Response to the Post Register article on Sunday May 25, 2008
Dear Editor, your title and timing of printing Robin Gibbons letter to the editor leaving me little time to respond reveals the slant of the opinion page once again. A last minute attack when you received this letter on May 2nd should justify a chance for me and my supporters to set the record straight by making four quick points.
- I've been criticized by my opponent for being "beholden" to the financial contributors of my campaign when I belive that my pro-business voting record is what generates the support received and not a "Quid pro Quo" deal.
- The term limit donation which was less than 7% of my first campaign and not a maximum contribution as I had a general election that year as well was received I believe because of my public support of the "Contract with America" proposal put forward by many republicans including the former speaker of the U.S. House, Newt Gingrich. Not for a pledge or oath because at the time of the donation I remember saying, "my former boss U.S. senator Steve Symms set a pretty good example of voluntary term limits by serving 12 years in the United States senate for Idaho!"
- The reason eastern Idaho voters turned down the last term limit proposal was how unworkable it was for our legislature and local government. For example, this election cycle the proposal would have prevented Bonneville county voters from voting for legislators like Tom Loertscher and Bard Davis and a long list of other great public servants. The fact is nearly one quarter to one third local and state office holders change every six years now.
- Donations to campaigns don't obligate persons seeking support. It's part of "free speech" to support our candidates for election. The media cost of running a campaign in a county our size keeps escalating. Perhaps a better deal on newspaper space would set the example for the rest of the media.
For freedom,
Dave Radford, Bonneville county commission
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