Election

So, among my research of the political candidates from top to bottom, I'm going to be profiling a few different races around my new digs. With the election only a few weeks away, it's time to start hammering down exactly who deserves my vote and who doesn't.

I live in Moorestown, NJ, part of New Jersey's third congressional district. Since 1993 (technically since 1984, thanks to redistricting), the district has been represented by Jim Saxton (R), who is considered by most profiling agencies as a centrist. There are some things I like and some I don't about Mr. Saxton, but this is basically irrelevant considering he's retiring, citing cancer as the reason for his not pursuing re-election in 2008.

Saxton's previous career was that of a school teacher, which is pretty respectable. For this reason, he opposes the distribution of school vouchers. For my own reasons, I oppose a voucher system as well - this "free market" idea of allowing parents to choose what school their children will attend is just not practical. I know in my hometown of Rochester, MN, this would merely drive parents to send their children to the 'new' school, leaving the older ones not only disused but nearly empty, giving no incentive to remodel and fix up high schools like John Marshall or Mayo.

Saxton is a staunch pro-lifer, which I don't agree with, obviously, but can respect. His opposition to federal funding into embryonic stem-cell research, though, is a big no-no for me. He is, however, for gun control (voted for the Brady Bill), campaign finance reform (voted for the McCain-Feingold act), and very pro-environment. He's gotten nods from the National Wildlife Fund and Nature Conservancy organizations for these efforts, among others.

Now for the candidates actually running for this post. First is Republican Chris Myers, a lifelong public and private administrator for Medford, NJ and Lockheed Martin, respectively. Before moving into civilian work, he served in the Navy during the Gulf War. His positions resemble Saxton in several ways - he's fairly conservative economically, and varies on his social positions. Among them are a pro-life and an anti-gun control slant. He is, however, in opposition to authorizing oil companies to drill off the coast of New Jersey, and for the passage of further SCHIP initiatives ensuring that children around the nation have guaranteed health care.

Opposing Myers is John Adler, a state senator and Democrat. He is pro-choice, acknowledges global warming as a growing threat, and is (and has been) staunchly against the privitization of social security. His voting record looks pretty good, including raising taxes on things like fur clothing, inefficient and luxury automobiles, and tobacco sales. His biggest flaw seems to be charges of corruption by the Myers campaign, where he allegedly took money from a slush fund belonging to Wayne Bryant, a disgraced state senator.

Another one for the D column, it looks like, though I'm sure a few other things will pop up in the coming weeks relevant to the third district's race.