Government by principles, not politics.

MEET ED

Ed grew up as a poor kid in Appalachia. His father was a millworker for 30 years and his mother was a homemaker. Although times were sometimes tough, his family was able to make it through by looking to each other and their community to find solutions. He worked his way through engineering college and through years of hard work has developed a career leading some of the largest industrial construction projects in North Carolina.

Ed’s  family taught him the principles of personal responsibility, perseverance, and accountability. It is these values that have permeated his life and why he is running for NC House 34.

Jefferson said, “The purpose of government is to prevent men from hurting one another.” As such, Ed believes:

  • Generally, we are best served by a government so constrained.

  • Most other decisions made by the government should be left for the individual or family to make.  For example, some say a mother should “have the right to choose.”   If so, that principle should apply universally. For example, parents should have the right to choose the school their child attends.  The money in the system should follow the student. 

  • Parental rights should be protected.

Jefferson also said, “It makes no difference whether my neighbor has one or 50 gods; if he has taken no money from my pocket nor broken my leg, his affairs are his.”

  • Government should generally stay out of our affairs, deregulate and stop restricting personal decisions,  free markets, and businesses.  Too often, government harms what it tries to help.

    • Certificates of Need should be eliminated, allowing the market to determine medical services.

    • Fees for business licenses for harmless activities, like doing hairstyle blowouts, giving advice, and selling retail products should be eliminated.

    • Too often speech is restricted and we are being bullied by a government that thinks it knows best for us. 


Ed believes in allowing others to make their own decisions and live with the successes and consequences without the interference of government.



Focused on PRINCIPLES, FAIRNESS, and the pride and happiness of personal success to nurture North Carolina’s thriving communities.

FAMILY VALUES

Government should stop making decisions on behalf of families.  Parents should be deciding where their children attend school, how to provide healthcare for them, and the character values they want to instill.  The tax dollars for education should be spent where the parent wants it spent and the money in the school system should follow the student, no matter what school the parents choose.  

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Too many government activities cause housing costs to increase.  Redistributing tax dollars to subsidize homes damages everyone while helping only the few recipients of government-funded housing.  Property taxes should be eliminated as a first step in reducing the cost of housing.  Building codes and zoning laws should be relaxed to allow more homes to be built on the limited available property.

PRESERVATION OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS

Government should only be involved in the activities of individuals when one person has harmed another.  Too many times our government is working far outside of that limitation.  When it does, it constrains personal liberty.  Any laws regarding personal behavior when there is no victim involved should be abolished.

COST-EFFECTIVE HEALTHCARE

The government constrains access to affordable healthcare by requiring Certificates of Need for medical facilities and equipment.  This drives up costs.  Certificates of Need should be abolished.  Government should not fund healthcare and should not be involved in anyone’s healthcare decisions.

REMOVING BARRIERS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

The government charges a fee and has extensive regulations to allow citizens to make money using their own skills. For some, paying these fees and following these rules can be a barrier to starting a business. Ed believes that charging somebody and regulating them to use their skills to do things such as braid hair, mow lawns, and sell lemonade are ridiculous. Fees for business licenses should be eliminated and regulations should be closely evaluated.

Additionally, the government should stay out of business decisions, especially the activities that provide preferences for one business over another.  Corporate income taxes and economic incentive packages should be eliminated, providing a fair playing field for businesses to thrive in our State.