Yesterday, my campaign suprised motorists traveling through the heart of the 8th District of North Carolina with $1.22 per gallon gas, the price when my opponent Republican Robin Hayes first took office. The event was unannounced, just a Father's Day surprise to help struggling families and do some good while getting our message out, so it was truly shocking to see literally hundreds of cars line up within minutes of the sign changing.
The reaction of people was even more revealing about just how much damage a near decade of the economic policies of Robin Hayes and President Bush have devasted this bellwether District.
"This was a great Father's Day gift! What a great way to help people. I'm going to use this gas to get back and forth to work next week," said Jerry Barber of Ellerbee. Julia Little, a Biscoe native said she would also use this gas to get to work this week, " I can't tell you how much I appreciate this and what a wonderful thing Larry Kissell is doing."
When I did the very first gas event in 2006, at a time when gas was $2.89 per gallon, folks were just grateful for the opportunity to go on vacation or not have to dip into savings to get to work that week. Now that gas has hit nearly $4 a gallon, and this District has lost 62,000 jobs since Hayes took office, some people were taking the opportunity to gas up simply to be able to look for work and feed their families.
Multi-millionaire Robin Hayes' campaign called helping those people yesterday A CHEAP GIMMICK. Robin Hayes obviously has no clue what it's like for a struggling family with no jobs thanks to his CAFTA vote, no children's healthcare thanks to his SCHIP vote, and $4 a gallon gas thanks to his 10 years in Congress supporting Big Oil and the Bush-Cheney Energy Policy.
Obviously, as the 8th richest Member of both the House and Senate, Robin Hayes doesn't understand that the people of this district don't consider this a gimmick. They welcome it as help, and I plan to continue to help people along the way doing a lot of good on our way Washington, and even more good when we get there.
And that is why this race is heating up, and the people of North Carolina's 8th District will have the change they so desperately seek this November.
You know I hate to ask, but if you like our style of helping people, please help our campaign continue to do so.