Local Republican candidates will visit six area communities within Buncombe County on what has been dubbed the “We Listen We Learn” County Tour. The first stop will be the Leicester Public Library on August 20 at 7p.m., followed by stops in August and September at Fairview, West Asheville, Skyland, Swannanoa, and North Asheville.

Unlike typical campaign events, the focus will not be on what the candidates have to say, but rather on what the people have to say. The Tour, sponsored by the Buncombe County Republican Party, is directly related to the first item on their 2008 Agenda which states in part, “Give the people a voice in county government.”

“Our current elected officials have ignored what the people want. They just don’t think the average person can speak for themselves. They think they have all the answers,” says Dr. Timothy Johnson, Chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party. “Local Republican candidates are committed to listening to the people and acting responsibly to address their needs. Our candidates know that better decisions are made when the whole community participates.”

The County Commissioners meeting last Tuesday, where four Democratic commissioners remained silent after Chairman Nathan Ramsey’s motion to let the people vote on district elections, thereby killing the motion, is the latest in a series of examples of what the Republicans view as “Democratic Party arrogance,” which “seeks to eliminate public dialog”, rather than encourage it. On the state level, Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue has refused all debates with Mayor Pat McCrory in Western North Carolina and the Democrat-controlled NC House did not allow Republicans in the legislature an opportunity to debate the merits of the state budget.

Candidates for County Commission, Don Yelton, Ron McKee, and John Carroll, as well as incumbent Commission Chair, Nathan Ramsey, will be in attendance. In addition, Paul Purdue candidate for State House District 115, Tim Moffitt, candidate for State House District 116and RL Clark candidate for State Senate District 49 have been invited when the tour comes to their respective districts.

See details about the We Listen We Learn County Tour and the 2008 Agenda.

Help us hang our poster all over town! Download the We Listen We Learn County Tour Poster