Election 2008 Endorsements

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There are different ways to look at the choice for president of the United States. We can look at the record of Republican John McCain and see there is a long story of duty — from Vietnam through Congress. We can look at the shorter story of Democrat Barack Obama and see youth’s great potential alongside questions of his early influences and concerns about his approach to spending. Full story »

We come down to the finish line for the Nov. 4 general election, for which early voting starts Monday, and there is a gap in our editorial board interview and endorsement process. We covered all the bases except the appellate judges and Florida Supreme Court justices.
They do not campaign. Their terms and names on the ballot rotate as part of a system called merit retention. Voters are asked to say yes, they should be kept on, or no, they shouldn’t. Full story »

For Mike Scott, the heavy lifting is over. When he beat his predecessor, Rod Shoap, for the Republican nomination for re-election as Lee County sheriff in August, the lone obstacle to four more years was an unknown with no party affiliation. Full story »

Each time Bob Neeld, an accountant from Cape Coral, has run for U.S. House District 14, including all of Lee and parts of Collier and Charlotte counties, he has become a more well-rounded, serious candidate. In this election, his second try since losing to current incumbent Connie Mack IV of Fort Myers in 2004, Democrat Neeld rises above the pack as the best-informed, least-conflicted choice. Neeld merits voters’ support in the general election on Nov. 4, for which early voting starts Monday. Full story »

Three down, three to go. With the first three of the six constitutional amendments addressed on Wednesday’s editorial page, here are the positions of our editorial board on the rest. Full story »

Here we go again. Six proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution appear on the ballot for the Nov. 4 general election, for which early voting starts on Monday. Full story »

Fire district board elections are on the ballot for the Nov. 4 general election for which early voting starts Monday. They are nonpartisan contests, so voters of all persuasions can weigh in — as long as they live in the various districts. Full story »

There are plenty of races — all nonpartisan — on the ballot in Collier and Lee counties for fire control districts. Though their campaigns are low-budget and voters don’t get to hear much from them, these candidates aim to shape important public policy and spend your tax dollars. Full story »

This is a message that bears repeating again and again. We will make it here only twice — in the next sentence and at the end of this editorial. Regardless of what voters may think of today’s Collier County School Board or its administration, it is important to approve the school funding referendum. The schools need the money. Full story »

There is a single contest left for the Collier County School Board this year. With District 2’s Kathleen Curatolo re-elected and fellow incumbent Linda Abbott ousted in the August primary, countywide voters have a distinct choice between two quality finalists from District 4. One, Joe Paterno, brings a business-leadership and job-training background. The other, Julie Sprague, brings credentials as a 30-year health and physical education teacher. Full story »

Voters of all political persuasions — Republicans, Democrats, independents and others — have the opportunity to elect six members of the Lee Memorial Health System Board of Directors in the general election on Nov. 4, for which early voting starts on Oct. 20. The board, although it does not have power to tax, sets policy for the system’s hospitals — all of Lee County’s except Lehigh Regional Medical Center — and care centers. Full story »

Tax collector. Property appraiser. Are those positions elected? Yes, indeed. It’s just that voters in Collier and Lee counties are not accustomed to seeing them on the ballot. But this year is different. Full story »

With the potential marquee contest rendered moot for lack of an opponent, making Garret Richter the successor to Burt Saunders in Florida Senate District 37, these legislative races remain for south Lee County voters. Election Day is Nov. 4 and early voting starts Oct. 20.
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Major races for the Florida Legislature were settled without contests. Garret Richter of Naples succeeds Burt Saunders of Naples to represent the Collier-Lee District 25 seat in the Senate. Tom Grady ran unopposed to succeed Richter in Naples-based House District 76. That leaves these races for legislative seats from Collier County. Full story »