Name as it appears on the ballot: Moses Carey
Party: Democratic
Date of Birth: May 28, 1945
Campaign Web site: careyforsenate.com
Occupation: Semi-Retired/Consultant
Years lived in NC: 37 yrs
1) What do you see as the most important issues facing North Carolina? If elected, what are your top three priorities in addressing those issues?
The most important issues facing North Carolina today are as follows:
- Improving access to affordable health insurance and access to quality health care, including mental health for all residents of the State,
- increasing efforts to promote and provide incentives for protection of environmental resources and natural and cultural resource conservation in light of the trend toward droughts and the need for clean water to protect our growing economy,
- insuring access to the highest quality education at all levels (starting with early childhood education) to insure that our children are prepared to compete in a global economy regardless of where they live in the State, and
- moving toward voter owned elections (reducing the impact of money on elections and policy making) to increase the opportunity for more people who have skills and who care about our future to compete and serve in elected office.
2) What in your record as a public official or other experience demonstrates your ability to be effective on the issues youve identified? Please be as specific as possible in relating past accomplishments to current goals.
I am the only candidate in the Senate race who has 24 yrs of elected public service and 35yrs of professional experience in public health administration (including 18 yrs as CEO of a non-profit health care business that employed 200 people and a $12 million budget that provided over 100,000 medical, dental and pharmacy visits annually). I am the only candidate with a proven record of results highlighted by such items as proposing a Durham Tech campus in Orange County, supporting growth management and environmental conservation measures that have made Orange County a leader in the State. They include a Joint Planning Agreement including Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Orange County; co-chairing the water and sewer boundary district negotiations for the county; supporting University Lake and Cane Creek watershed protection plans, and supporting the purchase of easements and development rights to protect open space and family farms. I am the only candidate who can forge the alliances and collaborations across many lines to achieve future goals in the areas listed above and others that may arise. I have also taught health law at UNC-CH and worked in the health field, which provides me with the knowledge and experience needed to help improve health care and mental health reorganization in the State.
3) How do you define yourself politically, and how does your political philosophy show itself in your past achievements and present campaign platform?
I am not sure how to characterize myself. I only know what I believe in and know how to work with others to form alliances to get things done for the residents of my district and the state. My basic philosophy is transparent in my 24 years as a Commissioner (11 as chairman) and is represented in my platform for his election all of which can be found on my web site at careyforsenate.com. I do not avoid tough issues and will fight for those who are less fortunate than me because they deserve fairness. I have a record of achievement and have demonstrated the commitment and energy to work for the public to achieve important sustainable goals that will transcend my term in office.
4) The Independents mission is to help build a just community in the Triangle. Please point to a specific position in your platform that would, if achieved, help further that goal.
My platform and my past public service are replete with efforts and goals that help to build a Just Community in the Triangle and the State. I have worked on these items for most of my public and professional careers. My platform includes a focus on the four elements of a sustainable community, which includes a quality education (including early childhood), employment opportunity, economic development and environmental protection and conservation. Other issues including access to quality health care, services for seniors and affordable housing are important and will need to be addressed with the help of the legislature. I am qualified and committed to assist with these goals.
5) Identify and explain one principled stand you would be willing to take if elected that you suspect might cost you some popularity points with voters.
I am against the Death Penalty and believe we must control access to hand guns in this state.
6) If these issues havent been addressed above, would you please comment on:
A) Poverty: Increase the minimum wage, reduce dropout rates from school, and insure that every child has access to early childhood education.
B) Transportation: Increase access to funds for alternatives to road construction and promote alternative means for transportation.
C) Overcrowded Prisons: provide more funding for alternative sentencing, increase efforts to prevent drop-outs from school and provide more funding for programs to reduce recidivism and train those who are released from prison on how to reintegrate themselves into society. We also need to expunge the records of non-violent youth who remain free of offences for a certain period of time after release so they cannot be discriminated against in employment.
D) Health Care: We must move toward a universal health insurance and health care access plan for all residents of the State.
E) Foreclosures: Increase banking establishment transparency and provide education and training for new homeowners on how to avoid high risk loans while promoting economic development opportunities that can withstand economic downturns, such as environmental conservation, recycling, reuse, and other job opportunities that provide for a living wage and protect our scarce resources.
F) Mental Health Crisis: Elect as new governor who cares enough to get involved in the process and provide leadership that I can work to support.
G) Taxes: Re-evaluate the overall tax structure and provide more options to local governments to meet their own needs. Possibly broaden the base of the sales taxes to include services while keeping food and medicine out of the sales tax. This will allow it to be lowered similar to other states.
7) What is your position on capital punishment in North Carolina? If in favor, will you support a moratorium on executions while the question of whether the death penalty can be administered fairly is studied by the General Assembly?
I am against Capital Punishment for many reasons.
8) What is your position regarding LGBT rights? Please address whether gay marriages or civil unions should be made legal in North Carolina; also, whether sexual orientation and identity should be added as a protected class under state anti-discrimination laws, including state personnel laws.
I am the originator of the Orange County local Civil Rights Ordinance (first county ordinance in State) which sought to eliminate discrimination, including discrimination based on sexual orientation. The State has not allowed us to include sexual orientation in our ordinance after many attempts. Sexual orientation should be included under State anti-discrimination laws.
9) Do you support womens reproductive rights, including the right to choose as set out by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade? Given that North Carolina has the ninth highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation, do you support medically accurate sex education that includes information about birth control?
I have supported womens reproductive rights, including the right to Choose for many years and continue to do so. I also support medically accurate sex education that includes information about birth control.
10) Should public employees have the right to bargain collectively in North Carolina?
I support public employees right to bargain collectively in this State.
