Skip to main content

Celebrity Endorsement



I’ve tried everything to get people excited about voting in Board of Education races. But I still have one trick up my sleeve: a celebrity endorsement.

Celebrity endorsements are all the rage in big political races. Whether or not they sway your vote they certainly catch your eye. And with so much information competing for your attention every day, catching your eye is what it’s all about. 

Saturday night I saw an informational social media post exhorting Howard County residents to vote in the Board of Ed primary. It was clear, well laid out, and thorough. Take a look. It doesn’t tell you who to vote for, it simply gives you the basics of who is running in each district.




It’s colorful, eye catching. Then - - wait a minute - - what was I seeing? Something about the map.




Yes. Yes! That’s it!

Marge Simpson, image property of Matt Groening


It’s Marge Simpson. There she is and she’s encouraging you to learn more about the board of education candidates and to vote tomorrow,

Here’s what I’ve learned* about Marge:

  • She’s family-centered, loyal, kind, friendly, nurturing, hardworking, and loving. 
  • Marge is considered to be the most level-headed of the Simpson family. 
  • She has high morals even in the face of resistance from her spouse who has been known to call her a “wet blanket.”
  • Story lines show her saving the day by “providing a grounding voice in the midst of her family's antics.” 

Now I’m almost sorry that Ms. Simpson isn’t running for the Howard County Board of Education herself.

So, I guess this isn’t truly a celebrity endorsement. Let’s call it a celebrity PSA.

This is Marge. She wants you to know how important it is to vote in Board of Education races. You have one more day to learn about the candidates. Think of the kids. They need you.





This is Marge reminding you to put a big circle around May 14th on your paper calendar or set an alarm on your electronic one. 

 




I asked Marge what she thought about folks thinking of blowing off the primary and not caring about the Board of Education race. She said, and I quote:

Hmmmmm. I don’t think that’s a very good idea.

So, there you have it, HoCo. Marge Simpson wants you to know that being an educated voter in the Board of Education primary is a Very Good Idea. It’s right there in front of you.







Thanks, Marge. We’ll be keeping your advice in mind. 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...