Gail “for Rail” Parker On the Issues
I really couldn’t find much on Gail’s stances on many issues, so I’ll comment on the ones on her site. Gail appears to be pushing the cause of light rail very hard. I’m not sure that’s going to get her very far in a somewhat sparsely populated state, and I don’t really consider it to be a big issue. Gail does have a couple of good talking points, namely term limits, and balancing the budget. I am completely for term limits. The balancing the budget issue would depend on how she plans on going about that. IF she plans on reducing spending, then great, but the alternative of raising taxes to pay for the budget would really be a show stopper. Gail’s campaign needs to get some more information out there on the major issues of the moment, those being the war on terror, healthcare, the economy, and individual rights. There is currently too little information out there on her in order to make any decision.
Update:
Found a bit more from a live blog session at Craig’s Musings:
On Iraq: This campaign is about positive solutions. Rail lessens our dependency on oil. That is the reason I feel so strongly about this issue. We need to lessen our “addiction” to oil and thereby reduce our need to be in the Middle East.
On the flag burning: I love the flag. So far the US Supreme Court has ruled that flag burning is a protected activity under the Freedom of Speech. As much as I love our Country and the flag, I love our freedoms more. We need to protect the First Amendment Rights. I served our Country for 22 years as an Air Force Reserve Officer, willing to defend that right to the death if necessary.
On marriage: I will vote on that issue along with the rest of the voters in Virginia on November 7th. I have strong family values and I will abide by the decision of the voters in Virginia.
On the minimum wage: some areas are enacting a “living” wage for their area and I support those efforts. This campaign is about Rail. We need to pay a good wage to workers who will be building the railways.
Neither of the two candidates you mention [Allen and Webb] advocate for Rail. I would have no one to vote for if they were the only candidates running. I would likely exercise the option to write-in a candidate.
Write-in responses have been increasing. We believe that is an indication that we need more candidates and less apathy. We need more candidates on the ballot to advocate for Rail.
Ms. Parker seems to be solely focused on the Rail issue, and I have mixed feelings about her. She doesn’t really have a stance on how to get out of Iraq, and has no stance on the marriage issue. She would appear to protect our first amendment rights, as she doesn’t support a flag burning ban, but she does support government interference by increasing the minimum wage.
Update:
After taking a closer look at the Indy Green site, it would appear that they are for balancing the budget by reducing spending. This is a big plus to me for Gail’s campaign, but I don’t know that this alone will give her any chance at winning. I think she would make for a good protest vote tho, and maybe if enough people are in a protesting mood, we could be surprised.