At a meeting held on September 6, the Durham People’s Alliance Political Action Committee made its endorsements for the October 9 and November 6 elections.

For more information on the PA PAC’s endorsements visit www.durhampa.org/endorse2007.html

City Council at-large (In the October 9 primary elections, there will be ten candidates on the ballot. You will be able to vote for three.)

David Harris's record of service and community involvement speaks for itself. He is the current president of the Inter-Neighborhood Council. For years, on any given night of the week, David has been in living rooms and fellowship halls all over Durham working with neighborhoods on a host of issues from zoning to trash collection to crime. He is a leader in the city's Partners Against Crime program. He was one of the early proponents in the city’s innovative Citizen Observer Patrol. David has developed personal relationships with police personnel at all levels and his candidacy promises a progressive response to crime and law enforcement. When it comes to the issues important to PA, David walks the walk and deserves our support.
www.davidharriscampaign.com

Incumbent Diane Catotti is undoubtedly the most progressive person on council and her success in obtaining support from across the political and diversity spectrum of Durham is a testimony not only to her progressive principles, but to her independent spirit. We admire her sense of duty to the citizens of Durham. She is one of our most dedicated, effective, and responsive council members. Diane is a practical, results-oriented progressive. She does her homework and is at city hall nearly every day of the week. She will continue to provide leadership in support of affordable housing, reasonable land use and planning, environmental sustainability, effective fiscal management and accountability, and expanded opportunities for our youth. Because Diane is a former President of the Durham People’s Alliance, we take a great deal of pride in her accomplishments and say that “we knew her when….” We want her to lead the ticket and continue to provide true progressive leadership for Durham.
www.dianecatotti.com

Incumbent council member Eugene Brown is completing his first term. Four years ago, some of our members had some misgivings about the breadth of his commitment to progressive government. He has dispelled these concerns and demonstrated time and again that he deserves PA’s support. Gene is a good guardian of the city's finances and a good watchdog of community resources. He has compiled a creditable record as an advocate for neighborhoods and a person who does his homework and remains well-informed. With council members Mike Woodard and Diane Catotti, he has formed the core of a progressive and fiscally responsible group on Council and we want them to continue their good work on behalf of the citizens of Durham.
www.brownfordurham.com

When David Harris replaces the conservative Thomas Stith, it will strengthen this core of council members who can lead Durham forward.

Looking Ahead to November
Appearing on the November ballot, but not in October, will be the Mayor's race. Durham PA is happy to be able to endorse Bill Bell for his fourth term. Bell is independent and exercises the authority and influence of the mayor’s office entirely without fear or favor. No current elected official can demonstrate a longer record of service to the community or greater devotion to Durham and her people.
www.billbellformayor.com

The People's Alliance also endorses the city's $20 million street and sidewalk bond and the county government's $210 million bond package for schools and other facilities. We are concerned about the city’s increasingly routine procedure of using bonds to fund routine maintenance, and the budgetary process to pay for seemingly special projects, but until this process gets rectified and until there are other mechanisms in place to generate revenues, we support these bond issues. Fortunately, the stellar fiscal ratings of our city and county governments means that this indebtedness can be assumed with a minimum impact on our taxes.

Support Bell, Brown, Catotti, and Harris
Durham’s Republicans are running a ticket of three of their supporters for the at-large seats to provide a conservative majority for Thomas Stith, their candidate for mayor. They intend to spend a lot of money on these campaigns, and their efforts could succeed if voter turnout is low. The progressive voters of Durham cannot take anything for granted.

One Stop Voting
All 2007 one stop voting will be conducted at the Board of Elections office, 706 W. Corporation Street, Durham, NC, 27701, at the following dates and times:

• Thursday and Friday, 20-21 September, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm;
• Monday through Saturday, 24-29 September, 9:00 am- 5:30 pm;
• Monday through Friday, 1-5 October, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm;
• Saturday 6 October, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Persons may also register to vote at these times and cast their ballots immediately. The new NC law to allow same day voter registration (SDR) at the early voting sites goes into effect for cities with October 9 elections (including Durham). All Durham County voting places are open from 6:30 AM until 7:30 PM on election day.
http://www.durhamcountync.gov/departments/elec/index.html

Paid for by the Durham People’s Alliance PAC, and not paid for by any candidate or candidate’s committee

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