Ray Wardingley is the real deal. Ray is a Gentleman-Citizen who puts his own money where his mouth and heart is and he sticks his chin into the world of politics and community service.
Ray is a retired entertainer and actor. He is a disabled U.S. Air Force Veteran and faithful member of Scared Heart Parish in Chicago, IL.
Ray takes snotty dismissive shots about his vocation and his candidacies from ignorant columnists like Eric Zorn with great good humor. Zorn will hector anyone who has not the barrels of ink at his disposal - that must be and article of faith in the Columnists Code. Ray Wardingley, on the other hand, is a genuinely tough and kind-hearted man who never allows criticism from weakling get him down, much less give up. Ray is a real American Patriot and a Christian gentleman.
Raymond G. Wardingley was born in the heart of depression-era Chicago, one of twelve children in a working class family. Ray has spent his whole life living in the Chicago area (and unlike his opponent, has been involved in political activism for years) and knows this region like the back of his hand. Ray was raised with strong Christian values, and attended St. Patrick’s Grammar School on Chicago’s south side. He graduated from Mendel Catholic High School in the 1950s, when the school was new and Chicago was still growing like wildfire.
Chicago has watched industries, conventions and people flee the City.
Ray Wardingley is still here and actively engaged to make things better for all of his neighbors.
RAY WARDINGLEY SPEAKS ON THE ISSUES
EDUCATION: I support reducing class sizes for more learning opportunities I believe in teaching basic skills to students I am in favor of school vouchers, especially for Chicago students in failing public schools. We should look after our own first. I support using funds to grant more scholarships and grants to need based Illinois citizens, not giving education benefits to illegal aliens.
GOVERNMENT: I support cutting bureaucracy and waste, members of both parties in the General Assembly need to return to fiscal discipline. We must restore ethics and morality to politics, especially in Illinois. I oppose any pay increases for state legislators during this time of economic recession. I pledge to NEVER appoint my close relatives to high ranking government jobs. Government must stop being "Big Brother". Government exists to do what people cannot do for themselves, and has an obligation to protect life, liberty, and property in Illinois.
VETERANS: The state of Illinois ranks almost dead last in Veteran’s care. We must actively lobby the V.A. to be more proactive for Illinois. I support our Senators efforts on this issue and hope to work with them in a bipartisan way. The closing of Veteran's hospitals and the government denial of problems that have hurt veterans like Agent Orange is a national disgrace. Veterans should receive Comprehensive Disability Compensation for those with service connected injuries and will fight against any government agency to nullify or reduce earned benefits to veterans and their survivors, including but not limited to compensation, pensions, education, and health care. I strongly support equitable pay and benefits to our military personnel, and generous health, education, and other benefits to their dependants.
LABOR & WORKER'S RIGHTS: I come from a working class background and fully support the right of workers to organize and petition for a redress of their grievances. I support passing legislation to ensure the members of unions and fraternal orders are given what has been rightfully promised to them, such as the state university retirement pension system.
TAXES: The typical American pays more in taxes than is spent on food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. I oppose all income taxes increases. I support across-the-board tax relief, including a suspension of the state gas tax and a freeze on the Com Ed electric rates in Illinois. I believe our current state income tax system should be abolished, as is the case in many other states. I am perhaps the only Senate candidate willing to pledge NO new taxes and NO tax increases.
IMMIGRATION: I am a very strong supporter of LEGAL immigration. I oppose "racial profiling". I do Not support the state of Illinois granting ANY government benefits to those who are here illegally, including in-state tuition, driver's licenses, health care, and welfare. Illegal immigrants should not be given preferential treatment over those who come here legally and obey our laws. I do not support "earned amnesty" for people already here. They should be returned to their country of origin and made to reapply legally.
FAMILY VALUES: I am fully Pro-life with the following necessary exception: when necessary to prevent death of the mother. I support ADULT stem research but do not support taxpayer funding of embryonic stem research, which has proven to a red herring. I support enacting parental notification laws before a minor undergoes an abortion procedure, as in the case throughout all our neighboring states but not in Illinois. I support gay and lesbians being free from discrimination and having the right to work and live normal public lives free of harassment, but the unique status of marriage should be preserved for one man and one woman.
GUNS: The bill of rights, as well as the Illinois State Constitution, provide for a right to keep and bear arms. I support this. We do not need new gun laws; we need to enforce the laws already on the books. I would vote for conceal-carry laws for those who have undergone a mandatory background check and completed the necessary training classes on how to properly use a gun.
CONSTITUTION CONVENTION: I support a constitution convention. Of our last eight governors, half have been indicted. We have failed to make any meaningful changes at the ballot box during the last 30 years. There are many sweeping changes we could enact in a new constitution at once rather than try individual legislation. We need to hold our government accountable and have term limits, recall, direct initiative, stop abuse of powers, stop rampant nepotism in Cook County, require a balance budget, eliminate unnecessary departments, and many other reforms can be accomplished with a new state constitution. If a new constitution turns out to be worse than the existing one, voters have the option to vote it down. It's better to try something than do nothing at all about our current corrupt government.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: It has been eight years since our "temporary" moratorium on the death penalty was enacted and victims continue to wait for justice in Illinois. I support lifting the moratorium and enforcing the death penalty against heinous crimes. The death penalty is a serious matter, and should only used in extreme circumstances where we cannot afford the risk of keeping the perpetrator alive.
TERM LIMITS: I support term limits for all three branches of government in Illinois, and personally pledge to serve no more than two terms in office as your State Senator. I am not and will never be "career" politician. We need to replace the incumbent with citizen-legislators I also support term limits for leadership positions such as Illinois House Speaker.
On September 29th at Bourbon Street from 7-10 P.M. you can meet Ray and his wife Karen and speak with the neighbors, friends and voters who will be backing Ray Wardingly in his bid to unseat Rep. Bobby Rush in the 1st Congressional District.
Ray Wardingley will serve -that is something that far too many persons in public life forget.
Come on out to Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park -
115 Bourbon Street
3359 West 115th Street
Merrionette Park, Illinois 60803
708.388.8881
$25 -Donation Buffet Supper and Drinks
