My name is Joe Langley and I am a candidate for NC State Senator in the 12th District.
There is an old saying that goes, “We are all in this together, until we are not.” To many, politics is an opportunity to hide behind bland labels, reignite old hatreds, milk everyone for every cent, have an ego trip, and secure a lucrative job once your constituents catch on to your shenanigans. Many voters in the 12th District have a distrust of our government, and you can hardly blame them. We, in the 12th District, have a Congresswoman, in Renee Elmers, who shuts down the Federal Government (and demands payment for doing so). We have a State Senator, Ron Rabin, who sides with the oil and gas industry instead of his constituents. In addition, Rabin co-sponsored legislation that refused federal funding that would have strengthened our hospitals and provided health insurance for our seniors and low-income children. With representation like that, it is hard to get a good feeling about government and to have faith that things can get better. However, things will get better.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The government is us; we are the government, you and I.” In other words, we are all responsible for this government and when we elect people who fail us, it is our responsibility and duty to send them home. If we stand on the sidelines and say that our votes don’t matter, then we fail our government and are no better than the bums that are in office failing us every day. You have an obligation as an American citizen to stand up, vocalize your opinion and mark down what you believe on that ballot. You must carry out that responsibility so that well-meaning and qualified citizen legislators represent us, not self-serving leaders of narrow agendas.
I jumped into this race because of my grandchildren. The dangers associated with Fracking, the challenges placed on our local hospitals, the exodus of our teachers due to low pay, and the lack of recreational opportunities led me to believe that we were not acting as good stewards of opportunity for our children. Therefore, at the urging of the late Senator Martin Nesbitt, I decided to challenge Senator Rabin for the State Senate seat in District 12.
Picture this if you can, one man who happens to be a local businessperson and healthcare finance professional considered by his colleagues as a Medicaid eligibility expert, versus the political establishment and the oil and gas industry. David and Goliath, right? In all honesty, it was enough to keep me up at night. Questions like, how am I going to fund this campaign, how am I going to get volunteers, and how am I going to convince the cynical to engage ran through my head. However, a funny thing happened as I started campaigning. I found that it wasn’t just me versus Raleigh and the oil and gas industry; there were tons of people, just like you, standing beside me, waiting for the opportunity to step up.
Right here, in North Carolina, in Harnett, Lee, and Johnston Counties, is a fight over corporate rights versus people’s rights. There’s a fight over basic access to healthcare and strong local hospitals versus everyone is on their won. There’s a fight over what kind of education system we should have and if our children are worth the investment; and the more I spoke to voters throughout the district, I saw that they have had enough. They people of the 12th District want clean water, full control over their land, and good schools and hospitals. They are tired of campaigns that divide us on skin color, sexual orientations, religions, what shoes we wear, and what trucks we drive. The voters understand that none of that stuff matters and that we are all in this together. The newspapers, weekend political shows, cynics, and high priced political consultants haven’t figured it out yet, but the feeling is there and they will feel it in November.
Our campaign has a vision for the future that consists of private property ownership and the ability to refuse gas miners on your property, clean water, excellent schools, access to healthcare and abundant family recreation opportunities. Senator Rabin’s vision consists of healthcare and recreation opportunities for those who can afford it, a universal need to purchase bottled water instead of using a tap, and a landscape highlighted by Fracking rigs and pipes laid across our backyards without our permission. There are 116,000 voters in the 12th District, how many do you think support and agenda like Rabin's? We can win, and if we get the financial means, we can win big.
We have less than two months to go before early voting begins; less than two months to get our message out to our neighbors. Now is not the time to withhold our opinions, or leave an argument unchallenged. Now is not the time to rely on others to do the work or to donate; now is the time to get involved. Now is the time to become part of something that our kids will thank us for later. Now is the time to fight and now is the time when North Carolina needs you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope to have your support in this campaign
Sincerely,
Joe Langley for NC Senate
http://www.joelangley.org
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