THE JOHNSON JOURNAL
Wednesday, July 29, 1998
Front Page (with photo of Hugh Esco and Kerrie Dickson)
Caption:
by: Wayne Crenshaw
They don't even know if they will be on the November ballot, but Green Party candidates Hugh Esco and Kerrie Dickson confidently say their goal is to win statewide office.
Esco is running for lieutenant governor and Ms. Dickson is running for labor commissioner. They were nominated at the party's convention held here in Wrightsville on June 6 at the home of Charles Sumblin.
[Actually, the Convention was hosted by Mr. Sumblin at the Save the Children Youth Enrichment Center. -- HE].
They hope to collect enough signatures to get on the November ballot.
"I think our chances are really good," said Ms. Dickson in a visit to Wrightsville last week.
Esco said campaign finance reform is one of his top issues. He wants to stop all private donations to campaigns and make them all publicly funded. Parties would have to show a base of support to be eligible for funds, he said.
Esco and Ms. Dickson both expressed support for unions and vowed to protect the ability of workers to organize. They claimed there is zero enforcement of laws that prevent employees from harrassing workers into not forming unions.
They also expressed opposition to NAFTA, and said the major parties are ignoring small communities like Wrightsville that have been hurt by NAFTA.
"The Democrats and Republicans don't come to Johnson County because they don't need Johnson County," Esco said.