Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor:
I have read numerous posts and articles about the CCDF, especially Jack Knocke and Richard Lamkin. I was curious about their organization and why they feel the need to continually attack our local government and our school system. Both of these individuals are fairly recent transplants, 2013 and 2018, respectively, who have never had children in our schools.
Jack Knocke is listed as the executive director of the Nassau County Citizens Defending Freedom Nassau chapter of Citizens Defending Freedom USA. This organization accepts donations as a nonprofit and in 2022 received $1.6 million and spent $1.14 million on salaries. They are essentially a lobbying group and paid protesters whose goal is to change local government policies to meet their idea of the world.
Richard Lamkin came from California, where he was the personnel director for the Mendocino school district. His management was so poor and abusive, he was investigated by a grand jury. The grand jury found that not only was he abusive to teachers but that he got raises for himself and all of the managers at the school district while at the same time denied raises for the teachers. Maybe he is so worried about our district because he was so corrupt.
This group, which claims to “defend” freedom, really just wants to deny freedoms to everyone else. This group is constantly complaining and crying about transparency, but their meetings are private. They only let you attend if you get a ticket so they can deny you access. What are they keeping secret?
I guess it’s a “good for them but not for me” scenario, and they certainly don’t practice what they preach. In my experience, secretive organizations are never up to any good.
The timing of their recent lawsuit also seems questionable. Knocke declined an offer to review the materials he requested and proceeded with filing a lawsuit, which was confirmed by his attorney. This group of paid protesters wants to influence the upcoming election for school superintendent. They and their supporters have put out misleading and false information about Dr. Burns on Facebook and in the news and even an article by Steve Nicklas, who just regurgitated information from this lobby group. The defense of this lawsuit will cost the taxpayer just so this group can influence the upcoming election.
Dr. Burns is a dedicated servant of the public who follows the laws set by the state and federal government to educate our children. The millage rate estimates, for example, were based on the property values at the time. Mr. Hickox, in an article in the News-Leader, seemed to openly oppose the millage rate increase and, after it was passed, he increased the property values of everyone in Nassau County. It is the responsibility of the Property Appraiser’s office to evaluate and set property values, but Hickox wasn’t required to raise the values. This, in turn, increased the amount the school district would receive from the millage rate. Then, the CCDF and, to some extent, the Property Appraiser’s office blamed Dr. Burns.
The CCDF is still misleading people with this information. Again, this is a lobbying group that is extending its tentacles into all of our local government offices. Lobbying groups attack local governments and officials to get what they want and to get their own candidates elected. Groups like this one want to create a government based on their religious views, a caliphate or theocracy, where they decide what is
right and wrong for everyone else. Little by little, they eat away at our rights provided under the Constitution. Is this what we want in Fernandina?
The CCDF wants someone they can control so they can not only get their agenda into the school system but control it. This is why they are attacking Dr. Burns. This group cares only about their agenda and not what is best for the general community and our individual freedoms. They skew data, omit facts and use scare tactics to achieve their goal.
Don’t be fooled; this is lobby group that seems to be consumed by sexual content, sexuality and diversity. As a parent, I get that we all worry about what children are exposed to, but Jack Knocke seems especially concerned with sexual content and sexuality in general. He seems to be obsessed by this. He publishes articles, goes to news outlets and now has even filed a lawsuit.
It’s kind of creepy that an adult man would spend so much time on this isn’t it?