For those who live in Hockinson, this is why I oppose Ron Arp's reelection.

I actually have two major reasons for opposing his reelection.

Reason number one is of a more personal level, specifically, that Arp was a major player in the effort to ram a baseball stadium down our throats without allowing us to have a vote.  The kind of mentality that would support an action like that against a community such as ours is not the kind of mentality that I want anywhere near a school board, or any other elective office. 

The other reason is more simple and direct: Our family moved to Hockinson several years ago, based entirely on the legendary aspect of the education system that was in place there at the time.

Both of my children, who are now in college, are products of, among other things, Hockinson high school. 

Hockinson high school was supposed to be an amazing education plant, where those who actually attended receive some of the best education available in the area. 

Both of our children were above average students, one graduating with an over 3.5 gpa, while the other graduated with an over 3.1 grade point average.  Having graduated with such high grades, you would expect that they would have no difficulty whatsoever passing a community college placement test, specifically the Clark College community placement test.

If so, you would be mistaken. 

Ultimately, neither of our children, high grades notwithstanding, were able to pass the Clark College placement test. 

My question then, is if their grades were so great (and their grades were great), then how is it that they couldn't pass a community college placement test? 

No one should be allowed to graduate from high school if they can't pass a community college placement test. 

Ultimately the responsibility for that, I believe, rests with the teachers, the staff, and the school board of Hockinson public schools.

Ron Arp, is the chair of the school board. Thus at least in some measure, the responsibility for this failure rests with Ron Arp. 

What brought all this on, you might ask?  Well I just received a dandy mailer in my home mailbox from Mr. Arp. who runs an apparently not-too-effective PR firm, if the results of the attempted ballpark scam are anything to judge by... public relation firms presumably know the value of words. I look over this mailer, and I see a lot of words, but I don't see any specifics.  He acts like everything is just peachy keen at Hockinson schools.

Clearly, at least in my case, they simply were not peachy keen. Or any other kind of "keen" when it comes right down to it.

So what we have here was a card full of what we in the business referred to as "glittering generalities". 

Between Mr. Arp' s desire to ram a baseball stadium down our throats, wherein everybody within the county would have to pay for said baseball stadium, all without asking us; and the obvious problems that still remain unaddressed with the Hockinson school board, I have to ask myself: is this the kind of leadership that our school district deserves? 

I have determined that for me it is not. 

Before the baseball stadium fiasco I had never heard of Ron Arp. I've heard of him now, and I would urge you to Google his name and reference the baseball stadium issue, so that you can see that this guy plants a line of BS that truly is difficult to surpass. 

Ultimately, anyone who believes that their judgment surpasses the judgment of those they're allegedly serving is to my mind unfit, for elective office.

And that he would do so, even if just for professional reasons, excuses nothing.

I have had on occasion, the ability to represent clients in issues that I do not support. And I have uniformly said no. 

Had Mr. Arp had the courage and integrity to do the same, we wouldn't be having this discussion and I would wholeheartedly support his reelection.

But that is not the case, thus this blog post.  I can't stand politicians who write a lot, and say nothing.

Mr. Arp qualifies.