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With Election Day 2008 less than a week away, we asked the
candidates on the ballot a list of questions based on the issues
our readers were concerned about. Here are the answers from
the candidates for the 93rd District of the N.C. House of Representatives.
Cullie Tarleton - Democrat
Candidate Statement:
I am running for reelection to the N.C. House to continue to
work for the citizens of Ashe and Watauga Counties and the citizens
of North Carolina. I am very proud of my first session and what
I was able to get accomplished for my district and the service
I provided and continue to provide to my constituents.
Constituent service is the number one priority of my Legislative
office. I was fortunate to get some excellent committee assignments
that enabled me to tackle a strong role in some of the accomplishments
of the 07 session, especially as it relates to education, which
is a priority for me.
Things like higher teacher pay, reduced classroom sizes and
a safe environment for all our children. I am on the Appropriations,
Education, Education Subcommittee on Universities, Agriculture,
Commerce, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Energy and Energy
Efficiency and Environmental and Natural Resources Committees.
I am very proud of our 07-08 budget. We spoke specifically to
several needs across our state that will benefit our workers,
the elderly, teachers, school children, etc. We still have a
lot of work to do in the Mental Health arena. I am not satisfied
with where we are in dealing with mental health. I am also not
satisfied with where we are with health care.
Looking to next term, I'm very concerned about the economy and
the impact its having on our working families. Grocery prices,
gas prices, heating oil, etc. are making it very difficult for
some of our citizens to make ends meet. I want to see what we
as a state can do to assist our working families.
I hope the citizens of my district will allow me to continue
to work for them in the N.C. House.
Dan Soucek - Republican
Candidate Statement:
I am really excited about running for this position. I am confident
my 20 years of service and leadership make me well suited to
be your representative. Who better to represent a community
than one of its regular citizens?
I live and work here. My children were born here and go to school
here. I live my everyday life the same as the vast majority
of the population. I am invested in this area. Its present and
future are important to me and my family.
I am here for the long term and would be honored to serve as
your representative in Raleigh for as long as you will have
me.
Jeff Cannon - Libertarian (Photo Unavailable)
Candidate Statement:
My name is Jeff Cannon, and I am the Libertarian candidate for
the NC House of Representatives seat for the district that includes
Ashe and Watauga counties. I am a happily married father of
two sons, ages 19 and nine. I live in West Jefferson, where
I hold down a full-time job as a computer programmer.
I want to help bring a fundamental change to the legislature
of this state. I want to help create a government in which the
two great pillars of Libertarian thought - freedom and individual
responsibility - become the primary guide for conducting the
business of the people.
The government of this state is wasteful, intrusive and arrogant.
It is chained to a massive bureaucracy that siphons off billions
of dollars from businesses and private citizens. Its courts
are clogged, its prisons are overcrowded, and its schools are
failing. And while the good folks in Raleigh experiment with
one program after another, the true economic potential of the
citizens of North Carolina waits to be tapped.
As your representative, I will do everything in my power to
reverse these trends, to return North Carolina to the kind of
state its founders envisioned.
I will fight to end wasteful state-run monopolies such as the
Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
And I will support measures that abolish state licensing requirements
that prevent thousands of our citizens from finding gainful
employment.
Raleigh's faith lies in bureaucrats, taxation and the status
quo. Even with the state budget drowning in red ink, we have
yet to hear a single voice calling for restraint and discipline.
Real solutions that will benefit real people are tossed aside
without so much as a thought.
To those of you that belong to either the Democrat or Republican
parties. Asking you to vote for a Libertarian is not a request
I make lightly. I was a Republican for years. In fact, most
of my family are active in Republican politics. So I know it
is difficult to move away from long-held traditions. But I also
know that the time has come to put aside the big money and special
interests that dominate both parties and return America to its
original ideals.
The United States did not become the most powerful country in
the world by clinging to the past. Its greatness did not come
from blindly following the party line. This November, let those
in power know that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
are still issues to be reckoned with. Vote Libertarian, and
let the revolution begin.
Questions
Q. The market in Ashe County, as well as the rest of the
district, is seeing some tough times with nearly 500 jobs lost
in Ashe this year alone. How will you work to improve this and
bring new industry to the district and, if possible, specifically
to the county?
Tarleton: I am constantly looking for new business opportunities
for Ashe and Watauga Counties. I work closely with the counties
economic development office, Dr. Pat Mitchell. I'm also looking
for ways to promote small businesses by providing tax credits
for them and working with our community college to retrain laid
off workers for other job opportunities. I'm also looking for
ways to protect jobs like keeping the Upper Mountain Research
Station open and create new jobs through economic development
by expanding our Ashe Airport. I have been a business friendly
member and actively serve on the House Business Caucus.
Soucek: Government should create an environment where
people can excel. We need to deal with the major obstacles the
government puts in place, such as high taxes, burdensome and
unnecessary regulations, and failing to adequately address healthcare
needs for employers and employees. This is the best and healthiest
way to create a long term, sustainable job market.
Cannon: If elected, there are 2 bills I would propose
ASAP. First, get rid of the minimum wage. This alone has cost
and is costing the area many jobs. Second, take the slush fund
that is being used to bribe businesses to come here short term
and give a tax cut to the existing businesses in the state and
lower the overall state business tax rate. Now, that said, it
is not the responsibility of the state government to 'attract'
businesses to any particular area. That is part of what has
gotten us in this economic mess to begin with. Attracting businesses
to a particular county is the responsibility of that county
government. That's why we have the Ashe County Economic Development
Commission. Now, I would be more than glad to work closely with
them and help them in any way I could by removing any governmental
regulations that are unnecessary and impede them from helping
the people in their area.
Q. The Christmas tree industry in Ashe County remains an
important part of the local economy, and many of the workers
are immigrants brought here through the H2A and H2B programs.
How do you propose to continue to bring in new workers legally
without hurting the recently tougher job market for local citizens?
Also, how should we deal with workers that are here illegally
and the businesses that employ them?
Tarleton: The tree industry in Ashe is a critical part
of our overall economy. Ashe County trees are shipped practically
all over the word. The programs you mention are federal programs
and should be continued but my hope is that local tree growers
will try first to hire local workers rather than legal immigrants.
Obviously, the work must be done so tree farmers will have to
do what they must in order to have the jobs covered. I'm concerned
about illegal immigrants and the folks who hire them. That's
why the congress must pass comprehensive immigration legislation.
This legislation should include a guest worker program that
allows workers to come in, perform the work and return to their
native country. We need to secure our borders and we need a
pathway for citizenship for those who have been here for years,
aren't going back and most of whom are law abiding, tax paying
people. Having said that, remember, we are a nation of laws
and those who break our laws should be deported.
Soucek: The federal government has failed to create a
workable immigration system. Clearly there is a need for labor,
and there is a labor pool to choose from, but we need to make
sure immigrants are law-abiding and tax-paying so that they
can contribute to the community with their labor and not be
an undue financial burden in areas such as health care and education.
Cannon: The H2A & H2B processes are relatively thorough
but have low allowances for the number of immigrants allowed
to participate. Both processes require employers to advertise
for local workers first, and only the positions that are not
filled by local workers are allowed to be farmed out to immigrant
workers. I could certainly speak to the folks in Washington
about increasing the number of workers allowed here by these
processes if necessary. Federal law provides fairly severe penalties
for hiring illegal immigrants, but if the people felt that more
was needed, I would certainly support whatever they wanted.
Q. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, forcing
local military personnel to make repeated trips overseas to
serve their third or fourth tours of duty. What ideas do you
plan to propose in Raleigh to work toward an end to this conflict
or at least give our soldiers a reprieve from repeated tours
of duty?
Tarleton: There's little we can do in Raleigh to end
the war. It has to be done at the federal level. Our brave men
and women of the National Guard are called by the federal government.
What we can do at the state level and are doing is to make sure
their families receive the support they need while their loved
ones serve. We can also make sure returning members receive
the services they need including counseling. I will introduce
legislation in 09 for additional Family Support Centers to serve
the families and returning members of our National Guard. Our
prayers go out to all our brave men and women in uniform.
Soucek: As a soldier, West Point graduate, and friend
to many members of the armed forces, I am keenly aware of the
immense sacrifices our military personnel make each day. The
United States is winning this war, and we need to take care
of our soldiers and their families as they take care of our
country. We can serve our soldiers with community support that
aids families of deployed soldiers and helps redeployed soldiers
adjust back to civilian life.
Cannon: First off, I would like to say that if the Libertarian
party had been in control of Congress, we would not be in Iraq
right now. Unfortunately the State of North Carolina did not
declare war against the terrorists, the United States of America
did. What that means is that about all state legislators can
do is pass resolutions calling on the federal government to
end the war and bring our men and women home. I would definitely
try to get all of the North Carolina federal representatives
together and let them know that the people of Ashe and Watauga
counties support ending the war and bringing our people home.
Citizens should be contacting their federal representatives
as well, telling them the same thing. Until the federal government
decides to end this war, there is little the individual states
can do.
Q. Despite progress in Iraq, many Americans still feel that
Islamic extremist still pose a serious threat to the safety
of the United States. In your opinion, what is the best way
to work towards peace with Islamic nations and dealing with
the violent groups and what can we do on the state level to
encourage this in our national leadership?
Tarleton: It is the Islamic extremist and not all Muslims.
The extremist must be dealt with head on. We cannot allow some
of the extremist nations to develop nuclear weapons and we must
at all times respond to any and all threats and actions by these
extremist nations. We should also make our federal elected officials
know how we feel.
Soucek: With years of personal experience working in
Pakistan, Indonesia and some of the most radical Islamic nations
in the world, no other candidate will have a better ability
to understand the immense challenges and come up with constructive
ways to move forward in this complex arena of moving towards
civility with these countries.
Cannon: The best solution to ending the threat of terrorism
is to bring our troops home. Not just from Iraq, but from all
of the 162 countries where American troops are stationed. That's
right, 162 countries. Sounds crazy, but it's true. We, as a
country, need to stop sticking our noses in every countries'
business and mind our own. Every day that we don't, we are creating
more terrorists. Now, with that said, only the federal government
can dictate foreign policy, so I would continue to contact my
congressional and senate representatives and tell them to bring
our soldiers home and stop meddling in other countries internal
affairs, just like all of us should who really want to end the
threat of terrorism.
Q. The prices of gasoline and energy is still taking a toll
on the citizens of the district. How do you propose that we
move away from our dependence on foreign oil? Also, what forms
of alternative energy do you feel are the most practical? Example:
Wind Energy in the mountains.
Tarleton: We have capped the gas tax to help our working
families. The US has 3% of the world's oil reserves but we use
25% of the world's supply so we can't drill our way out of the
shortages but we can and should drill where we can identify
rich reserves. Alternative energy sources including wind must
be part of the answer but we need to also understand that here
in the mountains we also have to protect what visitors come
to the mountains to see. Tourism and wind energy must co-exist
without either being a drag on the other. It'll take creative
minds but it can be done. Solar energy and more efficient cars
must also be promoted and developed.
Soucek: One problem is that North Carolina has one of
the highest gas taxes in the Southeast. It is nearly 100 percent
higher than South Carolina's gas tax. Merely capping it is not
the solution; we need to reduce it. We need to conduct responsible
exploration off our coast, which will bring new jobs, revenue
to our state, and reduced dependence on foreign oil. As for
alternative sources of energy, ASU has one of the leading research
centers for appropriate technologies for sustainable, alternative
energy sources. These sources are our best hope for the future.
Cannon: I would make sure to work closely with any companies
working on new energy solutions to make sure that any regulatory
restrictions impeding them from coming here are removed. I would
not support any one alternative, as this is not the government's
place. It is better determined by the economic marketplace,
letting the people pick what they want by buying it. Ethanol
is a good example of why government should not get involved.
After investing billions of dollars to promote ethanol production,
it was realized that it takes more energy to create ethanol
from corn than you get from burning the ethanol. Now the alternative
energy market is extremely weighted towards ethanol production,
while other, more efficient alternatives have been ignored and
it's all because the government decided to push a particular
alternative. Let the marketplace determine the next energy solution.
Q. Rising fuel prices are driving the costs of everything
up. That, compounded with rising taxes and stagnant cost of
living increases to most workers, it seems that the middle class
is becoming a thing of the past. What will you do to lessen
the divide between rich and poor and bolster the economic status
of hard working North Carolinians?
Tarleton: High prices are affecting most of us. That's
why we extended the Earned Income Tax Credit and capped the
gas tax. We cut taxes for some small businesses and will continue
to look for ways to promote, assist and help our small businesses.
We raised teacher salaries and the salaries of our state employees.
We must work together to keep our young people in school so
that they can compete in a knowledge based global economy. I
would support a tax cut for our middle class citizens both at
the federal and state levels.
Soucek: The keys to bolstering the status of our state's
hard workers are lowering taxes, responsibly spending our funds,
and placing minimal burdens to create an environment where people
can keep more of what they earn and thrive in their businesses.
The previous answer also addresses our petroleum based energy
needs.
Cannon: I would remove governmental regulations that are keeping
the people from working. Business licensing is a good example
of the government keeping people from being productive members
of society. Let private organizations related to particular
businesses do the certifying of people and let the people be
free to do what work they want and are good at. This will allow
many hard working North Carolinians the opportunity to increase
their economic status.
Q. What do you feel has been the biggest accomplishment
of your time in office, specifically in 2008? If re-elected
what will you focus on during your next term?
Tarleton: I feel I've had a good first term. For Ashe
County, I secured money for a new State Forest Headquarters
building. Something the county has been trying to get for our
tree farmers for years. I got money for Ashe Memorial Hospital.
Sen. Goss and I secured money for the Ashe County Airport. I
introduced legislation to prevent the Upper Mountain Research
Station from being closed and sold. I secured money for guardrails
and for road paving. I'm proud of what we have done for our
teachers and for education. Looking to the future, I expect
to continue to focus on the needs of the district, on the economy,
jobs, education, transportation, access to health care and mental
health.
Q. What do you feel has been the biggest failure of your
opponent's time in office, specifically in 2008? If elected,
what will you focus on during your Freshman term?
Soucek: Rep. Tarleton had a part in sinking North Carolina
into one billion dollars of debt this past year alone. He has
promoted greater spending and higher taxes.
Integrity in government is an issue that concerns the citizens
of the High Country and North Carolina. Getting the right things
done the right way, not by earmarks, or "pork," is
how we should fund the highest priorities. We need to fight
for our fair share of funds by using an efficient and equitable
system - not by relying on short-term solutions - but by counting
on long-term leadership that will fight for the High Country's
priorities with integrity and competence.
Jobs and the economy have to be on the top of the list. The
previous answers cover this in more detail.
Education needs to be a primary focus too, and our money needs
to be spent more appropriately and effectively on the right
priorities. We need to take good care of our teachers by equipping
them with the right tools in the classroom, as well as providing
them with adequate pay. Less bureaucratic involvement in our
education system will also boost its effectiveness and the production
of well-prepared future leaders.
Cannon: Of all of the things I consider failures by the incumbent,
the single greatest must be his vote in favor of the one BILLION
dollar loan to "balance" the state government's budget.
My number one priority, if elected, is to reduce the size and
scope of the state government in order to reduce taxes and stimulate
the state's economy.
Q. What is your opinion on your party's candidate for governor?
What do you think are his/her biggest strengths and what do
you see as his/her biggest challenges if elected/re-elected?
Tarleton: I strongly support Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue
for Governor. She is qualified by virtue of her years of experience
in state government. She holds a PhD in Education, she understands
the structure of state government and will hit the ground running.
Her major strengths are her leadership capabilities and her
vast experience in state government. Frankly, I think it's high
time we elected a woman governor of North Carolina. The great
news is we have such a candidate and she's very, very well qualified.
Soucek: Pat McCrory is clearly the candidate with the
greatest leadership ability, and this is critical. He has the
best ideas for North Carolina: low taxes and responsible spending.
He will work on reducing the substantial state debt we currently
carry. Leadership is his definite strength, and he will need
this attribute to challenge the broken, liberal system of governing
established in Raleigh.
Cannon: Duke Professor Mike Munger is a highly educated,
intelligent man. His vast experience in economics and political
science more than qualify him to be the Governor of North Carolina.
For the first time ever, the Duke Chronicle has endorsed a Libertarian
for Governor. It's unfortunate that, as usual, the media has
chosen to ignore all parties except the Republocrats and thus
do a great disservice to the citizens of the state by not letting
them hear ALL the candidates on the issues. Professor Munger
has solutions to the state's problems that will work, rather
than vague answers like the other candidates.
If Dr. Munger is elected, the greatest challenge he will face
is convincing the Republocrats that radical change is needed
to make North Carolina the great state it should be.
Please feel free to make any specific points you feel are
important, but were not mentioned in the above questions.
Tarleton: I have worked hard to be the people's voice
in Raleigh and feel that I've done a good job representing them.
I take the honor I have of serving the district very seriously.
Anyone who has contacted me for help can attest to the attention
they received. I would be honored to have the vote and support
of the citizens of Ashe once again and pledge to continue to
work hard for every citizen.
Cannon: I would like to address the issue of voting third
party. Many people have asked me why they should vote for me,
instead of a candidate with a chance of winning. To them, I
ask a question back. Do you really want things to change? The
republocrat duopoly has reigned for over 100 years, and all
it has given us is bigger government, more taxes and more corruption.
You always hear the 'lesser of two evils' argument, but since
when is voting for ANY evil a good thing? Most of you complain
about the hole we are in and then go out on election day and
get out your two party shovel and dig us ever deeper into the
same hole, perpetuating the heart of the problem: The two party
system. If you REALLY want to change the government, you are
going to have to change your vote. Until then, it will continue
to be the same one step forward, two steps back rut. If all
of you that really don't think either of my opponents has the
solutions voted for me, I WOULD have a chance of winning. All
I ask is this - Think before you vote.
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