From April Griffin:
It has come to my attention that there are some who are concerned with Ralph Hughes contributions to my campaign. I would like to address these concerns publicly.
It takes money to run a campaign and get your message out to the voters. It is especially difficult to raise money for what I feel is one of the most important elected offices we can vote for...School Board. Yes, Mr. Hughes has made contributions to my campaign. I would also point out that my opponent is funded by a who's who of district leadership.
Mr. Hughes supports me because we agree that the spending habits of the school district leaves a lot to be desired. He also does not want people retiring from the administration to the school board. We need an outside perspective on the board. I told Mr. Hughes at our first meeting that whether he supported me or not I would alway listen, just as I have told everyone during the course of my campaign. I will not be beholden to anyone as an elected official. Every decision I make will be with the facts and with my conscience. If someone chooses not to support me in the future because they don't agree with my votes, so be it. I will always be open and accessible and willing to discuss concerns and ideas with all my constituents.
I have run on my own terms and have garnered bi-partisan support in a non-partisan race and am proud of that fact. I have support from the left the right and everything in between, again this is a non-partisan race. Patrick Manteiga of La Gaceta is a yellow dog democrat and is supporting me and many republicans have supported me. I have AFL-CIO union support and private industry building support because of my stand on vocational training for our students. I have tried to be balanced and inclusive by reaching out and listening to everyone during my campaign and will continue to do so once I am a public servant.
I have been endorsed by the SP Times, La Gaceta, the Florida Sentinel Bulletin, AFL-CIO, Hillsborough Association of Plumbing Heating & Cooling Contractors Apprentiship Program, the Hillsborough School Employees Union, the Tampa Firefighters, the Democratic Black Caucus, and I am the only Democracy for America nationally endorsed school board candidate. All of these organizations are supporting me, not because I will vote their way, but because they know I will always be fair and open minded.
I frequently hear people say they are tired of partisan politics. I have run my campaign in that spirit. I have tried to build consensus among all my my constituents, not just within my party of record. I am left wondering if people really want what they say.
Recently Mr. Hughes 527 organization sent out a letter about my opponent. I was not aware of the letter and did not approve it. The first I knew of it was when it landed in my mailbox.
I would appreciate your vote and look forward to serving you on the Hillsborough County School Board. April Griffin, Candidate for School Board, District 6, Countywide
www.VoteApril.com
I can attest to this. April has no "side" to her; what you see is exactly what you get. She will not lie to you, and if you ask her a question you'll get an answer. She does her own homework, and she is willing to work her guts out (look at how hard she's worked in this campaign). Best of all, she doesn't think she knows everything but she does know BS when she smells it. No wonder the district administrators gave so much money to her opponent.
ReplyDeleteContrast this with her opponent: a 35-year district bureaucrat whose main claims to fame are being principal of Armwood High School at the time its FCAT grades declined and being in charge of adult and community education and having it lose grant money because of his lax management style. Attendance and completions in that program are both down significantly, by the way. Her opponent has latched onto her platform and tried to pass it off as his own. Worse, when talking to Democrats he's pretended to be a Democrat and when talking to Republicans he's pretended to be a Republican. In other words, he talks out of both sides of his mouth.
The last thing we need on the school board is a mealy-mouthed impostor. What we *do* need is an honest, hardworking person like April.
Vote for April Griffin on Tuesday, Nov 7.