In eight days, the voters will have their final say on who their elected officials will be at the federal, state, county and local levels and the only Volusia County-based media to make public endorsements is NSBNEWS.net and VolusiaNews.net under the umbrella of NSB News LLC. Let's be honest. Where else can you get real election news coverage these days? Newsprint is like the Sony Walkman -- on its way out.
The Orlando Sentinel is to be commended for its endorsements and we will take notice of them. But we are the only Volusia County-based media outlet that has the guts to stand up and make endorsements.
Thanks to the Internet, our endorsements will be echoed on Facebook, Twitter and our e-mail alerts. Greater New Smyrna Beach is a well informed community with a daily online news source of its own: NSBNEWS.net. Certainly, we have had an impact on early voting, which helps to explain why NSB leads the way countywide.
None of the pending endorsements are rubber-stamped. There is no favoritism in terms of incumbents or challengers. There is no leanings to a particular party. Sorry Democrats and Republicans. Ultimately, each candidate endorsed stands on his or her own merits. Party ideology is secondary.
If you Democrats want to blame George W. Bush for the economic mess we are in, you are entitled to your opinion. If you Republican candidates want to label the Democrats Nancy Pelosi clones and blame "Obamacare," you, too are entitled to your opinion.
We will show you the candidates who either have done something or really want to do something to make our lives better. The empty slogans just won't cut it with us.
Let's be real here. Most of us are sick of the partisan bickering. We're all Americans and we want what is best for our families, our children and grandchildren. We want the best possible care for our aging parents and grandparents.
We care about our veterans: Those who are still with us from World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, both gulf wars and the ongoing warfare in Afghanistan.
Peter Mallory and I are willing to take a stand on these endorsements because we love our community. Greater New Smyrna Beach is our home and we are the editorial voice for the public. We are the ones in the trenches every day gathering and reporting the news that is important to our residents and small business owners.
In case there is any question of our party affiliation, Mallory is a staunch conservative Republican. I am a proud Democrat.
We hope that you will find our endorsements helpful as we present them over the balance of this week and into the weekend. And as befits the Internet and the kind of coverage you have come to expect from us, we'll present them in word, video and audio. There will be full disclosure, including campaign funding sources.
The first endorsement already posted is for Dorothy Hukill, incumbent Republican from Port Orange for the Florida House, District 28, which includes representation of greater New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater and Oak Hill.
Agree with us. Disagree with us. Just put your money where your mouth is and go out and vote.