Goodwin Reminds Alamance Dems of "Go Forward" Program

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin Provided Keynote Address for Three Governors' Dinner

Last month the state's Insurance Commissioner stoked the fires of Alamance County Democrats, home of not only three Governors of North Carolina but also birthplace of his predecessor in office, the late Jim Long.

Also attending the annual event were Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and former State Senator Cal Cunningham, Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate; former Rep. Bertha "B" Holt, who passed away last week; State Senator Tony Forriest; NC Representative Alice Bordsen; Jessie Rae Scott, the widow of the late Governor Bob Scott; Peg O'Connell, widow of former Insurance Commissioner Jim Long, and countless judges, local officials, precinct leaders, and several hundred Democratic activists.

Goodwin wowed the crowd with his emphasis on how important it is to "tune in (to what's happening), turn up (the volume), and turn out (the vote)", a theme he has shared at multiple partisan events statewide.

Another theme of Goodwin appeared when he also explained his concerns about how certain right-wing ideologues were fomenting insurrection and eroding an already degraded level of civil political discourse.

Most interesting were the words of former North Carolina Governor Kerr Scott - father of Governor Bob Scott - that Goodwin shared with the crowd:

"Man never solves a problem by standing still - when a man stands still, the world goes on and leaves him behind. North Carolina has grown great because the leadership of North Carolina, throughout the years, has been inspired to press ever forward toward the goal of providing, within the ability of the people to pay for them, the maximum governmental services and facilities which are the heritage and right of a people who enoy the privilege of living under the banner of democracy.

Refusing to move forward and to meet our responsibilities of the present and of the future is nothing short of defeatism. I have no patience with this philosophy - call it conservatism, hold the line, or what you may say!

I do not believe that the people of North Carolina are so morally, spiritually or financially bankrupt that they want education in North Carolina to slip backward. I do not believe that the people of North Carolina want to deny adequate hospital care for the sick and the cripple, support for the aged, and adequate institutional care for the insane, the blind, and the deaf.

... I have talked with rich men and poor men, with farmers and with those who live in the cities and towns, with men, women, and children in all walks of life; and the overwhelming majority of them believe in the future and share the conviction that North Carolina should not throttle the future by a perverted hold the line interpretation.

In some cases the hold the line school of defeatism is actually seeking to establish a line behind the present line. Such would be the case if we failed to consolidate the gains already accomplished in the field of education."

"Those words - those principles of Scott's Go Forward plan - are most prescient and timeless," said Goodwin. "Education is the roadmap of going forward - the key to success - for our State."

Rising Star Report: Kudos to Eighth District's Phillip Gilfus!

We hear at Wayne's World believe in well-deserved "atta boys", and this one fits right into that mold.

Twenty-seven year old Phillip Gilfus of Cumberland County - and a fellow Eighth District Democrat - has been making some major waves lately.

Phillip, one of our young Iraq War veterans and presently attending Campbell University Law School, not only won a much-coveted and hotly contested race representing North Carolina on the Democratic National Committee but he also was the recent subject of an excellent column in the Raleigh News & Observer by longtime reporter Rob Christensen.

Additionally, Gilfus is a key leader within the Young Democrats of North Carolina.

He serves as the editor of the Campbell Law Observer, a publication that is regularly distributed to thousands of attorneys around the State and elsewhere.
Several weeks ago Phillip also authored an op-ed piece that appeared in the Fayetteville Observer-Times. (Gilfus appears on the left in the photo below.)

And, as if that were not enough to fill one's plate, he secured victory in another election during the May 2008 meeting of the Eighth Congressional District convention in Cabarrus County.

Gilfus is smart, tenacious, and a gifted young leader.

I recommend that Wayne's World readers watch Phillip Gilfus very, very closely. Why? Because I predict he is going places and will do great things in the name of public service!

Information for Persons Attending the Jan 26, 2008 NCDP State Executive Committee Meeting

from WAYNE GOODWIN, Chairman of the 8th Congressional District Executive Committee

* * * *

(1) Morning Auxiliary Meetings and Shuttle Parking

(2) FREE Democratic Victory Luncheon

(3) Resolutions for 2008

(4) Information/Directions

(5) Directions to the Winter Reception of the College Dems at the Hamlet Train Depot

(6) Places to Visit While in Richmond County

(7) Select Things to Know about Richmond County

* * * * * *
(1) Various auxiliary organizations and Democratic Party groups are meeting on Saturday morning on the campus of Richmond Community College, prior to the Party’s business later in the day. … As a courtesy to those of you attending any of the meetings being held in the Grimsley Building across campus, the Richmond County Democratic Party is providing a shuttle van between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. It will be parked in front of Cole Auditorium and will begin making rounds every 5 minutes back and forth between the Auditorium and the Grimsley Building. The van should also have a sign identifying itself, or you may ask one of the volunteers at Cole Auditorium. Please utilize that shuttle.

(2) To save time during your visit and full day of Democratic Party business, and as a function of our hospitality, you are invited to a FREE lunch hosted by the Richmond County Democratic Party and the Eighth Congressional District.

Because 2008 is going to be a Democratic year, we have named it the "Democratic Victory Luncheon".

However, the persons who have made this Democratic Victory Luncheon possible - as well as the subsequent Democratic victories that will follow in November - are the following SPONSORS who have provided the necessary funds to make lunch available to everyone at no cost. The sponsors are:

Lt. Governor Bev Perdue, candidate for Governor
Treasurer Richard Moore, candidate for Governor

State Senator Kay Hagan, candidate for U.S. Senate
Jim Neal, candidate for U.S. Senate

Jim Long, Insurance Commissioner and dean of the Council of State

State Representative Melanie Wade Goodwin and
former State Representative Wayne Goodwin

Beth Wood, candidate for State Auditor

State Representative Pryor Gibson

David Young, County Commissioner and candidate for State Treasurer
Michael Weisel, candidate for State Treasurer

State Senator Bill Purcell

Sen. Janet Cowell, candidate for State Treasurer

Joint Sponsors / Candidates for the Court of Appeals
and N.C. Supreme Court
Judge Cheri Beasley (Court of Appeals)
Judge Kristin Ruth (Court of Appeals)
Suzanne Reynolds (Supreme Court)

Additional friends include: State Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham, State Rep. Martha Alexander, the Moore County Democratic Party, the Union County Democratic Party, the Honorable J. Richard Conder, Judy Gilbert, District Attorney Michael Parker, and Lee Wallace.

Of all the luncheon sponsors, the lead or primary sponsors are the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates.

Lunch will be served between 11 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. in the banquet rooms of Cole Auditorium, located at its proud home of Richmond Community College in Hamlet, North Carolina. (The main campus, adjacent to the auditorium, is on 1042 West Hamlet Ave., U.S. Highway 74 Business.) So that everyone will have time to eat and make it to the 1 pm start of the official meeting, we respectfully request that attendees eat and then make way for others who will be following them in the banquet room line. The room will only hold 322 people at a time so we respectfully encourage you to depart the luncheon room when you have concluded your meal, and proceed to the auditorium.

To learn more about the January 2008 State Executive Committee meeting, please go to www.ncdp.org. An early summary about the occasion also appears in the October 15, 2007 blog entry at "Wayne's World” (www.eighthdistrictdemsnc.blogspot.com)

Remember this: Due solely to the sponsorships by the above candidates, every person attending the State Executive Committee meeting will enjoy a FREE BBQ & Chicken lunch. Please express your appreciation to the above sponsors for their thoughtfulness in remembering attendees of the State Executive Committee meeting. And, of course, remember them at the polls when you vote in May and November!

(3) At the August 2007 meeting of the State Executive Committee meeting we handled all resolutions in one form or another that were in the possession of the NCDP Platform and Resolutions Committee. At that Greensboro meeting I announced that we would accept resolutions from auxiliary organizations after their Fall Conventions and that we must receive them before the January 2008 State Executive Committee meeting. None were received in time for the Resolutions Committee to meet before the January 26, 2008 meeting and still keep to the requirement of 14 days notice within the Party Plan of Organization. At the State Executive Committee meeting in Hamlet you will receive the proposed calendar of town meetings around the State as we once again consider our NCDP Platform and review resolutions.

(4) For information and directions once you arrive at Cole Auditorium at Richmond Community College, look for persons wearing a Richmond County Democratic Party badge or someone at the registration table in the main lobby.

(5) The NC Federation of College Democrats is hosting its first annual Winter Reception. This event will take place at the Historic Hamlet Depot, located on the corner of West Main Street and North Bridges Street, Hamlet. (It is primarily on Main Street.)

To get there from the SEC meeting at Richmond Community College, here are the simplest directions:

As you depart the college, turn left onto U.S. Highway 74 Business, also known as West Hamlet Avenue.

Drive less than 2 miles. When you reach the 2nd stoplight, that is Raleigh Street. That is just after the Piggly Wiggly grocery store. Turn right onto Raleigh Street and drive toward and across the railroad tracks.

Raleigh Street intersects with Main Street. You will see the Hamlet Post Office across the road. Turn left onto Main Street and drive a couple of blocks. You can’t miss the Hamlet Train Depot.

All in all, it will take you ONLY 5 minutes – approximately 2 miles - to reach the reception at the Hamlet Depot.

(6) Here are some places to consider seeing, visiting, etc.:

Hamlet Opera House, located on Main Street

Hamlet Railroad Museum

The site of the Imperial Foods plant, Bridges Street

Rankin Natural History Museum, approx. 15 miles nort from the college on U.S.
220 Highway in Ellerbe

Ellerbe Springs Inn and Restaurant, approx 17 miles north from the college on
U.S. 220 Highway in Ellerbe; Eleanor Roosevelt stayed there and has
a room named for her. Site of the 1996 State Convention of the
Young Democrats of North Carolina (YDNC)

Rockingham Speedway, formerly the North Carolina Motor Speedway;
U.S. 1 North, approx. 7 miles north of Rockingham

Rockingham Dragway; across the highway from the speedway

(7) While you’re visiting Richmond County, please consider this sampling of trivia:

Hamlet was the birthplace of John Coltrane, American jazz great; he later moved to High Point

Hamlet was the birthplace of Tom Wicker, former New York Times editor, national columnist, and author

Hamlet was the home of many professional athletes, including greats such as Mike Quick, Louis Breeden, Franklin Stubbs, and Doug Thomas

Richmond County’s Richmond Senior High School has won NC’s State 4-A High School Football Championship seven times

Former Governor and U.S. Senator Cameron Morrison was born between Rockingham and Hamlet, served as mayor of Rockingham, and also represented the area in the State Senate before moving to Charlotte.

Family Dollar Store had its roots in Richmond County.

NASCAR and drag racing have deep roots in Richmond County as well; note the Rockingham Speedway and the Rockingham Dragway.

The longest-serving Sheriff in North Carolina history – R.W. Goodman – was born and lived here in Richmond County. He was elected 44 years straight, and was the strongest Democrat you’d ever find.

Bucky Covington of American Idol fame is from Richmond County and still has family here and calls the county home. He is now receiving kudos for his first country music album.

At one time, when the railroad was in its hey-day in the 1920s through 1960s, Hamlet was the premier and primary stop between New York City and Jacksonville, Florida.

The movie "Billy Bathgate", starring Dustin Hoffman and Nicole Kidman, was filmed in Hamlet. The soft rock band, Hootie and the Blowfish, filmed a music video at the ruins of an old mill in Rockingham.

Former Governor Jim Hunt’s campaign manager during his statewide races, the late Joe Grimsley, became President of Richmond Community College in 1985 and honorably served the college for many years until he passed away several years ago.

* * * *

ENJOY YOUR VISIT TO RICHMOND COUNTY – A STRONG DEMOCRATIC COUNTY - AND
THE 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT!

As Jefferson Lives and Grieves ...

As Jefferson Lives and Grieves …
By Wayne Goodwin
17 October 2007

Several years ago it was all the rage for some folks to ask “What Would Jesus Do?” when confronted with a matter of public policy or morality. I even recall a fellow legislator – yes, a Democrat – who brandished a bracelet that displayed WWJD. It was intriguing – to say the least - to hear debate after debate about whether Jesus would support green legislation or oppose tax cuts or have an opinion about election laws.

That was all before Bush v. Gore.

Subsequent to that infamous Supreme Court case a book caught my attention entitled “What Would Jefferson Do?” Without getting in to the fact that Jefferson was more of a Deist than any particular Christian denomination, the volume authored by Thom Hartmann made a capitalistic play off its predecessor phrase. An amateur historian I am - and a political buff to boot - I did find it an interesting read, however. The author used Jefferson’s voluminous writings – not just the Declaration of Independence – to address certain subjects currently at the zenith of regular political discourse, especially in Congressional and Presidential elections.

Okay, even using his writings as a barometer we still may not know to a tee how “TJ” might feel on every subject today. But employing the “What would . . . ” slide rule made for an interesting parlor game to predict his position.

In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, I have found myself more regularly thinking about our nation’s Founders and wondering how much deeper Al-Qaeda’s cut will be into our collective moral and principled foundations that we consider “the American way”.

For weeks and months and now years we have witnessed a growing deluge of revelations that strongly suggest America is not what it once was. They include:

● Loss of privacy by its lawful citizens.
● Torture as an acceptable tool.
● A “Patriot Act” that has eviscerated many of our freedoms.
● Significant evaporation of checks and balances among the three branches of government.
● Permanent American armies abroad using unacceptable, unsupervised “contract warriors” (read “Blackwater”) instead of citizen-soldiers following a lawful chain of command and answerable to the Chief Executive
● Breaking covenants with soldiers and their families by mandating unplanned extensions of National Guard tours of duty, and providing shameful medical treatment in our VA hospitals and clinics for the wounded who return home.
● Paying for a war not by the current generation but by placing it on the backs of our children and grandchildren via the national debt, an unheralded practice never tried throughout the history of American military conflicts
● A more corrupt Congress than at any other point in recent memory.
● Unlawful renditions to foreign countries.
● Blatant questioning of and violations of the Geneva Conventions
● The federal government’s allowing cheap imported Chinese toys and food to poison our children and animals.
● The devastation of our manufacturing and industrial base to foreign lands, all in the name of corporate profits but to the detriment of the public’s dual need for good jobs and the national security that comes with making some of our most basic staples.
● The collapse of bridges and degradation of other infrastructure which would have been repaired and perfected but for trillions spent on the current war.
● Outright lies by the President, Vice President and the former Attorney General to Congress, the Courts, to the press, and to the American people.

Whereas a few of these diminutions of American moral primacy have no correlation, the most egregious examples could rightly be deemed victories by Osama bin Laden and radical Islamic terrorists. Think about it: The enemies of the United States oppose America and all for which it stands – freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, equal rights for women, due process, civil liberties, the right to suffrage, and a government genuinely controlled by “the people” and not by military-industrial, theocratic, and/or plutocratic interests. Aren’t these the same principles we have seen shrink before our very eyes since 2001?

It angers me that certain American political leaders who brandished the sword of liberty and the shield of patriotism may have handed to our enemies a victory even greater than the September 11th attacks: a reduction in what America, in fact, stands for today.

As we have seen the Bush-Cheney administration decimate the goodwill that America had banked for generations among most nations of the world, and strip away various civil liberties we hold dear, I must now resurrect that question of “What Would Jefferson Do?” …

Would the 3rd President and Founding Father – no fan of the Supreme Court in his own day, but respectful to a fault of the role that separation of powers plays – have harsh words for this White House?

Would he have condoned torture?

Would he champion permanent tax cuts for the uber-wealthy and promote an increasingly exorbitant gap between the rich and the middle class?

Would he find the dramatic centralization of power within Washington, DC abhorrent to his very being?

Would he choose to side with the monied pharmaceutical, insurance, oil, and military industries instead of children?

Would he have allowed such a swift, downward spiral of the United States in a mere eight years, if ever?

Would Jefferson believe that another revolution were necessary?

Two hundred years ago the Sage of Monticello began the final year of his last term in the White House.

The nation was then in the hands of a fellow Founding Father, James Madison, who almost was our ultimate President when the British tried re-taking America and actually landed on U.S. soil, burning the White House in the War of 1812. The country was at a serious low point.

However, when Madison’s service concluded we then relied upon James Monroe to transition us to what historians call “the Era of Good Feelings.”

2008 will be a watershed year for Americans.

With next year’s elections, we will face either a return of an Era that lifts up all that is great and good about the land of the free and the home of the brave, and returns us to that shining City on a hill; … or we will witness more of the same from the last seven years.

Jefferson would see this as a revolutionary moment. Carpe diem!

© Wayne Goodwin of Rockingham, NC. All Rights Reserved.

Op-ed in Fayetteville Observer by Democratic Army Veteran

Vets act for those who still serve

By Phillip Hunter Gilfus
Fayetteville

I got recalled this month. After serving as a maintenance officer in the Army, including a deployment to Iraq, I thought I had hung up my beret and put away my boots for good. My service to my country and the military was over.

But I got called back.

For more, go to http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=273597

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.



# # #

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.

Sanford-Hunt Legacy Drives Future of Tar Heel Democrats

Sanford-Hunt Legacy Drives the Future of Tar Heel Democrats
By Wayne Goodwin, 26 Aug 2007

The State Executive Committee meeting yesterday in Greensboro was, once again, a celebration of what the North Carolina Democratic Party is about.

In addition to considering each of the recommended resolutions and action items (passing some, referring others back to committee, opposing others), Democrats from all across the Tar Heel State made much from their pilgrimage to Guilford County.



There we gathered, organized, rejoiced, reflected, and inspired.

We shared how our religious faith and values guide us in doing what we believe is right for North Carolina.

We learned about the growing intricacies of election laws, and witnessed what is driving our various candidates for 2008 to offer themselves up for public service.

And - as at last year’s Sanford-Hunt gala - many Democrats hoped to hear Governor Jim Hunt proclaim that he, once again, would be a candidate.

Alas, that last part was not meant to be.

Governor Hunt – personally and through the legacy of his leadership in education and emerging issues - has mentored a growing farm team for our State’s Democrats. Both that Hunt farm team and its accomplishments will expand as its candidates successfully seek the Governor’s Mansion and other Council of State positions next year, not to mention U.S. Senate and Congress, and inspire yet more folks to walk firmly in the footsteps of great leaders such as Terry Sanford.


Yes, our political party has many accomplishments of
which to be proud.

Those achievements will replicate as the Sanford-Hunt farm team continues to step up to the plate.

And, the home runs we Democrats will hit will far outlast those of Barry Bonds.

Truly, our best years are still to come.

NC Democrats & Wayne Goodwin to Hold Regional Town Meetings

July 6, 2007

Dear North Carolina Democrat:

Now that the 2007 congressional district conventions have been held and resolutions passed by those districts have been referred to me and the NCDP Platform and Resolutions Committee, we are now at the time when two vital things occur:

(1) The Platform and Resolutions Committee schedules its work session in advance of the August 25th State Executive Committee meeting in Greensboro; and,

(2) As chairman of the Platform and Resolutions Committee, I announce the schedule of Regional Town Hall Meetings. These regional meetings are opportunities for Democrats to gather together to discuss, comment on, and recommend resolutions that were either passed by one or more district conventions, submitted by an NCDP auxiliary group (whether official or unofficial), submitted by the public at large, submitted by the Resolutions Committee, or submitted by the NCDP chairman.

Do note two additional items. First, because there is no State Convention in odd-numbered years and we adopted a thorough Platform last July, this year we will only consider resolutions. No amendments to the Platform will be considered until 2008 in advance of the State Convention. (This is not to be confused with any proposed amendments to the Plan of Organization, which arise through a separate process and committee.) Second, because we only address resolutions this year, then we are able to start a little later with our regional town meetings than in previous years.

These meetings have been quite successful and productive in the recent past. In 2005 and 2006 more than 300 persons each year participated in the meetings all across the State. We also received hundreds of resolutions and proposed Platform amendments, all indicative of a vibrant Party membership resolute in taking a stand and in taking action on matters of interest to them. I have been very pleased with how inclusive and more efficient we have been with the process during these two years. It has also been pleasing to note that our Democratic legislators, State officials, and Congressional leaders have received the adopted resolutions and Platform as well. This is a vast improvement over years past. We have more improvements to make but the key to success lies with you.

Accordingly, the work session of the full Platform and Resolutions Committee is hereby set for 6 p.m., Thurs., August 9 at NC Democratic Party HQ in Raleigh. Attendance is open to the public, as always. We will allow for participation by conference call and email as needed.

As for the schedule of the Regional Town Hall Meetings themselves, the dates and locations are:

July 16
Raleigh
Wake Co. Democratic Party
NC Dem. HQ, 220 Hillsborough St
6:30 pm
Contact: Jan, 919-828-5656 admin@wakedems.org

July 25
Winston-Salem
Forsyth Co. Democratic Party
Southside Library, 3185 Buchanan Street
6:30 pm
Contact: Fred, 336-391-2381 fterry@triad.rr.com

July 26
Asheville
Buncombe Co. Dem. Party
Buncombe Co. Dem. HQ, 951 Fairview Road
6 pm
Contact: Kathy, 828-645-0906, hq@buncombedems.org
tandem9@charter.net

July 30
Charlotte
Mecklenburg Co. Dem. Party
TBD (one of the libraries), Location to be determined by July 12
6:30 pm
Contact: David, 704-579-2006 erdman@charlotte-nc-law.com

July 31
Fayetteville
Cumberland Co. Dem. Party
Cumberland Co. HQ Library,
Pate Room, 300 Maiden Lane
6 pm
Contact: Roberta, 910-484-7936 RWADDLE@nc.rr.com

Aug 1
New Bern
Craven Co. Dem. Party
Golden Corral Buffet & Grill Restaurant
400 Hotel Dr (near Hwy 70 and U.S. 17)
6 pm
Contact: Rachel, rparnell43@suddenlink.net

Aug 2
Greenville
Pitt Co. Dem. Party
Sheppard Memorial Library, Conf. Rm B
530 Evans Street
6:30 pm
Contact: Johnny, 252-321-7743 rousejohnny@hotmail.com

Aug 7
Windsor
Bertie Co. Dem. Party
Bertie Co. Courthouse
Courthouse Square, downtown Windsor
6:30 pm
Contact: Penny, 252-794-2968 dgtptt@earthlink.com

Aug 8
Durham
Durham Co. Dem. Party
Durham Co. Public Library, SW branch
near Orange Co. line; 3605 Shannon Rd.,
http://www.durhamcountylibrary.org/locations/s.php
7 pm
Contact: Kevin, 919-416-0445 kmf@nc.rr.com

Aug 9
Raleigh
NCDP PLAT. & RESOLUTIONS COMM.
NCDP HQ, 220 Hillsborough St.
6:30 pm
Contact: Wayne, 910-997-1301 gwaynegoodwin@gmail.com

Note: At the time of this printing we were still trying to select the best date for the Wilmington regional town meeting. If there is sufficient interest, we may schedule one in Lexington. Furthermore, you will note that one site is still to be determined (TBD), as we await further input from the county or regional party leaders. Regardless, we are “locked in” on the dates. Watch your email and the NCDP website for updates. Feel free to contact me as well as indicated below.

Please pass the word to members of your respective county Party membership, especially precinct chairs and officers. We would like to equal or exceed attendance this year as we prepare for the August 25th State Executive Committee meeting where we will act on the work done by the Platform and Resolutions Committee. If you have any questions or concerns or resolution suggestions, then please feel free to email me at gwaynegoodwin@gmail.com or call me at (910) 997-1301, or you may fax me via the NCDP at (919) 821-4778 (remember to put my name on the fax). For your convenience I have also enclosed a copy of the material on how to construct a resolution, as found in the NCDP County Chairs Handbook.

In closing, let us recall that resolutions are how we as Democrats collectively express ourselves on issues of the day – whether they concern our Nation, our State, or our own local community. They are ways to educate and inspire; more importantly, resolutions are calls to action.

Thank you for your dedicated service to the North Carolina Democratic Party, and answering this call to action!

With warmest personal regards, I am

Very truly yours,

WAYNE GOODWIN
Chairman, Platform and Resolutions Committee

Enclosure