The Parent Press: 2016 Voter Guide

Subject:	The Parent Press: 2016 Voter Guide
From:	Elena Parent (info@elenaparent.com)
To:	JEAveryDVM87@att.net;
Date:	Friday, October 14, 2016 10:03 AM

Dear James, We are nearing the end of the 2016 Presidential election campaign.  I am sure most of you think it can't come soon enough.  Who could have predicted how utterly bizarre and destructive this campaign season has been?! It will surprise none of you that I am voting for and supporting Hillary Clinton to be our 45th President.  In my opinion, Trump is unqualified, uninformed, and not an acceptable person to further America's interests at home or abroad or to serve as a role model for America's children.  There is simply no contest here.  Elections Information  Click here to access your My Voter Page from the Secretary of State's office to view your polling location and sample ballots.   Beat the lines -- Early voting begins on October 17 and runs until November 4th.  (For complete information clickhere.) Early voting locations convenient to District 42 opening October 17: North DeKalb: Tucker Recreation Center, 4898 LaVista Road. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Central DeKalb: The Voter Registration and Elections Office (which has designated areas for seniors and disabled residents), 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.   South DeKalb: The Gallery at South DeKalb Mall, 2801 Candler Road, Decatur. Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additional Early Voting Locations Opening October 31, 7 am until 7 pm on weekdays: Chamblee: Chamblee Civic Center, 3540 Broad Street Atlanta: Coan Recreation Center, 1530 Woodbine Avenue SE Brookhaven: City Hall, 4362 Peachtree Road NE Decatur: Clark Harrison building, 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. Tucker: Tucker Recreation Center, 4898 LaVista Road. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday voting: On October 30, noon to 5 p.m., atMemorial Drive Voter Registration & Elections Office, Chamblee Civic Center and Gallery at South DeKalb Mall (addresses above) Constitutional Amendments Voter Guide There are 4 Constitutional Amendments on the ballot this fall.  Each will appear with a preamble, which is written by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker. Below, I provide an explanation of all of them and tell you how I plan to vote. Amendment One: the Opportunity School District, which allows the State to take over low-performing schools BALLOT PREAMBLE: Shall the Georgia Constitution be amended to provide greater flexibility and state accountability to fix failing schools through increasing community involvement? BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance? Summary: Amendment 1 is a constitutional amendment that would allow the General Assembly to authorize the establishment of an Opportunity School District (OSD) to provide for state interventions for low-performing schools. Governance: The OSD Superintendent, who is appointed by the Governor, is granted broad power and flexibility to waive State BoE rules, regulations, policies, and procedures for OSD schools with the ultimate goal of improving academic performance. The OSD Superintendent has the authority to select, approve, or remove the school principal for schools in the opportunity district and governing board members for opportunity which become OSD charters. Structure: The proposal authorizes the OSD to take over up to 20 schools a year with a cap of 100 schools total. OSD schools will remain in the district for at least five years but no more than 10. If an opportunity school or OSD charter earns above an F on the relevant criteria for three consecutive years, the school will be removed from the OSD or no longer subject to OSD oversight. Powers: The OSD director can take one of four steps regarding a struggling school: (1) direct management, (2) shared governance, (3) conversion to a charter school or (4) closure. Any teacher who is not hired on at their school post-OSD takeover remains an employee of the local school district and the district may determine whether or not to keep employing the teacher. Elena's Opinion: I voted against the Opportunity School District and plan to vote no.  While the goal of improving failing schools is laudable and I believe that Governor Deal is well-intentioned, the appointment of a superintendent who is unaccountable to taxpayers and parents is not a recipe for success.  There is no specific plan delineated as to how the failing schools would be turned around.  This, when coupled with the lack of accountability, is worrisome.  We do need to turn around our struggling schools, but state leaders should be following proven, research-based methods of doing so rather than  chasing the "state-takeover" fad that has taken root in some nearby states.  There are no quick fixes and this "solution" does not provide a long-term plan for improving education in Georgia for all our kids, which is what we need to do.  There are theoretically some pros.  There is a chance good reforms could emerge at the school level.  These could be positive.  We just don't know, because there is no specific plan for voters to count on.  (In the other extreme, there is no prohibition on the use of for-profit charter managers, for example.)   The biggest pro that I see is that the threat of state takeover and the loss of associated local school dollars could motivate some local school boards to implement reforms that have not occurred due to lack of motivation or politics.  However, I believe that there are other, better ways to accomplish that goal. To begin with, current law permits the State School Superintendent to exercise several of these powers. This is a complex issue.  For those who want more information, following are links to several articles: An op-ed I wrote in Reporter Newspapers explaining my opposition to the OSD. AJC: 7 Things to Know about Gov. Deal's Opportunity School District Report from pastor who attended OSD meeting with Gov. Deal Info from group supporting OSD Amendment Two: Safe Harbor Creates a dedicated source of state funding on behalf of victims of human trafficking to support housing, counseling and medical treatment BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow additional penalties for criminal cases in which a person is adjudged guilty of keeping a place of prostitution, pimping, pandering, pandering by compulsion, solicitation of sodomy, masturbation for hire, trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, or sexual exploitation of children and to allow assessments on adult entertainment establishments to fund the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Fund to pay for care and rehabilitative and social services for individuals in this state who have been or may be sexually exploited? Summary: Amendment 2 establishes a new Safe Harbor for the Sexually Exploited Children Fund, receiving money through $2,500 fines on convicted traffickers and an annual fee of $5,000 or 1% of annual gross revenue, whichever is greater, on adult entertainment establishments. Funds are then used to provide housing, mental care, education, job training, legal help, and child care to the victims. Convicted traffickers will also be listed on the state sex offender website. Elena's Opinion: I voted for Safe Harbor and plan to vote yes.  Our city and state see some of the highest levels of human trafficking in the country.  I agree with the goal of ensuring that victims of child sex trafficking get the needed counseling, medical care, education, and other support services they need to live happy and healthy lives - and without raising taxes.  Some feel that the fee on the adult entertainment venues is punitive or unconstitutional, but I feel that the good in this amendment strongly outweighs the bad.  Amendment Three - Judicial Qualifications Commission BALLOT PREAMBLE: Shall the Georgia Constitution be amended to reform and re-establish the Judicial Qualifications Commission and provide for its composition, governance, and powers? BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to abolish the existing Judicial Qualifications Commission; require the General Assembly to create and provide by general law for the composition, manner of appointment, and governance of a new Judicial Qualifications Commission, with such commission having the power to discipline, remove, and cause involuntary retirement of judges; require the Judicial Qualifications Commission to have procedures that provide for due process of law and review by the Supreme Court of its advisory opinions; and allow the Judicial Qualifications Commission to be open to the public in some manner? Summary: Under current law, the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) is comprised of two judges selected by the Georgia Supreme Court, three lawyers appointed by the State Bar of Georgia and two citizens appointed by the Governor. The proposed constitutional amendment would change the appointment powers: appointments would be made by the Speaker of the House, the Lieutenant Governor and the Governor. The public will now be denied access to a judge’s disciplinary hearing before the JQC for the first time.   Elena's Opinion: I am strongly against Amendment 3 and will vote no.  This amendment eliminates the JQC as an independent constitutional entity and puts political appointments in its place.  As such, it makes the oversight of our judiciary less democratic and more political.  And indeed, it appears that at least some of the impetus for the passage of this Amendment is dissatisfaction with actions of the JQC by members of the Legislature, one of whom happens to be a former judge who was investigated by the JQC. Furthermore, the Legislature's work on this has been the reverse of thoughtful policymaking.  Hearings should have been held to take testimony to determine what exactly is wrong with the system the way it is and then a solution addressing those perceived flaws should have been crafted. Instead, hearings are being held NOW to determine those things.  I consider the passage of this Amendment to be mostly a political power play.  This is actually all you need to know to understand why you should vote against Amendment 3. Conducting a Google search will bring up other interesting articles, if you so choose to immerse yourself further. Amendment Four - Fireworks Tax Revenue to Trauma Care, Fire Protection & Public Safety BALLOT PREAMBLE: Shall the Georgia Constitution be amended to dedicate revenue from existing taxes on fireworks to trauma care, fire services, and public safety? BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the proceeds of excise taxes on the sale of fireworks or consumer fireworks be dedicated to the funding of trauma care, firefighter equipping and training, and local public safety purposes? Summary: Amendment 4 will dedicate the proceeds from a general excise tax on fireworks to support funding for fire protection services, trauma care and public safety. The intent of the amendment is to establish a permanent revenue source that may not be diverted by the legislature without repeal of this amendment by the people. Elena's Opinion: I will vote yes for this amendment.  If passed, this creates a permanent fund for trauma care, fire safety and public safety, all of which are impacted by the legalization of fireworks in Georgia. The use of the excise tax for this purpose should provide a direct funding stream to ameliorate any harms created by the use of fireworks. DeKalb Homestead Tax Ballot Question: A "yes" vote will extend the existing Homestead property tax assessment freeze (applicable to County taxes only) until 2022.  As always, thank you for your support! Please email me at elena@elenaparent.com or call me at (404) 656-5109 for further information on any of these issues. Sincerely,                   Questions? Please contact me at elena@elenaparent.com.       Contributions to Friends of Elena Parent are not deductible for tax purposes. State law allows individuals, corporations, and Political Action Committees to contribute a maximum of $2,500 for the primary, $1,300 for the runoff, and $2,500 for the general election.   Friends of Elena Parent 774 Springdale Road NE Atlanta GA 30306 United States unsubscribe

 ***

Subject:	Inappropriate Signage 1840 Mason Mill Road..?
From:	James Avery (jeaverydvm87@att.net)
To:	elena@elenaparent.com;
Date:	Tuesday, July 19, 2016 4:15 PM

Hello Elena,

This is the mentally disturbed resident at 1840 Mason Mill Road.

"OH NO!"

~(Senator Elena Parent)~

I will never forget that afternoon I had first introduced myself to you at one of Mason Mill Civic Association's picnics at W. D. Thompson Park.  

Sorry to bother you as I know you are extremely busy with your reelection campaign, but I would really appreciate it if you could spare some time allowing me the opportunity explaining some of the reasons behind my signs and odd behaviors. 

Is it fair calling someone's problem a psychosis if the triggers for  his supposedly bipolar-ism is the congeniality and confirmation bias of other?  How does one go ask for help if not sure where to begin?

I do consider myself a Progressive.  

And thought I was living  in Progressive neighborhood.  

 I'm a Progressive who just happens to be handicapped.  I'm  a Progressive who just happens to be gay.   I'm  a Progressive who just happens to have a drug addiction.   I'm  a Progressive who just happens to be many things.  But it' not my progressive activism on these issues I'm wanting to believe that defining me as a Progressive.  It's my progressive activism on issues that I do not personally benefit from I'm wanting to believe that's defining me as a Progressive.  For example, I consider you to be the more progressive one when compared to Kyle Williams.  But then again, this is unfair to Kyle as we do not know what his view would have been had he been married with children.  But then again, we do have a pretty good idea what those views might have been like because of his association with the Log Cabin Republicans. I agree with you on that one. 

But I've since learned the hard way that I lean so far left in my political views that I make even the Progressives and Liberals nervous.

So I don't know what I am?

I've also had someone once tell me, that if you too far left, you end up back on the right..? 

Unless maybe "Dead Man Walking" same as our Jesus of Nazareth.

Since learned that everything about our language is assumption based. 

And this is where my colorful (inflammatory, offensive, ribald, etc., etc., etc.) language comes into play.

Anyway, just hoping someone would hear me out before my court hearing over these signs  August 9th, 2016.

Sincerely yours,

Jim Ed

"Our people of faith should be able getting together and having a rational discussion about guns."

~(Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver)~

P.S.  If possible, would even like an audience with Mary Margaret Oliver? But from the look on her face the day I introduced myself to her after one of her town hall meetings, probably unlikely to happen.  But it's God, Guns, and Robin Williams I'm wanting to discuss with that "Catholic Lite"!

"Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the gun down."

~(Malcolm X)~

"I do not agree with that."

~(Rev. Kimberly Wagner)~

"You can disagree all you want!  The sad fact still remains; you will always have the option of changing your mind!"

~(Simply Jim:  Constructive ? Confrontationist)~

---

Attachments

• June 8th, 2016 3,6,9, electromagnetism 020.JPG (6.06MB)
• June 8th, 2016 3,6,9, electromagnetism 021.JPG (6.67MB)
• June 8th, 2016 3,6,9, electromagnetism 030.JPG (6.68MB)

***

Subject:	Re: Inappropriate Signage 1840 Mason Mill Road..?
From:	Elena Parent (elena@elenaparent.com)
To:	jeaverydvm87@att.net;
Date:	Thursday, July 21, 2016 10:27 AM

Thank you, James, for writing and clarifying your position and thoughts on the matter.

Best,

Elena

-- 

Elena C. Parent

Senator, District 42

321 Coverdell Legislative Office Building

18 Capitol Square, SW

Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-5109
elena@elenaparent.com
www.elenaparent.com

***

Subject:	Re: Inappropriate Signage 1840 Mason Mill Road..?
From:	James Avery (jeaverydvm87@att.net)
To:	elena@elenaparent.com;
Date:	Thursday, July 21, 2016 8:45 PM

Hello Elena,

Thank you for writing back.

I was actually requesting a meeting with you.  What I'm wanting to share with you is too complicated than my writing skills will allow.  Nor do I have any reasons believing I will be given the opportunity sharing these same thoughts during my court hearing/non-hearing coming up August 9th, 2016.

http://minusfleshequalswaterandspirits.blogspot.com/2016/07/anitacock-wtf-did-that-coward-james.html

				?PURGATORY~g(CAT!FISH)d~DIALOGUE? : Anitacock... James Avery from Mason Mill5d ago Oh btw...Supervisor Silver with a ...
				View on minusfleshequalswaterandspirits.blogspot.com	Preview by Yahoo

But intuition is telling me you are already aware of this..?

May 17, 2016

Dear Neighbors:

I'm certain you have noticed the many ground signs and seasonal inflatables at 1840 Mason Mill Road. At the request of a number of neighbors, the Mason Mill Civic Association is facilitating a communication process relating to a petition asking DeKalb County to enforce its Code of Ordinances to ensure that the resident at 1840 Mason Mill complies with them.

You may have received a link to this petition through the Mason Mill Civic Association email sent out on Sunday, May 15. If not, you can locate the petition by going to www.change.org and search "1840", or

typing in the following link: https://www.change.org/p/dekalb-countydekalb-county-enforce-code-of-ordinances-at-1840-mason-millroad?recruiter=541627553&utm source=share petition&utm mediu

m=email&utm campaign;;share email responsive._

As you review this petition, you will find that the petition is directed toward the county, not the resident, and that the petition does not call for the elimination of all signs; nor does it deny the resident his First

Amendment rights. The petition only asks that the county ensure that the resident follows the same Code of Ordinances we are all called upon to follow as residents of DeKalb County. Our goal is to reach 100 signatures and we need your support.

As of 4/30/16, the resident at 1840 is in violation of three ordinances and a hearing for the current violations is set for late in June.

In order to keep pressure on the county to act in this matter and to ensure that the community's voice is heard in upcoming meetings with county staff - and later before the hearing judge - we ask that you add your signature to this petition along with any comments.

Found the above information on a single folded sheet of paper someone place anonymously in my mailbox one evening.  Maybe you could at least tell me whether or not there has been any discussions with you about my signs; what advice/suggestions, if any, they were given? 

Sincerely yours,

Simply Jim

***

Subject:	1840 Mason Mill Road
From:	James Avery (jeaverydvm87@att.net)
To:	elena.parent@senate.ga.gov; elena@elenaparent.com;
Date:	Tuesday, September 6, 2016 12:22 AM

Hello Elena,

I recently sent you a copy of an email I had written to Code Enforcer Officer Housworth about my signs which was returned with the following message error attached:

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.com.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

<elena.parent@senate.ga.gov>:
167.192.150.102 failed after I sent the message.
Remote host said: 552 Message exceeds permitted size.

I'm pretty much uploading all my emails up to my blog these days in my attempts trying to tell my story; apparently a story no one wants to hear.  You can read this email I sent to Officer Housworth (copies to Kathy Gannon, Jeff Raider, Mary Margaret Oliver as well)  by clicking on the following link:

http://minusfleshequalswaterandspirits.blogspot.com/2016/09/hello-officer-housworth-code-violations.html

If I know of you, then you are a part of my story.

http://minusfleshequalswaterandspirits.blogspot.com/2016/08/petition-update-discussion-law-office.html 

http://minusfleshequalswaterandspirits.blogspot.com/p/a-balanced-and-tragic-vision-of.html

As it's not entirely my fault our story is such an important part of my story, I should have every right telling our story, singing our song to any and all willing to listen or read.

Sincerely yours,

James E. Avery, DVM

***