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Endorsement Letters: Ellie Kinnaird

Posted on April 24, 2008April 24, 2008 by Staff

For Ellie Kinnaird 

The root cause of many of our problems is too much big money in politics. Fortunately, the best example of campaign finance reform is right in our midst. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird has never taken corporate PAC money and limits individual contributions to maintain her independence. She has consistently run her campaigns on small contributions from her constituents.

In her first campaign for the Senate, Ellie’s limit was $100, unheard of in such a race. I thought it was suicide. But she won through grassroots campaigning in every corner of her district. Now her limit is $250, which is still low. And has still won, even against well-funded opponents. We need more, not less of this.

Ellie’s independence allows her to vote her conscience and that of her constituents. Early on, she voted against the state budget because it didn’t fund needed priorities. Such stands are not popular with the leadership, and she paid a price for it. Could she have taken such stands had her campaigns been funded from Raleigh or beyond? Not likely.
A recent attack ad failed to take into account Ellie’s role in campaign finance reform or the value of her acting on conscience. It went so far as to single her out for the mental health reform. But that debacle originated with the administration, found its chief sponsor in the House and was adopted by the leadership. It charged both that she had little influence and should have stopped it. That doesn’t make sense.

Join me in voting for Ellie Kinnaird for Senate on (or before) May 6th.

Allen Spalt
Carrboro

Kinnaird fantastic

Ellie Kinnaird is the type of public servant we all aspire to be. I can think of few others who care so genuinely about their fellow citizens and work so tirelessly on their behalf. Her work in the state Senate has brought real benefits to Orange and Person counties, and to all the people of North Carolina.

Ellie’s steadfast support for a fairer justice system, a cleaner environment and a stronger university have led to progress on all counts. She truly affects how people feel about ideas that will make North Carolina a better place – and she has affected the Senate, and all of us who serve there, in an incredibly positive way.

In other words, Ellie is nothing short of fantastic – not just as a state Senator, but as a citizen of our great state. She is an effective and valued member of the Senate, she is a respected and admired voice in our Legislature and she is always going the extra mile for her constituents.

I am sure that the people of Orange and Person counties are proud to have Ellie Kinnaird as their senator, just as I am proud to serve in the Senate with her.

Marc Basnight
Manteo

Basnight is president pro tem of the North Carolina Senate.

Support Kinnaird

Ellie Kinnaird has been a relentless champion in the state Senate for social justice, the environment and issues of clean government. She is often referred to as the moral compass in the state Senate.

What students and newer residents to our community do not know is that as an activist and then as mayor of Carrboro, she is responsible for a lot of the things people love about Carrboro today, such as: the bike paths; preservation of Carr Mill Mall; the Town Commons, which she pushed in order to have a permanent home for a farmers’ market; and the revolving-door loan for downtown, which helped establish many of the keystone businesses in downtown Carrboro.

I hope people will join me in re-electing this visionary politician.

Greg Gangi
Chapel Hill

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