By Joanie Morris

Salisbury Post

CONCORD — The 36th District of the N.C. Senate has a lot of names on the election ballot.

Incumbent Republican Fletcher Hartsell is seeking his 10th term but has one challenger Tuesday and will face a Democrat in the fall.

Hartsell believes regional partnerships may prove the key to many problems, especially rapid growth.

"We must ... plan well beyond the boundaries of each county and manage new growth while ensuring that we protect our quality of life," he said. As one of the fastest-growing states in the United States, North Carolina faces a unique challenge in the coming years. "It is imperative that we retain what is great about our state while enhancing everything else."

His challenger in Tuesday's primary is Thomas Hill, who doesn't think growth will be an issue much longer.

"With the devaluation of our currency and a looming recession, chances are rapid growth will not be such a problem in the future," Hill said.

The role of governments is to stop distorting the markets. "The only role of government is to enforce contracts and to protect against force and fraud," Hill said.

Hartsell and Hill agree on one issue, though. Both see great problems with the N.C. Department of Transportation. "We need to dismantle DOT and start over," Hartsell said. "It is broken." He favors local control of local roads and state control of state roads.

"We need to restructure the equity formula for DOT, reallocating gasoline tax revenue on a basis which more accurately couples revenue with those regions which generate the revenue," Hartsell said.

While reforming the road agency, Hill said he would "protect the Highway Trust Fund and encourage toll roads."

The two men differ most on tax incentives for businesses and the N.C. Research Campus.

Hill is "absolutely against" incentives. "Governments should treat every business equally," he said. "We should not be subsidizing billionaires and big corporations."

While he supports the N.C. Research Campus, Hill feels taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund the campus.

"I will encourage private, free-market investment in the campus," Hill said. "Taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund Mr. (David) Murdock's 'vision.' I would encourage Mr. Murdock to get off the government welfare dole."

Hartsell said he feels that state-sponsored tax incentives are an important part of economic development, including the Research Campus.

"The quality of our tomorrow will be determined by the decisions we make today," he said. "I want to be a part of the process of improving and enhancing my home communities for future generations to come."

Hill said he is running on the Republican ticket because he could not file as a Libertarian in the state, but his ideals are all Libertarian.

"I am running to restore our great republic from corporate fascism and greed," Hill said. "We should be protecting life, liberty and property, not big business and the wealthy elite."

Whoever wins the Republican primary on Tuesday will face the winner of the Democratic primary between Jim Johnson, a Concord attorney, and Mike Helms. Neither Johnson nor Helms was available for comment.

Contact Joanie Morris at 704-932-3336 or jmorris@kannapoliscitizen.com.

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