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>>> >>
>>> >> THIS IS FLASHPOINT WHERE POWER AND POLITICS COLLIDE, AND
THE TOUGH QUESTIONS GET ASKED
AND ANSWERED.
>> HAPPY SUNDAY THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US HERE ON SUNDAY.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE WESLEY
HARRIS AND 10th CONGRESSIONAL
CHAIRMAN BRAD OVERCASH.
SO HE IS OFFICIALLY A CANDIDATE
FOR REELECTION THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN FILED
FOR A SECOND TERM THIS WEEK THE
SUBJECT WILL BE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING AS WELL AS THE CLIMBING
NUMBER OF HOMICIDE HERE IN
CHARLOTTE.
>> WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THE
LOSSES THAT WE HAVE HAD WITHOUT
IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE IN THIS
COMMUNITY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY ARE POSITIVE ON WHAT IS
BEING DONE.
>> CURRENTLY THERE ARE TWO
OTHER LESSER-KNOWN CANDIDATES
THAT MAY CHANGE BUT I WILL TALK
ABOUT THAT AGAIN WITH YOU, WHY
DO YOU THINK THERE IS A LACK OF
OPPOSITION TO HER SO FAR?
>> IT IS NOT SURPRISING, WHEN
YOU THINK ABOUT HOW THE LAST
DECADE HAS GONE IN THIS CITY.
YOU HAVE SERIOUS CANDIDATES
FROM THE REPUBLICAN SIDE GOING
UP AGAINST A DEMOCRAT MAYOR
RAISE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
MONEY.
ONE COULD ARGUE THAT WHAT THEY
HAVE DONE LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
IN THEIR STRATEGIES?
MAYBE, BUT NOT MATERIAL BUT IT
HAS JUST GONE FROM BAD TO
WORSE, SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT
WE SHOULD JUST COMPLETELY GIVE
UP.
BUT I CAN COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND
WHY A LEGITIMATE CANDIDATE
WOULD LOOK AT THAT AND SAY I DO
NOT WANT TO BE A SACRIFICIAL
LAMB RED OR I DO NOT WANT TO
JUST KIND OF BE OUT THERE TO
MAKE A POINT AND THE PROBLEM IS
WITHOUT THAT PERSON OUT THERE,
THE BALANCE AND AT LEAST OF THE
DEBATE IS LOST SO IT IS A REAL
CATCH 22.>> AS AN OUTSIDER
LOOKING IN, DOES IT FRUSTRATE
YOU THAT REPUBLICANS CANNOT PUT
OUT WERE CANDIDATES HERE IN
CHARLOTTE?
>> WELL BEN, AS A FORMER GOP
CHAIRMAN I KNOW THAT
RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES ARE
ALWAYS ONGOING.
I AM HOPEFUL THAT THERE WILL BE
SOME ADDITIONAL FILING BUT.
I THINK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS
IN THE MIDST IN CHARLOTTE
COUNTY.
I AM ENCOURAGED BY OUR COUNTY
LEADERSHIP AND OUR COUNTY
OFFICIALS IN THE COUNTY.
WE JUST ELECTED A NEWLY
ANNOUNCED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHO
HAS CHARLOTTE TIES AS A
CHARLOTTE NATIVE.
I THINK THAT THE PARTY IS IN
THE MIDST OF A REBUILD.
AND OUR MESSAGE IS STRONG, OUR
IDEALS CONNECT WITH THE VOTERS
HERE.
WE JUST HAVE TO FIND THE RIGHT
CANDIDATES TO GET THAT OUT
THERE.
>> I'M SERIOUS ESPECIALLY ON
YOUR TAKE ON THIS.
SINCE IT IS A LITTLE BIT
DIVIDED ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE.
SOME ARE SAYING THAT I
UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO REBUILD.
LET'S NOT CRANK UP THE DEMOCRAT
MACHINE THE OTHER HALF IS
SAYING WHAT'S GOING ON, WHY
AREN'T YOU RUNNING DO YOU HAVE
A TAKE ON THAT?
>> I ALWAYS TAKE THE POSITION
THAT WE NEED TO GIVE VOTERS A
CHOICE.
>> AS FAR AS I'M REPUBLICAN ARE
YOU AWARE OF THAT ARE RUNNING
OR MAYBE RUNNING?
>> THERE IS MYSELF, AND THEN IN
DISTRICT 7, VICTORIA, AND ED
AND THEN BRANDON PIERCE IS
RUNNING IN A DISTRICT AS WELL.
AND THEN RIGHT NOW, I AM
PERSONALLY WORKING ON
RECRUITING AT THE A COUPLE OF
PEOPLE AT LARGE I DO NOT KNOW
IF IT WILL HAPPEN OR NOT.
BUT AND THEN THAT DAVID DID.
>> YOU ARE GETTING THE VAST
MAJORITY OF THIS.
>> I AM PLEASED WITH HOW
CHARLOTTE IS DOING BUT I AGREE
WITH THESE GENTLEMEN AS WELL.
IT IS GOOD TO HAVE CHOICE.
IT IS GOOD TO HAVE THESE
DEBATES.
AND WHAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE
FACING IN CHARLOTTE NOW IS
REALLY SO MUCH WHAT THE
DEMOCRATS ARE FACING ALL OVER
THE NORTH CAROLINA AREAS.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WE WERE
SO SUCCESSFUL LAST YEAR IN 2018
AS WE ARE ABLE TO GET
CANDIDATES IN EVERY SINGLE
DISTRICT.
I THINK THAT MADE REPUBLICANS
BETTER.
I THINK SHE HAS DONE A
MAGNIFICENT JOB I THINK IS AN
EXTREMELY UPHILL BATTLE TO THE
FEAR THIS YEAR SO IF I WAS A
REPUBLICAN IT WOULD BE TOUGH TO
JUMP IN THERE BECAUSE I FELT
KENNY RAN ONE OF THE BEST RACES
I'VE EVER SEEN IN 2017.
NOT QUITE, BUT IT IS TOUGH.
IT IS ONE THING THAT BOTH
PARTIES HAVE TO COME TO TO MAKE
SURE THAT OUR STATE REFLECTS
THE FACT THAT WE ARE A MODERATE
50-50 STATE.
>> IS THE BREAKDOWN IN NUMBERS
50 % OF REGISTERED VOTERS ARE
DEMOCRATS FOLLOWED BY 20 %
REPUBLICAN, 30 % UNAFFILIATED
SO REPUBLICANS ARE ACTUALLY
THIRD IN THIS EARLY.
DO YOU SUPPORT THE MAYOR FOR
REELECTION?>> THAT IS A
TERRIBLE QUESTION ASK SOMEBODY,
I'M NOT GOING TO ENDORSE OF
COURSE SHE DOES NOT WANT MY
ENDORSEMENT.
BUT SHE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE, I
HAVE NO COMPLAINTS WORKING WITH
HER.
SHE HAS GONE OUT OF HER WAY TO
ASK ME AND ADD QUESTIONS AND
MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
COMFORTABLE TO GIVE US
LEADERSHIP SESSIONS.
IN A TIME PERIOD WHERE
CHARLOTTE WAS NOT LIKE
LEADERSHIP FOR A WHILE I GOT TO
TELL YOU.
SHE WAS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.
I CANNOT DO ANYTHING BUT GIVE
HER KUDOS FOR THAT.>> CHECK
TWITTER IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
THIS WEEK CITY LEADERS TOOK
SOME TIME OUT TO TALK ABOUT
WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS TALKED
ABOUT HERE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
STATISTICS IN THE CITY IS
PRETTY SHOCKING THE NUMBER OF
HOMICIDES ARE COMING UP TO THIS
POINT XD ONE COMPARED TO 58 AND
ALL OF LAST YEAR.
THE CHIEF SAYS THAT IT IS A
COMMUNITY HEALTH ISSUE AT THIS
POINT CITY LEADERS ARE CALLING
PARENTS BUT THE NEED TO FIND
BETTER WAYS TO RESOLVE
CONFLICTS.>> IF YOU'RE NOT
INVESTING AND STAYING INVOLVED
YOUNG PEOPLE WE WILL CONTINUE
TO TALK ABOUT NUMBERS THAT
REPRESENT THE DEVASTATION OF
THE FAMILIES.>> MAKES A GOOD
POINT.
THESE ARE JUST NUMBERS ON THE
SCREEN BUT THEY JUST HAVE TO BE
PEOPLE.
A MAN ACCUSED TO GOING TO THE
STEAK AND SHAKE TRYING TO ROB
THE PLACE, AND THAT THE MAN IS
ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AND KILLING
AN EMPLOYEE UPON THE AREA YOU
ACTUALLY SORT OF STEPPED IN AND
GOT INVOLVED IN THIS.
>> HAS BEEN A VERY FRUSTRATING
AND TRYING WEEK I THINK FOR A
LOT OF FOLKS IN THE CITY.
I THINK 18 HOURS AFTER THE
CHIEF AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
SAT AND SPOKE WITH US IN CITY
COUNCIL THIS WEEK ABOUT THE
VIOLENT REPEAT OFFENDERS BEING
BACK ON THE STREETS AND
MURDERING 60 PEOPLE WHO HAVE
LOST THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF IT
AND THEN 18 HOURS LATER THIS
HAPPENS BY A VIOLENT REPEAT
OFFENDER DARNELL HARRIS COMES
TO THE DEFENSE OF HIS COWORKERS
AT STEAK AND SHAKE AND LOSES
HIS LIFE BECAUSE OF IT I MEAN
ONE, IT IS JUST BEYOND
FRUSTRATING WE'RE JUST TALKING
ABOUT IT.
IT IS NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO
FIX THE PROBLEM OVERNIGHT BUT
WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE AND THE
PASSION THAT THE CITY HAS SHOWN
WHAT IT IS TRYING TO DO THE
QUARTER SALES TAX OR THE NOISE
BUFFER, OR WHATEVER THE TOPIC
IS, WHERE IS THAT PASSION WHEN
IT IS 61 HOMICIDES THAT WE ARE
FACING TO GO FIX THE PROBLEM
BECAUSE WE GET PASSIONATE ABOUT
THINGS WE FIX THINGS.
AND THEN SECONDLY I AM STILL
TRYING TO WRAP MY RYAN -- WRAP
MY MIND AROUND IT.
WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE ON THE
COMMUNITY THAT JUMPS UP IF THEY
HAVE KILLED THE SUSPECT WITH
THE RAP SHEET THIS LONG BUT NOW
BECAUSE IT IS DARNELL AND HE IS
THE STORYLINE'S LIFE CRICKETS.
AND THAT IS WHY A LOT OF US SAY
THAT IF THEY WILL NOT DO IT
WILL BE CONFUSED.
>> IT IS ONE OF THE MOST
FRUSTRATING THINGS BECAUSE I
JUST KNOW BETTER THAN THAT.
IT IS ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE
INVOLVED AND I THINK WITH
CHARLOTTE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS
THAT WE HAVE HAD IS IT SEEMS TO
BE JUST CHARLOTTE IS ONE OF THE
MOST ECONOMICALLY AND RACIALLY
SEGREGATED REASON THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY'S SO WE SEE THESE
THINGS HAPPENING.
WE SEE THESE NUMBERS ON THE
PAGE BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE
IT HITS HOME SOURCE.
THE STEAK AND SHAKE WAS INSIDE
OF YOUR DISTRICT THAT BRINGS IT
A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME BUT
AGAIN I THINK THAT IS WHAT ONE
OF THE KEY DRIVES IS THAT
PEOPLE DO NOT SEE THAT IT IS
REALLY IMPACTING THEIR LIVES.
I THINK THAT IS CAUSING THE
LACK OF OUTRAGE AND WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE FOCUS ON
THAT.
BECAUSE WE ARE ONE CHARLOTTE.
THE ENTIRE CITY HAS TO GET
TOGETHER TO PUT A STOP TO THIS.
>> YOU HAVE A GO FIND ME.>> IF
YOU GET TO GO FIND ME DOUG, THE
CEO ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES WAS
ACTUALLY AT STEAK AND SHAKE AND
HE JUST MADE IT OUT WITH HIS
FAMILY SAFELY BUT DOUG CALLED
ME AND SAID WHAT CAN WE DO.
>> LET'S DO A GO