The Stadium North Carolina’s 11th District covers some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. Tucked amidst the convergence of the Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina borders, it incorporates numerous national and state parks, including the rolling hills and foggy vistas of the Blue Ridge and Great Smokey Mountains. The main metropolitan center is Asheville, while the rest of the district is largely rural, and populated by white, blue-collar workers. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians resides on a federal reservation in Cherokee, though they comprise a tiny portion of the voting electorate. Agriculture and forestry, long the area’s mainstay industries, are slowly giving way to new ventures. Retail trade, health care, and education are becoming major employers in the region. With such awe-inspiring scenery, tourism plays a key economic role, with visitors taking advantage of the ski slopes in the winter and the hiking trails and campgrounds throughout the rest of the year. The district leans conservative—yet registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by more than 20,000. On Defense The incumbent congressman, Republican Charles Taylor, first won the 11th District seat in 1990, and has subsequently won reelection 8 times, by an average margin of 57%. Facing a primary opponent for the first time since 1990, Taylor cruised to an easy victory last week and will be the Republican nominee. As a result of his seniority, Taylor holds a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee; Taylor also serves as the chairman of the Interior Subcommittee. These posts enable Taylor to steer pork projects to his largely rural district. As Taylor notes on his web site, his subcommittee funds more than $26 billion dollars of federal government activities, including the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Carl Sandburg Home.
In a national political climate throwing around charges of "corruption," Taylor appears to be an inviting target. Yes, once again, the "culture of corruption" charge has been leveled against a Republican incumbent. He has previously involved himself in several apparent ethical gaffes. His failure to pay $50,000 in tardy back-taxes on some of his forest-land has caused problems in previous elections. He eventually paid the taxes in 2003. He also ran into trouble when a thrift store he owns was accused of obtaining fraudulent bank loans, though Taylor was cleared and not charged. Additionally, one of Taylor’s former House aides secured a lobbying contract for himself while on House payroll, which is against ethics laws. Additionally, Democrats are calling for Taylor to respond to charges of "corruption" related to Jack Abramoff. However, in Taylor’s case, evidence of a connection with Jack Abramoff is clear; the answer to the legal question is not. The Citizen-Times, the local Asheville paper, claimed that Taylor received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Abramoff’s cronies. Taylor disputes the charge, arguing that the donations came from a Capitol Hill fundraiser shortly thereafter. Furthering the dispute, the Citizen-Times accused Taylor of writing a letter that garnered $3 million for an Abramoff client, a charge Taylor vehemently denies. "We did not accept any money for any type of action on my part. We have never done that," Taylor said. Interestingly, Taylor helped formed the "Gang of Seven" in 1992, a group of seven freshmen congressmen — including John Boehner and Rick Santorum — who received rave reviews from the media for revealing the House bank overdraft scandal, which resulted in the resignations or retirements of 77 congressmen on both sides of the aisle. Democrats have also targeted Taylor partially in response to his vote (or lack thereof) on CAFTA last year. Taylor claims he voted "no," a vote that would protect jobs in his district, but the House did not record a vote for him. CAFTA passed by a single vote. Taylor has consistently opposed every free-trade bill in every form during his time in office, including NAFTA and the bill creating fast-track negotiating authority for the president. Despite his conservatism, Taylor recognizes he must protect jobs in his district and represent those who elected him. On Offense Democrats have found their challenger in the form of former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler. Shuler, a native of the 11th District, attended the University of Tennessee, just over the border in Knoxville, where he was a bonafide star. After being drafted by the Washington Redskins, Shuler played several years in the NFL before retiring due to a recurring foot injury. Upon his retirement, Shuler returned to Tennessee to finish his degree and open a real estate firm. Shuler currently lives and works in Waynesville. Continued... |