From James D. “Jim” Thornton:
Dear Editor:
I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the voters of Harford County for standing by me through this Primary Election cycle. Your trust in me to move Harford County forward as your democratic candidate for County Council President both humbles and inspires me. I am confident that, together, we can continue to fight for this critical leadership position to create positive change in our county.
Over the last five months, numerous dedicated volunteers spent countless hours supporting my campaign effort to secure the trust of the Harford County community allowing me the opportunity to lead the County Council to a place where we can maintain our quality of life while supporting safe and responsible growth. Without each volunteer, committee member and supporter, we would not have been successful at the primary polls.
The informed decisions by our community members allows us to move forward in our quest to restore trust and belief in the County Council as a responsible, decision-making body that represents the interests of all Harford County residents, especially our children. I am appreciative of the trust and support from our community and I am urging you to join me in this important mission because much work lies ahead.
By providing a forum where all candidates may express their goals and beliefs equally in order to educate the public on the issues, The Dagger should be commended for their comprehensive coverage of the Primary Election thus far. As we move through the next five months to the General Election on November 4, 2014, I urge each Harford County citizen to educate themselves on the key issues that affect our county.
I would like to thank my democratic opponent in the primary, Christopher Boardman, and invite him and those that support him to join us in our campaign to bring responsible leadership to the County Council. Regardless of party, we all agree that the time is now to work together for stronger, effective leadership in Harford County.
As a candidate for Harford County Council President, I believe in: fiscally-responsible investment in our education system; improving our transportation infrastructure; diversifying the economic base of our county by partnering with Aberdeen Proving Ground; and, making connections and sharing information with community groups and leaders in order to encourage everyone to work together for the benefit of all citizens.
Thank you for your continued support. Please join me in the quest to return the Harford County Council to a governing body that represents and protects the rights of all citizens in Harford County.
Respectfully yours,
James D. “Jim” Thornton
Candidate for Harford County Council President
I thank GOD that Thornton will fail just like his useless leader Art Helton. Slutzky will win this election with well over 5000 more votes then O’Thornton.
Mr. Thornton you are nothing but a liberal POS just like Obama, O’Malley, and Art Helton your voting record has shown us that. How will you “represents and protects the rights of all citizens in Harford County” when you and your party have proven yourselves not to care about peoples rights. You are a liar, your school board voting record proves that. Your voting record also shows that you are not fiscally-responsible. Furthermore, the people you associate yourself with shows us that your can not be trusted and if you did win, Art Helton would control you.
Please, go away, go back to the liberal crap hole that you Obama, O’Malley, and Art Helton came from.
How true!
Your hate and baseless insults to someone trying to run a positive, respectful campaign are disgusting. If you disagree with something, say what you think should be done instead. It takes no brains to throw mud.
From an early post and it still holds true!
I will not vote for Mr. Thornton because he voted to raise fees over cutting expenses. Aka pay for play. He is currently demanding more money from the tax payers next budget year, so he and the other school board members can just keep spending money. Mr. Thornton does not understand that the tax payers are not his unlimited source for money. We are his only source of money and he needs to be stopped before he and other people like him and his good friend Gov. Marty O’ suck us all dry. I will not vote for Mr. Thornton because of his non-conservative votes on the board of education. Take the time and look up his voting record pay for play, common core, fee increases, higher spending plans, cutting contractors to expand the system, and cutting security upgrades from the last budget. I will not vote for Mr. Thornton because he supported SB 281, O’Malleys anti 2nd amendment bill. I will not vote for him because he will increase low income housing in conservative areas of the county just like he has done in the past. He will support expanding the development envelope to make this happen. He has already made zoning related statements at board of education meetings. He may be a good man but he is also a good democrat.
The Real Estate market went to crap so now people like Thornton want to shimmy on into politics, sounds about right. Part of his platform is “Land Use & Development” – I bet it is!
After having read Mr. Thornton’s statement and the comments that followed, I have to tell you posters of anonymous comments that I am ashamed for you and ashamed that the public discourse that you are engaged in is so ugly. Though I have my differences with Mr. Thornton, he is a decent, honorable person and I have come to respect him for that. Running for public office is a difficult and expensive job; if you don’t think so try doing it yourself, but most people don’t have the courage to do so. There is no doubt that the county’s finances are in a mess with the misplaced priorities of the Craig Administration and the difficult positions that teachers and law enforcement personnel have been placed in. Jim Thornton helps to offer a way out of this mess but he needs people of good will on the council and in the public to assist him. Remember that our democracy depends of people of good will, not people engaging in character assassination and dirty politics. Remember, people have died to protect your democratic rights. Those of you who deliberately poison the well of public discourse and also I might add those of you who won’t even exercise your right to vote, are part of the problem and not part of the solution. I will be helping Mr. Thornton and other Democratic candidates and we will re-set the discourse in the county to decency and respect for one another. Nor will I engage in any disparaging talk about Republicans either; they are our fellow citizens too and we all have an interest in promoting a better government for all.
Anonymous posters on the Internet? You don’t say? Welcome to the Internet. Where have you been in the last twenty years?
What difference would it make if people posted their real names, in which, you wouldn’t even know if it’s even THEIR real name? LOLz Wut?
Hit the “reply” button and tell me “how it is,” I really care!!!!
To “From an early post”: I agree with your comments in favor of fiscal conservatism. During the campaign and going to various schools/polling places, there was almost no schools I saw that had not gone through some major renovations. We’re talking about millions and millions of dollars. I like new buildings just as much as the next person, but the school system should be spending money primarily on improving the minds of young people, not building or re-building buildings. Teachers already give themselves to their profession more than most, and it’s accurate to say they’re not in it for the money. But they do need to earn a livable income. I cannot understand why Mr. Craig and Mr. Slutzky, both former teachers, could lose sight of this important principle. Many of those building projects could wait, they weren’t all that important, While we’re on the same subject, law enforcement personnel also deserve their step increases. Having been away from politics in the county for awhile (my disillusionment has been well-founded!) I was shocked to learn that these county employees have been so neglected. Despite some votes that ere maybe not so well advised, I think Jim Thornton can get this right, certainly much more so than Slutzky who has a known record on the county council and openly told teachers that the grass was always greener somewhere else because they were seeing it from the side and not from above. How you can defend Slutzky with his terrible record is beyond me.
I agree with you, Mr. Boardman. And thanks for bringing some intelligent conversation into the issue. We need more of this type of commentary rather than the distasteful trash talk that some others are only capable of spewing. We should all try to work towards level-headed discussions to help solve the challenges and address the issues that need improving. And, yes, we need smart, capable people like Jim Thornton to be part of that process. He would make an excellent County Council President!!!