Newspapers / Fayetteville State University Student … / May 1, 1992, edition 1 / Page 7
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Local Professor Running for N.C. Senate interview conducted by Barbara Beebe Dr. Daniel Campagna is a Criminal Justice professor at FSU and is currently running for the North Carolina Senate. His opponent is twenty-year incumbent Lura Tally. I interviewed Dr. Campagna in March about his campaign and political aspirations. Barbara Beebe: I didn’t know you had political aspirations. Daniel Campagna: I’m not sure you’d call it political aspirations if you have a person who wants to representthe people instead of political interest groups. I don’t equate the two as one in the same. BB: What do you mean by special interest groups? DC: Everyone from union groups to all the conglomerations of special interest constituencies who want something spe cific from government I think I’m part of a new breed of candidates who wants to represent the great mass of people out there who don’t feel like one issue in itself will adequately represent them. BB: So, you feel that running for the North Carolina Senate will give you the ability to do that? DC: Yes. I want to try to redefine some of the basic rules of campaigning and of politics in general - how power’s distrib uted, how money’s spent, how things get done. BB: What do you inean by redefining the rules of politics? DC: How you go about getting the vote. Rather than going to precincts and to the interest groups, I’m trying to appeal to the general public, the individual neighbor and just groups of concerned citizens - community watch and so forth - and talking directly to them. I’m not using the county democratic machine which is so strong in this city. BB: What do you think are the 3 biggest political problems in North Carolina? DC: The distribution of state monies for programs and services is probably at the top. That’s such a political animal anyway. How money is distributed and the criteria used for that distribution - that would be at the top. Second, the economic future of the state - the fact that we continue to bring in industries which pay marginal wages, instead of livable wages. The third, education, which is a very familiar problem. Stu dents in these counties are compared to national standards. It’s time to undergo substantial reform from within the edu cational system. We need to use a state wide curriculum, not a national one, quit using the California Achievement Test (CAT) and so forth. I think by attacking education, we will solve or dissolve many of the problems which result from a lack of education. We may help take a bigger bite out of the poverty cycle, too. BB: Let’s go back to the economic future of this state and the particular businesses which we permit to come into this state. Tobacco and cotton are supposed to be our biggest cash crops.... DC: T our ism is the 3rd biggest industry. BB: Would you like to see that change? DC: Tourism could certainly be ex panded: convert state parks into luxury parks that the average citizen could afford. Virginia does the same thing. Make North Carolina more of a tourist mecca. But, that’s a transient thing. You can’t always count on that money. In stead it (the state) needs a more diverse industrial base. Simply put, it means dilTerent types of industries. Not just service industries but productive indus tries. I also think it’s time for us to experiment with basic cash crops - ex perimental crops - like soybean, hemp and so forth that can be used to sell abroad for export purposes. BB: So much money can be made from growing hemp, because it can be con verted into so many different things. Be cause of the illegality, do you think that you’d have a hard time explaining that to people? DC: Yes, I really would. But there should be a search for experimental crops that have a good cash flow to them, like soybean for instance. Right now it’s marginal. People don’t really want to move from tobacco to soybean. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be made profit able. It simply means right now we’re too timid to try it BB: The other thing I was thinking was in trying to talk to people about crop conver sion, you can deal with environmental issues. If we continue to produce the same thing, the soil is not getting any nutrients. DC: Yeah. Soil rotation. The state will be confronting, as it grows in popula tion, not only crime and education but really intense environmental issues. Toxic waste, breeder reactors, landfill sites, air pollution in the western end of the state is becoming disproportionate, the unfortunate fact that oil companies want to begin off-shore exploration on the outer banks - all that can be con trolled. I think there’s a balance be tween the needs of industry and the needs of the people. Neither side should win to the advantage of the other. In spite of not being able to find that mid point, that assumes we are intensely stupid in resolving conflicting interests. We can do that. I’m positive we can do that. I know how to do that. If 18 people disagree about the use of the soil, then you simply have to sit down and sort out what they would be willing to accept Each group has to understand in the process that they have to give something up in order to get something. The days of everyone getting everything they want are gone. That doesn’t mean we needed them in the flrst place. BB; It’s obvious to me that if you’re running, you feel there is a problem with the senators we have now. DC: Yes, a very blatant one. Foremost is the fact that if people think that life is so much better in Cumberland County af ter having had 20 year representation from a single senator, then by all means they should vote for that person. If they feel that things are supposed to be dif ferent and that holding office is an honor, not an entitlement, then they should go for change. I strongly resent the fact May, 1992 that the county democratic machine has consistently picked the same candidate and thereby removed the choice from the voters for other candidates. I would be insulted if I was a typical voter. I wouldn’t have a choice. Wliat I’d have is somebody else’s choice forced on me. And I’m trying to be that choice this time around. BB: In your concept of trying to redefine politics, do you think that all forms of public office should be limited? DC: Yes. There’s not an honest con cerned citizen around who couldn’t do the job as well as the next one. Experts make mistakes. We currently have a state senate 1/3 or 1/4 of whom are attorneys. I’m familiar with the legisla tion in this state, and there’s nothing blindingly insightful about it I think anyone can do it It’s des^ned to be a citizen’s legislature, meaning we all get represented at some time. And it should be an office to which any of us, regard less of our income, can aspire. That’s out of the question for most folks. BB: So, I take it you’re against career politicians? DC: Yes. I wouldn’t want to be a career The Broncos' Voice Page 7 nVFT'l? \ 7T1? 131/C! ji V JUJnii tt cu politician. I think you become more ineffective. I think you become too ac customed to doing things only one way and your perspective on solving prob lems narrows, it doesn’t expand because you’re told right from the start what is acceptable behavior andwhat’snot. You need a very strong-willed person to say “no, there are other options.” I fully expect to win on May 5th because whoever wins in the primary, wins it all. THE Crossword by Martha J. DeWitt ACROSS 1 Gorlot” S Does a belly- whopper 10 Grant 14 Arabian letter 15 Oberonof films 16 Felling tools 17 Revelation 19 Gaiter 20 On the up — 21 Calming with drugs 23 Phoenician city 25 PInochie cards 26 Mohammedan judge 29 Square pillar 31 Spry 34 Cromwell 36 Makes boo-boos 38 “If it were done when — done...” 39 Takes umbrage 41 Certain worshiper 43 Reference work: abbr. 44 Cartoonist Addams 46 Louisiana cookery 47 Author Lageriof 49 Mannerism 51 Hydrocarbons: suff. 52 i-lops dryer 54 Chronic failure 56 Of the stars 58 Jockey Arcaro 62 Put to flight 63 Revelation 65 Concerning 66 Public spat 67 Vegetable 68 Contemporary 69 Armor part 70 Mex. laborer DOWN 1 Spotted cavy 2 N.C. college 3 Peel ■1 2 30 14 17 18 2Q 23 26 27 39 43 62 65 68 33 55 58 59 60 61 67 170 ©1992, Tribune Media Services ANSWERS 4 Gushing 5 Afternoons 6 School work 7 Cuban province 8 Trudge 9 Fr. upper house 10 Sheath 11 Revelation 12 Dizzy or Daffy 13 Superlative suffix 18 Roof ornament 22 Come-on 24 — Vader 26 Centers 27 Coeurd’— 28 Revelation 30 Fr. painter 32 Kind of thread 33 — Park, Colo. 35 Box 37 Cereal grains 40 Drain 42 Certain pendent 45 Consoles 48 Substance 50 Lawmakers 53 Credit 55 Shoe size 56 Top-drawer 59 Barrier to % control water 60 Jap. box 61 Actor Richard 62 Van Winkle 57 Early Peruvian 64 Victory sign
Fayetteville State University Student Newspaper
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May 1, 1992, edition 1
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