The school board election, let's talk issues

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011, will be one day too late for you to take part in the election of 3 of 7 members of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education.

Early voting begins Friday, January 7, 2011 and ends January 22.

Election day is Tuesday, February 1st.

It is not too early to start talking about issues;
at least in venues other than the Journal.

I will begin my specific effort to articulate my positions
beginning with the seemingly antithetical rights of privacy and transparency.

As vocal advocate of transparency; I draw a line between right to know and right to privacy on the line between public service and private life.

On one side, transparency unlimited except by the law.

On the other side, the constitutionally protected human right to privacy.

I have long argued, independent of running for any office, that politicians and public servants have a constitutionally protected human right to private lives, and that that privacy cannot be violated except with a warrant. I would invite anyone who would argue that politics or public service create a such a warrant; to please show me that warrant before they attempt to violate my privacy.

Politicians and public servants have a right to privacy. It is a constitutionally protected human right. It may not be violated except with a warrant. (Running for) a political office or public service does not create a warrant to violate candidates privacy.

The supposed need to invade candidates privacy, flows from the need to "trust" the candidate. Instead of trust, I offer inescapable accountability to unequivocal standards of conduct and competence within my public service.

Casinos don't "trust" their employees not to steal;
they make it impossible to steal without getting caught.
When temptation is removed, betrayal of the public trust
is eliminated; the need to trust no longer plays.

If a politician or public servant's service is transparent,
if there is no opportunity to betray the public trust in secret,
there is no temptation and there is no public corruption.

The line between public service and private life is crisp.
My private life will remain private;
my public life will be 100% transparent.

Beyond transparent, I will make every reasonable effort to
illuminate the spending of your power, your trust and
your treasure.

I am not asking anyone to "trust" me to do anything except to stand and deliver a candid, forthright and honest response to any legitimate question about the public interests and my public service.

In response to any legitimate question; I solemnly swear
to tell you the truth, the whole ethically redacted truth,
and nothing but the truth;

or I will resign.

I am asking the people to look at evidence, listen to the
testimony, and to stand up for what they believe in.

Instead of asking you to trust me, I will hold myself
so transparently accountable to you that your interests
cannot be betrayed.

I am prepared, within my public service, to hold myself honestly accountable as a role model of the same standards of conduct and competence as students. I am prepared to hold myself accountable to the APS Student Standards of Conduct under a system over which I have no undue influence, and powerful enough to hold me accountable, even against my will.

I would ask that you ask other candidates to make the same pledge. I would also ask you note that the question is not among the questions that incumbents want to answer, link.

What are the APS Student Standards of Conduct?

I believe that the APS Student Standards of Conduct are the Pillars of Character Counts!, link, a nationally recognized, accepted and respected code of ethical conduct.

I have been a vocal advocate for Character Counts! since 1994; the year the school board unanimously adopted them as the student standards of conduct.

I believe in Character Counts! and am prepared to hold myself, within my public service, honestly accountable as a role model by means of honest accountability to the Pillars themselves.

The current board, responsible for establishing and enforcing student standards of conduct, find the Pillars of Character Counts! too high a standard of conduct. They cannot summon the character and the courage to hold themselves honestly accountable to any standard of conduct higher than the law, even for the few hours a day they hold students accountable to those same standards.

I will do everything in my power to restore the role modeling clause to the standards of conduct that apply to adults;

In no case shall the standards of conduct for an adult,
be lower than the standards of conduct for students.

If the Pillars of Character Counts! are too high a standard for adults, they are too high a standard for students. If the Pillars are not too high a standard for students, then they are not too high of a standard for their role models.




photo Mark Bralley