July 2001 - Raleigh, NC - Nearly 600 members of the NC Citizens for a Sound Economy (NCCSE) and their friends from across the state traveled to Raleigh recently for a barbecue luncheon and to send a message to the legislative branch of government that "We want less!" 

Activists wearing red, white, and blue T-shirts and waving paper fans to stay cool in the heat, handed out rulers, lapel pins, mouse pads, and literature with the NCCSE message printed on them.

CSE is asking for protection for teachers from frivolous lawsuits, no tax increases, no lottery, more individual choice in health care, and non-annexation rights for residents being involuntarily annexed by municipalities.

Joining the CSE in the trip were members of the Upper Catawba River Landowner Association (UCRLA) and Citizens for Change. 

McDowell County residents, who are members of UCRLA and are facing buffer zones around streams and rivers because of clean water legislation (HB 1160), carried red and white signs saying "Save your land; STOP BUFFERS." 

Buses carried residents from Buncombe, Haywood, McDowell, Yancey, and Mitchell Counties who were making the trip to Raleigh. Barbara Gillespie, a member of CSE and wife of State Rep. Mitch Gillespie (R-49th District) guided the group.

On the way to Raleigh the Tribune talked with several members of the group. 

Haywood County resident Clarissa Kuehn left Waynesville around 4:30 a.m. to join the trip. Kuehn made the journey because she wants "less government interference with more power to the people."

Bill Lack, a businessman from West Asheville, is concerned about taxes and buffers. Lack said he has lived across the south and believes "North Carolina has the highest taxes of anywhere I've lived, including property, income, and sales taxes, and yet the people have nothing to show for it." 

Lack points to Greenville, SC, and says that Asheville lost a Michelin Tire Plant to Greenville in the early '70s because of taxes. He claims Michelin, with seven plants, is now Greenville's largest employer. 

McDowell County Commissioner Andrew Webb and his son, Cameron, 11, also joined the caravan. Webb made it clear he was attending the event as a private citizen and was not representing the McDowell County Commissioners. He stated that he "agreed with the position of NCCSE on the agenda issues." He listed his opposition to the lottery as his primary concern. He believes the lottery "would have a negative impact on the community and the North Carolina family." He calls the lottery "legalized gambling" and believes the general public would oppose the lottery if they were better informed.

"Local tax dollars will be affected because impulse buying would decrease or stop in exchange for buying lottery tickets, which would reduce local city and county revenue," Webb told the [ITALIC] Tribune [ITALIC END]. When asked, Webb says he cannot sign a pledge not to increase taxes at the local level because of the "wrong way the state is doing business." He firmly said, "There needs to be a major change in attitude and approach in Raleigh in the way they do business and use tax dollars to needlessly increase the bureaucracy." Webb stated, "When serving as North Carolina Attorney General, Governor Easley miscalculated, and hopes this does not carry over into the Governor's office." Webb supports teachers being given the opportunity to teach, and being given the tools to deal in a fair and firm manner without the fear of civil liability. 

At the luncheon in Raleigh, State Rep. Leo Daughtry, Minority Leader (R-95th District) called for lower taxes and smaller government. When asked about the buffer issue, he told the [ITALIC] Tribune [ITALIC END] that he "would vote against McDowell County having buffers." He stated that it was "a local issue." He did not comment on whether or not he would vote against buffers statewide.

There was discussion concerning HB 1160, which provides the means by which the buffer zones can be established. State Sen. Robert A. Rucho (R-35th District) stated that he would vote to repeal HB 1160. State Rep. Michael Harrington (R-76th district) said "buffers go against our constitutional rights. We want clean water, but not the destruction of property rights."

State Rep. Wilma M. Sherrill (R-51st District), who attended the lunch and voted for HB 1160, said, "There is not a person or another member of the General Assembly that stands for personal property rights any stronger than I."

She stated, "One of the first bills I ever introduced after being elected was giving people the right of whether or not they wanted to be annexed. Should the proposed buffer rules become a permanent rule, I intend to fight hard to see it repealed. This is state government telling us what to do with what we have bought and paid for, and taking our property without just compensation."

State Rep. Mark Hilton (R-45th district) stated he is opposed to the attempts to buffer McDowell, and believes HB 1160 was wrong. Rep. Michael Decker (R-84th District) agreed that, "Bill 1160 did not provide for clean water and needs to be revisited." Rep. Jeff Barnhart (R-81st District) is also not satisfied with Bill 1160.

State Senator Cal Cunningham (D-23rd district) said that "Bill 1160 needs to be revisited or repealed. This would be taking away an awful lot of private property with little evidence that the water would be protected."

Rep. Daniel McComas (R-13th district) from the Cape Fear Basin said, "It's a land grab. I could talk to you all day but this is what it is a land grab."

Many people attending the event questioned members of the UCRLA about buffers. Jim Medlin of Wilmington attended the luncheon because of his "concerns about high taxes and forced annexation." He had heard a little about buffers, but wanted to know more, he said he resents government regulation. 

Hazel Silvers of Marion questions, "Why do so many people attending the rally still not know what the DWQ is doing with buffers?" She believes that "Local newspapers do not seem to be helping to inform citizens and the state does not want people to know because they know how mad people will be when they find out that their property is being stolen."

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Puckett called for people "to take control away from bureaucrats and to give it back to the local school." He serves on the board of a charter school. 

Jason Saine, NCCSE's Grassroots Manager for Western North Carolina, expressed his opposition to what he called "the land grab, especially in the mountains." 

Saine said, "Bill 1160 is an example of government run amuck." Saine says, "None of the legislators can tell us what they voted for. It's just that it sounded good because it was for clean water, so they voted yes. Our country is founded on property rights and Bill 1160 invades our country." Saine satirically encourages the General Assembly to "keep passing this kind of dumb stuff then maybe more of the people will wake up."

A highlight of the NCCSE event was the Pledge of Allegiance led by a group of children from the Thomason School from Charlotte. 

According to Lenoa Great Smith, founder of the private independent school, the institute is in its third year of operation and operates year round with an eclectic curriculum based on the state curriculum. They have seen a 64% growth rate in three years. They have a teacher-student ratio of 1 to 12. The school is located about five minutes from UNC-Charlotte. 

At the end of the day there was an ice cream social, followed by a presentation of awards. Former U.S Senator Lauch Faircloth helped present awards.

from Asheville Tribune, http://www.ashevilletribune.com/lessgovt.htm

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. [Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml]