I’ve been taking heat and praise on the trail for clearly stating my position on the issues at www.jimcaralis.com and in person as I go door to door – and that’s the way it should be. Voters deserve to know where we stand on the issues before they vote. As the cliche goes, if you can’t stand the heat…
The other candidates in this race have chosen not to state their positions on some important and potentially controversial issues so I am going to invite them into the kitchen with me. Let’s start with casino and racino gambling.
I oppose casino and racino gambling.
Paul Donato – voted against casino gambling but has voted for racino gambling.
Patrick McCabe – supports casino gambling.
Please share widely!
If the positions are “unstated,” how do you know what they are?
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p>I suppose the nudge is fair, though.
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p>Hey, Patrick, it’s time to put some more stuff here.
My point, which I think you made with the link you provided, is that the candidates have not taken the time to make this information easy to find. To be truthful it’s not just these gentlemen, it is most candidates.
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p>I think if we want any real change it needs to start with the campaign and the candidate being open about their positions. It seems like a very basic, fundamental premise that should be required of all candidates.
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p>To answer your question, yes I have links, but I would like to see the candidates do what I have done and communicate what their position is. If you want I’d be happy to send you an email with the links.
Hello Jim, I’ve been looking at your website and I found a few typos. You might want to check for that.
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p>What are some of these issues? Is it that they are hiding their positions or that their web sites aren’t as sophisticated or complete as yours?
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p>I have a question from one of your issue positions:
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p>How many is too many abortions and where are you getting your numbers from? Also what are your plans to help
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p>That could mean a lot of things. What do you mean by it? Do you plan on placing restrictions on age? Consent of parents or spouse? Free birth control? What would you do as State Rep to do this?
Katie, thank you for your questions, I hope you publicly ask these same questions to the other two candidates as well. As I have said the voters deserve to know.
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p>I will be posting them throughout the election – casino gambling is the first one. There is nothing sophisticated or onerous in typing up a list of issues with positions – all it requires it the will to do it.
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p>The pro-choice groups that I have met with are all working on sex education programs to help reduce pregnancies and adding comprehensive health education, including comprehensive sex education as part of the core curriculum for public schools. Both which I support. We also need to work on the socioeconomic conditions as well.
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p>As far a numbers, go let say that no one grows up hoping they will need to make this difficult decision, so we must as mentioned above work hard prevent this from happening. Let me also make it clear that I will fight to make sure every women has the right to make that choice when needed. I believe the term is safe, legal and rare.
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p>These questions are phrased in a way to imply that I support them, as your phrase – “What would you do as State Rep to do this” implies. I think that phrasing is unfair and unfortunate. However I will answer these questions and again ask you to publicly ask these same questions to the two other gentlemen in the race and perhaps add them to your endorsement questionnaire.
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p>I do not support any further restrictions on the law. I support the expansion of the buffer zone and the repeal of state laws that call for mandatory hospitalization for 2nd term procedures as well as the law prohibiting the selling of contraception’s to un-married couples.
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p>I would also like to thank you for sending me your endorsement form. You should be receiving it shortly. In the interest of disclosure would you be willing to make public the endorsement form with candidate answers? It really has some good questions.
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I am no longer Chairperson of PDS. I stepped down in April. I did however, work on the questionnaire you received. I’m glad you like it. The endorsement responses will be published on our website after the return deadline.
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p>I did not mean to be offensive in my post. I was reading your web site to find out additional information about you as I do for all the candidates. I agree that not everyone has enough information up on their websites about issues and I wish they had more, but I had some genuine questions on what you posted and since you opened this thread about talking about issues, I took the opportunity to do so. I did find typos on your website and thought you should look for them and correct them.
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p>I gave those options as examples of how things could be interpreted, not as your positions. I was trying to find out what your position was. Comprehensive sex education is very important. Unfortunately I know that there are public schools that are using a church originated abstinence only program and this is in Massachusetts, not Texas.
No offense was taken, as I said I thought the phrasing was unfair and unfortunate.
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p>As you state – “I agree that not everyone has enough information up on their websites about issues and I wish they had more”. I am surprised that in the interest of making a better informed choice you are not asking the other candidates to answer these questions as well and additionally call for them to put more information on their site.
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p>I believe change in this campaign starts with the candidate and the campaign. It starts by being up front about positions. I have answered your questions now help us all to deserve that better government by holding all the candidates equally accountable and by demanding to know where they stand.
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p>Now I’m going to enjoy the rest of Father’s day and see if I can have someone fix some of those typos! Take care. Jim