THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 15, 1994 TAG: 9410150256
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
First Congressional District candidates Eva Clayton and Ted Tyler stole the show from local office-seekers at a forum this week and set the stage for a series of clashes between political insiders and outsiders.
Like the incumbents and Democrats that followed her, Democratic U.S. Rep. Clayton ran on her record and her leadership.
``Eva Clayton listens to you and is working for you,'' Clayton said, highlighting her ``integrity, caring and response.''
And like the Republicans and challengers that spoke after him, Tyler derided big government, taxes and regulation.
``I believe enough is enough, and we should turn this around and get government off the backs of people,'' said Tyler, a businessman and former Rich Square mayor who criticized such government mandates as family leave, minimum wage and environmental inspections.
Each of the 13 participating candidates spoke for three minutes at Thursday night's Chamber of Commerce forum at the Kermit E. White Graduate Center. But Tyler and Clayton received the lion's share of questions from an audience of about 80 people.
Despite the tight format, Clayton and Tyler were able to demonstrate their differences. In response to questions, Clayton came down for U.S. intervention in Haiti and major health care reform, and against term limits and a federal balanced-budget amendment.
Tyler said he opposed the country's military involvement in Haiti, opposed health reform initiatives debated this year, favored term limits and supported a balanced-budget amendment.
John Schrote and Pasquotank County Commissioner Bill Owens, running for the North Carolina House of Representatives, also cast themselves in different lights.
Owens, a Democrat, said his relationships with such powerful legislators as Senate leader Marc D. Basnight, D-Dare, would help him bring resources like roads and school funding into the state's 1st District. ``You've got to know the people to go to,'' Owens said.
He also noted that only a handful of the 1,000 bills passed in a recent General Assembly session had been from the ``minority party'' - the Republicans.
Republican Schrote worked to broaden the scope of the election.
``I'm a conservative,'' Schrote said. ``I am not running against my opponent, Bill Owens. . . . I'm running against the way business is done.''
Schrote accused the General Assembly of ``overspending'' and said the state's spending of surplus funds this year represented ``one thing: overtaxation.''
As a parting shot, Schrote called for a public debate with Owens ``so that we can really talk about the issues and the differences between us.''
Owens said Friday he'd be willing to debate in a neutral setting with impartial questioners, but he said time for organizing such an event was running out.
Insider-outsider arguments continued into speeches by at-large Pasquotank County commissioner candidates. Democratic incumbents Jimmie Dixon and Patsy McGee talked about new educational, medical and infrastructure facilities that have been added to the county during their watch.
Thomas Eichler, one of two Republican challengers, plugged term limits for commissioners. The other challenger, Doug Wilcox, talked about budget tightening and said it's ``time to put God back into our institutions.''
Wilcox's comments were the only time religion entered the fray Thursday, despite the recent resurgence of school prayer as a political issue.
In the race for Pasquotank County sheriff, Democrat Randy Cartwright ran down a list of ideas for dealing with ``the advanced criminal mind.'' Republican Tom Marshall, who said the race for sheriff should be nonpartisan, issued a three-point plan for involving community members in the work of the Sheriff's Office.
Experience was the issue in the race for 1st District judge. Republican James A. Beales highlighted his varied experience in 17 years of practicing law and said Judge J.C. Cole's legal experience ``simply does not rise to the level that I have.''
Cole, a Democrat appointed to the bench in spring, said he had risen from humble beginnings and was proud of his work in law enforcement and as a ``fair
One statewide candidate appeared Thursday: Superior Court Judge William C. Griffin Jr., a Democrat from the 2nd District. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Rep. Eva Clayton
Ted Tyler
by CNB