| Candidates Forum Speech |

Given at Candidates Forum August 27th, at Turlington School

HOKE COUNTY NEEDS TO CHANGE THE WAY IT DOES BUSINESS. HOKE COUNTY NEEDS NEW LEADERSHIP. I'M PETE CAMP AND I'M RUNNING TO BE YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER BECAUSE YOU DESERVE COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT DOES THE RIGHT THING AT THE RIGHT TIME, EVERY TIME. THESE ARE SERIOUS TIMES AND SERIOUS TIMES REQUIRE SERIOUS PEOPLE. TO GET CHANGE, YOU MUST VOTE FOR CHANGE. 

I'M GLAD TO SEE ALL THE CANDIDATES FOR COMMISSIONER HERE. I'M GOING TO GIVE ALL THE CANDIDATES A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT I HAVE TO SAY NEXT.

LET'S PUT SOMETHING ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW - I BELIEVE BEING YOUR COMMISSIONER SHOULD ONLY BE ABOUT PUBLIC SERVICE. THAT'S ALI,- PUBLIC SERVICE. THE FIRST MOTION I WILL MAKE AS YOUR COMMISSIONER WILL BE TO DO AWAY WITH COMMISSIONERS SALARIES. NOW TO GET A VOTE ON THAT I'LL NEED A SECOND.

WHO HERE WILL SECOND THAT MOTION? IF YOU WILL, SPEAK UP.... SINCE I CANNOT GET A SECOND ON THAT MOTION,  IT CANNOT BE VOTED ON. SO, THIS IS WHAT I’LL DO. EVERY MONTH MY SALARY CHECK WILL GO TO A LOCAL CHARITY OR NON-PROFIT GROUP. ALSO, THAT OBSCENE TRAVEL EXPENSE(?) CHECK WILL ALSO BE DONATED TO A LOCAL CHARITY. I’LL BE IN OFFICE 48 MONTHS SO THAT WILL BE 96 CHECKS GOING TO LOCAL CHARITIES.

NOW THAT THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF I GUESS I SHOULD SAY SOMETHING ABOUT MY SELF, BUT IT WILL BE SHORT. I'M 54 YEARS OLD, RETIRED FROM THE ARMY AS A LIEUTENANT COLONEL, A WIDOWER AND I HAVE TWO SUCCESSFUL GROWN CHILDREN. I WAS NOMINATED BY THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF NORTH CAROLINA AND UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED. I'M RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE.

I DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE IN 1968 AND ENLISTED IN THE INFANTRY AS A PRIVATE. MY GOAL WAS TO MAKE BUCK SERGEANT AND SERVE IN AN AIRBORNE INFANTRY UNIT IN VIETNAM. WELL, THE ARMY TOOK CARE OF THAT VIETNAM PART. ALONG THE WAY I RETURNED TO COLLEGE AND MANY THINGS HAPPENED AND IN 1996 1 RETIRED FROM ACTIVE DUTY AS A SPECIAL FORCES LIEUTENANT COLONEL. SOME GREAT PEOPLE WHO SERVED WITH ME ARE IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT.

ONE OF THE REASONS I MENTION MY MILITARY SERVICE IS BECAUSE OVER THE YEARS I HAD A LOT OF DEMANDING RESPONSIBILITIES. THIS YEARS COUNTY BUDGET IS ALMOST 21 MILLION DOLLARS. THE LAST FOUR YEARS ON ACTIVE DUTY I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A BUDGET OF 26 MILLION DOLLARS. THE MONEY I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WAS NEVER, EVER MISSPENT. FORTUNATELY, I HAD BEEN AN ACCOUNTING MAJOR WHEN ! RETURNED TO COLLEGE AND HAD WORKED AS THE FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR A MACHINERY COMPANY BEFORE RETURNING TO ACTIVE DUTY. 

I HAVE ATTENDED EVERY BUDGET WORKSHOP THE COMMISSIONERS HAD THIS YEAR- I AM THE ONLY CANDIDATE TO DO THAT. THERE IS ONLY ONE OTHER CANDIDATE BESIDES ME WHO HAS ATTENDED EVERY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' MEETING THIS YEAR AND THAT IS CHARLES DANIELS - I WILL GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.

BEFORE I TALK ABOUT SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES I'D LIKE TO ANSWER ONE QUESTION I'VE HEARD MORE THAN ONCE. WHY AM I RUNNING AS A LIBERTARIAN? SIMPLE, I AM A LIBERTARIAN. I'M ALSO A CHRISTIAN AND A RETIRED ARMY OFFICER. IF THOSE THREE THINGS BOTHER YOU, WELL, I GUESS YOU SHOULDN'T VOTE FOR ME. SOME FOLKS HAVE ONLY VOTED DEMOCRAT THEIR ENTIRE LIFE. WELL NOW THEY HAVE AN OPTION. I'VE BEEN ADVISED TO SWITCH MY VOTER REGISTRATION AND RUN AS A DEMOCRAT. SOME POLITICIANS DO THIS. I THINK THAT IS DECEPTIVE AND I KNOW MY OWN SON WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME RESPECTING ME IF I DID THAT. MY POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY IN A NUT SHELL IS COUNTY GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE SMALL, EFFICIENT, ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE IT SERVES. WHEN I SPEAK TO VOTERS OF EVERY PARTY IN OUR COUNTY I FIND THAT THEY ARE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAME THINGS - AND THEY AGREE WITH HOW I WILL TAKE CARE OF COUNTY BUSINESS. CLEARLY THE EVENTS OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS SHOW IT IS THE PERSON, NOT THE PARTY THAT IS IMPORTANT. I URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR THE PERSON NOT THE PARTY.

THE ARMY STATIONED ME AT FORT BRAGG- THREE TIMES IN MY CAREER. WHEN I CAME BACK HERE IN 1990 1 KNEW I WAS BUYING THE HOME I WOULD RETIRE IN. I HAD LIVED IN FAYETTEVILLE BEFORE AND I DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN. I RESEARCHED RAEFORD AND BOUGHT MY HOUSE. MY CHILDREN LOST THEIR MOM WHEN THEY WERE REAL YOUNG AND I PROMISED THEM THEY WOULD FINISH HIGH SCHOOL THE SAME PLACE THEY STARTED. IN 1996 1 WAS SELECTED FOR PROMOTION TO COLONEL. I HAD A DECISION TO MAKE BECAUSE MY CHILDREN WERE STILL IN SCHOOL. I DECIDED TO RETIRE THAT YEAR BEFORE BEING PROMOTED AND BEING FORCED TO MOVE. MY DAUGHTER GRADUATED FROM HOKE HIGH AND MY SON FROM FLORA MCDONALD.

I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT SOME ISSUES TONIGHT - NEW BUSINESS, TAXES AND EDUCATION. AND THEY ARE ALL INTERRELATED. MY TIME IS LIMITED BUT THESE AND MANY MORE ISSUES ARE ON MY WEBSITE. AS YOU LEAVE TONIGHT ONE OF MY VOLUNTEERS WILL GIVE YOU ONE OF THESE IF YOU WISH- ITS GOT THAT WEB ADDRESS AND MY PHONE NUMBER ON IT. AN INDEPENDENT FOUNDATION SURVEYED BUSINESS EXECUTIVES AND ASKED THEM WHAT WERE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THEY LOOKED AT WHEN CHOOSING A COUNTY TO DO BUSINESS IN. OVERWHELMINGLY THEY SAID TAXES, THE WORK FORCE AND EDUCATION. WE DESPERATELY NEED NEW BUSINESS IN HOKE COUNTY. THE STATE NOW AVERAGES SLIGHTLY LESS THAN SEVEN PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT. OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS OVER NINE PERCENT. WE MUST OFFER NEW BUSINESS WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR AND I WILL HELP SELL THEM ON OUR COUNTY. THE LAST JOB I HAD BEFORE COMING ON ACTIVE DUTY WAS VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR A NEW YORK FIRM. THAT FIRM WAS NEW AND WE DID OVER FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLARS BUSINESS OUR FIRST YEAR, THAT' S FIFTEEN MILLION IN 1980 DOLLARS FOLKS. I HAVE NO PROBLEM TALKING WITH CORPORATE EXECUTIVES AND AS A FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, MARKETING OUR COUNTY.

I'D LIKE TO SAY THIS ABOUT TAXES, I'VE ALREADY SAID I AM THE ONLY CANDIDATE THAT ATTENDED EVERY BUDGET WORKSHOP THIS YEAR. SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS TOLD ME THIS BUDGET IS THE FIRST ONE THEY'VE GONE OVER LINE BY LINE IN FOUR YEARS. THEY DID NOT INCREASE TAXES BUT THEY DID NOT GO FAR ENOUGH, THE GOAL SHOULD BE TO REDUCE TAXES. I WILL INSIST THAT FIVE THINGS BE DONE THIS YEAR.

FIRST, THE COUNTY IS BUYING NEW VEHICLES EVERY YEAR. NOW THEY REALIZE WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING WITH THE OLD ONES. WE HAVEN'T HAD A VEHICLE AUCTION IN YEARS. WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT, WE NEED TO DO IT. SECOND, WE MUST START COOPERATION BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND CITY GOVERNMENT. IT IS NOT HAPPENING AND I'VE BEEN TOLD BY THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT HAPPENING. NEXT, WE NEED A MANPOWER SURVEY EVERY THREE YEARS LIKE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DO. I'M NOT LOOKING TO LAY OFF ANYONE BUT WE MUST ESTABLISH COMMON SENSE MANNING AND SALARY LEVELS AMONG THE DEPARTMENTS. FOURTH, WE HAVE AN OBSOLETE SYSTEM OF USER FEES THAT PUTS A BURDEN ON PROPERTY OWNERS. IN AT LEAST ONE CASE, WE ARE NOT EVEN COLLECTING THE FEES WE HAVE APPROVED. THIS MUST CHANGE. LASTLY, WE NEED TO DO ZERO BASED BUDGETING. HOW WILL I GET THESE THINGS DONE? I WILL MAKE THE MOTION AND I HAVE BEEN ASSURED IT WILL BE SECONDED. IT'S UP TO YOU TO ELECT THE THIRD PERSON TO PASS IT

BOTH MY CHILDREN GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL SINCE I MOVED HERE IN 1990. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS. I AM THE ONLY CANDIDATE TO ATTEND BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS THIS YEAR. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE THE SUPERINTENDENT, MR. ALLEN STRICKLAND. WE HAD A GOOD FRANK DISCUSSION AND I KNOW THE INITIATIVES HE HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTING. HE NEEDS SOME TIME TO GET THEM ALL ON BOARD. I TOLD HIM MY CONCERNS. WE NEED TO HEAR A PROGRESS REPORT FROM HIM AT LEAST EVERY THREE MONTHS. I CHALLENGED HIM TO REDUCE THE PERCENTAGE OF HIS EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOT TEACHERS - IT IS NOW 46%. THAT'S ABOUT AVERAGE BUT WE MUST DO BETTER..

THIS MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN HOKE COUNTY HISTORY. YOU'VE GOT THREE VOTES FOR COMMISSIONER, PLEASE USE THEM WISELY. WE CANNOT KEEP DOING THE SAME THING AND EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS. THE REAL WORLD DON'T WORK THAT WAY.

YOU DESERVE COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT DOES THE RIGHT THING, AT THE RIGHT TIME EVERY TIME. IN 28 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE I'VE PROVED THAT I HAVE THE ABILITY, DEDICATION AND EXPERIENCE TO ALWAYS GET THE JOB DONE.

I'M ASKING FOR ONE OF YOUR THREE VOTES.

THANK YOU