Dear Ms. Carter,
You have openly aligned yourself with Expect More Arizona. EMA has come out as supporting the First Things First program and opposing Prop. 302. Republicans are supposed to stand for fiscal responsibility. A failure to adhere to that principle lead to Republican losses in Congress in 2006. Conservative Republicans believe that First Things First is wasteful and unnecessary. Many Republicans support Prop. 302 because we need the money to balance the budget. Do you support Prop. 302 or are you loyal to Expect More Arizona? If you oppose Prop. 302, exactly how do you propose to close the projected $700M + budget deficit next year? Raise our taxes? I remind you that Republicans are supposed to OPPOSE increased taxation. The voters of LD 7 deserve a candid answer. I’d like to remind you, that as our nominee, we expect you to represent REPUBLICAN values, not EMA’s values or the values of the education lobby that is dumping money into your campaign.
Sincerely,
Marcus Kelley
I would really like to see a response to this. I’m of the belief that if someone stands on firm ground, then they should be willing to defend their positions in an open setting. Well done Mr. Kelley!
Ditto Joe M. I will add that while I am an LD7 Republican, I am not voting for a single liberal Republican this year. Not McCain, not Heather Carter, not tax and spend Brewer.
These liberals hurt the conservative cause when they show some measure of success at the ballot box. It took electing Obama to raise the consciousness of the Constitution in America.
Job 1 is defeating liberal Republicans. Beating democrats will take care of itself as the national midterm elections are proving.
She signed an oped letter of support for Prop 302.
Bad timing. I hear her Dad died last week.
William Buckley maintained, “Always vote for the most conservative Republican WHO IS ELECTABLE.” Granted, a vote against 302 is stupid because it requires money to be stripped from somewhere else, but if this woman is the Republican nominee, I’d rather have her in the legislature than the “D”. She might be against us 50% of the time, but it beats a “D” who would be against us 100% of the time.
Marcus, where do you come by this info?
Perhaps you missed the item in the paper a few days ago where Heather Carter, along with several other legislators and legislative candidates openly stated their support for Prop. 302 and ending First Things First?
Have you tried calling Heather directly? Her number is listed in her campaign filing.
There seems to be a thread of mis-information that keeps attempting to stick to Heather Carter – like the allegations by some folks she is a “DID” – and used to be Democrat – except the records tell all that she has always been registered a Republican since coming to Arizona many years ago as a freshman college student.
Marcus, you’ve made quite an effort this season to do these online interviews. How about reaching out in your semi-docu journalist mode and simply talking to these folks before issuing demands on the internet? I’m not beating up on you on this – I’m trying to make a suggestion to help improve on a passion of yours.
My gosh, we’re Republicans and we’re better than that. The definition of “conservative” that I hold includes being fair and civil – along with doing good research, that includes talking to folks.
Just a suggestion.
And yes, Heather’s father just passed away this weekend. Perhaps some respectful compassion would be in order at this point. After all, that’s another quality of conservatives, yes?
Now, let’s all go have a Fine GOP Day!
Apparently, at the last LD 7 meeting, Carter reiterated Nancy Barto’s statements in opposition to Props. 301 and 302. Seemed insincere to me at the time and like Carter was taking her cues from Barto. I’m told Carter also stated her opposition to 302 in the Arizona Republic. This is in direct conflict with her stated support for Expect More.
http://www.ccsupportourstudents.com/HeatherCarter.html
On the above cited site, she states solid support for government run schools. She mostly talks about spending more and NEVER talks about cutting waste in education. She also states strong support for bonding (borrowing & debt service aka interest payments) and overrrides (busting budget caps). She also voices opposition to school choice. Carter also is hostile to the idea that taxpayers pay into the system and if they choose NOT to use the public system, they should be able to take their tax dollars with them. So, private school attendees have to pay TWICE for education. All these statements should be red flags. Doesn’t sound very conservative or Republican to me.
@those of you who mention her father dying
Carter has my condolences, but the election is mere days away. Perhaps we should wait to ask any questions until AFTER the election has been decided? Sounds akin to Nancy Pelosi saying that we have to wait until the health care reform bill is passed before we can discuss what’s in it.
@Altmann,
Are you referring to the Arizona Repugnant when you mention “the paper”? Do you honestly believe I give that rag ONE SECOND of my time?
Misinformation? Which misinformation is that? That Heather aligns herself with Expect More? Or the QUESTION about her support for or opposition to Prop. 302? Perhaps it’s misinformation that she’s funded by education special interests that are rabid to protect the failing status quo?
Reaching out to Heather? Are you aware that Heather Carter was invited on Grassroots Interviews in the primary? She sounded excited when the invitation was extended, then I heard nothing else from her. I recently talked to her at the LD 7 meeting and I recall she said she wanted to come on my show. Are you aware she has been e-mailed and I believe called to come on AZ Political Interviews in the general election? To the best of my knowledge, again, she has not responded. So, she’s been given MULTIPLE invites to come on the show.
@Calabrese
I’ll respectfully disagree. Voting for moderates dilutes our brand, alienates some Republicans to become Independents and depresses Republican turnout. In essence, it costs us elections, like in 2006. Only when the party is disciplined, by being cast into the minority after it betrays Republican principles, are Republicans reminded that they have a platform and a set of espoused beliefs. Voting for moderates only validates their betrayals of our principles and encourages more betrayals. As we see in this current election cycle, when we behave in a conservative fashion and the Dems behave as liberals, the tides swing our way and it’s easy to oust the liberals that defeated moderate Republicans. THAT, sir, is how we ensure that Republicans STAY conservative and we STAY in the majority in the first place.
I don’t think Marcus has a good handle on these things and I am currently looking for a good conservative blog not polluted by his adolescence, if anyone here can recommend one?
Marcus, here’s the fact that is hard to get away from. Heather Carter won the GOP primary. Most likely, given the GOP voter count in LD7, she will be one of the two next State Reps.
I think that is good for Arizona.
I’d love to sit down and chat with you on the rest of this sometime. I’ll buy the pot of coffee.
Anyone tempted to believe anything Marcus Kelley says needs to read his posts and comments and then ask yourself: Are his positions based on facts or his skewed vision of the world? Is Kelley interested in what others think or what others think about what he thinks? I refer you to his statements above:
“Apparently, at the last LD 7 meeting, Carter reiterated Nancy Barto’s statements in opposition to Props. 301 and 302. Seemed insincere to me at the time and like Carter was taking her cues from Barto.”
“Apparently” – indication of second hand information or just rumor (which is where he gets most of his opinions)
“seemed”? “insincere”? Kelley is the arbiter of sincerity? Is that what a true conservative does?
The last hint that the real impetus for Kelley’s veiled attack on Carter is that she did not submit herself to his “interview”. Neither did many conservative candidates – they did not want to be subjected to such probing questions as, “At what point in time were you born?”
As always, conservatives need to decide for themselves and not be bullied by anyone. This fake letter was nothing but an attempt to bully. That’s not conservative.
Marcus, I must disagree. Come January or February, when it is time to repeal Obamacare, we will be thrilled to have the vote of moderates like Scott Brown. Would someone like Heather be suited to a district like, say, LD22? Nope. But I have a feeling she’s the best we can get out of LD17 and I’ll take it over a “D”.
I know Heather Carter. She is a life long Republican. She will be a great addition to the GOP House team.
It is the obligation of GOP PCs to provide their support to all GOP candidates. Once the primary is over, we are obligated to be supportive for our candidates against all opponents.
If someone is not comfortable with those ideals for PCs – then don’t be a PC. Be an independing activist on your own.
When I joined the Navy, it was not to be a soldier – to be a Sailor. If I desired to be something other than a Sailor I should have asked to be moved to the Army. Same as for a PC.
A good debate within our GOP ranks is healthy. Advocating some sort of cleansing action sends a prejudicial message. We can debate platform and vote on platform. Once voted, that’s the action plan until later modified.
I’ve read a lot of silliness in the LD7 races. One self-made pundit, who is a GOP PC in another district, put out emails to suggest that folks should vote for David Smith and the Libertarian House candidate. Why? Is that being loyal to being a GOP PC? I don’t see the Dem PCs splitting their tickets (although I’d love for them to vote Republican all they want).
We have a smart, articulate candidate who has passion for certain issues. She has appeal to Republican voters who have kids in public schools. Gosh, there’s a bridge that we’ve needed to build for decades. More than 90% of all Arizona kids go to Arizona schools – which means that 90% of all households with voters who have kids in schools have them in, oh “public schools.”
Get my constituent point. Now we have a very credible person with outstanding credentials and we do what? – wish to make that person part of a narrow debate.
Why? To purify the party ranks? How does that work in our favor?
Come live in my district (11) where Republicans universally voted for Janet Napolitano in 2006 (all 83 of our precincts); or where about one-fourth of our precincts went to Obama in 2008; and where 69% of the voters supported Prop. 100.
By the way, Prop. 100 passed with flying colors in LD7, too.
As for First Things First, Carter is supporting its repeal. It was in The Republic – and sorry that folks don’t chose to read the paper. However, as someone who spent more than two decades in national intelligence work, the term “all source intelligence” to me means taking in all the data, regardless of source. Never know when you gleam a valuable fact out it.
On the converse, would you want the intel analyst working for national defense to have blinders on and be biased?
So why would self-billed political activists and pundits close down? Even Rush reads the NY Times – after all, he needs material.
Have a Great Republican Day!
Mr. Kelley,
I took advantage of Dr. Carter’s offering her phone number and asked her about this decision. It makes perfect sense to me. This situation required a tough decision and Dr. Carter made one. As she told me, “It’s not that I think early childhood programs are wasteful or unnecessary – they are effective and helpful but we don’t have the money to fund necessary, limited government functions like schools.” What is so difficult to understand about that, Mr. Kelley. The state is broke and we all must suffer. The great irony here is that you profess to be a dyed in the wool Republican who values limited government. Dr. Carter wants to cut a government sponsored program (the kind you detest)in order to balance the budget and you take exception to it? Maybe it’s just that you have an axe to grind against her and nothing she does will ever meet your personal and narrow-minded agenda.
It speaks volumes to me that Dr. Carter was the only Rep candidate in LD7 that was not endorsed by the PAChyderm Coalition.
Heather Carter was not endorsed by the PAChyderm Coalition but she is endorsed by the teachers union along with a lot of progressives. The union was a major donor to her campaign.
Here’s the teachers union official list of endorsements from their website.
http://vote4schoolsaz.com/pro-education-candidates/
Weaver, understand you are backing Justin Kelton for the PV school board?
Did you know Kelton has not filed any of the required campaign finance reports?
He put up signs, did mail – in fact, he did not circulate one petition himself – he paid some Democrats to do that – but his signs say “vote conservative”
Weaver, why listen to you when you back people who break the law?
You are so anti-public school is just oozes out of your pores? Why do you hate public schools so much?
Why should we blindly support a wasteful public school system, when it has a role model to emulate, in the Charter Schools, and refuses to learn from their successful example, as directed by the Teachers Union?
The Public School System will never be improved until we have driven unions out of all public service employment.
Why should we support a candidate who merely throws up signs that say “vote conservative” and fails to follow the state law on campaign finance reporting?