WSD GOP Candidates Refusal to Debate Surprising

The Republican Party candidates for the Wissahickon School Board’s sponsored by a Wissahickon school organization is rather surprising, coming after the second of these .

It is my understanding that actually told the organizer of the Forums that she could not attend because of a scheduling conflict, even though Taylor said she would be willing to change the dates to accommodate her and the other candidates. As it was, only two of the Republican candidates bothered to actually say they wouldn’t attend, the rest didn’t even do that.

As far as Ms Taylor being partisan, why is that a problem? I’m certain if you asked any of the community attendees to the Forums, they would tell you that the sessions were not partisan and questions were encouraged from everyone. In fact, I sent an email to the entire Tea Party mailing list, provided to me by the Tea Party itself, inviting them to the Wednesday, October 26 Forum. I don’t know if any attended as there was no check of affiliation at the door.

Further, when the before the Primary all the Democratic Party candidates attended, despite what one might consider a potentially hostile venue. In contacts with the leader of the Tea Party that night, I personally thanked him for the opportunity to share my views with his membership and would again. It is not the organization that provides these Forums but a chance to meet our community that is important.

As far as all of the Republican candidates not getting an invitation, there is one possible explanation: they added another name to their list after the primary and most of us didn’t even know this happened until signs began to appear on the streets with his name. Even the Republican party signs show this confusion as they didn’t change their own signs, just added a separate sign with Charles McIntyre’s name on it.

This confusion started in June with the after only two years of her four-year term.  The Board then , to finish Roberts’ term until a special election in November for the two years remaining of her term. Then, his name from the four-year position and filed for the two-year term and the Republican Party selected McIntyre to run in place of Park for the four-year position. Because of this game of musical chairs with its candidates, you can, perhaps, excuse confusion of someone not informed of all these changes.

Further, if you accept the Republican assertion that Ms Ullery wasn’t invited; don’t the Republican candidates talk to one another? If the other candidates received the invitations, why didn’t they contact Ms Taylor and request that an invitation be extended to Ms Ullery. If, at that point, Ms Taylor refused they might have a point but this never happened.

When the articles appeared in the Ambler Gazette and the Patch after the October 12th Forum, they certainly knew the sessions were being held and since there was no mention of any overt partisanship during the sessions, they should have felt safe enough for all six of them to come and face two Democrats.
Alas, this did not happen and there was no opportunity for the parents of the Wissahickon School district to meet the Republican candidates.

Ron Stoloff,
Candidate for Wissahickon School District Director