FRANKLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
101 WEST NASH STREET
P.O. BOX 909
LOUISBURG, NORTH CAROLINA 27549
(919) 496-1469
www.FranklinNCGOP.com

March 30, 2008



GOP Convention: Less Taxes, Controlling Spending and Illegal Immigration Hot Topics
Jeremy Neal: 'I will not flip flop back and forth. I am in it to win it.'

'Customer is you,' the taxpayers.
Gubernatorial candidate Sen. Fred Smith addresses Republicans at March 28 County Convention.
 

The Franklin County Republican Party had a slate of candidates from commissioner all the way to governor at their county convention held at the Hobgood Courthouse March 28.

County Commission candidate for District 1, Stephen Phillips, said lower taxes are needed to make the county more economically viable to attract jobs. He added that sponsorships could be used to help pay for school construction, and said that school administrators should be paid on performance to make them more accountable.

Candidate Jeremy Neal said his district, which is represented by Democrat Commissioner Robert Lee Swanson, has "been left out and forgotten," and he will meet his constituents on a regular basis. He said discussions need to be upfront for taxpayers and should not be held behind closed doors.

"I will not flip flop back and forth," Neal added. "I'm in it to win it."

At-large commission candidate Ken Gregorius said the Democratic commissioners took a tax-paid junket to Washington, D.C. He said he will not take tax-paid trips but instead focus on gang violence which needs a "crack down" in the county.

Chairman John Edwards noted that all of the Republican commissioner and legislative candidates have pledged to not accept or take tax-paid grant money for their personal use. He said it was "Day 19" that none of the Democratic candidates or officials have gone on record to pledge to not take any tax-paid grant money. He said the "Grant-Free Zone" signs, which are displayed by businesses and individuals not accepting any tax-paid grant money, are growing throughout the county.

First Vice Chairman Danny Pearce stood on a soapbox and urged everyone to rise up from their "cushions of apathy and fight!"

In a statement Pearce said the radical liberal groups "started years ago and has influenced many of our politicians and thus we have seen them make poor decisions which have caused us many problems such as taxation at every turn instead of physical responsibility."

"Senator Berger, what have you done for me?" asked Chuck Stires, who is challenging Democrat Doug Berger for the state's 7th District seat which includes Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren counties. Stires received about 40 percent of the vote against Berger in 2006 and says change is needed.

Taxes need to be reduced, Stires said, and Berger has allocated $48 million to widen Highway 401, but it stops in Wake County and does not go into Franklin County. Stires ridiculed Berger for having a grant-writing workshop on April 10. The tax-paid grants have already resulted in a Democratic commissioner receiving $50,000 for her restaurant, he said.

Keith Shearon, who is challenging state Rep. Lucy Allen (D-49, Franklin, Nash and Halifax counties), said spending needs to be controlled and education is very important. However, voter turnout is crucial in November because a vote for a Democrat is "for more taxes," he said.

Shearon said the middle class is a "cash cow" for the Democrats because the government does not benefit those who are in the 20 to 99 percent range who pay taxes.

Commissioner Don Lancaster, who has no opposition in November, encouraged more voter registration so that more Republicans will be elected to the board.

Commissioner Bob Winters said a Republican majority is needed, because his proposed zero percent tax increase last year was shot down on party lines. The Democrats, as usual, voted for another tax increase. Winters said spending must be done on a "fiscal responsible way," and he warned that Democrats are now talking about having counties pay for roads which has always been paid for by the state.

Joey Stansbury, speaking on behalf of lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Rep. Robert Pittenger, said he has raised over one-million dollars for his campaign and is an effective, conservative legislator. He said that while the state's budget has increased, the services have decreased.

Greg Dority says he is an advocate for the middle class and wants to enforce illegal immigration. Dority, candidate for lieutenant governor, said the state government is "burning up all of our money."

He said that he wants to give less incentives for illegals to stay here as they have become a burden on the taxpayers.

Kent Winstead, the GOP's 2006 candidate for sheriff, introduced Thomas Clifton who is a candidate for District Court judge. Winstead said it's important to elect Clifton May 6, because he is the only candidate from Franklin County which needs representation.

Clifton said he graduated from Bunn High School and worked his way through law school, including being the employee of the year at Pizza Hut. He started a law practice in Louisburg.

Chance Wilkinson, running for another judicial seat, said 90 percent of criminal clients come from broken homes.  He said illegals remain in our jails and need to be "kicked" out of the country. Wilkinson said very few prisoners work because they are not made to work. They should work 40 to 50 hours a week, he said.

Dan Mansell said his opponent, Democratic Rep. Bobby Etheridge, was rated 262 in Congress and that Franklin County is not even on Etheridge's list to get things done for us.

"Do-nothing Bob," as Mansell calls him, said Etheridge claimed he would do something about higher energy prices, higher health care costs and securing our jobs two years ago. Mansell said Etheridge has still done nothing about any of them now.

Young people, Mansell said, want solutions to these problems now. He added that Congress puts more importance on steroids and baseball. This is the wrong kind of representation, he said.

Gubernatorial candidate Sen. Fred Smith said the "customer is you," the taxpayers. He said taxpayers are sick and tired of the corruption in government. Smith said $22 billion has been sent to Raleigh for political power which has resulted in making us the highest taxed state in the Southeast.

We have gone from the "good roads state" to bad roads, and the system is broken when 401 can't be widened. He said $172 million should not have been transferred from the Highway Trust Fund which is supposed to be used to build roads.

Smith added that it's wrong that Jessica's Law can't be passed which would punish sex offenders and reduce their ability to re-offend. Jessica Lunsford, a young Florida girl, was raped and murdered by a previous sex offender.

He said that illegal aliens must be deported to reduce the burden on taxpayers and that state government is supposed to serve the people.

"I've been tested and ready to lead," Smith said, who employs over 600 people. However, he said that in order to win he will need votes from conservative Democrats and independents in November.

Resolutions adopted at the convention included illegal alien immigration, parental empowerment act, world government organizations and felony expungement.

Delegates and alternates were also elected for the 2nd District convention and state Republican Party convention.

Special thanks to Credentials Chairman Dianna Lee, Resolutions Chairman Steve Trubilla, Plan of Organization Chairman Danny Pearce, Secretary Opie Peaerce, and Nita Mahoney and others for providing refreshments.

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