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Welcome to the Voter
Guide
Candidates:
NR - indicates "No Response" - the candidate chose not to
participate in this Voter Guide Candidates are listed alphabetically, by party |
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QUALIFICATIONS |
1. What are your strongest qualifications for this position?
| Thomas (D) | Guice (R) |
* 35 years in public education in Transylvania County |
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HEALTH The number of uninsured North Carolinians, now over 17%, is rising at a faster rate than in most of the US. Annual health expenditures in NC are also growing more rapidly than in the US as a whole. Twenty-one state legislatures considered proposals to expand health insurance coverage in 2007.
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2. What is your position on developing a state plan to assure health insurance coverage of all North Carolinians?
| Thomas (D) | Guice (R) |
I support the development of a state plan to assure access to health coverage for all North Carolinians. The coverage provided for the children of NC is a step in the right direction, but we must find the resources to do more. I believe that the federal government must do their fair share with financing and resources to help our state make this a reality. |
This is an important issue for all levels of government. It will require creative leaders to find a solution. My experience funding health insurance for County Employees has given me a glimpse at the magnitude of this challenge. Positive change can be made in this area by Federal and State Govt. partnering with private business owners. I will work to solve the problem.
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HEALTH CARE - MENTAL HEALTH By many accounts, mental health reforms begun in North Carolina in 2001 have been seriously flawed. Access to professional and crisis services, especially in rural areas, continues to be a significant problem. |
3. Describe the two most important steps that the legislature should take to assure access to mental health services in Western North Carolina
| Thomas (D) | Guice (R) |
First, the paper work and procedures must be clear and streamlined, so the needed services can be accessed in a professional and timely manner. Second, the state should provide the personnel and finances so that the decisions regarding access to professional health care and crisis services could be made at the local level by the health officials who understand the needs of their community. |
Quit talking about wanting to fix the mental health care system and provide the needed funding needed to provide the services that our citizens require. This issue is an issue that I deal with daily working with the Judicial system. There are hidden costs to our society for not adequately addressing this important problem. The solutions are out there, but they require adequate funding.
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ENVIRONMENT - WATER RESOURCES & DROUGHT
North Carolina suffered severe drought in 2002 and 2007, prompting
the governor to issue a conservation mandate. North Carolina’s growing population will continue to stress our water resources. The NC Conservation Network recommends that the state update and overhaul its water quantity laws for the 21st century, to assure that all water requirements such as healthy rivers, drinking supplies, recreation, agriculture, industry, and power generation are sustainable.
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4. Do you support updating North Carolina’s water quantity laws?
| Thomas (D) | Guice (R) |
Support |
Oppose |
5. Do you support the following specific proposals?
a. Mandate standards for water use efficiency.| Thomas (D) | Guice (R) |
Support |
Oppose |
b. Require local governments to ensure that water supplies and necessary infrastructure are adequate, even during drought, to meet demands of new development. .
| Thomas (D) | Guice (R) |
Support |
Oppose |
IMMIGRATION The federal government has the sole authority to govern immigration. However, state and local governments are mandated to provide services to undocumented immigrants, such as education, emergency health care, and law enforcement.
6 . How can the State Legislature help local communities deal with these and other consequences of current immigration practices?
| Thomas (D) | Guice (R) |
The State Legislature and local governments are caught in the middle of immigration practices that are unfair and inequitable for all concerned. The State Legislature needs to do more to secure federal and state funds to support immigration mandates made on local communities. |
The federal government may have the sole authority to govern immigration, but the system is not working. I think we must be looking for creative solutions to help solve this growing problem that are equitable and fair to all citizens. I will work to build an alliance with the Federal Government, law enforcement, the courts, and imigration to enforce existing laws.
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CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM Current financing of political campaigns contributes to voter apathy, raises questions about the role of special interests, requires that lawmakers spend much of their time on fund-raising, and discourages those without considerable financial resources from seeking public office. Several bills in the NC Legislature, endorsed by a wide range of organizations, call for voter owned elections. These bills would provide a competitive amount of campaign money from a public fund to candidates who meet strict guidelines. |
7. Do you support voter-owned elections legislation for the following offices? (Support/Oppose)
| Thomas (D) | Guice (R) | |
| State Legislature | Support |
Oppose |
| Governor | Support |
Oppose |
| Lt. Governor | Support |
Oppose |
| Council of State | Support |
Oppose |
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