Are you better off than you were when McHenry took office?

Long-time Republicans fondly recall the moment in the fall presidential campaign of 1980 when Ronald Reagan stood on the debate stage with his Democrat opponent, Pres. Jimmy Carter, looked into the camera and asked: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”

10th District congressional challenger Lance Sigmon, is asking voters at campaign stops all across western North Carolina a similar question: “Are you better off now than you were when Patrick McHenry went to Congress a little over three years ago?”

An objective review of economic data the last few years would cause most to have to answer, “No, I’m afraid not.”

The Sigmon campaign recently looked at economic data collected by the Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG), comparing and contrasting positive and negative statistics in the Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)—or Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba Counties—for years between 2000 and the end of 2006.

Many of the statistical measurements indicate negative movement in the individual economic well-being of 10th District constituents, noted Sigmon.

“As Ronald Reagan observed about Jimmy Carter, my opponent has been a part of ‘the system’ the last few years; therefore, he’s clearly part of the problem, and the problem has gotten worse, not better,” the challenger said.

Most trends in immigration, employment, types of jobs available since a move to global trade, growth in average wages, retail sales, single-family building permits, educational achievement, highway construction status, and air and water pollution measurements show a real decline in “quality of life” standards at the end of 2006, the last year statistics were available.

“Certainly, I don’t blame the congressman for all of the economic and quality-of-life declines the last few years,” Sigmon said, “but he did run in 2004 as a small business man who planned to work hard to bring new jobs to the area.” Specifically Mr. McHenry stated that: “My priority in Washington will be to provide more opportunities for small businesses, and businesses of every size, to expand and grow here in our region.” Clearly the facts show that he failed to live up to that promises he made in 2004.

Hickory MSA employment reached a peak of 184,814 jobs at the end of 2000, the report shows, declining to 158,677 in the third quarter of 2006. After gaining 2,365 jobs from a low in 2003 to 2004, the Catawba-Burke-Caldwell economy lost almost 2,000 of those jobs again from 2004 to 2006. Of 14 MSAs in North Carolina, only five actually lost jobs from 2000 to 2006—and Hickory led the way with an overall loss of 14.1%, while the next highest was Burlington at 11%. Hickory’s employment loss during the period was fueled by the exit of 27,529 manufacturing jobs, with the next highest segment a loss of 2,441 retail trade jobs.

In 2005-2006, during McHenry’s first term in office, the area lost 888 furniture manufacturing jobs, plus 511 more jobs in local textile mills, Sigmon pointed out. “At the end of 2007, we saw a 73-year-old hosiery manufacturer in Long View, Johnson’s Hosiery Mills, also close its doors due to foreign competition,” he said. Catawba County saw a net gain of 1,587 jobs in 2005-2006, the report revealed, while Burke County witnessed a meager gain of 106 jobs, while Caldwell County suffered a major loss of 960 jobs—on top of Caldwell job declines earlier in the decade.

“Rep. McHenry and the remainder of the 109th Congress had many opportunities to enact legislation to level the playing field for American companies. What we’ve seen is the U.S. lowers its trade barriers to foreign manufacturers, but American companies trying to compete in foreign markets face steep tariffs on imports.” Regarding immigration in the Hickory MSA, overall minority population grew by 8,045 in the six years ending in 2005, and the largest growth of any one minority group occurred among Hispanics (6,582), or 81.1% of the total.

“The statistics bear out what many Americans already know: that illegal immigration from Mexico and other countries south of the U.S. is putting undue pressure on our 10th District counties,” Sigmon said. “The 109th and 110th Congresses, which included Patrick McHenry, have had several opportunities to more effectively control the flow of illegals, but have failed.”

“What’s more, illegals are a national security risk. Generally, we don’t know who they are, where they came from, where they are now or why they’re here. We can’t call ourselves a nation for very long, if we continue to ignore our own borders.”

“America is a nation of immigrants, and they have enriched us as a people for many decades—but only if they come here legally, learn our language, assimilate into our society, and pay taxes,” the challenger said.

I will not make promises that I can not keep just to get elected, but I will promise to work hard for you and never forget that my main priority will be the people of the 10th District.

Sigmon urges policy change: ‘Energy independence…now’

With violence and unrest a daily occurrence in several oil-producing countries, 10th District congressional candidate Lance Sigmon has publicly urged Congress to “get busy on a national policy of achieving energy independence…now.”

Sigmon, the retired Air Force officer challenging Patrick McHenry for the Republican nomination in the May 6 primary, pointed out “major risks to our economy, even our national security, by not being able to meet our own future energy needs.”

A study released Jan. 2 sent U.S. stock markets tumbling by predicting that current worldwide oil production levels would not be sufficient to meet international demand over the next 20 years, especially with pressure from emerging economies in India and China.

Immediately, crude oil futures climbed to about $100 per barrel, and the local price of gasoline at most 10th District service stations settled above $3 per gallon. Although the prices of crude and gasoline have retreated somewhat, long-term pressures do not bode well for drivers.

The January study also concluded that civil unrest, war and widespread fears of turmoil in countries like Iraq, Iran, Venezuela, and most recently, Kenya, will continue to cause questions about supplies while keeping prices of crude extremely high.

“I support measures that will make us independent of other nations in supplying our own energy needs,” Sigmon said. “It’s not just about oil, where to find it and how to bring it to market. It’s about our security as a nation.”

“The U.S. petroleum industry needs to invest more capital to find new oil fields, to expand refining capacity and, possibly, to bring the huge production of Alaska’s North Slope to our own West Coast, rather than shipping it to Asia.”

“I would support legislation to open up the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) to environmentally sound drilling to replace oil provided now by unstable nations half a world away. Our oil suppliers should be dependable, and closer to home.”

Sigmon also said he wants “our nation to take another serious look at nuclear power.” Several presidential candidates have expressed similar thoughts in recent televised debates.

Nuclear electric-generating plants “have been working very well for a long time to provide power from coast to coast, including two major nuclear facilities right here in North Carolina,” Sigmon pointed out.

“I want a clean environment to pass along to our children and grandchildren, but we always seem to assume the worst about nuclear plants or petroleum refineries,” the candidate added. “We need to find workable, environmentally-friendly answers to the problems.”

He said the Congress also should speed along legislation “to promote renewable and alternative energy sources.”

Sigmon questioned whether “a cost-effective way to convert our vast reserves of coal into other, petroleum-like fuels, might be possible—if we look for it.” He also believes that the fuel efficiency of U.S.-manufactured vehicles must also continue to increase.