By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | In this last edition of GwinnettForum prior to Tuesday’s election, we’ll give a run-down of our views on the various races, as a guide to the election. Details of these endorsements were printed in previous issues.
Here are our choices in elections where there are at least two opponents:
President of the United States: Democrat Hillary Clinton, 69.
U.S. Senate: We are pleased again to recommend incumbent Republican Johnny Isakson, 71, to continue to his third term in the Senate.
U.S. CONGRESS, 4TH District: Our choice is Republican Victor Armendariz, 46.
U.S. CONGRESS, 7th District: Democrat Dr. Rashid Malik, 58.
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION: Our choice is Republican Tim Echols, 55, of Athens.
STATE SENATE District 40: Republican incumbent Fran Millar, 66, of Dunwoody.
STATE SENATE District 55 Democrat Gloria Butler, 74 of Stone Mountain.
GEORGIA HOUSE District 81: Democrat Scott Holcomb, 43, of Atlanta.
GEORGIA HOUSE District 96: Democrat Pedro Marin, 58, of Duluth.
GEORGIA HOUSE District 101: Democrat Samuel Park, 30, of Lawrenceville.
GEORGIA HOUSE District 102: Republican Buzz Brockway, 50, of Lawrenceville.
GEORGIA HOUSE District 105: Democrat Donna McLeod, 48, of Lawrenceville.
GEORGIA HOUSE District 108: Democrat T.R. Radjabov, 32, of Lilburn.
COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIR: Republican Charlotte Nash, 63, of Harbins.
COUNTY COMMISSION, District 3: Democrat Jasper Watkins, 58, of Grayson.
Constitutional amendments
Now to the Constitutional amendments facing voters, we suggest the following:
Amendment One should be defeated. It is a power grab by the governor and the state legislature to exercise state control over failing schools. Many parent-teacher and school boards have strongly come out against this measure. It will entirely strip local-elected school boards of any failing schools of authority. While extra-ordinary improvements need to be made in these schools, this is not the way to go about it. It will set a precedent that will takes ages to undo. Vote NO on Number One.
Amendment Two should pass. It opens the way for Georgia to attack sex trafficking, and is known as the “Safe Harbor” bill. It also creates a way to pay for such services, through a creative manner of taxing previously-unregulated adult businesses. Vote Yes on Number Two.
Amendment Three should be defeated. This is similar to the Amendment One in that it is a power grab again, this time primarily by the Georgia Legislature, seeking to get jurisdiction over the way to oversee the court systems. Besides, the current somewhat–independent Judicial Qualifications Commission is doing an admirable job already, purging our courts of judges they find doing a bad job. Vote No on Number Three.
Amendment Four: The State Legislature needs to find a more reasonable way to fund trauma care and public safety than taxing fireworks. While we lament the Legislature’ passing of the current fireworks law, targeting one industry is no way to fund an unrelated problem. Our Georgia firefighters and local public safety workers are so important to us that the Legislature needs to direct its attention to passing a dedicated budget item for this problem. Vote No on Number Four.
Said another way, go the polls and vote No, Yes, No, No on these four amendments.
SPLOST
There is one more major items on the ballot in Gwinnett County: whether the county continue its Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for another six years to provide infrastructure improvements through the county, and in the cities of the county?
We strongly suggest voting YES on this important question. (See October 12 issue for details).
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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