Pancakes bring candidates out for community dialogue

NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Over 20 candidates in Districts 4 and 9 and their voters better understand each other after having met on Saturday morning.\n"The Candidate Breakfast" started at 7 a.m. at Brown County High School. The school's student newspaper, The Talon, sponsored the gathering. \n "I didn't expect this many candidates to show up," The Talon Editor-in-Chief Megan Gushwa said. "It's always a good thing."\nMike Sodrel, a Republican candidate for the House of Representatives talked about homeland security, the war against terrorism and a local tax condition. Sodrel is running in District 9, which includes IU.\n"The first thing mentioned in our Constitution is to provide for the common defense," Sodrel said in reguards to homeland security.\nSodrel said a decision for the United States to take military action against terrorist organizations must be made only after the most careful consideration. But he also said that the United States must act if necessary.\nSodrel did not say the specific timing about the possible U.S. military act against terrorism, as the Federal government owns the necessary information.\nRegarding the economy in Brown County, Sodrel said he has a significant task to undertake. \nBrown County State Park, the largest state park in Indiana, has 16,000 acres and a part of Yellowwood State Forest also lies in Brown County, according to the Brown County State Park Web site.\nLynda Sereno, Brown County Republican Chairman, said one economic problem in Brown County comes from lack of property tax. She said the natural soil accounts for one-third of the land in the county. She also said the lack of industry in the area hurts the local economy.\n"There's no tax base," Sereno said. "We need to look at revenue sources." \nBob Melton, County Chairman for the Democratic Party, said President Bush needs to listen more to the public's opinion.\n"The economy is a good example of that," Melton said. "He needs to get us back on our feet."\nMelton said he hopes the United States does not need to take military action against terrorism.\n"War is a drastic measure," he said. "They need to do a lot of communication with involved countries and people."\nLibertarian Al Cox represented his party Saturday. He is running for the U.S. House of Representatives from District 9.\nCox said the Libertarian Party has a unique stance on issues and supports the Constitution.\n"Free Speech is number one, and (the right to) keep and bear arms," Cox said. "Founding fathers gave us those rights in our Constitution."\nRegarding a recent change of constituency in South Central Indiana, Cox said the east two-thirds of Monroe County will be in District 9.\nVoters in the area met with candidates and enjoyed a warm family breakfast.\nJohn and Vicki Brummett visited the school with their sons, John and James, to talk with candidates. They had breakfast of pancake, sausage and coffee in the school's cafeteria.