Charlie Dries will do anything to hold onto a slim majority on the Pottsville School Board. It looks as though he’ll even use Nixonian dirty tricks on a civic-minded teenager. Dries, the Pottsville City democratic party chairman, has reportedly been leading a door to door smear campaign against School Board candidate Scott Thomas, telling voters that Thomas is dating a Pottsville High student and that he is “mooching” off his parents.
Thomas, a 19-year old college freshman at Lehigh-Carbon Community College, became the youngest elected official in Schuylkill County history last fall when he won a seat on the GOP state committee. For this race, though, Thomas is on both sides of the ballot, as he easily was nominated on the Republican and democratic tickets this past spring. And that has Dries fired up.
Friends of The Clarke Report in such areas as the Yorkville section of Pottsville and Palo Alto have called in and reported that Dries and some other democratic candidates have approached them complaining about Thomas’ dating habits, his living arrangements with his parents, and a lack of driver’s license. Dries has also reportedly been urging democratic voters in the city to split their ticket, meaning to not just vote strictly for all democratic candidates, in an effort to keep Thomas off the Board. If both Thomas and current board president Jack Dolbin win in November, the Republican Party will have a majority on the Pottsville Board for the first time in 27 years.
“I am not going to dignify these smears with a response,” said Thomas, who chose to talk exclusively to The Clarke Report. “This campaign is about issues important to students and parents, like closely monitoring high school drop out rates and encouraging better communication between the district and parents. This race will not be decided by idle locker room chatter.”
He added, “We have too many problems to solve in our schools for me to get hung up on something like this. I am just going to keep knocking on doors, making phone calls, and telling the voters of the Pottsville School District where I stand on the critical issues facing our parents and students. Hopefully, on Election Day, that will be enough.”
Here is my take: If Dries wants to make an issue about Thomas’ relative inexperience in the adult workforce or the fact that he doesn’t pay school property taxes yet, fine. Those are all relevant to deciding whether someone is qualified to hold public office. However, when you start discussing who Thomas may be dating without substantiation or using buzzwords like “mooch” to describe a private family decision, you have crossed the line. Dries and his democratic candidates have resorted to the politics of personal destruction only because Thomas has them outhustled on the campaign trail and has them pinned down with his superior policy positions. The last gasp of a defeated politician is always to start attacking the person and his family.
But, for the record, if Scott Thomas wanted to date a high school girl, I believe that would be completely appropriate. Remember, he is only 19 and graduated just a year ago. Dating a junior or senior would not only be legal, but most parents wouldn’t even bat an eye at it. Second, it is common place for college students to continue living at home while attending school, especially if that school is local. Thomas, nor his parents are breaking any rules with his arrangement. In fact, I have talked to Scott’s father, who assures me that Thomas continues to pull more than his weight around the household, while still finding time to study, attend class, campaign, and volunteer in his church and with the elderly.
If gossiping like a high school clique during lunch period is all Charlie Dries and the democratic party have to offer the voters this November, they may just find themselves in the principal’s office come Election Day.
9 Comments
October 19, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I agree with Scott parents and him. If the young adult want to same home and go to a local college it their choose, They can get close to their parent and get ready for the real world. And the thing about date a high school girl that his business. Why should Charlie Dries care this is suppose to be how good he is going be in the school board for Pottsville.
October 19, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Where was Charlie Dries in 2007/2008, when a Pottsville Area High School TEACHER was having a “consensual” relationship with a high school student??? As a parent I do not care if this was “consensual” or not, under the guidelines from the PA Department of Education-code of ethics, this is cause for automatic dismissal!!!. As usual the board swept this under the carpet and did not renew the said teacher contract for the following year. This is a disgrace to the taypayers and parents of the Pottsville Area School District.
October 19, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Scott is a very qualified candidate regardless what negative Charlie Dries has to say. He is very disapointed in his own Democratic candidates and their lack of ideas compared to Scott’s. Mr. Dries lives in the past and can’t comprehend being beaten by a 19 year old rising star in the Republican Party.
October 20, 2009 at 8:15 am
I know Scott very well and he is more than ready to be on our school board. It doesn’t matter where he lives or how old he is, but where he is going!
Scott cares about families young and old and will be a great addition to our board, I personally find Charlie Dreis to be a disgrace. He is sending a message that if things don’t go your way then ruin the person’s character, shame on you Charlie!!!
October 20, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Scott is a close friend of mine, and he’s one of the oldest souls I know. He’s definitely more than qualified to be elected. He’s hard working and dedicated, and sticks to what he believes. Definitely the kind of person I’d want on a school board.
October 20, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Scott Thomas is a great candidate, and will be an even greater school board member. The attacks of Charlie Dries just go to show how afraid he is about this election. Outlandish accusations of Scott’s personal life (whether they be true or not) are dirty tactics at their best. The Pottsville Area school board will have nothing to worry about when Scott is elected on November 3rd.
October 20, 2009 at 10:05 pm
The Democrats, in trying to paint Thomas as a mere child, are acting childish. Thus Thomas wins in a landslide. How’s that for poetic justice
October 27, 2009 at 7:44 pm
It’s ironic that Dries is spewing his venom like the little snake that he is and will have to get one of his baby snakes to read the comments on the Clarke Report that Mr. Thomas will win in a landslide. Keep up the good work Scott.
November 9, 2009 at 11:01 pm
There is no way a 19 year old should be on the Pottsville Area School Board. He couldn’t possibly have enough life experience to deal with issues that affect children when he barely isn’t one himself. Also he should have either a college education or working experience first. The fact that he’s on the school board is a joke and an embarassment to the taxpayers in Pottsville. I have zero respect for anyone who voted for him. It’s truly laughable.