Moore right choice for Rockingham

By John Trump

Published: April 30, 2008

A visit by Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue to Eden on Sunday and a round of telephone interviews by state Treasurer Richard Moore provided an important reminder to Rockingham County voters.
It’s as if they were saying, “Hey, citizens, remember us? You know, the Democratic candidates for governor?”
All of America’s attention appears focused on the Democratic presidential primary, and our state’s late primary—at one time seemingly insignificant – will, along with Indiana, be a deciding factor in choosing a nominee.
Statewide, however, voters will be electing candidates for governor. Pat McCrory, Charlotte mayor; state Sen. Fred Smith; Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr; Bill Graham, an attorney; and farmer Elbie Powers make up the Republican field. Dennis Nielsen, an Air Force veteran, is also running on the Democratic ticket.
We’ll also be electing a U.S. senator, though Elizabeth Dole will be tough to unseat.
A keystone of Moore’s campaign is his economic stimulus plan, which includes raising the minimum wage a dollar, making it $8.25 in N.C. by 2009; freezing or cutting some property taxes for seniors; offering a free community college education for N.C. students; and updating the state’s infrastructure via a $1.5 billion transportation bond.
Moore told us his plan “draws on my experience. I’m the only candidate who has run a department of state government … and I’m very proud of my record.”
Residents are anxious, he said, and the slowing economy – “I, personally, don’t have any doubt we’re in a recession right now” – dominates talk at kitchen tables around the state.
He said the benefits of raising the minimum wage outweigh the negatives.
“Those old arguments,” he said, referring to detractors, “aren’t going to work in jobs that aren’t going to China or India,” i.e., jobs in assisted living facilities.
“I think people will be shocked that people can find this kind of relief for people for such as small price tag.”
Moore is a native of Granville County, which has experienced some of the same economic problems as Rockingham.
“Before my very eyes, I’ve watched the agricultural and textile life disappear,” he told us Tuesday.
“Go back 100 years,” he said. “Why did the economy of your area … grow? All across the border of Virginia and North Carolina, it’s rich with rivers.”
Before electricity, water powered the mills, he said.
“Fast forward 100 years ... Eden to Roanoke Rapids has been decimated. We have an abundance of water, and water is like gold in economic development. I don’t think we have a package around water, economic strategies around water.”
Moore said his proposals are focused on helping families, such as cutting taxes for small business and making better use of money from Golden LEAF money to fund higher education.
On Sunday, Perdue visited Arbor Ridge in Eden, saying she wants to make health care affordable for N.C. seniors and touted her record on education, including sponsoring legislation to raise teach salaries. Our reporter, Heather Smith, asked specific questions regarding Rockingham County and its economy, and she was referred to the candidate’s Web site. It says Perdue’s goal “is to make North Carolina the best educated and healthiest state in America. A former school teacher and health care professional, Bev’s unmatched level of personal and professional experience and accomplishments have demonstrated that she is the leader most prepared to keep our state moving forward.”
North Carolina has 5.8 million registered voters, a 13 percent increase over 2004, The Associated Press says. That includes 1.2 million unaffiliated or independent voters, and many of these people are expected to vote in the Democratic primary.
“We’re in unknown territory in North Carolina politics, David Kochman, a spokesman for Perdue, told the AP. “Just the idea of having a presidential election that matters at the same time is so foreign to the state.”
The AP reported that McCrory, according to a recent Braun Research Inc. poll, has a lead of more than 10 percentage points over the closest challenger. Moore has a slight lead over Perdue, according to the poll, but the margin is not large enough to reliably predict the outcome.
Perdue, of New Bern, did well for that town while a member of the General Assembly, but its demographic profile and economic profile greatly differs from that of Rockingham County.
Moore promises to be “laser-focused” on bringing jobs back to places such as Eden and Reidsville. We will see.
But as we head into Tuesday’s primary, we believe Moore is Rockingham County’s best choice for N.C. governor.