Opponents blast Lee for specifics in District 300 board race

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama's opponents criticized him for not presenting specifics to back up his high-flown rhetoric.

In this year's campaign for the Community Unit District 300 school board, Rob Lee - at 27, the youngest candidate seeking a seat on the board - has come under fire for being too specific.

On Tuesday, at the final candidates' forum before the April 7 election, Lee's opponents went after him for doing what candidates are usually expected to do - proposing specific solutions to address the major issues in the district.

Lee's opponents accused him of bringing an agenda to the board, although it wasn't clear why they believed that was a bad thing.

"I commend him for all of his proposals," board candidate Tracey Perez said. But she advised Lee: "Don't go in there with a specific agenda, because it's not going to work."

Dorota Jordan, a former Cambridge Lakes Charter School teacher who now works as a substitute in neighboring districts, declared: "I am coming to this candidacy without an agenda."

While Dave Alessio, the only other candidate who was present, did not specifically address Lee's proposals, he suggested, as he has during the campaign, that some of Lee's ideas overlap with existing district practices.

For example, Lee has proposed financial impact statements that would estimate the five-year cost of any new program.

"I've always examined the future cost of all large programs," Alessio said Tuesday, pointing to his experience on the district's finance committee.

Lee pushed back, characterizing his opponents' promises as vague rhetoric and pressing them for specifics.

"Ideas are solutions," Lee said. "Every candidate should demonstrate how we would improve upon the status quo."

Tuesday's forum was an unwitting showcase for the four challengers seeking to unseat incumbents Anne Miller and Karen Roeckner.

Roeckner did not attend because she was out of town, while Miller chose not to participate because of a board policy barring sitting board members from campaigning on district property.

The forum, which was sponsored by District 300's unions, was sparsely attended, with only about 20 people scattered through the Jacobs High School auditorium.