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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT
WHQR will host and broadcast four candidate forums as part of the 2012 Election Season in the MC Erny Gallery, 254 N. Front Street, #300.Each forum will feature two local journalists asking prepared questions during the first half of the event. The second portion will be dedicated to questions from voters. A live studio audience will be invited to ask questions during this segment. We'll also use questions sent in from listeners.If you have a question for the candidates, please email us (newsdirector@whqr.org) or submit via Twitter with the #whqrforums hash tag and tell us which slate of candidates you'd like to address. We reserve the right to edit the questions for clarity, brevity, and objectivity. Each question must be addressed to all candidates in a particular race. If you can't attend the live event, Tweet along while you tune in or listen or watch the webcast online at 7 PM each night to hear the candidates! (WWAY will also broadcast the forums live on Time Warner Cable. RTV is channel 106, on ATMC, channel 903, on Charter Cable, channel 145 and over-the-air at 3.2.)Tuesday, Oct. 2, 7 PM- New Hanover County CommissionersJonathan Barfield (Current Vice Chairman)Beth DawsonRobert MurrayDr. Derrick HickeyWoody WhiteRob Zapple Thursday, Oct. 4, 7 PM- NC House District 18Representative Susi Hamilton (D)Louis Harmati (R) Monday, Oct. 8, 7 PM - NC Senate District 9Senator Thom Goolsby (R)Deb Butler (D) Thursday, Oct. 18, 7 PM - NC House District 19 & NC House District 20 NC House District 19Ted Davis, Jr. (Current NHC Commission Chair)Emilie Swearingen (Current Kure Beach Councilwoman)NC House District 20Rick Catlin (Current NHC Commissioner) (R)Tom Gale (D)

NC House District 18 candidates won't commit to not raise taxes

The two candidates running for the House District 18 seat agreed on some issues last night at WHQR’s candidate forum. Refusing to sign a pledge against raising taxes was one part of the common ground. WHQR’s Sara Wood reports Republican challenger Louis Harmati and Democratic incumbent Susi Hamilton both agree to keep their names off this list.

Unlike some of his fellow Republican party members, Harmati says he won’t sign his name on that kind of promise.

“They asked me to sign the pledge, I refuse to sign any pledge because you don’t know what the future’s going to hold. But my concern is the fact that we’re going to keep taxes low and so we can go ahead and create jobs, because if there are lower taxes, and more people invest in our society in our culture, and businesses then they’re going to bring more business revenue in.” 

Democratic incumbent Susi Hamilton says the needs of North Carolina are too unpredictable for her to lock into such an unfair promise. Instead, she offered what she would vow to do.

“I do commit to tax reform. That is coming. And I commit to participating in that discussion. I commit to fighting for the film incentives, I commit to fighting for children and education. And I commit to fighting to make certain that we are adequately funding the state’s infrastructure.” 

More than a thousand GOP candidates already signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, vowing to oppose any bill raising taxes. The pledge was started by Americans for Tax Reform.