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>>> >> WCNC CHARLOTTE. THIS IS FLASHPOINT.
WHERE POWER, AND POLITICS
COLLIDE AND THE TOUGH QUESTIONS
GET ASKED AND ANSWERED.
>> GOOD SUNDAY MORNING THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US HERE ON
FLASHPOINT.
JOINING ME TODAY IS FORMER
STATE REPRESENTATIVE, ANDY
DYLAN AND CANDIDATE FOR CITY
COUNCIL CHAD FOR THE FIRST TIME
ON THE SHOW.
THIS WEEK, CHAOS AT THE
CHARLOTTE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
AS THE DEBATE OVER ABORTION AND
FREE-SPEECH TOOK STAGE.
>> TODAY>> IMAGINE SOMEBODY
COME INTO YOUR DESK AND DOING
THAT.
PROTESTERS ERUPTED AFTER THEY
JUMPED UP ON THE PODIUM WITH A
HUGE BANNER JUST AS THE MAYOR
WAS GETTING THE MEETING
UNDERWAY.
PART OF THAT MEETING WAS
DEDICATED TO DISCUSSING THE
PROPOSAL THAT WOULD CREATE 150
FOOT NOISE BUFFERS AROUND
SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, MEDICAL
FACILITIES THAT INCLUDE
ABORTION CLINICS.
THE PROPOSAL PASSED PREVIOUSLY
THERE WAS NO BUFFER ZONE.
I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION,
YOU HAVE BEEN THERE FOR THOSE
LONGER MEETINGS.
WHAT WAS YOUR ACTION WHEN YOU
SAW THAT?
>> I'M REALLY SORRY THAT
HAPPENED IN OUR TOWN.
THAT PLACE WHERE GOVERNMENT
HAPPENS SHOULD BE RESPECTED.
AND THE MAYOR THERE, THE
COUNCIL MEMBERS THERE NOW.
I GOT TO THINK THE CITY POLICE
OFFICERS THAT ARE THERE AND
THEY SHOWED RESTRAINT AND YET,
THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR THOSE
PROTESTERS TO COME DOWN IF THEY
HAD JUMPED UP ON THIS DESK IT
WOULD'VE BEEN AWFUL.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE THERE.
AND THEY SHOULDN'T BE BEHAVING
LIKE THAT.
THERE WAS NO RESPECT.>> TO THE
ISSUE AT HAND, THIS PROPOSAL
PASSED PREVIOUSLY THERE WAS NO
BUFFER ZONE.
DO YOU THINK IT WAS A NECESSARY
THING TO DO?>> FIRST OF ALL I
THINK IT IS A PRETTY
INTERESTING COMBINATION BECAUSE
THE SUPREME COURT HAS HELD TIME
AND TIME AGAIN THAT FREE-SPEECH
HAS AN APPROPRIATE MANNER,
TIME, AND PLACE.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE
PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF SADIE
ABORTION CLINIC.
I THINK IT IS ALSO WRONG FOR
PROTESTERS TO BE DOING THAT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, I FIND
THEM BOTH TO BE FORMS OF
HARASSMENT.
AND I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD
HAVE A CITY THAT IS FREE FROM
NOISE POLLUTION WHETHER THAT IS
IN A PLACE OF WORSHIP, SCHOOL,
OR MEDICAL FACILITY.
SO I'M GLAD THAT THE COUNCIL
WAS ABLE TO SOLVE THIS
PROBLEM.>> I THINK A LOT OF
REPUBLICANS WERE AGAINST THIS.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE
ISSUE?
DO YOU THINK THIS IS HARASSMENT
OF SOME OF THESE PEOPLE?
OR DO YOU THINK IT IS GOOD TO
HAVE THIS SORT OF BUFFER
ZONE?>> I REALLY DO NOT KNOW.
I DO NOT HAVE PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE OF BEING AROUND THE
ABORTION CLINICS.
I AM PRO-LIFE.
I BELIEVE LIFE IS PRECIOUS.
I BELIEVE THOSE FOLKS HAVE THE
RIGHT TO SAY THAT.
NOW THE PEOPLE THAT WERE
PROTESTING THE OTHER NIGHT ON
THE OTHER SIDE HAVE A RIGHT TO
SAY THAT AS WELL.
BUT NOT TO JUMPING UP ON THE
TABLE IN FRONT OF THE MAYOR ON
THE DIOCESE IN FRONT OF CITY
COUNCIL.
NOW I THINK IT WAS ALSO
INTERESTING THAT THE MAYOR AND
OTHERS SAID THAT THEY DID NOT
FEEL THREATENED.
THEY LOOKED PRETTY THREATENED
WHEN THOSE LADIES WERE JUMPING
UP ON THE DIOCESE.
>> I WOULD'VE BEEN THREATENED.
I WOULD'VE FELT FOR SURE.>> I
WANT TO POINT OUT BECAUSE IT
WAS JUST SAID THIS IS ALL THE
ABORTION CLINICS AND I
UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
FEEL THAT WAY BUT JULIE
ACTUALLY POINTED OUT DURING THE
MEETING THAT THEY HAVE HAD 9700
COMPLAINTS OF NOISE THIS YEAR.
483 OF THOSE WERE FOR MEDICAL
FACILITIES THAT WOULD
ENCAPSULATE ABORTION ABSOLUTELY
BUT ALSO 653 FROM SCHOOLS AND
57 FROM HOUSES OF WORSHIP.
>> THE ABORTION PART GETS A LOT
OF THE HEADLINE THAT IS ALSO
HAVING TO DO WITH SCHOOLS, AND
CHURCHES AS WELL.
THEY DO NOT WANT THESE LOUD
NOISES AND PROTESTERS OUTSIDE.
HE WAS PLEASED TO HEAR ON THE
EAST SIDE AND I'M SURE YOU
STILL DO FROM BARS, NEIGHBORS,
OLDER NEIGHBORS COMPLAINING
ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS AND
NEIGHBORHOOD BARS AS THE
NEIGHBORHOOD START TO GET
YOUNGER.
THE OLDER FOLKS GET CONCERNED
ABOUT THE NOISE.
AND THAT IS FINE.
BECAUSE THAT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD
PROBLEM AND THE CITY COUNCIL IS
PREPARED FOR THEIR
COUNCILMEMBERS TO TAKE CARE OF
THAT SORT OF THING.
>> SWITCHING IS NOW WE WANT TO
SHOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE CITY
COUNCIL RACE.
WE GOT SOMEBODY WHO IS RUNNING
FOR TODAY.
DAN IS A FREQUENT GUEST OF THE
SHOW.
HE IS ALSO PART OF THE UNION
COUNTY FORMER GOP CHAIR.
HE WROTE THIS ON HIS FACEBOOK
OVER THE WEEKEND.
SHOUT OUT TO DAN BY THE WAY.
HE SAYS COUNTY FRIENDS YOU GOT
ABOUT 15 DAYS TO FIND
CANDIDATES FOR CHARLOTTE CITY
COUNCIL ELECTIONS HAVE
CONSEQUENCES.
HE IS TALKING ABOUT THE LACK
REPUBLICANS RUNNING.
BRANDON PIERCE WHO HAS BEEN ON
THE SHOW BEFORE IS RUNNING FOR
DISTRICT.
IF YOU GO TO THE COUNTY WEBSITE
AND LOOK UP INFORMATION FROM
THE 2019 GOP CANDIDATES THIS IS
ALL YOU SEE THOUGH.
A SECTION THAT SAYS WE ARE
CURRENTLY RECRUITING CANDIDATES
TO RUN FOR 2019.
AS A REPUBLICAN IN CHARLOTTE I
WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT
THIS BUT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS
ON THIS?
DOES THE NEED TO BE MORE PUBLIC
AND REPRESENTATION?>> I
CERTAINLY THINK I'M A BIT MORE
PRAGMATIC THEN MAYBE SOME
PEOPLE THAT HAVE RUN FOR OFFICE
BUT I THINK HAVING A
CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE
PARTIES MAKES FOR A BETTER
GOVERNMENT TO BE HONEST.
I THINK ANYTHING THAT IS
SEVERELY ONE-SIDED IN ANY CITY
IN ANY STATE IS PROBABLY NOT
BEST FOR THE PEOPLE.
I WELCOME OTHER CANDIDATES.
I HOPE THAT IT BRINGS US TO A
BETTER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW
TO BUILD A BETTER CITY.>> I
HAVE SAID SEVERAL TIMES ON THE
SHOW THAT I DO NOT THINK IT IS
A GOOD FORM OF GOVERNMENT WHEN
SOMEONE IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL,
WHETHER IT IS BECK AND BERG
COUNTY HAVING ONLY DEMOCRATS ON
THE BOARD OR IF IT IS UP AND
RALLY WHERE REPUBLICANS HAVE A
COMPLETE MAJORITY.
AND AT ONE POINT IT WAS A SUPER
MAJORITY.
YOUR THOUGHTS AS A REPUBLICAN
IN CHARLOTTE.
SOME SAY THAT YOU ARE SOMETIMES
THE UNICORN HERE.
THERE AREN'T TOO MANY OF YOU
OUT THERE.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS?
WHAT IS YOUR PARTY HAVE TO
DO?>> NUMBER ONE, I THINK THAT
THE LEADERSHIP ON THE DEMOCRAT
SIDE FOR INSTANCE THE NINE
MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY
COMMISSION ALL BEING DEMOCRAT.
SOME OF THE TRUTH OF THAT ONE
PARTY RULE IS STARTING TO COME
OUT.
I MEAN THEY HAVE DECIDED THAT
THEY WANT A QUARTER CENT SALES
TAX INCREASE.>> WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT COMING UP IN JUST A
SECOND.
>> AT THE SAME TIME THERE
SAYING NO HAVE TO HAVE A
HOUSING.
NO, WE HAVE TO CURE
HOMELESSNESS.
THERE SAYING WHAT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT TO THEM IS THEY WANT
TO TAX EVERYONE, RICH AND POOR.
MORE FOR ARTS.
>> BUT WHAT IS YOUR PARTY GOING
TO DO?>> HOW IS YOUR PARTY WE
TALKED ABOUT A FAMILY HOW IS
YOUR PARTY GOING TO APPEAL TO
THE URBAN FOLK?>> THIS IS THE
PROBLEM IN CHARLOTTE AND
PARLIAMENT CITIES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
>> I'M ONE OF THE OLD GUYS NOW.
WE DO HAVE LOTS OF YOUNG
REPUBLICANS.
AND THEY ARE SMART, HARD-
WORKING YOUNG REPUBLICANS.
AND THEY GET IT ON THE ECONOMIC
SIDE OF IT.
BUT TO GET THEM TO COME OUT AND
RUN AND TO PUT THEMSELVES OUT
THERE IS A WHOLE OTHER THING.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE A GOOD
BENCH.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT THE
DEMOCRATS AND THE INDEPENDENCE
THERE IS A BIGGER THAN BOTH OF
THE OTHER TWO.
THOSE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE TO
GO TO AND WE HAVE TO GET THOSE
INDEPENDENCE TO SAY NO, YOU
KNOW I REALLY AM LEANING ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE OF WHAT IS
GOING ON.
>> YOU'RE THE CHAIR REPUBLICANS
HERE I'M GIVING YOU THAT JOB
FOR THE NEXT 30 SECONDS.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO RECRUIT MORE
REPUBLICANS THOUGH?>> WE SHOW
THEM THAT THEIR MESSAGE OF THE
REPUBLICANS IS A WORKING
MESSAGE.
WE SHOW THEM THAT LOWER TAXES
WORK.
THAT IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE THE
MONEY THAT THEY EARN THEY WILL
GO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES.
INSTEAD OF CHARGING THEM AN
EXTRA 25 25 % ON A PENNY FOR
TAXING INCREASE IF YOU LET THEM
KEEP THAT.
THEY WILL GIVE IT TO THE ARTS
IF THAT IS WHERE THEY WANT TO
GIVE IT TO.
OR GIVE IT TO THEIR CHURCH.
OR GIVE IT TO THE HOMELESS
SHELTER.>> WAS TALK ABOUT THE
ARTS THING COMING UP ON THE