Why fresh faces on school board will be welcome
The latest news that Tiffanie Robinson and Faye Robinson have opted to not run for re-election to the Hamilton County Board of Education just adds to the promise that next year, our elected school district leadership will be markedly different.
In a recent Free Press editorial, Faye Robinson said the reasons for stepping down were because she’s just ready to start a new chapter in her life. She said she may be moving to Middle Tennessee.
“It was tough to decide, because I enjoy serving,” Robinson said. “It does look like I’m jumping ship. If I were 30 years younger, I’d probably stay in office longer.”
With the deadline to qualify now past, the ballot is set. Of six seats up for election, only one incumbent — Democrat Jill Black of District 11 — is running to serve another four-year term (Black is unopposed in the March primary; she will face Republican Sherrie Guinn Ford in the August general election).
The prospect of so many new school board members shouldn’t send a shock wave throughout the county. The turnover, however, should prompt voters to be more engaged and involved in selecting who will oversee public education.
Polarized politics might make stepping into the public arena extra overwhelming, since school board candidates now identify with a party or are independent. For example, the candidate slate next year includes six Republicans, five Democrats and two independents.
Partisan school board races have gotten a bad rap. It is critical for voters to know where candidates stand and how their political leanings will guide their decision making.
Let the campaigning begin.
Scooting around town
You are free to e-scoot around Chattanooga.
The city added 15 scooters to its bike docks, which can be found downtown, the North Shore and Southside. The scooters are part of a pilot program.
You can rent yourself a scooter for a base fee of $1, plus 35 cents per minute, according to Bike Chattanooga. Bike share program members can rent the scooters at a rate of 25 cents per minute. A friendly reminder that it’s against state law for e-scooters and e-bikes to be ridden on sidewalks, so keep to the bike lanes and remember that you have permission to be on the roads. Drivers have to give you three feet of clearance, also per Tennessee law.
Be safe and give those e-scooters a try!
The poll knows all
An early Christmas present was delivered this week, thanks to a new Vanderbilt University poll that found 42% of registered voters surveyed in Tennessee approve of the General Assembly.
In a May 2020 poll, the state legislature garnered a 60% approval rating. Imagine an 18-point drop. Surprise, surprise.
And Gov. Bill Lee also saw a drop in registered voters’ confidence — from 56% in 2022 to 53% this year.
To top it off, 76% of Tennesseans said they favored background checks for firearm purchases to reduce gun-related violence.
John Geer, co-director of the Vanderbilt poll, said in a news release that based on the survey results, the Tennessee legislature “often acts inconsistently with the public’s thinking.” The GOP-led Tennessee legislature, might I add. Surprise!
Geer also said legislatures can perform “out of step with the will of the people” when one party dominates with supermajority control in the statehouse.
You know where I’m going — surprise, surprise.
The most discouraging statistic from the poll is that gun safety has fallen as the first priority — from 16% right after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville to 10%. Gun safety must remain a top priority. Lee said recently that he would not bring back red flag legislation next year. That’s a missed opportunity to improve safety for all Tennesseans.
What’s most important, however, is the decline in approval in both the legislature and governor. Democrats, independents and sensible Republicans must recruit and support candidates who will reflect the will of the people. Voters must respond to GOP lawmakers’ poor performance with sustained, passionate advocacy of the issues Republicans have chosen to avoid for too long.
None of the issues that we care about will ever be addressed satisfactorily if we don’t stay committed to democracy.