Candidates for state races focus on taxes

By Karissa Minn

kminn@salisburypost.comRepublican primary candidates for the N.C. General Assembly discussed everything from jobs and taxes to offshore drilling and health care at Wednesday's candidate forum.

The three candidates for Senate District 34 and the two candidates for House District 77 were asked questions separately but could respond to any of them.

All five answered a question posed to Senate candidates about how to address the high unemployment rates in Rowan and Davie counties.

Senate candidate John H. Ferguson, 71, mayor of Bermuda Run in Davie County, said state officials must work with the counties they represent to help locate businesses there.

"When people come into the state, we've got to let them know that Davie and Rowan County are located in a prime spot in this state," said Ferguson, who lives in Advance. "What we need is people in Raleigh that are willing to say, 'Companies, come here. Let us show you what this location is.' "

Senate candidate Robert Dale Stirewalt, 54, who retired from the N.C. National Guard, stressed the importance of low taxes to help citizens deal with unemployment.

"Last year, I worked for Henkel — formerly National Starch and Chemical Co. — and I was laid off for 10 weeks myself," said Stirewalt, a resident of China Grove. "I know what it's like to be unemployed. I know as good as anybody out here that we cannot stand any more taxes."

N.C. Sen. Andrew C. Brock, 35, a consultant with Brock Communications, said state tax rates must be lowered in order to attract businesses as well.

"North Carolina is the highest tax state in the Southeast when it comes to the corporate income tax," said Brock, who lives in Mocksville. "Right there, that's a sign on our door that says 'Do not enter, we're business-unfriendly.' We also have the highest personal income taxes in the Southeast."

House candidate Harry Warren, 59, a human resource specialist for Tar Heel Capital Corp., agreed that changing the tax code is important for job creation.

Warren, a Salisbury resident, also said North Carolina should more aggressively market itself as a location for tourism and retirement. This would increase jobs not only at tourist attractions but also at restaurants and hotels.

"Last year, tourism contributed $15.5 billion to our economy," Warren said. "It supported 187,000 jobs, and it brought in over $855 million in tax revenue."

House candidate Lauren Raper, 27, a history teacher at East Rowan High School, disagreed with Warren's idea. She said tourism mainly thrives in the state's beaches and mountains, and Rowan County needs to find suitable jobs for its skilled workforce.

Raper, a Spencer resident, said state officials need to tell companies why the counties they represent are good locations for business. Rowan County's assets include its roads, river and railroads.

"When you look at relocating your business, you don't say 'taxes, taxes, taxes,'" Raper said. "You say 'location, location, location.'"

The candidate forum was held at Catawba College and sponsored by the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce and the Salisbury Post.

Michael Bitzer, associate professor of political science and history at Catawba, served as moderator.

After the unemployment question, Senate candidates were asked about N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper's decision not to file suit to stop the enactment of the recently passed health care law.

Brock said he opposes the decision and the state should sue.

"I, along with other members of the Republican caucus, am working on legislation to have North Carolina citizens opt out of this package," Brock said. "I don't believe in socialized health care. I believe the best health care system in the world is what we have right now."

Ferguson agreed, saying the state should protest this "terrible" law.

"I fully believe something needed to be done with health care, but there is no possible way we can afford the health care plan that has been passed," he said. "We need to start looking at what we can afford as opposed to what we would like to have."

Stirewalt said the health care bill passed even when most Americans were against it.

"With Obama and the crew that's up there now, if they decide they want to do something, do you think it really matters what we think anyway?" he said.

The Senate candidates also were asked about their views on President Barack Obama's plans for offshore drilling off the North Carolina coast.

Brock said he has some problems with Obama's plan, but he has favored offshore drilling for several years. He said drilling is necessary for energy independence, and there are safeguards to protect the environment while drilling offshore.

Ferguson said he doesn't have a problem with offshore drilling, as long as it's safe and it doesn't cause problems for the economically beneficial fishing along the coast.

Warren also answered the question in support of drilling, saying nearly 7,000 jobs could be created. He also said there is an estimated 800,000 to 1 billion barrels of oil in the area opened by Obama, and the bulk is thought to be off the North Carolina coast.

The House candidates were asked if they would support a nonpartisan commission to redraw district lines after the 2010 Census count.

"To the extent that there's truly a nonpartisan entity, I would support that 100 percent," Warren said.

Raper also said she would support it.

"When you open up our books at school, and the definition for gerrymandering literally has the 12th District beside of it — along with a map — we have a problem," Raper said. "We need to redraw our districts according to not only the federal Constitution but also the North Carolina Constitution."

The House candidates also were asked how they would seek to balance next year's budget and what areas could potentially be cut.

Raper said state officials need to look through the budget line-by-line and cut wasteful projects.

Salaries of government officials should be examined as well, she said. Cuts must be made from the top to the bottom, she said, because cuts from the bottom result in a lack of basic services.

Warren said that while waste and special interest projects should be cut, that isn't the only way to reduce spending. He said the state should create a zero-based budget in which each expenditure would be justified.

Money also could be saved by consolidating state departments, Warren said.

Finally, a citizen-submitted question asked the House candidates how they proposed to improve public education in North Carolina.

Warren said that because not every student is college-bound, more attention needs to be paid to vocational and charter schools.

Raper said state funding needs to be focused on students and classroom teachers, not administration or curriculum facilitators.

Republican primary candidates for the Rowan County Board of Commissioners also spoke at Wednesday's forum.