Why are you running?

Thompson: With my pro-business record and my anti-tax record, I want to continue the fight for Western North Carolina because it often is forgotten in Raleigh, particularly the rural counties. We don’t get what we deserve.

Queen: I’m running because I believe in government. I believe it can be compassionate and effective in helping people achieve their dreams. I’m from a sixth-generation mountain family and want to be a seven-generation family, I want my children to be able to come back and thrive in this region. I think voters have a clear choice here. You’ve got a young man from Mitchell County who’s moved to Raleigh, married to a lobbyist, who has made a full-time career of taking care of himself instead of the region. I’m a full-time citizen of this region, one who understands it, who takes part in it. I have a vision for the future of WNC and I have my heart and feet firmly in the region.

What has led to the unprecedented sessions and problems over the last two years in Raleigh:

Thompson: The squabbling is within the Democratic Party. They have the votes in both houses and yet they can’t get them together. If the Republicans could take control of one house, it would balance things out.

Queen: I have a sense that some in the General Assembly would rather see a train wreck they can blame on the leadership rather than a success.

How do you feel about term limits, session limits, term lengths?

Thompson: I am opposed to term limits and session limits. Session limits aren’t what people think. We can always reconvene and call a special session. We would also be concentrating too much power in the bureaucrats who run state agencies when the Assembly was not in session. As for term limits, we have them — we go before the people every two years. I have mixed feelings about lengthening the terms. Going up for election every two years keeps us accountable, but extending the length of terms to four years would be the best campaign finance reform we could have.

Queen: I support session limits because it would create a process that is open and on time and accountable. Many employees are being asked to do their jobs for months without a budget. I don’t support term limits. Good leadership is good leadership. I would, however, be in favor of looking at extending term lengths. Running every two years means legislators are campaigning all the time. Seeing both houses running every two years hasn’t proven itself to be a good recipe for leadership.

What do you think about the Smart Growth Commission recommendations and land-use planning in general:

Thompson: I do not support penalizing counties for not implementing plans; that’s the reason we have county commissions to make decisions at a local level.

Queen: The state legislature has a great deal to do with empowering local governments to do their job. It’s a truism we can plan to fail or fail to plan. I am very much in favor of accountability with incentives for those who plan. I think the Institute of Government should assist county and local elected officials in understanding the issues.

Are you an environmentalist:

Thompson: I want clean water and clean air, but I don’t want environmental regulations to go so far as to close industry and lose jobs. I think there is a happy medium. I would not consider myself an avid environmentalist because business and environmentalism can co-exist and achieve the goals of both.

Queen: I’m a boy scout, I’ve camped in the woods and taught young men to be light on the landscape and leave no trace. Like the physician’s creed to do no harm, all of us should be environmentalists and want to sustain nature. I am definitely in favor of fighting the fight for clean air and clean water. We’ve made great progress and need to stay the course. The 47th District has some of the finest public lands in America — the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Roan Mountain, Mt. Mitchell, the Pisgah National Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Appalachian Trail, the Shining Rock Wilderness Area — we are incredibly lucky to be stewards of these national and state treasures.

How do you feel about the lottery?

Thompson: I am opposed to the lottery and to a lottery referendum. I feel it is unconstitutional. Until we cut the waste out of state government I don’t think the state should be in business of promoting gambling.

Queen: I am in favor of a referendum to let the citizens vote for the lottery. It could be a possible new source of revenue if citizens choose it. It is really one of few possible new sources of revenue out there.

Discuss your views of the recently passed state budget, local reimbursements and the 1/2-cent sales tax.

Thompson: I support zero-based budgeting. There are a lot of commissions, I don’t really know what they do. Agencies should have to come to the legislature and justify the money they need.

I do have a problem with the 1/2-cent local option sales tax, but reimbursements could have been given back to the counties by the governor.

Queen: I think Gov. Easley did a remarkable job given the hand he was dealt. We are in a recessionary economy that North Carolina did not make, but we’ve adjusted to it reasonably and spread the pain around. No one took it all. No one got what they wanted, but we were able to maintain enough in education to keep our plans together. Now we need to focus on getting out of this malaise.

What specific economic development plans do you have?

Thompson: For our area we need more infrastructure. We also need more certified industrial sites. AdvantageWest is doing a great job.... We also need to improve the travel and tourism industry. In WNC that’s about all we have going for us.

Queen: I recognize the contributions of the business and industry we have and we must sustain their viability.... We also need to concentrate on bringing high-speed Internet here because the future for us is entrepreneurial. I also am in favor of incentives for existing industry and new industry. We should continue supporting AdvantageWest, local economic development commissions, chambers across the region, to work together to develop a comprehensive plan. We also need to focus on professional services. We need the total package so we won’t become anyone’s bedroom community.