Judged by actions, vote Bill Dotson
Most of us want elected leaders who will dedicate their time, intelligence, experience and connections to supporting their community. And one other thing: We want leaders with integrity. As a former Air Force lieutenant colonel, I was excited to see Arthur Ellis (a former Air Force captain) challenge Mac Middleton in the primary. At the time there appeared to be no credible Republican candidate for state Senate from Charles County.
I became less excited about Mr. Ellis when I heard him speak the first time and he seemed to imply that Mac Middleton, his primary opponent, was racist. He apparently drew this conclusion from an event when one of many bills that came before the legislature during Middleton’s tenure wasn’t passed when time ran out at the end of the session. When asked, Ellis couldn’t recall the bill number or what it was about. He then seemed to lose his composure, and his temper. From then on he failed to follow through on many points being discussed. When the forum ended, I took the opportunity to speak to Mr. Ellis and mentioned specifically that I thought he had lost his self-control. I said he would have a better impact on the audience if he were calmer and more factual. After the next forum, he came to me and asked me how he did. I told him he seemed just as flustered and, again, presented few hard facts. At the second forum he accused Mac Middleton of working to get an Amazon distribution center for Montgomery County. Since Charles County didn’t meet Amazon’s location criteria, wouldn’t it make sense to attempt to get the distribution center for Montgomery County? Isn’t it true, as the saying goes, “a rising tide floats all boats”? Why would a substantial economic benefit for Montgomery County ultimately wash over onto Charles County? For me, this called into question Ellis’ judgment. As finance chairman, the third most powerful position in the state Senate, Middleton must consider the interests of the entire state.
Mr. Ellis touts his being a disabled veteran, but is evasive about the nature of his military disability. What is it? Where did it happen? Many veterans have disabilities from active duty service, even if not suffered in combat. (I have a 10 percent military disability myself. I lost some mobility in one of my arms. I’ve been in war zones, but my injury occurred in Ohio. The last battle fought in Ohio was in 1863, which was prior to my years of service.)
I asked him at the La Plata firehouse about his asserted disability. His response was incredible: He told me he suffered his disability in one of the many wars the government never tells the public about. He said he had a high security clearance and had sworn under oath to never disclose the location where he was injured or what happened there. How convenient. Maybe someone who hadn’t spent a career in the military would buy such a cloak-and-dagger story; I was career military, including a posting at the Pentagon. If Ellis’ disability resulted from a combat injury, where is his Purple Heart and the accompanying citation? We must know whether our would-be elected officials can handle the pressures of their offices.
A few weeks ago I was speaking to Bill Dotson not long after Mr. Ellis had appeared on the “Hanging with Your Girl, Tasha” show (WBGR Entertainment). Ellis said something that implied better teachers could be found online. When Tasha pressed him further on the subject, Ellis said he wasn’t recommending home schooling of students in Charles County. However, it’s worth noting that Ellis did home school his children. He also said, during the broadcast, words to the effect that teachers should use practices similar to the business practice of “management by exception.” This is a style of business management that focuses on identifying and handling cases that deviate from the norm. Evidently, he believes teachers should focus their efforts on problem students, rather than striving to maximize the education of all pupils. Dotson said, “I don’t see any student as a problem. Each student is an individual with different strengths.” He quoted Albert Einstein: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
This week, Ellis sent out a mailer that was full of disinformation about Bill Dotson. It said he was against teachers and our schools. To the contrary, not only has Dotson been very supportive of Charles County schools, his eight children attended public schools in Charles County. If you can judge a person by his actions: Bill Dotson, eight children in Charles County public schools; Arthur Ellis, home schooling.
As a former Air Force officer, federal civil servant, small business owner, and someone who has had the opportunity to meet and speak with both candidates, I am voting for Bill Dotson.
Hughesville