Who's Broken the Law?

The incumbent Clerk, a career politician, has begun a personal smear campaign against me. He is alleging that a tax lien against my husband (the attorney who sued Brown for disability discrimination and FMLA violation), is the same as evading paying taxes.  It is not.  I have always paid my taxes; however, in the recession my husband was unable to make a large tax payment on his income and as a result has a tax lien where we make monthly payments. 

This is NOT the same as evading paying personal property taxes, especially when it’s his job to collect them.  As you have seen by the YouTube videos, that is what the incumbent did.  The violation of not registering his vehicle in Kentucky within 15 days, is a Class A misdemeanor.  He bought the vehicle in March and didn’t register it until January. 

Owing money is not a crime.  I have always paid my taxes and will continue to do so.  He has now taken it upon himself to mail to many citizens a copy of the tax lien along with a decision by the court of appeals finding that the buyer of our mortgage did not have to prove its ownership. 

I have NEVER broken the law with the exception of a speeding ticket when I was 16 years of age.  Regardless of the rumors he spreads, the YouTube videos show that he committed the crime and that he lied on a loan application for that same vehicle.  I trust the citizens of Boone County to see these rumors for what they are.  

Boone County Clerk Lies About Previous Employment

When you apply for a loan, you have a much better chance of obtaining it if you have a regular income.  Lending institutions tend to be much more cautious about loaning money to people who work on commission rather than salaried.

Our current Clerk obviously knows this fact.  So on a Huntington Bank loan application in March of 2007, where he was borrowing $24,000 to purchase the vehicle that he failed to register for 9 months in Kentucky, he lied saying he was an office manager.  He stated that he had been an office manager for 10 years.  9 years with Cincinnati Bell and 6 months with North American Bioproducts.

Under oath, Mr. Brown listed his employment history and at NO time did he ever say he was an office manager.  He had worked at a couple of bars.  He had worked as a Deputy Jailer.  He had worked as a baggage handler.  He had worked for Cincinnati Bell (for approximately 7 years not 9) as a salesman.  He worked as a salesman for North American Bioproducts.

I believe being a salesman is a very respectable occupation.  However, Mr. Brown knew if he said this was what he did for a living, he would have a hard time securing a loan for $24,000.  So he lied.  He either lied on the loan application or he lied under oath.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCOyQ_cyrdQ

Restore honesty and integrity to the office of Boone County Clerk.  Please vote for Ramona on May 20th!

Current Clerk Evaded Paying 2008 Personal Property Taxes

The incumbent Clerk, a career politician, who unfortunately will say or do anything to win, has begun a personal smear campaign against me. He is alleging that a tax lien against my husband, an attorney, and losing a  court case in 2006 is comparable to his failure to pay his car taxes.  The difference is we are paying our debt, which Mr. Brown evaded.

Today you're going to see a video with black and white evidence of the current Boone County Clerk evading paying personal property taxes.  If your vehicle is registered in the state on the first day of the year, you owe personal property taxes on it.  It's as easy as that.  It's state law.  He thinks he is above the law. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntzw7Fdwh_Y&feature=youtu.be

This is one of the many reasons I'm running for Clerk.  Let's restore integrity and honesty to this office.  Please vote for Ramona on May 20th!  Number 1 on the ballot!

Super-size Pension Pals

My opponent sent out a mailer that you probably received yesterday announcing the endorsements of career politicians like him who have protected their pensions at the expense of the taxpayers of Boone County.

County Clerk "Career Politician" Kenny Brown, a man who has run as a Democrat for the House, and lost a race for Clerk in 2006,  proudly announced he is running for reelection with the full support of Rep. Sal Santoro and Sen. John Schickel.  Both of them have sat on their hands when it comes to pension reform because both have expectations, like Brown, of being in office long enough to collect a full size pension for their part time service in the Legislature. Brown only works part-time and wants a full size pension as well as his full size salary for working on average a 12 hour week.   

Brown has also been endorsed by another career politician James Comer, who as a House member actually voted for the get rich pension deal for legislators like him and former Senate President David Williams. Unfortunately, Comer, elected to serve as Agriculture Commissioner, is now guaranteed to get a super-size pension compared with what he has paid in. 

How appropriate all the career politicians are sticking together to protect their pals in the taxpayer funded pension plan! 

Where is the anger, indignation, and criticism by the Tea Party and other conservative activists?

Fortunately, you have a clear alternative in the Republican Primary race for Boone County Clerk, Ramona B. Croushore!

As a business woman with extensive experience in volunteer community service and non-profit management I would appreciate your support in getting rid of the career politicians and thus your vote for Boone County Clerk in the Republican Primary on May 20^th!

WHAT WILL I DO WHEN I AM ELECTED?

First and foremost, I promise to treat this as a full-time job.  Our current clerk, was in the office approximately 48 hours in October of 2013 and 49.5 hours in November of 2013.  I called him out on this publicly and he started spending more time in the office.  Today is April 28th and so far this month he has been into the office approximately 9 days.  This is not full-time.  My other opponent, doesn't see a problem with this, stating that "he doesn't have a boss."  You're the Clerk's boss.  The County Clerk does have bosses.  Thousands of them.  My tax dollars and your tax dollars pay the Clerk's salary to serve, not sit at home working on email which is what our current clerk said he does under oath.

I have heard from so many people in the county that customer service is either poor or lacking currently in the Clerk’s office.  I promise you, the citizens of Boone County that I will address this immediately upon taking office. 

I promise you that I will work full time not an average of 12 hours a week. 

I promise you that I will look at expanding services, to make it convenient for you to deal with the Clerk’s office.  When you renew online or by phone, you are charged an extra fee.  Of course, you’re not told this when the current Clerk is telling you how convenient it is to do business now. 

I promise to only serve no more than two terms and that I will not use this office to further any political career. 

I promise to implement merit-based hiring and retention. 

I promise you that I will do everything in my power to provide you with all public documents online so that you don’t have to pay for copies of things that belong to the public to begin with. 

I hope you enjoy this video and I would appreciate your vote on May 20^th!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4_bIIt9zgQ&feature=youtu.be

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.