How much is your vote worth? | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's note: We are receiving a good many short missives suggesting that Randy Ramsey is a RINO, and that he does not take his electorate responsibility seriously. We make no assertion to the veracity of this information; however, many others, from Mr. Ramsey's home region, have made these claim, and that is most troubling.

   To counter these profound and rather robustly offered assertions, we, at BCN, offer whatever space that Candidate Ramsey and his supporters need to adequately refute these damning claims of Mr. Ramsey's disloyalty to the Conservative principles that guide real Republicans, or this last missive that suggests that Candidate Ramsey does not take his position in this citizen electorate. We, at BCN, are here to help all who wish to express all polite and representative expression of the intrinsic principals that make us who we really are.

   How much is your vote worth? For the past several weeks, Republican primary voters have been overwhelmed with glossy mailers (last count was 15), slick TV commercials and ominous radio ads, all paid for by the Ramsey for Senate campaign. Every step of the way has felt like a big time political campaign and from the over $400,000 he has spent, it carries a big time price tag. But what is the price to us little folk here at home?

   Ramsey’s is getting over half of his money from outside our area. The money has come in from Raleigh attorneys, Sampson County hog farmers, Democrat politicians from Tennessee and a family from Florida that gave twice as much money as everybody in Beaufort. Over $400,000 and if he gets elected, where will his loyalties lie?

   With the commercial fishermen down east who like the local boy or the sport fishermen who gave him thousands?

   With Carteret Community College, where he took some classes? Or N.C. State, where he sits on the Board of Trustees thanks to political gifts to Bev Perdue?

   Will he protect or pristine coastal waters or reduce water quality to help hog farmers who have supported his campaign?

   You may think you are voting for a Senator for the 2nd District: but you’d really be getting a lobbyist for far away special interests.

   Randy Ramsey and his millionaires club friends have put a price on this election. The question is whether your vote is for sale?