This is a District full of promise, hope, and determination. You deserve someone who understands what it takes to turn your promise into a guarantee, turn your hope into aspiration, and your determination into resolution.
Seeking office is not about capturing a title for Sharon, seeking office is about changing the lives of the people who reside in District 8 and making a positive impact on their lived experiences. People Over Politics
Healthcare
Since 2014, NC has declined to expand Medicaid. This practice has affected a lot of people in the state and especially in our District (8):
- Economy-fewer jobs
- A significant loss in federal funding (over 3 billion)
- The state’s total economy is smaller than it would be if Medicaid was expanded
- More people are uninsured and go without care
Thinking about these issues and applying them specifically to what we know about our county we simply cannot afford to be without Medicaid expansion. This means in Pitt County and in our district, jobs are not being created and as we have seen during the pandemic jobs are not being filled, the gross county product lost millions of dollars, our county business activity lost millions of dollars, and our county tax revenue lost thousands of dollars. A common word here is “loss” and we cannot continue to keep losing and we certainly cannot continue to be okay with knowing people in our community do not have healthcare and will not go to the doctor. Medicaid and Medicaid expansion are important issues in our community that’s why it’s important for you to elect someone who understands these programs and can advocate for services. Sharon has over 30 years of public health experience and fully understands these programs.
Economy
The economy in District 8 ties into our issues simultaneously with Medicaid expansion and the underlying issues impacting it such as jobs (availability, unavailability, & loss). The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives in many ways. Many of the people in our community were faced with job loss, job reduction, eviction, inability to access basic resources, and so many other issues. It was and still is a stressful situation.
As we work together to change our sense of normalcy, we must protect our economy at all costs. We are truly in a cycle of strange events. There are more jobs than workers available, but it cost more to buy certain items because the cost of shipping and production has increased. The cost of housing has increased and has created great opportunities for owners. Times have changed and we must prepare the people in District 8 for the changes.
Education
Eastern NC is growing rapidly and has a wide range of opportunities for all students. Our local school system has a total of 38 schools (7 low performing schools) with 23, 286 enrolled students (k-12). Pitt Community College has serviced our area since 1961 and has expanded allowing high school students to take courses and dually enroll thus giving them an opportunity to obtain an associate’s degree before graduating high school. This concept will reduce college debt and save families thousands of dollars over time. Teachers (K-12) are leaving the educational system at a rapid pace due to a lack of a competitive salary. Our teachers need more money.
East Carolina University (established 1907) and Brody School of Medicine (established 1969) have simultaneously contributed to the educational opportunities in Eastern NC. East Carolina has also partnered with Pitt County Schools to offer Early College and reduce college debt for students. However, some of our collegiate staff are choosing other professions because they are often overlooked and underpaid. We must do something about this, they need more money.
We must value the jobs in the educational system at all levels starting with those workers who work in pre-schools, daycares, educational school settings for k-12, community colleges, and 4-year Institutions. We must include all educators because they are all equally important. We must protect the professions, advocate for more pay and respect the contributions they make in society by educating the next generation of leaders, scientist, and politicians. Our teachers are educating our children and deserve more pay, more equipment (technology), and more support.