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.
