Latest / Voices of the Albemarle / Ep. 35: For Your Consideration, Sam Davis and Bill Ward for D5 House Representative

Transcript

Ep. 35: For Your Consideration, Sam Davis and Bill Ward for D5 House Representative · Voices of the Albemarle

• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to Voices of the Album model.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Izzy Kelly Goss, here with my co-host, David Prizer.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_04: Yay!
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yay! Today is another episode of For Your Consideration, where we hope you'll consider your choices for District 5 House Representative.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: District 5 covers Camden, Gates, Hertford, and Pasquatink counties.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: And this year's candidates are Democrat Sam Davis and Republican and current sitting House Rep Bill Ward.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: We have with us now Pasquatink County Commissioner and House Rep candidate Sam Davis.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: Sam, thank you for being here.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: And thank you for inviting me, Izzy.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Dave.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: We are thrilled to have you here.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: So just kind of jumping right in, what led you to where you are right now as county commissioner and what made you want to run for house representative?
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, politics.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: And uh when I first uh grew up in my dad's hardware store, I asked my dad the question one time.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_02: I said, Why do these people come in the hardware store and they talk about what's wrong with Elizabeth City and they talk about all the politics, what's wrong with what everything is going on?
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I asked my daddy, I said, Why do they just talk about that?
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_02: Why don't they try and make a change?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_02: And ever since then, I've been trying to make a change in Elizabeth City and a change in our way of life to try and improve our way of life here.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_02: And that's how I got started in politics.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Great.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I'm just gonna dive right into the topics, the hot topics.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: Starting with uh a large topic in Pasqua Tang specifically, but also surrounding counties, is the increase in development and the shrinking of agricultural land and and heritage.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: What is your opinion on that?
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: And how do you believe you would vote if bills were to come around about preserving farmland?
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: I'm all about preserving farmland, but I'm also all about development.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_02: Uh there is not much way that you can continue to grow and you can grow your city and you can grow your industry uh without having development.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh one of the common things that we are told as a county commissioner the reason why there's no economic development, why there are no big companies coming here is because we don't have the people to work.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: And if you don't have the people to work, you can't fill the jobs.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_02: So therefore, we have got to either grow or stagnate.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I prefer to grow and prefer prefer to have a better economy and a better way of life for everybody here.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Can I can I ask you something?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um on that subject, but I think it applies to almost everything.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh there's a the common thought is is to reach an agreement, there's a compromise.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: And that the compromise, the layman's terms, is is this party gives up a little, this party gives up gives up a little.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Do we do you believe that in order to reach the right balance, there's there is a specific path where everybody wins, or do you think there's I think we're all gonna have to kind of look at where we're standing and maybe give up a little piece of what we're thinking right now and and try to try to agree with the other side or whatever?
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I I'm not so sure that that's party related, um, but I do think that uh it's being used as a political football right now, like a growth pattern, and I think some of that is targeted at me because I'm a real estate agent.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but there is such a thing as smart growth, and that's what we need to look at.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_02: We need to be intelligent about the decisions we make.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_02: We need to be intelligent about where it's going.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_02: And we pretty much know where the growth of the county is going is going towards Norfolk and Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: So we need to be smart about doing that, smart about growing.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_02: We need to have the infrastructure to um to make that work.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_02: And as an agent, I get asked all the time, when are we going to get a target?
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: Well, and when are we going to get a Home Depot?
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_02: Uh when are we going to get an Olive Garden?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_02: It's all up to you, man.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we're not.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I as a as a commercial agent, I've talked to every one of those companies.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_02: And the thing they say is, you don't have enough high stops.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_02: So those same people that are asking me about those companies are some of the same ones that don't want growth.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: They want target, but they don't want no houses.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_02: Got it.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_02: And there's no way that you can make that happen.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: You have to have a balance of all of that.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I think I'm the guy with the common sense and the intellect to maybe make that happen.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_02: Cool.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so kind of moving on to other changes.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: Development is a huge change.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: So using using the word change, big changes went into effect on October 1st surrounding Medicaid.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of people are concerned about the security of their healthcare accessibility.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: And House Bill 696 was passed in April to provide$319 million in funding for the rest of the 25-26 fiscal year to kind of bridge that federal funding gap.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: But now we're in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the coverage is different.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: The renewal process has changed.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: You have to do it every six months instead of every year.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: If you are elected to this position, do you think you would support a similar bill as 696 to add increased funding and to change um the way that things are going right now in terms of renewal and coverage?
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: If you don't think you would support a similar bill, what different solutions would you potentially consider?
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_02: Good God.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sorry, that wasn't really long.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_02: Well, first of all, uh that bill was a uh generated Republican bill.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so let's cover a little bit at the time.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_02: Number one, um, they are cutting Medicaid right along with that big, beautiful bill, which is not so beautiful.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_02: And they're cutting funding to the state of North Carolina.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: And so let me speak about something that I'm on.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm on the Department of Social Services board, and we talk about helping people every single uh board meeting that we have.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_02: And at one of the last board meetings, we are looking at if it cuts uh Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP benefits alone, snap benefits alone uh will will cost Pasquatank County, of which I'm a county commissioner,$300,000, which people are against raising taxes, but they don't understand when you have to fund something, something that is uh a requisite of your job as a politician.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: So we will eventually have to raise taxes if the legislature doesn't do something about that.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: So you asked, would I uh be for that or against it?
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: I'm definitely against it.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_02: And would what would I do to make a change?
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: I would try to formulate and try to help formulate uh some kind of plan whereby uh we go back to the federal government.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: And certainly I have a little bit of connections with the federal government uh that we could ask them to help us reconsider.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: And hopefully uh some of those um congressional things will be changed enough that we can make a difference in that too.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I think David has a a similar question about education if you wanted to jump in there, unless you have healthcare related education.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: I do have a healthcare healthcare question.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um how do we I am not as well versed on this particular subject, and I I'm hearing a lot about it, so and I I believe you've addressed it.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um how do we help or or ensure that we can maintain rural healthcare facilities and main sure maintain them them being open and available going forward?
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, a lot of there's a lot of cutbacks and and in healthcare and in rural healthcare seems to be almost the target from time to time.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um how how do we make sure that that that's available to for people in those areas?
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh common sense would say just that you have to supply the people that you are serving with adequate health care as best you can.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: And that health care not only goes to the hospital, but also goes to um the health department, uh, mental health, all of those are things that have to be funded and have to be reworked.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um and the General Assembly has gutted health care in North Carolina.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: They have gutted mental health care in North Carolina, and I can honestly say that that has been totally party related.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_02: And uh as a Democrat, I hope to go to the legislature with my fellow Democrats and make a change in how we look at that, and we need to revisit that whole situation all over again.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um people don't realize that our way of life is different from Charlotte, our way of life is different from Riley, our way of life is different from Greensboro.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: We don't have the same businesses or the same economy that those places do.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_02: So therefore, our folks can't afford health care the way their citizens can.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_02: So we need to address that sensibly.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we need to do a lot of fact-finding.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: And I was on the hospital board here in Elizabeth City years ago, and I realize how much it takes to keep one running and what it takes to attract doctors.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, it's hard to attract a doctor to um to come to a community that doesn't have the ability to make have them make a lot of money.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_02: And it's uh it's a huge thing to uh try to uh keep our hospital going, keep it staffed.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: We just opened up that great uh facility out at COA, which I'm proud to be a county commissioner as part of that to help uh fund the money for that and uh to grow our own nurses.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_02: But the funny thing about it is, and we've got Elizabeth City to Elizabeth City State to grow our own teachers, but we grow them and then they go to Virginia because they can make more money in Virginia.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_02: So it's really a hard thing.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, when we go back, this all ties together.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_02: Every the health care and the education all ties together.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: We have to come up with a way for a living wage to be made in Pasquatank County, in Camden County, in Gates County, and in Hertford County.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, Camden County uh is almost totally transient.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody that lives over there works in Virginia.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_02: And uh so they make a good wage, but some of the folks over here do not.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: And I know the ones in Gates certainly don't, the ones in Hartford don't, but we're trying very hard to find something that would help us be able to uh change the economy, which would change the education, which would change the health care.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: It all ties together.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: And going back to what you said about we have such a great program here for teachers, and we have so many people who grew up here and then they go to Elizabeth City State University because they want to become teachers, and then they can't afford to live in Elizabeth City while living on a teacher's pay.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: We rank 46th in the United States, North Carolina does in teachers' pay.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that's uh I think something that a lot of teachers would like to see change.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um Well, that's one of that's one of my goals if I'm elected.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_02: One of my goals is to raise teacher salaries.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: One of my goals is to raise cost of living for the retirees that those retired teachers, you know what?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: If you attract to teacher and you have them stay here and and you give them a good wage and then they retire and they can't live in the place that they worked in, that's a sad situation.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_02: So uh all those retirees, those retired police officers, retired uh um firefighters, retired uh state employees, DOT, retired teachers, all those folks deserve uh to be able to live in a cost of living increase that they're not getting.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_02: And the I think the only people that got cost of the retirees and the and the uh um employees were the highway patrol.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_02: I think they got this last year a cost of living increase, and everybody else did not.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_02: That's sad.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: You jumped right in and answered my question before I even got to ask it.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_01: So you're on top of things.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: Good for them, not good for us.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: Teachers are a big passion of mine, and and and I've started a uh a series in our media's uh superhero educators.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: We already have one episode out.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: Please go listen to it.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: We we're we're featuring their teachers of the year, uh, because I I honestly believe that there's only so much that I can do personally about pay and things like that, but I can make sure that our communities know of the great things that the teachers here do.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: They work very, very hard.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: I remember I knew someone who was now, I guess, uh the uh principal at early college, but I I knew her when she was an art teacher, and she was talking to me about she was having to go to the store to pick up art supplies for her class.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: And that was that's a gut punch.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: And that's a common, that's a common story.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: And and you're right, it's it across the country, you know, there are some high-paying places, but again, we don't we don't recognize teachers nearly as much as as we can and should and what they do for our community.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: And it's very important that that we recognize them, and I'm and I'm glad to hear you talk about this, but it's a non-political statement.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: I just think it's a I for me, it's I I think it's a it's an agenda that we all have to look at and we all have to focus on, because without the teachers here, you know, it's we don't have the students growing, we don't have the the the the the opportunity, they don't have the opportunity to move on to do what they need to do.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's a very important subject to me, and it's a very important subject to our community.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: Well, one of my past political statements was education is the best jobs effort that you can make.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_02: And if we can educate our folks, then we can get them jobs, and we can attract jobs and we can make things happen.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: But let me just say to answer what you're talking about, your your teachers and what we can do for the teachers.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um the the position I'm running for is called representative.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_02: That means I represent the people that I am serving.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_02: And to do that, you have to be social, you have to be uh intellectual, you have to speak on the level of those that you are speaking to, and the main thing you have to do is to be able to ask for money.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: And when I get to Raleigh, I'm gonna ask for money for us because we need it, and the other parts of the state don't.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_02: It's just like our roads.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, this is all we we could talk about, look, I we could probably do this for a day.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, our roads, if we don't ask for the money for our roads, we don't get the money.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_02: And right now I think we're being underrepresented.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_02: And um, I want to try and make a change in that.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a segue, but anyway, it is what it is.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: No, it's a a great segue.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um I don't have a segue for this next question, but I've I've already cleared it with you that I can ask this on on air, I suppose.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_01: And that is to talk about how this election cycle, there has been a large distribution of negative campaign ad mailers specifically surrounding you.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I've gotten them in the mail.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: I've seen people all over social media talking about them.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_01: And when you announced your your you were running for this position in December, I came out and I took pictures of you and I got some quotes.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: And one thing that you made a point to tell me was that you were going to be running a positive campaign because you felt that running negative campaigns do not, quote, represent what America should be, end quote.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: So what are your thoughts on these ads?
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_02: That's exactly what I said, and that's exactly how I feel.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_02: And the first time that after I announced that I saw my opponent, I said, I'm gonna run a positive campaign and I'm not gonna do what you did in the last election and what my what my predecessor did in the last election, but now I understand why my predecessor did what he did.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_02: He was fighting fire with fire, and I understand that.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: But that is not the North Carolina that I live in.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_02: That is not the morays of Northeastern North Carolina, and it's not how we do business, it's not how we live, it's not how we do politics.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_02: I grew up, you know, my mom and daddy told me to be nice to everyone, speak to everyone, treat everybody the same.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_02: So I try to do that.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I just think that what they've done is just terrible.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: And um I don't need to dignify the attack ads uh that use this kind of political football phrases to gen up one group of folks because I'm trying to get everybody to elect me, not just one side, I want everybody to vote for me.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_02: But I do want to apologize to my own family, especially my grandchildren, who are the most affected by this negativity.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_02: And I I hate it as a politician, I've had it in my life, and you know they say politicians have to have thick skin.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_02: But a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old and a nine-year-old don't have that thick skin, and they have to go to school after all of these people have told them about what's happening with their granddaddy.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_02: So I I'm sorry for that and I'm sorry for them.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I stand on my political record, which is longer than my opponent.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: I stand on my 52 years of civic service to my community, and I think that's enough for me to ask people to vote for me and not pay attention to the negativity and the untruths.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: And my opponent said that he didn't know anything about those ads.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_02: Well, if he didn't know anything about them, the very first one that came out, I bet you I had 50 people call me on the telephone.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_02: They text me pictures of the ad that came out, and you know somebody did that with him.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_02: Why didn't he stop it then?
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I just feel like it's a sad way to do business.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_02: Unfortunately, it's the way of the world right now.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_02: We're trying to be so divisive rather than be inclusive, and that's not what I'm about.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_02: I'm about bringing people together and making things work and making us uh able to live together.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_02: I grew up in the era of integration and I'm against the segregation of thought, which is what we're working on right now, and I think that those negative ads are a segregation of thought.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: Excellent answer.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: You the the the only I just have one, but I want to go back on something you said.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's not a new thing, and it's not really not gonna catch you off guard.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh early on you you you mentioned uh the fact that when you were working in the hardware store, you asked you asked your father, uh, why do people come in here and just talk about things?
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: And today we negative ads with social media and everything.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: I tend to think people are more active now than they ever were before.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: Is it just that they're that they're louder?
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: Is it just that there's more media access out there?
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: Because the act I'm hearing so much more about good, bad, pro, con.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it was was going on before, but it's louder than ever.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, are people more involved now, or is it just louder and more more access to the communication methods?
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_02: Well, honestly, I wish more people were involved.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_02: I wish people would get excited about seeing positivity and get turned off by negativity.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_02: But I do think that Facebook has changed the world.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: And all of a sudden, everybody is a political expert.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: And you know what?
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_02: You're not a brain surgeon unless you've been taught to be a brain surgeon.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: And you're not a politician unless you've been there.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_02: By the way, I've served longer than my opponent has in political office, and I feel like that I've got the experience.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Experience and certainly I know I've got much, much, much more civic experience than he's ever had, uh, which gives me that ability to talk to people and interact.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: But David, to answer your question, is just I think that we just have the ability to vocalize more than we do be involved.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um something as simple as me putting my picture with somebody garnered more negative comments.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: Just because I have my picture with somebody, you're gonna talk about me?
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that I I could have my picture with anybody.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um but it's that's just the way of the world right now, and it's very, very sad, I think.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_02: And it's very sad to have grown up here where everybody's your friend, where you grow up being on stage with somebody.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_02: I've been on stage with Izzy 15 times, I bet you.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_02: And uh and we're she was one of my little children one time on stage.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: I think I was and uh yes, and you were the mayor of Hooville.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: I remember that.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, wow.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but it it's it's just a sad state of affairs, and I hope that we can change that, and I hope after this election that we can stop that kind of negativity.
• 23:15
  unknown: Cool.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um and you've kind of almost probably answered this question, but this is one that I'm asking every candidate we have on, and it is that if someone was to come to you and say, I'm an independent voter, I don't vote necessarily for Democrat or Republican, we have 11,000, over 11,000 independent unaffiliated voters, which is more than we have Democrat or Republican in Pasquatango.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_01: So if they were to come to you and say, I'm thinking about voting for you, but I'm on the fence, what would you say to that?
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_02: I would say listen to me talk, look at my record, judge me for what I've done and what my opponents done in the community.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I literally helped to raise the money for the museum at Almall.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_02: I literally helped to raise the money for Arts of the Almore that you and I were on stage together.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: I literally helped to raise money for the seats in the auditorium at COA, which you and I performed in COA too.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I mean, I I feel like that my years of life in Elizabeth City give me a leg up on my opponent.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_02: And the sad part about it is everybody just doesn't know that.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody doesn't know all of the things.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I helped build it.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_02: JC's bought and paid for and redid, and I did it with my own two hands, painted rooms in the girls' club of Elizabeth City.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_02: We bought and paid for it.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um that's something that you can't make up, and it's something that you can check.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, I feel like that that's a difference between me and my opponent, and as an independent, that certainly would be something that you need to know that there is a difference, and that's a positive difference, not a negative difference.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_02: However, I will tell you that independents are calling me every day, and it's been a very positive uh feedback, been a very positive feedback over negative attacks.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_02: So that's that's a great thing.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: Well, um, thank you so much for for joining us.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: We really appreciate you coming up here and speaking about your platform.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, obviously, early voting starts October 15th, runs through October 31st.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_01: I'll mention that again at the end of this episode.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and election day is November 3rd, so we will just have to wait and see what happens, won't we, Sam?
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_02: We certainly will, and I'm looking forward to it.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_02: I'm looking forward to being over to tell you that right, Nan.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I appreciate you guys having me.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_02: I appreciate your questions.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_02: I appreciate your thought in in in your questions for me.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I hope I answered everything that you want to answer, and certainly you know how to get up with me, and I'll answer anything that you need in the paper, too.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for being here, and thanks for the study.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: And on that note, I think we are going to move on to our chat with Representative Bill Ward.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: And now we are here with Representative Bill Ward.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for joining us today.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for the invitation.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we're really glad to be here and answer any questions that you may have.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_01: Well, just kind of to jump right in, um, you are currently sitting in the position, you're running for re-election, and you have been in this position.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you have some experience, but what made you want to run for this position initially, the first time you were elected?
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_03: Uh actually, I had been retired for about five, four years uh when I was invited asked to run for this position.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I initially declined to do that about three times until I was contacted by state representatives uh and asked to run.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_03: I thought about it, I prayed over it, and uh my wife and I discussed it, and we made the determination that since we had been contacted so many times that somebody was trying to tell us something.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_03: So we we ran, uh, ran against uh at that time Representative Howard Hunter and we defeated him in the initial election.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_03: Uh then we went into the second term and uh ran against Howard Hunter again and defeated him in the second election.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_03: And uh at this point, we've decided that we're gonna run for re-reelection this time.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so was there anything in particular that made you want to run for re-election this time?
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_03: You just felt like you had more to do or actually in actuality, um the Northeast region of the state has been overlooked for a long time.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_03: And in our two terms that we've been in, we've been able to bring recognition back to the area.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we've been able to bring funding to the area as well as uh jobs for the area.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_03: There's still a lot more work to do to continue with the recognition and ensure that we can get good paying jobs here for our constituents so that our constituents can uh live a good life.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_03: So that's pretty much the whole gist of it.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_01: Great reason to run.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so just kind of getting into some topics from the area, a large topic, especially in Pasquatank County, which you live here, so I'm sure you've heard all about this, has been uh increase in housing developments and the shrinking of farmland, of agricultural land and and heritage.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_01: So, what is your opinion on all of this?
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_01: And if some kind of bill were to come up about preserving farmland, how do you feel like you would vote?
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_03: Well, in actuality, we already have a bill that was passed last session, the preserving farmland.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we I voted for that bill, but also I'm understand that as our region grows, that we have to look at development, we have to look at at continuing expansion, but we need to do it in a manner that um is controlled, that we are able to do it gradually, that the infrastructure can meet the need of the development that we see.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_03: And we understand that rooftops pay very little towards property taxes.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_03: You can't fund a government on just rooftops.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_03: So we have to be willing to look at other directions and look for businesses that will be coming in that will provide even greater revenue so that our lives here for our neighbors and and our area are are improved.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um on that subject, I guess our expectations.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_00: When I say our, I mean the community's expectations of businesses, what businesses are going to come in?
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: They're always uh everybody's always pointing towards that business because it's something that really hits them, or that business because it really hits them.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, is our growth going to be uh guided by those businesses, or are there other kinds of businesses that you think that are probably more prone to be invited into this community and prosper?
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_03: Well, in actuality, we have seen some business growth here.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_03: Uh it's not been as much as I would like to see, but I think regionally, and we have to consider ourselves as part of a region because we're stronger when we're together and we can speak and be heard.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we did in the last session, or actually this session, um, last year we were able to negotiate a business that's going to be going into Hertford County.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, it's gonna bring about between 700 and 800 jobs, and the average starting salary is gonna be about$80,000 a year.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_03: Now, this is going to affect not only uh the Hertford County area, but the entire region.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we work closely with our community colleges, Halifax, uh, Roanoke Chowan, Martin, and College of the Albemarle in instituting training programs for these anticipated hires uh that are gonna be coming on board.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_03: Part of the the designation for these hires is that they are gonna have to be people from region from our region.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_04: Really?
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_03: They will not be all taken by out of staters or out of region people, uh, but a large portion of them have to be from our region.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_03: Uh not only that, but we're continuing to see other interests going with uh this expansion in Hertford County.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_03: U.S.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_03: Forged Rings is the name of the business.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we have um Japanese, federal our federal government has become involved also.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_03: We have a Japanese company that's looking to come co-locate.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_03: There's been some talk of Newport New Shipyard coming to locate with them as a portion of their requirements.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_03: And this is going to just continue to expand and build on our business.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_03: Now, I must be up front here.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_03: Uh well in August I went to Ireland with the American Irish Irish caucus.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, in total transparency, no taxpayers' fundings were expended, no campaign funds were extended.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_03: I pay for the trip out of my own pocket uh because I can't expect someone to invest in our area if I'm not willing to do that myself.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_03: That's fair.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_03: Uh but we did meet with the Northern Ireland Parliament and Trade Commission, as well as the Republic of Ireland uh Trade Commission and Parliament.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_03: And we actually um highlighted our area, highlighted the region, what we have here.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_03: We have the expanse, we have people, we have qualified people that can gun, and we were very well received.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_03: So hopefully we'll be seeing some something come out of that.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we'll see some businesses show interest and moving into our region.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's very exciting.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, just for clarification, do you mean businesses from Ireland?
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_01: That is so exciting.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_01: That is so cool.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_01: I want to go to Ireland.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe we can do an exchange program.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_03: That's beautiful.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_01: Am I too old for one of those?
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_01: No, not at all.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so kind of jumping back into some of the other issues in the area.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there were big changes that went into effect about Medicare on October 1st.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, a lot of people are worried about the security of their healthcare accessibility.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, obviously, everybody was able to pull together and pass uh House Bill 696, which funded 300 and$319 million to to try and um bridge that gap that was left when kind of federal funding was shifted around.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_01: But, you know, we're into a new fiscal year.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um and when I do research for these, I I look to the community.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_01: I by that I mean a lot of it is on social media.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_01: So I see a lot of people on social media talking about this.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um if you're re-elected, do you think you would support a similar bill to add increased funding at the state level, or would you prefer like a different solution?
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_03: Well, in actuality, there are several different aspects of looking at just Medicare.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, we did see when we initially passed Medicare expansion, uh, we tied it to the fact that if the federal government reduced their their portion of it, then we would re reduce ours uh appropriately in compliance with them.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um but we've seen that the need is continuing.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_03: Not only are we seeing that um Medicaid expansion is is necessary for the health of our population, we've seen that it affects not only just our population, it affects those with disabilities and so many other areas and aspects.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um there has been discussion within the legislature uh that addressing just the fact that you're talking about here, not talking about the the need to continue to to um finance the Medicaid at the rate that we are.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_03: And it based on the conversations I've had with the uh in the legislature and with the speaker and other members of the of the assembly, we we determine we of the same opinion that we have to meet the needs of our people.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_03: And especially when we're in such a uh situation right now with the financial difficulties that we're seeing uh across the board, uh, you know, increased prices on everything.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, but I will tell you that the last government um survey or research showed that our inflation rates are currently 3% now across the nation.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_03: Uh but that still doesn't alleviate the issues that our our constituents are seeing.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_03: So we would be willing to work with anyone to achieve the goals that we need uh to ensure that the needs of our our constituents are met.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the only question I have about health care is uh I've seen a lot of concern about that there are if there are cuts in health care overall, how does this this seems to be a bigger concern for rural areas as opposed to urban areas?
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, what can you say about that?
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: Well uh what can you t tell our the people in in this region about their access to to health care?
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_00: We do live in in predominantly a rural area, and and so is that is that a concern you're hearing from the constituents?
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely, it's a concern I have myself.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, we we saw in the last couple of years uh that the closing of Martin General Hospital over in Martin County, uh, because the company that purchased it went bankrupt.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_03: Uh that left them with no no care there.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_03: Um fortunately, we've been able to get involvement by other medical entities that will come in there coming in to open the hospital back up.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_03: Uh the issue is, as I see it, is that we don't have the professional per people here.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_03: We don't have the doctors, we don't have the nurses, we don't have the psychiatrists there that we need.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_00: And it's hard to pull them here, too.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_03: It is hard to pull them here because being a rural community, uh we can't offer the same amenities that larger areas like Wake County and and and uh Greensboro can offer them.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_03: But still the need is still there.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_03: And um, we work closely with Albama Regional Health Service.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_03: We work closely with Roanoke Chowan Medical Center and other entities across the district to ensure that or to hope to ensure uh access, greater access to health care for all of our individuals.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_03: In fact, uh Roanoke Chowan Community Uh Health Center over in the Hoski, they have now been uh integrated with FIBE, with fiber cable.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_03: Uh they are actually reaching out to their patients that have problems with uh travel to the facility and doing it uh by telemedicine.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_03: And we're seeing a big push towards telemedicine until we can get to a point where we can get uh our doctors and nurses and and uh physician assistants and other specialties to show interest and come here.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um we are seeing that Albema Hospital is on the rise.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_03: They're getting ready to raise uh uh actually add additional floors to the hospital.
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_03: We've been very supportive of that.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I think it's gonna give them about 45 more beds there at the Albema Hospital, which is just gonna be beneficial to the entire region.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, because you know we are the hub of the region here uh in the in Camden Pass, Tank Gates, and Hertford counties.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_03: We're really the hub of the of the region.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_03: And uh most of the things we see here are actually um uh based on a need that we have that we haven't met.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_03: Now I must add here that we was just at the we were just at the ribbon cutting for the regional Allied Health Center at College of the Albemarle, which has been producing, it's gonna be producing wonderful results for our area.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_03: Uh the their program is is just fantastic.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_03: Uh the after speaking with Dr.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_03: Bagwell uh on multiple occasions about what's going on there, we've deter we've learned that their their nursing uh students upon graduation are actually uh passing their exams at about a rate of 97 percent.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_01: That's amazing.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_00: They're doing a great job there.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_03: And it's gonna be a great job.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be great for our area here, and not only that, but it's gonna expand out into other areas, other areas of the state as uh students determine where they want to start their their career and where they want to go with their their businesses.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_00: Now I had a discussion with uh the president of of uh Albemarle uh Center Albemarle, and she was letting me know that I I can't remember what discipline, but they had recently brought uh a very highly qualified that's an understatement.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a heart surgeon, you're highly qualified.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm extremely highly qualified uh uh surgeon.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_00: And and they were worried that this surgeon was going to be, he he could have gone to Baltimore or something like that.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_00: But he said, No, I want this kind of life.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_00: I want the I want the rural kind of the he he went for the lifestyle as much as anything.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, he could have had anything he wanted in other other areas.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_00: That's something I'm seeing and feeling and hearing through all employers.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_00: I talked to all across the board, and and the pay may be here with some areas and maybe here for us for any number of reasons, and that's tough to deal with.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_00: But it's a lifestyle choice, too, if somebody does come here.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_00: And if in fact we can talk about that more, that's a good thing.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_00: We'd want to be able to even out the pay somehow, but it there's only so much we can do.
• 40:14
  SPEAKER_00: But she was able to convince them it was a great lifestyle.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: So it worked for that.
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you know, it's totally dependent upon the individual, the professional.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we see some that just they love our rural charm.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, they love to be able to walk down the street and say hello to someone and have a hello back instead of a uh a a sour look or or uh, you know.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_03: Uh they love the fact that we have uh our our local coffee shops and we have our local businesses here.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_03: They love that fact that the rural lifestyle is more relaxed and less stressful.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_03: And of course, they're in a highly stressful job anyway.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_03: So if you can alleviate some of that stress by living in a rural area, that appeals to a lot.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's just an aside.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_00: I grew up in Chicago and I've lived in New York, and so I'm here now.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_00: When people in Chicago, pardon me?
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_00: Bless your home.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_00: When people in Chicago or New York say good morning, they're saying good morning.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_00: When people here say good morning, it's like they really want you to have a good morning.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_00: You can just tell that.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's a it's just huge.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's just a huge difference, you know.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_03: It is, it is.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, we are being from a small community here, I'm from Elizabeth City, born and raised here, uh, although I left early and went into the military and then came back home uh after military service and law enforcement and outer banks.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_03: But we most people here knew each other.
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, small town, small people, everybody knew each other.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_03: They knew your business, they knew what was going on.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_03: It was a two-minute town.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_03: If you had something happen, everybody in town knew in two minutes.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_03: But uh that that mindset still continues, and we're seeing people that are coming here from out of the region, out of the area, that are adapting to that mindset and our mindset, and they're actually thinking, you know, in the terms that we locally think, you know, we want you to have a good day.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_03: We want you to say hello, we want to talk to you, we want to know you, we want to welcome you to our area.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_00: I feel it.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_01: This area is growing though.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_01: This is a slight side note.
• 42:12
  SPEAKER_01: Does anybody maybe David, you don't really apply to this.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_01: You didn't, you don't you didn't grow up here.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_01: But no, but do you ever go into Walmart these days and you're like, who are all these people?
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, absolutely.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_01: I've never met any of these people before in my life.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_03: Um Well, absolutely.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_03: We're seeing growth, especially in Pasquatank County uh and other the other counties in the region.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, but Pasquatank County is growing.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_03: We're seeing a lot of people that are coming from the Virginia side, coming here and building acquiring homes and living here, but still going back and forth to Virginia.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so uh I see people in Walmart and down the street here, like, who in the world is that?
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know, I don't know you, but hey, I'm Bill Ward.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_03: Nice to meet you.
• 42:57
  SPEAKER_00: You better get on top of that now, you know.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_01: But that's actually a great segue into my next question.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, speaking of Virginia, um, we have a great asset here in Elizabeth City State University for teachers.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_01: Teachers can go to college here and and they can get their degree.
• 43:16
  SPEAKER_01: But then what we're seeing a lot of is those teachers that a lot of them are born and raised here.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_01: They're then going up to Virginia.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, North Carolina ranks 46 across the country in teachers' pay.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_01: So they're going up to Virginia instead because they they want a little bit more money um than they're able to find here.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_01: I think like a lot of teachers, education officials around here would like to see that change.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_01: What are your thoughts on the teacher pay as it stands currently and whether or not we should be doing something differently?
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_03: In actuality, Elizabeth City State University is our our shining beacon in the in the northeast.
• 43:53
  SPEAKER_03: We've been we're in an educational desert, basically, if you as I like to put it.
• 43:57
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we are seeing an Increase in student population, at least CSU.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_03: They're producing wonderful students and great great people.
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_03: They've expanded their teaching models.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_03: And you're exactly right.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_03: In the past, we have seen a real issue with people graduating from ECSU, having lived here all their lives, and then going across the border for greater pay.
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_03: And that's not just germane to our area.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_03: It's across the state.
• 44:34
  SPEAKER_03: We're seeing that we've seen that across the state, especially in border counties.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_03: But what we in the legislature recognized the fact in the last session that we recognize this issue.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_03: So as part of our our budget that we passed in July, we we raised starting teacher pay.
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_03: We're now number one in the South, an average of about$50,000 a year starting for starting teacher pay.
• 45:01
  SPEAKER_03: That puts us number one in the Southeast region above all the others.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_03: And we're continuing to look at that.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_03: We did not, because of the funding requirements to get them to where they needed to be for starting pay, we were not able to do as much for our our tenured educators.
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_03: So that's that's for for uh frontmost in our mind when we go back into session in January.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna be looking at what we can do to help our more tenured, more senior educators to make it more enticing to them to stay.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_03: So we're seeing a turnaround already with this, uh, where teachers are not actually leaving at a great as great a rate as they have previously.
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_03: And it's gonna get yet even better with the budget that we passed and with the the funding that we've been able to provide.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's great.
• 45:52
  SPEAKER_00: Schools is a is a a passion of mine.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_00: I I guess teaching is a passion of mine, not that I'm a teacher, but the profession of teaching.
• 46:02
  SPEAKER_01: And trying to envision David in front of a classroom.
• 46:06
  SPEAKER_00: I've I've I've launched uh a series in our in our media properties and it's gonna run for their entire school year, and it's called Superhero Educators, and and it came about because we wanted to at least elevate uh the awareness of of some of the teachers.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_00: And we've got many, many, many, many great ones.
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_00: They nominate and name their own teachers of the year, but it stays within their school.
• 46:33
  SPEAKER_00: And so we are we are getting those teachers, we are highlighting the teachers of the year from the five counties uh in uh in our media for the entire school year.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_00: We're elevating, want to elevate them.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_00: We've had several of them on our podcast.
• 46:46
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna have more.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm only saying that from the standpoint of um when people look around to find places to live, because I've moved several times, they the the strength of a community is viewed through the lens of the schools.
• 47:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, are the schools good?
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I've always thought that the the teaching standards really will tell you whether the schools are good and good quality teachers.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_00: And from what I've seen, we've got really great teachers.
• 47:11
  SPEAKER_00: We just have to let more people know about it.
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_00: And um, because Pascuatang County is grow is growing, it's one of the few places that is growing, there's projected to grow.
• 47:20
  SPEAKER_00: They're gonna have more more families with stuff with school age age kids coming in.
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_00: That's very exciting.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, and and I I hope we can continue to elevate the the pay for for for teachers.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_00: I it's a it's that's a national thing.
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_00: The whole thing is you go to college, I don't want to I don't want to be a teacher because I want to get paid, and that type of thing.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but you've got to have a passion for it.
• 47:42
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, the more we on our side, we can elevate the great job they're doing and let them know that they are our community heroes, the better off we're gonna be.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm I'm a big that's a big passion of mine.
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, and I can understand that.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, um I was not the best student in school.
• 48:00
  SPEAKER_03: I you know, I I made it through, but I was not the smartest kid on the block.
• 48:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um but actually we our our and I speak specifically about Pasquatank County right now.
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_03: Uh our uh our educ the level of education in the past has not been uh meeting national standards.
• 48:22
  SPEAKER_03: Uh but we were so lucky to to to bring on Dr.
• 48:26
  SPEAKER_03: Keith Parker, the superintendent, and and that he is he has just worked diligently with his staff, he's worked diligently with this with the teachers and principals, and he's been so inspiring to everyone that they are are working harder than they ever have.
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_03: Uh they're inspired and they're they're happy to come to work, they're happy to deal with their students.
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_03: And uh we were at the the um the last month they had the uh reveal or press conference for the the scoring and the grade.
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_04: Right, right.
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_03: And we have seen Elizabeth City Pastor County Schools just grow.
• 49:02
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, they're they have they have done so well.
• 49:06
  SPEAKER_03: Uh and I can't give it all to Dr.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_03: Parker because he has been a strong inspiration for everyone.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, he is.
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_03: And he is under his leadership, he's brought out the brightest of of the all the teachers.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, they are just doing a magnanimous job.
• 49:21
  SPEAKER_03: I'm just so so pleased to see the scores increase the way they have.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so and I agree with you, we have to do have that inspiration for um our teachers.
• 49:33
  SPEAKER_03: We need that leadership for our teachers to make them feel good about coming to work again, right?
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_03: To make them feel good that they are actually uh accomplishing something instead of just you know beating it down uh every day and being exhausted when they walk away with having accomplished nothing.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I just think it's a really good thing to see.
• 49:54
  SPEAKER_03: We are actually at the legislature, we're trying to inspire our regions and areas uh as well as through the state superintendent.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_03: He's working very well and very hard with our regions and our districts.
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_03: And uh I think we're on the cusp of seeing something really good happen.
• 50:13
  SPEAKER_03: Good.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_00: Wonderful.
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I have uh just two more questions for you.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_01: And this next one we talked briefly about earlier, but there have there has been a um a large amount of negative ad mailers about your opponent, Sam Davis.
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we discussed it with him.
• 50:32
  SPEAKER_01: I've seen them discussed on social media, I've received them in my own mailbox.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what are your thoughts about negative ad campaigns in in general as a whole?
• 50:43
  SPEAKER_03: Oh well, in actuality, I I I prefer to see positive uh campaigns.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um unfortunately, in this situation, uh these negative ads were coming out from an entity that I don't know who they are.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_03: Uh they are an organization out of Raleigh.
• 50:59
  SPEAKER_03: Um I neither I nor my campaign have endorsed them.
• 51:03
  SPEAKER_03: Uh that um every allegation on these negative mailers, the ones that I've seen, are footnoted with uh the where they got that information from.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm of the opinion that if the information is not true, it should be solicious, then why isn't the the the target of those ads uh entering lawsuit uh for for slander?
• 51:29
  SPEAKER_03: And apparently that's not happening because in my opinion, these allegations appear to be true.
• 51:36
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then uh did you have another question?
• 51:40
  SPEAKER_00: The only thing I wanted to ask you, because I because I asked uh your opponent the same thing, um, and and it's a general question.
• 51:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um I have my own opinion about this, but nationally as far as campaignings and politics.
• 51:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's to me, it's becoming like further to the right, further to the left, louder, uh sometimes angrier.
• 52:04
  SPEAKER_00: If you wind this back several hundred years, you see some of the things in in the newspapers, we'd be shocked at what we would what what one person would say about the about the other ones.
• 52:13
  SPEAKER_00: There were things said about Andrew Jackson, there were things said about in the colonial days, uh what they my god, they actually said that, you know.
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_00: But you wind that forward, it it's there's so much out there.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think people are getting further apart, or is it just because there's so much access, so much media, so much social media, so much there's so much access to everything.
• 52:34
  SPEAKER_00: Everybody's a publisher, everybody's everybody can say whatever they want.
• 52:37
  SPEAKER_00: What do you think is causing this?
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I I think it's twofold.
• 52:41
  SPEAKER_03: Uh again, uh people are getting further apart, their opinions are drifting further apart.
• 52:47
  SPEAKER_03: And uh the the the fact that it impacts everyone, these negative ads impact everyone, uh, either for or against.
• 52:57
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, and it it's again, it it's it's nothing new.
• 53:03
  unknown: Right?
• 53:04
  SPEAKER_03: This this is nothing new.
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_03: This has been going on since the founding of our republic.
• 53:08
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 53:08
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, the they it's just expanded now because we have social media, we have access to so many different uh manners of which to broadcast it.
• 53:18
  SPEAKER_03: So we're seeing it more and more uh based on social media, television, radio, and other areas.
• 53:24
  SPEAKER_03: You know, it's just people are I've heard a lot of people say they're tired of hearing it.
• 53:31
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_03: Uh uh, but that's only because we've seen the expansion of the broadcast, the way it's produced.
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that uh, you know, as you said earlier, uh uh if they go back to 150 years, this is nothing.
• 53:46
  SPEAKER_03: This is a very good thing.
• 53:47
  SPEAKER_00: It was a dirt bag.
• 53:49
  SPEAKER_00: Some people, you know.
• 53:50
  SPEAKER_03: This is really calm compared to some of the some of the previous uh years that were where information was put out.
• 53:56
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah, I I think it's based uh on the fact that the availability, the rapid event quick, rapid, quick right now availability of information is overwhelming everyone.
• 54:07
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that's the reason we're seeing such an understanding or a growth, actually, not really a growth, but a a recognition by so many more people that uh that's the way that it is.
• 54:21
  SPEAKER_03: My phone.
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry about that.
• 54:25
  SPEAKER_00: Forgot to turn that down.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_00: Well, now we all know Batman's secret identity.
• 54:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's native prizing.
• 54:31
  SPEAKER_00: Are you a Batman fan?
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's my bad, it's my bad phone.
• 54:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think we should leave that part in.
• 54:36
  SPEAKER_01: That was pretty good.
• 54:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so my final question, and this is the one question I have been asking every single candidate that we've had.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_01: And for premise, we have over 11,000 unaffiliated voters in Pasquatink County, which is the majority, and then it's followed by Democrats, Republicans, and libertarians in Green Party.
• 54:59
  SPEAKER_01: We only have like 21 people who are registered in the Green Party in Pasquatink County.
• 55:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but if because of that, I feel like unaffiliated voters are obviously less likely to vote party-wise.
• 55:14
  SPEAKER_01: So if one of them was to come to you and say, I'm thinking about voting for you, but I'm on the fence, what would you say to them?
• 55:22
  SPEAKER_03: I would basically say to, and again, let me preface this by saying that yes, the uh unaffiliated party is the largest party win the whole state, uh, followed by Republicans and then Democrats.
• 55:33
  SPEAKER_03: We've seen uh Republicans actually gain uh uh uh people on in the uh as far as the party itself.
• 55:42
  SPEAKER_03: Democrats have lost part uh have lost uh registrations.
• 55:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's close in Pasquatink County, it's yeah, in Pas State County it's low 8,000 and then high 7,000.
• 55:53
  SPEAKER_03: My my my uh response to an unaffiliated voter to your question uh would be that you know, look at my record, look what I've done for the district.
• 56:03
  SPEAKER_03: These are my plans to move forward.
• 56:05
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I would appreciate your vote.
• 56:08
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, we see that unaffiliated will split tickets, they will go, they vote normally for the person.
• 56:15
  SPEAKER_03: And I would encourage them to look at my record, look what we've done for the district, what look what we've been able to accomplish and what we can accomplish in the future uh with their help.
• 56:25
  SPEAKER_03: And then I would ask them for the vote.
• 56:27
  SPEAKER_01: Great answer.
• 56:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, thank you so much for joining us.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_01: We really appreciate you coming out and in helping to inform our voters.
• 56:36
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 56:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's really, really great cause to uh have all of these politicians come out and and help make informed decisions for this election season.
• 56:46
  SPEAKER_01: Early voting begins October 15th.
• 56:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, for Pasquatink County, we'll vote at the Board of Elections.
• 56:52
  SPEAKER_01: It ends October 31st.
• 56:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then, of course, election day is November 3rd.
• 56:57
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you so much again to Representative Bill Ward.
• 57:01
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much to Sam Davis, and thank you so much to all of our listeners.
• 57:05
  SPEAKER_01: We hope you will tune in for another episode soon.