Keith Gray Says Vote Your Brain, Not Your Political Party (UPDATED x2)

Busy morning, but I wanted to pass along a pithy Letter to the Editor that was published in this morning's Lake County News-Sun from GOP 30th Senate Candidate Keith Gray. Not word yet on how Keith did in the Lake County Fair's Demolition Derby, but I'll find out today.

BTW, the word on the street is that State Senator Terry Link is more than a little concerned about how this race is shaping up, as Keith Gray seems to be "everywhere" (according to reliable sources close to Link).

Vote Your Brain

A recent "Talk of the County' titled "Brain drain" illustrates the frustration nearly everyone feels regarding the lack of innovative ideas and effective leadership in our government at all levels.

The writer correctly points out the same issues that have me upset enough to put my life on hold to run for state Senate: High taxes going higher, mounting debt, education performance and funding issues, along with poorly maintained roads and bridges.

The only difference I have with the author is that they assign blame to "Republicans (who) have been in office for eight years..." Each issue listed is dealt with on a state level which is dominated by Democrats.

As poorly as President Bush's approval rating is (about 23 percent), that of the Democratic-controlled Congress is even lower (18 percent). Notable is that our governor, who's been protected by our state senator from allowing citizens to vote on a recall, would love to have these approval ratings since his hovers around 13 percent.

What do all of the individuals who are part of the current leadership have in common? Aside from dismal performance, they are all career politicians who worry more about power and being re-elected than about doing what is right for the people that they are supposed to serve.

This is unacceptable. Like the writer, I strongly encourage voters to stop voting your party and start voting your brain.

Look at the people running for office and decide if they align with what our Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote the Constitution, or are they opportunists who have learned to work the system in order to be re-elected or for reasons beyond doing what is best for their community? Look at the records of these people and try to determine if they embrace a society where hard work and innovation are rewarded, or if success is taxed so that elected officials have money and therefore more control.

We live in the greatest country on earth made up overwhelmingly of good people whom I have great faith. Citizens need to educate themselves on the issues and look past party when voting.

Keith Gray

30th Senate District Candidate

Mettawa

UPDATED: Keith Gray sent me the following e-mail regarding the demolition race yesterday:

Regarding the Derby....we started in the fourth spot and finished third. In the small car feature, where all the small cars 'engage' until only one is running, only three cars were going when my entire steering system failed, allowing me to only go forward and backward in a straight line. Happy that my passenger and I had not taken too many hard hits, we shut the car down....with the engine and trans still strong. I gave the car away to another competitor who wants to enter it in the upcoming McHenry County Demo Derby...

UPDATED x2: here's a few pix from the Demo Derby, courtesy of the Gray campaign. First is a shot of the GrayMobile in action, and one after defeat, being helped off the field of battle by a front-loader. But just wait 'till next year!...