Wow, it's been a long time. I'm running for re-election to the Lenoir City Council, for a fourth term. Hard to believe! I'll continue to stand up for Lenoir residents and taxpayers, even against Big, Bad, Google and their massive corporate welfare that costs us millions of dollars every year. I look forward to your support.

Charlotte Observer's Article

Good article about the race. They fairly present my positions near the end of the article. Check it out: 3 vie for DA post

Newton Observer News Enterprise

The Newton O-N-E asked me to respond to their questionnaire for the DA candidates. I did so, but they just notified me that due to lower-than-expected ad revenue, they're only going to run the answers of those candidates who face a May primary. Since I went to all that work, though, I thought I'd go ahead and post my answers here. So, without further ado, here they are:

Observer News-Enterprise

Candidate Questionnaire

1. History in office or experience that makes you a good candidate for elected office: I have been a criminal and civil attorney in the 25^th District for more than fifteen years, trying numerous cases in District and Superior Court throughout all three counties. I have also been on the Lenoir City Council for more than six years. I am prepared to handle not just the courtroom, but also the political pressures that go along with the job.

2. What do you see as the biggest issues facing this position in coming years, and how do you plan to address them? First is restoring the public’s faith in the District Attorney’s Office after some public embarrassments. Second is managing a three-county office on a continually tightening budget from Raleigh as the state’s budget crisis continues. I will act with honesty and integrity as your District Attorney. I will meet with the assistant district attorneys and their staff regularly to offer as well as receive feedback. I will focus the office’s increasingly limited resources in the most effective way possible, by aggressively prosecuting violent criminals as well as those who would seek to defraud us, steal our property, or endanger the safety of those of us on the roads.

3. What makes you the best candidate? In addition to my years as a trial attorney in this district, people have seen from my actions and votes on the Lenoir City Council that I am a man who stands for his principles and will not compromise in the face of well-organized opposition. I will make sure that the Office of District Attorney will aggressively and effectively seek to convict offenders, while it will also leave you alone if you respect other people’s rights, persons, and property.

My Manifesto as DA

It's really easy to propose legislation that comes down harder and harder on people accused of crime. That always appeals to the lowest common denominator; it's called pandering. I have never done it while on the Lenoir City Council, and I won't do it if you elect me your District Attorney.

What's difficult is following the law, keeping the government off law-abiding, peaceful people's backs, reducing the size, scope, and power of government, convicting only the guilty, and making our homes, bodies, and roads safer anyway. There's just no way to prosecute every crime that takes place, since our legislature has criminalized almost everything these days. I would make the tough decisions and prosecute the real crimes and the real criminals aggressively but fairly. I believe that will result in a safer, freer, more just society.

Ethics

"The United States Attorney is the representative not of an ordinary party to a controversy, but of a sovereignty whose obligation to govern impartially is as compelling as its obligation to govern at all; and whose interest, therefore, in a criminal prosecution is not that it shall win a case, but that justice shall be done. As such, he is in a peculiar and very definite sense the servant of the law, the twofold aim of which is that guilt shall not escape or innocence suffer." Berger v. United States, 295 U.S. 78, 88 (1935)

Oaths

IN case you ever wondered what a District Attorney swears to do:

"I, _______, do solemnly and sincerely swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States; that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the State of North Carolina, and to the constitutional powers and authorities which are or may be established for the government thereof; and that I will endeavor to support, maintain and defend the Constitution of said State, not inconsistent with the Constitution of the United States, to the best of my knowledge and ability; so help me God."

"I, _____________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will well and truly serve the State of North Carolina in the office of district attorney for the State; I will, in the execution of my office, endeavor to have the criminal laws fairly and impartially administered, so far as in me lies, according to the best of my knowledge and ability; so help me, God. "

Running Again

I'm running for 25th District DA now! More to come. In the meantime, feel free to comment here or e-mail me with any questions.

Thanks for the Support!

I've gotten some positive telephone calls and e-mails regarding the article in Sunday's News-Topic, wherein I reiterated my stand against incentives, especially in light of the bonuses paid out to Jeff Cook and other executives at Furniture Brands. Thanks for letting me know some of you agree with me.

I'm Not Dead Yet

I'm still plugging away, trying to advocate and vote for what's right. I appreciate those of you who have been checking in here and at www.electtjrohr.com. I welcome any e-mails asking about the issues.

A Creepy Story and a Funny Comment

Creepy Story:

One of my supporters went to Hudson Town Hall to vote, whereupon someone came up to her, handed her some literature, and said, "I'm T.J. Rohr and I'd appreciate your vote." She said, "No, you're not." He said "Sh. They don't know that," perhaps referring to the other pollworkers.

The guy wasn't me. I didn't have anyone (that I knew of!) working Hudson Town Hall at that time.

Funny Comment:

Another supporter came up to me today and said, "You got 2,300+ votes?!? That's about 2,000 more than I expected you to get." I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not!

I love politics. :)

Oh, well.

Thanks to all the folks who worked the polls for me today. It was a lot of fun. I ended up with 8% of the vote, and met a bunch of nice people. Congrats to Edgar Starnes, who beat me and John Forlines. I'll post some cellphone pix and more thanks later.

VOTE Tomorrow!

We're at the finish line. Help me cross it ahead of my opponents! Don't forget to vote tomorrow, for both me and Mike. On the ballot, it's easy to find me: on the front, lower right hand corner. And thanks for your support.

"What are you going to get for us?"

I get this question a lot. My basic answer is, I'm not running to "get stuff" for the people of the 87th. That kind of politics is what has gotten us into the mess we're in, on both the state and federal level of government. It leads to wasteful pork barrel spending and corruption.

I'm running to let you keep what you've earned. I'm running for you to keep your right to express yourself, the fruits of your labor, your right to bear arms, your right to privacy, and your land. I'm running to help you keep your freedom, your property, and your life.

Munger 'n' Me, Part Deux

Dr. Munger, Libertarian gubernatorial candidate, will be doing a Murphy-to-Manteo run leading up to the election on Tuesday, and he'll be in our very own Caldwell County on Friday! He and I will be at Piccolo's in downtown Lenoir Friday at 6:30 pm. Please come meet him and me as we head into the final stages of what I hope and expect, with your help, will be an historic election on Tuesday.

Please volunteer and contribute if you can!

Munger 'n' Me

A North Carolina gubernatorial candidate passed through Lenoir today! It was Libertarian candidate Dr. Mike Munger, who served on the Federal Trade Commission under President Ronald Reagan, and is chairman of Duke University's Political Science Department. He and I met up, as he gave me a few signs to put out for him. He'll be stopping through again on Friday for a campaign stop. I'll have more details as they come.

Early Voting

The first week-and-a-half of early voting is done. I've been to the Granite Falls Rec location once and the Caldwell County offices location three or four times. It's hard when you've got a full-time job! :)

In any event, if you make it to Early Voting, don't forget about me. The race for the 87th House is in the lower right on the front page of the ballot. For those of you who've already voted for me, THANKS! Oh, and please tell your friends to vote for me, too. I need and appreciate each and every vote.

Quick summary

It appears that a number of you have come here as a result of my radio or newspaper ads. Welcome! You can look along the right-hand side for some topics that I've already expressed my views on, but here's a little help:

Broyhill (the City vote on their handout is tonight; I'll be voting no)
Google, involuntary annexation, and eminent domain
School choice
The power of government
Illegal immigration

mp3s of my ads

The Libertarian Party of North Carolina's homepage has my radio ads posted as mp3 audio files. Check them out!

Ads

We're only two-and-a-half weeks away from Election Day. Starting Saturday the 18th, I'll be running two ads a day in the News-Topic, and I'll also have :30 and :60 radio spots running during morning and afternoon drive times on WKGX 1080 AM (bluegrass), and NewsTalk 1340 WJRI. Keep an ear out for them. As soon as I get the mp3 files, I'll try to post them here or at www.electTJRohr.com.

8,579.19

Wasn't the $850 billion federal bailout supposed to provide short-term stability to the markets?