Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Nov. 1, 1984, edition 1 / Page 18
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i . • *; The Noveml)er 6 election is one of the most important we’ve faced in many years. At the national, state, dis trict and local levels, we’ll be I choosing leaders who will af j. feet ou!‘ pocketbooks, our i ijuality of life, our safety, our stability in a fast-changing I woild. In this election, I’m necking - the Congressional seat to serve | -our 9th'District of Mecklen-. burg. Iredell. Lincoln and Yad kin Counties. I ask tor your support and your vote because I believe my t position on the issues, my in dependence. my commitment to a problem-solving approach j"-fnWa*4hwj4ott^uidjiivexpori ence reflect the factors that the people of the 9th District want j in their next Congressman. In this ad. I’d like to tell you wTT; it T believe * about-the- jm I port a nee of this position that you’ll be voting for on Novem ber (I. What I believe about your Congressman's responsibilities. I believe your Congressman has a lot of responsibilities to you. once he’s in Washington. !1< has the responsibility to represent you. as an individ ual. aggressively and effec j tivelv at the national level— whether you Want to express your views on something as important as the economy or defense or education, or just have a simple need like ally ing for a passport. Me has the responsibility to he politically creative in ways that will save you money, im prove your way of life, build your peace of mind in these troubled times, strengthen your a tidence in America. Me has the responsibility, in short, to listen and help and work for your interests and the many, varied interests of the Pth I district as a whole. The sad fact is, though, that too many people feel deserted once they’ve gotten past the election excitement and have sent their Congressman to Washington. They feel that those mysterious “special in terests” have taken over in his mind and have reduced their ability to communicate with -him about the things that are important to them. I'm going to be a different kind of Congressman—a Con gressman who’s responsible to you. and who’s accessible. YouU be able to reach me, I promise... The matter of independence. I’ve been campaigning as the independent candidate (even though I’m a Democrat) in this race,, .and that .decision bears a direct relationship to my feel ings about a Congressmans responsibilities. Maybe it’s nothing more than a matter of attitude. But the fact is that I feel a very strong commitment to all the people of this district. I want to be thought of as your Congressman, and the only way I know to convince you of my sincerity about that is to demonstrate it. This is why, throughout my campaign, we have sought fi nancial contributions only from individuals, and have not ac cepted any money from FACs (Political Action Committees) or from special interest groups. FACs are not necessarily "bad." They're at present a le gitimate part of the political process, and many serious, honest and dedicated people contribute to them as an expression of their interests ! and their views on specific is i sues. But I nevertheless have j preferred to ask the individu | als of the 9th District, rather than either local or out-of-state FACs, for the money to help support our campaign. I believe voters in the 9th District will respond at the polls to our pledge of indepen dence. Issues, answers and problem solving. You have the right to ask hard questions about my views on the issues in this campaign. Here are my feelings about the key problems- wcreJacing in this country. The economy is still in se rious trouble. I plan , to work for Egy-as-von-go budgeting as the first step toward wiping out the overwhelming Federal budget deficit. My approach will be based on my strong sense of fiscal responsibility—some of my business associates joke that I’m the tightest man with a dollar they’ve ever seen. Be that as it may, I plan to be in the opposite camp from the spendthrifts who seem to have been in control in Washington for so many years_ Uur defense policies must be totally re-evaluated so that we can develop realistic ap proaches to our national and IFilernatiOlial defense needs. We must find ways to suspend of moderate the nuclear arms race through mutually verifi able treaties; we must develop stronger negotiated pacts with other nations; we must seek beneficial trade agreements; we must define strategies that will keep us strong yet lean, con ~sistent-yet-fle>dble,..™.... We must be fair about social issues in our great nation. Whenever possible, govern ment programs should help people fin'd jobs and become productive citizens. Programs designed to meet the legiti mate needs of those who can not fully help themselves—the poor, the ill, the elderly, mi norities, the uneducated—must be cost-effective, quick-pay back programs. In addition, there must be self-help, help from the private sector, help at the state and local levels. Education in this country continues to approach the cri sis stage, and I plan to work to strengthen our system through programs that will provide in centives to local governments. We must have the control here, but there are ways Washing ton can help, both creatively and fiscally. As a forme| sec ondary-school and college-level teacher, I understand both the complexities and the priofkies of these problems. Our environment is stiH in a tug-of-war between those who seek to protect it for present and future generations, and those who see legitimate uses for our bountiful natural re sources. Solutions to these somet i mes conflict i ng i nt erests won’t be easy to find, but I be | lieve they do^exist and that people of good will can move toward policies that will work for all of us now and in the dec ades ahead. And finally. I’d like to talk about free enterprise. I be lieve in it. I believe its vital to our economic strength, but I believe its being strained by certain governmental policies and unfairly challenged by oth ers. We must keep our free enterprise system strong, ITbmpeTrtive nnd-f>penr-be cause its continued success is reflected in all these issues. The simplest way to de scribe my approach to the .C0mptex4ssues-w^fare is ^ say tfiaf Trrra problemhSolvCT. I’ve always liked the challenge of analyzing a problem, mea suring the various points of view in support and opposition to it, gauging the cost factors and the short-term benefits and all of the long-range conse quences—and then making a decision that will do the most good for the most people. I want to take that problem solving ability to Washington for you. JBcperience. .You’re aware that I’ve been calling myself, in this cam paign, “A tough, independent problem-solver.” Indepen dence and problem-solving we’ve already talked about— but what about “toughness”? I particularly want to relate the word to my experience in -working in Washington. For more tfian‘I5'■years,’"a'S" an attorney, I’ve represented individuals and businesses who have needed help in Washing ton- with -their..problems, I’ye worked with government agencies and bureaus and leg islative offices on a continuing basis on behalf of my clients, and I believe Ive earned the respect of the Washington community. I have a great many contacts there—people I can call on for help and advice in solving problems for 9th Dis trict voters. In other words, I won’t need a road map when I’m repre senting you in our nation’s Capital. I’m “pre-toughened” for my duties in Congress. Personal notes. - Let me give you just a quick overview of my personal back ground, as it relates to my qualifications to serve as your next Congressman. I grew up in Davidson, and at North Mecklenburg High School was co-captain of the basketball and football teams, captain of the tennis team and president of the student body. I entered Davidson College in 1958 and studied American history and politics. I played basketball under Lefty Drie self and was team captain my senior year. I wasn’t a star by any hieansrhuri^fty-nHeasf said I was the “hardest Work ing" player he ever coached. (It probably would have been a lot more fun to be a star!) After graduation, I worked as assistant dean of students at Davidson and then went into the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret), serving as a first lieutenant until 1965. After the Army, I taught at North Mecklenburg High School. —Harriet Howard WaH and I were married in 1966/We have a son Grier, whos a 10th grader at West Charlotte High School, and a daughter May, in the 8th grade at Alexander Graham _ Next came Yale Law School. In 1968 I joined the Charlotte law firm of Kennedy, Coving ton, Lobdell & Hickman, where I later became a partner. In the firm, one of my specialties has been the Federal regulation of interstate land sales; I’ve writ ten a book on that subject and have lectured about it all over the country. Uver the years, lve been involved in a wide range of civic, church, professional and charitable activities. I’ve been -rm thr hmrH nf gra/gninrs the N. C. Bar Association. I've been a moderator and trustee of the Mecklenburg Presby tery and an elder of Seigle Av enue Presbyterian Church. I’ve served as co-chairman of the board of directors of the Char lotte Chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.. 1’Ye .bften. chairman of the Charlotte Civil Service Board and a trustee of the Charlotte Nature Museum. I’ve worked on numerous political cam paigns. I--ve- coached.youth, basketball, been chairman of Davidson fundraising drives, president of the Wildcat Club. I hope these many leader ship activities show my com mitment to the quality of life in our communities, our dis trict, our state and our nation. Above all... Above all—please be sure to vote on November 6. My opponent and I both want to know that whoever is elected has the support and the faith of the voters of the 9th Dis trict. We want to know that you as an individual are committed to the process of good govern ment. ' If you don’t vote, we won’t know how you feel. So please, get to your polling place on November 6 and cast your vote in this Congressional race and in the many other important races that will be on the ballot. Just remember—I’m the Martin with the “D.G.” The Democrat, for Congress. Thanks. _ _ D.G.Martin Democrat For Congress. AIOUGH, IIMDEPENP™” PROBLEM Pud for by ilk u.vj. «m n« v.onwtftf6
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Nov. 1, 1984, edition 1
18
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