Update from the Campaign Trail

Governor Perdue Steps Aside

As you know, Governor Bev Perdue recently declared that she will not seek a second term. This was a surprise to a lot of people, including myself.

So why is she stepping aside? It's hard to say, but I would speculate that there are a few reasons. Low approval numbers and weak reelection prospects are certainly part of the equation.

So what does all of this mean? Well, it solidifies the fact that Governor Perdue is not doing a good job. If she were doing a good job, she would certainly be running for reelection.

Other than that, not much has changed. Democrats are likely to nominate someone who will continue the flawed policies of the Perdue Administration. This means that Republicans will have to work hard to defeat whoever Democrats nominate to run in Perdue's place.

As far as Democratic gubernatorial candidates are concerned, there are two who have officially entered the race. They are Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton and NC Rep. Bill Faison.

Other potential Democratic candidates include Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, Congressman Brad Miller, Congressman Heath Shuler, former Congressman Bob Etheridge, and former State Treasurer Richard Moore. Erskine Bowles has also been mentioned as a potential candidate.

Pat McCrory Set to Officially Join NC Governor's Race

Republican Pat McCrory, the former Mayor of Charlotte, is going to officially enter the race for governor on Tuesday, January 31. He is likely to be the only well-known Republican in the race and he needs our support. He'll make an excellent governor and we need to work hard to help him get elected.

President John Tyler and his Grandchildren

It was recently brought to my attention that John Tyler, the 10th President of the United States, has grandchildren who are still living. This is an incredible story and I found it to be fascinating.

President Tyler, who was born in 1790, served as President of the United States from 1841 to 1845. While in his 60s, Tyler fathered a son by a wife who was 30 years his junior.

Their son, Lyon Tyler, was born in 1853 (before America fought the Civil War) and died in 1935. But in the 1920s, while he was in his 70s, Lyon father two sons by a wife who was more than 30 years his junior.

Lyon Tyler's two sons, Lyon Tyler Junior and Harrison Tyler are still living today. They are both in their 80s and they are the legitimate grandchildren of President John Tyler.

No Tax Increase

Last week Governor Bev Perdue proposed raising the state portion of our sales tax from 4.75 percent to 5.5 percent. This is clearly a bad idea because we do not need to be raising taxes in the middle of a weak economy.

Instead of rasing taxes on our citizens, we need to be focused on spending taxpayer dollars more wisely. We should also focus on making government smaller and more efficient.

In addition to being more frugal with taxpayer dollars, we should also work to lower taxes and to simplify the tax code. Doing this will create a better business environment, which will lead to job creation and more opportunity for our citizens.

Protecting taxpayer dollars will be one of my top priorities as a member of the NC House. I will oppose wasteful spending and apply a cost-benefit analysis to every decision. I will also work to lower tax rates so our citizens can keep more of their hard-earned money.

"Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery."
- President Calvin Coolidge