Gene McIntyre is running for NC State Senate (District 25). Mr. McIntyre is opposed by Gene McLaurin, mayor of Rockingham. We feel Mr. McIntyre has a clean, honest and productive history of public service. Mr. McIntyre is concerned about the people he would represent as opposed to worrying about where his next vote is coming from.

Gene McLaurin however has attack ads out distorting Gene McIntyre’s record by slicing and dicing the facts. This seems to be a common tactic typical of candidates when their records are void of meaningful accomplishments. This philosophy is in play all the way from county candidates to the White House.

Gene McLaurin is pushing for government spending in the area of work force training programs. For those that read and study, you know that this type program was already tried as part of Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society.” This along with other aspects of this boondoggle proved to be without meaningful results as well as extremely costly to the tax payers.

As with most government “programs” (ref. “Fast and Furious”) there was no accountability or follow up. So-called machinist training consisted of removing metal cutting burrs with a hand file. No machine training or machine operating time and without verification of accomplishments or accountability.

Machining companies were all for this so-called “work place training program.” They benefited from cheap labor to do undesirable jobs while receiving “government checks.”

There is a reason for studying history however reading and comprehension must go in unison, if not we are doomed to repeat our errors. We need new ideas not reruns of 50-year-old mistakes.

Mark Shenck

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