Ted Kaplan Advocates Accessible Health Care To Local Democrats Sandra Hamm, James Williams-West Jefferson Chief of Police, Ted Kaplan-former State Senate President, Richard Blackburn-County Commissioner, Dale Baldwin-West Jefferson Mayor, Shirley Wallace-Register of Deeds, and Polly Jones. With flying snow and a surly wind blowing outside, former State Senate President Ted Kaplan spoke to an overflow audience of Ashe County Democrats Tuesday, Oct. 25th at Smokey Mountain Barbecue in West Jefferson. Taking insurance companies out of health care process would greatly reduce costs, said Kaplan, a Democratic from Forsyth County. He pointed out that 30 percent of health care cost comes from paper work incidental to medical care. He advocates giving employers a tax reduction for providing employee health care programs. Kaplan stated that his experience in state government led him to believe that health care delivery could be made more efficient and at less cost if much of the paper work were eliminated. Kaplan, exploring a potential campaign for Congress against Virginia Foxx in the Fifth District, said that he supported clean air and clean water. “I support clean water and clean air, we can not live without those things,” he explained. Kaplan also advocates a plan to exit the war in Iraq, saying we must have a way to get out. Kaplan stated that education was the key to creating jobs and fostering economic growth, saying that we need to be number one in education on the planet. He sees a good education as the best way to compete with other nations and keep jobs at home. Ted Kaplan grew up in Winston Salem. He attended schools in Forsyth County, graduating from Reynolds High School in Winston Salem. He attended Guilford College until he joined the US Navy in 1967. He served in Vietnam as a riverboat captain. After returning to Forsyth County, he was elected president of the local Young Democrats Club. He was elected to the North Carolina House in 1976, serving three terms. He was elected to the State Senate in 1984 where he served for 10 years, four of which were as majority leader. He is married to Deanna Frazier Kaplan and they have five children ages 6-16. All of whom attend public schools in Winston Salem. He serves as a trustee at the North Carolina School of the Arts and recently served on the board at Winston Salem State University. Kaplan is a director at Kaplan Early Learning Corp, a family owned business. Ashe Democratic Chair, Melba Jones, welcomed everyone and scheduled the next meeting for Dec. 6th which will be a joint November and December meeting. Jones invites all Democrats to attend the party’s monthly meetings at Smokey Mountain Barbecue on the fourth Tuesday of the month, except for November and December, at 7 p.m. For more information, call 846-9068.