Why Should You Vote For Me?

Today we are less than four weeks from the primary.  I come to you asking for your vote because I am the best person to hold the office of Boone County Clerk.  I am a wife, mother and small business owner. 

I have had my business for 9+ years.  I opened a brick and mortar store on $300 and when I chose to close two years later to do some traveling I had money in my pocket, never once having gone into debt for my business.

I chose Boone County as my home over 14 years ago.  After living all over this great country of ours and Germany, this is where I wanted to call home.  I have worked very hard to contribute to the  community by being in the very first Sheriff’s Citizen’s Academy; serving as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused, neglected and dependent children); PTSO Board; PTSO President; Parent Volunteer Committee; Site Base Committees; Instructional Practices Committee; Mentor Mom for MOPS groups, just to name a few.

Before I moved to Boone County, I was the Assistant Education Director for the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership.  I was the facilitator for the Leadership Education Alumnae Committee as well as Leadership Education.  I was named a Tennessee Colonel by then Governor Don Sundquist because of my work trying to improve the education of all children in Tennessee.  I was part of the forming of Knoxville’s Promise, part of General Colin Powell’s America’s Promise initiative. 

During my time as an active duty military wife I worked in Personal Lines and Commercial Lines insurance.   I always made time to volunteer within the community where I lived.  I was nominated as Volunteer of the Year for Hillsborough County Florida for my work with the Haven W. Poe Runaway Shelter.  I worked with military teenagers in Germany, always having a house full.

It’s important to me to make my community the best I can possibly make it.  I have worked tirelessly to make that happen in Boone County.  That is why I am running for Boone County Clerk.

I will look at expanding services and hours at NO additional costs.  I promise you to restore full time leadership to this office. I promise you to work hard to improve customer service.   I promise to do my best to have all public documents accessible on-line.  When someone thinks of the Clerk’s office, they will think convenience not hassle.  I promise to be a servant of the citizens of Boone County. 

This is my promise to you Boone County and I appreciate your vote on May 20^th!

Walking in Boone County

I have spent many an hour walking the neighborhoods of Boone County lately and have enjoyed it so much! What wonderful people live here.

I've met people from all walks of life.  Some born and raised here, and many who, like myself, chose Boone County as their home.  Retirees, veterans, hard workers, single moms, the list goes on and on. Every person I've met, with the exception of one person, have been open minded and absolutely wonderful to talk with. One person, just one, actually asked me to leave because they are friends with our current clerk, and I used to be a Democrat, so I need to leave.  What a very small mind this person has.

I would never ask my friends to vote for me on the basis that I am their friend.  I was a gun owning Democrat for Ronald Reagan.  A Blue Dog Democrat.  I've never voted party, but always tried to vote for the best person for the job.

The incumbent, Mr. Brown, was a Democrat who actually ran for state office unsuccessfully in the '90's.  He was the driver for Dr. Poore, a Democrat who ran for Governor.  But I'm a horrible person because I used to be a Democrat?  Really?  So, this man is going to vote for a proven liar, who evaded paying his personal property taxes on a vehicle he purchased in 2007 and didn't register until 2008, because their "friends".

I ask you to do your homework.  Become knowledgeable about all the candidates.  Don't vote for me because I'm your "friend".  Vote for me because I'm honest, have integrity, have the business experience needed for this job, and will return full time leadership to this office.  However, if you want a someone who works from home a couple of days a week working on his email, and fails to pay his own personal property tax, and is an insult to veterans, then by all means, vote for the incumbent.

I feel confident in the people that I have met.  I would appreciate your vote on May 20th.

Our Right To Vote

There are some things in this world that I, as I'm sure you also, take for granted.  For instance, when I turn the faucet on, I will get water.  When I turn the key in my ignition, my car will start.  When I fill out a voter's registration card and turn it in to the clerk's office, it will be filed with the state and I will be able to vote on election day.  

What if you went to start your car and it didn't start?  You would be upset.  You would possibly call AAA.  You would get it fixed.  Is it anyone's fault your car didn't start?  No.  It happens.  But we take for granted that it will start when we want to go somewhere.  What if you didn't have any water when you turn the faucet on? Again, you would be angry but it's no one's fault you don't have water.  You will call the water department.  They will take care of it.  That's the way the world works. Unless, it's the Boone County Clerk's Office.

On September 6th, I filled out a voter's registration card changing my party.  I have been a Democrat since I was 18.  I didn't know the difference in the two parties and frankly, I've never voted party.  I've always researched my candidates and voted for the person I felt was more capable of completing the job they were being elected to do.  I filled out a card changing my party to Republican, because frankly, I feel we have to be more fiscally responsible. 

Many of our local elected officials have changed parties from Democrat to Republican including the current county clerk, who ran on the Democratic ticket unsuccessfully in 1996 for State Rep.  The difference is, when others change their party affiliation, their cards were entered into the state system without incident.  Mine was not.

I filed my letter of intent to run for County Clerk on October 3^rd, as a Republican.  I had a press release stating that I am a Republican.  Imagine my surprise when I went into the county clerk’s office on December 27^th to file my official papers to run and found out that the state system still showed me as a Democrat!  I was shocked.  The Deputy Clerk said she knew a card had come in for me with a change, but she didn’t know what the change was.  She saw the card.  It was on her desk.  Okay, it’s a mistake that it didn’t get entered.  It happens.  I don’t claim to be perfect.  No big deal, right?

The Deputy Clerk goes to the file to retrieve my card to enter it into the system.  It’s not there.  Hmmm…it’s not entered into the system, it’s not in the file.  Mistake?  Doubtful.  I’m running for the position of County Clerk.  The overseer of elections.  I could possibly see a mistake in not entering it and it being filed properly.  I could possibly see a mistake in it being entered into the system, but misfiled.  But both?  Fat chance.  This sounds  deliberate to me. 

I filled out a new card and filed my papers to run for County Clerk.  No harm.  Except, what if I hadn’t gone into the office to file my papers before December 31^st?  Would there have been a problem?  Yes.  You only have until December 31^st to change party affiliation to run for office in the primary.  That is the cutoff.  Of course, later that day when I went back in to file the completed paperwork, the voting supervisor was waving around the computer printout of my card.  They had scanned it into the local clerk’s office computer system on October 11^th.  35 days after I filled it out.  They still had it.  They had never bothered to enter it into the state system, which dictates how you vote.  They never filed it.  They lost it after that 35 days.  But they scanned it.  Big deal.  It wouldn’t have allowed me to run for office or vote on May 20^th. 

I kept quiet about this for 18 days.  I kept thinking they would find it.  They did not.  I then went on the Boone County Neighborhood Facebook page and suggested that anyone who had filled out a voter’s registration card in the past few months contact the clerk’s office to make sure it was done since mine had not been entered.  Miracles of miracles, the next day I got a phone call from the Deputy Clerk, saying they had found my card filed in the “P”s.  It only took me going public for this to happen.

When I went to the office to see the actual card, because basically at this point I don’t trust this office at all, the voting Supervisor told me that it was my fault, because on the line with my signature is a date to be filled in.  I had put 8-6-2013 and seeing my mistake, wrote a 9 over the 8.  REALLY?????  This caused them to not enter my change into the state system and lose my card??? To file my card in the “P”s without entering it?  MY FAULT???  No apologies.  Nothing but blaming me. 

When I’m elected Boone County Clerk, the “mistakes” will not happen.  This is ridiculous.  Of course, not surprising since things have a way of disappearing from the clerk’s office if they might be a detriment to our current clerk.  FMLA certification papers from a locked file in his office.  His voting record from November 2008, immediately after questions were raised about his voting history.  But those are stories for another day. 

For today, I’m disgusted with the lack of integrity in this office and we as citizens need to restore integrity to the office of Boone County Clerk.  Vote for Ramona on May 20^th!

Civilian Surveillance Program Simply Political Theater

I have to say that I am surprised and deeply disappointed to learn that Clerk Kenny Brown has established a video feed from his offices, which is nothing less than surveillance of Boone County citizens.

Republicans like Senator Rand Paul are opposing civilian surveillance programs in Washington and State Representative Diane St. Onge is introducing legislation in Frankfort to prevent civilian surveillance by the government, I am shocked and disappointed that an elected county official would use cameras purchased for legitimate security purposes to broadcast who is in line in the clerk’s office.   I have to wonder why he waited until the week after he appeared in the media standing alongside an outspoken advocate of civil liberties like Judge Andrew Napolitano to announce this intrusive violation of personal privacy.

This is without question an unnecessary surveillance of citizens seeking to do business with the county and provides those with illegal or inappropriate intentions an opportunity to know who may be away from their home or place of business.

The actions of the incumbent represent those of an individual who continues to demonstrate the lack of leadership skills to manage this office.  The reality is that by the time someone leaves their home to drive from Union to Florence or from Hebron to Burlington the video is absolutely useless from a customer service perspective. Even the clerk admitted it is not live time.  If not for pure political theater, why would any elected official expand or implement civilian surveillance in a Clerk’s office?

The camera should be pointed at his desk.  This clerk has managed to come into the office every day of ONE week since October 3^rd.  One week!  And that was last week, still only managing a 29 hour work week.  This, after I started going public with his horrible work ethic.  He’s such an extreme right wing clerk, and is so concerned about the waste of taxpayers money, yet he’s taking our tax dollars as his salary and managed to come in to the office approximately 100 hours total during October and November.  As of 11:30 a.m. this morning, he is still not in the office.

An objective analysis of his work history will show Kenny Brown never managed anything except a bar before becoming clerk.   And he got that job only because he was friends with the restaurant manager.  Somehow he thinks using video cameras is effective management.  As Clerk, I will pull the plug on that system instantly. I do not agree with surveillance of Boone County citizens.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

Can you believe that our present County Clerk is as ignorant as he is?!?!  He claims Pearl Harbor was NOT an act of war because the Japanese had no boots on the ground.  This disrespects all our WWII veterans and their families!

December 7th, 1941 was a Sunday.  We were at peace with the nation of Japan.  On that day the Japanese attacked not only Pear Harbor but Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Malaya.  On December 8th, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

The President of the United States said on December 8th, "I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Empire of Japan."

At 1:00 on December 8th, Congress (with one dissent) declared a state of war.  December 7th is "a day that will live in infamy", but apparently not in the little mind of the current clerk who never served and would certainly not understand the sacrifice that it takes to give him the freedom to spout such ignorance.

Please take a moment to remember all those who died in theses horrible attacks.  Please remember their families.  Please remember to thank ALL veterans who have served and are currently serving.  None of us would have the freedoms we enjoy without the sacrifices they have all made!

Your Tax Dollars at Work?

Are you a taxpayer in Boone County? I am. I chose Boone County 14 years ago as my home. It's a wonderful place to raise your children. It's clean, safe, and offers many things for families to enjoy.

 

But there's one problem. We have an elected official who chooses not to show up to work. He's admitted it under oath, that he stays home a couple of days a week to do his email. My tax dollars ...pay his salary. Since October 3rd through November 30th, he was in the office 6 full days! 6! That's horrible! Including those 6 full days, he has been in the office approximately 102 hours! That means we, the tax payers of Boone County are paying this man approximately $150.00 per hour to be our clerk. And yet, many people in the "good ole boy" network" swear he's doing a great job!?!? 

 

I personally, am disgusted. Let's restore FULL TIME leadership to the clerk's office! Vote May 20 for Ramona!

An Afternoon With Santa!

Join us for our first fundraiser!  You can email me at ramonaforclerk@gmail.com to order tickets! 

This is a great opportunity for dad and the kids to spend the afternoon while mom finishes up her last minute shopping or for grandparents to spend some fun time with the kids!  There will be at least a dozen projects for your children to do and they will have many things to take home with them so they remember their afternoon with Santa and Mrs. Claus for years to come!

AN AFTERNOON WITH SANTA AND MRS. CLAUS 

Saturday – December 21^st, 2013

2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Richwood Station Event Center - 10915A Dixie Highway, Walton, Kentucky 41094

 

Visit Santa and Mrs. Claus with crafts, games, cookies, pictures!

$10.00 per person (2 and under are FREE)

Or

$25.00 for your entire family (limit 5 people)

Price includes everything except photos!

Parking is free at the Richwood Flea Market – simply tell the gate attendant you are there for the Event Center!

 

SPONSORED BY THE CAMPAIGN OF RAMONA CROUSHORE FOR COUNTY CLERK