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Politics

2012-10-03 13:46:29

Know your local candidates

On November 6th our country will once again be allowed to exercise our freedom, and right to vote in the 2012 elections. As always, we are striving to differentiate ourselves from other media outlets, educating and informing readers and providing information that touches them personally, in their daily lives. All rhetoric aside, we want to dive deep into the issues that matter to you, the voter. In that effort, we've laid out five questions with the following candidates to gather a little insight into who they are, what they're running for, and what issues they can resolve that are important to you, the voter. We can do the same with any and all candidates.

Q&A Times: Who, exactly is Michael Gayoso Jr.? What political office are you running for and what drew you to this? Gayoso: My family and I have lived in Crawford County for 12 years. My wife was born and raised in Southeast Kansas and graduated from PSU. Our 3 children attend school here, we go to church here, and we are deeply rooted in this wonderful community. I am completing my first term as your Crawford County Attorney. Prior to being elected, I was in private practice for nine years primarily focusing on criminal law. I felt the prior administration was not doing its best in prosecuting criminals and was compelled to run for office to make a difference. I volunteer at our church, work with the youth in the community and have educated parents on internet safety in order to take a proactive approach to protecting our children. I take seriously my efforts of reaching out to this community and imparting knowledge that can assist them. Q&A Times: What do you feel are the key concerns of the constituency and where do you stand on those issues? Gayoso: The overriding concern is safety. Public safety has always been priority number one in my administration. Everyone employed on my staff understands this and we strive to seek justice in every case. I appreciate the fact that families rely on us to make sure their children and loved ones live in a safe community; merchants rely on us to prosecute those who criminally pass worthless checks and to prosecute those that steal from them; schools rely on us for truancies and to educate children about the dangers of social media, bullying, drugs and other pressing issues; family members and mental health professionals rely on us to initiate proceedings for those with mental illness or drug addiction in seeking the help they need, just to name a handful of issues we deal with every single day. Our office is responsible for more than just prosecuting criminals, we understand and witness firsthand that drugs, alcohol and criminal charges impacts everyone in the community. As a team, my staff and I work to ensure that we obtain criminal convictions and obtain needed services and placements for others to make Crawford County a better place. Q&A Times: What differentiates you from other candidates? Gayoso: EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS! For thirteen years I have focused my career on criminal law. I have successfully prosecuted jury trials. My actions speak louder than the words of my opponent. In less than 4 years in office, I have obtained over 600 felony convictions, sending criminals to prison for over 650 years. I have collected nearly ¾ of a million dollars in worthless checks for merchants, restitution for victims and fees. I have obtained six murder convictions including being the first prosecutor in Crawford County history to file a 1st degree murder case without a body and obtain a life in prison sentence. During my tenure as Crawford County Attorney, my office has experienced a 96% felony conviction rate. I have visited grade schools and high schools throughout the county to speak to students about being proactive in safety and to encourage them to make good choices. I have accomplished all of this while operating under budget. My opponent has done none of these. I work closely with law enforcement and victims to ensure that justice is being done and have proven myself in and out of the courtroom. Q&A Times: What other information is important to properly introduce you to our area? Gayoso: It is important for the people of Crawford County to realize that when it comes to the position of County Attorney, it doesn’t matter whether you are Democrat or Republican. I do not pass laws. I enforce the laws, prosecute crimes, initiate care and treatments and child in need of care cases and educate the public about being proactive in their safety. I am committed to this position not only because I genuinely care about the very community I live in and my family is a part of, but because it is the right thing to do. I have assembled an excellent staff who deeply care about what we do, who love this community and share my vision for it. Thank you and VOTE GAYOSO for County Attorney.