Another candidate website review: Rich Engels for District 9 House
Over at http://www.richengels.org, my friend Rich Engels has his website up for his District 9 House race. Just by way of disclosure, I worked with Rich over at the Division of Insurance several years back, and I consider him a friend. (yes, I have a couple Democratic friends, but only a couple).Rich has what I like to see in a candidate website - it's graphically pleasing to look at, and it has lots of information. It's also easily navigated from the web links on the left of his page.
No complaints on this website, although on the home page I might do a little bulleting in his statement and highlight more of his previous legislative experience. But that's goes towards the realm of personal preference.
Regardless, go check it out at http://www.richengels.org.
Comments
Doesn't mention where he stands on capitol punishment.
Doesn't mention where he stands on home school issues.
Doesn't mention where he stands on gun control
Doesn't mention where he stands on homomsexual marriage
Hummmmmm another democrat keeping his positions secret.
Reminds me a bit of Pat Repel for judge----oh that's right--that's a nonpartison race so her being a register Democrat is not important!
I'm not afraid to put my positions out there. That's why I have so many specific issues listed on my website. Have you found any other candidates with as many positions listed as I have put out there?
If you think I'm keeping secrets, just go to the websites of my Republican opponents, Deb Peters and Katy Dressen and see if you can discern their positions on even one issue.
I also answered the nonpartisan survey at vote-smart.org. The 2004 survey is still online, and I answered the 2006 survey which is not posted yet.
By the way, Rep. Peters answered the 2004 vote-smart survey and promptly voted the opposite of her stated positions on both abortion and sex education. So I guess you can't believe her anyway if she claims what her positions are. This is only a sample of her voting record I will be talking about during this campaign.
The beauty of vote-smart is that there is still a link to Deb Peters's 2004 survey so everybody can compare her positions to her voting record.
only one District 9 Candidate didn't fill it out.....Rich Engels.
I stand by my original post: His web site doesn't mention where he stands on abortion, capitol punishment, homeschool issues, gun control, homosexual marriage,and many others that most of Sioux Falls cares about. Further he didn't answer the SDFPC voter guide--no matter what you think of Reiger that voter guide is all about letting people know where you stand--then he whines about his opponents not completing a survey that HE completed. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Katy's web site has her positions clearly defined so either he didn't go there or as anon 11:47 points out--he doesn't know how to read or navigate a web site.
Katy Dressen does have a very good website to be sure. And she did list her "beliefs". But ask yourself whether you can paste the picture of any of the 200 legislative candidates next to Katy's beliefs. Everybody's for kids. Everybody's for the elderly. Everybody's for "proper" funding of education. Everybody's for cutting waste. Most everybody is for the pledge of allegiance as-is - under God.
What she did not say is how she will vote on anything or what she will either push for or oppose. A generic statement of beliefs that everybody from liberal Democrats to conservative Republicans agrees with doesn't provide any meaningful information.
As to the family policy council survey, I filled it out in 2004, and put a number of comments in to clarify my positions. But they just wanted a yes or no - not accurate information. So when they posted my answers they only posted the yes or no and not the comments.
Karl R.
I'm for America, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.