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Guide can be viewed at:http://www.theballot.org/2010/atlantavoterguide

Urban Independents Progressive Voter Guide

Atlanta, GA

November 2, 2010

Urban Independents is a fluid group of motivated Atlanta voters connected by the drive to elect progressive leaders who will fight for civil rights, take care of our state's resources, and bring courageous, fresh thinking to our government. For each special, primary, run-off, and general election we research and produce a guide to help metro Atlanta voters choose the more progressive candidate in a contested race.

To create our voter guides we survey and speak with candidates, compare endorsement lists*, research media, and poll our trusted friends, colleagues and experts in the field. Admittedly, this process is not particularly precise. We use as much information as we have, but often it is limited, and sometimes we need to update the guide as new information becomes availalble. Even if you don't agree with all of our choices, we hope you find our independent voter guide helpful and appreciate it for what it is - a purely volunteer-based effort to research and give progressive insight on contested races. We have nothing to gain personally from creating our voter guide, except stronger, more authentic representation in our elected government.

Download PDF of guide:

2010_General_Election_Voter_Guide.pdf

U.S. Senate

Michael "Mike"Thurmond

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Georgia AFL-CIO

Governor

Roy E. Barnes

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Georgia AFL-CIO, Georgia Association of Educators, Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club and Georgia Conservation Voters

Lieutenant Governor

Carol Porter

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Sierra Club, Georgia AFL-CIO and Georgia Association of Educators

Secretary of State

Georganna Sinkfield

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Georgia AFL-CIO and Georgia Association of Educators

Attorney General

Ken Hodges

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Georgia Association of Educators and Georgia AFL-CIO

State Superintendent of Schools

Joe Martin

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Georgia Association of Educators, Georgia AFL-CIO, Georgia WIN List and Planned Parenthood

Commissioner of Insurance

Mary Squires

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Georgia WIN List, Georgia Association of Educators, and Georgia AFL-CIO

Commissioner of Agriculture

J.B. Powell

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Georgia AFL-CIO

Commissioner of Labor

Darryl Hicks

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Georgia AFL-CIO and the Georgia Association of Educators

Public Service Commission, District 2

Keith Moffett

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Georgia AFL-CIO

U.S. Representative, District 4

Hank Johnson, Jr.

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Sierra Club, National Association Social Workers PACE, Planned Parenthood, Georgia AFL-CIO, and thatsmycongress.com LGBT scorecard

U.S. Representative, District 5

John Lewis

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Sierra Club, National Association Social Workers PACE, Planned Parenthood, Georgia AFL-CIO, and thatsmycongress.com LGBT scorecard

U.S. Representative, District 13

David Scott

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Sierra Club, Defender of Wildlife Action, National Association of Educators, Planned Parenthood, Georgia AFL-CIO

Senate, District 5

Curt Thompson

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Georgia AFL-CIO, Georgia Equality, Georgia Association of Educators, Atlanta Stonewall Democrats, Sierra Club and Georgia Conservation Voters

Senate, District 38

Horacena Tate

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Georgia WIN List, Georgia AFL-CIO, Georgia Conservation Voters, Sierra Club and Georgia Association of Educators

Senate, District 40

Eric Christ

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Sierra Club of Georgia and Georgia AFL-CIO

Senate, District 41

Steve Henson

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Georgia AFL-CIO, Georgia Equality, Georgia Association of Educators, Sierra Club and Georgia Conservation Voters

Senate, District 43

Ronald B. Ramsey, Sr.

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Georgia AFL-CIO, Georgia Association of Educators, Sierra Club and Georgia Conservation Voters

House, District 46

Paul Kennedy

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Atlanta Stonewall Democrats and Planned Parenthood

House, District 79

Keith A. Kaylor

Endorsed Vote: Yes

House, District 80

Mike Jacobs

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Georgia Log Cabin Republicans, Georgia Equality and Georgia Conservation Voters

House, District 81

Elena Parent

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, Georgia AFL-CIo, Georgia WIN List, Georgia Association of Educators and Atlanta Stonewall Democrats

House, District 85

Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Georgia Conservation Voters, Georgia Association of Educators, Georgia Equality, Planned Parenthood, Georgia WIN List and Georgia AFL-CIO

House, District 94

Dar'Shun N. Kendrick

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Georgia WIN List, Georgia Equality, Georgia Conservation Voters and Atlanta Stonewall Democrats

Supreme Court Justice

Matt Wilson

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Georgia Equality, Atlanta Stonewall Democrats

Appeals Court Judge

Chris McFadden

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Voted as most "well qualified" according to State Bar poll, endorsed by Georgia Equality, Atlanta Stonewall Democrats

Superior Court Judge, Atlanta Circuit

Karlise Yvette Grier

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Superior Court Judge, Stone Mountain Circuit

Denise M. Warner

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Voted among the most "well qualified" according to the Atlanta Bar poll, endorsed by Georgia Equality and Atlanta Stonewall Democrats

Fulton County Commission, District 1

John H. Eaves

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Fulton County Commission, District 2

Robert "Robb" L. Pitts

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Fulton County School Board, District 5

Marti Miller Elliott

Endorsed Vote: Yes

DeKalb County, District Attorney, Stone Mountain

Robert James

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by Georgia Equality and Atlanta Stonewall Democrats

DeKalb County, School Board District 1

Nancy Jester

Endorsed Vote: Yes

DeKalb County, School Board District 3

Corey E. Wilson

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by EduKalb

DeKalb County, School Board District 5

Kirk A. Nooks

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by EduKalb

DeKalb County, School Board District 7

Donna Edler

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Endorsed by EduKalb

DeKalb County, School Board District 9

Ella "Coach Smith" Smith

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Amendment 1

Endorsed Vote: No

This amendment does make Georgia a more friendly investment environment for national franchises, but to the disadvantage of local small business owners. In the process, it erodes protections that our constitution now offers to employees, who may be unfairly limited by non-compete agreements with employers when they go looking for new jobs.

Amendment 2

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Trauma care coverage is dangerously lacking in large parts of our state, and it is important that these life-saving services be made available to as many people as possible. Until we come up with a genuinely equitable way of financing healthcare needs like this, the regressive $10 tag fee on personal vehicles mandated by this amendment is a stopgap measure that will help to achieve this critical goal.

Amendment 3

Endorsed Vote: No

Although there are admitted efficiencies in allowing GDOT to enter into multi-year construction agreements, we are concerned that the department will use the flexibility offered by this amendment to obligate the state in ways that are not only fiscally uncertain, but may also limit future funding of much-needed public transit projects, which it has almost entirely ignored.

Amendment 4

Endorsed Vote: Yes

The state badly needs to make its buildings more energy efficient and to undertake other important conservation improvements. Endorsed by Sierra Club and Georgia Conservation Voters, this amendment allows the state to obligate itself to multi-year contracts for these purposes, and at the same time reduces the associated financial risk by requiring that the vendors who provide these services guarantee the cost savings that they claim they can deliver.

Amendment 5

Endorsed Vote: No

This is a boomerang amendment, essentially reversing changes - affecting only 2 Georgia counties - that were enacted by amendments more than fifty years ago. We feel it is an example of how the amendment process is used, inappropriately, to advance limited special interests.

Referendum A

Endorsed Vote: No

This referendum would repeal the inventory tax on businesses, which, although it raises little money for the state as a whole, is an important source of revenue for some cities and counties. It is representative of a piecemeal approach to a much needed larger overhaul of the state tax code.

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