2011 Election Results

With 98% of the votes (a paltry 27% of registered voters) the following people took the seat in this round of musical chairs:

Assembly Seat D: Michael Dukes

Assembly Seat E: Guy Sattley

Assembly Seat H: John Davies

School Board Seat E: John Thies

School Board Seat F: Sean Rice

School Board Seat G: Sharon McConnell

In proposition news:
25.20% of registered voters are requiring the rest of us to have our property taxes raised by passing the two school bond propositions #'s 1 & 3.

Proposition 2: More voters said No then Yes.

Next Year Elections 2012:

FNSB

Mayor: Luke Hopkins

Assembly Seat A: Matt Want

Assembly Seat F: Nadine Winters

Assembly Seat G: Mike Musick

School Board Seat A: Silver Chord

School Board Seat B: Wendy Dominique

Primary Election Day August 28, 2012

General Election Day November 6, 2012

Unofficial Results Page

Here is a link to the unofficial results:

http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/results-1.htm

Still Not Sure How to Vote? Some Hints and Tips…

First of all what do you classify yourself as and what do the candidates classify themselves as?

Basic Definitions
Classical Liberal: Juris naturalist. One who believes that the country should have a small, weak government, and free markets, and that the individual is endowed by his Creator with inalienable rights to his life, liberty, and property. Also, one who believes in Natural Law and common law, or Higher Law.

Centrist: Moderate.

Conservative: A person on the right side of the left-right political spectrum. Conservatives believe in economic freedom and social control.

Democrat: A person on the left side of the political spectrum.

Juris Naturalist: syn. Classical liberal. Believes in Higher Law or Natural Law, that right and wrong are not matters of opinion. Believes political power corrupts both morals and judgment. Wants a government that is small and growing smaller.

Liberal: A person on the left side of the left-right political spectrum. Liberals believe in social freedom and economic control.

Moderate: One who is in the middle of the left-right political spectrum. Moderates advocate both economic encroachment and social encroachment, but perhaps not to the extremes that left and right do.

Progressive: One who is on the left side of the political spectrum.

Republican: Conservative.

See my Terms Defined page for more info.

According to the News Miner the candidates have classified themselves as:
Dukes: “I’m conservative. I believe we need a government, but I believe we need a government that is as small as can be but can deliver the needed services.”

Lawrence: “I think politically I’m a centrist who wants to make government work effectively and efficiently for the people.”

Aaron Bennett: A classical liberal, dedicated to upholding the Constitution and representing the people. “We’re supposed to be a constitutional republic. The Constitution is supposed to limit government, and obviously we’ve gotten away from that.”

King: “I would say that I’m very moderate and non-partisan. I don’t follow any political party lines.”

Kohler: “I’m a jumble. I would say I’m a fiscally conservative, pragmatic classic Republican type. Call me a moderate, I guess.”

McFarlane: “I’m a conservative, but on the assembly I will look at each proposal on its worth, not judge it politically.”

Palembas: A registered independent, he said he’s voted in both Democratic and Republican primaries in recent years. “I have no hidden agenda. I think there’s a lot of party agenda being played out in the Borough Assembly right now, and I don’t think it belongs there.”

Sattley: Describing himself as a fiscal conservative and social moderate, Sattley said he’s earned a reputation for being tight with funds. “I don’t waste money, whether it’s my own or public money.”

Joshua Bennett: “I’m limited government. I don’t want to get rid of the government, but I want it to be limited. The purpose of government is to protect private property.” *In an interview I had with Mr. Bennett he said he could also identify himself as a Juris Naturalist.

Blanchard: “I feel I’m a moderate conservative. I’m not anti-government, but it needs to be as small as possible to work best.”

Davies: “You could describe me as a progressive. I believe that we need to work together in a variety of ways, including through local government, to improve the quality of life.”

From my interviews/assessment the School Board candidates appear to be:

John Thies: Unknown

Sean Rice: Classical Democrat (based on interview from 2010)

Ryan Smith: Classical Liberal aka. Juris Naturalist (based on phone interview 9/11)

Sharon McConnell: Unknown

More hints and tips:

• If you’re really not sure on an issue, try applying the Golden Rule or ask yourself if you willing to accept the costs associated with passage of the issue. Ask yourself if you have a right to compel your neighbor to accept those costs.


• It’s okay to leave a blank circle if you feel neither answer/candidate fits your view. Just fill in the circle where you have conviction that your choice is a good one.


• Look at who is sponsoring the candidates. Generally they will be in the same political classification.


• Unions tend to support bigger government legislation. Also, Unions lean toward the social freedom and economic control ideals.


• Centrist/moderates appear to be trying to get as many votes as they can, thus identify themselves as centrist/moderate to hit what they feel the majority of the population leans to. This is not necessarily desirable if you have strong ideals where you feel your representative should be unwavering.
  

Ultimately, no matter what a candidate classifies themselves as, it could change in actual policies they end up supporting. This can be due to a desire to compromise with the perceived “other side” or it could have been the plan to begin with. We all know some candidates will do or say whatever they feel will get them the winning vote. This is why we need to look at records, keep up on issues, and call them out if they seem to change from their running platform once they are voted in.

Thanks for informing yourself to vote!

Propositions 1 and 3 School Bonds: Questions to Consider

FNSB Proposition 1 - $9,900,000 General Obligation Bonds for Ryan Middle School Capital Improvements (Ordinance No. 2011-39)

FNSB Proposition 3 - $10,390,000 General Obligation Bonds for Capital Improvements to Salcha & Woodriver Elementary Schools, North Pole Middle School & North Pole High School (Ordinance No. 2011-39)

Fact Sheet link: http://www.k12northstar.org/sites/default/files/2011_school_bond_fact_sheet.pdf

Both bonds are grouped together in the ordinance and fact sheet.

Passage of bond will result in:

Proposition 1
Ryan Middle School: renovation and system upgrades particularly to gymnasium wing (to include a weight room & dance floor according to Ryan Smith – I have not verified), preliminary design of future phased renovation and upgrade alternatives.

Proposition 2
Salcha Elementary: Replace and upgrade roof and building envelope.

Woodriver Elementary: Upgrade gymnasium interior, finishes, and mechanical, electrical and other systems.

North Pole Middle: Replace and upgrade roof and clearstories.

North Pole High: Renovations and mechanical, electrical, and other systems upgrades to the vocational wing.

If you’re not sure what a bond actually is read this article first: http://interioralaskavoterguides.blogspot.com/2011/09/repost-bonding-101.html

The estimated additional property tax amount due per $100,000 assessed value of property per year is $5.69. This is based on if the State reimburses 70%. If it doesn’t then the additional tax increase could be $18.96 per $100,000/yr.

I have not had time to research out the answers to the following questions but I believe they have merit to consider in deciding how to vote, especially considering our world economic variations.

• If my home is valued at $150,000 will my property tax be pro-rated accordingly?


• When is the state expected to reimburse the 70%? What if the state can’t or won’t reimburse the 70%?


• What if the number of property owners changes significantly? Is the “approximate amount” taxed redistributed every year?


• How many years will we be paying for this? When is the bond “due”?


• Who buys these bonds? What if no one wants to /buy them?


• How many school bonds are we paying on already?


• If I vote no can I opt out of the property tax increase and the accompanying “mortgage” responsibility? (I did find the answer to this: NO)


• According to the ordinance (2011-39) Section 2 it states: “…the Borough will levy ad valorem taxes* upon all taxable property in the Borough without limitation as to rate or amount to pay when due”. I am very uncomfortable with the idea that the borough can levy a tax on me “without limitation as to rate or amount” if need be. Essentially, a yes vote on this is putting up “our” property as collateral.


• Is the return for my risk acceptable?

Ultimately the bond litmus test question is:
Do I have a right to force a mortgage on my neighbor?

*Ad valorem tax: tax based on the assessed value of property.

Updates To Check Out

The following updates took place today 10/3/11:

1) Change to include links to voter guide articles on Assembly Seat D page and a News Miner article on those candidates (Dukes, Lawrence).

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/15625600/article-Dukes--Lawrence-are-candidates-for-Assembly-Seat-D?

2) Change to include links to voter guide articles on Assembly Seat E page and a News Miner article on those candidates (McFarlane, King, Bennett, Palembas, Kohler, Sattley).

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/15641362/article-Six-vie-for-Fairbanks-Borough-Assembly-Seat-E?

3) Change to include links to voter guide articles on Assembly Seat H page and a News Miner article on those candidates (Blanchard, Davies, Bennett).

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/15658419/article-Two-challenging-Blanchard-for-Assembly-seat?

4) Change to include links to voter guide articles on School Board page and News Miner articles on those candidates (Thies, Rice, Smith, McConnell).

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/15567655/article-Rice--Thies-unchallenged-for-Fairbanks-area-school-board-seats?

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/15573455/article-McConnell--Smith-vie-for-Fairbanks-North-Star-Borough-School-Board-Seat-G?

Still to come, then I should be done for this year.

5) Change to include links to voter guide articles on Proposition page and information links.

6) Article: School Bond Propositions 1 and 3.

7) Article: Still Not Sure How to Vote? Some Hints and Tips…

Update 10/4/11 I just discovered another blog doing the same type of thing. Here is a post: Meet the Candidates that has questions and answers from several of the candidates I was unable to get responses from.

School Board Seat G: Sharon McConnell Summary

Sharon McConnell is the incumbent and this would mark her third term if she wins. She works at Doyon.

School Budget: Funding should stay closest to the classroom and keep class sizes small. Security safety is also a big issue. In regards to cuts she uses administration and public recommendations to decide. New construction takes time and should be considered.

Teachers vs. Buildings: She values the staff but felt it inappropriate to comment during negotiations process.

Adequate yearly progress system: It could be improved, it is often unfunded.

Bond Measures: Yes to both.

Summary extracted from this article.

School Board Seat E: John Thies Summary

John Thies owns Worry Free Alaska and Worry Free Restoration. He is new to running for an office.

When it came to financial questions about the budget Mr. Thies was not comfortable answering without having studied the current budget.

Teachers vs. Buildings: Buildings and teachers are both foundations for students. “I don’t think one’s really high over the other.”

Adequate yearly progress system: “The standardized tests are for once a year” and may not portray an accurate picture of a student’s entire education, he said. “But how else do you do it (measure student success)?” he asked. “It might be, at the end of the day, one of the best options.”

Bond Measures: Mr. Thies is still looking into them. Thinks Prop. 1 Bond is a bit excessive.

Summary extracted from this article.

Assembly Seat H: John Davies Summary

John Davies has served in state politics in the past. He has also worked at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center.

Prop. 2: Will vote Yes, believes voluntary measures will not solve the problem.
Natural Gas: “The assembly can play a significant role in the development of a plan. We should do whatever we can as long as it solves the problem of delivering low-cost gas to homes.”

Pay Freeze: Thought “it was a really bad idea.”

Accepting Federal Money: No reason why we shouldn’t take it. It helps our economy. He indicated some consideration for purpose in selection of funds.

Goals for Borough if elected: “My main goal is to bring a more thoughtful discussion to the assembly. One of the biggest issues facing the borough is energy, and that’s where I have expertise.”

Political Stance: “You could describe me as a progressive.”

This summary extracted from this article.

Assembly Seat H: Joe Blanchard Summary

Joe Blanchard is the incumbent. He works at the Princess Hotel and studies political science at UAF.

Prop. 2: Thinks the education, voluntary, and change-out programs are doing well in dealing with the issue.

Natural Gas: The borough can help via private partnership.

Pay Freeze: “That people got automatic pay increases without merit was a bit insulting to the taxpayer. It was never my intention to deprive them of funds but to provide a new mechanism for evaluating the increase in funds to them. It’s not a cost-saving measure, but we need to be more accountable to the folks that we’re taking money out of their wallets.”

Accepting Federal Funds: Blanchard believes they help with infrastructure but the borough needs to be prudent selecting which federal funds to accept.

Goals for Borough if elected: Costs need controlled. “In public works and transportation there is this major ramping up from the federal government from regulation. We need folks on the assembly that can push back and not just embrace regulations.”

Political Stance: “I feel I’m a moderate conservative. I’m not anti-government, but it needs to be as small as possible to work best.”

This summary extracted from this article.

Assembly Seat E: Michael Palembas Summary

Mr. Palembas ran against Michael Dukes last year. He has degrees in social work and psychology and is unemployed right now.

Prop. 2 stance: Thinks there is still time for voluntary measures to take hold, will vote No.

Natural Gas: He supports free enterprise and thinks the borough should stay out of it.

Pay Freeze: Thought it was unfair.

Accepting Federal Money: “I’m all for it."

Goals for borough if elected: “He said he supports funding for the library and bookmobile but doesn’t enter the race with big borough goals. “I’m not running with an agenda.”

Political Views: “Has voted in both Democratic and Republican primaries in recent years. ‘I have no hidden agenda. I think there’s a lot of party agenda being played out in the Borough Assembly right now, and I don’t think it belongs there.’”

This summary extracted from this article.

Please Keep Checking

I realize we are getting down to the wire with the vote tomorrow. I do have a few more articles to finalize and I am making sure there is some reference for each candidate and proposition. I hope you will check back later today if you were not able to find information on the person or issue you were hoping to find here. Thanks for taking the time to be a better informed voter!

Research efforts include: personal phone calls, personal emails, listening to and taking notes on radio and TV interviews, News Miner articles, interviews I did in 2010 elections, and other research as indicated in particular articles.

School Board Seat G: Ryan Smith Round 2 Q & A

What is your day job?
I am an Advisor for UAF Engineering Students. I see many of them entering UAF with a 7th to 9th grade math level. They then need to take remedial math courses to get up to the level they need to be at to begin work on their degree. This is why I’m running.

What is your stance on the propositions?

1) School Bond Ryan: I don’t like it. Too much money is going to a weight room and dance floor. The science part good. If it was separated I would vote yes on the Science part and no on the weight room and dance floor.

2) Healthy Air Now Citizens Initiative: No, it is poorly written, too vague, and too open to opinion/interpretation.

3) School Bond Salcha, Woodriver, North Pole schools: Yes, it is obviously needed.

Who is responsible for educating?
This is a 3 tier response: teacher, parent, student. If all three are not working for same goal success will be limited.

Should sex education be part of the public school system? If so when should it start and what should it encompass? If not, why?
Definitely not in K-6, middle school should consist of health informative classes due to puberty. High school yes. The High School level should have an “opt in” for parents with a notice as to what will be taught. The program can’t overlook abstinence and should also touch on preventative measures.

What is school for? What is education for? Are they the same?
They are not the same, School is more a body or place, you go to the school. You don’t need the structure of school to get an education. You can find education at school to achieve and take with you.

School Board Seat G: Ryan Smith Round 1 Q & A

Here are the answers from your first round of questions.

Thanks for taking the time to get to know those of us running for election this year. I am running for School Board seat G:

For me the most important attributes for a candidate are integrity, honesty, and responsibility.

It is difficult to think of the five principles that I live my life by because it is not something that I really think about it is simply how I was raised. I guess I would have to go with reliable, trustworthy, respectful, honest, and caring.

Reliable is a must because I feel follow through is very important. When I tell someone I will do something or work on something it is important to me to know they feel comfortable knowing I will follow through with what I said.

Trustworthy is something everyone should hope to be. For me my word is my bond, it is probably one of the most important and valuable assets a person can ever have.

Respect is something that should be shown to everyone. I have seen a lot of people who resort to name calling when they have a disagreement with another person and I feel that is counterproductive. There is no reason to treat anyone as less important or their ideas as worthless. There is a civil way to disagree with anyone and it is simply professional to do so.

Honesty goes hand in hand with trustworthy. I think it is vital to be able to look out at a group and tell them the fact and have them know in their hearts that you are telling them the truth. Once anyone starts to become dishonest they lose all credibility and they will no longer be able to make an impact until they earn that credibility back again.

Caring is a must when running for any office. It is hard to be fully engaged in any action when it is not a high priority in daily life and that is one reason so [many]items seem to fall through the cracks. I do think anyone running for school board has [this] principle or at least I hope they do because there is to much at stake to go at this half way.

I think what makes a community a great place to live is the people. When looking at the involvement of those around the community and the different kinds of fund raising that takes place for a variety of causes I would have to say Fairbanks is one of the kindest communities I have ever lived in.

This is the first time I have done anything in the way of politics so I am unsure if I have taken any missteps yet or not but one thing is for sure, we will find out in October.

I would say experience can be a great asset or a great hindrance depending on the office one is seeking. When it comes to the School Board I don’t see experience as any kind of golden goose. The test scores for the school district have been stagnant for years with very little movement up or down. I think it is time to try something different. As an academic advisor up at UAF, I think I am the only person running for the School Board that actually has experience with these students once they get out of the system. I see the test scores and I know how college ready the students really are. I know for the engineering department (where I work) of the students that are not college ready only 7% graduate with an engineering degree. That is a real life vision of what happens when students are not held to a higher standard while they are in school, a more profound vision is the fact that about 40% of our students are not college ready when they get here. I see the results of a just pass them through system and I feel I can help get things back on the right path.

As I said above I am new to this so I don't have a blog of anything set up but once I find out how to do that I will pass it along to you.

Thanks for being part of the election process and if you have any additional questions or know anyone that does please fell free to send me another message.

Ryan

Proposition 2: Real Numbers and a Prediction

Okay, this should be my final post on the Proposition 2: PM2.5 issue. Post before last I mentioned a coal boiler. This boiler is running with more heat output and less fine particles per million BTU of heat then the wood pellet stoves that are still "approved" according to Prop. 2. Here is the test result:

Note the heat output of 273,041.69 BTU’s/hr with Average Emission of 0.035 lb/MMBtu.

Now compare this number to several of the EPA approved wood pellet stoves link here. The top two listings are:

1) Northwest Manufacturing, Inc. Flex-Fuel 30 KW indoor/outdoor Heat Output 110,167 BTU/hr and Average Emission Level 0.04 lbs/million BTU output

2) Central Boiler Maxim M250 Heat Output 212,453 BTU/hr and Average Emission Level 0.06 lbs/million BTU output

The Titan II has better heat output with lower emissions then the EPA list of "Cleaner Hydronic Heaters" using wood pellets. If meeting EPA PM 2.5 requirements really is part of the goal of Prop. 2 why are less efficent wood pellet stoves still approved under this proposition yet coal burners for homes are not. Why are the various coal burning commercial industries accetable and how did the research delineate the difference of PM 2.5 from these commercial sources from individual home devices? Update 9/30/11 Mr. Muir sent a link to video footage of the Titan II.

Information above provided by Mark Sanford of Alaska Interior Transport and North Pole Gravel Products who had his commercial Titan II Coal Boiler tested.

Did you know that the scientific paper recommendations used as the basis for Proposition 2 was written in part by Mr. John Davies who is running for Borough Assembly Seat H? You can find the paper here. The title is Reducing PM2.5 Emissions from Residential Heating Sources in the Fairbanks North Star Borough: Emission Estimates, Policy Options, and Recommendations.

Here is a screen print:



According to the report (Table 4 p. 25) estimated numbers of Hydronic heater devices is 1500. I have personally contacted know dealers of coal and wood outdoor boilers and the actual number of known hydronic heaters sold in this borough is 389. About 6 in the past 3 years from Ken Hansen the WoodDoctor. No more than 200 units from Don Trometter of North Pole Pipe and Supply (a Central Boiler Dealer) since 2004. Mr. Kelsch, a former dealer for Alaska Warm Wood in 2008 sold 12 combined coal and wood boilers, 1 to someone in Delta Junction. Robert Dibble of Arctic Spas and EcoWater Systems (no longer sells hydronic heaters) has sold 125 combined wood and coal boilers since 2008. Ron Muir and Mark Sanford have sold 46 coal boilers since 2008, they are part of North Pole Gravel. Granted there is potential for wood/coal boilers to have been purchased outside the limits of dealers in the area and outside the quoted business operation years so lets add 10% to the numbers. That gives us a potential of 428 actual outdoor heaters in the non-attainment area, still less than 1/3 the estimated number used by the white paper.

What does all this mean? The actual number of Hydronic Heaters is much less then what the white paper research is based on - which is the template for Prop. 2. So the real impact of removal of banned heating burners and fuels will not be enough because there were not that many to begin with. It means that no matter what is implemented with this proposition we are destined to fail reaching the EPA goals. None of this takes into account the particulates we get from China in the spring, how will we stop that?

So, here is a prediction if this passes. The EPA PM 2.5 goal will not be attained in the non-attainment area by the due date of April 2014. There will be a push within that time frame to do more to meet the requirement. This push will bite into home owners’ indoor fireplaces and woodstoves. Although Healthy Air Now proponents claim this proposition will not affect woodstove owners many woodstove owners will face fines regardless of proper burning technique. Opacity limits of smoke plumes will be lowered from 30% to 20% or less. More outright bans will be instituted; this could be bans of ever increasing home heating devices and/or fuel types, burn days (think super cold days), even particular areas of the cities of Fairbanks and North Pole (think School zones). In fact, I predict that all of this could happen even if Prop. 2 doesn’t pass!

The long term effects of FNSB trying to attain the ever changing, unattainable, and arbitrary requirements of an entity of the Federal Government manned by appointees will crush us. We need to tell them to go fly a kite! We do, can and will do our best to educate and voluntarily adapt to keep our air as clean as we can reasonably do so.

This is not about PM 2.5; it’s about filling the Borough coffers with revenue. This is not about healthy air now; it is about producing greater reliance on expensive fuels and government. This is not about safe breathing, this is about warm homes. This is not about EPA; it’s about our liberty to choose self-reliance.

No on Prop. 2

Update 10/4/11 Just found an article for No on 2 view. I found it because it had a link to this site. I didn't read it all, just browsed it; it appears to be all Q & A format. So here is the article: Where's The Smoke?

More Info. on Proposition 2: Alaska Pride

Another blogger down in Anchorage has done a post on this issue check it out:

http://alaskapride.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-facts-and-stats-about-2011.html

Proposition 2: PM 2.5 Ban Expansion and Fee Increase

I have gathered a lot of information on this proposition. Although I provided some of this information on the Proposition page I will include it here again for your convenience.

FNSB Proposition 2 - Healthy Air Protection Act (by Citizen's Initiative Certified July 13, 2011) (Ordinance Submitted by Petition)

A YES vote on Proposition 2 will result in the following:

• Removing 4 of 7 approved "Solid Fuel Burning Appliance". Removed: Coal stoves, wood-fired hydronic heaters (outdoor wood boiler), coal-fired hydronic heater, and coal-fired furnaces.



• Ban coal use (including Healy Clean Coal) for homeowners, churches, etc. Exemptions for: Power Plants* (which burn coal).



• Establish that a smoke plume not cross property lines at values of "35 micrograms per cubic meter or greater than the surrounding neighborhood background PM 2.5 levels".



• Establish that a smoke plume be no greater than 30% opacity for more than 15 minutes in any hour.



• Provide for up to 3 "code enforcement officers".



• Raise current offense fees: Misuse 1st offence with 1 warning from $30 to $100 (minimum change ) - Misuse during Air Quality Zone 2nd offence (new) from a offence with 3-day warning period of $100/day to No warning and $400 fine.



• Greater government control over your natural given (some say God given) right to self-sufficiency.



• All above listed results are assured.



• Maybe, speculative at best, enough of a reduction of PM 2.5 particles during "Air Quality Alert" Days (think -40 with inversions which cause "smog" to stay low to the ground) to satisfy the EPA.

Did you know there is a Coal Boiler in the borough that burns at greater efficiency (btu)then oil and much lower PM 2.5 output then the Healthy Air Now group will acknowledge? More in another post.

*GVEA 2 facilities, Military plants, UAF facility, Aurora, Flint Hills (I'm not sure if all burn coal but I know most do)

Assembly Seat H: John Davies and other Candidates

Still waiting for a response from Mr. Davies but he does have a website and here is a link to his "Why I Am Running" letter. It's very informative as to his stance on many issues.

I have yet to interview School Board Candidates but am getting closer to that.

I have spoken with Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Dukes, and Mr. Blanchard and am expecting email answers from them soon.

Mr. Davies, Mr. Aaron Bennett and Mr. Palembas are in my to call cue.

Assembly Seat D: Van Lawrence Radio Interview

On 9/21/2011 I listened to Problem Corner on 660am. On this program Steve Floyde interviewed Mr. Lawrence and callers were able to ask questions as well. Here are my notes from the interview:

Q:Mr. Floyde asked about a solution for our energy problem.
A:Mr. Lawrence responded that the near term solution is trucking natural gas.

Q:Mr. Floyde asked, "Is it the governments job to make sure people have heat in their home?
A:The infrastructure is too expensive for a local business to take on. The Borough government can take a vital role as far as infrastructure goes. I don't know of any other source to help with high priced oil.

Q: caller: Frank Turney: Do you agree with Jury Nullification?
A: No, this is a country of laws. There is an objective standard as to what that law is.

Q: caller: Randy: Is concealed carry okay?
A: Yes, it's okay.

Q: caller: Gary: Where do your rights come from?
A: Mostly from the Constitution of the United States. It is a law interpreted by courts and not by jury. Jury Nullification creates uncertainty and unpredictability.

Assembly Seat E: Guy Sattley

I interviewed Mr. Sattley via phone on 9/23/2011. Although I emailed questions he preferred the phone method of answering questions over writing.

Please explain your thoughts on Jury Nullification.

No to jury nullification.

What is your stance on the Propositions?

Prop. 1 - Yes
Prop. 2 - No
Prop. 3 - Yes

Many politicians (whether they run for Senate or School Board) always claim their best for the job due to “experience”, is experience all its cut out to be or are there other attributes we should be looking for?

Experience helps. It's especially important for assembly members to be property owners and have experience in paying property taxes. This provides a vested interest in the budgeting process as property taxes are a large portion of the borough budget funding. Mr. Sattley also feels it's goo for "young blood" to get involved with the political process (like Natalie Howard who is 35).

Mr. Sattley is the one who informed me that there will be no Voter Guide Supplements mailed out this year. He expressed disappointment in that.

Assembly Seat D: Michael Dukes Round 2 Q & A

These questions were answered by phone interview on 9/23/2011

Please explain your thoughts on Jury Nullification.

Mr. Dukes believes there is a place for it. The Founding Fathers were concerned with the Judiciary having too much power and saw Jury Nullification as a way for the citizens to check that power.

Can a tax rate be so high that it’s not acceptable?

Yes, a tax rate can be too high. The FNSB is 2nd or 3rd highest property tax rate in the State. A balance between services offered by the Borough and property tax rates is necessary.

Please explain your thoughts on affirmative action.

The concept is a great idea but in practice it creates inequality. It's a bad deal. Jobs should be based on ability for the job.

What is school for? What is education for? Are they the same?

School is something with a limited timeline. It should be used to instill a love of learning. Education is continual and forever. They are two interlocking halves of the same hole.