Politics are not always the most entertaining thing to watch and read about, but I encourage everyone to pay attention to the party debates and issues. As we enter an election year, it is important for you and your family to prepare yourselves to vote as there are many critical issues at stake that will impact our children’s generation and generations to come. Below is a list of issues that are important for most families. I’m also including a list of websites to visit to research the presidential candidates and read more about issues.
Family Issues:
Family Values in Public Schools:
- Strongly Support means you believe in the principle of teaching religious morality through public schools.
- Support means you believe in practical methods of some religious expression in school.
- Oppose means you believe there should be practical restrictions on public religious expression to be fair to minority religions.
- Strongly Oppose means you believe that the principle of separation of church and state precludes any religious expression in public schools or in any government institutions.
Parents to Choose School via Vouchers:
- Strongly Support means you believe: The government should not be in the business of running schools. State-funded vouchers should pay for privately-run education at private schools, parochial schools, charter schools, home-schooling, or whatever schools parents choose. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” act sets the stage for terminating failing schools.
- Support means you believe: School choice helps the poor who would otherwise be stuck in failing schools. Why should only the elite be able to afford private school? Subsidize parents’ school choices to foster equality, as long as the school respects separation of church and state, and meets basic state standards. Charter schools are a good compromise.
- Oppose means you believe: Continue experimenting with charter schools, and with public school choice, but only as a limited experiment, and no vouchers. We should create pressure to improve our public schools, not abandon them. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” act is an unfunded mandate.
- Strongly Oppose means you believe: Public schools are an important component of American society. Improve public schools rather than destroying them with vouchers. More teachers, smaller classes, more funding - then parents will choose public schools.
Reduce Use of Coal and Oil:
- Strongly Support means you believe in the principle that the earth has limited resources.
- Support means you believe in practical reasons for reduction in carbon usage, such as US technological competitiveness or reducing the risks of global warming.
- Oppose means you believe that practical cost considerations preclude taking action now.
- Strongly Oppose means you believe that the principle of global warming is false, or an exaggerated scare-mongering tactic.
Health Care:
Many of the 2008 U.S. Presidential candidates have begun to describe their plans for lowering health care costs, covering America’s estimated 45-47 million uninsured, and improving the quality of medical care. Click “Issue - Health Care - Presidential Candidates” for a comparison chart of the candidates and their positions on health care as provided by Susan Blumenthal, M.D. in her article “U.S. Presidential Candidates’ Health Care Plans: Scientific and Medical Research Proposals.“
Candidates:
2008 Presidential Election Candidate List
Project Vote Smart - Learn more about the Republican and Democratic candidates
On the Issues - Learn about each candidates position on various issues and take a quiz to see which candidate best matches your beliefs!
Wikipedia - A very informative site for just about anything, has a regularly updated section that covers the election.
Take the Vote Match Quiz or got to VA Joe to take a quiz and determine which Presidential candidate best represents your political views!
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