A rather sophmoric counter-productive ad campaign...

I look forward to Mr. Batten condemning the McCain campaign and other right wing sleazeballs, since he hasn't bothered to bring his due diligence to the subject of oil drilling in his recent columns.
The only thing that matters, is the charge true
or not: In the case of Ms. Abbott it would be hard to find a negative charge that is not true.

Union thugs

ECOterror?

Who needs negative ads? Just play the 12-second clip of Abbott "changing her mind" at last summer's meeting of shame. That'll take voters from grin to chagrin.

Perhaps an ad featuring the wisdom and grace of Linda's close personal friend and business partner?

Reverend Wright anyone?

Way to nail 'em, Brent.

Now, let's see how quickly you can get to the bottom of Harry and Louise. You have heard, I assume, that they're about to mount another campaign against health care reform?

Ecoterror I guess you have not seen the clip on YouTube of your pal Kathy telling the nice instructor from FSBA that she does not want to get along with her fellow board members she is not interested in any form of relationship with them. Well Kathy that includes a WORKING relationship - if you are not interested in THAT you should not be running - even if the Teamsters and Chamber are funding YOUR campaign!
Her days are numbered Ecoterror. Go find something else to whine about.
Maybe Mr Obama could use you on his campaign, he is loosing also.

Loosing?

Is that how they spell it at Notre Dame?

#3 camerman, The union is not the thug in this matter!

I read it and decided to vote for Abbott.

Ray Baker in his superintendent years was interested only in Ray Baker. Further Ray Baker was part of teh group that tolerated and covered up Nelson ....

Chatty Kathy is a disgrace as a public official.

Vote Abbott

I received this flyer and LOVED IT! It's about time someone actually calls this woman on the carpet. She has literally ruined CCPS in the 10 years I have lived here.

I'm sorry if you're going to vote for her. You're honestly only hurting the children. I truly mean that. The kids have lost so much since she has had control. It really saddens me.

camerman: Just because kathy is, well, an idiot as well doesn't make abbott right. They ALLLLLL need to go! WHY would you vote abbott back in just to spite off Kathy?

I implore you to vote in a NEW board. Please help the children! I don't want a board completely anti-Thompson either . I am looking for a board that will hold the admin at the taj accountable for EVERYTHING. Where is our money going? Why are we wasting so much? Why more schools when there aren't enough students in the ones we already have? Why are we cutting services to those children that need it most? etc etc etc....

I received that horrible mailing too!! I found it very coincidental that the 2 issues that were used to attack Abbott, SAC accreditation and Baker, are the exact issues that Curatolo has continually brought up at the forums, and in HER literature and website... Now seeing the teamsters are behind the attack ads and knowing that they have been at every forum supporting Curatolo, makes me wonder just how much Curatolo was involved in these attack ads...
Well, having watched the May 20th FSBA training session with Curatolo showing up late, leaving early, and repeatedly announcing she has no interest in improving the working relationships between board members, as well as the numerous times she has attacked Abbott in the past, the correlation does not surprise me!!

Thanks Brent for a great eye opener!!

#8, why the reference to Notre Dame? Last I checked,according to the Newsweek rankings, they were a top 20 school overall and the number 3 undergraduate business school in America. What gives?

Let's leave this ad hominem material out of the debate, it accomplishes nothing.

Main Entry: 1ad ho·mi·nem
Pronunciation: \(ˈ)ad-ˈhä-mə-ˌnem, -nəm\
Function: adjective
Etymology: New Latin, literally, to the person
Date: 1598
1 : appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect

I have to agree -- after reading that crap, I too voted for Linda.

Heard an anti-Abbott radio commercial spot early this morning on 94.5 FM, it did raise some valid points.
I think it is time for Abbott to retire and move on to something more to her talents.

Is it possible to get a look at those depositions? Are they part of any public record yet?

I have to laugh at those calling the local Teamsters "Thugs" ....Who are the Teamsters? Let us see, ummmmmm....250 custodians, 300 bus drivers and 50 attendants,50 maintenance workers and another several hundred food service workers. Real to goodness "thugs" they are. These THUGS drive your child to school, they cook for them, they clean up behind them and some even repair the schools they learn in, and in case you didn't know, they are the least paid, least respected of all district employees. I also support the Teamsters and I also must tbe a Thug. I love the way some on this blog just throw stereotypes around

and if not for the Teamsters, who else will stand and fight for the Custodians? Abbott has made it clear in certain terms that she favors privatizing them out to a firm that has poor, unaffordable healthcare,no pension plan and whose pay scale will be 25% lower for senior custodial employees. Let us mention the fact that all of those custodians will be knocked out of the Florida retirement system if they have less than 6 six years. I agree with the 250 custodians,300 bus drivers,50 attendants and the several hundred food service workers. Linda Abbott is an enemy of the working class and if Hoffa himself cameback to support those poor people, I would follow him as well,

This county suffers from long term memory loss.
Here is example of how quickly we forget:

TEACHERS (NEA)
Fla. School Bus Drivers Charge Natl. Union Bosses with Ignoring Financial Wrongdoing
Dissident bus drivers in the Tallahassee, Fla. area, are looking at an auditor's suspicion of fraud in their union as evidence of mismanagement and unaccountability in the state and national union hierarchies benefiting from their dues payments.

Members of the Collier [County] Support Personnel Union accused local officials of mismanaging more than $25,000 in October. That figure has now grown to $36,000. They also accused the three organizations that pocket 78 percent of their dues -- the Natl. Education Assn. (NEA), the Fla. Education Assn. (FEA) and the Amer. Fedtn. of Teachers (AFT) -- of ignoring their complaints for more than a year. In January, several members, led by Richard Arena, were elected as shop stewards and began their own inquiry. Among other problems, they noticed numerous ATM transactions involving hotels and other businesses in which the institution's name was written in ink on the carbon.

Then, in March, auditor Tina King of Kelley, King and Associates, informed local officials of her suspicions of fraud. Initially, FEA officials claimed they had passed on King's March 18 letter to the State Attorney's office. After that office denied having received the report, an attorney for the union's officers claimed they were gathering records to transfer to the state's economic crimes unit.

With the NEA, FEA and AFT getting $95,000 a year from the bus drivers and other support personnel, shop steward Pete Cullen accused state and national officials of using the Collier union as "a cash cow." [Naples Daily News 4/5/03]

Anyone that belongs to the Teachers Union and TIGER should be shocked at what their dues are actually going towards... Here is a sampling, but if you want to see expenditures of a longer range I posted the website

2007 Q1
01/23/2007 50.00 TUTTLE JONOTHAN HOLIDAY BONUS 01/23/2007 50.00 PROSSER LESLIE HOLIDAY BONUS
01/23/2007 50.00 FARMAR LYLE HOLIDAY BONUS 01/23/2007 50.00 KETROW JUDY HOLIDAY BONUS 02/01/2007 40.00 PAPA JOHNS
03/05/2007 1,750.00 TUTTLE KAREN STIPEND 05/04/2007 124.44 VISA MEETING FOOD
06/09/2007 20.00 FLORIDA YOUNG DEMOCRATS
06/09/2007 160.00 MILLER TED REIMBURSEMENT
06/27/2007 126.10 PROSSER LESLIE MILEAGE
07/23/2007 1,885.83 TUTTLE KAREN STIPEND
08/02/2007 6,000.00 COLLIER COUNTY EDUCATION RENT 08/17/2007 237.34 COLLIER COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOC MEETING FOOD REIMBURSEMENT
08/20/2007 250.00 CHARLES MCBURNEY CAMPAIGN 09/14/2007 30.00 PELICAN LARRY'S GIFT CERTIFICATE
09/14/2007 139.02 PELICAN LARRY'S
10/03/2007 5,000.00 SSFCU TRANSFER
10/12/2007 106.23 FOXBORO SPORTS TAVERN MEETING 10/12/2007 40.00 FOXBORO SPORTS TAVERN
10/17/2007 490.00 CHRISTOPHER SPENCER CAMPAIGN F 10/17/2007 490.00 LINDA MCDONALD CAMPAIGN FUND 10/17/2007 10.00 CHRISTOPHER SPENCER CAMPAIGN 10/17/2007 10.00 LINDA MCDONALD CAMPAIGN FUND
11/02/2007 500.00 LINDA MCDONALD CAMPAIGN FUND 11/03/2007 58.08 CCPS BUSINESS CARDS
11/03/2007 44.42 CCPS MEMBERSHIP FORMS 12/11/2007 1,750.00 GILES DOROTHY STIPEND 12/11/2007 50.00 TUTTLE, JONATHAN HOLIDAY BONUS 12/11/2007 50.00 FARMAR LYLE HOLIDAY BONUS 12/11/2007 50.00 PROSSER LESLIE HOLIDAY BONUS
12/11/2007 50.00 RYAN JUDY HOLIDAY BONUS
02/15/2008 140.37 SPORTS PAGE TIGER SOCIAL EVENT
04/08/2008 250.00 ROUSON DARRYL 04/08/2008 250.00 DARRYL ROUSON FOR FL HOUSE 05/28/2008 500.00 JULIE SPRAGUE CAMPAIGN 05/30/2008 103.52 RYAN JUDY REIMB FOR MTG FOOD 06/26/2008 500.00 BEVERLY GALLAGHER FOR SCHOOL B 07/01/2008 250.00 PASCO COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT FO CONTRIBUTION
07/01/2008 250.00 DISTRICT SCHOOL BD OF PASCO CO CONTRIBUTION
07/03/2008 1,750.00 GILES DOROTHY STIPEND 07/03/2008 250.00 WC GENTRY CAMPAIGN 07/14/2008 250.00 KEN MANUEL CAMPAIGN 07/16/2008 500.00 EILEEN ROYE FOR DISTRICT 2 SCH 07/17/2008 500.00 TERRY DILLIGARD

http://election.dos.state.fl.us/cgi-b...

Go to Campaign Finance Activity, let it load, then at bottom of page and select under DETAIL TYPE~ Expenditures.

Gator you're full of beans! No judge ruled on the quality of the deposition data. You speak like Mcshea. the Summary judgement ruling has nothing to do with the sunnshine law, only contract law, and no state ethics judge ever saw the depo info. Quit making this up as you go along.

The NDN is bought and paid for. The owners direct the news as much as Mr. Murdoch could. One or two articles have been the least bit unsupportive of Colonel Thompson's take-over. Ms. Abbott is running for office "on her record." Anyone who is part of this debacle must take every punch on the chin.

What is happening right now, the substitution of bylaws and policies that have been in place more than three decades by Colonel Thompson's is very like the PATRIOT ACT. Freedom of speech is rescinded by policy 3310 for teachers who oppose the "interests of this District" which has come to mean the personal interests and prejudices of Colonel Thompson.

Policy 3139 allows this man Presidential powers to condemn any employee opposed to his Way as unethical. Who is presiding over this conferral of Presidential Powers upon a mere superintendent of schools? Ms. Abbott.

You who continue to support the status quo will go down hard.

BTW: even third-string ND football players know the difference between _loose_ and _lose_. Don't blame Cameraman's misuse of the word on ND, even if he is associated in some way. Besides, it is a red herring as # 16 suggests.

I never joined the "union" down here. It saved me $500 of my hard earned money. To me, that was a nice piece of change. Anyone that buys into the "teacher's union" is wasting their money.

Wise choice Freshface!! The way I see it, your hard earned dollars should NOT be paying for people hanging out at Pelican Larry's or Foxboro Pub, going to pay stipends OR going for campaigns to candidates in OTHER counties, who's election will not affect you!!

#30, I am not assuming anything Gator, you stated "Teamsters", which is anyone who belongs. You did not indicate to whom you were referring. As you are aware, you are a Teamster if you belong to any local of that organization. It is ironic that the district and others accuse the "Teamsters" of thuggery when they fight in a similar manner as the district. If you recall, it was the district who broke the straw by deliberately consealing and denying any privatization moves. At least lets establish why they are not playing nice at this juncture. PS. I know who Iam besides some conjecture by you that I may not. I do have great potential to be a Thug, however, my better side rules my behavior

#30, and Gator, I have to say you put an interesting spin on. I made no connection in my mind. I think perhaps you make an association about anyone belonging to the teamsters. What union do you know of that makes gains for their members by being nice? I wish it were so, it is what I hoped for in this district......and many believe it was the district that broke the Queensbury rules

If we can save money by privatizing -- great.

No one is ENTITLED to be part of any particular pension program.

DT is doing a GREAT job.

Vote Abbott. Down with Chatty Kathy.

#28 Gator~you don't know what you are talking about! The summary judgement ruling ruling had nothing to do with the sunshine law. It purtained only to case law. I was there, were you?

OH yeah, Hi Dr Thompson, since you are here, how is your military pension?

and how is the military healthcare?

#34, your friends, are in the pension system, and one has a military pension.....Plantation mentality

In the first place, I get a kick out of the ads. I bet it tightened up her sphincter.

I agree that we vote on her record and deeds. That's what I will be voting on.

I believe there was 1 deposition never made. Stevey ummm Donovan. Too bad, that would have been fun to read.

And if I want true unbiased journalism, I sure don't expect to read it in the NDN. So I won't waste my time going through the archives on the Baker firing.

"The Teamsters have a history of resorting to "thuggery" when more polite means fail them (which is fairly frequently)."

Somebody has watched too many 70's movies. These ain't the good old days. And that's lucky for some people at CCPS.

;-)

#39...now Gator, you seem to be dramatizing this evening. Yes, I do want management and labor to seek interest based relations. I can tell you that the support employees feel they are being sold down river. These tactics being used are generated out of a fight for the survival of 250 families and perhaps many many more. I can attest, that the Teamsters have not filed but a few grevances due to the fact that cool heads on both sides have worked hard to resolve many issues. Lets just look at Baker, why did he fight? Why did he seek litigation, come on now......if you were losing your career, would you just lay down?

and Mrs Abbott has identified herself as what is deemed an enemy of the custodians. She has brought on herself the wrath of the employees. What I see is those being victimized, fighting back....

Gator,

There were many good people there to hear the truth.
there are also a small group of Abbott supporters and CAVE people like yourself who try to defend Thompson, Aboot, GED boy and the don of calabrese no matter what cost or lie. Your biased inside information consistently portrays your as a participant in this scam. You sound like Aboot's business partner that hastened her demise and created all the mayhem at NHS because your child was being challenged on class rank. Fess up Doreen McShea!

Yes Doreen, lets hear from you.

I will never forget Mrs Abbott having to speak to her spouse before being able to cast her vote against Mr Baker. She was elected not him. Clearly and unliberated woman.

Hi Bagpiper, it's me again. Please don't BLAME Dr T. for service to his country and subsequent retirement. In America, we are still free to choose our paths. Some just choose better than others. Sometimes those choices include a lifetime membership in the "check of the month club" and some very sweet and inexpensive health insurance for doing your job and getting shot at occasionally. Ask the next soldier you run into or just ask me, i'll fill you in.

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

GatorHater07, you call the teamsters thugs, GET REAL! The teamsters had been playing nice up until they found out that Thompson had been for some time planning to privatize the custodians! And when Thompson was confronted about his plans to privatize the custodians he flat out lied about it! I don’t know about you but when someone lies to me I stop playing nice with them because they can no longer be trusted! Nice left the room when lie came in! Now all that’s left is fight, fight for your job!

SystemAdministrator, Thompson most likely never saw a day on the battle field, for the simple fact that he was in the service when we were in peace times!

If Thompson was getting shot at it was most likely his own troops shooting at him!

#47, System, I do not blame Dr Thompson for having served and having benefited with a pension etc,. not at all, in fact I honor him and his service that keeps us free. My point is that he then should be understanding of the fact that his custodians came on board with the same expectations of a pension.

#52, Cabbage.....you value people by the employment they do.....you are a really nice person.

#47 system...I am glad you came back to the blog.

We should vote to can all the unions and fire all those who insist on their right to unionize

Then we should insist on teaching in English and provide a year of language transition to those who need it

We can redecorate the Taj as a conference center and rent it out

But first and foremost we need to get rid of Chatty Kathy

#56, take your meds please

#50
And what years were those? Glassman, I don't know if you've ever served nor does it matter. However, if you have at least traveled anywhere in the world outside of North America and took a close look around you will have noticed that peace time has not existed since WW I.

Bagpiper, glad to be back.

TheLissack , You sound like a Communist wanting to take away peoples rights! You need to spend some time in Cuba!

My issue with Dr Thompson is not his military service. Both my parents were military, my Mom still recieves her pension. The issue for me is since Dr Thompson chose the military as his career, he also knew it came with a pension and healthcare. Those custodians signed up for a career with a pension and healthcare. Dr Thompson it seems would rather deny them that chance rather than work with the Union to save millions through healthcare savings. His dislike,distrust dis whatever is causing him to deny the very opportunity he himself enjoys. I honor him for his service but question his thinking on this issue

I have forwarded 'GatorHater"s posts to the Chicago headquarters of the Teamsters where their crack computer thugs are tracking him, her or it's computer down to the street of his, her or it's residence!
Do not open the door Gator Hater! Special Team thugs with iron pipes will be visiting soon to administer instruction in humility, decency, empathy and other 'regular people' qualities that you lack!
After that they can go over to Lissack's place and laugh in his face as he bleets and squeals in fear and trembling!

#61,,,,,its crazy isn't it. Where I came from and the career I had, I came in contact with real thugs. Kill for the thrill, maime for a name. If printing campaign info etc is thug like in Naples...............what would a Naples person do in an inner city ghetto? I think I'll buy a shirt that says THUG

There seem's to be a sense of glee in the posts of a couple of these apparent sociopaths, they act as though they are happy to see workers displaced or otherwise damaged merely to satisfy the urges of their elite superiors.

#63, I am glad you said it. This cold attitude they have towards their employees is the root of why this country is in the current shape it is in. There was a time when we were better than that. Now, the well off disregard the poorest and that will be the cultural demise. These powerful administrators look down at employees like so many little beans and never ever truly consider what it would be like in their shoes. They already have their pensions and wealth, yet trust this, what good is all the wealth if you lose your soul

and I have to say that not all administrators are this way of course. There is much fear and aprehension in the Taj. Everyone follows the new company line.....or else.

#34 Posted by TheLissack
You do save money by privatizing intially.
BUT in the long run it ends up costing MORE for privatization!
And for what? Inferior service, inferior staffing, inferior training, employees that could be felons or child molesters and having to deal with a private company that cares more about a profit in their pocket then your children.

Is it really worth it in the long run?
I don't think so...

"a private company that cares more about a profit in their pocket then your children."

Isn't that the attitude of 95% of the people who post here?

Ah yes paradise where the selfish reign

You make the sign-----I'll stand out on the corner. I volunteer. Do not feed Linda Abbott. No to Abbott. County has spent too much money feeding Charlie. Don't let the old ladies vote for her. ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!

#70, Cabbage.......it is very simple, after years of poor union representation, the entire bargaining unit approached the Teamsters for help. A bargaining unit is identified by PERC public employees relation commission. In this instance, bus drivers attendants,food service,custodians,maintenance, and a few other misc positions are considered a bargaining unit and therefore, a union must represent the entire group

I can see why all you people are anti-union.

We all hate;

40 hour work week
Overtime pay
Paid holidays
Paid vacations
Paid health care
Workplace safety
Profit sharing

Because you know, if big business and management were left alone, they would give these to employees out of the goodness of their hearts.

Oh, and one more little tidbit that I'm sure most of you enjoy............

Retirement benefits!!!

;-)

The last private company I worked for with no union. When business was good 45 hrs a week, 4 paid holidays, one week of paid vacation after two years of working for the company! The company paid most of the insurance (80%)! The company was fined more than once for safety and environmental hazards! No work place safety meetings ever! So many on the job injuries the company had to outsource its people because it couldn’t afford the insurance! At one point the company they outsourced through told them if things didn’t get straighten out they would drop them! No profit sharing!
If most big business and management were left alone, they would most likely screw employees out of every nickel they can! I did say most not all!