Joe Wilson

for N.C. Senate District #27

Thanks for your support

My sincere heartfelt thanks to those that supported me. We had an uphill battle from the start, yet my campaign committee continued to believe and work countless hours in the heat, cold, rain and darkness until it was clear that it was over. I will never forget the selfless dedication to those who gave of their time and money to help me try to change the state for the betterment of our collective future. I can’t say enough about the determination of these people,  my gratitude is without bounds,  I will never forget you.

Congratulations to my opponent and his campaign for running a very successful race.  Don, good luck in the Senate,  as my new representative I expect a lot from you and hope you will keep the promises you made during the campaign. It’s now finally time for you to shine and become a leader. Don’t let us down.

A little wisdom from the past.More profound than ever

Just a little light hearted look at a very grim subject. We now face a time where a lot of these quotes ring more true than ever

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong
enough to take everything you have.
— Thomas Jefferson, Virginian Patriot 1743 -1826.

What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.
— Edward Langley, Artist 1928 -1995.

Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short
phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it
stops moving, subsidize it. — Ronald Reagan (1986)

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car
keys to teenage boys. — P. J. O’Rourke, Civil Libertarian.

Democracy mus t be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on
what to have for dinner. — James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the
support of Paul. — George Bernard Shaw.

Yes! Weakly endorses

I’m Joe Wilson and I am asking for your vote.

In a post at Ed Cone’s blog the issue of not endorsing only in the presidential race becomes the topic. In my race the claims the  weekly made about me are baseless smears and insulting.  Another “endorsement” of a candidate (my opponent) who is chronically without “leadership” and in addition “lacks vision” according to YW and the N&R.

Joe Wilson – voice for change

Wilson gets support in Senate 27 contest

News & Record Endorses Vaughan ?

The News and Record today sort of endorsed Don Vaughan among other Democrats.They did point to some of his strengths like…

being  an attorney with limited abilities: ” Vaughan claims more than 25 years of successful law practice as part of his advantage in experience. But in 2002, his application to be placed on indigent defense lists in Guilford County was disapproved by the Committee on Indigent Appointments. The decision was based on his ability” or lack thereof.

A weak leader: “  While Vaughan served on the City Council from 1991 to 2005, he seldom took a leadership role”.

The News and Record gave him another glowing endorsement in 2005

“News and record Monday Oct 31, 2005 “Vaughan, 53 who perennially runs well in the citywide at-large race, has lost his slight edge over Gatten as our third and final pick for an at-large seat because he continues to campaign more on platitudes than substance. Vaughan has been asked by News & Record reporters in each of the past two elections to provide hard evidence of his leadership. On both occasions, the seven-term incumbent and two-time mayor pro tem has produced none”.

When asked that question most recently, Vaughan said, “Let me get back to you on that.” We’re still waiting.

The Don Vaughan letters

It seems to me that 2 letters to the editor getting published in one day is pretty remarkable, If I didn’t know better I would suspect media bias.

The whole notion that Don Vaughan is a champion of education amuses me . He has said his solution is to raise teacher’s salary, while popular with teachers that has already  been done.

N.C. teacher’s just received a 8 % increase from the General Assembly in 2008. We already spend more on education per student than almost anywhere else in the country,  while being ranked among the lowest in quality of education. Don doesn’t think enough of the public school system to send his own child to  a public school.

I will work to improve parental involvement and require responsibility for our children’s education from everyone with a stake in it, which by the way is all of us. Any funding I approve of will have stated uses and quantifiable goals attached. Positive economic development without a respected system of education is not possible.

The 2009 Republican Senate Agenda

This document was released yesterday in Raleigh. I think it shows a commitment to better state government, I endorsed  the contents by signing it and pledging to support it when elected.

NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN SENATE – AN AGENDA FOR CHANGE

A New Direction for North Carolina

Republican candidates for the North Carolina Senate pledge that a Republican Majority in the North Carolina Senate will change state government by bringing the following legislation to the floor for an up or down vote during the 2009 Legislative Session:

1. Strengthen North Carolina’s economy and create jobs by reducing North Carolina’s highest in the Southeast Income Tax rates and adopt a budget free of earmarks, pork, and unnecessary spending

2. Legislation to reduce dependence on foreign oil supplies and create jobs by allowing natural gas and oil exploration on North Carolina’s Outer Continental Shelf with meaningful protections for our coastal environment

3. Legislation to Protect our Citizens

· Resume enforcement of the death penalty for first degree murderers

· Increase active sentences for gang related crimes

· Require collection of a DNA sample from every person charged with a felony

· Make murder of an unborn child a crime in North Carolina (Laci Peterson’s Law)

4. Legislation to Improve Public Education

· Increase funding for career, technical, and vocational education

· Require public schools to use national tests to evaluate student performance

· Create a merit-based pay program to reward highly qualified and effective teachers

· Lift the cap on public charter schools

· Keep North Carolina’s public universities and community colleges the best in the nation

5. Legislation to increase transparency in government and end Democrat corruption

· A Constitutional Amendment limiting the length of legislative sessions

· Term limits for the office of President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives

· Reform and restructure the Department of Transportation and Board of Transportation to return North Carolina to its position as the “Good Roads” state

· Implement Senate Rules to require open committee meetings

· Make all state expenditures and state contracts available on the State’s Internet Website

6. Legislation to Limit the Growth of State Government.

· Create more internal auditor positions in state agencies and increase the number of internal audits and performance-based audits

· End raids on Trust and Savings Funds, including the Highway Trust Fund

7. Meaningful medical malpractice reform with limits on non-economic damages

8. Legislation to end North Carolina’s status as a safe-haven for illegal immigrants

· Prohibit illegal immigrants from attending state-supported Universities and Community Colleges

· Stop issuing North Carolina driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants

· Stop welfare and entitlement benefits for illegal immigrants

9. A Constitutional Amendment to protect private property from condemnation solely for economic development

10. Legislation to reinstate the healthcare tax credit repealed by Democrats in 2002 and to expand the healthcare tax deduction for small business

A word from a fan…

This is a letter to the editor I take it in today’s N&R  in support of my opponent . I Placed my comment and I welcome yours..

Regarding your story, “Vaughn enjoys big funds lead against Wilson” (Oct. 7):

First, you misspelled Vaughan. Second, you say that his opponent “is under no illusion that the race for state Senate District 27 is a fair fight.” His opponent made the same charges during his unsuccessful City Council campaign last year.

This is the second time the News & Record has focused on fundraising in this race. Don Vaughan enjoys a broad base of support due to his demonstrated commitment to community service. Don has been active in Greensboro issues for more than 30 years, so it stands to reason that people know him and his record. They support him because they think he is the better candidate.

Don is supported by the Police Benevolent Association, the North Carolina Association of Educators, the North Carolina Forum for Research and Economic Education, and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

His opponent has been largely invisible until he ran for City Council.

We can’t afford to have a “beginner” take Kay Hagan’s place in the legislature. Just running for office doesn’t make you qualified to hold that office.

Brian T. Cook
Greensboro

My response as posted as follows:

Mr Cook with all due respect,”his opponent” didn’t make the claim then and I didn’t make it now, a professional that reports on NC state level politics for this newspaper did.

I do however factually contend that Mr Vaughan is encumbered by special interests outside the district. I also have documented proof that sending another Democrat and lobbyist to Raleigh is not what NC needs.If you look at the order of the ballot you will see that they are too busy working to assure mob rule forever in our elections to cut wasteful spending or help those that need it.
Democrats passed a law that says their party name will be at the top of the ballot forever in every race. That is not Democracy. Currently 17 members of th NC General Assembly have resigned, are serving prison sentences are under active investigation for corruption, this is not acceptable.

The priorities in Raleigh are so far from what they should be that they had to be berated and shamed into passing a tougher law on child molesters (Jessica’s law) in this past session. Then they did not have a problem bringing all of our legislators back in emergency session to vote on a boat trailer bill at a cost to the taxpayers of $50,000 dollars per day.

Mr.Vaughan’s party has become too powerful for the public good in N.C. and we do need some “beginners” to break the strangle hold that Democrats have on our state government for all of our sakes. Remember “beginners” Founded this country and they didn’t do too bad.

Sir, I would hope you would be as sick as I am of the criminal acts committed by our Democratic lawmakers under the guise of Democracy.

The Endorsements you point to are mostly from telephone solicitors based in other states .

The local teachers, policemen
and “community leaders” I have talked to would never endorse my opponent, in fact I have received calls to the contrary, Don Vaughan doesn’t even believe in public schools enough to send his own child to a public school. I have 2 children in public schools. It is very important to me personally that we change our position in N.C. on education. Did you know that we spend more per child than anywhere else in the country and are ranked near the bottom in quality of education? Perhaps you should look into these matters yourself not just repeat a candidate’s rhetoric.

Mr Cook,Thank you for caring enough to get involved in the process,but please do some fact checking on your future posts. Joe Wilson

legislating a win or the ABCs of N.C. politics

Hey, The ballot is biased toward Democratic candidates… In every race for every office the Dem Name appears at the top. Sound good?  you can stop reading now.  if not…read on.

Why? Because the ruling party thinks that is how it should be that’s why, don’t worry about it just vote. I have posted this one at every blog I could think of and I have told every reporter that called me. I have been telling people until I am tired of doing it, so I will make one last effort to call attention to a problem that affects everyone whether you a DEM or REP or UNA or LIB or Tory or Whig I don’t care, I really don’t. Please read this post and think really hard about what it means to us all.

If our system of electing candidates is biased or flawed we are all harmed because if you don’t trust the process then how can you be expected to trust the people elected using it. I personally feel that any group that holds itself out to be idealogically different from other groups should not have absolute power over everyone else. That very situation has been allowed to occur here in the old north state and I don’t think it’s good.

I speak of the fact that the NC general assembly in the sum total of it’s parts is controlled in every way by Democrats, the House, the Senate and the Governors mansion. So, mob rule is in effect in the NC general assembly, we need to correct that. I am asking you to change it by voting for me, I am an advocate for term limits so the seats will become open more often and we don’t have career politicians in office anymore from either party.

It also gives Republicans an excuse not to fight abuse of power through mass communications like this media as well as others,”what can we do the democrats control everything ?”

Elect me and you will see what can be done to bring issues like this to the light of day. Complete Democrat control over the General Assembly is a fact, and the reason I believe the following unscrupulous act was allowed to occur.

In 2001 a bill was drafted that was later ratified to become one of our state laws that dealt with the arrangement of ballots G.S.163-165.6(d) as it is known today, this general statute says … ” Nominees of political parties that reflect at least five percent (5%) of statewide voter registration, according to the most recent statistical report published by the State Board of Elections, in alphabetical order by party and in alphabetical order within the party. As we learned in N.C. public schools D comes before R every time in alphabetical order so this will place the Democrats at the top of the ballot in every race, forever, Not on my watch.

I have learned firsthand that being at the top of a ballot is an advantage, no doubt about it. It should occur on a fair basis of rotating position at the top. Dems this election REP next time and then we rotate again.

There it is, an unfair advantage ratified by the General Assembly. Do we need a better argument for not allowing one party to rule over us. Whomever you support, whatever you believe, you have to see the potential for corruption in this practice.

Before anyone else says to me “the Republicans would do the same if they were in power” I would like to point you to SB 313 drafted in 2007 by Republican Senate minority leader Phil Berger that orders the ballot be arranged in rotating fashion each election year . Just like we learned in kindergarten it’s nice to take turns. The time for this kind partisan rule has come and gone. We will have a new administration in the White House and in the Governor’s mansion in 22 days, And guess what, we still have to live our lives just like before.

So we damned well better learn to play well with others or face another meltdown because we were too busy playing politics and not letting he blame fall on those who deserve it regardless of party affiliation. They might not let us up so fast next time. Please tell someone about the ballot for all of our sakes.

P.S. really, I probably won’t stop talking about until it’s fixed, I know me, I’m just like that.

Vote Wilson for Senate