Jones’ campaign takes to the sky

Politicians try to attract attention in creative ways, but Monday may have been the first time a hot air balloon was brought to Coeur d’Alene for the purpose.

A 90-foot balloon was set up in the field behind Atlas Elementary to kick-start Democratic candidate for state superintendent of public instruction Jana Jones’ weeklong, six-city tour under the motto “Taking Education to New Heights.”

She and her balloonist husband, Ross, thought it would be a fun way to attract attention. Their balloon comes equipped with a 32-foot by 18-foot campaign sign, visible from the ground when the balloon is flying.

Jones said the balloon demonstrates her big plans for education, but her opponent, Republican Tom Luna, had a different take.

“There was a lot of hot air at that event,” he said via phone.

Jones expected the balloon to cause her opponents to make that reference.

“I think my actions demonstrate otherwise,” Jones said.

Jones touts herself as an education expert with extensive knowledge of the state Department of Education, having been with the department for the past 18 years. She’s currently the chief deputy superintendent of public instruction.

She has the backing of current Superintendent Marilyn Howard and said it would take an outsider like Luna a lot of time to be effective.

“I can hit the ground running day one,” Jones said. “It would take a new person at least a year to understand all the integrated parts of the program.”

Luna said he’s been involved in education for years, has good relationships with legislators and won’t need any extra time to be effective.

“I’ve been involved in education for 15 years at the local, state and federal level,” Luna said. “I’m well aware of the issues and I’m ready to hit the ground running.”

Jones is critical of the Legislature’s recent school funding shift from the property tax to an increased sales tax and said one of her priorities if elected would be to work with next year’s Legislature to ensure the stability of the new source of funding.

Luna supports the funding shift, citing the $100 million reserve fund, to be used to stabilize education funding if it’s ever needed.

Jones said the role of the state superintendent shouldn’t be to agree with whatever the Legislature wants.

“That’s where you’ll probably see a real difference between me and my opponent,” she said.

Jones said she has good relationships with legislators but isn’t hesitant to stand up to them if she disagrees with them.

“We differ on the way we think things should be done, but we have a good working relationship, absolutely,” Jones said.

But Luna said he has a great working relationship with legislators, too, and will not conform to the status quo as he said past superintendents have done.

“Every four years, people run for state superintendent of schools and they stand up there and say what we want to hear and we all get excited but then when their tenure ends nothing’s changed,” he said.

Monday’s event was the first in Jones’ six-city tour. The 50 to 200 teachers Jones’ campaign manager expected for a rally didn’t show, but Jones supporter Barb Baughman, a Head Start employee, brought her two sons and her neighbor’s little boy to see the balloon.

Jones will be in Moscow today at 4 p.m. at the West Park Elementary.