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Teachers deny endorsing White

The County Commission candidate's ad trumpets the vote of confidence, but teachers don't endorse in those races.

By JANET ZINK
Published September 1, 2006

TAMPA - The advertisement for County Commission candidate Kevin White says he "has proudly been endorsed" by the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.

Trouble is, the organization never endorses any candidate for Hillsborough County Commission.

"I'm not opposed to him, I'm not in favor of him. It's not something we've investigated," said Jean Clements, president of the organization that represents teachers and other educational staff members.

Her organization limits endorsements to races for School Board, Congress, Florida Legislature and governor because those officials have more of an impact on education.

"Historically, the County Commission has very little to do with public education," Clements said. "They do not control our budget, they do not run our schools. They have no authority over our schools."

White said the advertisement was a mistake of his campaign consultant, Vic DiMaio.

"It was nothing done intentionally or maliciously," he said. The same language appears on a direct mail piece to voters.

The ad ran in the Aug. 25 edition of the Florida Sentinel-Bulletin, along with a list of other groups that have endorsed White, including the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors, the Tampa Bay Builders Association and the West Central Florida Central Labor Council.

The Hillsborough teachers group is part of the Central Labor Council. But Clements said her organization does its own endorsements.

"That's a separate body that we are loosely affiliated with," she said. "They don't have any authority over us."

In fact, the council backed Hillsborough County School Board candidate April Griffin, while the Teachers Association favors her opponent, Ken Allen.

Clements said when she saw the ad she called the Sentinel and complained "pretty strongly."

"I'm not sure what we can do other than you and the other papers writing something about it," she said.

DiMaio said teachers association lobbyist Chuck Kiker okayed the ad.

"I would never in a million years use an endorsement without permission," DiMaio said. "I'm not crazy."

Clements said Kiker told her he never gave permission.

"Our lobbyist says that's not true, and I can't believe that's true because we don't endorse in that race," she said. "Our lobbyist has worked here a long time. We have never endorsed in a County Commission race."

Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or 813 226-3401.

[Last modified September 1, 2006, 05:53:58]