Catalanello: I Am Beholden Only to Madison Students

Fellow candidate, Tom Haralampoudis, announced that he would not be placing campaign signs for the upcoming Board of Education election. Calling it “self-promotion,” he added, “it’s my hope that all the candidates in the race adopt this approach. Frankly, there are more compelling issues facing our school district than whether any single individual gets elected.”
 
This is a contested election, which is vital to the democratic process. If the individual were unimportant, Board of Education members would be appointed and not elected. Competition is healthy; it pushes people to differentiate themselves, to work harder and think better. Each candidate needs to be evaluated on his/her own merit and what he/she can bring to the table. This is an exciting opportunity to choose from a pool of six individuals, which is virtually unheard of in a Board of Ed election, three distinct people to be a part of the solution, to provide perspective and ideas, to have healthy dialogue and find the right direction for our district and our students. 
 
Those who know me know that I am not one to follow the herd. I will be putting up campaign signs, as my First Amendment rights are very important to me. I am absolutely going to “self-promote,” as Mr. Haralampoudis did during his 2009 council candidacy. I can bring something different to the table – I am outspoken, I have no outside agenda and am beholden to no group other than the students of Madison.
 
Dave Arthur, one of the incumbents, also has pledged to not put up signs, instead stating he will donate that money to the Madison Education Foundation. I already donate to the MEF, the Madison Athletic Foundation, and the PTO. In addition, I donate much of my time to the schools, as well. I will continue to do both regardless of the outcome of the election.
 
While campaign signs may not be the most attractive, they serve a purpose by advertising to the public that there is an election, and who is running. I do not have the luxury of incumbency and my name on the front page of the Madison Eagle during this critical budget period. I have not run for public office before, and do not have the luxury of having had signs all over town from a prior election bid. I need to get my name out there and let voters know that I am a contender for this election. My hope is that when voters enter the booth, they have read about me or spoken to me and know where I stand on the important issues, not just about campaign signs.
 
The Wednesday, April 27th, school election is crucial to the future of our schools. Voters have two important decisions to make, the people and the budget. I ask voters to vote yes twice – YES to the school budget, and YES to Brenda Catalanello.

Brenda Catalanetto