Goss Answers the Soucek Smear

Via e-mail on Friday, while we were out of pocket, from the Reelect Senator Steve Goss campaign, responding to this:

Just the Truth!
We sometime find that when a candidate runs for office and has no good ideas of his own, he turns to a tactic of using smears and innuendo, in the hope that voters will believe at least some of it. That's what is happening in 2010 in a June fundraising letter sent out by the Finance Director of the NC Republican Party on behalf of my opponent. While I realize that my opponent was running a deficit in his campaign as of last quarter's election finance report (a spending pattern I adamantly oppose in Raleigh), I do not believe his debt justifies this kind of underhanded politicking.

My Opponent has charged:
"Goss has voted for over $1 billion in new taxes."

The Truth:
He is referring to a temporary increase in revenues that helped keep tens of thousands of teachers, Teacher Assistants, and state employees working in North Carolina. Does this mean my opponent wanted these working people fired? In fact, I am working with the legislative Finance Team on a plan that will modernize NC's antiquated tax system so it is more fair for everyone.

My Opponent has charged:
"[Goss] refused to sponsor a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in North Carolina even after promising to do so."

The Truth:
The truth is I have sponsored every bill that I have promised to sponsor. And in fact, I was honored to receive the Legislative Award for protecting families and marriages. Most voters know that gay marriage is already illegal in North Carolina; perhaps it's because he moved here from New Jersey, but it's unfortunate that my opponent does not know North Carolina Law.

My Opponent has charged:
"[And] after getting caught billing his campaign $19,000 for mileage -- enough to drive around the world at the equator -- over four months he had the gall to sponsor an 'Ethics Reform' bill."

The Truth:
I was actually obeying the letter of the law in reporting in detail expenses incurred meeting constituents throughout the district. The amount reimbursed was for 35,000-miles dating from 2006 to 2009. The 45th District includes Alexander, Ashe, Watauga and Wilkes counties -- and that involves a fair amount of driving. I kept a detailed log of my mileage, which is public record. According to the state elections office, I could have reported the mileage in each quarter as a loan to my campaign, but I waited and reported it when the campaign had the money to pay me back. Gary Bartlett, the executive director of the State Board of Elections, said publicly that "there is no question it [the reimbursement] is allowed under the law." Bartlett also explained, "This [reporting errors among candidates] happens a lot. This involves a lot of money because it covers a longer period of time" (Wilkes Journal Patriot, September 28, 2009). Truth is, I have traveled over 75,000 miles (and I can prove it), and won the Sunshine Award for having one of the most open campaigns in the legislature.