Leave the country – stay in office
By Brian Kirwin | Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 | PoliticsA Virginia Beach School Board member got a job in Saudi Arabia. So, that means resigning her seat?
NO!
Sandra Smith Jones got a job in Saudi Arabia and had submitted her resignation, but changed her mind.
She said her job would allow her to return to Virginia Beach for a few weeks every couple months, Edwards said, and she told him she planned to be back in town for November’s board meeting. (Virginian-Pilot)
This is insane!!!! An elected official who will be living on the other side of the planet but will visit from time to time to make a meeting every 3 or 4 months?
Board member Carolyn Weems called it “a mockery” and “an insult to voters.”
“How is Sandra going to be at the meetings?,” Weems said. “She’s not. How is she going to vote? She’s not. How is she going to go on school visits? She’s not. This is a joke.”
Some School Board members like the idea of elected officials serving from 7,000 miles away.
Brent McKenzie and member Todd Davidson said they supported Smith-Jones’ decision to finish her term while overseas.
There’s a campaign issue for 2012. Tell the voters you support their elected officials living in another country while you pay them.
Smith-Jones reportedly suggested allowing her to attend meetings via video conference. Saudi Arabia is located in a time zone seven hours ahead of Virginia Beach.
Of the proposed arrangement, (School Board Chairman Dan) Edwards said, “I don’t know if it’s legal, but I know it’s dysfunctional.”
Dysfunctional indeed, of both Smith-Jones and two supporters on the School Board.
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About the author
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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18 Responses to "Leave the country – stay in office"
If she hyphens her name another time and wears a Burka in the video teleconference, she’ll get a pass and they will reschedule the meetings on Saudi time.
Abolish the whole school board. Please.
I want you to know that I share your concerns. I spoke to Ms. Smith-Jones yesterday and she assured me that she was staying here in Virginia Beach and would be traveling out of the country for her job from time to time. She led me to believe that she would be able to attend our meetings and serve the Kempsville constituents. This is what I told the Virginian Pilot reporter but they only used part of my quote. If she can’t make the meetings or if she can’t serve Kempsville the way it deserves to be served, then I will join the chorus of citizens who are asking for her resignation. I ask that you afford me the time to get the facts and make the right decision.
Thank you for your concern,
Brent McKenzie
Member – Virginia Beach School Board
I suggest that those concerned should read the Code of Virginia. 24.2-226. Excerpt “Upon receipt of written notification by an officer or officer-elect of his resignation as of a stated date, the governing body or school board, as the case may be, may immediately petition the circuit court to issue a writ of election, and the court may immediately issue the writ to call the election. The officer’s or officer-elect’s resignation shall not be revocable after the date stated by him for his resignation or after the forty-fifth day before the date set for the special election. The person so elected shall hold the office for the remaining portion of the regular term of the office for which the vacancy is being filled.“
This is ridiculous. You can go to work overseas or you can keep your seat on the School Board. Can’t do both. Choices have consequences.
I bet she’s changed her mind to resign to block Patrick Salyer from taking her position. He’s very actively involved and takes his position seriously but he just so happens to be a Republican. For her to say she, “doesn’t trust the School Board majority to appoint the right person to replace her”, because, “when it comes to these situations they have proven they will consider friendships and politics instead of qualifications” shows she is the one playing politics. Hypocritical to say the least. If she’s not here, she can’t do her job.
Do the right thing and give up the $12,000 a year paycheck if you can’t be here to do the job Sandra.
This is a good argument for the ability to hold recall elections.
Kathy: Va. Beach school board members make $12K a year? That’s ridiculous too. Most communities in Virginia manage to find folks willing to serve on their school boards for much less than that, sometimes for expenses only.
A question for Brent McKenzie: is she taking a job in Saudi Arabia with frequent travel privileges home or is she taking a job in Virginia Beach that requires frequent travel to Saudi Arabia? The difference is significant. One of the benefits of overseas employment is that the IRS excludes the first $92,900 of foreign-earned income, provided that you meet the residency qualification. That entails establishing an overseas residence for the entire tax year that is your primary domicile (as opposed to your permanent residence). You can make only brief visits to the US or other countries for vacations or business. Is Ms. Smith-Jones going to claim the foreign income exclusion? If so, when she takes her new job then she doesn’t live (domicile) in Virginia Beach anymore and needs to resign.
HisRoc,
My understanding is that she is keeping her residence here in Virginia Beach but I didn’t ask about tax status, I wouldn’t have ever thought of that. Thanks for the information though, that is interesting.
Brent
I agree she should resign. However, Patrick Salyer should not be appointed to replace her.
Patrick Salyer was elected to a seat and he should honor and fulfill the committement to those who elected him. When you run for office and win, you should finish the term in the seat you won. R or D or Tea, it makes no difference to me.
How about politicians honor the folks who elected them by finishing what they started? Is that too much to ask?
@ Tim,
“If she hyphens her name another time and wears a Burka in the video teleconference, she’ll get a pass and they will reschedule the meetings on Saudi time.”
Why the discriminatory language? I don’t really think its necessary and certainly doesn’t do you or the Tea Party any favors.
Disagree with her and campaign against her because she’s not fulfilling her duty, not because she’s hyphenated her name or wears a burka (not that she does).
Listen clown, good try, and you still have the right in our great country to be stupid, but don’t attribute my “discriminatory language” sarcasm to the Tea Party.
Patrick is already a school board member but he is at large. He resides in Kempsville, the district in question, but I’m sure you already knew that William B..
He moved to Kempsville but was elected “at-large” so he represents all the city’s voters and has no claim to be the Kempsville rep. Next election if he wants to be the Kempsville school board district rep, then he can run for that seat. Until then, he should finish at-large. Again I ask, is that too much to ask?
It isn’t about the candidate as much as they were elected by voters into a seat and now they want to jump seats. Finish the commitment and responsibilities you told the voters you would meet. They elected you and you owe it to those who voted for you. Otherwise you can’t be trusted to be elected as you’ll cut and run to another position that fits “your needs” more that it benefits those who put their trust and vote in you.
William, what about Senators than are elected to represent a state and end up running for President?
Reid,
Or governors who leave the state they were elected to lead to run for President, or just to run the DNC.
Of course, then there is the governor who resigned mid-term to run for…exactly what is she running for?
Why can’t the school board have Kerry’s common sense? http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/school-board-lacks-member-and-some-common-sense
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