Letters to the editor — Oct. 22
Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 22, 2020
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Krawiec is hard worker
I’ve seen some lazy representatives/senators working in the legislature, and I’ve seen some hard-working representatives/senators. The hardest working representative or senator I have ever seen is Sen. Joyce Krawiec. The compassion and energy that Sen. Joyce Krawiec has for her job are extraordinary.
She motivates other members and me to work our best. Everyone that has ever had to deal with Joyce knows how hard she works and cares for her constituents. Having shared a district with Sen. Krawiec, we work together on the same constituent problems. The amount of time she puts into making sure that her constituent issues are met is stunning. I also have the honor of being great friends with Joyce. She also works with me to create legislation for Forsyth County brought to our attention by municipalities. I can’t wait to continue our work together in this upcoming session. Joyce has also been a great friend of mine long before she was appointed to the house. Joyce Krawiec has always been a champion in our community, trying to make it a better place and looking out for all North Carolinians. I am proud to endorse Joyce Krawiec in her bid for re-election, and I am also honored to be a great friend of Joyce.
Rep. Donny Lambeth
— Winston-Salem
Lambeth represents N.C. House District 75.
New representation
Current representatives in Raleigh have steadfastly refused to listen to the people of North Carolina on health care. In fact, Senate Majority leader Phil Berger was quoted as saying, “My Republican colleagues have not raised Medicaid expansion to me.” A statewide poll released in September found about 3 in 4 North Carolinians support closing the healthcare gap. Half of the survey participants came from Republican Senate districts including that of District 31 represented by Senator Joyce Krawiec. My question is if the majority of North Carolinians want Medicaid expansion why aren’t our representatives taking this to the speaker? Who are these politicians working for if not for the people of North Carolina? Have they been influenced by the corporate money they have taken for their campaigns? It is time to vote for representatives who listen to the people. Representatives with the stubborn determination to find solutions for our state, not politicians who stubbornly maintain the status quo. Vote Terri Legrand for N.C. Senate District 31. It is time for representatives who listen and act on behalf of the hardworking people of North Carolina!
— Martha Apple
Advance
Learn the truth
Campaigns are never easy to suffer through. Negative innuendo abounds. Let’s take an easy one: Defunding the police. In the state senate race for District 31 Joyce Krawiec supporters authorized a mailer that insinuates her opponent, Terri LeGrand, supports defunding the police. Their only motivation for this mailer can be to scare and unsettle voters because this is not what Terri LeGrand supports.
Terri supports improving our systems of public safety; she states “policing is a critical service and key component of public safety.” “We need to assist the police so that they can effectively do their jobs.” This is what Terri believes. Terri also believes that safe neighborhoods are a result of healthy neighborhoods so she supports affordable and accessible healthcare including the expansion of Medicaid. She believes mental health services should be a part of that initiative. She understands the correlation between literacy and incarceration so she supports a strong public education system.
Checking out a candidate’s website is a way to learn about a candidate and verify the facts. Throw the negative ads away and dig a bit deeper to learn the truth. Take a minute to look at www.TerriLeGrand.org. You will learn the truth about a candidate with strong beliefs for a strong North Carolina. Vote Terri LeGrand, N.C. Senate District 31. We all deserve to feel safe in our own neighborhood.
— Chelsea Wiggins
Advance
Zenger knows the struggles
Jeff Zenger is different than the typical politician — he knows the stories and struggles of everyday life. I’ve known Jeff for over 20 and have seen him live these real-life struggles.
Jeff’s family went a year and a half without a paycheck during the Great Recession while Jeff rebuilt his construction business and made sure his workers were paid. He knows how important small business and schools assistance are for families who need to get back to work and send their kids to a safe school. Jeff has been there, done that, and has the T-shirt to prove it. He has dedicated his life to making Forsyth County a better place to live.
I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have representing me in Raleigh than Jeff Zenger.
Partisan politics has sown division and moved our attention to petty fights instead of results. Jeff will work for you and put Forsyth County first. Don’t just vote against someone; vote for someone. Join me in voting for Jeff Zenger for N.C. House District 74.
— Jordan Newton
Clemmons
Trust the science
Joyce Krawiec is a conservative Republican representing District 31 in the State Senate. What does her typical supporter look like?
I am a millennial who moved to North Carolina from California four years ago to study at Wake Forest University. I love science so much that I earned a master’s degree in it. Many people assume that I am a hardcore Democrat based on my background. Yet I strongly support Joyce and other Republicans because I have seen the other side’s policies in action.
My home state has double-digit unemployment, sky-high housing costs, and exorbitant taxes that are causing over half a million people to flee every year. Democratic politicians have gone so crazy that they are even attempting to remove anti-discrimination language from the state Constitution.
Thanks to excellent leadership from state leaders like Joyce Krawiec, North Carolina is an oasis in comparison. Our unemployment rate is nowhere near the double-digit rates in California. The state’s conservative leadership also had the foresight to create a rainy-day fund that will allow it to recover from COVID-19 much faster than elsewhere.
They say people need to “trust the science.” This California scientist has looked at the data, and the truth is clear. We must re-elect Joyce Krawiec and other Republicans this November.
—Eric Henderson
Belews Creek
Terri LeGrand for health care solutions
We are retired from CenterPoint, where we held leadership positions in early childhood intervention with families and their infants and toddlers who were at high risk for developmental delays or who were born prematurely. We know first-hand of the serious needs of families who face such challenges with such deficiencies in North Carolina’s health care systems due to the lack of support from the current legislature.
That is why we are so pleased to support Terri LeGrand’s candidacy for NC Senate in District 13. She shares our concerns for issues affecting families who struggle to survive economically and medically, especially those who have special needs children and adults for whom parents, in many cases, will provide care throughout their lives. Like Terri LeGrand, we are very much in favor of Medicaid expansion which will give more of our citizens access to health care, particularly during international health emergencies like the one we are experiencing now.
Throughout her career as working mother, an attorney, college administrator and community volunteer, this extraordinary woman has consistently spoken up for children and adults of all ages and backgrounds. Moreover, Terri knows the needs of individuals and communities for affordable health care because she listens and she cares. We encourage you to elect Terri as part of our state legislative body representing District 13. She is well qualified, deep thinking, and we know that partisan politics will not distract her from working for the benefit of all North Carolinians.
— Chris Kelsey and Loretta Arnn
Clemmons
It’s about de-escalation, not defunding
A recent political advertisement for Joyce Krawiec is misleading and completely false. Terri LeGrand supports de-escalation and is not in favor of defunding the police. Law enforcement officers need our support, but also need training in non-violent and non-lethal methods.
If you encounter a medical or life-threatening emergency, call 911. If you need law enforcement for safety reasons, ask for a CIT (Crisis Intervention Team Officer). These officers have received advanced training on mental illness, substance abuse, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and crisis intervention. Anyone may request crisis or emergency services in North Carolina for mental health, substance abuse, intellectual and developmental disabilities issues.
Terri LeGrand understands these complex issues. Terri will support making emergency mental health services available to all individuals and families in crisis. Terri will also support funding for training law enforcement officers in de-escalation methods.
— Dr. Bob Schwartz
Winston-Salem
Besse will work for education, health care
As voting begins in Clemmons, the future of our children is on the line. Since 2012, national rankings for North Carolina’s educational system have fallen from 19th in the country to 37th and per-pupil funding and teacher pay are among the lowest in the nation. Even in the midst of a pandemic that has sickened nearly 300,000 and killed nearly 4,000 North Carolinians, legislative leaders deny health care coverage to 600,000 citizens, including 13,000 in Forsyth County. Legislative inattention to health and education is adversely impacting North Carolina’s economy. Healthy businesses require a well-educated and healthy workforce, and children require healthy parents who have jobs paying a living wage. North Carolina needs leaders who understand that education and health care are the keys to North Carolina’s future.
Dan Besse is the kind of leader North Carolina needs in the legislature. Having represented the Southwest Ward on the Winston-Salem City Council since 2001, Dan understands District 74’s needs and will serve as a strong advocate in the legislature. Dan knows that by providing health care to 600,000 fellow citizens we will generate 40,000 new jobs for North Carolinians. As the son of a public school teacher and having taught community college classes himself, Dan knows the value of education in laying the foundations of the future. As the son of a U.S. Marine, Dan understands the sacrifices veterans and their families make. And finally, having represented poor families as a legal aid attorney for nearly 10 years, Dan knows the value of service to your fellow citizens. Please vote for Dan Besse. He is the best choice for North Carolina House District 74.
— Charles Norris
Winston-Salem