[TheEngineer]

Here's my letter to Gov. Fletcher. As usual, I wrote this as a Republican constituent to a Republican office holder, but please don't be put off my that if you're a Democrat. After all, I may be a Republican, but it's not like I'll be voting for many Republicans in the near future. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Let's make sure Fletcher, Beshear, and McConnell all hear from us. This race really will set the tone for all of 2008.

Thanks.

--------------------------------

August 9, 2007

Governor Ernie Fletcher
700 Capital Avenue
Suite 100
Frankfort, KY 40601

Dear Governor Fletcher:

I am writing in regards to your reelection campaign. I am a lifelong conservative Republican; pro-life and pro-Second Amendment. However, I am also pro-limited government. As such, I am very dismayed by your recent embrace of a nanny state for the good people of Kentucky. In fact, your entire reelection campaign is seemingly based only on advocacy of a position that people cannot be trusted to make their own decisions regarding playing poker or other casino games (or to even vote on the issue). Do you really believe casinos cause crime, as if it's the casino's fault and not the criminals'? Quite frankly, your claims that casinos cause crime reminds me of something Sarah Brady would say about guns! Given that you feel this way, I find it difficult to trust you with my other freedoms.

I realize you had to come up with something on which to campaign, and that could not have been an easy task for you this year. Still, couldn't you find something Republican on which to campaign? It seems you and Sen. McConnell think the majority of Kentuckians want the state government to protect them from themselves (and McConnell apparently feels the federal government needs to police the Internet to keep people from playing poker, like in Iran and China). Sorry, but if you continue on this path, I think you'll find on Election Day that this is an erroneous assumption. I urge you to at least gather some polling data, because it may just be a situation where you have too small a circle of friends who don't realize that people like to play poker and games of chance for entertainment and relaxation, and that only a very small percentage of players develop issues.

As a result of the scandals of your administration, your embrace of a nanny state, your scapegoating of the many good people in Kentucky who enjoy an occasional game of poker, and the simply fact that the Republican Party could use some housecleaning to restore us to being a party of small government (and you have an off-year election that will set the tone for the 2008 elections) -- unless you radically change course I plan to vote for Steve Beshear.

Sincerely,


[my name]


P.S. I author a monthly voting guide that gets published in many freedom-loving websites. I attached it for your review.

[guide follows]