The Carter for Nevada "Meet and Greet" at Yearly Kos is in one week! My Dad and I would love to meet you in person - see the details in my previous diary here. RSVP by emailing me at sarahrcarter@carterfornevada.com.
We're having a big volunteer appreciation event in Reno tomorrow -- I hope you can make it! Click here for details.
Hey, everyone. As you know, my Dad, Jack Carter, is running for U.S. Senate in Nevada. He's been really busy lately as he travels the state, getting his name out there, and meeting voters. I'll give you an update on what he's been doing. Also, the campaign has recently updated the website to include an "Issues" page. Some excerpts are below.
Dad's been especially busy the last couple of weeks. Here's his recent schedule up until Yearly Kos:
May 27: "Best Dam Barbeque," Boulder City
May 28: "Lincoln County Homecoming," Caliente
May 31: AFL-CIO COPE convention, Las Vegas
May 31: Pahrump local TV
June 2: Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner, Carson City
June 3: Reno Precinct Walk and Volunteer Barbeque
June 3: Incline Village fundraiser
June 4: Church services in Reno
June 4: Lake Tahoe Cruise
June 5: Round Hill Mall Coffee Shop, Zephyr Cove
June 5: Kiwanis Meeting, Reno
June 5: Scholarship Awards Banquet, Whittell High School, Zephyr Cove
June 7: Volunteer appreciation picnic, Las Vegas
June 9: Yearly Kos "Meet and Greet" fundraiser
I know - it's exhausting just looking at it. But his spirits are high. We're hoping that he can meet as many voters as possible because when people get to talk to him in person, they always leave impressed.
We're happy to include plenty of trips to Northern Nevada in Dad's schedule (you can read about our "rural strategy" in my previous diary here). The great local blog The Desert Beacon has been covering the race well and talks about the benefits of my Dad's trips to Northern Nevada in a post called "Jack in the Lion's Den:"
This isn't easy country, Republicans outnumber Democrats in Washoe County 83,290 to 66,272. The good news is that there are another 26,355 who have listed themselves as non-partisan. Another bit of good news may be that some of the paleo-conservatives -- those dinosaurs who believe in fiscal responsibility and program accountability -- are in a region notorious for its "ticket-splitters."
. . .
The plethora of appearances, tiring as they may be, could also help brunt what will happen when the Ensign Scream Machine kicks in with campaign coffers stuffed with corporate donations. At least some of the Washoe residents may be able to say, "Gee, that's doesn't sound like the guy I met..."
The Beacon brings up a good point here. We'll never be able to compete with John Ensign's money and I'm sure he'll saturate the airwaves at some point. We're goint to do our best to keep up (you can help us out in that regard by donating
here.) But, it looks like we've got to beat him the old fashioned way - by meeting voters face to face.
While Dad's been running around like a mad man, we've finally got an "Issues" page up on the website. Some excerpts:
On Energy:
Gasoline is over $3.00 a gallon. It didn't approach that price overnight nor was it unanticipated. The price of oil has been rising for 8 years, and the booming economies of China and India are adding a billion people to the demand.
However, we have learned that continued reliance on oil will never be good for America. We simply don't have enough reliable sources. And the countries who do have large reserves are not necessarily our friends.
The key to the future must be conservation, more efficient distribution and use, developing alternative energy sources, and finding innovative ways to use them. Our government can stimulate research and development in these new methods and ideas through tax incentives and direct grants. We have to focus our national attention 10 to 15 years down the road for long term answers to our energy problems.
Among other things, we should increase research into cellulosic ethanol - America's most likely future supply. And we should mandate increases in our average car fuel efficiency (CAFÉ) of between .5 and 1 mpg per year. Increasing our average mileage over an extended time will conserve a significant amount of fuel.
On Abortion (under "Personal Freedoms"):
I am against abortion as I believe everyone is. Abortions are invariably the result of a series of mistakes. However, there are proven methods of reducing their numbers which include sex education and promoting easy access to contraceptives. We should treat our teens responsibly by giving them the tools they need to avoid unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease.
The other question associated with this area is whether the decision to have an abortion should be restricted by the government or left to the individual. In that area I believe the compromise offered by Roe v. Wade is correct.
On Deficits:
Between 1991 and 2002 the federal government adopted a "pay as you go" policy. That policy simply said if you want to spend more money, cut somewhere else or raise taxes. It worked. It was responsible. The economy grew. The Republicans tossed it out. And when that policy ended, the door opened to special interest groups to lobby Washington decision-makers.
I will re-introduce common sense business and economic practices. First, I will work to return to the "pay as you go" policy. Such a policy requires fiscal restraint and hard choices, but that is what the elected representatives who are responsible for the people's work should do. Second, when there are national emergencies like the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, I will support an open discussion of the actual costs to address the situation along with ways to raise, monitor and spend the money.
You should be sure to check out
the rest.
Thanks for reading! Coming soon: some new videos of my Dad and TV ads - I'll keep you updated. You can always find more at the Carter Blog.
Sarah