NC Lieutenant Governor
Prepared by AAUW, Brevard, NC Branch
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NC Lieutenant Governor Prepared by AAUW, Brevard, NC Branch You may scroll down to begin viewing the
information provided by the candidates in this race,
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NC Lieutenant Governor Race,
2004
Information provided by Candidates
to AAUW, Brevard Branch
Candidates:
Democrat: Beverly
Eaves Perdue
Libertarian: Christopher
Cole
Republican: Jim
Snyder
NR, indicating No Response to a particular question, will appear until
a response is received.
….#, indicates that the response exceeded the 50 word limit.
What are your strongest qualifications for this position?
Perdue (D): I'm proud of my record of practical results. I led the effort to develop our state's prescription program for seniors and preventative health efforts. I'm proud to lead the state's efforts to protect our military bases. I support growing small businesses, strengthening our schools and working for clean air/water.
Cole (L): My theme is people rather than government, because I believe that individuals are qualified to run their own lives. I am a working -class guy who knows that government doesn't know how to run my life. I do.
Snyder (R):
NR
| Economy: The recent North Carolina Progress Board Report points out that in tough economic times, demands for state services increase, while state income declines. |
List three (3) steps you would recommend to meet these state budget challenges:
Perdue (D):
1. We need to continue the fiscal discipline that prevents state
spending from exceeding the state's revenues.
2. I support needed educational initiatives. We may need to
consider additional revenue sources such as a state lottery for key education
initiatives and to continue successful efforts to grow our economy and
new businesses.
Cole
(L):
1. Eliminate state education bureaucracy.
2. Eliminate corporate welfare ("economic incentives") which tax
small business for the profit of a few big-name corporations.
3. Shrink state government and the resulting tax load, making NC
more attractive to business and the taxes they pay.
Snyder (R):
1. Retrench state government—that
is reduce government spending to services which absolutely are necessary
and which cannot be performed by local governments.
2. Reduce taxes, beginning
with corporate taxes. All surrounding states have lesser business related
taxes than North Carolina.
3. Provide access to
capital. Allow small business to gain the ability . . . #
| Economy: North Carolina revenue is based on a system of taxes established in the 1930s. A shift in our economy from products which are taxed to services which are not taxed has greatly decreased sources of state revenue. Also sales tax revenue has declined with the rise of out-of-state and internet sales. |
Perdue (D): As we move down the road into the 21st century, my top priorities are--lower tax burden on working families and a structure that promotes economic growth. I favor consideration of strong fiscal discipline measures before considering any tax revenue changes.
Cole (L): Yes, but that isn't the problem. The state budget has doubled over the last ten years. Profligate spending has made the tax system obsolete. Control the spending and the taxes will take care of themselves.
Snyder (R):
Oppose
revising the North Carolina tax system. Recommend the application of a
fair, flat tax and fair use tax.
| Economy: Between 2000-2002 North Carolina's poverty rate grew to over 1.07 million people. (BTC Reports: October 2003. NC Budget and Tax Center) |
What types of legislation would you support to address the needs of the state's poor?
Perdue (D): The best antipoverty measures are good paying jobs and better educational opportunities. In addition to education and economic development efforts, I've advocated for a state earned income tax credit to lighten the tax burden on poor working families and job training through community colleges, placement assistance and affordable health care.
Cole (L): The burgeoning state bureaucracy, coupled with rising state and local taxes has damaged our competitiveness within the region. Businesses (and jobs) will move back into the state if we reduce those disincentives.
Snyder (R):
The
needs of the state poor, in large measure, will be improved by new industry
providing better and higher paying jobs. Again, providing access to capital
is important. Currently, there exist jobs of which many of our citizens
are not aware. Let’s do a better job in providing knowledge as . . . #
| Health: Health costs associated with Medicaid continue to consume more of the state budget |
How do you propose to deal with these costs as the number of people eligible for health care under Medicaid continues to increase?
Perdue (D): Having a background in healthcare, I've been successful developing our state's program to lower the cost of prescription drugs for low-income seniors. I believe we can work to reduce hospitalization costs for seniors. The national system is the problem; state can help in more effective administration of national programs.
Cole (L): Same thing: bloated state government has resulted in job loss, along with the losses of health insurance and self-reliance. We don't need more government programs, but rather fewer.
Snyder (R):
Our
current national health system is out of date and overburdened. We must
begin again with an entirely new system. There is no excuse why all of
our citizens cannot have quality healthcare. We must make available our
retired physicians and medical providers to assist those on Medicaid. In
my . . . #
| Environment: Environmental issues, particularly air quality, are of major concern in North Carolina . |
List three (3) steps you would recommend to address the air quality problem:
Perdue (D):
1. Continue to lead on legislation to strengthen clean air and water
measures, such as Clean Smokestacks.
2. Work to encourage agreements with surrounding states to follow
North Carolina's lead in air quality.
3. Continue to support research and incentives in new technologies
to support clean air and water.
Cole
(L):
1. 100% tax credit for installing updated pollution-control equipment.
2. Flexibility in equipment choice, to allow choice of best equipment
for local conditions.
3. End power-company monopolies, which remove competitive incentive
for improvement.
Snyder (R):
1. Require our federal
representative to provide pressure to the Ohio Valley congressmen and senators
whose regions are producing much of the bad air which arises within our
state.
2. Emphasize mass transit
options which can alleviate our vehicular exhaust.
3. Encourage our federal
representatives to join with representatives around the world in . . .
#
| Education: The
funding of education programs that are required by state and federal
governments is a major concern of educators at the local level. Local
school districts are often asked to carry out state or federal mandates
without additional funds to do so.
Do you support or oppose allocating more state funds to carry out mandates in the areas of: |
(D) |
(L) |
(R) |
| Special education |
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| Diabetes care plans |
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| Four-year educational plans for high school students |
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| Reporting and testing requirements |
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| Education: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is a significant federal initiative to improve public school education. However, it has been criticized for not providing sufficient funds to states to carry out its requirements. |
What is your opinion of this federal initiative?
Perdue (D): I believe NCLB could be a positive educational step if fully funded and if adjustments are made to address concerns from local educators. The Federal government must step up and completely fund this educational mandate.
Cole (L): It is unconstitutional. The Federal government has authority to exercise only enumerated powers, especially under the Tenth Amendment. Education is not one of those powers, so it is under the jurisdiction of state government.
Snyder (R): The Federal Department of Education which did not exist before 1979, requires state and local educational concerns to comply with their own standards. The bureaucracy consumes almost fifty percent of every educational dollar spent. The problem begins and ends in Washington. Congress must take control of the Federal Department of . . . #
Cole (L):
http://www.votecole.us/
Snyder (R): http://www.electjimsnyder.com