Triad Today

Not long ago I found myself needing to get in touch with the campaign director for a United States senator who was running for president. Rather than go through various state, local, and national party headquarters and spending 20 minutes on the phone being put on hold and transferred from one person to another, I chose to call the senator’s office in Washington DC. I identified myself to the senator’s media relations person and asked, “I’m trying to get in touch with the senator’s campaign director. Can you give me his phone number?” “I’m sorry,” replied the staffer, “But we’re not allowed to give out any information regarding a political campaign.”

It seemed like a rather odd response given the benign nature of my question, so I called the offices of several other senators and congressmen who also happened to be running for president, just to see if my first encounter was a fluke. It wasn’t. Every D.C. staffer I spoke with gave the exact same reply.

I suppose I should be grateful that our elected officials adhere to such a high standard when it comes to the separation of politics and serving the public interest, except that everything they do is about politics, and everything about their adherence to that standard is hypocritical. Take for example, the so-called Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Prior to the start of that trial, all 100 senators had to stand and swear an oath that they, as jurors, would be impartial. They then walked to the well of the chamber and signed their names to a document which memorialized the oath they had just sworn to. The problem is that nearly every one of those senators had previously gone on record as having either supported or opposed removing the President from office. That means those senators deliberately lied and violated the oath they swore to. Those who had previously announced how they intended to vote on impeachment, should have been immediately recused from serving as jurors. But, as we well know, there are two different standards of behavior in America. One for the 535 men and women who serve in Congress, and one for the rest of us. Imagine for a moment that you’ve been called for jury duty in a trial about domestic violence. During voir dire, you are asked your opinion of men who beat their wives, and you say, “They should all be executed.” In the real world, you would be admonished by the judge and excused from jury duty. Why? Because you have publicly admitted to a prejudice about the case. Not so with our highly moral senators. They all got to bring their prejudices into the impeachment trial, and no one was reprimanded or removed for their hypocrisy.

I guess we’re living in a new era where an elected official can’t be held accountable, or, to paraphrase attorney Alan Dershowitz, “the election of anyone is in the public interest.” Translation? You can do anything you want to do to get re-elected, because your victory is in the public interest. That convoluted theory played out successfully as the Senate voted to acquit the President even though he had withheld military aid to Ukraine unless that country’s president launched an investigation into Trump’s likely opponent in the 2020 election. They also gave Trump a pass on obstructing Congress, giving him and future presidents the right to quash subpoenas for witnesses and documents.

And so, nearly 100 senators, Republicans and Democrats alike, made up their minds before swearing an oath to be impartial, and now our system of checks and balances is broken, perhaps permanently. It’s all so sad and so hypocritical. But hey, we can at least take comfort in the fact that Senate staffers won’t give you the phone number to their campaign office, because that would be partisan, and we can’t have that, can we? It wouldn’t be in the public interest.

Ronald Reagan used to say that the difference between a recession and a depression is that a recession is when your neighbor loses his job, and a depression is when you lose yours. That analogy also applies when a global health crisis occurs. Back in January when Americans first heard about the Coronavirus outbreak in China, most of us wrote it off as just a “Chinese Flu”. It wasn’t real to us. It didn’t affect us. But then, when COVID-19 invaded the United States, and later caused our favorite events to be cancelled, we admitted it was a pandemic. Suddenly the virus was real to us, and was directly affecting our lives. No ACC tournament. No High Point Furniture Market. No Tanger or RiverRun, no school and no proms. Even churches started cancelling Sunday services. Perhaps it’s just human nature to only care about something when it lands in your back yard, but it’s also true that our fears and frustrations about the coronavirus have been exacerbated by mixed messages, mismanagement, and incompetence from a federal government that should have seen this coming, and should have been better prepared.

The previous administration was prepared. That’s because President Obama created a Pandemic Response Team under his National Security Council, a team which dealt effectively and proactively with the Ebola virus. But guess what? After taking office, Donald Trump dismantled the Pandemic Response Team, and has also proposed major funding cuts to the CDC. And so, instead of having a team in place to get out in front of COVID-19 back in early January, the Trump administration had to start from scratch. To make matters worse, there were unnecessary delays in responding to the crisis because we had a president at the helm who can’t seem to grasp facts or tell the truth. At first he said the coronavirus was “a hoax” perpetrated by the Democrats and the liberal media (Donald Jr. even chimed in by saying that Democrats wanted millions of people to die in order to deny his father a second term in office). Once Trump realized the virus was not a hoax, he announced that it had been contained (it hadn’t). Then he said it would die out in warm weather, and, “Like a miracle it will disappear.” Our commander-in-chief then advised anyone who had the virus to go on into work as per normal. Oh yes, and he assured us that everyone who needed to be tested could be tested, even though tests weren’t readily available. He also said that we would have a vaccine within a few months, even though experts said it would take more than a year to develop. And with typical Trump bluster he told us, “This virus will not have a chance against us.”

Beth Cameron, who once led Obama’s Pandemic Response Team, told CNN that if Trump hadn’t disbanded her group, our government would have gotten ahead of the coronavirus crisis early on. For example, we knew early in January that Wuhan China was the epicenter of a potential pandemic, and a response team already in place could have stopped all flights from China. Instead on January 15, a Washington state man arrived at the Seattle airport from Wuhan, and he became the first person to bring COVID-19 to our shores. From there we now have nearly 3,000 cases reported (including 23 here in North Carolina) and 60 deaths resulting. The obvious conclusion from which we can draw is that early, decisive action could have prevented the virus from getting here in the first place. Instead we are now trying to mitigate the spread of the virus with unprecedented closures and cancellations.

Trump isn’t responsible for creating COVID-19, but he is responsible for the delays that allowed infected individuals to enter our country. As such, voters will decide this fall if Trump’s handling of the crisis warrants his removal or renewal, but this is no time for political speculation. The main thing now is for everyone to exercise common sense. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, stay away from crowds, and stay home if you’re feeling sick. And if you want accurate information about the virus, including updates on testing, visit the special CDC website Coronavirus.gov. Stay vigilant, and one day, “like a miracle, the virus will disappear.”

Last week, Yes! Weekly paid tribute to “Wonder Women of the Triad”, of which there are many. In fact, our area is not only replete with female leaders of various businesses and organizations, but we also have a pretty good track record of electing women to public office. Greensboro has a female mayor, and several Triad counties regularly vote for women to represent them in the state legislature. We keep returning Virginia Foxx to Congress and, this fall, it’s likely we’ll send Kathy Manning to join her. Up until six years ago, Triad voters helped to elect back-to-back female United States senators, and in 2016, the Triad voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton. But surrounding counties and the rest of our state went for Trump, and that brings me to last week’s press conference by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, in which she suspended her campaign for president.

A few short months ago, Warren was considered a favorite for snagging the Democratic nomination. A few months prior to that, California Senator Kamala Harris enjoyed that same status, and for a while, the Democratic field included six women. And yet, just days after Super Tuesday (or as Joe Biden called it, “Super Thursday”), the Democratic party is left with two old white men, one of whom will face off against another old white man this fall.

Those of us in Guilford and Forsyth counties can feel proud that we keep an open mind when it comes to gender politics, but what the hell is wrong with the rest of our state? After all, women in North Carolina outnumber men by 4.8 million to 4.6 million, and 51% of voters are women. Meanwhile, North Carolina now ranks 7^th in the nation for number of businesses owned by women. Yet, political pundits blame sexism for why we never elect a woman president. My wife Pam says it’s not about sexist men, but rather, women who are prejudiced against their own gender. “Most women won’t vote for a woman,” she said. Perhaps that’s why Bernie Sanders is right when he allegedly told Warren that, “A woman cannot get elected president.”

Now, apparently, there is proof that Pam and Bernie are correct, because last week the United Nations released a global study that said 90% of women hold some form of bias against other women. Referred to as the Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI), the UN report found that over 50% of women believe that men make better political leaders. Pedro Conceicao, who heads up the UN’s Human Development office, told CNN, “…Gender gaps are obvious, particularly those that challenge power relations.”

Perhaps if Bernie can moderate his views and exude some modicum of warmth, or if Uncle Joe can get through the next few months without misidentifying the days of the week, then one of them will be the Democratic nominee, and he will defeat Trump this fall. If that happens, we’ll most assuredly have a female vice president who will stand a good chance of occupying the Oval Office four years from now. If so, then Elizabeth Warren will be vindicated in the pinky promise she made to thousands of daughters across the country. “I’m running for president,” she would tell them, “because that’s what girls do.” Maybe so, but only if those girls vote for other girls.

As I noted in last year’s “Wonder Women of the Triad” edition, I owe everything to the first two women I ever met. The first was Dr. Mary Griffith. In the 1950’s, Dr. Griffith supervised medical students at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, and was one of the first women to be named to the medical school faculty. She also brought me into the world, with help of course, from the very next Wonder Woman I was introduced to…my Mom, Charlotte. Of those two women, the former spanked me once, and the latter spanked me as needed. Born Martha Charlotte Lee Arnold, Mom graduated Gray High School in 1941 where she was a stand-out basketball player, and had a flair for creative writing. After marrying my Dad, Mom was a tireless volunteer for the cancer society, and long-time Sunday school teacher. Since meeting Mary and Mom in March of 1954, I have crossed paths with thousands of Wonder Women, many of whom I interviewed on my Triad Today television program. Here are just a few of those remarkable women that I met over the past year.

Kathy Manning, Rhonda Foxx, and Laura Pichardo comprised an elite group of Wonder Women who threw their hats into the ring to run for Congress in the newly formed 6^th district. Foxx, a Democrat, and Pichardo, a Republican, were underdogs in their respective primaries, yet they had the conviction of their beliefs and the courage to subject themselves to scrutiny, just for the opportunity to go to Washington and fight for the folks back home. Foxx, a former Congressional Chief of Staff, is passionate about reforming the criminal justice system and making it work equally for everyone. Pichardo, an accounts analyst and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, wants to reduce the federal deficit, and move the nation toward renewable energy. Unlike political newcomers Foxx and Pichardo, Manning has been to the Congressional rodeo once before when she tried to unseat Ted Budd two years ago. This time around, Kathy began her 2020 campaign as the odds-on-favorite to win the Democratic nomination. Yes, she had the money to buy lots of TV ads, but over the past 30 years, she has mainly spent her time and money in helping to bring jobs to the area and create school readiness programs for disadvantaged kids. Most recently she spearheaded the effort to build the new Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. If elected to Congress, Kathy will fight for all Americans to have access to healthcare, and the ability to buy prescription medicines without going broke in the process. Regardless of their political ambitions, the future is bright for Foxx, Manning, and Pichardo, and we are all better off for having them make their mark here in the Triad.

Sharon Joyner-Payne is Vice President of Corporate Communications for Inmar, and a tireless advocate for encouraging girls and young women to learn about and pursue a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. As a STEM mentor, Sharon is involved with Inmar’s all girl’s robotics team, oversees Inmar’s robotics summer camp for girls, and hosts an annual “Empowering Girls Day” in which area high school girls shadow women executives.

As president of the Winston-Salem based Action4Equity, Kellie Easton is an advocate for equal educational opportunities, especially for minorities and disadvantaged kids. In order to advance her cause, Kellie and her team work to identify areas for improvement in the public school system, then makes recommendations that can facilitate those improvements. Kellie also monitors civil rights violations in local schools and academies.

As executive director of Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, Lane Cook oversees programs and activities in a 40 county area, serving over 12,000 girls throughout Central and Western North Carolina, and enlisting the help of over 6,000 volunteers At a time when the beleaguered Boy Scouts of America have tried to shore up their numbers and improve public relations by recruiting girls into their fold, Cook has been steadfast in reminding parents that their daughters are best served by the empowering leadership skills they obtain through a girl-centric environment.

In the two and a half years since being named Winston-Salem Police Chief, Catrina Thompson has worked with residents, businesses, and local agencies to improve public safety, and strengthen relationships among and between various groups in the community. Before ascending to the top spot, Thompson served for 26 years in the department, including as assistant chief in charge of detectives and school resource officers. She now leads a department of 570 officers, 173 support staff, and oversees an annual budget of $ 75 million dollars.

For NFL fans outside of North Carolina, Kelly Proehl may be best known as the wife of Super Bowl champion receiver Ricky Proehl, but around the Triad she is increasingly becoming known for her work with the P.O.W.E.R. of Play Foundation, which she co-founded with her husband. Last summer Kelly presided over the opening of Guilford County’s first all-inclusive playground which will accommodate all kids including those with physical and mental disabilities.

Finally, a shout out to my favorite Wonder Woman, Pam Cook, my wife of sixteen years, who, as president of her own public relations firm, helps area non profits and others promote and advance their vital missions. I love and admire her dearly, even though she says that Dr. Griffith didn’t slap me hard enough 66 years ago.

Throughout much of our history, Triad area residents have been represented by at least two Congressmen. But now, thanks to various court rulings and legislative maneuverings, Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem will all fall into the newly formed 6^th District, as well as all of Guilford County and much of Forsyth. The new alignment favors a Democrat, so Republican incumbent Mark Walker declined to seek another term. As a result, two Republicans and five Democrats filed for the open seat, and they will seek their party’s nomination in the March 3rd primary.

While still a senior at Winston-Salem State University, Democrat Derwin Montgomery became the youngest person ever elected to Winston-Salem City Council, where he served three terms. He is now completing his first term representing the 72^nd district in the North Carolina House. Derwin is also director of Bethesda Center for the homeless in Forsyth County. Montgomery appeared on Triad Today this past weekend. Here are highlights of our conversation:

JL: Why are you running for Congress?

DM: I am in this race because with all we see happening in Washington, D.C., we’ve got to have a voice in the 6^th district fighting for everyday folks. That’s who I am, that’s who I have been. And once you get to Washington, if you don’t have an understanding of everyday people before you go there, you’re not going to learn it when you get there.

JL: Once elected, what will be your priority issues?

DM: Folks are very concerned about healthcare, and I’m one who supports us moving toward universal healthcare. I think the Affordable Care Act was a good step in the right direction, but the fact is, at the time, President Obama put universal healthcare on the table, but Democrats took it off the table because they couldn’t agree on moving forward.

JL: I understand that you’re a big proponent of universal Pre-K. Why?

DM: Yeah because the data is clear that we have to start earlier. One of my first jobs out of college was working in Head Start, and I saw first hand what happens when you invest in early education, and you prepare folks to move into the public school system. We’ve failed so may of our young people because we don’t provide universal Pre-K that prepares everyone on an equitable footing when they start off.

JL: The plight of the homeless is also important to you.

DM: The work I do every day is working with the homeless in our community, and it really shapes my political understanding, and how I approach policy, through the lens of equality and justice. I came across a veteran who was dishonorably discharged from the military for behavioral health issues which were never addressed. I engaged with a senior who had no family support and was solely dependent on his social security check, and because of that he lost everything. I have contact with families, like the mom and dad who work everyday , but because they are only making $7.25 an hour, they’ve been evicted from their home. They show up at our place with everything they own in black trash bags.

JL: Can you help correct those issues as a Congressman, or is it something that can only be addressed locally or at the State level?

DM: The fact is I love the work that I do, but it’s a band aid because we’re serving as an emergency service to help folks, and we don’t deal with the core structural issues, like insuring that we have pay equity for folks. $7.25 is not enough. We need to move the minim wage up to at least $15 an hour. We need to look at social security benefits for our seniors and insure that the system is stable. Those kinds of actions get taken up at the federal level.

JL: What is it about your background and experience that will make you an effective Congressman?

DM: I’m the only candidate who has served at both the local and State level. I understand how policy impacts folks on the ground, and how it impacts folks at the State level. I’m the only person in this race who has that experience.

For more information, visit DerwinMontgomery.com.

Throughout much of our history, Triad area residents have been represented by at least two Congressmen. But now, thanks to various court rulings and legislative maneuverings, Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem will all fall into the newly formed 6^th District, as well as all of Guilford County and much of Forsyth. The new alignment favors a Democrat, so Republican incumbent Mark Walker declined to seek another term. As a result, two Republicans and five Democrats filed for the open seat, and they will seek their party’s nomination in the March 3rd primary.

Democrat Kathy Manning is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Michigan Law School. She was a partner in a Greensboro law firm for fifteen years before starting her own business, and she has been a tireless community servant for the past 30 years, working on bringing jobs to the area, and school readiness programs for disadvantaged kids. Most recently she helped spearhead the effort to build the new Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. This is Kathy’s second run for Congress, having been defeated by Ted Budd two years ago in what was then the 13^th district. Manning appeared on Triad Today this past weekend. Here are highlights of our conversation:

JL: Why are you running for Congress?

KM: Well I took on a tough race in 2018 because I was so deeply worried about the future of this country, and I wish I could say all of the issues I was worried about, from healthcare, prescription drug prices, to the environment, to gun violence, to women’s reproductive rights, to jobs, and high quality education for all of our kids, I wish all of those things had been solved, but they haven’t. Things have actually gotten worse.

JL: Trump’s proposed budget contains cuts in Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and Food Stamps. Your thoughts?

KM: I think it’s ironic that he gave a State of the Union address that was so misleading, and made it seem like he was really good for the country, but his budget shows what he is really all about, and it’s going to be devastating for people all across this district, and all across the country.

JL: I know access to healthcare is a personal thing for you and your family. Does this mean you are in favor of Medicare for All?

KM: You’re right. This issue is personal to me because of the fight I had getting the medication that my daughter needed when she was diagnosed with a chronic illness. Everywhere I go and tell that story, I have people lining up to tell me about the struggles they have paying for their medication. I met a woman in Winston-Salem last week who told me she had just been diagnosed with an illness that required special medication. She’s on Medicare and yet this medication cost her $2,100 dollars a month. I see this problem day after day. We worked so hard to get the Affordable Care Act in place and it protects people like my daughter with pre-existing conditions. I think what we need to be doing is building on that, building on the ACA, and I think we need a robust public option. I would start by allowing people to buy into Medicare at a younger age.

JL: What is it about your background and experience that will make you an effective Congresswoman?

KM: I have lived in this district for more than 30 years. I’ve raised my children here. I have worked as an immigration attorney, and I’ve worked on all kinds of projects to make our community better. I have a proven track record of leadership and of being able to bring people together to get tough things done. Those are the leadership qualities I want to take to Washington, so that I can get things done for the people of this district.

For more information, visit KathyManningForNC.com.

Throughout much of our history, Triad area residents have been represented by at least two Congressmen. But now, thanks to various court rulings and legislative maneuverings, Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem will all fall into the newly formed 6^th District, as well as all of Guilford County and much of Forsyth. The new alignment favors a Democrat, so Republican incumbent Mark Walker declined to seek another term. As a result, two Republicans and five Democrats filed for the open seat, and they will seek their party’s nomination in the March 3rd primary. Two of the Democrats, Rhonda Foxx and Ed Hanes, appeared on Triad Today this past weekend, and what follows are highlights from our conversations.

Rhonda Foxx has a law degree from George Washington University. She served as Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Alma Adams, during which time she co-founded the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance. She also launched HBCU House, a platform that connects students to 21^st Century career opportunities. Ms. Foxx currently practices law in Greensboro.

JL: Why are you running for Congress?

RF: I am running because after working for six different women in federal politics, I can tell you that Congress, which we call the People’s House, doesn’t look like the people, and our everyday issues and communities are being left behind, and I think that’s a grave injustice.

JL: What issues and problems do you want to work on once elected?

RF: Number one, I think we have to get real about fixing our criminal justice system. It’s leaving way too many folks behind. I am also passionate about lowering the cost of education, and making that accessible for all. And I’m proud to be the only candidate who supports Medicare for All. We can no longer tolerate a system where one’s skin tone and zip code determines their outcomes.

JL: Since you mentioned criminal justice reform, how do you stand on decriminalizing marijuana when used in small amounts for recreational purposes?

RF: I am a champion for that. I have been through our broken criminal justice system. I have experienced it first-hand, and what it boils down to is we are processing more crimes than our system can handle. Our system was designed to make us safer, and (prosecuting) small amounts of marijuana is not making us safer.

JL: How about term limits? For or against?

RF: Against. It’s up to the people to issue their own term limits.

JL: What about your background and experience will make you an effective congresswoman?

RF: We have this district right now for two years. We need someone who can hit the ground running on day one who knows how to get to the Appropriations Room, knows how to get on key committees, and have the relationships. I have that.

Ed Hanes is a graduate of the UNC School of Law, and was a Fulbright Scholar. He represented Forsyth County in the NC State House for six years, then joined the law firm of Kilpatrick, Townsend, and Stockton. Ed is president of the Hanes Group.

JL: Why are you running for Congress?

EH: I’m a father, I have two little girls, and I thought about the life I wanted them to live growing up. I also saw the open district and thought it would be a good time to put my name back in the hat.

JL: Because of gerrymandering, a Democrat is now likely to win in the Sixth District, but what should be done about gerrymandering after this election?

EH: Gerrymandering is one of the evils of what happens when certain parties get in power, that’s going to be Democrats sometimes, and sometimes Republicans. We need fair districting, but remember this new district resulted from what the courts termed as intentional disenfranchisement of African American voters and Democrats in general. So we just need to move forward and be responsible.

JL: Once elected, what will be your priority issues?

EH: First of all, creating relationships across the aisle. Second, looking at social justice opportunities, and criminal justice reform. (In Raleigh) we were able to pass a wrongful expungement and exoneration bill, so that if you were exonerated for a crime, you won’t walk out with an arrest record. I also want to focus on education as we did in North Carolina, and assure that poor kids who score really high on their standardized tests are not subjugated to lower level math and science classes because of their socio-economic standing. That was happening here where more affluent kids with lower scores were taking the place of poor kids.

JL: What about your background and experience will make you an effective congressman?

EH: It’s my business background, it’s the background of working in a major law firm, having my own business, and understanding how to develop relationships. I have an ability to get things done, and I have proven that at the highest levels.

For more information, visit RhondaFoxx.com and EdHanesForUScongress.com.

Throughout much of our history, Triad area residents have been represented by at least two congressmen. But now, thanks to various court rulings and legislative maneuverings, Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem will all fall into the newly formed 6^th District, as well as all of Guilford County and much of Forsyth. The new alignment favors a Democrat, so Republican incumbent Mark Walker declined to seek another term. As a result, two Republicans and five Democrats filed for the open seat, and they will seek their party’s nomination in the March 3rd primary.

Democrat Bruce Davis is a native of High Point, a graduate of High Point University, and founder of Kid Appeal Learning Center. He served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps, and three terms on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners. This is Bruce’s second run for Congress. The first was in 2016, when he was defeated by Republican Ted Budd in what was then the 13^th District.  Bruce and his wife Angela have five children and one granddaughter. Davis appeared on Triad Today this past weekend. Here are highlights of our conversation:

JL: Why are you running for Congress?

BD: First of all, I’ve served as a county commissioner, and served on a number of boards in our community. And I’ve always wanted the opportunity to do more for more people as I work in the political arena.

JL: What are your priorities in terms of issues and problems that you’d want to address when elected?

BD: One of the main issues we’re faced with is affordable housing, which ties into poverty within our community. We have roughly a 15.7% poverty rate in the newly drawn 6^th Congressional District, and that equates to about 144,000 people who are making less than $24,000 a year for a family of four. We need to be lifting folks out of poverty through livable wages and finding greater opportunities for them.

JL: President Trump said recently that he would now consider cutting back on social security and Medicare . Any thoughts on that?

BD: It’s a Republican thought. Some of them want to shrink the size of government to the point that you can drown it in a bathtub. That’s the direction they’d like to go, but I think people who need help, deserve help.

JL: You’re a veteran and you’ve always been concerned about the care veterans receive.

BD: The other night I was standing outside of my Greensboro office, and a young lady came up to me and said, “Hey, I’m a veteran. Can you help me get something to eat?” She was also pregnant and homeless. And when you see people who have served the nation, some have given life and limb, and they’re out on the streets struggling, it pains me, it really does. We should be taking better care of our veterans.

JL: Are you for or against term limits?

BD: I don’t see a necessity for term limits by law. I think your constituents will decide when you need to move on, or when there’s a better choice available. But personally, I don’t believe in staying anywhere too long, which is why I only did three terms on the county commissioners.

JL: What is it about your background and experience that will make you an effective congressman?

BD: I’ve been able to work across party lines. With the Carolina Field of Honor, I had to work with Republicans and Democrats on the Guilford County board of commissioners, then I worked with the Forsyth board, and we were able to get the land to build the largest veterans memorial outside of Washington, D.C. There are other instances where I’ve been able to work with both sides. That’s what we need in Washington, not the fighting, but working together.

For more information, visit BruceForNC.com.

Throughout much of our history, Triad area residents have been represented by at least two different congressmen. But now, thanks to various court rulings and legislative maneuverings, Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem will all fall into the newly formed 6^th District, as will all of Guilford County and much of Forsyth. The new alignment favors a Democrat, so Republican incumbent Mark Walker declined to seek another term. As a result, two Republicans and five Democrats filed for the open seat, and they will seek their party’s nomination in the March 3^rd primary. The two Republicans, Laura Pichardo and Lee Haywood, appeared on this past weekend, and what follows are highlights from our conversations.

Laura Pichardo graduated UNCG with a degree in economics, then obtained her Masters in business administration from Winston-Salem State University. She is a global transaction services accounts payable analyst for Hanesbrands.

JL: Why are you running for Congress?

LP: I’m running to implement a debt reduction strategy. We currently have 23 trillion dollars of debt outstanding, and I want to target that as much as possible.

JL: What are some specific things you want to do to reduce our national debt?

LP: I’ll be looking to see where we are spending our funds, if they are the best option for us, and what is the most efficient way to expend those funds. For instance, with facility services, is there a way we can implement renewable energy so that solar panels can harness free electricity. I’ll also take a look at why we are spending so much on foreign aid.

JL: What other issues do you want to focus on?

LP: I want to make sure taxes don’t go up on anyone’s 401K, and I also want to protect social security. It’s estimated that social security funds will be depleted by around 2035, so it’s something we really need to work on.

JL: Are you for or against term limits?

LP: We should have them, but I also believe the Speaker of the House and the minority leader should be elected by the people after the general election, because it shouldn’t be the same person over and over again.

JL: What is it about your background or experience that would make you an effective Congresswoman?

LP: I’ve learned a lot from my fellow professionals at work. I’ve learned that we sometimes need to improve communications, and not let little things deter us from solving a bigger issue.

Lee Haywood owns a small business which sells industrial maintenance supplies to commercial and government accounts. He has also served as chairman of the North Carolina 6^th district Republican party for the past two and a half years.

JL: Why are you running for Congress?

LH: I’ve been behind the scenes for the past ten years helping other candidates and causes, and when my friend Mark Walker decided to bow out of this race, I decided it was my time.

JL: What are your priorities?

LH: I have four main priorities. One is the economy and specifically the debt. We’ve got to take care of our spending problem. The debt is at 23 trillion dollars now, and there doesn’t seem to be any urgency to bring it down. Second would be the immigration problem. I’m with Trump one hundred percent. I think we need to finish the wall and totally revamp our immigration policy. Third would be education. We need to get the Department of Education out of the state’s business, totally get rid of it, and turn that power back to the states to run their own education system. And fourth, we’ve got to protect our Second Amendment rights.

JL: Are you for or against term limits?

LH: I’m for them, and when I’m elected, I’ll serve two or three terms, and get out.

JL: What is it about your background or experience that would make you an effective Congressman?

LH: I’ve been in small business for 37 years and I’ve chaired the Party for the past two years, so I’ve had to work with other people to get things done. I believe that experience will help me in Congress. I take on hard tasks, I don’t sit back and just let things happen.

For more information, visit LauraPichardoForHouseOfReps.com and LeeHaywood.net.

To watch a lot of old cowboy movies, you’d think there were daily gunfights in the streets of every 19^th century western town. But the truth is by 1880, most local governments in the Old West made it illegal to carry a gun inside town limits. The thinking was that if no one was allowed to carry a gun, then no one would be killed by a gun. That philosophy saved lives and, as a bonus, attracted more people and businesses to the community. Somewhere along the way, however, America lost its collective mind and its moral compass. We’ve become gun-crazy, and today there are more guns than people in our country. Even the Wild West, which once became tame, is now wild again, with UCLA law professor Adam Winkler noting, “Today you’re allowed to carry a gun in the streets of Tombstone without a license or a permit. Back in the 1880s you weren’t.”

Conservative politicians now advocate for open carry laws so that we can all pack heat inside churches and grocery stores. In some states, it’s not unusual to see diner patrons wearing a cell phone on one side of their belt, and a holster on the other. President Trump has suggested that teachers arm themselves as a remedy to school massacres. And the latest harebrained craze sweeping the nation is for local governments to adopt so-called “Second Amendment Sanctuary” resolutions. Sadly, a growing number of counties here in the Piedmont are jumping on that bandwagon.

Last week, the Davidson Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to become a “Second Amendment Protection County”, something their counterparts in Cherokee, Lincoln, Rowan, Stokes, Surry, and Wilkes had already done. Now, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is considering a similar resolution. Why the sudden rush to re-affirm our right to bear arms? Probably because of misinformation surrounding the Virginia legislature’s recent consideration of eight different bills designed to tighten gun laws, among them: a mandatory background check on all gun sales; a ban on assault rifles; a law that would allow police to remove guns from the home of someone who is deemed to be a threat to themselves or others; and a limit on handgun purchases to one per month.

But none of those proposed bills threaten the Second Amendment, in fact, just the opposite. How can, for example, a state law that allows one person to buy twelve guns per year, be considered a threat to our right to bear arms? The problem is that those who are leading the charge on Second Amendment sanctuary measures don’t seem to care about facts or logic. Some don’t seem to realize that no local ordinance can supersede a state or federal law, while others have adopted a prematurely defiant stance of non-compliance.

What’s frightening, though, is the rhetoric emanating from some local officials. While the resolutions themselves have no teeth, an increasing number of sheriffs and commissioners have signaled that they would simply refuse to recognize or enforce any new gun control laws. The question is, why would any local law enforcement officer feel empowered enough to ignore the law of the land? Perhaps Davidson Sheriff Richie Simmons has the answer. According to a January 12 report in the Winston-Salem Journal, Simmons said he had been “appointed by God” in order to protect citizens’ rights. Meanwhile his deputy, Tripp Kester is apparently on board with that sentiment, saying the Second Amendment is “God given”. And then there’s Daniel Watson, a Davidson County teacher, who, during a recent meeting, warned commissioners that, “those in power will come for your Bibles next.”

News flash, there’s nothing in the state or federal constitutions that says God can appoint sheriffs. Moreover, God did not write the Second Amendment, and last time I checked, the right of eminent domain doesn’t extend to confiscating Bibles. So let’s stop invoking God’s name in order to justify passage of moot resolutions designed to grab headlines, when our time would be better spent lobbying for tougher gun laws designed to save lives.

According to President Trump, Iran’s terrorist General Qasem Soleimani was planning an “imminent” attack on the American embassy in Baghdad, so our commander-in-chief ordered a pre-emptive, missile strike assassination of the bad man. No doubt Soleimani had orchestrated numerous atrocities and deserved to be held accountable, perhaps even executed, but his murder didn’t happen in a vacuum, and innocent lives were lost as a result. Following the attack on Soleimani, Iran responded by firing missiles at a joint US/Iraqi military base. In the confusion, Iran also fired a Russian-made SA15 surface-to-air missile into the night skies which decimated Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752, killing all 176 people aboard, including two newlyweds returning from their honeymoon. Friends and loved ones of the victims are now left to mourn and wonder why the tragedy occurred. So are the rest of us.

Naturally Trump blames Obama for the conflict. He told a press gathering that the former president paid Iran billions of dollars to play nice, only to have that country turn around and buy missiles with our money. Not surprisingly, nothing Trump said is true. Obama merely unfroze Iranian assets as soon as we had assurances that Iran would curb its production of uranium. And since Trump lies all the time, we don’t know if an attack by Soleimani was truly “imminent”, or just in the works, or nonexistent. Even Trump supporters in the Senate like Mike Lee and Rand Paul are upset and confused by the President’s lack of transparency over matters that could still lead us into war. For example, if an attack on us was truly imminent, then assassinating Soleimani would not have stopped it, and if the attack was not imminent, then Trump had a constitutional obligation to brief Speaker Pelosi before taking military action. Trump also implied that Iran fired on our military base with no intention of killing anyone (they were “standing down,” he said), but he followed that statement by saying our early warning systems gave our troops time to get to cover. Those two statements seem a bit incongruous. Showing their disdain for the President’s executive overreach, mixed messages and lack of transparency, Democrats in Congress tweaked the War Powers Act last week as a reminder to Trump that he is not a dictator.

This is not the first time that a president has lied and abused his powers in order to “sell” his military strategy to the American public. It also isn’t the first time that such actions have led to collateral damage. Following the 9-11 attacks, George W. Bush told us that Saddam Hussein supported the attacks and was in possession of weapons of mass destruction. Nearly every member of Congress took Bush at his word, and authorized an invasion of Iraq. Later it was discovered that Bush had relied on faulty intel. In fact, Saddam had no WMDs, and Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9-11. Yet even after he learned the truth, Bush continued his attack, invasion, and subsequent occupation of Iraq. And what was the result of Bush’s unjustified war? Over one million innocent Iraqi men, women, and children were killed, the region was de-stabilized and primed for terrorists to gain a foothold, and America wasted over $2 trillion dollars which could have been used here at home to alleviate childhood hunger and provide medical care for the uninsured.

It’s bad enough that men like Bush and Trump obfuscate during a crisis, but when their knee-jerk reactions lead to the deaths of innocent civilians, that’s criminal, and they should be held accountable. Yes I know that Saddam was a tyrant who killed his own people, and yes I know that Iran had a hand in the recent death of an American contractor, but we expect our leaders to be informed and exercise some modicum of judgement before they pull the trigger, and that means having an understanding of, and appreciation for, the concepts of cause (unnecessary war) and effect (unnecessary casualties). Our current crisis may have abated for now, but it’s far from over. Just ask those who are in mourning.

In an effort to lessen the effects of the 2008 recession, the federal government infused $700 billion into the big banks, essentially buying up or insuring bad loans, and enabling those financial institutions to start lending to us little people, whose homes were either underwater or lost, thanks to sky-high balloon payments. It was a sweetheart deal for wealthy banking executives, first because of the federal bailout itself, and second, because no one policed their good faith agreement to lend money to those who needed it the most. If you were outraged by that blatant example of taxpayer-funded corporate welfare, get ready for 2020, and President Trump’s new spin on the Community Reinvestment Act.

The CRA was enacted in 1977 to make sure that banks lent money for homes and businesses in impoverished communities. In return, the banks would receive big tax breaks. Fair enough, however, several weeks ago, two agencies under the Trump administration (the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency) announced proposed changes to CRA which don’t pass the smell test. According to a report by Bloomberg’s Noah Buhayar and Jesse Hamilton, one of those changes allows banks to meet their CRA obligations to the poor if they simply finance improvements to athletic stadiums in a government designated “Opportunity Zone”.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden isn’t buying the stadium scam, saying, “There are no safeguards to ensure taxpayers are not simply subsidizing handouts for billionaires, with no benefit to the low income communities this program was supposed to help.” Wyden’s warning is, pardon the expression, right on the money. That’s because most of America’s most impoverished cities have one or more taxpayer-funded sports stadiums. M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore recently completed $120 million dollars worth of improvements. Meanwhile, taxpayers in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis paid for stadium renovations to the tune of $424 million, $600 million, and $678 million dollars respectively. It’s a great deal for billionaire team owners who get to hold onto their wealth and, at the same time, profit from improvements to their stadium. It gives a whole new meaning to the term “home field advantage”.

To be fair, the proposed CRA regulations also give tax breaks to banks who finance new factories, something which could, in fact, benefit poverty-stricken areas. But it’s a stretch to believe that renovating NFL stadiums will do anything to alleviate hunger or sub-standard housing. As Buhayar and Hamilton noted, the proposed credit for refinancing improvements calls into question, “whether banks can satisfy CRA obligations by funding, say, a 200-foot video screen.” One thing’s for sure, though. Poor people can’t even afford the price of admission to be able to sit in a renovated stadium and see that video screen. What they can see, however, is financial assistance bypassing them, and being offered freely to billionaires who don’t need it.

It’s the age-old irony that banks only lend money to people who already have money, i.e., the rich keep getting richer. But if Trump’s proposed changes to CRA are enacted, the real irony is that the banks themselves will get richer, in this case, from a tax program designed to help the poor. Instead of a credit, there should be a penalty for such behavior. In football, we call it “illegal procedure”.