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NC House District 104 – Candidiate – Ruth Samuelson (R)

Website: www.RuthSamuelson.com

E-mail: ruth@ruthsamuelson.com

Phone Number: 704-366-8748

Facebook Page or URL: Rep. Ruth Samuelson Dist 104

Twitter name or URL: @Ruth_Samuelson

Current Occupation: Legislator

Education–Highest Degree: BA UNC Chapel Hill

Most important organizations you belong to (up to three): Uptown Church,
YMCA Metro Capital Board,
CPCC President’s Council

List up to three (3) of your most important political/civic accomplishments in the last five (5) years. (150 word limit): Little Sugar Creek Greenway/Carolina Thread Trail have been core projects both as a legislator and representative. They promote economic development, environmental preservation, transportation alternatives and social connections; I facilitated negotiations for several influencial bipartisan bills as a legislator in the minority dealing with crime, retail sales, health care for seniors, annexation and land conservation even though most of them don’t bear my name; Recognized by the Mecklenburg Times in the inaugural class of “50 Most Influential Women”.

What past experience do you have that you think best prepares you for this office? (150 word limit): Having served as both a County Commissioner and State Legislator gives me a balanced perspective on state and local concerns as well as their relative abilities to address those concerns. As the wife of a small business owner, I know what it is like to juggle home budgets and office budgets so everyone gets paid. Being both a licensed foster parent and an international adoptive parent opend my eyes to the challenges of navigating our courts, immigration, mental health and social services systems. Finally, raising four children with diverse abilities made me appreciate the strengths of our schools but also the need for options when certain needs can’t be met in a regular school environment.

Do you believe the state government is living up to its responsibility to adequately fund education? Please explain your position. (200 word limit): State government has a lot of important and diverse responsibilites to meet. K-12 education currently receives more than 37% of the total state budget. As a comparison, our justice system, for which there are no private alternatives, receives 2-4% of the budget depending on which functions are included. As I mentioned in a previous question, given this tight budget season, I believe there are ways for us to more strategically use the education dollars that are currently allocated.

Do you believe the state government can help bring more jobs and economic development to North Carolina? If so, how? (150 word limit): I covered this in depth in my September 15, 2010 newsletter which can be found at www.RuthSamuelson.com under the “Newsletter” tab. The short answer is that there are things state government can do to help atttract new jobs and maintain the jobs we currently have.

Do you support an independent entity that would change political boundaries after each census rather than the current process (where the legislature changes the boundaries)?: YES

How can residents get involved in your campaign? Please include campaign manager or volunteer coordinator’s contact information.: We love volunteers! Please go to www.RuthSamuelson.com to sign up for the newsletter, be a poll worker, get a yard sign, or make a donation. You can also just email me at ruth@ruthsamuelson.com. Thank you!