Election Day is Nov. 5. Candidates representing Watauga County are running in national, state and local races. The Appalachian curated responses to questions on policy positions of candidates in the various offices.
The questions and responses below are curated from the Boone and Blowing Rock chambers of commerce “Meet the Candidates” forum held in the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country on Sept. 16.
Candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, North Carolina House of Representatives, Watauga County Board of Education and the Watauga County Board of Commissioners were questioned by a panel of moderators and given time for opening and closing statements.
Candidates for the North Carolina House of Representatives attended the Meet the Candidates forum Monday. The Boone and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce hosted the forum at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country.
Moderators asked Democrat Ben Massey and incumbent Republican Ray Pickett various questions related to local and state issues.
Democrat Frank Hughes III and incumbent Republican Ralph Hise, candidates for the North Carolina Senate, did not attend the event.
The moderators gave candidates two minutes for opening and closing statements and 90 seconds each for responses to questions.
The Appalachian compiled the candidates’ responses to various questions. The questions listed and the candidates responses are shortened for brevity.
How will the impact of delayed actions in governmental process motivate you to ensure citizens are actually receiving the funding you’ve approved?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he believes the state should resolve delays in governmental processes and funding.
He said a recent six month delay in government funding for childcare centers was “just ridiculous” and legislative leadership should have been more accountable for the delay.
Ray Pickett:
“The saying that the government will start slowly was made very evident with me the first day I got to the job,” Pickett said.
A bill was passed but must go to many departments to distribute funding. He said he is advocating for speeding up that process.
He said we need more technology and people to help provide funding for daycares because, “we do need more childcare, it is a problem across this country.”
What is your answer to Department of Transportation funding in the future?
Ben Massey:
Massey said the lack of DOT funding has been an issue for a while and actions should be made to help resolve this issue.
“It’s time for the state legislature to do something about it and change that formula,” he said.
Massey said there needs to be a specified formula for gasoline tax, and the state legislature needs to find a way to ensure electric vehicles “pay their fair share.” He said people who drive EVs should pay the same amount as people who drive gas vehicles.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said the legislature needs to look at rules for EVs, however, they have been trying to work on funding for DOT but it would increase taxes. He said the formula for EVs on the road needs to be improved because the roads are where a lot of money comes from.
How will you work to ensure the well being of state employees and support state agencies to recruit and retain high quality employees ensuring the community continues to benefit from these high quality jobs?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he believes the salaries and benefits for state employees should be raised, and said that over the last 20 years, pay has not kept up with the rising cost of living.
“Our state employees are one of our greatest resources, but our legislation has not treated them with much respect or appreciation over the past many years,” he said.
He noted cases where some state employees had their pay and benefits cut, and said that should not be the case.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said he advocates increasing the pay of state employees including teachers, central staff, App State employees, Department of Motor Vehicles and DOT.
“We have done better, but can we do better than that? Yes we can,” he said.
He said the state needs qualified people like engineers to build and fix roads, and to make sure they pay employees to have properly qualified people in those positions.
“I promise to keep working to make sure we have those people, those good state jobs,” he said.
How do you feel residents in Watauga County can best be served by Medicaid expansion?
Ben Massey:
Massey said access to Medicaid can help save small rural hospitals and provide better access to mental health services.
“Everybody should have a right to quality healthcare,” he said.
He questioned why it took so long for the passage of Medicaid and attributed its passage from pressure applied by the Democratic Party.
“Why did it take a Republican legislature so long to get something done, to get Medicaid passed?” Massey said. “It took 13 years to get Medicaid passed, and that was thousands of patients, year after year after year were not getting services.”
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said Medicaid expansion has allowed “over 400,000 people to get health insurance.”
He said the biggest problem is the cost of healthcare.
“It has gone through the roof and I’m not sure we can control that at the state level,” he said.
What are specific Watauga County needs that you will ensure will be reflected in the next budget cycle?
Ben Massey:
Massey said housing should be prioritized and should be a main priority within the general assembly. He said he would like to see a commissioner of housing appointed, as well as dedicated state legislation for housing.
“People say the state legislature’s not in the housing business,” Massey said. “We should be in the housing business, because everybody should have a place that they can lay their head, and rest and raise their families.”
Massey said he would like to see laws that protect renters from exploitation and work to expand the number of available houses.
“Watauga County needs to be able to build housing, and we need to support them, and the state legislature should do that,” he said.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said the state does not build schools or houses, they have to look locally. He said the state can’t shift responsibility to the county and start building new houses.
He said they would look at how to locally support builders in order to build workforce housing. “We can do public-private partnership and things of that nature,” he said.
What is the solution to opportunity scholarships?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he was opposed to opportunity scholarships and called it a “terrible way” to take funding away from public education.
“My grandchildren will not have the same kind of funding that they would have had before these vouchers,” he said.
He said the vouchers would take money from public schools in rural areas and move funding to private schools in larger cities.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said the recent bill that passed allows for funding to be turned around and reinvested into public schools.
“There is a formula for some of that income, that’s coming back to the state, will be reverted back to the school system,” he said.
He said the funding of public schools will not change because of the lack of private schools in this area. He believes in opportunity scholarships because of their benefits.
What have you accomplished/what would you like to accomplish in office?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he would like to roll back some of the legislation that has been passed in recent years, specifically those related to women’s rights and abortion rights.
“We have got to do something about women’s rights,” he said.
Massey said he would also like to tackle issues such as gerrymandering and voting rights.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said one of his biggest accomplishments is the amount of funding he brought back to Western North Carolina. He said he brought things back to the counties to help them and the district.
“My number one responsibility is the 93rd district, and then it is the state,” he said.
What would you address first in regard to public transportation in Boone?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he doesn’t see rail or air transport being an option in Boone, but would like to expand bus routes and bus transportation.
He said an option would be to expand bussing systems in Wilkes and Ashe counties to lower the number of cars on the road.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said a railroad system would not be the best plan. The state allocates money for the AppalCart bus system. The state allocated $750,000 in the budget for a new bus.
He said the state could extend the bus routes in order to account for the tourists who drive up to the area.
“Many tourists aren’t using the buses because they drive up here, and that makes it difficult,” he said.
Should it be considered to legalize marijuana for recreational use to give farmers something else to grow in Watauga County?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he believes there are opportunities to grow the recreational crop in Watauga County.
“I think it would probably be a profitable crop, as long as it’s regulated,” he said.
He said he agrees with the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, saying his decision is backed by research he has completed on the topic in addition to speaking with individuals running rehabilitation centers who agree with its legalization.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said based on the research he’s done and the farms he has visited out of state, he does not believe that marijuana would grow effectively in Watauga County.
“I don’t think that would work for our farmers up here,” he said.
He said he has advocated for recreational use of marijuana for the last year, however “there is no support from the General Assembly right now.”
In regards to voting rights, what are you for and against?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he wants to make it as easy as he possibly can for citizens who are legally eligible to vote and is in support of allowing two to three extra days for votes by mail to come in.
“I went to see a lady who was 88 years old, and she said, ‘I don’t think I can vote this year because I haven’t had my driver’s license since I was 72,’” he said.
He said he believes citizens shouldn’t have to “jump through hoops” to be able to vote.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said Watauga County is in a good place with voters and the voting system is easy with multiple stations throughout the county. He believes early voting can be extended to two weeks to allow extra time.
“I believe in voter ID,” he said. “I think you should prove who you are when you step up to the voting booth.”
He said the state will provide an ID for free if you need it to vote.
In regards to transgender rights, what are you for and against?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he is proud to be endorsed by Equality North Carolina, which supports the LGBTQ+ community and transgender rights.
“I will do everything I can to support transgender rights, LGBTQ rights, and the rights of all of our women, everyone,” he said.
He said he believes the discourse around sports and LGBTQ+ rights is often used to “get everybody upset” instead of speaking about rights.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said people who identify as transgender have “the same rights as everyone else has, they function and live as anyone else would.”
He said his “problem” was allowing someone who identifies as a girl, when that is not their sex at birth, to play sports.
“They do have an advantage,” he said.
He said they can’t be in the locker rooms and there has to be separation because of their genetics.
“In the outside world, they have the same rights as everyone else,” he said.
What has surprised you from the campaign trail?
Ben Massey:
Massey said it has been an enlightening experience to hear what people would like to see from the state legislature as he goes door to door and speaks to the public on matters they would like to see fixed.
He said he’s had people tell him they would like issues surrounding women’s abuse or public schools and education resolved and found it interesting to hear “all the issues” that legislatures discuss.
Massey said one thing that surprised him was when he visited a man who would only give his seal of approval upon one condition.
“I went to go see a gentleman and he told me that he couldn’t vote for me unless his dog liked me,” he said. “So I went and got to meet his dog, and I hate to tell you this, Ray, but his dog liked me.”
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said nothing surprised him this time.
“We have the same issues up here and I still don’t think they’ve changed in the last few years,” he said.
How will you use your position to bring consensus between local communities and organizations within your district?
Ben Massey:
Massey said housing is a priority, and he has attended housing forums and heard stories about problems surrounding living conditions such as black mold and leaky roofs from residents.
“It is so discouraging to hear that they try to get these fixed and nobody will pay any attention to them,” he said.
He said he has networked with individuals in housing councils and met with real estate agents. Massey said he has a skill set from his experience as president of a physical therapy association which will help him bring groups together.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said he talks to the counties but he needs the counties to talk to each other.
“We have got to come together,” he said. “The counties can’t do it alone.”
He said his priority is to stay in communication with the counties all the time because “communication is key.”
What would you do to reach the other side and show your willingness to work on behalf of all citizens?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he is “tired of all the bickering” and has heard from many voters that they feel the same way. He said he wants to reach across the aisle and work together.
“I will reach across the aisle, I will do everything I can to work with the Republicans, because we need to get things done and we need to quit politicizing everything,” Massey said.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said he reaches across the aisle “many times” when he works at the General Assembly. He said many Democrats are his friends and asks them how bills affect their area and what their priorities are for their area.
He said many of the bills are bipartisan because they vote together for what is better for North Carolina.
“We’re not enemies,” he said. “We are friends and we talk to each other even after the session is over.”
What do you feel the role of the state government is to assist agencies that are dealing with mental health challenges throughout the state?
Ben Massey:
Massey said he believes mental and behavioral health access is a big problem, and there needs to be an increase in practitioners.
He said he also believes Telehealth needs to be expanded to mental health issues.
“We need to take the stigma away from mental health,” Massey said.
Ray Pickett:
Pickett said there are more counselors needed for schools because some children don’t have access to mental healthcare in rural counties.
“Children are facing problems that we did not have at that age,” he said. “We need people in the schools to help them.”
He said he is working on a fellows program for school counselors to help fill schools with counselors to help the children.
