Association Survey of 2006 Candidates for State Level Elective Offices

   Our Association sent a package of information and recommended reforms on the three civic/political issue areas covered to date on our web site to all incumbents and challenging candidates seeking these elective offices in November, 2006. This information was sent to all 68 incumbents in both executive and legislative branches of our state government, whether up for re-election or not, as we wanted to determine their support or non-support for our Association's recommended reforms related to these important issues. All challenging candidates for these elective offices received the same package.

   Our Association's package contained the following: program and cost effective information about the three civic/political issue areas with our recommended reforms to be accomplished by these state level elected decision-makers; contact information for Issue Area Facilitators available to all incumbents and challengers requesting additional information; and a one-sheet survey form to be completed, signed off on and returned in an accompanying stamped envelope.

   Our one page survey form included the following questions with yes or no to be checked at the end of each question, signed off on and returned by July 31, 2006:

• Do you support the enactment of our Association's single payer, nongovernmental administered Delaware Health Security Act as it is now written and without any changes?
• Do you support the enactment of our Association's Delaware Campaign Finance and Election Reform Act as our Coalition has researched and written it, without any changes?
• Do you support an act creating an initiative and referendum opportunity for Delaware citizens to petition and place legislation on the ballot as 24 states now provide their citizens?
• As all elected state officials are supposed to keep citizens informed, will you support legislation requiring proper notices and providing citizen/media access to all Executive/Legislative branch meetings?
• As the approximately $20 million annual street fund program for legislators has been proven to be used for other purposes, some corrupt, will you support legislation to eliminate this unethical incumbent campaign advantage gift and return these funds to appropriate transportation departments?
• With our state constitution requiring our state legislature accountable for efficient public schooling, will you support creating a state committee of public school stakeholder group representatives and thoroughly complete the awareness/understanding phases of proven, documented program and cost effective reform needed in all of our public school districts?
• Will you then support providing and/or acquiring the relatively small amount of funds for required training and allow needed time for implementing all reform components to school districts that volunteer to fully implement this proven program and cost effective school system reform?

2006 Supportive State Level Candidates

Results of our survey showed the following: sixteen took the time and effort to sit down and learn about civic/political issue areas covered in our survey; contrast this happenng with the fact that in 3 years of trying to get our 68 elected state level office holders to sit down and learn about our best knowledge information and recommended reform changes (two endorsed by 28 statewide organizations), NOT A SINGLE ONE responded; and, most important, traction was demonstrated by eleven challenging candidates and one incumbent checking  yes in support of our Association's questions related to recommended reforms for the three civic/political issue areas covered on our web site at that time. Our Association's nonprofit movement and mission is to have informed voters identify, enlist and support informed candidates for state level elective offices who are competently informed and committed to supporting our Association's program and cost effective reform recommendations. We provide this valuable information about candidates for these important decision-making elective offices with the request that you help disseminate it to your family members and friends. Further, we ask that you invite those contacted to become more thoroughly informed by accessing the information and updates on our Association's web site (deinformedvoters.org). We recommended supporting in every way possible these 12 2006 candidates who became informed and were committed to sensible, credible reform changes. We believe all one has to do to become actively motivated is to slowly read/study our Health Care web site page and relate our recommended single payer Delaware Health Security Act to one's own future health care coverage and all immediate and extended family members.

Forthcoming 2008 Delaware Election Cycle

In the near future, our Association's web site will contain best knowledge information for all 16 civic/political issue areas important in our state's future and listed on our Home Page. Many of our best knowledge information and recommended reforms are derived from research findings and proven, effective best practices. Fifteen statewide organizations have endorsed our single payer Delaware Health Security Act and thirteen statewide organizations have endorsed our Delaware Campaign Finance and Election Reform Act, which was developed through Common Cause of Delaware. Many activist Delaware citizens are working in support of these two acts. We believe that when best knowledge information and recommended reforms for the additional issue areas are completed and on our web site, many more organizations and individuals will be added to our Association like tributaries flowing into a cleansing civic/political stream. With this ever-increasing, informed, motivated civic/political collective force, we believe we can significantly impact and raise the level of our state's political culture in the 2008 campaign for elective offices in both executive and legislative branches of our state government. We invite every citizen's informed, involved membership/ownership in our Association's movement and mission.