| Author | Post |
|---|
mikeshort
Member
| Joined: | Thu Jan 24th, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 61 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 5th, 2008 08:29 pm |
|
By Michael Short
Sussex Post
MILLSBORO - There were few surprised, but plenty of information for voters on Wednesday, Oct. 1 as the American Legion Post 28 in Oak Orchard-Riverdale hosted a full slate of candidates.
Post Commander Jim Lafferty set the tone for the evening when he reminded the audience that "what you people have to be about is voting." He told the audience that there are troops that need to be protected and that Americans must stem the tide of the "downslope" that this country is on.
"We have to vote with our brain and not our heart...Vote for who will stand up and do what is right for this country."
Clerk of the Peace George Parish said he wants to work for a constitutional amendment in Delaware to ban gay marriage in the state, one of the more potentially controversial statements made Wednesday.
41st District Representative candidate John Atkins said he would like to see a Long Neck post office in the area because of its rapid growth.
Two of the candidates for state insurance commissioner, Karen Weldin Stewart and John Brady, said they would support opening an office in Sussex County to deal with local concerns.
The evening was not a debate. Each candidate was given approximately three minutes to make a statement and then questions were accepted at the end. With no debate, there was little give and take among the candidates.
But there were plenty of light moments. George Parish told the crowd that he does not take tips for his work and that "everybody thinks I'm honest. My wife thinks I'm a fool."
His opponent, Greg Fuller, who sang the Star Spangled Banner, told the crowd that he would be a first, the first "singing clerk of the peace."
John Brady, candidate for insurance commissioner, said "it's a big plan and I'm a big guy."
Tom Savage, also seeking the insurance commissioner job, called himself "the little guy with the big heart".
There were also plenty of serious notes. Bill Lee, the Republican running for governor, said that the promises of most politicians are as fleeting as "a puff of smoke." He asked if the audience would have been better off voting for him four years ago and pledged that he was someone who could make the tough decisions.
Rep. Gary Simpson said that Delaware needs to return to fiscal responsibility and reminded the audience that he has voted against the state budget for the last three years. "Delaware does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem."
His opponent, Gary Downes, said that the state must boost its economy and said working with a Southern Delaware Economic Development Council could help bring better jobs to Delaware.
Rep. Greg Hastings and challenger John Atkins were asked about the possible Del Pointe harness raceway proposed for the Georgetown Millsboro area. The plans for such a facility are preliminary and do not currently include plans for slot machines, although it is widely speculated that they could ultimately become part of the project.
Mr. Atkins said that there are both advantages and disadvantages, but that a racetrack might limit development by protecting open space.
Rep. Hastings said he thought he might have problems supporting gambling from a moral standpoint.
Christine O'Donnell, running for Senate, sounded a common theme when she told voters "that I am not a career politician. I am a concerned citizen who feels the pain of inflation like you do."
|
Current time is 01:18 am | |
|
|
|