North Carolina People; Bob Etheridge, (D) Former Congressman-North Carolina

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. The narrow North Carolina people are going to have a very interesting exchange bastards come over and sit down with me and we're going to talk about his experiences as a member of the United States Congress. But he's also a long time public servant. We all know him. County Commissioner legislator or State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Now I'm back again working in ministration currently a massive federal program. Glad they could come over and join us. Break was sponsored in part by a Wells Fargo Company helping North Carolina people realize their financial goals. Since 1879 and through the financial contributions of viewers like you who invite you to join them in supporting you.

That's good to see you and good to have you come over again set out on North Carolina people you look at might it well you get a lot of rest and relaxation. Well I did spend more time at home with you know after November. I said what can we do now to figure out. You want to go back to work. And so the governor called and asked if I would be willing for a few months as we really wind down the recovery package it was probably about 80 to 4 percent now funded in place and I've enjoyed it. I'm having fun. As you've worked into that has that really been as helpful as most people think it has it has. We're starting to see the results we're getting the numbers of the final numbers coming in just in the school construction piece. One that I am loose I've been working over years in Washington the government has pushed to hear the president put it

is package and it looks like it's going to create roughly 10000 jobs just here in North Carolina at a time to scrub construction folks needed jobs. And certainly we need to school building for our children because the studies in North Carolina and some of the money has yet to be spent because it does not expire with the end of this fiscal year 14 years you are up there. I was watching one of the recent surveys of public opinion and regrettably the lowest rated in there was the Congress and the public's faith in Congress. Trust in Congress now you know better and why is that so why what's wrong. I think there's a couple reasons. You see the polar extremes on both sides clashing so much the public elects people from the far extremes when they leave in the middle of the morning to work for them where they really hope they want schools that work for their children. I want to garbage picked up their water roads paved and well done.

But they don't you know Congress is one of those places a lot like legislators at the state level. To some extent now a lot of media coverage of it they're seeing a lot of the things that they didn't used to see. Usually with more people to compromise and work it out. And we're now seeing where the ABA logs start the class had said we will we cut a certain amount they don't say we want to be careful about what we get look good future which want to cut this amount and I think the public gets nervous about that the more budget is balanced. They don't want to see the process. And they feel disconnected at a time when we have more technology than we've ever had world connect people. And there are those who put out information it's not correct information and then it gets repeated through sources we've always had that but with technology today I think it's worst in this ep of me and it's a shame because if we see the unrest is happening all around the world.

Technology is a great asset but it can also also provide the other side of history may be a problem for us. I think it'll be a while before that turns but I think it's starting to turn now because as people start to see the results of actions they feel better about it. And you're absolutely right. Congress in general has low numbers but people tend to like their own member to me. You know that makes you wonder how much of this is attributable to this business of. Build and fund the Bridge to Nowhere are these projects that we've all read about it. They single out and sure were scapegoat but is that some others too. I think it is one thing to question all of us when our money is spent wisely as we spend hours and certainly do. But public money is spent wisely and when they see those kind of issues become high profile issues then they assume all the

projects are route there the right way. As you know over the years I picked up issues as it relates to or as relates to research. I remember one years ago that was tied to some fly that there were already an executive about but yet it turned out years later. We wound up getting tremendous medical breakthroughs on that. So some of those things turn out good bridges to nowhere and people don't appreciate it now that that's part of that. Right and. Often it isn't and then Wally process four hundred seventy people it can be very difficult. It takes a strong leader it takes a strong system and invariably you won't to reach across. Think you should. People want to be heard. It takes 218 votes to do anything and all of them said when I was a county commissioner It only took three. Yeah but when you get the wash it takes longer to get it because you have more

people and you you have to use more power persuasion power persuasion and the value of ideas sometimes are hard to break through. And part of the problem that's caused that some people get elected who have never served in another office. So they come with a not a logical bent and they don't understand that you have to at least give a little bit to get something done. And I think that's a real challenge. But by and large go along the experience. Isn't it true that most of those men and women really want to do something that writing good motivation is right. Sure I agree with that. Sometimes it may not be what I would agree with or even you or others but they come moaning to do good. Sometimes it may be a bit misdirected because they don't have enough history to go and you know sometimes we don't do the right thing. So we need to understand history always looking at government.

If you remember the little doughboy commercial used to be over people's spirit here you remember if you put him somewhere else he will swell up somewhere else. Yeah and you always have to remember that every action has a reaction and I think of the federal government having served at all levels. It's the lack of a system of gears. If you make a move at the top there's a very big it has real reaction at lower level let us mean real fast. If you understand that it's a lot easier to make government work because it does all link together in the private sector is really tied to the world you and I live in is basically now a global community. How well did the services to the members of Congress prepare you to deal with these global problems I know you went overseas on missions. This is a tough thing to do to stay in abreast of the time you have to study a lot.

You do it's a very complex world we live in as you well know. We we move from areas where we have tribal societies or being linked together to other democracies to places where I've been in Afghanistan that the war in Iraq. Did you feel like you were stepping back 2000 years literally. It is a it's a challenging place it takes a lot of very bright people as you well know a member of Congress if they're worth their salt are going to call in a lot of people and I've called on this university system a lot of very bright people outside Washington to help as well as the very capable people you have there. It really is a challenging time today and I think going forward with the challenges we face I'm very optimistic. I'm different than some folks who oppress me. I'm very optimistic because I really believe we're seeing democracy on the march around the world. It will be some

uncomfortable times for many of us but I think it's a very bright future for us. If we use the strengths that we have available to us get gushy education given us great opportunities and we should not in our difficult budget times forget that and and not continue to nurture this great flower we have growing that's going to make a huge to differ to and society around the world. Who got you in the frame of mind that you should give your life and public service to the people whether it's county level state level national level and where was the motivation this started you on this journey. Gosh what a great question I never thought about that. I've got to believe it would have had to be because I came as you well know from a family who's neither my father nor mother graduated from high school they were products of the Prussian and tough times in eastern North Carolina. They believed in education. I couldn't say I'm going to college just save enough money to buy my first semester I was a walk on a

basketball team and have a coach to lead them in when I was a scholarship and matter of fact I was co-captain of the team when I graduated. But I think it was the teachers to be able to as I move along there were people who because I really believe educators and teachers. Or in the public servant just like the person who's elected they believe in the future. They believe in people. I think I have a lot of teachers from high school right on through college who saw tall skinny kid from east to north that might have some potential. They weren't real sure but their daughter might have a little bit. And they nurture you and push you and I think teachers and educators still do that today. That's why in times like this that we we want to sort of pull or Tinian there are things that we have to do to balance our budgets at the federal or state level just like we do at home. But we should never do away with the essentials.

I think too many people fail to read our state constitution but what the state constitution says about education I am forever grateful that in the tough times that I was coming up prior to the Vietnam War people willing to invest in public education because I couldn't made it if it had been public education could've gone to college had it not been for those who invested in others. So I guess there are a lot of people that I could take me a while to sit down write their list to say thank you and I think there are a lot of other folks who are if they're honest with themselves of that same debt of gratitude to people who recognize that they will make a little sacrifice. On their in their day to make sure the next generation was better off and I think too many times we have folks today who are willing to write sacrifice for the next generation and today's a time when we need to reassess that. This then is why when you are Superintendent of Public Instruction

that you put such an emphasis on the teacher the classroom and direct contact get to be or you have to structure feeding that and that alone I remember so well hearing you say that now you feel it. If you've been lucky in the sense that some of that's been carried out. I do. If you heard me say many times I believe that we flatten the organization a lot as it should have been because I really believe it's that person in front of the classroom and principals in those schools. I always said the president was so lucky shock absorber industry. You got a superintendent who answers to the local school board and the state board. But then you've got a teacher in the classroom with a need so much as a shock absorber between them so they can go into a classroom and create the magic that they create every day. I think we need to reassess some of the things we do and I think we're probably got more testing than we need to have in some areas. We need a level of assessment to say this child here for your years I would need to help you. And with the technologies we have today we can do it every day if we need to buy

computers. I've always believed in the person who goes in that classroom. You know that from your years at your university in sense because you've been a great proponent of education is that I've often heard you say and I've never forgot this when I was trying to be superintendent you always said that your great idea of teaching is to teach your own one in the log and the student only other area that hadn't changed a whole lot. That's that's not the original with me to tell it that. Well what worries you today is that we get so enamored of structure and arguing about power and jurisdiction we are losing sight of what we're supposed to do. I think what frustrates teachers. I met the other day with a group of educators on this very issue and if we did we just have a conversation and I said you know sometimes we need to stop and take a deep breath

and if we will provide the resources that they need. And when I was in Washington I tried to remind myself when education budgets came up in others because there are those who say well you just need to cut across the board everybody failing. We never say when we send our men and women in harm's way at war we're going to give them everything they need and I think we should I think that's was you know so if we're going to do that I happen to believe the teacher in the classroom they're going in to fight a war against ignorance. We have to give them the resources they need to fight that battle. Gosh I've seen teachers I'll never forget a little school up in the mountains. I was up there just before Thanksgiving. I've always tried to remember this because it's still true every single day in a classroom somewhere in North Carolina across America. They take an old milk cartons and made turkeys you know if you had to take him.

Now they do have a lot and they do it for Valentine's Day difficult but it's a way to make art come alive for chow. He says we're going to take what we have to make a difference. Teachers are creative people. But what the what that teacher was doing that day in little small school just in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Parkway. She was saying I'm going to pass on to my students or I will pass on being frugal. I will pass only environmental issues if you save these things you don't throw them away and I'm going to make a difference in their life. Even though I don't have a lot of money and teachers do that every day and milk cartons of Coca-Cola cartons of whatever it is they do it. I had a seventh grade teacher who without ever saying a word made me understand and I wouldn't do and all I could do and it was not going to work if I didn't get off the feed sack and get on with it and she kept me after school a lot decided to do that. I've been forever grateful to remember ladies that you mention that she

was in my fifth grade teacher. She's passed away now much plus a barber. Yeah she lived not too far more and she knew me she knew you know my dad was a turnip farmer a student they were farmers. Archie was a tough taskmaster and she reckoned that I had enough ability that I was doing what I wanted to and she didn't put a foot Oma. But one day she put a strong hand on my shoulder and she would let me do less than what she thought I should have made a difference. She didn't need to put food out and therefore teach you still do it. Good would still do that and and there are the people who make a difference with children who wind up at universities across this country and they believe I know you read the papers I did last week this week the public school forum they wear leg out as planned they were showing Bob what all of us as North Carolinians have got to understand what you've been saying all your life. It begins right there. Absolutely. What do you worry do you use

concerned about the issues civility in public life today as I am. I am I am gravely concerned I think we've reached some new lows at times with some of the things were happening because I think beyond just what happens in the print media and on TV we have other avenues of communication they would Internet and Facebook and all these other communicator great devices the communication network. But they're used by people with for sinister reasons that I think create a whole new level of a bun re-asked I guess is the best way to put it misinformation a disability in the public arena that bleeds over into a lot of other areas. It's really concerning because he can with all the dollars that are flowing today that yeah that are unaccounted for you know an unaccounted for Dollars have a way of undermining democracy in a

way that I don't think we've ever seen in this country in your years was the lobbyist that big a problem in Washington. The unrestrained money will or it never was for me. But I did see it it were because I think most folks pretty well knew my commitment and my commitment was for because I had served at three different levels. I've been subjected to pressures and I wouldn't be in Dundrum. I've always tried to do what was right what I thought was right people the thing that always bothers me is that it tends to sway things away from the little guy children people who can't get health care and dental care for the little folks. You know a sick child is not a child killer whether it's a dimly hearing need a health care need or food. But we set a sick child and hunger child is a child has a difficult time learning. Being poor is not the worst thing in the

world. It's not good. But being sick. And not having access to it is a problem because then the average ability of a person. If you give them the same opportunity they'll make it. And I think when people are lobbying and they don't recognize it there are always tradeoffs. I will give a tax break to a person who is running a hedge fund and is only paying capital gains tax and the person is going to pay that is a person who's working every day barely making it. Can't afford gas for the car to do things to take their child to health care then that's when it is not working in the best interest of America. You've always believed that poverty has a hand made which is ignorance. And between the two they can destroy people. You know you know this state as well as anybody. What do you think the mood of

North Carolina is today. What are we what are we. Why do we restive about. I think there's a lot of unrest I think anytime you have high unemployment it's unrest transition of jobs and rightly so when you have unemployment 9 percent I think would be a lot worse off we had had a recovery package and investments said at the federal and state level and the sources we've done. But I do believe there is a deep deep commitment in this state. I can't speak for other side. North Carolina I've traveled it for years almost are doing more of it. There is a deep commitment in North Carolina to public education and our public university system that has not changed and I think when people forget that they missed the deep core of a body. Yes people do move your mother States but they're slowly acclimating in learning that people do not want a system that has helped us gain move really out of the back woods so to speak. The farm who grew up as a child was a ton of farm is now covered with houses.

Those people work in the Research Triangle Park. Most of what they won't I think put their families or good education for their children. They want education of health care for themselves and their children and I want a quality of life and they're willing to pay for it if they know that money is spent on those things they want to spend wisely there more no money wasted. None of us do. But I do believe in this state a lot of other states like motion or North Carolina because our Constitution speaks to it as you well know that it is about making sure that a child who comes out of poverty. Yes the chance to come to one of the best universities in the land. If we keep those two issued within their reach and not leave school with a debt so big they can't make good choices. That always bothered me because you know we can say well you can borrow the money to go Sure but can you make the choice to be a

teacher. Can you make the choice to be a police officer social worker or a fireman. All those things that we need in America if you coming out of college with a huge debt. We're approaching a time when I think we have to take a hard look at that. You've watched this state for a long time and it has been rather remarkable what has happened in your lifetime and mine in the sense of where we began. You're right after World War 2 and it is 50 years building so many things the good health program the Research Triangle the community college system it seems that restless spirit is still at work. I hope so. Yeah. The thinking here that I really think I really think we had a power port. We're going to refocus and and get a second wind. You know the jobs that are available to no one would have been invasion 50 years ago. That's right when you had many others met and led the charge to create a bunch of scrub

Sadia little fields with a few strong if you include the Research Triangle partners provided thousands and thousands of jobs for people that at a time when our brightest and best were leaving North Carolina to find jobs. They're now coming to North Carolina getting an education staying here making a difference. I think people are willing to invest in the future. If we're like you know we have to give them a Beijing of what their future is. Research Triangle Park was a part of that. Today it's biotechnology tomorrow it's going to be nanotechnology. And who knows what's down the road in the new technologies that are in our labs and our universities today our universities across this state across this nation and really around the world. Close we are interlinked. Really where all the new ideas and new jobs are going to come for the next 10 20 30 years I really believe that a lot of very happy note in this

conversation which I'm sorry has no more time to it. But for all the people who know knew and worked with you and benefited from your public service thank you for all people and I know now that you just get better and rest up and get ready to go again some direction but all of us thank you for this career that you put together and friends. I know you've enjoyed listening to our great and distinguished friend former congressman from the second district who have for 14 years gave us his best. The next week then goodnight sponsored in part by what Kovio a Wells Fargo Company helping North Carolina people realize their financial goals since 1879 and through the financial contributions of viewers like you who invite you to join them in supporting you in CTV.