Howard Chalmers for Mount Pleasant Town Council

I’ve been encouraged by a few folks lately to start blogging. There are a ton of topics I’d consider: product management in its various forms, politics, scuba, cub scouts and scouting in general, or maybe even coaching – baseball, football, or agile teams. I’m thinking it might be a good idea not to let this site sit idle from now until I (inevitably) decide to run for office again sometime, somewhere. That being said, it’ll probably end up as a hodge-podge of things I care about. I wonder if anyone else would…

I am not running for Town Council in the 2011 municipal election, but there IS an election coming up. Please make it a priority to find out about the candidates who are running, find out what they stand for, and make a determination who you think should be elected. I believe that our local elected officials have a significant impact on our daily lives, even more than those elected at the state or national level. It is critical that we elect conservative leaders who understand the appropriate role of local government in our lives.

Voters pick Page, Burn, Carrier and Rhyne
By Prentiss Findlay
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, November 4, 2009

MOUNT PLEASANT — Linda Page, John Burn, Elton Carrier and Dr. Craig Rhyne were elected to Town Council on Tuesday night.

In unofficial results, Page had 9.9 percent of the vote, Burn had 9.6 percent, Carrier 8.4 percent and Rhyne nearly 8 percent. A few provisional or challenged ballots remain, but they are not enough to affect the outcome, said Marilyn Bowers, director of the Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration. Read the rest of this entry »

From www.charlestongop.org:

Voter Recommendations

A local group of conservatives from the Tea Party Organization, 9.12 and members of the Charleston GOP met and interviewed candidates for local races. They have made the following recommendations for local offices which we support.

These candidates have been identified as conservative candidates for these local non-partisan elections. We are asking your support of these individuals through volunteer efforts or cash donations. Please pick one and help them get elected.

Download the attached list and get active. This list is not all encompassing and there may be other conservatives. We expect the voters to become informed about the candidates of their choice. (The List)

As a member of Mount Pleasant Town Council, I will be guided by my personal commitments to

* Limited government,
* Fiscal responsibility, and
* Good stewardship of our historical, cultural, and natural resources.

It is my belief that good government begins at the local level, and the decisions made by Town Council affect all of us on a daily basis.

Above all, we must maintain our commitment to high quality Police and Fire Departments to keep our community safe. We must also examine every project to understand not only the immediate cost, but the long term operational and maintenance cost as well. In light of those two overarching themes, I have three priorities:

1. Encourage responsible economic and community development
2. Reduce traffic congestion
3. Keep focus on the decisions made by CCSD that affect our schools

Howard will be at the Brickyard clubhouse from 7:00-8:30 tonight for a casual drop-in. Come by to hear more about his stance on the various issues facing Mount Pleasant, and please Bring a Friend!

Where: Brickyard Plantation Clubhouse
When: Thursday, October 8, 2009 7:00-8:30pm
Hosted by Ron & Margie Hemingway

In some of my conversations with voters, I have been asked about polling locations for the November 3 election. Here’s the official list: Read the rest of this entry »

Curtis, Chalmers, & Palmer

A couple of weeks ago, I was out on the new pier at the Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park taking some pictures for the campaign, when I started talking with a couple of gentlemen who were on their way out to fish. They were interested in hearing about why I decided to run for council, and Penny snapped some pictures while we were talking. There were some good candid shots and a couple of nice posed pictures. At one point, the rods got tangled up, and we had a time getting them sorted out, which resulted in fairly a comedic moment. During the time we talked, I learned a bit about Mr. Curtis and Mr. Palmer, their families, and their love for their town; and they learned a little about me, my desire for my boys to grow up on and around the water, and my vision for the future of Mount Pleasant. It was a great afternoon.

Everyone in Mount Pleasant knows that we have excellent schools. It’s true from Laurel Hill Primary, where my oldest son is in 1st grade, all the way to Wando High School. And Wando’s principal, Lucy Beckham, was recognized this morning as the National Secondary Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Ms. Beckham managed the transition to the new Wando campus and has made it her primary goal to recruit and retain excellent teachers for her students.

Now, it’s true that our schools operate under the auspices of the Charleston County School District, but let’s not kid ourselves: we have high quality education because Mount Pleasant parents are involved. I am proud to live in Mount Pleasant, and I will work to ensure that we continue to have high quality education for our children. I want to see the Blue Ribbon Committee on School Accountability recommissioned by Town Council to ensure that a group of involved and concerned parents, educators, and community leaders understand the issues facing schools in Mount Pleasant and have an opportunity to affect change at the School District level.

Congratulations to Ms. Beckham, the supporting administrators and teachers, and the students at Wando for this outstanding honor. Keep up the great work.

Read the article in  the Moultrie News here