Wake GOP says school board elections not "dull"

The Wake County Republican Party is speaking out again on the school board races and the other municipal elections next week.

In the press release, GOP Chairman Claude Pope Jr. says he's disputing Sunday's N&O column by Rob Christensen that off-year races are designed to be dull. The press release comes right after Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Jack Nichols accused school board critics of being led by the GOP.

Here's the press release:

WAKE GOP REITERATES IMPORTANCE OF MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, DISPUTES N&O COLUMN ABOUT “DULL RACES”
 
Millions of dollars are at stake, so voters must get to the polls since local decisions affect all of our children and all taxpayers, says Chairman Pope
 
 
RALEIGH, N.C., September 30, 2009 – Wake County Republican Chairman Claude E. Pope, Jr. is urging voters to turn out to the polls in record numbers on October 6, since these local elections are more important than ever this year.  Pope disputes N&O columnist Rob Christensen’s recent column, “City vote designed to be dull.”
 
“While national elections receive the utmost attention and are exciting, the elections at the municipal level affect our tax dollars and children’s education much more directly,” Pope said.  “Current Raleigh Councilwoman At-Large Mary-Ann Baldwin is so confident that she’s going to get re-elected that she is using her campaign money to pay for an ‘economic development’ trip to China.  Meanwhile, her opponent Champ Claris is running a TV ad touting the millions of dollars that the Raleigh City Council has been spending and planning on spending.  Fiscal responsibility in our local governments has never been more critical than it is today, so every voter has a say in who gets to spend our tax money.”
 
The Wake County Board of Education races are especially critical on October 6 because of the anger felt by so many parents and taxpayers about the current school board’s policies.
 
 “Wake County voters must get just as excited to vote this fall and prove the low-turnout statistics for non-partisan elections dead wrong since millions of municipal tax dollars will be in the hands of those who win, regardless of their political affiliations,” Pope continued.  “October 6 is also about change, although you would not know that by reading the local press and their support of the status quo.”