Democrat Natasha Marcus answered a question at Thursday’s forum, while Republican opponent John Bradford listened. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)
Republican John Bradford is running against Democratic candidate Natasha Marcus for House Speaker Thom Tillis’ open seat in the Republican-controlled NC House.
In a debate at Cornelius Town Hall Thursday night, Marcus focused on the need for new leadership in Raleigh to counter what she called “extreme legislation” passed by the Republican majority. Bradford meanwhile emphasized the importance of creating a level playing field for businesses while holding the recipients of state funds accountable.
The opponents both said that they wanted to support small business, but argued heatedly over how to do so. Marcus, a Davidson resident and Democratic party organizer, said tax credits were vital to small businesses, and said that the Republican-led House had hurt businesses by lowered the corporate tax rate while removing the $50,000 small business credit.
Bradford, currently a Cornelius commissioner, argued that the government should focus on lowering taxes and regulatory requirements across the board in order to let businesses succeed by their own merits. He talked about “leveling the playing field” – a theme he returned to throughout the debate.
Bradford said that the Affordable Care Act was a classic example of government over-regulation, and he said the act should be repealed. “It’s making me rethink hiring people,” he said. “It’s another Obama-led policy of classic government overreach.”
Gov. Pat McCrory turned down the federally funded Medicaid expansion that the government requested states adopt as part of the ACA. Marcus said that Republican leadership had turned down the Medicaid expansion to score political points, instead of acting for the good of NC citizens.
Along with healthcare, infrastructure spending is a contentious topic in the NC House. The proposed toll lanes on I-77 especially have raised the hackles of residents concerned about exorbitant toll rates and congestion. Democrat candidates opposed the tolls across the board, while Republican candidates at Thursday’s debate either voiced open support of the lanes, or argued that the issue was out of their hands now that the contract has been signed.
Bradford said that although he had voiced concerns about toll lanes to McCrory, they were the only way for the government to get financing to widen I-77. “We have a $70 billion problem with $11 billion to solve it.”he said. “Is [the managed lanes system] a perfect solution? No. But it’s better than having nothing at all for 25 or 30 years.”
His comments were drowned out by heckling from the crowd, which included many toll-lane opponents.
Marcus said the I-77 widening project had been characterized by a lack of transparency. “This is the issue that folks are most angry about. Not enough transparency, not enough process,” she said.She tied this into a lack of representation throughout the state government.
“Representatives of government have failed us at every level,” she said.
Marcus said that this lack of due process also characterized the state government’s approach to fracking, which uses hydraulic pressure to fracture shale and release oil.. She said the state had failed to weigh the environmental dangers posed by fracking.
“We’re seeing cancer, groundwater contamination,” she said. “In North Carolina, the risks outweigh the benefits.”
Bradford emphasized that the environmental dangers of fracking had been exaggerated, and said that energy independence was the main priority. “We need and energy-independent America,” he said. “Fracking is safer than it’s ever been.”
Fracking has shared space in the spotlight with education spending – another contentious issue that has caused division and disputes within political parties in the House of Representatives.
While he supported increasing education spending, Bradford emphasized accountability. “We have to pay our teachers more, we have to provide the resources they need, but they have to be held accountable,” he said.
Marcus said that holding teachers accountable is beside the point since the professionalism of the state’s teachers cannot be brought into question. “Our teachers are dedicated professionals,” she said. She added that the state had given money to the top wage-earners in the state instead of increasing education spending.
“What’s been happening in Raleigh is unacceptable,” she concluded. “We all know that government can’t and shouldn’t try to solve all problems. But when it comes to schools, jobs, and roads, our representatives in Raleigh have failed us on all three.”
Thursday’s forum was sponsored by the Lake Norman Chamber along with CorneliusNews.net and DavidsonNews.net.
