RALEIGH, N.C.  – Gov. Beverly Perdue is seeing – as are her predecessors – how difficult it is to establish and retain a legacy, even those fashioned with catchy names.

Facing one of the state’s worst fiscal situations in decades, Perdue’s two-year state budget proposal would take a paring knife to the Smart Start and More at Four early childhood education programs championed respectively by former Govs. Jim Hunt and Mike Easley.

And Perdue, a fellow Democrat, would lop off completely the Support Our Students after-school program unveiled 15 years ago by Hunt, Perdue’s mentor, that worked with more than 14,000 students last year to keep them out of trouble.

The loss of Support Our Students “could be very, very devastating in some communities,” said Sorien Schmidt with the advocacy group Action for Children North Carolina. “It just puts parents in a bind.”
 
Perdue also couldn’t begin quite like she wanted on her broad “College Promise” program because there wasn’t enough money to begin efforts to make community college tuition free. She instead wants more university financial aid and job-retraining grants for community college students.

With the state struggling to narrow a $3.4 billion budget shortfall next year and political sway transient, it’s difficult for a governor to get a pet project started or keep it once out of office.

DURHAM, N.C. – On Election Day, Nov. 4, while public school students are out of school, Kids Voting Durham will provide an authentic voting experience for children at all adult polling sites.  

About 75 percent of the 56 Durham precincts have been adopted by groups and individuals, but more volunteers are urgently needed to ensure that every polling site will provide an opportunity for kids to vote through Kids Voting. 

According to Mike Shiflett, co-chair of Kids Voting Advisory Board, “We want every child in Durham to have an opportunity to participate in Kids Voting on Election Day.  There is no better volunteer opportunity to make you feel a part of this exciting election and help kids at the same time.” 

Kids Voting Durham needs a total of 400 volunteers to provide a realistic voting experience to children on November 4.  Each child has the opportunity to vote on the same candidates and issues as the adult ballot.  Measurement Incorporated donates and scans the ballots for Kids Voting on Election Night.  The results will be tallied and shared publicly. 

Kids Voting is a great volunteer activity for individuals, groups, families, and youth and can be a positive team building opportunity.  Individuals or groups can adopt an entire precinct, volunteer for a two-hour shift or other available hours. 

Even if an adult votes early, they can take children to any Durham precinct Nov. 4 for Kids Voting.  Middle and high school students can also vote online at www.kidsvotingdurham.org.

For more information about volunteering for Kids Voting Durham on Nov. 4, contact Carolyn Kreuger, program manager for Kids Voting Durham, at 560-7321, or via e-mail at ckreuger@co.durham.nc.us.

Three students involved with Kids Voting Durham were selected to appear in Kids Pick the President, a national Nickelodeon Broadcast airing at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12.

While the presidential candidates are running a close race among adult Americans, the country’s youth would vote decisively. Half (50 percent) of American youth ages 8-17 would vote for Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate, while three in ten (29 percent) would support John McCain, the Republican candidate.

RALEIGH, N.C.  — North Carolina politicians have a chance to find out that kids not only say the darndest things – but can ask compelling questions as well.

Kids Voting NC Wake County and the NC Museum of History are jointly hosting a candidates’ forum for middle and high school students on Saturday at the NC Museum of History in downtown Raleigh.

Two of the North Carolina Gubernatorial candidates, Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory, will kick off the Forum. U.S. Senator Dole will also address the children.  Other candidates who will meet the kids and participate in the forum include candidates for:

• Lt. Governor
• U.S. Congressional House Districts 2, 4, and 13 (which include Wake County)
• NC State Senate Districts 14, 15, 17
• NC Congressional 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41

Ken Smith, anchor for WRAL TV will moderate the forum and the League of Women Voters will serve as timekeepers.  The forum will begin at 11 a.m. 

Activities will be located in the Museum lobby and take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities include designing patriotic buttons, political signs, and posters along with participating in presentations and storytelling.

When the formal candidates’ forum is over, candidates can mingle with the crowd in the lobby.

“Kids Voting and the NC Museum of History are thrilled to host this event that allows students to interact  directly with candidates and become active participants in the democratic process,” said Lynn Pearce, executive director of Kids Voting NC Wake County.  “By encouraging an open dialogue on key issues facing our community, we hope that this forum will help students and their families understand the value and importance of becoming educated and informed voters.”

Kids Voting was formed to help teach young people good voting habits early on and, by encouraging families to vote together, to help increase overall voter turnout.  Kids Voting USA is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with schools and communities to enhance civics education and provide youth a realistic voting experience at official polls on Election Day.
 
Kids Voting Wake County Candidate Forum
WHEN:           September 13 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Forum kicks off at 11 a.m.)
WHERE:        NC Museum of History, 5 Edenton Street, Raleigh