Candidates, talk to us

In your article “What’s at stake in the school board elections?” I was curious since the election is a month away. Although those candidates running for office have signs up, I have seen no candidates in my area interested enough to talk to the voters.

You commented on change, concern, support and power.

I have had students in Georgetown Elementary, East Columbus Middle, Hardaway High, Columbus High, and now Shaw High School. In know the importance of participation in our children’s’ education process.

One problem identified was the 10 failing schools in the district as outlined by the College Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI), the Georgia Department of Education’s accountability system. The survey results were surprising and dragging down the score.

What I found unacceptable was the Teacher/Staff/Administrator response. Six schools with low or no response: Baker Middle School, Forrest Road Elementary School, Lonnie Jackson Academy, Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, Rigdon Road and South Columbus Elementary School. This one neglected area is a leadership issue from the superintendent down to the school principals. Parent Response and the School Wide Agreements were 50 percent, meaning five of the 10 schools lacked. Another leadership issue and communication issue. This one issue is not with the students; it is with the district leadership, teachers and yes, parents.

To the candidates: If you are genuinely concerned, get out, talk to the voters, and if elected go to work correcting what can be corrected and work to get our district back on track.

Health concerns

I would love a comprehensive story about the risk of zika virus here in Columbus. I walk my dog around a lake every day and see loads of mosquitoes; I would like to know what time of day or night is safest to be out near mosquitoes and also what is best to spray or rub on your skin to protest you.I always wear long sleeves and long paints.

Will they bite or hurt my dog? This is how we usually exercise. We hate to stop. Thank you very much for any advice and clarifications on this matter.

Money bullies won

The Founding Fathers of our Republic considered "religious liberty" so essential that they enshrined it in the First Amendment - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. " In the last month three states, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, have relented to corporate leaders and abrogated newly passed religious- freedom legislation.

In Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed H.R. 757 which protected pastors from performing same sex "marriages," protected faith based organizations from renting or leasing their properties for purposes that conflict with their religious values, religious organizations would have been protected in their hiring practices and the bill would also have incorporated the "text" of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a federal law since 1993.

He stated that the bill did not reflect Georgia's image as a state full of "warm, friendly and loving people." As in Virginia, Gov. Deal buckled to the bullying of corporate America -- Disney and Marvel threatened to pull production of "Avengers, " AMC taking the "Walking Dead" series elsewhere, the NFL threatening to drop Atlanta from consideration of a Super Bowl, as well over 100 companies that demanded the legislation be repealed.

North Carolina is now being targeted by 100 companies to repeal its "bathroom law” blocking cities and counties from forcing businesses to give transgender people access to bathrooms of their choice.

Only Gov, Philip Bryant of Mississippi stood up to this "economic corporate bullying" to protect residents’ deeply religious beliefs.

It would appear that the "leadership of these corporations really do believe that religious sensibilities and the concerns of religious people are anathema to them." If we ignore this heresy of Americanism we do so at our own peril!

Money tree

I had to laugh at the Sound Off obviously from a Democrat in Saturday's paper. I could hope that Republicans in the Congress would override a bill that would allow Obama to give everyone in the country $500,000. Where would Obama get the money to give everyone $500,000?

Certainly he is not giving up his millions. Oh yeah, he would get the money from the taxpayers; that will surely raise in excess of $200,000,000 to give everyone their money.

The very fact that someone would think the government needs to give out money like that shows how low our country has sunk in the last 7 years. The government is not responsible for providing wealth to you! Go to work and earn your own money!

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Candidates, talk to us."