N.C. GOP leaders map strategy to gain seats

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | By Meghan Cooke

mcooke@salisburypost.com

Stopping in Salisbury on Tuesday, the state GOP chairman and the N.C. House minority leader blasted the state budget and declared their intent to oust Democrats from their legislative seats.

Tom Fetzer, a former Raleigh mayor and recently-elected chairman of the N.C. Republican Party, and Paul Stam, a N.C. representative from Wake County, met with about 30 local supporters at Castaways on North Link Avenue.

Salisbury was the third stop in their "budget tour" across the state. They visited Burlington on Monday and Lexington on Tuesday afternoon.

Fetzer said the 76th District is being targeted as an area where Republicans hope to unseat a Democratic incumbent.

Fetzer described the GOP's plan to acquire eight Senate seats and 12 House seats currently held by Democrats in hopes of gaining a majority in the state legislature.

"We need to return the two-party, competitive system to North Carolina," Fetzer said.

Here, they are leveling their sights on Rep. Lorene Coates' seat.

"We're going to force her to defend it," Fetzer said, pointing to Coates' vote in favor of the budget.

The major talking point of their visit with local citizens was the state budget and the Democrat-supported tax increases.

Stam said Democrats often talk about a $4.5 billion gap in the state budget, but he presented numbers that he said show the gap is actually only $1 billion.

"By using that $4.5 billion figure, they're trying to frighten people," Stam said.

Rather than increase taxes, Stam said the General Assembly should have trimmed the budget by other means, such as terminating plans for a $25 million pier in Nags Head or expanding charter schools to allow the state to receive federal stimulus dollars designated for such schools.

Fetzer also expressed displeasure about cuts made to education.

"The state's number one priority is education," Fetzer said. "That was one of the places where there were significant cuts."

In a telephone interview, Coates said the General Assembly held the line on education but acknowledged cuts that were made.

"When over 80 percent of your budget is education and health care, you have to cut some," she said.

Although taxes were increased, cuts were made to 500 different items, she said. But even Coates admitted that the budget had some problems.

"Have we had a better budget?" she asked. "I think we have."

Stam also criticized recent General Assembly legislation that allows death penalty defendants to attempt to prove that race unfairly affected their sentence.

He said the wording of the Racial Justice Act, which was signed into law earlier this month, gives everyone on death row a claim to racial discrimination.

"It's not about race, and it's not about justice," Stam said. "It's about clogging the courts."

He noted Coates' support of the act.

"I thought Coates supported the death penalty for first degree murders," Stam said. "Apparently she doesn't."

Coates said that the law is about providing equal opportunities to the accused.

"I am for the death penalty," Coates said. "But we believe everybody ought to have a fair chance."

Among those attending the dinner were Tony Yon, chairman of the Rowan County Republican Party, and N.C. Rep. Fred Steen, a Republican representing Rowan County.

Chairman of the Rowan County Board of Commissioners Carl Ford was on hand to listen to Fetzer and Stam.

"Everybody says it could have been a lot worse," Ford said of the state budget. "To me, it was bad enough."

He noted that much of the state budget was based on federal stimulus money and said he wondered how the state would come up with the money next year.

Between discontent surrounding President Obama's plan for universal health care and Gov. Beverly Perdue's sinking approval rating, Fetzer said he is optimistic about Republicans' prospects in next year's election.

"This could be a tremendous watershed election," he said.

Fetzer said the budget and taxes will continue to be important issues for Republicans leading up to the election.

Speaking to the group, he rallied support for local Republicans seeking office.

"I want all of you to resolve to put Stam and Fred Steen into the majority."