THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 29, 1994 TAG: 9410290186
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
In perhaps their last and most informative joint appearance before the Nov. 8 election, state House candidates John Schrote and Bill Owens talked Friday as though months of campaigning had brought them closer together.
``I think we've found a lot of our philosophies are close to each other on some issues,'' Owens conceded during the hourlong morning debate on WGAI radio.
``We know each other as John and Bill now,'' said Owens, a Democratic Pasquotank County Commissioner seeking to fill the four-county 1st District House of Representatives seat being vacated by Vernon James. ``And I think it's been a good, clean campaign.''
Owens still cast himself as a political insider, while Schrote, a Corolla Republican, highlighted his independent outsider status.
But the candidates found themselves agreeing on a number of issues, like ensuring that northeastern schools are on the information highway, supporting referendums on a state lottery or horse racing, emphasizing small business development and limiting state and federal mandates on local governments.
The candidates amicably flipped a coin to decide who would make the first opening statement before answering a bundle of listener-submitted questions. Schrote's call of tails won the toss.
As in past forums, Schrote emphasized overspending as a key reason to send him to Raleigh. He cited Democratic North Carolina Treasurer Harlan Boyles' recent condemnation of state government growth.
``This General Assembly just set us up for a tax increase when the next recessionary cycle occurs,'' Schrote said. ``This is the height of irresponsibility.''
Owens nodded his head solemnly as Schrote listed the powerful men Owens allies himself with, including Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. and the leaders of both General Assembly houses. Schrote said a Republican victory would sound ``a loud clap of thunder'' against business as usual.
Owens, speaking ``from the heart'' rather than from notes as Schrote had, plugged his standard issues of economic development, jobs, infrastructure and education, and said he was the best man to bring those into the northeast.
``There are certain issues that are more important than others,'' Owens said.
The two men joked before, during and after the debate, sharing political war stories that pitted them more as allies than adversaries in weathering the strains and toils of countless forums and campaign stops.
``We've had a good time,'' Schrote said in his on-air closing remarks. ``We've tweaked each other a few times,'' but not in a mean-spirited way, he said.
KEYWORDS: CANDIDATE ELECTION NORTH CAROLINA by CNB