Why We Vote
The Register Star has brought together a group of people from all over the Rock River Valley to serve on our Election 2008 Voters’ Panel. These men and women are Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Green party members. Some are high school students. Some are retired. And some fall in between those two age groups. They all share this: The upcoming election is important and voters do have voices. They’ll share them in this blog.

Blogger bios

Here are short bios of our voters panel bloggers:

Cristina Gloria
Cristina Gloria
Hometown: Belvidere
Age: 39
Political party affiliation: None
Top issue: “A lot of families are asking themselves, ‘do I buy a gallon of gas or a gallon of milk?’”

Caitlin Hanson
Caitlin Hanson
Hometown: Rockford
Age: 18
Political party affiliation: Independent
Top issue: “Reduce urban sprawl.”

Dyanna Chandler
Dyanna M. Chandler
Hometown: Rockford
Age: 59
Political party affiliation: Independent; declared Democratic as an election judge
Top issue: “If we don’t pay for prevention programs up front, we end up paying in other ways.”

Don Gugliuzza
Don R. Gugliuzza
Hometown: Rockford
Age: 68
Political party affiliation: Independent
Top issue: “We need to get Home Rule back.”

Audrey Johnson
Audrey L. Johnson
Hometown: Rockford
Age: senior
Political party affiliation: Republican
Top issue: “Public schools aren’t getting the funding we need. I want to know how we’re to get more locally.”

Jeff Rushing
Jeff Rushing
Hometown: South Beloit
Age: 45
Political party affiliation: Conservative Republican
Top issue: “I think immigration is a hot-button issue. It’s huge.”
Editor’s note: Jeff suffered a massive brain aneurysm March 22 and was rushed to University Hospital in Madison, Wis., where he died March 23. Jeff is survived by his wife, children Rachel and Aaron, stepchildren, Ryann, Devan and Jordan Wallace, and parents Jerry and Wilma Rushing. Read the story here.

Jon Murray
Jon Murray
Hometown: Mount Morris
Age: 53
Political party affiliation: Democrat/Green
Top issue: “It’s a troubled economy. Everybody wants to increase their bottom line and make the big dollar quicker.”

Wester Wuori
Wester Wuori
Hometown: Rockford
Age: 37
Political party affiliation: Democrat
Top issue: “National infrastructure affects economic development, but it’s not a sexy issue. I don’t see the candidates talking about it.”

Ruben Hernandez
Ruben Hernandez
Hometown: Rockton
Age: 43
Political party affiliation: Republican/Independent
Top issue: “Kids are like wet cement. Unless you mold them, they are going to dry sooner or later.”

Eve Kirk
Eve Kirk
Hometown: Rockford
Age: 56
Political party affiliation: None
Top issue: “It’s good to grow, but sometimes we put asphalt all over everything.”

Terry Egan
Terrence “Terry” Egan
Hometown: Oregon
Age: 42
Political party affiliation: Republican
Top issue: “The forms of energy we use now are tough on the environment.”

Audrey Haynes
Audrey Haynes
Hometown: Oregon
Age: 40
Political party affiliation: Usually Democratic
Top issue: “There’s too much divisiveness.”

Debbie Orput
Debbie Orput
Hometown: Rockford
Age: 53
Political party affiliation: Democrat
Top issue: “Health care is no longer an issue, but a crisis. Middle America is finding it increasingly difficult to care for ourselves. It appears that health-care insurance companies are more concerned with finding ways to deny medical claims.”