North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 01/17/1996

Eric It's Wednesday January 17th. Tonight a conversation with U.S. Senate candidate Charles Sanders in North Carolina now. Good evening everyone I'm Marina mature I thank you for bringing North Carolina now into your home on what is a very special night for us. Tonight we mark our second anniversary. It was two years ago this very evening that you and CTV embarked on an ambitious project that was

unique to North Carolina to air a nightly statewide television news magazine. Well we are still the only ones providing you with this valuable source of information and entertainment about your home state. Tonight we get started on your number three. Cheryl Sanders is on tonight's program the former Glaxo head is now running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Our political correspondent John Bass and we'll talk with Mr. Sanders. And it seems a major issue of any political campaign is welfare reform. In Raleigh today members of the Joint Legislative welfare reform Study Commission meant to try to hammer out differences that have kept them at odds for months. They want to have a proposal to present to the General Assembly when the next legislative session starts May 13th. But much of what happens in our state will also depend on how Congress deals with the issue of welfare reform. Beth Hardie took a look at the issue in this report we first aired last fall. For the past two years Sharon Woods has been a role

that a technical college in Durham North Carolina. I want to go back to school for quite some time but it wasn't until after I had my daughter and I became a single parent divorced making a single parent and I realized that I needed more than just a high school diploma to be able to support myself as well as one gone or why would sing in class who the owner of the daycare daycare would say can only afford with help from a federal welfare program called Aid to Families with Dependent Children. My daughter is still before her school age and so if I didn't have daycare dependable day here that I could leave her there's no way there are her school but would send the other North Carolinians currently receiving welfare benefits may soon be out of luck. Congress is considering radical changes to federal anti-poverty programs that state officials fear could throw thousands of people in this state off the welfare rolls.

So what some Republicans in Congress would like to do is consolidate federal funding for numerous welfare programs and give states lump sum payments all block grants. It would then be up to the states to decide how to spend that money. Republicans argue that block grants will translate into significant savings by reducing bureaucracy. North Carolina Republican senator lock their quote supports the idea of a lock Grant. What this does is end it as an entitlement now and most people are not aware or sensitive to the fact that an entitlement is an unlimited expenditure. Anyone who qualifies under this program they we simply borrow the money to provide it onto the block grants to states would receive a specific amount of money and then they would allocate it and spend it over a period of a year and it would no longer be in a Title 1 appropriated

phone. But the plan worries North Carolina's Democratic governor Jim Hunt. Well we welcome the increased flexibility that the block grants would give us. But frankly we're very concerned in this state about what the formula turns out to be for the block grants. For example at least some versions of the talk race based the amount of money you get in a block grant on how much money you paid out it well for in the past but that really doesn't say anything about what percentage of poor children you have in your state. What the real need of this governor Haut has reason to be concerned. If Congress moves ahead with block grants North Carolina could be one of the biggest losers under the plan passed by the house. The formula used to allocate federal welfare dollars offer states a choice either take the average annual amount of federal dollars received between 1992 and 1994 or take the 1994 dollar amount under the Senate plan states would get the same amount of money they received in

1900 for a modest supplemental Grant would provide additional funds to grow states like North Carolina whose welfare funding falls well below the national average. Governor hood doesn't believe that past spending is an accurate measure of future need. He's concerned that cap lock grants will punish North Carolina for having historically paid among the lowest welfare benefits in the country. Some states have a lot of money to put into welfare a lot of states and other states like ours have a pretty fast growing population. An awful lot of children in poverty. And what's been done in the past from from the Congress doesn't fairly measure that. Now North Carolina's population like many Southern states is growing much faster than the national average and that could mean more welfare applicants buying for fewer welfare dollars. In addition North Carolina has historically maintained a low unemployment rate

under the House plan in case of a serious economic downturn. States could apply for federal welfare loans if their unemployment rate exceeds six and a half percent. In the last recession North Carolina's jobless rate doubled but it was still only 6 percent not high enough to qualify the state for a loan. Under the Senate bill state's ability to borrow funds is not limited to economic conditions but the loans must be repaid within three years with interest although no one knows at this point exactly how much this state stands to lose. There are some good estimates. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services probably is the best predictor. They're saying the state would lose about 1.3 billion dollars over the next five years. Rand Coble director of the nonprofit North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research studied the effects of block grants the last time they were handed out. It really strikes me how similar the situation in 1981 is to the

situation. President Reagan was elected with a promise to limit government. He came in and got Congress to pass non block grants. We did a study of what happened as a result of those block grants in North Carolina. And what we found was that the state got two hundred forty one million dollars less in federal money in 1981 82. And I think that's a real good predictor for this time. You're going to have to mind I mean it's a really very I represent the forty fifth district that's the top of Lincoln in Gaston County. So that prospect is not stopping some state lawmakers. My topic is welfare reform one welfare reform as a part of North Carolina's version of the Republican's Contract with America and local GOP officials are anxious to make good on that campaign promise. Representative Shiri Berry is confident the legislation she sponsored could save the state enough money to offset the federal cuts. The savings comes from a reduction in benefits to

certain individuals who are currently receiving. For instance I have to say money or food stamp money and if the savings are generated by time limit that we have placed on benefits a two year time limit that a person may receive from. We have John Lewis made his address. Despite vocal criticism Barry was successful in pushing legislation through the state house that could make North Carolina's reforms among the harshest in the country including cutting off cash payments and food stamps to women who have children out of wedlock. But uncertainty over federal reform helped delay action in the state Senate. Senator Bill Martin says reform plans will have to wait. The position that we've taken is to try to model some legislation that can withstand whatever changes are going to come down from Washington state welfare reform

stalled for the session as lawmakers waited on Congress to decide about block grants. Once that decision has been made they'll consider calling a special session of the North Carolina General Assembly to hammer out their response. Meanwhile Governor Hunt is still waiting for clearance from Washington on his Work First program. It requires welfare recipients with school age children to get a job within 12 weeks and would limit their benefits to two years. State Republicans have criticized the program saying it would not do enough to cut welfare spending. Well in just a moment Democratic Senate candidate Charles Sanders will join John basin for a conversation. But first let's join Michel Louis for a statewide news update. Good evening Meche. Thanks Marina. Good evening everyone. The state wide crackdown on parents who don't pay child support has led to the arrest of a highly publicized deadbeat dad. Thomas Sherron is behind bars tonight in Mecklenburg County. He is one of the deadbeat parents featured on a new most wanted poster that's been distributed across the state. Cathy

shoals and her daughter have been searching for Sharon for 12 years in an attempt to get back child support payments. They were featured earlier this month as part of the new governor's crackdown for kids. The crackdown is the result of a new set of laws that went into effect on January 1st to help find and prosecute deadbeat parents. US senator Locke Fairclough says he wants to make a deal with the first lady. One he hopes she can't refuse. The North Carolina Republican says if Hillary Rodham Clinton will appear before the Whitewater committee he won't ask her any questions. Their cloth has been one of the most vocal critics of Mrs. Clinton on the panel. He says he just wants the first lady to address her involvement with the failed savings and loan the sister of Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich says she's on a mission to rid Congress of anti-gay lawmakers starting with U.S. Senator Jesse Helms. Candace Gingrich says the North Carolina Republican and a U.S. Representative Bob Dornan of California are on the top of her list of lawmakers she hopes to get

voted out of office this November. Gingrich plans to launch a voter mobilization project. Well the human rights campaign targeting more than 150 congressional races in 40 states. The Pentagon says a North Carolina man who disappeared from his military unit in South Korea in the 1960s is now considered a desert are. The Pentagon says Sergeant Robert Jenkins of Rich Square disappeared from his unit in 1965 and it's now believed he was living in communist North Korea. His mother says the report is not true and that she believes her son died in Korea. But a Pentagon spokesperson says a picture appeared in a Seoul newspaper this week depicting an American who is now acting in a North Korean movie called nameless heroes. The man in the picture is thought to be Jenkins. And now let's take a look at tomorrow's weather forecast. High temperatures are expected to be even higher tomorrow than they were today. The mercury will shoot up to about 50 degrees in the northern mountains and range from the mid 50s in the foothills to a balmy 70 degrees around

Wilmington. Conditions will be cloudy with a chance of afternoon showers for most of the state. However the southern beaches may see some sunshine. In business news Nations Bank is reporting improved earnings for 1995 final quarter. Officials at Nation's Bank report earnings of five hundred ten million dollars or $1 87 cents a share. That's up 26 percent from the same period last year. It was a mixed day for the stock market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 21 points to close at fifty sixty six point ninety four hundred fifty nine million shares traded hands. The Standard Poor's 500 index was down two points. But the vast Composite Index rose two and a half. And now for some stocks of North Carolina interest. As

part of our continuing effort to provide you with the most comprehensive statewide political coverage during this election year we bring you an interview tonight with one of the two men who are seeking your votes for the Democratic nomination for North Carolina's U.S. Senate seat. Charles Sanders is the former chairman and CEO of Glaxo. He is the president of N.C. health start Foundation a medical doctor and a former general director of Massachusetts General Hospital. Here's you and see TV's political correspondent Jon basin with Mr. Sanders. Charlie Sanders thank you very much for being here. Glad to be here thank you for asking me. Sure well tell us why you want to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate. Well let me just say that what I'm saying in Washington what we're all seeing in Washington right now is disgusting. We're saying. Politics to me it at its worst. The political rhetoric is high. The country's best interests are being put first and people are posturing and I think what Washington needs is somebody that can

go up there and bring some real world experience that can solve problems can bring people together and is interested in solving the country's problem rather than getting re-elected to a political office that's what I want to do and I think I can make a difference. I want to ask you about the issues you'll be pushing and some other things but before that I want to ask you about this rather ambitious goal you've set up for yourself. You are a political unknown in Harvey Gantt you're facing a primary opponent who captured the Senate nomination six years ago in a crowded field that had some tough opponents in it. You'll have to defeat Mr. Gant in the primary without alienating his supporters whom you'll need in the fall. And if you make it to the general election you'll be facing Jesse Helms he's won four consecutive elections against very tough Democratic candidates. He's an extremely tough campaigner not known for pulling his punches. Why do you think you can beat the odds that's a very much of an uphill battle Why do you think you can beat the odds on that. Well I think people are looking for change. Someone that offers a positive approach to solving the problems in North Carolina I want to be a senator for

North Carolina. The center too who is concerned with real North Carolina problems and not interested in just stopping the business of the Senate or the United States government. I want to be someone that's going to make a difference and people perceive somebody that really does care about their everyday problems. Because I think I know how to solve those kinds of problems. Now there's no question that I have been a tough opponent and Harvey Gantt who is a very fine man for whom I have great respect. But we have sent politicians every time against Jesse Helms and each time we've gotten beaten. And what I would say is much like the basketball analogy we've been pounding the ball inside into the paint and take an inside shot we've got stuffed every time. Kick it back out to me let me take the three point shot I can do it for you. Is there something that you like about Senator Helms other issues where you are in agreement with him. Well I you know I I think Senator Helms obviously believes what he what he did. But

I have some real differences with him. I am not interested in trying to worry about problems outside of the state right now. I'm interested in talking about issues relating to health care and related education relating to business creation because that's going to be the source of new jobs. And I'm also interested in making sure that we preserve the environment in this state. You know the pristine beauty of North Carolina is incredible it has to be one of the finest places in the world to live. And we've got to preserve that in a commonsense responsible way. We haven't heard one word from Jesse Helms about health care about education about business creation or about the environment in the twenty four years he's been there. Let me ask you about health care you are a physician that is a very tough issue maybe even quicksand the President and Mrs. Clinton tried to put forward and approach wasn't successful the Republicans have put forward an idea basically it would seem that if there were an easy answer to this it would have been done already. As of as a physician health care one of the issues

that you're pushing what what would you suggest what direction should the country go to deal with the health care problem rising health care costs. Well health care is a huge problem for all of us of any age. The president's bill that he proposed last year was ambitious and I agreed with the goal of the bill. I opposed the bill itself because it was far too complicated far too bureaucratic I thought we would end up with less good health care than what we have right now. But yes because we're not talking about health care this year in the Congress I mean the problem has gone away. I would do three things in health care and then see what we got left. First thing I would do is take care of the uninsured those people who are chronically uninsured all year long. It's the right thing to do but it's also the smart economic thing to do because those folks are getting their health care in the emergency room which is the most expensive setting. And you and I are paying for it. We're paying for it either through the tax base or we're paying for it through higher premiums which are being used to subsidize that free care. Second thing I would do is to

provide portability of insurance so people will not have job lock they can move freely from one job to the other and keep their health care insurance. I would also make sure that people have access to health care regardless of preexisting conditions so that they can get insurance without being rated up and by the way I think want to simplify the forms. And the third thing I would do is to make certain that we have a catastrophic safety net so that people have a chronic or catastrophic illness that they will have insurance that will kick in after twenty five hundred or five thousand dollars out-of-pocket I'm not sure what the level is but people in this country should never go broke on the basis of having a chronic or catastrophic illness that is just not fair and it's fundamentally wrong. What about playing with the Medicare Medicaid Social Security numbers as as the population ages we're going to have more and more people needing more and more health care. What are we going to do to make sure that the people who follow along after that large part of the boom have a Social Security or have Medicare Medicaid to help them because they're paying in right now to help the

people who are needing the services now. Well my from my first position is that there should always be Social Security and Medicare for those people who have paid into it I'm doing it want to do everything I can to preserve those particular systems for the elderly in this country. Medicaid is a little bit different story. What's being proposed right now in Washington isn't going to solve the problem we're proposing a very large cut in the growth of Medicare by the Republicans in a somewhat lesser cut in the part of the Democrats and I would say as far as I'm concerned let's balance this budget first let's figure out how we're going to balance the budget. We may have to do some surgical maneuvers and precise maneuvers in terms of diminishing the growth of Medicare but on the one hand we don't need a bludgeon to cut this got the growth in order to provide a tax cut which is not necessary at this particular point in time. And let's make sure that we're honest about what the questions are in terms of solving the problem of cost in health care and then coming up with

solutions to them. I think I had the courage to do that I think I have the experience to do that and that's what I want to do when I become a United States senator. Well as we mentioned you're a relative political unknown a lot of our viewers probably getting their first chance to look at you today and you're defining yourself a little bit politically but how would you define yourself politically and who might be your role models who would you look up to among political figures. Well you know people ask me if I'm liberal or conservative or ideological I don't say I'm any of those things I'm more interested in solving problems. My whole life has been spent in trying to bring people together in trying to figure out exactly what is the factors that bind us together and not divide us. I mean it's easy to divide people. It's much harder to get together and say listen we're going to work on this particular problem together and I think that I'm good at that. As far as my political heroes are concerned I grew up in the time of Franklin Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt was a man who did an awful lot to put in place programs and still are with us Social Security perhaps being the very best

example of that. And he was a man who was interested in providing solutions to the American people so that we could all understand they were committed to one another committed to solving problems together. That's what I think we ought to be about in this country in the 1990s as we move into the 21st century. Record numbers of senators and congressmen and congresswomen are leaving. I think the 13th senator announced yesterday recently that he's not coming back. And part of the reason they're saying is that things are very polarized now and consensus and compromise are not seen in a positive light by a lot of people who are up there you sound like someone who wants to move toward consensus but is this is the atmosphere right in Washington for someone like yourself right now. Well I don't know whether it's right or not but I can tell you one thing if we don't get this country back on a track where we really care about coming together and trying to solve problems mutually then we're going to tear the country apart. I mean it's easy enough to divide as I said earlier. I'm someone who I think can do that. I'm very

sad to see that you know the folks in the middle road are leaving. But you know it's the business of this country is far too important to be left to the extremes. And that's what we're seeing right now. Just less than a minute left what do you want people to think of when they hear the name Charlie Sanders in the next few months leading up to the primary what do you want to be associated with. Well I want people to understand that I'm somebody that really cares about solving everyday problems that cares about the common man. I know what the problems are. I didn't you know I've I've I've worked for a company I've been a doctor but I've also worked for myself and I know what it is to run a business. I know what it is to work hard. I know what it is to meet a payroll. I want them to think of me as someone that has a positive solution to try to make their lives better every day. I want them to look at me as somebody that has a head and who has a heart and who has a lot of common sense. And I think that I can be a good senator for North Carolina.

Charlie Sanders thank you for your time today and we'll be talking with you more as the primary approaches. Thank you I'm glad to be here. Thanks. The other candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate is former Charlotte mayor Harvey Gant. Mr. Gant has also accepted an invitation to be a guest on our program and as soon as we have a firm date for his appearance we'll let you know. Well that about wraps things up for tonight on tomorrow night's program we'll take you to the coast to check in on efforts to save the Hatteras Lighthouse. Tomorrow night's guest will be here to talk about a six month study that is being conducted here in North Carolina where the National Institute on Aging. We'll talk about that research on the efforts to recruit you to take part in it. Before we go tonight I mentioned at the top of the program that we are celebrating our second anniversary tonight. Just a couple of more thoughts on that before we head out tonight. You know a lot has changed here in North Carolina now since our show first went on the air. Some people have changed the format changed a bit. But one thing has remained consistent. Our commitment to be your best source of information about your state. Our pledge

to you as we begin year number three is to improve upon the success of the past and continue to provide you with the most complete and comprehensive information about the people and events that make this state we all call home so special. Good night everyone. RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT.