On the stump

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Oct 14, 2005

UNBIASED FORUM?

Having questioned the fairness of an upcoming Citizens Project forum, Republican School District 11 candidates felt vindicated after campaign finance records were released Tuesday.

The records showed Citizens Project Executive Director Ellie Collinson gave money to John Gudvangen and Tami Hasling, two of three candidates with ties to unions and the Democratic Party.

Each member of that trio, including Sandra Mann, got contributions from someone on Citizens Project's board or advisory panel, and forum moderator Dick Celeste, Colorado College president, donated to Gudvangen.

GOP-backed hopefuls Carla Albers, Bob Lathen and Reginald Perry are all skipping Monday's forum, saying they have other activities. But Albers also has questioned whether attending meant they would have been walking into enemy territory.

"I question whether it would have been a neutral situation," Albers said.

Collinson argued that although board and panel members may have their favorites in the race, they won't be the ones running the forum. Candidates will field questions first from a media panel and then from the audience.

Celeste pointed out that he allowed voucher supporter Steve Schuck, who does not support Gudvangen, to hold a meeting at his house several months ago.

"I have people I would support in this campaign, but I think as moderator that's not my job. I want to facilitate discussion," he said.

HONESTY IN FILINGS

At a news conference Thursday morning by Citizens to Preserve Public Education, Mary Ellen McNally questioned whether all candidates running for the Colorado Springs School District 11 board are being honest about their campaign contributions.

Recent reports showing how much money each candidate has raised have John Gudvangen, Tami Hasling and Sandra Mann gathering roughly five times the amount of money as Carla Albers, Bob Lathen and Reginald Perry.

Either the candidates are getting money from somewhere else or they aren't being honest about how much money they've collected, Mc- Nally said, because multiple mailings have been sent touting Albers, Lathen and Perry.

Albers said it's frustrating to hear people saying false things about the finance reports, but there's not much that can be done.

Bills for some of the three pieces of campaign literature Albers has printed haven't come in yet, she said; they'll be reported when they come in. The next finance reports are due Oct. 28.

When it comes to whether candidates have listed all their contributions for a filing period, a complaint could be filed with the Secretary of State's Office, said Susan Russo, the county's assistant election manager. An administrative law judge would then hear the complaint and make a decision.

McNally said she had not filed a complaint.

Citizens to Preserve Public Education is a political issue committee formed about six weeks ago to "help elect candidates to the D-11 school board," according to paperwork filed with El Paso County.

SCHOOL BOARD POLITICS

Other speakers at Thursday morning's Citizens to Preserve Public Education event talked about keeping the D-11 school board race nonpartisan.

Jan Martin, the group's registered agent, said voters need to vote based on the most qualified candidate, not party affiliation, Martin said.

"A donkey or an elephant shouldn't have a damn thing to do with it," said Chuck Murphy, another member of Citizens to Preserve Public Education.

Martin said the group supports the "nonpartisan team" of John Gudvangen, Tami Hasling and Sandra Mann.

Gudvangen is a registered Democrat, Hasling is independent and Mann is a registered Republican.

Citizens to Preserve Public Education has raised $11,850 in less than a month, according to finance reports filed with the county, and spent $148.50. The group has mailed brochures to 25,000 voters in D-11, Martin said. The brochures include an envelope for supporters to send money to the group.

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