Meet North Carolina's Thomas Jefferson

Remarks by NC Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin
at NC Center for Voter Education/Spectrum of Democracy Dinner:
Presentation of Robert Morgan Service Award to John L. Sanders
Raleigh, NC
21 February 2013


President John F. Kennedy once invited all of the Nobel Prize laureates to meet with him in Washington, DC. He most famously said to the assembly:

“I think that this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”

By no means am I comparing any of us to Nobel prize winners this evening!

And this is not the White House, though we are not far from the Governor’s Mansion.

That anecdote is appropos tonight because, in my personal opinion, John Sanders is the closest we will get to Thomas Jefferson in our lifetimes. If you know him, then you know what I mean.

Like Jefferson, John Sanders has mastered and has a cultivated an interest in so many things – from architecture, art, books, and groundskeeping, to history, politics, and oratory, as well as music, historic preservation, writing, and the law. He has written extensively on the subject of North Carolina law and is known as a preeminent scholar of the Constitution, especially of North Carolina’s governing document, the 1971 version of which he crafted for ultimate approval by our legislators and voters.

John has walked with Presidents, Governors, legislators, Chancellors, and royalty, but has treated them in the same manner as he has treated over six decades of college students at the University of North Carolina: with respect, interest, and friendship, and with his hope that they will take every day to learn more about the human condition, how to make our corner of the world a better place, and never to forget the least among us or those that came before us.

John, like Jefferson, has promoted public education. As you will note from his biography, he has spent virtually all of his adult life with the our University system, serving in various administrative and other positions, roles where he helped integrate our campuses, and grow them in many respects for this new century that we’re in. At the Institute of Government, now known as the School of Government, he helped educate public officials as to their duties and answered questions from lawmakers and the public at large. With his correlation of the University’s mission and the duty of every able-bodied citizen to be civicly engaged, John Sanders lives by the tenet of Jefferson: A nation which seeks to be both uneducated and free, wants something that never was and never will be.

And like many folks gathered here, he is a strong proponent of keeping the cost of public education – especially at our state’s institutions of higher learning – at the lowest cost practicable. Why? Because keeping the cost of higher education low translates into more and better educated citizens, and ultimately more productive and more civic-minded citizens, and ensures all have a better opportunity of economic and personal success in life, whether one hails from rural Four Oaks or Hamlet or the urbane Charlotte and Winston-Salem.

John, again like Jefferson, is an ardent believer in public service. Besides his own tenure in the U.S. Navy Reserves and with the Institute of Government at Chapel Hill, every year he would encourage college students to consider how and why they might do their part for their generation. He asked them their opinions and their plans, prodded them to think about things differently, and to consider varying viewpoints, and to hone the best ways to articulate those philosophies.

The NC Association of Student Governments even created the JOHN L. SANDERS STUDENT ADVOCATE AWARD years ago. Also known simply as the Sanders Award, it was established in the 30th Session of the Association in honor of John Sanders, Director Emeritus of the UNC Institute of Government. That Award is to be bestowed annually on one or more public figures for service to the students of the University of North Carolina, to recognize those who advocate for the best interests of North Carolina’s students and thereby contribute to the quality of their lives. The Sanders Award shall be the highest honor bestowed by the Association upon a member of the University of North Carolina community.

Through his friendship and attention, John has fostered decades of North Carolinians to serve at every level of government, starting with student government.

A testament to his impact is found amidst the pages of a book that Patrick Wooten, Ted Teague and I coordinated and co-edited over 20 years ago. In that book, titled “North Carolina’s ‘Invisible Hand’, a phrase associated with 18th century economist Adam Smith, friends of John Sanders wrote about what he meant to them in their respective generations. I encourage you to check it out at the State Library, or over at UNC. (By the way, because it is a now considered a reference book, you can’t actually check it out of the library but you are encouraged to review it and learn even more about John.)

More present proof of his impact than that two decades-old book is found by looking at the gathering of students joining us tonight from the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies at UNC. At least ten current students and at least ten more alumni members of the University who interacted with John over the years are here tonight to show their respect, admiration and love for our friend.

For many of us, John is not just a friend but a surrogate father and mentor.

Personally I can never thank him enough for taking time to teach me more about North Carolina, the University and its traditions; helping me – inspiring me – to do what I believe to be right, and to know that there is always more to learn, more books to read, and more friends to make and more to do for our great State.

He has been there, like a father, when I graduated from college and law school; became engaged and married; bought my first house and began a family; started businesses and ran for public office; and even when my own grandfather and father passed away, he took the time to be with my family. In times of loss and love and learning, John has been there.

And he’s been there for many others. And he has always been there for North Carolina.

On par with his belief in public education and public service, John has been passionate about civic engagement and voter education, and promoting a stronger, more vibrant, more participatory democratic republic. (Note I didn’t say “democracy”. He would most certainly counsel me to say, “Wayne, we are a republic, not a direct democracy.”

Bill Friday, the late President Emeritus of the University of North Carolina, reflecting upon John’s many career milestones, said:

“Many North Carolinians serve the State with great devotion; none has served more effectively or with greater distinction than you. The General Assembly, the State Capitol, art and artifacts, the performing arts, the University, the history and records of the State, the Institute, public schools and at least seven Governors have all benefited from your wisdom.”

For these reasons and more, it is my honor to recognize this year’s recipient of the Robert Morgan Service Award: John Lassiter Sanders.

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John Sanders coordinated a visit by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to the UNC campus over 65 years ago. Here he is with Roosevelt. With him is his wife, Ann.

To view a special video honoring John Sanders, go to this link here.

Causey Kiboshes Insurance Commissioner Forum To Be Hosted by the League of Women Voters

Lack of Causey Response Prompts Cancellation in Wilmington

On July 5th the League of Women Voters of North Carolina and the NC Center for Voter Education invited both Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and challenger Mike Causey to be the headliner at an August 21st Wilmington public forum. The planned forum would allow opening statements from the two candidates for Insurance Commissioner and then both gentlemen would receive questions from a moderator and members of the assembled public for approximately one hour.

Goodwin immediately accepted.

On August 9th, the co-hosts informed Goodwin that the event was canceled. Upon inquiring the reason, an organizer stated that the lack of a response from Mike Causey caused the cancellation. This resulted even though Causey received the invitation more than a month before the event.

Though political candidate schedules can fill up quickly and events may conflict, it is especially interesting that Mr. Causey has accepted an August 22nd invitation -- yes, that's the day after the League of Women Voters event -- for the Wilmington Region Association of Realtors. The gaping difference between the two events is that Causey accepted this subsequent event where he gets only three minutes to speak and no questions. He ignored the League forum that was open to the public and where there'd be approximately an hour of head-to-head deliberations with his opponent plus questions from the public.

Not knowing why Mr. Causey didn't agree to the August 21st event, to the observer it appears that Mr. Causey just did not want to debate his opponent.

"I'm very disappointed that Mike has given no reason for ducking the debate and has caused its cancellation," said Insurance Commissioner Goodwin. "There are fundamental differences between him and me that the public needs to know. Not the least of them is that Mr. Causey worked for decades for the insurance industry special interests and I have a proven bipartisan record of saving consumers and businesses over $1.3 Billion and fighting insurance fraud."

Goodwin confirmed and accepted participation in both events.

Follow the campaign on Twitter: @WayneGoodwinNC
Campaign website: www.WayneGoodwin.org

AARP Highlights NC Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin in National Publication

AARP has just published an enlightening national article - at this link here - highlighting North Carolina's public financing of elections program, which currently involves three Council of State offices (including Insurance Commissioner) and statewide judicial races. The post focuses on two views of the program: one by Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, a proponent, and the other by State Senator Phil Berger, an opponent.(Photos by D.L. Anderson)
The AARP bulletin piece, authored by Sue Price Johnson, is entitled "State Leads Trend Toward Publicly Financed Campaigns: More candidates are discovering the benefits of not relying on special interests."

A "Wayne's World" Editorial: National Security Threatened By Supreme Court Decision?

I've been holding my tongue publicly about the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Citizens United, trying to find just the right words to express my outrage. No more am I mute.Though countless others have already analyzed and pontificated all sides of the main question, several questions bubble to the surface for me. Here are four interrogatories that came to mind right off the bat:

First, how is it that members of the Supreme Court majority in the Citizens United case - including Chief Justice Roberts - have preached "judicial restraint" and "honoring precedent" and "strict construction" of the Constitution for years and years, even testifying to Senate confirmation panels that such philosophy was their pole star, but in this case have become the activist court that they have heretofore demonized? Not only did the slim majority of the Court undo long-standing precedent going back 100 years to the days of Teddy (not Franklin) Roosevelt, but it ventured beyond the questions presented to it by the underlying Circuit Court. And I'm not the only one who noticed: Among millions of people were Steve Ford of the Raleigh News & Observer, who said:

Now, [Justice] Kennedy and his four like-minded colleagues had strained for reasons to disregard those precedents. That approach was the essence of over-the-top judicial activism - the bane of conservatives except when it serves their purposes.

Hypocrisy, thy name is collectively Roberts, Alito, Kennedy, Scalia and Thomas.

(Coincidentally, the first letters of their surnames spells out exactly what type of Court opinion this was: It was a STARK contrast with precedent and judicial restraint.)

Second, how is it that Newt Gingrich and other conservative and ultra-conservative commentators, pundits, and Congressmen can say with a straight face, as they have already, that the Citizens United decision "levels the playing field" for citizens? Give me a break. The "citizens" they speak of are not individuals, but corporations. Yes, as an attorney, I know all the arguments and legalisms regarding corporate personhood, the 14th Amendment, et al. But levelling the playing field? No way. The vast super-majority of Americans cannot contribute the maximum to political campaigns. If and when they do contribute, it's most often in small amounts. Corporations, on the other hand, by virtue of this court decision, may dip into the millions and billions in their corporation treasury and engage in political activity with reckless abandon, and make unlimited contributions well above what the average John and Jane Q. Citizen could ever do.

And, on top of that, the decision presently leaves the door open for corporate executives to direct corporation monies to political campaigns with no input from shareholders. (And then there are the corporations that are not publicly traded, but privately held.) If anything, the Supreme Court didn't level the alleged "playing field" ... it tilted the field such that it resembles the Titanic, tip first, just before it sank into the Atlantic.

Third, what happened to the compelling state interest to prevent actual corruption or the appearance of corruption? A significant number of state attorneys general (including my Attorney General, Roy Cooper) addressed that very question in their joint amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court in the Citizens United case. The Supreme Court majority chose to ignore them and the fight against corruption. Picking up the Citizens United baton and carrying it further, like-minded conservative members of Congress feign concern by alluding to more instantaneous campaign finance reporting as the antiseptic to corruption. Even if you learn that your cause or candidate is being outspent $100 million to $1 by corporate cash (as opposed to contributions from individuals, live persons) and you learn about it instantly through online campaign reporting, what good will it do in stopping the appearance of corruption, of elections being bought and sold, particularly when those same corporations may very well own the news media which would normally be watchdogs for this sort of thing?

Fourth, why did the Roberts court and its Republican members make a decision that some persons say could threaten national security? By virtue of its broad decision, the Supreme Court's conservative majority may have very well opened the floodgates to foreign countries and foreign corporations - and terrorists? - attempting to buy American elections. (Why aren't there any conservative commentators frothing at the mouth on this? Speaking of froth, where's Dick Cheney?) Where are the folks who say national security and homeland security should be considered first and foremost? We've already seen companies and corporations go abroad and re-locate outside of the USA. But more than ever we've seen foreign interests come here and set up their own corporations. (Think China, for example.) The Court's decision, made in a way to upend the American political system in 2010 and 2012, may have put American elections up for sale to the enemy.

On a long ago post here at my Wayne's World blog I wondered what would Thomas Jefferson do if he surveyed America's political landscape today.

I suspect that if the Sage of Monticello knew about this Court's Citizens United decision, Jefferson would be quite angry.

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(c) Wayne Goodwin. All rights reserved. Disclosure: Goodwin serves as President of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a North Carolina nonprofit think-tank fighting for good government, an enlightened electorate, and fundamental fairness in campaigns.

Chris Heagarty: From Advocate Frying Pan Into the Legislative Fire

It is an unusual set of recent circumstances for my good friend, Chris Heagarty of Raleigh.

For many years he has been a citizen leader advocating for campaign finance reforms and election law changes.

As Executive Director of the North Carolina Center of Voter Education (also known as "The Center" or "NCCVE") for seven years, Chris played a large role in advocating for and recommending substantial improvements to the state's election laws. Unlike some folks currently involved on those subjects, his efforts predate and were bolstered by the various scandals involving Meg Scott Phipps, Jim Black, Frank Ballance, and Thomas Wright.

Among the changes Chris advocated for were:

- greater transparency in campaign reporting
- State-published voter guides mailed to households statewide
- an emphasis on legislative and candidate ethics

as well as

- the nationally-recognized and much-lauded public finance system option for judicial elections and several Council of State posts, experiments that have proven successful, by the way.

To accomplish these feats he was a daily fixture among the Honorables down on Jones Street and sometimes in other settings such as in the courts or speaking at rallies or in press conferences.

Every waking day Chris focused his energy and zeal toward educating voters and encouraging more citizens to be active and engaged in the political process, no matter their party preference.

Chris also focused on voter registration and establishing a partnership with UNC-TV public television so that candidate fora could be broadcast statewide and greater links to information for voters about issues and campaigns could be created.

After taking an almost three year sabbatical in law school, Chris witnessed yet another lawmaker and public official ousted by a serious pattern of major campaign finance violations. This time, though, it was his own State Representative in the North Carolina General Assembly and it was personal.

Chris decided to put theory into practice -- to walk the walk and not just talk the talk: He decided to throw his own hat into the ring for the seat.

After a deftly-organized and successful campaign effort among those persons authorized to select and recommend a replacement in the House seat, Governor Bev Perdue appointed Heagarty to the post last week.

Chris joins the legislature at an awkward time in some respects. It's between sessions, he has to file for election almost immediately, and he is in a swing district that could make the difference in whether the Democrats retain the majority in the House or not. And, on top of that, we're in the midst of the worst economy in 70 years.

But he also faces some high expectations: Chris, as the knight who fought many a battle royale on the outside for clean elections and public financing and good government, is now on the inside and is expected to continue his crusade.

I trust he will prevail, and am very proud of my friend who has chosen this new means of engaging civic participation.

After all, I've personally had the benefit of watching him in action before,
during and after my own years as State Representative. Chris is well-respected
by legislators and folks all across party lines, and is a trusted, hard-working, ready-to-serve advocate well-versed in constituent service and the bedrock
principles of the Democratic Party. In my opinion, he will be an immediately
effective legislator for District 41.

Congratulations, Representative Chris Heagarty!

Public financing of statewide campaigns continues to make the news

Readers of "Wayne's World" may be interested in three columns about optional public financing as a campaign finance reform that also referenced my 2008 Insurance Commissioner race.

One of them is an op-ed piece I authored that ran in multiple newspapers statewide, including The Pilot of Southern Pines. For a presentation of my essay that includes video commentary and supporting links, go to this specific Voter Update link here, sponsored by the N.C. Center for Voter Education.

The other is by Chase Foster of N.C. Voters for Clean Elections that appeared in multiple formats, including here at this link. The full version of his article is at this separate link.

And the third is a national column by the organization Public Campaign. The profile piece provides the nuts and bolts difference between my traditional statewide campaign of 2004 and my grassroots, publicly-financed statewide campaign in 2008.

For background on previous coverage and blog posts of this subject, check out these additional links here and here.

All the above is especially relevant in view of pending legislation in the General Assembly to include additional Council of State offices in this voluntary program.

Editor's Note: Blogpost was updated to include recent national column by Public Campaign and the relevant link.

Fight Voter Fatigue and Promote Voter Education: Watch Video of Dem Council of State Candidates Today

All too often we hear about voters who vote for candidates appearing at the "top of the ticket" and forget to continue choosing from other Statewide candidates below Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General.

It is not unusual for at least 10% of voters to drop off, leaving many parts of their ballot unmarked.

While some folks blame voter fatigue, I believe just as many ignore the "down ballot" races because they do not know anything about these offices or the backgrounds - or just the names - of these candidates. (This is quite sad given the vital role the Council of State offices have in our daily lives.)

Living in the video age and as members of the MTV generation, the Democratic candidates for the North Carolina Council of State have prepared a video - for the first time ever - that will help address this problem head on.

The video provides very informative information about these Executive Branch offices up for election in 2008.

Please go to the accompanying YouTube link and watch this short video.

Then share it with everyone you know by email or download it for viewing by voters in your community. I recommend that you show it at community meetings, especially prior to and during the 2008 Early Vote period between October 16 and November 1.

This way you will have done your duty to fight ballot fatigue and promote voter education!

Eighth District Hosts Next Board Meeting of "Devout Democrats"

“DEVOUT DEMOCRATS” ALSO ADDS HIGH-PROFILE BOARD MEMBERS: Including Richmond County’s Wayne Goodwin, former legislator

As it prepares for its next Board of Directors meeting in the heart of the Eighth Congressional District, three new board members have been added to the growing list of North Carolina Democratic Party leaders speaking out politically from a progressive theological perspective. One of the new members joining the “Devout Democrats” organization hails from Richmond County.

Wayne Goodwin, who served eight years in the North Carolina House of Representatives and is currently the state's Assistant Commissioner of Insurance, is one of the new Board members. The long-time chairman of the state Democratic Party's Platform Committee and past President of the Young Democrats of North Carolina, he is Vice President of the North Carolina Center for Voter Education and Chairman of the Eighth Congressional District Democratic Executive Committee. Goodwin is also an active lay speaker in the State for the United Methodist Church and a member of the Board of Directors for the Methodist Home for Children. Goodwin, a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, has regularly taught Sunday School for many years.

"My faith shapes my political philosophy," said Goodwin. "It should bother all persons of faith when some Republican campaigns wrongly assert that their candidates have a ‘monopoly’ on God. Frankly, I believe that we Democrats must do a better job of correcting those erroneous assertions by clearly showing how many core Democratic Party initiatives also reflect religious tenets. Family, faith and values are a vital part of the Democratic Party that I believe in – just as some Republicans view these principles as vital to their own party."

"Notwithstanding, it must be understood that no political party created by Mankind can rightly say it has any sort of monopoly on faith or values," Goodwin added. "We must rely upon our faith and our values – to the best of our abilities - to produce the leaders and the policies that move our Nation forward. For that reason, I am pleased to have joined the leadership team of Devout Democrats, and am eager to continue my mission of giving Democrats of faith a stronger voice.”


Goodwin added, “In fact, all persons of faith – regardless of political party – agree that Jesus taught us to love one another and to help the poor, the needy, and the defenseless. Jesus also taught us to be responsible, and to be productive, hard workers in all that we do. I consider these core American values as well.”

Devout Democrats, an interfaith, grassroots political action committee, is dedicated to showing how the Democratic Party reflects the values of mainstream progressive American religious faith. In addition to its well-known advertisements featuring former UNC-Chapel Hill Coach and Hall of Famer Dean Smith and other religious North Carolinians, in March 2008 the group will hold a conference on religion and politics. Speakers will include Rep. David Price, one of North Carolina’s Democratic Congressmen who also has a divinity degree.

The next Board meeting will be in Hamlet on January 26, 2008.

The Eighth Congressional District Democratic Executive Committee welcomes the organization to the area, and encourages interested persons to take this opportunity learn about the mission of Devout Democrats.

For more information about this organization or to request a Devout Democrats speaker for your community, go to www.devoutdemocrats.org. Or, you may contact Rollin Russell, Co-President, via email (rollinrussell@nc.rr.com) or by phone (919-644-0869).

Wayne Goodwin Announces His Plans Regarding 2008 Labor Commissioner Race

August 28, 2007

To My Dear Friends and Supporters:

Re: 2008 Candidacy for NC Commissioner of Labor

Four years ago this month – after serving eight years in the North Carolina House of Representatives – I formally announced my candidacy for Commissioner of Labor.

I ran in 2004 out of a sense of mission – for our economy, for my hometown that had been devastated by major job losses, and for what I believed was right for the State and my political party.

I was honored to receive the Democratic nomination and to share my passion and ideas about the role of the office of Labor Commissioner with tens of thousands of voters across the Tar Heel state.

Of course, running against a sitting Commissioner of Labor and being the only Democrat running Statewide in 2004 against an incumbent Republican, I knew it was going to be a challenge.

Notwithstanding, I out-organized and out-worked my opponent and won lifelong friends across the State. County keys and business leaders supporting me around North Carolina, as well as many newspaper editorial boards and voter advocates from both major parties, endorsed my candidacy. Though it wasn’t easy, I also raised approximately 25% more funds than my opponent and ran regional and Statewide campaign advertising longer than she did.

However, in the waning days of the 2004 election the poll numbers in North Carolina of those Democrats running for President and Vice President, as well as for U.S. Senate, took a dip. As a result, so did mine. In the end, although I received a majority of the “early vote”, the preference of those voting on Election Day itself did not go my way and my campaign came up short. By all accounts, it was a respectable loss. (Taking the sting out of the loss was personal joy for my wife who was elected by an ultra-landslide to succeed me in the legislature.)

Immediately thereafter my friends and supporters insisted that I run again for North Carolina Labor Commissioner. After all, they reminded me, many State officials often have won election on their second try after an initial trial run.

Over the last 30 months I have continued my travels and speaking engagements and modest fundraising around the Tar Heel State, all the while exploring my plans for next year. Everywhere I was invited the call was strong and encouraging: Don’t give up. Do run again. You’re a great candidate who ran for the right reasons.

After more than two years of intense deliberation with my immediate family and my closest friends and supporters, and most particularly during the last several weeks as I reached a self-imposed deadline for a formal decision, I hereby issue the following statement:


I will not be a candidate for North Carolina Commissioner of Labor in 2008.

This decision affords me the opportunity to further focus on the needs of my family, the most immediate members of which still are impacted by the rigors and fundraising pressures of my 2004 bid.

This decision also affords me the opportunity to continue my full-time duties serving as Assistant Commissioner of Insurance under the outstanding leadership of Insurance Commissioner Jim Long and to volunteer for him in his 2008 campaign for re-election.

This decision will give other Democrats the opportunity to consider being a candidate for Labor Commissioner, and to organize in advance of filing for that office in January.

More importantly, this decision allows me to give my priority support, time, and talents to State Representative Melanie Wade Goodwin as she seeks re-election to her third term in the General Assembly.

Having traversed this State a multitude of times over the last ten years, I assure you that we Democrats have an able array of candidates who will be able to run, win and serve as North Carolina’s next Labor Commissioner.

The Democratic nominee will run for the right reasons:

The Democratic nominee will fight for a Labor Commissioner who actually believes in the office and in representing the working people of this State, and actually stands for better wages and affordable healthcare.

The Democratic nominee will be a Labor Commissioner who is fair to both business owners and workers when matters come before the Department of Labor, and not be known as having prejudged matters coming before the Department.

The Democratic nominee will rightly argue that it is just plain wrong for us to have a Commissioner of Labor who is absent from the post for the most part, and who instead relies heavily upon unnecessary posting of both her photograph on every elevator and escalator in the State and gimmicky songs by erstwhile supporters on the Internet.

The Democratic nominee will say it is time to have the office return to its mission and to adapt more quickly to the 21st century.

The Democratic nominee will rightly contend that the office should not only stand up for workers, but also fight for small businesses to help them keep their workers comp rates low and being a part of the State’s team that brings and keeps jobs in this State, instead of claiming – like the current Labor Commissioner - that the office should have no role whatsoever.

With those Democratic candidates, I stand ready and willing to help in whatever way possible for those good and noble causes.

There is also another role in my future. Having raised more money than my opponents in every race I have run for the last 10 years, and with the specific insights gained from my 2004 statewide campaign, I fully understand how campaign fundraising can quickly turn into a “money chase” and poison the best of intentions of good candidates. To keep their campaigns viable, candidates are forced to seek large contributions from the very political action committees (PACs) fed by the industries the office sought regulates. Accordingly, I will continue my strong support for voluntary public financing of certain elections so that North Carolina will have fewer campaign finance scandals and fewer conflicts of interest, and more good candidates who actually represent the voters and not the special interests. To accomplish additional positive election reforms, I am pleased to have a more pronounced role as a member of the Board for the North Carolina Center for Voter Education.

Making the decision to forego a repeat run for Labor Commissioner was not easy.

It was not easy because of my passion for public service.

It was not easy because I believe we can do even better things with the office of Labor Commissioner.

It was also not easy because of the outpouring of support in 2004 and vibrant encouragement I have received since then to run in 2008.

As many Democrats statewide know, my involvement in and my commitment to politics – the art of the possible – and to good government will remain a prominent and integral part of my life. For example, I’ve already mentioned the N.C. CENTER FOR VOTER EDUCATION. Presently I also serve as Chairman of the EIGHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE and Chairman of the PLATFORM AND RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE of the North Carolina Democratic Party. Furthermore, upon recommendation of Speaker Joe Hackney, the General Assembly this month appointed me to serve on the E-NC AUTHORITY, a commission vital to rural North Carolina’s interest in creation and expansion of Internet-related jobs.

To my friends and supporters who have stressed for me not to give up, rest assured: I have not and will not.

Because of the satisfaction it provides my longing for public service, one day I do anticipate running again for elective office.

Until that time comes, I am confident that my life will be the calmest and most relaxing since before 1996 when first my name appeared on a public ballot.

For that, and for the dear family members, friends and supporters who have been with me all the way and made it possible, I am especially grateful.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my decision.



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The above is the FULL text of the Goodwin statement. Out of respect for the growing role that BlueNC.com and blogging have in political discourse today, BlueNC had the exclusive first rights to post an excerpted version of this matter today. Check this site later for a video clip of the above statement.

Public Financing of Campaigns Preserves Campaigns By, Of, For the People

Public Financing of Campaigns Preserves Power for the People
By Wayne Goodwin
July 2, 2007

So why do we elect so many statewide officials?

Back in the 1700s, fear of King-picked Royal Governors and their great powers helped sow strong sentiments against strong State executives. Those seeds sprouted into many revisions of our State constitution, guaranteeing a weak governor and a State government with decentralized executive authority.

As our state grew, responsibility for important policy areas such as agriculture, education, labor policy, and the regulation of insurance was divided among independently-elected constitutional offices, together called the Council of State.

Because of this division, each Council of State officer is continuously and increasingly bombarded by special interests who want to influence these policy areas. The bombardment reaches fever pitch leading up to elections, when special interests ratchet up their pitch with campaign contributions or promises of contributions to candidates they approach.

Witness recent scandals involving disgraced former Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps, House Speaker Jim Black, and others during the last few years. What have these scandals done to public trust in government? It is vastly important for such officials to remain free from actual or perceived undue influence. That is why campaign reforms for these offices, and others, is so badly needed.

This is not merely academic for me: It is real. As an eight-year State Representative and a candidate for Labor Commissioner in 2004, I witnessed first-hand what our candidates for Statewide office endure. While it used to be that a candidate would visit all the county seats and the respective Sheriff in each courthouse, and call on a few people in each county while enjoying an RC Cola at a country store or humpteen BBQs, today campaigning is about the money chase and spending every waking hour raising campaign contributions. Why? Because campaigns today cost more and involve expensive TV ads, countless polls, and consultants in a world where fewer and fewer folks pay attention to elections. In my own 2004 race, like other candidates, I had to lock myself in a cubicle – a campaign War Room – and spend up to 12 hours daily, 6 days weekly, on the phone between 6 and 12 months. Frankly, asking people you know – and those you don't know - to each donate up to thousands of dollars is awkward … but a necessary component of the current system. Asking someone to donate to a charitable cause or a church or a scholarship program is one thing, but making 200 calls daily for your personal campaign's benefit decimates what a candidate should be doing: Spending time with voters.

To accumulate the amount of cash most campaigns are told they need these days, they choose to focus more often on donors of larger sums.

It should also be no surprise that many persons who donate to Council of State offices are often persons directly or indirectly regulated by those very offices, a situation which is potentially fraught with all sorts of problems. Big donors sometimes use their influence to seek tax breaks, weak regulations, or favors that cost the taxpayers millions of dollars.

In 2007 legislators have filed a bill that's a first step toward solving this problem. House Bill 1517 would create a voluntary public financing option for certain Council of State candidates. Lawmakers, current and former Council of State leaders, and thousands of North Carolinians believe it is a good idea because it gives candidates a chance to forego the dreadful money chase in exchange for limited public money to run their campaigns. In exchange for participating, candidates waive their right to seek contributions from big donors and from political action committees (PACs). If the General Assembly passes this pilot program, then in 2008 we will take a gigantic step towards cleaning up the campaign process. We will increase the number of qualified candidates willing to run and interaction between them and the voters.

North Carolina has a history that recognizes the value of a government based on power sharing and not powerful State executives. Public financing of campaigns is a voluntary method that helps ensure this power-sharing continues. Let's keep North Carolina elections voter-owned. We all win when the public knows our politicians are not beholden to powerful special interests, but only beholden to us.

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Wayne Goodwin is a Director and Secretary of the N.C. Center for Voter Education. A native of Hamlet, he represented Richmond, Scotland, Stanly, and Montgomery Counties in the N.C. House of Representatives for eight years. He was co-sponsor of the original judicial public financing legislation. Today he is the Assistant Commissioner of Insurance. His spouse, State Representative Melanie Wade Goodwin, chairs the House Election Laws and Campaign Finance Reform Committee.