Welcome to the Voter Guide NC Senate District 50 Prepared by AAUW, Brevard, NC  Branch You may scroll down to begin viewing the information provided by the candidates in this race, or select another race by clicking on one of the following:   US Senate  US House District 11   NC Governor   NC Lieutenant Governor   NC House District 113   NC Superintendent of Public Instruction   Go to beginning of the Voter Guide Top of page

Candidates:

Democrat: John J Snow, Jr
Libertarian:     Ben Lamm
Republican: Robert C ( Bob) Carpenter
 

      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?

Snow (D):   Twenty-seven years as District Judge, thousands of cases heard have enabled me to know what is important in the lives of individuals, children, families and businesses of WNC. Judges and legislators have similar duties—listening and solving problems. Sheila and I successfully raised four children—three teachers in immediate family.

Lamm (L):  I have worked as an employer and employee in North Carolina. My initial degree from UNC-CH was in political science. North Carolina has always been my home.

Carpenter (R):  My experience and years in the Senate plus an economic background in vocations.
 
 

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:

Snow (D):
     1.  Cutting waste
     2. Looking for efficiencies
     3. Prioritizing needs

Lamm (L):
    1. Lower business taxes across the board so that the state can be more competetive in securing employers of our people.
    2. Repeal the sales tax increase that was a “temporary tax” to cover last period’s shortfall.
    3. Trim back or eliminate non-essential programs and privatize where reasonable.

Carpenter (R):
    1. Austerity
    2. Self-control (Exec Branch)
    3. Reduce taxes
 

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.

Do you favor or oppose revising the North Carolina tax system?

Snow (D):   We should examine our Budget and Tax System to ensure its fairness and effectiveness, consider what other states are doing and then position N. C. to grow and prosper under a fair tax system that meets our needs.

Lamm (L):  North Carolina’s people suffer from one of the highest business taxes in the region. This must change to give our people jobs. I favor a considerable revising of the N.C. tax system!

Carpenter (R):  No
 

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?
Snow (D):   -Support small and low wealth schools
-Support the “More at Four” initiative
-Restore funds cut in 2003 from home and community based services for seniors-also restore funds cut from development and operation of Senior Centers.
-Ensure CAP/DA programs remain a viable service for seniors.

Lamm (L):  The poor need jobs and training. I would work to emphasize this area. We should consider tax credits for donations to needy family and neighbors. This would also strengthen community support.

Carpenter (R):  We don’t need additional legislation. We need to activate existing edicts and more able bodied people from welfare and Medicaid rosters into the flow of the economy.
 

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?

Snow (D):   We need to make sure that the Medicaid program in N.C. is properly managed and administered. We can’t tolerate costly billing errors in Raleigh. We must insure that all Medicaid money is spent delivering health care to our citizens.

Lamm (L):  The medicaid program needs serious review. There needs to be incentives to get off the state treadmill and encourage responsible citizenship. I support drug reimportation to help drug cost and a drug formulary system.

Carpenter (R):  Catch the perpetrators of fraud. Over half the women having babies should not be eligible for Medicaid. Something fraud ridden in the system for sure.
 

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:

Snow (D):
     1.Provide incentives encouraging low emission vehicles and alternative fuel sources.
     2. Reduce toxic mercury pollution from power plants
     3. Raise the percentage of electric generation from renewable energy sources. Encourage utilities to allow customers to voluntarily turn on the Green Power Switch  www.greenpowerswitch.com

Lamm (L):
    1. Federal action for airborne pollutants across state lines.
    2. Tax incentives to reduce level of pollutants of existing industry.
    3. Alternate, non-polluting, sources of energy should receive tax relief.

Carpenter (R):
    1. We have already passed the Smokestack Bill
    2. We have current data from the TVA outlining their present action
    3. We need some way to control auto emissions and cars entering  from other states.
 
 

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:	Snow  (D)	Lamm (L)	Carpenter (R)
Special education	Support	Oppose	Oppose
Diabetes care plans	Support	Oppose	Support
Four-year educational plans for high school students	Support	Support	Oppose
Reporting and testing requirements	Support	Support	Oppose

NR = No Response
 

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?
Snow (D):   Every school child should be able to reach their full potential. We already have strong accountability under NC’s ABCs program. Sanction of transferring from failing schools is impossible in rural schools. We must work through our federal representatives to make appropriate changes in NCLB.

Lamm (L):  NCLB is a wonderful aim but the bar is set so high that achieving the mandated level will be impossible in about 3 years from now. We need to decide on realistic goals and not be set up to fail.

Carpenter (R):  It’s a good one. The resisters need to get off their gripes and go do the job!
 
 

Snow (D):  http://www.snowforsenate.com/

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