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Balm Serves As Stop On The Campaign Trail

Tribune photo by JOHN CEBALLOS

Candidates from various electoral races made the Balm Recreation Center a stop on their campaign trail. From left are Phyllis Busansky, Buddy Johnson, Carol Kurdell, Stephen Gorham, Doug Tudor, Pete Gifford, Kevin Beckner and Marcella O'Steen, who moderated the event.

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By JOHN CEBALLOS | South Shore News & Tribune

Published: October 24, 2008

BALM - As candidates sprint toward Election Day, a group of hopefuls stopped here last week to face the people.

"We wanted to give people the opportunity to ask the candidates direct questions," said Marcella O'Steen, president of the Balm Civic Association, who served as moderator for the forum, which drew more than 70 people.

In attendance were Buddy Johnson and Phyllis Busansky, opponents in the race for supervisor of elections, as well as Carol Kurdell and Stephen Gorham, who are jockeying for spots on the Hillsborough County School Board.

Also present were Doug Tudor, who is running for the U.S. House District 12 seat; Pete Gifford, who is in the race for the county commission District 4 spot; and Kevin Beckner, who is competing for the commission's District 6 job. Tudor, Gifford and Beckner's opponents were invited but did not attend.

Each of the candidates gave brief opening statements before the forum was opened to the audience.

"I've grown concerned about the direction the county is going. The focus has not been on the people of the community," Beckner said. "My priorities will be your priorities. We cannot continue to pave over our agricultural and environmental land."

Gifford vowed to provide something the audience had been missing.

"I'll give you a relatable and acceptable public servant," Gifford said.

Tudor has been in politics for less than a year and took the opportunity to introduce himself to the crowd.

"I'm not a veteran politician — I'm a veteran," said Tudor, a retired Navy master chief petty officer. "Like most aspiring politicians, I got fed up. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired."

Gorham promised to bring change to the school board.

"I've watched a board that thinks student achievement relies on one type of student — those who want to go to college," Gorham said. "We need to focus on helping those students as well as those who graduate and still want to contribute."

Kurdell, an incumbent, vowed to help fix some of the problems the board faced this year.

"Transportation was awful. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong," said Kurdell, referring to the busing problems this year. "It's unacceptable to me as a board member, and we will fix it."
Johnson, another incumbent, reiterated his goal if re-elected.

"We have a mission," Johnson said. "We're going to make sure every one of you gets to vote this year."

Busansky referenced the state's checkered past during election years.

"I decided to run for supervisor of elections to get rid of the embarrassing headlines related to voting in this state," she said.

After the candidates' opening statements, they addressed questions dealing with education, voting procedures and transportation.

"We tried to keep everyone's questions and answers to around a minute each," O'Steen said. "I think people did a good job in coming prepared with good questions."

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555.

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