Stillwater School District: Please keep wackjob Lu Shaughnessy off the school board!

[Mister Ed]

I appreciate the details and advice that people on this board have been providing about downticket races. This one only applies to Washington County, but I think it's important.

Lu Shaughnessy is a rather flamboyant Stillwater gadfly in the mold of Michele Bachmann. Her name first came to my attention shortly after I moved to Stillwater, when I read a rambling, spiteful, anti-gay rant she submitted to the editorial page of a local paper. Years have passed, and I don't remember the details of what she wrote, but I do remember that it seemed unusually vicious, even as anti-gay rants go. I put down the paper feeling a little shocked and queasy.

Since then, I've seen many more of of her frequent, somewhat incoherent editorial letters, and I strongly feel that I don't want this person making decisions that affect our local schoolchildren.

Another candidate I'm suspicious of is Vince Anderson, who writes that the district "ought to be run like the business it is". That sounds to me like the codespeak of a school de-funder.

On the positive side, incumbent Kathy Buchholz seems to have done a good job so far, and seems to be widely respected by people of all political persuasions. Mike Ptacek came doorknocking last week, and impressed me as a thoughtful and talented candidate. George Dierberger seems to be committed to meeting the difficult challenge of improving the school system while managing costs effectively.

So, of the five candidates on the ballot, I recommend voting for these three:

Kathy Buchholz
Mike Ptacek
George Dierberger