This email is: http://www.burtonsys.com/daves_picks_2006.html
Dear friends,
If any of you are looking for last-minute help deciding how to vote tomorrow, you may be interested in the information here. There are many links to voter guides, and information from over a dozen sources.
Also, at the very end, are "Dave's Picks." That's the list of folks who I support. If, like me, you are a Christian conservative, then you'll probably like most of them, too.
If you have questions or complaints or comments please give me a call. Try my home first, at 481-0098. If I'm not there then try my cell phone at 244-3316.
-bro Dave
Ps. 120:2 "Save me, O LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues."
Wake County Board of Elections:
http://www.wakegov.com/elections/default.htm
Called2Action voter guide (candidate responses to questionaires):
http://www.called2action.org/
(Wake County Christian organization, surveys State & local candidates on issues relating to traditional Judeo-Christian values. Voter guide is purely informational, makes no endorsements.)
North Carolina Family Policy Council voter guide (candidate responses to questionaires):
http://www.ncfamily.org/voterguide2006/
(Statewide organization which has a Christian/Pro-family viewpoint, but voter guide is purely information, and makes no endorsements.)
North Carolina Right-to-Life PAC:
http://www.ncrtlpac.com/
(Endorses candidates who oppose abortion and support pro-life legislation)
Focus On the Family Action (affiliated with Dr. James Dobson):
http://www.frcaction.org/index.cfm
Covers U.S. Congress, only. No State or local information. They report how all current U.S. Congressmen voted on seven key issues of interest to Christian conservatives, but they do not survey challengers. Congressmen who agreed with Focus On the Family Action on all 7 scored 100%. Of NC's 13 Representatives, 6 (of 7) Republcans and 1 (of 6) Democrats scored 100%. 3 of 6 Democrats and no Republicans scored 0%. For the 3 districts which represent Wake County:
District 2: Ethridge (Democrat) - 42%
District 4: Price (Democrat) - 0%
District 13: Miller (Democrat) - 0%
The NC Conservative newspaper has made endorsements in 8 of NC's Congressional races, including 2 of the 3 districts which include portions of Wake County:
http://www.northcarolinaconservative.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1162831839
They are politically conservative.
NARAL represents the interests of the abortion industry. They have made endorsements in 4 of NC's Congressional races, including 2 of 3 districts which include portions of Wake County:
http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/elections/states/north-carolina.html
They are politically liberal. They describe themselves as "pro-choice" but they actually oppose legislation which would inform women considering abortions about other options.
The Wake County Democratic Party web site has a county-wide Democrat
voter guide:
http://www.wakedems.org/
They are politically liberal.
The Wake County Republican Party web site will generate a Republican voter guide for any precinct in Wake County, upon request, and email it to you. They also have links to information on both sides of the bond issue:
http://www.wakegop.org/
They are politically conservative.
The Wake County Taxpayers Association endorsements:
http://www.wcta.org/endorsements.html
They are a conservative Wake County political organization.
The Raleigh News & Observer Wake County Voter guide:
http://www.newsobserver.com/1172/index.html
It's a liberal newspaper, but voter guide is quite informative.
Project Vote-Smart (www.vote-smart.org):
http://www.vote-smart.org/election_five_categories.php?dist=npat.php&state_name=North+Carolina&state_code=NC
A nationwide organization which compiles ratings and endorsements
by interest groups all across the political spectrum.
My friend, Rep. Paul Stam, who is a dear brother in Christ, and
who is expert on both the Legislature and the courts, has judicial
recommendations and other info here:
http://www.burtonsys.com/2006_stam_picks.html
Paul's own web site is here:
http://www.paulstam.info/
My friend, Judy Keener, who is a dear sister in Christ, and a fellow
Christian conservative, and a tireless worker for what is good,
has Wake County election recommendations here:
http://www.burtonsys.com/2006_judys_picks.html
or http://www.burtonsys.com/2006_judys_picks.doc
_____________________________________________________________________
Dave's Picks (most of these are for Wake Coounty):
US Congressional District 2: Dan Mansell
US Congressional District 4: Steve Acuff
US Congressional District 13: Vernon Robinson
NC Senate District 12: Fred Smith
NC Senate District 14: Richard Doeffinger
NC Senate District 15: Neal Hunt
NC Senate District 17: Richard Stevens
NC House District 36: Nelson Dollar
NC House District 37: Paul Stam
NC House District 41: Russell Capps
NC House District 45: Alex Warner (Cumberland Co.)
NC House District 52: Joe Boylan (Moore Co.)
NC Supreme Court Chief Justice: Judge Rusty Duke
Associate Justice: Justice Mark Martin
Associate Justice: Judge Ann Marie Calabria
Associate Justice: Judge Eric Levinson
NC Court of Appeals: Judge Donna Stroud
NC Court of Appeals: Former Judge Kris Bailey
Superior Court District 10B: Paul Ridgeway
Superior Court District 10C: Daniel Garner
Wake Co. District Court (District 10): Vince Rozier
Wake County Commissioner District 1: Joe Bryan
Wake County Commissioner District 2: Phil Jeffreys
Wake County Commissioner District 3: Tony Gurley
Wake County Commissioner District 7: Paul Y. Coble
Clerk of Superior Court: Janet Pueschel
Wake County School Construction Bond:
The bottom line is that I am reluctantly planning to vote NO on the school bond.
This issue is frustrating for me. If you know me, you know my heart for children. There are not many things more important than the education of our next generation, and if it is expensive then so be it.
But I do not believe that the WCPSS has been a good steward of its responsibility and resources. I'm not just talking about the embezzlement scandal. They say that they don't have the resources they need to educate the growing number of students in Wake County, and is true that increasing enrollment means a need for increased capacity -- but they refuse to support creation of more charter schools which could help relieve them of part of that burden, and which would give parents better choices and kids better educations.
What's more, this bond referendum is HUGE. It is for $970 million, which is more than TWICE the size of the $450 million bond referendum that passed in 2003.
It is supposed to cover school construction for three years, which is needed to accomodate an estimated 7000 additional students per year, or 21,000 students over three years. So do the math: $970 million divided by 21,000 means they want over $46,000 per additional student! How can it cost $46,000 to build ONE classroom seat?? You can build a nice house for four times that! If a classroom has 22 students, then multiply $46,000 by 22 and you find that it costs over a million dollars! How can it possibly cost over a million dollars per new classroom to accomodate the new students coming into Wake County?
That's why I plan to vote "no."
-Dave