Capital Article

Candidate for Anne Arundel school board: Ray Leone, March 15, 2018.

Snider Comment

“First-time candidate? Yes”

Leone has previously run for the school board via the various school board selection commissions. Candidates chosen under this system were later subject to an approval vote by county voters. That is why those who championed that system and those originally appointed with it called it a school board “election” system just like we label judges selected under such a system “elected.” It is true that he hasn’t run under the new “elected” system. But no one else has either.

“We need to fix the pay issues…. I would also encourage more open processes between parents and schools, parents and the school board and work toward greater levels of transparency.”

I can think of few greater enemies of meaningful Board of Education transparency, especially compensation transparency, than Candidate Leone. That may be because Leone has been a tireless advocate for senior AACPS administrators and Board of Education members, all of whom may give lip service to open government but have staunchly opposed it in practice.

“I am not trying to be a politician.”

Leone loves to say he is not a “politician” and to castigate others, including in the Capital,” for being “political,” a term that he uses in a disparaging way. Please ask Leone to define precisely what he means by political. My own definition of undesirable political behavior (a version of which most political scientists would agree with) would be undemocratic behavior–behavior that favors the interests of the few as against the many. If Leone won’t provide a clear definition of one of his favorite terms to champion his own candidacy, then he is engaging in demagoguery.