2002 Platform & Philosophy:   

Local government should be small, efficient, accountable and responsive to the citizens it serves.

Hoke County needs to change the way it does business. Hoke County needs a change in leadership.

I’m running for county commissioner because I want local government to be what it

should be. Government that does the "right thing, at the right time, every time".

I’ll use my knowledge, experience and leadership ability to make county government truly efficient, accountable and responsive to you.

The only motivation one should have when running for local office is public service. In a relatively small county like ours, this is especially true. I will propose that county commissioners serve without pay. Additionally, no monthly travel allowances should be provided. If travel is required for official business it should be approved in advance and limited to only actual and reasonable expenses. If this proposal does not pass, I will donate my commissioner’s salary to a local charity and refund any unused travel money.

Do you vote for a person or a party? In local government, a person’s integrity, dedication, experience and desire to serve should be most important. I’ll represent the people of Hoke County well because these are my qualifications.

County commissioners must be responsive to the people they serve. If a situation arises, like it did this past year with the water department’s over billing, I want to know about it. I’ll ensure taxpayers are being treated fairly.

Similarly, a county commissioner should ensure that our representatives in Raleigh are truly representing our interests. If a state run service is not running like it should, I’ll make our case and persevere until we are treated fairly. I’ve done this as a taxpayer; I can do it more effectively as your county commissioner.

One of the hottest issues in the news in Hoke County is our sheriff’s race. I’ve not been asked to support anyone officially, at this time. I’ll promise you that I’ll do everything possible to establish a solid professional working relationship with the person who is elected. This is absolutely essential if we want to move ahead. Similarly, I’ll establish positive working relationships with all county officials, elected or appointed, to move Hoke County in the right direction.

I’ve never been elected to office before, but I think I have done my fair share of public service. I retired from the U.S. Army in 1996 as a lieutenant colonel in the Special Forces. The last four years of my career, I managed a budget in excess of $26 million for a command that deployed soldiers to more than 50 countries annually. While on active duty, I was prohibited from running for office. After working several years out of state, I returned to the county where I decided to retire. I want to make Hoke County government what it should be and can be.

I hope to discuss these issues, and many more with you through this web site, in person and by phone. I want you to call me before the election, and after the election – win or lose. My phone number is 875-3983.

Every voter can vote for three county commissioners this year. Or they can vote for just one or two. If you want to change county government, please choose wisely. Your vote, your neighbor’s vote, everyone’s vote is important.

Small, efficient, accountable government, responsive to you, is a beautiful thing and it’s what we all deserve.

Sincerely,

Pete Camp

Biographical Summary

Peter L. Camp was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1948. He graduated from high school with honors while working two jobs. His social life revolved around the Black Rock Congregational Church. In 1966 he enrolled in Gordon College where he met his future wife.

Pete dropped out of college in 1968 to enlist in the U.S. Army as an infantry soldier. He was selected for Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry. He was selected for Special Forces and spent 23 of the next 28 years in that branch.

Pete left the Army after returning from Vietnam to continue college. He majored in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. He and his late wife, Beryl Jean, raised a family. His daughter, Erin Brown, graduated from Hoke County High School and is currently serving in the Air Force in Germany with her husband. Pete’s son, Jason, started his career in the restaurant business in Raeford’s Wagon Wheel Restaurant when he was 16. He is now a cook at The Country Club Of North Carolina and active in the Libertarian Party of Moore County.

Pete returned to active duty at Fort Bragg in 1982 where he ran the final phase of the Special Forces Qualification Course.

Pete has lived in Raeford since 1990. When he returned to Fort Bragg for the third time he knew he was picking his retirement home. He had lived in both Fayetteville and Pinehurst on previous assignments. The small town charm of Raeford, among other things, sold him on Raeford.

ASSOCIATIONS

• Treasurer, Hoke County Arts Council
• Chairman, VFW Boy Scout Troop Committee
• Monitoring Committee, Juvenile Crime Prevention Council
• Contributing Columnist, Up and Coming Weekly Magazine
• VFW (Life), Post 10, Raeford
• American Legion, Post 20, Raeford
• Special Forces Association (Life), Chapter I-XVII, Fayetteville
• Treasurer, Libertarian Party of Cumberland County
• Special Operations Association
• Treasurer, New Beginning Prison Ministries
• Member, Hillcrest Baptist Church

The People The Declaration of Independence states, "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed". I emphasize on the consent of the governed. This is why my only motivation to run for office is public service. I want to represent you exactly as I would like to be represented.

Government County government must be small. We need the County to offer essential services and not get involved in business that it should not. I think we all know what essential services are – they are the functions like law enforcement, street maintenance, fire protection and others that individuals cannot take care of and government, rather than business, must do.

County government must be efficient. It must offer essential services in the most efficient manner. Departments must be resourced and staffed to take care of business without waste or duplication of effort.

County government must be accountable. It must use our tax dollars wisely and there must be ways to ensure they are being used wisely. I promise to ask the tough questions that need to be asked throughout the year to ensure there is accountability in government.

County government must be responsive. Your elected leaders must anticipate problems before they happen and take corrective action. They have to seek out the information to be truly informed. They cannot wait for a scheduled report. They must be responsive to you – if you have a concern they must address it in a timely, efficient manner. I want you to call me at home; do not wait for a Commissioner’s meeting.

Law Enforcement Law enforcement is one of the most basic of the essential services County government is responsible for. It too must be efficient, accountable and responsive. We need a Sheriff’s Department whose first priority is taking criminals, especially violent criminals, off our streets. We need a well-trained and adequately equipped department that spends your tax dollars well. I will ask our sheriff "what do you really need to do your job and what will you get rid of because it is surplus to your mission?" I will do everything possible to establish a good solid working relationship with whoever is elected Sheriff. I’ll use that relationship to ask the tough questions that must be answered in our County.

Fire Protection Our volunteer fire departments are one of the foremost essential services that the county provides. As an essential service, they must be adequately funded with the other truly essential services before any other budget items are laid on the table. Sometimes I think that the county commissioners take fire protection for granted because it is largely "volunteer". This is shortsighted and dishonest. I have met some of our volunteers and thanked them for the great job they do. They say they are rarely thanked except when they respond to a call. I will support funding for fire protection as I do any essential service – funding must provide a highly trained and adequately equipped force. I support a trained and equipped Arson Task Force with a budget that includes wages for call outs for the year. The Fire Marshall tells me this will cost a total of $10,500 per year. That is less money than the yearly increase in commissioners travel pay when they went from $300 to $500 per month. I support a pay scale for department communicators that rewards professionalism and competence and allows us to retain these people. It is time we treat those departments that provide essential services to us all as truly essential.

Taxes Property taxes affect all of us whether we own property or rent. I believe the property tax is one of the most insidious taxes of all. You can buy a car and own it debt free but you will always pay taxes on it. The property tax is particularly tough on those living on fixed incomes. Any increase in this tax affects them greatly. We must have small, efficient, accountable and responsive government to reduce our tax burden. Hoke County must change the way it does business. I will never vote for a tax increase.

Education Education is an investment in a child’s future. Unfortunately, state government has restricted county governments in what they can do to improve schools. We must concentrate on those factors that have been proven to work. For example, studies the John Locke Foundation have made show some of the more important factors at work. Smaller class sizes are an advantage in the younger grades and nice to have, but not essential, in the higher grades. Hiring and retaining the best teachers is the most important factor in good education. I have carefully examined these studies.

I also believe that the highest possible percentage of our school staffs must be teachers. Independent schools often have a higher teacher to staff ratio than public schools.

There are many talented people in our community who are quite able and uniquely qualified to teach but are not certified to do so. Many of these people are retired military or otherwise retired. We should welcome and use this resource in our community.

Business  I will be an Ambassador to bring new business into Hoke County. This will not happen unless someone makes it happen. I talk to Hoke County residents who tell me exactly what type of businesses they would like to see here. Frankly, I haven’t disagreed with anyone yet. They, like me, want to spend their money in the County they live in and have our tax dollars and jobs stay here. They don’t want to go to Fayetteville or Lumberton to spend their money – they wish they could do it right here. I agree.

How do you get businesses to come here? It’s simple. First, you don’t have to bribe them. I call that "corporate welfare". Unfortunately, government at all levels have "poisoned the well" by using corporate welfare.

What we do have to do is offer a business friendly environment. That includes low taxes, excellent law enforcement, competitive water rates and common sense zoning.

We have to do one more thing. We need a County Commissioner who will invite these businesses in and sell them on Hoke County. I will do exactly that after I am elected. I will contact the corporate headquarters of businesses and convince them that they are missing out on a great opportunity if they don’t establish business in our County.

We have a lot to offer – we need someone to make our offer. I will do that.

State Government We are not well served by state government. Hoke County gets precious little for the taxes that we all pay. We all pay 22.55 cents in state taxes when we buy a gallon of gasoline but receive little in improvements to our roads. Our state was the only state to raise income taxes last year. Many other taxes were raised and we are all paying. Now the Governor says the state has a budget crisis and he is willing to pass part of it on to the counties. I will ensure that our elected officials in Raleigh are held accountable for how their vote affects us in Hoke County.

Annexation People choose their government. If they buy a house in the city they are represented by the City Council. If they buy in the County they are represented by the County Commissioners. Taxes and services differ depending on where you live.

Since people have made this choice I am against forced annexation of neighborhoods into the City. I know there are people who want to be annexed and if their neighbors agree, I definitely agree. It’s simple – choice, not force.

My Pledge I will promise you two things. First, I will run a clean campaign. There will be no name-calling, personal attacks or mud slinging. These tactics detract from a campaign and add nothing to it. I reserve the right to defend myself, but I will not engage in "dirty politics".

Second, I will do what I say. You will never be surprised about how I represent you or how I vote. If you are unsure about where I stand, please call me or email me. I know there many more issues you may wish to discuss and I’m looking forward to it.

"Small, efficient, accountable government, responsive to the people it serves" is my political philosophy in a nutshell. It will work in Hoke County.

I am asking people to volunteer their time in anyway they can.

I will go anywhere, anytime to speak with Hoke County voters. If you have a few neighbors who want to see Hoke County change, please invite me to speak with them.

If you know a local businessperson who would be willing to display a flyer in their business, as some already have, please let me know.

If you or a friend will put one of my bumper stickers on your vehicle, please let me know.

If you are willing to pass out handouts to your friends and neighbors, please let me know.

If you know someone who wants to register to vote, perhaps a military person, who is registered in another state, please let me know.

Most importantly, please talk to people in person or by calling them. If you are concerned, they will listen.

Together we can change the way Hoke County does business. I’d like to thank you in advance for your concern.

I’m looking forward to talking with you. Call me anytime at 875 3983 or email me at campfire50@earthlink.net .