Candidate Questionnaire: David Gantt, Chair of the Buncombe County Commission

Commissioner David Gantt is seeking our endorsement for chairman of the Buncombe County Commission. Below are his responses to our candidate questionnaire, with our questions in bold.

1. In what areas do you think Buncombe could be leading the rest of the country?

Buncombe County is already leading the rest of the country with Project Access, providing health care and health services to all residents of Buncombe County. We have created regulations concerning placement of cell phone towers that has become the model for the rest of the state. I made numerous successful amendments to the cell tower ordinance to toughen it up. We are the first mountain county to adopt a storm water ordinance. In education, the AB Tech Business Incubator is providing the groundwork for innovation and job creation. We need to continue our forward momentum through our Voluntary Land Conservancy Plan, water agreements that see into the future and have a regional approach, and the continuing development of wise growth policies. We SHOULD be leading the country in green job development and preservation of our mountain beauty, but we are behind in both of these areas.

2. What is your number one priority with regard to development and land use?

Continued work on protecting our steep slopes and ridge tops. I have worked hard my three (3) terms on the County Commission to enact laws that protect and preserve our mountains and open spaces. We have been moderately successful in passing the first storm water, erosion, and zoning laws in our history. We have also been able to enact a Blue Ridge Parkway overlay that protects over-development near that national treasure. I will continue to work on policies that benefit the residents of Buncombe County and not the developers who wish to construct thoughtlessly.

3. Growth projections for Buncombe are continually revised upward. Have previous approaches to development become obsolete? Would you support a temporary moratorium on development while the county works with municipal governments to prepare for these new projections?

Growth is indeed coming to Buncombe County. Many of these folks are coming here to retire but many more are coming to seek a quality of life offered in our mountains. We cannot and should not stop growth. The coming growth is going to strain our infrastructure and re-define how we think about our neighborhoods and our neighbors. In order to maintain a healthy economy and a healthy environment, we have to get in front of the wave and work on wise growth plans NOW. Dialogue is never outdated. Continued conversations throughout the county are important and necessary to wise growth. I support mandatory classes for developers on building in mountain topography, green building and wise building with voluntary compliance based on gained knowledge. I have also proposed a study of impact fees on developers to help finance some of the additional government costs new construction creates for taxpayers.

4. How can the county practice environmental stewardship and promote broad-based economic growth at the same time?

See my answer above. I don’t think environmentally sound practices and economic growth are inconsistent. I believe that the jobs created by “green” industry will eventually rival the number of traditional construction jobs. We have to work with our High Schools, UNCA, Warren Wilson College, and AB Tech to foster the green jobs and move out economy. We have to look at expanding affordable, green housing through partners like Mountain Housing Opportunities.

5. Many of our members want their local governments to lead the way in promoting energy independence and combatting global warming. In what ways should the county work towards these goals?

Energy independence is a goal we must work towards. Several County programs are in place through the landfill working with the methane gas, recycling, energy efficient cars in government fleet. More needs to be done on to promote individual responsibility toward energy usage and conservation and government incentives for alternate forms of energy such as wind and solar energies.

6. Do you see a role for the county in promoting energy efficiency in transportation and residential and business use?

Buncombe County should lead the way on energy efficiency. Many of our short term efforts will be basic, like replacing seventy (70) year old windows in the Buncombe County Courthouse. This is a small step towards a larger problem. We need to look at requiring LEED certification, green roofs, green building and incentives for companies and businesses who recycle go green. I would like to recognize and award best green practices in business and private homes.

7. The county government plays a central role in providing social services. Where has it been most successful? Where does it most need improvement?

Buncombe County has been enormously successful in providing healthcare to all residents. The welfare roles in Buncombe County have declined from a high of almost 7000 individuals to just 700 due to aggressive work and retraining programs and educational offerings. The County partners with Mountain Housing Opportunities, ABCCM, United Way, Eblen Charities to work on programs of workforce housing, fuel oil distribution, and daycare. We have to do better in creating a good supply of housing that working folks can afford.

8. Do you think that the current commission has carried out its work in a manner that is sufficiently transparent? If not, how would you change things?

I voted initially set up televising Commissioner meetings. I also led the fight to create Public Access Television before federal laws closed the window to this programming. Initially, I voted to suspend televising public comment since this time was filled with political campaigning and personal agendas that had little to do with the purpose of public comment- to hear public concerns and questions. With changes to the rules of presentation, I fully support televised commission meetings. The minutes of all meetings are posted on line and video is available through URTV.

9. Has the current commission made decisions that you strongly disagree with? If so, what will you do to remedy those decisions if you are elected?

I most strongly disagreed with the referendum on zoning. We do not have a referendum based government and I will not support motions that call for referendums. North Carolina government, including county, do not adopt the government by referendum guidelines that influence many states such as California. The buck stops with the elected officials. We are elected to make hard decisions and can be voted out if those decisions go against the will of the people. I will not bring up motions for vote without significant public comment.

10. Do you have a plan for how you will win this election? If so, could you briefly describe the elements of your plan?

I plan to make contact with as many voters as possible via speeches, internet, phone and letters. I am not optimistic that I can match my opponent’s $120,000 television budget, but I will do the best I can with the available resources. I will also loan my campaign $10,000 to $15,000.

11. Would you call yourself a political progressive? Why or why not?

Progressive. When I consider new laws, I always put the working men and women I represent in my law practice before other considerations. I believe we have a moral obligation to improve both economic and environmental conditions for our children and grandchildren who will follow us. We are stewards of these beautiful mountains. Once they are developed, we cannot “undevelop” them. I will continue to work hard to make sure developers and construction interests respect our natural resources.

Candidate Questionnaire: Susan Fisher, State House District 114

Susan Fisher is seeking our endorsement as she runs for reelection in state house district 114, which includes most of Asheville's western precincts and parts of Buncombe County outside the city limits. Below are her responses to our candidate questionnaire, with our questions in bold.

1. What are the three biggest challenges facing our state, and, briefly, how do you think we should address them?

Improving Education

We need to reduce the dropout rate and I am glad to be leading a part of the Speaker’s Initiative to address this issue. Money has been appropriated and we have convened some of the most knowledgeable people in education, higher education, business and industry to review what programs are working and what needs to be changed to keep students in school. My co-chair on the House Education committee and I conducted public hearings around the state to find out from students, parents, educators and others what they believe needs to happen in order to stem the dropout rate. That work will continue during the next biennium.

Expanding Access to Health Care

We need to improve the Mental Health System, increase Health Insurance Coverage for children, improve Minority Health outcomes and continue to study ways to provide Health Insurance to all of North Carolina’s residents. There are currently 4.1 million people in North Carolina without health insurance and we need to continue to put pressure on the pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies and medical community to assist us in addressing this issue. I am committed to this effort and co-sponsored legislation with Rep. Verla Insko to continue to examine ways to address this important issue.

Protecting the Environment

We have a good beginning to addressing the drought in North Carolina, but the effort needs to continue in terms of education our citizens and our industry leaders about ways to conserve and by providing incentives for using less of these valuable resources. We need to continue to provide opportunities to preserve open land and farmland for future generations, by continuing to provide funds to assist those who wish to keep their land in conservation for particular uses such as farming.

2. What has been your proudest accomplishment during your time in office?

One of my proudest accomplishments has been moving the Comprehensive Health Education bill further than anyone had been able to since the Abstinence Only legislation was passed in the 1990’s. This is a bill that I continue to work to move forward to passage since I believe that we must give our students the information they need to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections including HIV. The age group with the highest incidence of new HIV cases is between 14 and 21. We now know that teens are engaging in sexual activity in numbers just as high with abstinence only education and I believe our schools must be allowed to provide them with medically accurate and age appropriate education.

3. Do you have any differences with the House Democratic caucus and leadership? In what areas or issues would you seek to move your fellow Democrats in a different direction?

Yes. I have some differences. Although, in general, I believe that leadership under Speaker Joe Hackney has been a breath of fresh air compared to the previous speaker, there are areas where I believe that Democrats are not behaving like Democrats. For example, during the last biennium’s work on the bullying legislation, Rep. Rick Glazier and I worked very hard with the conference committee on this bill to bring agreement and ultimate passage of this important and timely legislation, but there were democrats who felt more allegiance to their conservative religious affiliation than to protection and safety of children. Another example is the recent boat towing legislation. This is one instance where I, and a few others of the “democratic wing” of the democrats in the House voted to sustain the governor’s veto. We were thinking more in terms of public safety concerns. However, the vote resulted in the veto being overturned. I will continue to voice my strong opinions and those of my progressive constituents on issues like these and my hope is that we grow into a legislative body that embraces more of a progressive philosophy.

4. What is your top priority for your next term?

Among my top priorities will of course be education, working with the Speaker to reduce the dropout. I hope to reintroduce the comprehensive health education bill (sex ed) in the House and to continue to grow in influence in the areas of education, health, women’s and children’s issues and the environment.

5. Do you consider yourself a progressive? Why?

Yes! One of the better definitions I have found of what it means to be progressive says that

“A progressive is: open minded, inclusive, compassionate, proactive and engaged in positive change, innovative, sustainable, optimistic, idealistic, for equality and justice, informed and conscious, evolving, and a leader challenging the status quo.”

Historically, progressives advocated for worker’s rights and social justice. We continue to do the same things today, but in a different backdrop within a multiplicity of generations and causes. What I am trying to do is continue the work of what has been referred to as the “democratic wing” of the Democratic Party by adhering and setting an example for others to be led to subscribe to the definition above.

Mr. Troxler and the GMO's

My recent post on pesticides and State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler's role in blocking protections for agricultural workers reminded me of another story about Steve Troxler from way back in 2005.

Here's the gist of it:

A bill likely will pass in the legislature this session that will stop local governments from banning genetically modified crops, as three California counties have done. The bill, requested by the Department of Agriculture [emphasis added], passed in the Senate on Friday, the last major hurdle to its success. The House, which passed the bill in May, must agree to a few changes to make it final. . .

Troxler said the Agriculture Department asked for the bill, which is similar to those being floated in several other states. It would give the state Board of Agriculture, which Troxler chairs, sole authority to outlaw plants. He said the push comes at the request of seed dealers, farmers and agribusiness companies that were concerned about what they saw in California and New England - where "genetically engineered free" movements have gained steam.

In a nutshell, what happened was that Monsanto and some other companies saw local governments (in California, Maine, and Vermont) banning GMO crops, and took action.

The bills are not a home grown initiative, but part of a nationwide agribusiness effort. Similar bills, containing identical language, have cropped up in at least nine other states as part of an orchestrated campaign by industry to prevent citizen initiatives . . .

“These bills represent a pledge of allegiance to Monsanto,” said Hope Shand, Research Director of ETC Group in Carrboro, “and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture was quick to take the pledge, followed by their friends in the General Assembly. But what’s good for Monsanto isn’t necessarily what’s best for local communities.”

North Carolina's organic farmers agreed with this assessment, with Tony Kleese of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association telling the Raleigh News and Observer:

allowing local governments to create zones where genetically engineered crops aren't allowed could protect organic crops from being contaminated by wind-blown pollen.

"Now, that right will be taken away . . . The more of these kind of laws that go into effect, the more the balance tips to genetically engineered crops."

In the end, the bill died in conference, perhaps because after the public outcry legislators were happy to give it a quiet death - or perhaps because the vague language of the bill, which cleverly managed to omit any mention of GMO's, meant that local communities couldn't take action against any invasive or noxious plant without a go-ahead from Steve Troxler.

So what's my point? I mean, besides the fact that Monsanto has already given Steve Troxler $1000 this cycle?

Well, two things: first, note the creative use of preemption - the process by which the state legislature tells cities and counties they simply can't regulate in a particular area. Democrats use this tool as well - Troxler's bill, after all, had Democratic sponsors in the House and Senate - and there's a payoff in having some laws and regulations uniform across the state.

But two of the most pernicious legacies of 1994 (when Republicans won control of the state house) involve preemption. School systems that want to use a sex-ed curriculum that moves beyond abstinence have to jump through a lot of hoops to prove that they're not offending anyone. And North Carolina's cities and counties are powerless to regulate guns according to the standards of their communities, thanks to Republicans who were taking their marching orders from the gun lobby.

Second, national issues aren't only addressed in D.C. In fact, had Monsanto gone to Congress and asked them to pre-empt the power of states to regulate GMO's (say by arguing that the transmission of pollen involved interstate commerce), you can bet that there would have been an outcry and probably a lot of bad press. So Monsanto turns to the state legislatures and to people in obscure offices like the Departments of Agriculture. If the bill passes, great - they can move on to the next state - if not, then nobody's going to notice or care all that much.

Using state governments to stay under the radar has, in fact, become a favorite tactic of corporate conservatives. Which, again, is another effect of the failure of media to cover state and local politics.

Endorsement process for local, state legislative, and statewide general election candidates

In January, our members voted to support local and statewide candidates who sought our help. We endorsed five great candidates in the primary, and now we're looking to endorse even more great candidates for the general election. So starting today, Asheville Democracy for America invites candidates running for office in Buncombe County, for the North Carolina state legislature, and for statewide offices to apply for our endorsement. The process will follow these steps:

1. DFA Asheville will not formally invite anyone to start the endorsement process. Instead, candidates must seek our endorsement, though individual members may encourage their preferred candidates to apply. Candidates seeking our endorsement should contact Doug Gibson as soon as possible.

2. All candidates seeking our endorsement must a) contact Doug Gibson by midnight on Monday, August 25, b) complete and return a brief questionnaire by midnight on Monday, September 1, and c) attend, or send a representative to, our September 9th meeting (meeting details to come). Due to the variety of offices under consideration, questionnaires will be tailored to each applicant, and will be sent via e-mail to candidates expressing interest.

3. We also encourage candidates to prepare a brief (2-3 minute) video appeal for those members who can't make the September meeting and wish to participate online. We ask candidates to make them available as YouTube videos (and send us a link) several days before September 9th so we can post them on our group blog.

4. A separate vote will be taken for each candidate seeking our endorsement. Only DFA-Link members who joined by August 25, 2008 will be able to vote. Members will be able to vote at the meeting and then via e-mail for a week afterward.

5. To receive our endorsement, a candidate must receive at least 3/5 of the total votes cast at the meeting and via e-mail.

What Local Elections?

When you see this picture, and then read this -

Two field workers who gave birth to deformed babies were illegally exposed to pesticides more than 20 times each while they picked tomatoes in Eastern North Carolina, N.C. Department of Agriculture data show.

A third worker, who spent most of her pregnancy working in Florida, was exposed four times during the less than six weeks she worked in North Carolina, the data show.

All worked for Ag-Mart, a Florida-based tomato grower, and they were illegally exposed to a host of chemicals as often as three times a week, the documents show. Three of the 15 chemicals are linked to birth defects in lab animals.

The agriculture records show that Herrera, whose boy was born in December 2004 with no arms and legs, started working in North Carolina in mid-April. During her first trimester, when a baby's limbs form, she was illegally exposed on 11 different days, the Agriculture Department data shows.

Then read this (about Governor Easley's task force on pesticide exposure) -

"Only one of the recommendations brought by farmworker advocates, a provision that would outlaw retaliation against workers who report workplace safety problems, was adopted by the Task Force."

"One Task Force member in particular, Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler, was extremely effective in preventing the Task Force from taking up several of the reform measures they discussed." [emphasis added]

It's hard to believe this -

In the month leading up to Election Day 2004, viewers of local news in 11 media markets saw nearly four and a half times more stories about the presidential campaign than they did stories about all other political races combined, a new Lear Center study has found.

Only one-third of all campaign stories focused on issues.

Ninety-two percent of the 4,333 regularly scheduled half-hour news broadcasts studied contained no stories at all about local candidate races, which include campaigns for the U.S. House, state senate or assembly, mayor or city council, law enforcement posts, judgeships, education-related offices and regional and county offices.

But I'm sure this year will be different, right?

(Cross-posted at Scrutiny Hooligans)

A month? Really?

It's hard to believe, but it has been a month since our last post. The primary season kept us very busy, and so it has taken a toll on producing new content. We'll be back very soon!

Candidate Questionnaire: Wayne Goodwin, candidate for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance

Assistant Commissioner of Insurance and former state representative Wayne Goodwin is seeking our endorsement in the Democratic primary for Commissioner of Insurance. Below are his answers to our candidate questionnaire, with our questions in bold.

For more about Wayne's campaign, visit his website.

1. Why are you running?

In short, I am running to continue the consumer advocacy that has been the hallmark of Insurance Commissioner Jim Long’s 24 years in this position.

When I learned on very short notice that Commissioner Long had chosen not to run for re-election after all, I decided that it was vital that someone with my background, qualifications, and personal philosophy sought to succeed him. (See my answer to Question 5, below.) Also, just as many others have expressed since February 29th (the date that Commissioner Long decided not to run), there are grave concerns that the insurance industry is salivating over the prospect of taking the post of Insurance Commissioner this election. In fact, the insurance industry has two candidates running against me in this race: First, the other Democrat is a long-time employee of and attorney for the health insurance industry (he’s now the President-elect of the Health Insurance Underwriters Association of NC), while the Republican is taking marching orders from a perennial opponent of Jim Long’s. I am running because of my being the only person presently able to fend off those two candidates and stand up for keeping the Insurance Commissioner’s post one that is principally about consumer protection. I’m running to keep it the Department of Insurance, and not make it the Department for Insurance.

As for specific goals, I have pledged the following to North Carolina citizens:

I pledge to keep forever focused on the dual commitment of a Commissioner of Insurance: recognizing the need for low, fair and reasonable insurance rates for consumers and businesses alike, and the necessity of a competitive insurance market in North Carolina;

I pledge to be an impartial and hard-working member of the Council of State, fully committed to the duties of Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal;

I pledge to continue giving firefighters and all first responders a stronger voice in State government;

I pledge to strongly support the mission of the Safe Kids program, promoting safety in the home, on the road, at school, and in the community at large;

I pledge to continue to support the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program’s (SHIIP) mission to provide Medicare education in all 100 counties; and,

I pledge to protect the public and businesses by fighting insurance fraud, and including cracking down on unlawful harassment by collection agencies (another group the Insurance Commissioner regulates) of folks harmed by the home mortgage insurance crisis, etc.

2. What are the three most significant ways you would use the office of Insurance Commissioner to improve the lives of the people of North Carolina?

• To always strive for low, reasonable and fair insurance rates – and keeping a strong check and balance on the regular attempts by the insurance industry to raise rates unnecessarily, an act by the insurance industry which hurts working families and average North Carolinians rather harshly in the pocketbook. This mission has a corollary: It also helps the consumer for the Insurance Commissioner to strive for a competitive insurance market in North Carolina. A competitive market gives consumers a choice, and that often translates into discounts on insurance rates. (By the way, in the last 2 years I have already helped beat back attempts by the insurance industry and a couple of legislators to strip the Insurance Commissioner of his authority to be a strong consumer advocate in regulation of insurance rates. As the only candidate who can continue to do so, it would certainly improve the lives of North Carolinians to fend off future attempts to weaken the office.) This goal affects the lives of every person in North Carolina.
  
  
• To promote further expansion and scope of the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) that is within the Department of Insurance. SHIIP relies on a small staff of State employees and 900+ volunteers across North Carolina, touching every county. As more and more Tar Heels must navigate the maze that is the federal government’s Medicare Part D, it is vital that SHIIP be there to provide expert guidance on how to choose the very best prescription drug plan for each senior citizen. This goal affects the lives of every senior citizen (and his or her adult children) in North Carolina.
  
  
• To advocate every day – as State Fire Marshal, a role the Insurance Commissioner also has – for ways to protect, promote, and sustain our volunteer fire departments and rescue/EMS services in the State. Work of the Insurance Commissioner ensures grant funds annually to most of the 1,500 departments; these grant funds help pay for costly rescue equipment and supplies. Because departments are rated according to their equipment and response times, etc., the continued provision of these grants from the Insurance Commissioner ensures both that the departments are rated well and – to the surprise of most people – a connection to keeping homeowners’ insurance rates low! (The insurance industry determines the homeowners’ insurance rates for a community based, in part, on the fire district within which a person lives.) This goal affects the lives of every person in North Carolina because every community relies upon first responders and public emergency services workers.

3. Why should voters in western North Carolina support your candidacy?

There are several reasons why voters in western NC should support my candidacy.

First, as Assistant Commissioner of Insurance over the last three years, I have supervised the Western Regional Office (WRO) of the Department of Insurance, located in Asheville. That means I had a direct role in the provision of services to approximately 31 counties in western NC. I am the only Insurance Commissioner candidate who has that credential.

Second, for many years – as Assistant Commissioner of Insurance, as Chairman of the Platform and Resolutions Committee of the NC Democratic Party, as State Representative in the North Carolina General Assembly, et al. – I have regularly worked with and spent time with voters in western North Carolina. I assure you that I am the only candidate who has visited every county in western North Carolina and do so regularly. Just recently I met with voters west of Murphy, North Carolina (yes, to the surprise of folks in eastern NC there is a small area actually west of Murphy) immediately adjacent to the NC-TN state line in Cherokee County. We need an Insurance Commissioner who, like me, recognizes and respects the fact that western NC extends well beyond Hickory and Asheville, and has a track record of working with western North Carolina leaders in solving problems. (I have done so as Assistant Insurance Commissioner and as a state legislator.)

Third, legislators and leading local officials in western North Carolina have endorsed my campaign for Insurance Commissioner. They include Sen. Martin Nesbitt, Rep. Bobby England, Register of Deeds Otto DeBruhl, et al. Those endorsements and relationships will prove vital to western NC if I am elected Insurance Commissioner because they will help me best represent you.

Fourth, though all three candidates for Insurance Commissioner originally hailed from a small town, I am the only candidate who still lives in a small town in rural North Carolina. (Go to www.waynegoodwin.org for details.) The other candidates live in Durham and Raleigh, respectively. With much of western NC considered rural in nature, I am the only candidate who best understands your concerns.

4. Often members of the council of state can exert their influence to pass legislation affecting their office or the areas they regulate. What legislation would you most like to see passed regarding insurance in this state? What would you like to see the Insurance Commissioner be able to do that he can't do now?

I would support legislation that makes health insurance more accessible and more affordable for North Carolinians. We’ve made some strides in the State already (most recently with our work on the High Risk Insurance Pool in 2006-2007), but we obviously need to do more.

As for doing something that he cannot do now, the Insurance Commissioner already has rather broad authority. I will need to continue my conversations with the citizens of North Carolina and with my current colleagues in the Department of Insurance to determine what new duties I would propose, if any.

5. What about your background and experience makes you qualified to be a candidate and to serve?

First of all, unlike anyone else in the race for Insurance Commissioner, I have already been a regulator of the insurance industry for North Carolina: I have served as Assistant Commissioner of Insurance for the State for the last 3 years. In that position I have held hearings, written administrative orders, handled complaints against both insurance companies and agents, and resolved a multitude of matters for consumers in most counties. Working alongside long-time Insurance Commissioner Jim Long – one of the strongest consumer advocates that Tar Heels have ever seen – I have learned firsthand what a regulator is to do.

My other duties as Assistant Insurance Commissioner have been to advise and counsel the Commissioner on legislative, political and administrative matters; draft legislation; consult with technical experts regarding insurance matters; negotiate agreements; manage 40% of the Department myself with approximately 125 of 405 Dept of Insurance employees reporting directly to me; and overseeing the Office of State Fire Marshal, the DOI Eastern Regional Office in New Bern, and the DOI Western Regional Office in Asheville.

Additional primary qualifications include: My eight years of elected service as State Representative, where I regularly worked on insurance-related legislation and stood up for consumers and a competitive insurance market; as well as my 13+ years working as an attorney in private practice representing individuals, working families, and small businesses who had been erroneously denied service or coverage by insurance companies. Furthermore, I also worked for a time as the Assistant General Counsel for the Department of Insurance. (Coincidentally, in that role several years ago I issued a seminal order against a client of one of my primary opponent.)

In sum, I am the only candidate in this race to have experience as an insurance regulator, and certainly the only one to have qualifications that are tempered by having served in State public office and in private legal practice. Unlike others in this race, I have not and do not work for the insurance industry but have a balanced view that more than anything will always defer to the public interest and the consumer.

6. Would you call yourself a progressive?

I call myself a progressive because of certain vibrant areas within my own personal political canon. Among them are: electoral reform, campaign finance reform, environmental conservation, pollution control, universal health care, social justice, affordable housing, a viable Social Security system, renewable energy, “smart growth” urban development, a living wage, safe workplaces, and pro-union policies. I also believe that there should be effective regulation of certain types of corporations, especially those that have almost a monopolistic stranglehold over citizens. My legislative record over eight years and the product of my chairing the Platform and Resolutions Committee of the NC Democratic Party strongly underscore my identification as a progressive.