Hopefully to elect better democrats like this:
I have been pushing my friend Shelia Smoot in AL-07, as the candidate to replace Artur Davis, since she made her announcement last year. Shelia would become the first ever African American Congresswoman from Alabama and technically the first women elected to a full term.
Earlier this week in a AL-07 forum in Selma, Alabama (the heart of the civil rights movement and district) Shelia clearly distinguished herself from the other candidates. Shelia in her opening remarks asked AL-07 constituents to
Send somebody to Congress who will impact your life not their own
As someone who has known Shelia for nearly a decade, I can guarantee you she is going to impact all of our lives, not her own.
Shelia has clearly defined herself as the candidate with the most experience and best understanding of how to address the issues in the 7th Congressional District. AL-07 is one of the poorest districts in the country with extremely high rates of unemployment.
Here are a couple of issues where Shelia distinguished herself from the other three candidates in the Democratic Primary
- Coal Ash being removed to Landfill in Perry County - The New York Times covered the Coal ash disposal controversy going on in Perry County, Alabama in one of their National Sunday Edition. Here's the accompanying video:
Earl Hilliard Jr- one of the other leading candidates seemed to be more concerned about the jobs created than the potential long term safety and hazard of the coal ash and would generally defer to what the EPA and Alabama Department of Emergency Management had said
Terri Sewell , endorsed by Emily's List but running third in polling well behind Smoot and Hilliard, called herself an environmentalist but believes this is a local issue, and that the EPA and ADEM did their homework.
Shelia Smoot on the other hand was the only one who has called for more investigations and hearings, believes this is a district wide issue and has clearly taken a stand that the coal ash is likely going to have a long term effect on the safety and health of people that live near the landfill. Shelia has thought about this issue and taken action.
- A Question was asked of the candidates on their views toward Social Security Reform and withstanding influx of baby boomers. While all the other candidates talked about possibly raising the retirement age, Smoot said that she believed that cuts could be made in other areas to ensure that the age would not be raised. and that if we can pay for a war we can honor our contract on Social Security.
Shelia Smoot has distinguished herself from the other candidates in not only what she said, but what she has already done. She has been an advocate for Senior Citizens, build 29 new schools in her district and withstood a firestorm in her role as a Jefferson County Commissioner. She is a fighter and someone that we will be able to count on in Congress.
As we near the June 1 Primary, Shelia needs your support.
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