FRED SMITH GOVERNOR 2008 - "A Little Extra Effort" Statewide BBQ Tour
November 16, 2007, Mecklenburg South... Mecklenburg as you know is a BIG county - lots of people so it was decided early on that we would split it north and south and plan two events. Today Fred and Jonathan Hill arrived in the county early to visit key contributors and campaign leaders while we stayed back to complete our December planning. While Fred lunched with business people from the Queen City, the RV left Raleigh with Morgan, Lori, Joe, Ira and me. I took over Fred's back office and filled the drive time with calls to Alamance, Greene, Lenoir, Transylvania, prepared invitation letters for the printer, filed documents, more phone calls to key county leaders and by the time we arrived at South Charlotte Middle School I'd enjoyed one great productive day. The school had an impressive entryway that brought you right into the cafeteria. Above the columns were student designed three-dimensional ceramic tiles that looked professional. Great artistic touch! Our guests numbered over 200 and you could feel the electric in the air. Fred's speech was tight, delivered with ease and grace and you could have heard a pin drop in the room. Now middle school cafeteria table seats are not exactly comfortable and yet no one budged. The people were spellbound sizing up this unique candidate with integrity, experience and leadership qualities that surpass his opponents. One man came up to me afterward and said, "Any chance we can take him national?" I smiled and said, "I'm selfish. Let's keep him two terms in North Carolina!"
Fred's the only candidate that will treat government like a business and make us productive and customer oriented in education, transportation, and safety. I'm really tired of the same old politics. It's time for a change and Mecklenburg can make it happen!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008...North Mecklenburg...Fred and Joe have been traveling in the western counties and came back to Mecklenburg to meet with the Chamber of Commerce's Regional Roads Committee. According to Senator Eddie Goodall and Representative Thom Tillis who attended, Fred hit a home run with straight talk and a solid plan. Comments from the 75 guests included, "Wow, he's done his homework." "Fred understands the big picture. He gets it!" "I'm going to vote for Fred." Fred outlined his plan for road improvements including a $4 billion Good Roads, Safe Bridges Bond that could be paid off without increasing taxes through prudent stewardship of the Highway Trust Fund and making sound financial adjustments in the General Fund. He also was honest and told the audience that over the long term, North Carolinians would have to pay for roads and that money earmarked from gas taxes or road use fees needed to be spent only on their intended purpose. Fred always notes that people want honest and transparent government that does what it says it's going to do.
Luncheon conversations with a large group of GOP women followed before Fred headed to the local access channel for a TV interview; from there contributor appointments and an hour to check email before the BBQ. The BBQ team set up at the Cornelius Town Hall - excellent venue. Many elected officials attended to hear Fred's speech as did our invited guests. Every seat was filled and each of the 130 guests listened attentively after Thom Tillis introduced Fred in what could have been a risky option with any other candidate. In an open forum, Thom asked guests who'd already read Fred's book what they thought. People were impressed, surprised, came to see if he's the man they read about or just another politician. They left satisfied that Fred has the credentials and ethics to lead North Carolina in a "new attitude" where the people are his first concern. At the heart of Fred Smith you get leadership not political rhetoric. Clearly, if I were the referee calling this ground game in North Mecklenburg, I'd call it "Touchdown - Fred Smith!"
PICTURES FROM MECKLENBURG COUNTY
Click HERE to view pictures from the South Mecklenburg County BBQ and here to view pictures from the North Mecklenburg County BBQ.
ON THE BLOGS
Sister Toldjah, November 18, 2007
Full post with photos available online HERE.
Last month, I wrote a post about one of the Republican candidates for governor here in NC, State Senator Fred Smith, noting that in what little bit I knew of him, I could see that he had some solid conservative credentials. I'm still getting to know Fred Smith, so this post should not be considered an official endorsement, but on Friday night, I had the chance to meet him and get to know him a little bit better and I liked what I heard... I stepped out and went to South Charlotte Middle School, where the senator was holding his 55th BBQ event in North Carolina. North Carolina has 100 counties, and his goal is to have a BBQ event in each one, to get to know the voters of the state, and I can tell you that there's not much of a better way to work your way into someone's good graces here in NC than by holding a BBQ dinner . In all seriousness, his efforts at traveling the state to speak directly to voters appear to be paying off...
I got a chance to speak with Senator Smith briefly, and he came across as warm and unpretentious, and as someone who was eager to restore this state's good reputation, which has suffered thanks to the numerous Democrat corruption scandals that have happened over the last few years.
By the time everything got started good, all the seats were filled with people eating BBQ, and all eyes were on the stage to listen to the introductions made for senator Smith, to watch the short video about his life - which was very moving - and then to listen to the candidate himself. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Republicans in attendance clearly weren't just hungry for BBQ. They were hungry to hear a conservative message from a candidate who was prepared to deliver one... he had a lot of good things to say on many issues, especially on illegal immigration - an issue he's clearly passionate about. Suffice it to say he's disgusted as most conservatives are with how the issue has been handled in Washington, DC, and believes it's up to the states to pick up the slack He's a strong proponent of 287(g), which "provides the legal authority for state and local enforcement to investigate, detain, and arrest aliens on civil and crimiÂnal grounds."
...Of course, no candidate is perfect, but Smith is the kind of serious candidate who makes you take a second and third look at what he stands for. So many politicians out there come across as empty suits when you meet them. I'm happy to say that Senator Smith is not one of them.
Fred Smith in Charlotte
by Jeff Taylor, The Meck Deck
State Senator Fred Smith dropped by Don Reid's long-running Thursday morning munch bunch to press his case for being the next governor. This was on the heels of a stop in Cornelius Wednesday night for a BBQ event where Smith picked up the endorsement of state Rep. Thom Tillis.
Smith was introduced Thursday morning by state Sen. Eddie Goodall, who called Smith one of the hardest working men he's met as well as very influential in the GOP caucus.
Smith himself very much came across as a savvy businessman looking to transfer his executive skill set to the executive branch of government -- think Mitt Romney but more real. However, Smith stepped on a landmine when he refused to completely rule out the use of economic incentives by state officials. That sounded like more of same to some in the audience tired of Raleigh's wheeling-and-dealing. Smith doubled-back to stress he opposed the Google, Dell, and Goodyear corporate welfare packages, a stance he would do well to lead with on this explosive topic.
In fact, in-as-much as Smith reported that "honest government" was the issue that overwhelming came up with his audiences across the state, the connection between incentives and trust cannot be overlooked. Right now the people of North Carolina do not trust their state government to do the right thing. The Jim Black gang broke that bond. Until it is put back together, folks are not particularly keen to see more deals get done. That is not remotely Fred Smith's fault, but it is reality.
In light of that, maybe the best position for Smith to take on incentives is a mortorium until the current criminal element in Raleigh -- all of it -- is safely behind bars. In other words, talk more about trust and less about deals.
Otherwise, Smith presented an attractive package to conservative primary voters. He stressed that government spending is out of control and that he would not hesitate to veto spending increases that exceeded population growth and inflation. Smith recognized that the heavy hand of Raleigh bureaucracy torments our teachers everyday, preventing them from doing their best to educate. He called for exploding the cap on charter schools and overall focusing less on process -- the wormhole the education status quo fixates on -- and more on results.
