FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 21, 2008
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Progressive PAC Endorses “Common Sense” Candidates
Harrisonburg, VA – Five local candidates received endorsements from Common Sense for the Valley Thursday as Harrisonburg and Rockingham County voters prepare to elect new local leadership in the shadow of presidential and senate contests.
Richard Baugh, Dave Wiens and Kai Degner – candidates for City Council – received endorsements from the local political action committee. Common Sense for the Valley also endorsed Bill Ney for Harrisonburg Treasurer and Esther Nizer for Rockingham County Commissioner of Revenue.
“We are excited about the opportunity to restore common sense to local government,” said Adam Sharp, political director for the progressive PAC. “What all of these candidates have in common is a commitment to making government work for hard-working citizens, not special interests.”
Common Sense for the Valley began in 2005 as Common Sense for Harrisonburg and supported Lowell Fulk in his second bid for the House of Delegates. After the election, members decided to expand the group’s efforts to the larger Shenandoah Valley region and to focus on three main issues – land use, education and accessible, responsive local government. [About the PAC, FAQs]
“Common Sense for the Valley exists to defend the quality of life we now enjoy in the Shenandoah Valley and to cultivate a better future,” Sharp said. “The valley’s agriculture and history should be preserved and protected, our schools should produce virtuous citizens and local government should conduct business in the open, with no done deals made in back rooms.”
Harrisonburg needs new leadership to move beyond recent scandals.
“Bill Ney has proven his integrity and service to the community for forty years,” Sharp said. “He is the only candidate who can restore the public’s confidence in the treasurer’s office, because people already know him and trust him.”
There have been scandals on City Council as well.
“Any time local leaders approve development that costs taxpayers money, that’s a scandal,” Sharp said. “Growth is supposed to generate revenue and relieve the tax burden on citizens, not increase it. That’s just common sense.”
“To do otherwise means special interests benefit at the expense of taxpayers, and that’s a scandal anywhere, no matter whether it’s Washington, D.C. or Harrisonburg.”
Common Sense for the Valley is raising money for their endorsed candidates.
“We hope voters will go to commonsenseforthevalley.org and make a contribution for good government,” Sharp said.
The election is November 4.
Filed under: Endorsed Candidates
