a quick tasing or something?

I agree with "Kathy Bull." Garth is the only $sensible $olution. BUT...according to Allen's rules, I'm not very credible.

The kicker is this: I get to vote in district 2--credible or not!

Let's end this strand on a high note: You've got two solid candidates in District 2. Be informed on the issues and vote. It's ultimately your choice and your business.

I agree that we should end but I cannot end it without saying that this was a strand of very bad taste.

I refuse to give my name.

If you want to check if I am Garth or not then check out my type key "Truth".

Allen/Doug, You met with Garth and I think that you recognised him as been a genuine person and to insinuate that he was posting for himself was bad and could only of had one intention. That must have been to try and discredit an good, honest hardworking man who, if elected, is going to make a difference for every single child in Guilford County.

You want to know who we are? You want our names so you can rationalize and trivialize us away. We've had enough. Our names are irrelevant. We're taking back our lives, our schools and our community?

You want to know who we are. Let me be the first...I'M SPARTACUS

Allen, it definitely started off low.

We should try and end it on a high.

Allen, just saw the Rhino. Whew! Looks like the Guilford Co. Race Riders have you on their list. You knew the "T" word was coming, you knew they were coming, just like any one else who's dared to put inconvienient facts in front of them. You just have to hold on to the truth as you see it, and hope when it does declare itself, you will be found to be right.

I will vote for Hugh Webster, he has stood tall for the taxpayer and fought the hell out of the eminemt domain bill that was past this year. You may not know it but NC past a eminent domain people thats rated the worst in the nation by experts. You as a land owner have no rights what so ever. You can find this information, with little trouble. Hugh Webster was not invited on Captain Tax Hike Mike tall ship ride because he stands up for the average person.Another good reason to vote for Mr. Webster is the liberal press does not like him.That proves he is doing a great job for the people.

I will vote for Veron Robinson, reason he talks about securing the boarders,with our schools and medical centers being over run by illegals. Infectious disease in on the increase, health tv blames it on illegals. I would rather spend my tax dollars on our seniors than illegals. The NR will tell you Mr. Robinson is running with dirty campaign, however it was Brad Miller, who lost in court over his dirty tactics. Its this not true Mr. Johnson.