Magee looks to connect with conservative voters in 72nd District

Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. — John Donne

Last February, John Magee had his family were experiencing the full brunt of the Great Recession. Magee, an accountant from Walkertown, had been unemployed for more than a year. Fortunately, his wife, Laura, had a job with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. That’s when Magee received an e-mail from the Forsyth County Republican Party asking if party members in the NC House 72nd District would be interested in running against Democratic incumbent Earline Parmon. Magee answered the call, he said, because he is a reflection of the people living in the 72nd District, which encompasses areas of east Winston-Salem and Walkertown.

“I know what it means to live paycheck to paycheck,” Magee said. “I’ve never been a politician. I’m just trying to step up and do what’s right for my family.”

Magee pointed out that Parmon has run unopposed in the last two elections, and many of the people he’s spoken with had little or no familiarity with Parmon or her voting record. Magee outlined his governing philosophy in straightforward terms.

“What I believe is, the power starts with the people of the district and those seats in Raleigh are owned by the people of the district, not the representatives sitting in them,” Magee said. “The representatives should be handling things in a way that benefits the entire district, not just a small segment of the district, whether it’s a business or a specific group.”

Magee said Parmon focuses on pet projects, which excludes the needs of many voters in the 72nd District. Magee acknowledged his conclusion was based on things he’s heard from Parmon’s constituents.

Parmon introduced the Eugenics Sterilization bill, which would compensate families of people sterilized by the state’s eugenics program in the early 20th century. Parmon also served as the co-sponsor of the North Carolina Racial Justice Act, which allows death row inmates to appeal their sentencing if they believe race was a “significant factor” in the prosecution’s decision to seek the death penalty.

If elected, Magee he would fight to lower taxes, which would attract business and industry.

“North Carolina has taxes that are just too high,” Magee said. “We’re losing businesses because the corporate income tax is higher than our neighboring states. We also have a higher income tax rate than neighboring states.”

Magee said runaway spending by the General Assembly is hurting the state’s economy, and has led to painful consequences for ordinary citizens. In June, Magee said his wife was notified that her teaching position was being cut. If North Carolina was more business-friendly, the state legislature was more fiscally conservative, it wouldn’t have to make such hard budget choices, Magee said.

If elected, Magee said he would fight to cut excessive spending on programs that benefit a small number of people. With regard to the environment, Magee said he supports oil drilling off the coast of North Carolina.

“That would benefit our workers by giving them jobs,” Magee said. “That would also help reduce prices because instead of having to pay import fees and the rates charged by the foreign countries, we would have on our own soil our own supplies and they couldn’t do anything about it.”

Magee cited the influence of environmental groups as one of reasons why there isn’t more offshore drilling in the US. He acknowledged the environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, but said it could’ve been avoided if Deepwater Horizon — the BP leased rig that exploded in April — had been allowed to drill closer to shore in an area100 to 500 feet deep.

“That could’ve been capped within two days and be done with it,” Magee said.
An advocate of welfare reform, Magee said he supports the extension of unemployment benefits.

“I believe that people should be working for their income, not just sitting around at home waiting for a government handout check,” Magee said. “Unemployment I would extend because the working people have paid into it as an insurance against loss of job. I’ve been there myself.”

With regard to education, Magee said he would advocate for greater parental involvement and reforming the state-mandated end-of-grade and end-of-course testing.

“I’m in favor of the old-fashioned method, right is right and wrong and wrong. There is no in-between,” Magee said.