Dan Forest, Republican nominee for N.C. Lieutenant Governor, was the only candidate for that office on stage at Wednesday night’s Alliance of Brunswick County Property Owners Associations (ABCPOA) candidates’ forum.
The forum was at Odell Williamson Auditorium on the campus of Brunswick Community College. Democratic candidate Linda D. Coleman of Knightdale was invited to the forum, but did not attend.
“We need visionaries to partner with creative people to help paint a long-term vision for this state,” Forest, a Raleigh architect, said in his opening remarks.
When Forest was asked about the proposed 30-percent increase for homeowners’ insurance rates for coastal counties, including Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender, he said the issue illustrated the need for leadership change in insurance commissioner.
Forest is also an advocate for school choice in North Carolina.
Forest supports the voter ID law that passed in the N.C. General Assembly, but Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed in the summer of 2011.
On transportation funding, Forest said North Carolina has very good roadways but the Highway Trust Fund has been raided by legislators to balance the general fund.
“We need to put it in the hands of people we can trust,” Forest said.
Forest also addressed the need to lower the gas tax for the region to get travelers to spend their gas money in North Carolina instead of filling up in surrounding states where gas tax is cheaper. North Carolina has the second-highest gas tax on the East Coast.
When asked about what should be the state’s policy on inlet dredging and how it should be funded, Forest said the federal government should relinquish control to the state.
“Every year that goes by means more money that has to be spent on the issue. Something needs to be done immediately,” Forest said.
“Over the last 20 months we have been all over North Carolina. Your leaders need to go out and know the people and the issues,” Forest said.
Contact Christina Haley at (910) 772-6337 or chrisitna.h@hometownwilmington.
