Representative Bert Jones

An Honor and a Privilege to Serve

2010-12-11T23:27:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

It is an honor and a privilege to have been elected as your state representative to represent the citizens of House District 65 in Rockingham County. I accept this great responsibility with a sense of both humility and excitement. We have an opportunity before us to make some much needed changes in the way our state government does business – changes that can improve the quality of life for North Carolina’s citizens.

The next several years of governing will be a tremendous challenge. We must make very difficult decisions as we face a huge financial shortfall. It is immoral how government has been spending our children’s future and saddling our society with huge government debt. The citizens have clearly spoken, and we must listen and act. Business as usual will not suffice. But, government cannot do it all. Citizens must work together to foster changes in behaviors, as the era of expanding government and the oft-prevailing attitudes of entitlement must change.

Lord willing, the historic 2011 session will mark the beginning of several long awaited changes that will change our state for the better. Some of these changes will include balancing the state budget without raising taxes, protecting private property rights by ending forced annexation as we know it, passing the Healthcare Freedom Protection Act, eliminating the artificial cap on charter schools, passing the Honest Election Act to require a valid photo ID to vote, and protecting the sacred institution of marriage between one man and one woman. Another critical issue will be addressed by establishing fair and legal congressional and legislative districts.

I am excited about serving the Lord throughout this endeavor, and serving my constituents in Rockingham County. Just as I did as county commissioner, I will be true to the platform that I campaigned on – honesty, integrity, and fiscal responsibility. As a fiscal and social conservative, I believe in limited, effective government that does not exceed its constitutional role.

We will have regular email newsletters and townhall meetings to continue good communication. This continues to be a grassroots citizens’ effort. This seat belongs to you, the citizens of our district. With God’s blessing, together we will continue to work to help improve our community and our state.

The tasks before us are great, but definitely worth our best efforts. Please remember to keep me and leaders at all levels of government held up in prayer.

It is easy to contact me anytime at BertJonesNCHouse@gmail.com. I want to know your concerns and how I might be of assistance, if possible.

Take care and God bless.

We Need Fiscal Responsibility in Raleigh

2010-07-01T07:25:00.001-04:00

According to recent polling results, less than one quarter of North Carolina voters believe that our state is headed in the right direction. The vast majority believe that state government is failing us. This series of articles discusses policy reforms that many believe are needed to move our state in the right direction. Our campaign is about issues, and a vision for a better North Carolina. We ask you to join with us.

We need FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY in Raleigh!

The problem: Unsustainable budget growth! Government spending has skyrocketed as the size, scope and control of government has continued to grow. The result is that certain economic disaster looms unless we change course.

State spending has grown by 300% (adjusted for inflation) while our population grew by only 60 percent. This is not sustainable! North Carolina has the highest tax burden in the South, killing jobs. We are in the top 10 states in unemployment. Moreover, our state is accumulating huge debt, while exhausting the dedicated reserves in our Highway Trust Fund and Rainy Day Fund.

A recent Debt Affordability Study released by the State Treasurer concluded that our state has virtually exhausted its debt limit, and its AAA bond rating may soon be in jeopardy. This would accelerate the debt interest even more, among other grave concerns! Our annual debt payments have already almost tripled in this decade. This is an economic crisis.

The solution: State government must balance its budget! It must prioritize spending, and spend within its means. We are living on a borrowed, false economy that cannot continue. Our children will never be able to pay back the interest on our debt.

No society has ever survived this approach. As Winston Churchill said, “for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle”. The high tax and spend approach is not sustainable.

The choice is very clear in this election. Our opponent has a consistent record raising debt, taxes, and spending! His progressive tax and spend crowd is looking for new taxes to fuel bigger government, such as the proposed Vehicle Mileage Tax!

The Vehicle Mileage Tax would be disastrous for North Carolina families and businesses! We must stop higher spending and new taxes such as the VMT!

Friends, it is definitely time for a change!

Reduce the State and National Debt!

2010-06-15T08:19:00.003-04:00

• According to recent polling results, less than one quarter of North Carolina voters believe that our state is headed in the right direction. The vast majority believe that state government is failing us.

• This series of articles highlights policy reforms that many believe are needed to move our state in the right direction. Previously, we reported on the need to support businesses and jobs by easing our state's comparably high tax burden.

This article focuses on arguably the biggest threat to our society - the massive government debt.

Policy Reform #2 – REDUCE THE STATE AND NATIONAL DEBT!

The problem: Government debt is excessive, out of control, and unsustainable. Before long the interest on the debt will consume our resources. It is an economic disaster in progress. Our children will never be able to pay the debt off that our government is spending today. Bigger, more intrusive government not only does not solve problems, we cannot afford it. There is absolutely no time to waste, but politicians continue to grow government control, spending, and more debt.

The solution: We absolutely must reduce government spending. You cannot spend what you do not have but for so long. The time of disaster is soon approaching. This is a grave concern both on the national and state levels. We need honest leadership! Can you continue to spend money you don’t have just because you want something? Of course not. You spend within your means, or eventually you go bankrupt. If families and businesses operated like our government, people would go to jail. Those that say “government can just print more money” obviously do not know their history. Every society that has tried this has faced certain economic disaster. It can and will happen here, unless we change course. But, rather than changing to avoid a socioeconomic trainwreck, politicians are simply speeding up the train!

We will effectively reduce government spending when we rein in big government, and restore it to its proper constitutional role. But, an immediate solution is to prioritize spending with a balanced budget. We cannot continue to borrow more!

Our opponent has continually voted for higher taxes and more borrowing, to fuel more government control and huge increases in spending. Government watchdog groups report that our state budget is up 300% during the time that state population has grown only about 60%. The result has been devastating to the state’s economy and jobs.

With redistricting in 2011, the General Assembly will greatly affect national issues, including the debt. Congressional and state legislative districts currently drawn to benefit liberal, progressive politicians can be redrawn to better represent the will of the people. 2010 is a huge election year that will very much affect state and national politics for ten years.

Friends, it is definitely time for a change!

Highlights From a Recent Interview

2010-06-04T01:02:00.000-04:00

I recently participated in an interview with a newspaper reporter. Here are some highlights from that interview.

Question: What decisions did you make as a county commissioner that you are proud of?
Bert Jones: 1) I kept my word to the voters. I never told anyone I would do one thing and then did something else. I never made promises I could not keep.
2) I voted against more tax increases and against more borrowing against our dwindling county emergency funds.
3) I consistently worked to improve government services through efficiency and common-sense businesslike initiatives. At the same time, I treated our employees with respect, and worked to hire good people and pay them competitive wages.
4) I also worked diligently to defend citizens’ property rights, but NC laws are very poor in this area and need to be reformed. For example, 48 states protect citizens from forced annexation better than our state does.
5) I demonstrated leadership on tough issues. We built the needed courthouse and jail for safety and security reasons, but it would have saved the taxpayers a lot of money if it had been done years before. I worked to keep costs down where possible.
Question: Why are you deciding to run for state house as opposed to any other political office?
Bert Jones: I saw firsthand as a commissioner that several changes are needed at the state level. We are consistently losing jobs because our state has the highest tax burden in the South. North Carolina is in the top 10 in unemployment in the country, and our county is particularly hard hit. Our state’s “borrow, tax, and spend” government is crushing our economy. The state treasurer has warned that we cannot continue to amass more debt. Another huge issue is that all state legislative and congressional districts will be redistricted next year. The current district lines are grossly unfair, and are largely drawn to benefit incumbents and Democrats. It is time for our representatives to reflect the will of the people.
Question: Do you believe running as an independent improves your odds of defeating Mr. Cole in the general election?
Bert Jones: The biggest challenge is that people have to know not to just vote a straight party ticket. They must vote specifically for me or their vote will be wasted. As long as people know this, I do not think it will affect my odds of winning the race.
Question: Why should people elect you instead of the incumbent? What has Cole done specifically that you disagree with?
Bert Jones: Mr. Cole and I disagree on many important issues, including borrowing, taxing, and spending, because we disagree about how much government control is best. This is a primary national and state issue this year. For 16 years, he has consistently voted to increase our debt, to raid and deplete important dedicated funds (such as the Highway Trust Fund and the Rainy Day Fund), and to increase taxes and spending. He is even interested in more new taxes, such as the Vehicle Mileage Tax that would be a huge burden to many families and businesses. The state budget is up 300% (adjusted for inflation) during the time when the state population increased just 60%. People are figuring out that this is unsustainable and we will not be able to repay the debt. Many politicians like Mr. Cole may mean well, but bigger government is not the answer, nor can we afford it.

Needed Policy Reform - SUPPORT JOBS!

2010-05-28T10:27:00.003-04:00

According to recent polling results, less than one quarter of North Carolina voters believe that our state is headed in the right direction. The vast majority believe that state government is failing us.

Over the next several weeks, I will outline a series of policy reforms that many believe are needed to move our state in the right direction. I don’t pretend to have all perfect answers, but more government control certainly does not solve every problem. Our campaign is about issues, and a vision for a better North Carolina.

Policy Reform #1 – SUPPORT JOBS

The problem: High Unemployment!

The solution: Encourage businesses and job creation. Ease the tax burden! North Carolina has the highest tax burden in the Southeast, which kills jobs. Unemployment (11.2% reported in April) ranks in the top 10 in the nation. Our county’s unemployment numbers are much worse. We are losing jobs to neighboring states that have less tax burden on businesses, especially small businesses that create most jobs.

North Carolina’s job growth has lagged miserably behind other states in our region during the entire decade – a decade riddled with tax increases. For example, Virginia’s job growth rate during that time was more than five times that of NC. All these states have lower tax burdens than North Carolina. Unfortunately, the political answer has been to try to offset an anti-business environment with handouts and targeted tax breaks to a select group of politically connected companies. But, 87% of voters favor across the board tax reductions to all, whereas only 7% favor targeted tax breaks to a few large companies. The legislators are not listening to our citizens.

Our opponent has continually voted for higher taxes and more borrowing, to fuel more government control and huge increases in spending. The result has been devastating to the state’s economy and jobs.

Friends, it is definitely time for a change!

A "Tax Day" Story... Too Bad This One is True

2010-04-15T07:16:00.002-04:00

Despite mounting government debt and amidst unemployment figures in the top ten in the nation, North Carolina has the highest tax burden in our region of the country. Keep in mind that our opponent has supported every budget to increase debt, taxes, and spending during his 16-year career in Raleigh. And, a person with the mindset that more government is the answer must even look for new taxes such as his proposed vehicle mileage tax. (At least he has been consistent!)

Not long ago, a professor came up with a simple story to help explain our tax system. It is worth reading. Suppose, ten men go out for dinner every evening. The total bill is $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3. The seventh would pay $7. The eighth would pay $12. The ninth would pay $18. The tenth man would pay $59.

One day, the restaurant owner said, “Since you are such good customers, I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20.” (He reduced their “tax debt”.) So, now dinner for the ten men cost $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay taxes. So, the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six paying customers? How could they divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his “fair share”?

The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth and sixth men would each end up being paid to eat their meal. So, the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same percentage amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each man should pay. And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings). The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings). The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. “I got only a dollar out of the $20,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!” “Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than me!”

“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I only got $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!” “Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!” Then the nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night, the tenth man didn’t show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between them to pay even half the bill!

That is how our tax system works. When big government decides to tax and spend too much, many of the people (and the jobs their businesses create) just might not show up at the table anymore. (NC ‘reported’ unemployment now exceeds 11%!)

No country or state has ever borrowed, taxed and spent itself into prosperity. We are living on a false economy. It’s time to wake up to reality – it’s time for a change.

Why I Am Running for State Representative

2010-03-22T23:09:00.003-04:00

As a Christian, as a husband and father, as someone that has worked hard throughout my life to try to achieve something better, and just as a concerned American – I seek this office in this critical election year to defend the principles that have made our nation great. These principles include faith, family, freedom, liberty, work ethic, capitalism, and a limited government under the control of its citizens.

Today, our constitutional republic is under attack as never before by those who would transform us toward a social democratic welfare state that marginalizes citizens’ rights. Our state and federal government has simply grown out of control and has exceeded its constitutional role. The effects have been devastating, but the worst is surely yet to come if we ignore the perils of history.

Our state and nation are drowning in government debt. This is unsustainable, and is quickly growing at a rate that will be impossible to fix. Thomas Jefferson sternly warned against this practice and rightfully called it immoral. But, he could never have imagined the extent to which our politicians would ignore his warnings 200 years later. History has proven time and again that this will lead to certain economic disaster.

Big government takeovers (healthcare, education, business bailouts, banks, and more) will not solve our problems. Those that would sell their liberty for the promise of prosperity deserve neither, and many will live to regret it. Government attempts to fix our society through transfers of wealth and the abandonment of faith-based values have failed miserably. America continues to descend into further socioeconomic chaos as the family structure is under attack. The politics of envy and greed are taking a huge toll. While never perfect, America was once the enviable pattern for the world. Today, as we see abandonment of many of the principles that made us great, we are falling behind. As many socialist countries have been moving toward our model, we are unfortunately moving toward theirs to our peril and destruction.

This year’s election for the North Carolina House is very important regarding our representation on both the state and national levels. Next year, the General Assembly will do redistricting. This means every Congressional and state legislative district can be changed. Progressive legislators have created such ill-drawn, ridiculous districts (a process known as “gerrymandering”) that the will of the people is not being carried out. It is so blatant that a substantial majority of voters elect members of one party to serve, but the other side wins a huge majority of legislators. This is more than unfair, it is an abomination. I will work to end this immoral, unethical practice that takes more power from the citizens.

Huge government debt vs. fiscal responsibility. Citizens’ rights vs. big government. More capitalism, competition and free-markets vs. more socialism, entitlement and government control. Protection of faith-based values vs. an all-out assault on faith in the public square. These are issues worth fighting for. This is why we sacrifice to serve.

It is time for a change. If not now, when?

Jones to File for NC House Seat

2010-02-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

February 5, 2010

JONES TO FILE FOR ELECTION TO THE NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Rockingham County – Former Rockingham County Commissioner Bert Jones announced today that he will file for election to the NC House of Representatives next week when the filing period opens. Jones served as a commissioner from 2004 to 2008, before opting not to seek another term.

In 2004, Jones ran a successful campaign on a platform to protect citizens' rights and to control government spending. He says that he wants to take that approach to state government. “The government is literally spending us into bankruptcy, and more people are realizing this is not sustainable,” Jones said. "We must preserve our children's future by spending within our means." Jones noted that together the national and state debt is now about $250,000 per family and continuing to grow at a rapid pace. “We are fast moving toward a social and economic trainwreck, and no one is even slowing down the train, much less changing course.”

Jones said his experience as a commissioner would be invaluable as a state representative. “Where do we even start?” Jones began. “No one understands better than the commissioners how the state saddles economically depressed counties like ours with its unfunded mandates. It leads to higher taxes and less funding for critical services, and cripples our potential for job growth. And, look at what they did to the mental health system, and now government wants to control healthcare!? And, while we struggle to update our 100-year-old courthouse and jail, some of these politicians in Raleigh are raising taxes to fund their campaign promises and to build things like teapot museums. That's just not right."

"I hope people are ready to say 'enough is enough',” said Jones, who is running as an independent unaffiliated candidate. “For me, it begins with what I believe to be biblical and moral truth, and that shapes my philosophy about government and politics. We’ve seen too many examples of arrogance and corruption in Raleigh, and government at the state and national levels is out of control. I believe most people are ready for a change from politics as usual." The election will be November 2.