Rep. Wesley Harris is the Democratic candidate running for State Treasurer. Harris is currently a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, where he represents District 105 (Mecklenburg.) He has a PhD in Economics, and wrote his dissertation on voting and the political geography of the US.
He also has a very informative YouTube channel where he provides frequent updates on what’s going on across our state. (He told the Daily Tar Heel last year that he has “been the lead Democrat on every financial and economic issue in our caucus.” (We appreciate that he shares more about these issues on video. They’re sometimes hard to parse and he provides context.)
We interviewed Rep. Harris about the Treasurer position and why more people should pay attention to this position.
What does this role do?
This position has 3 main roles: The Treasurer is the sole fiduciary of the State Employees and Local Government Employees Pension plan, they chair the State Health Plan, and are Chair of the Local Government Commission. The pension plan and the health plan are the key benefits to most public sector employees in this state, so this position makes sure that if you devote your life and career to the people of North Carolina, we make sure you have a great retirement and excellent and affordable healthcare. The Local Government Commission is really the watch-dog of county and municipal government finances across the state. The LGC has to approve any request for debt financing and makes sure that our local governments across the state are financially healthy and if they are not, can come in and help get the locality into a more stable position.
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
When I get elected, I hope to get the pension plan and the state health plan on much more solvent footing. Our pension plan is one of the worst performing pension plans in the entire nation. Our poor performance is the reason we are not able to offer a Cost of Living adjustment. We have 14% of our pension plan sitting in CASH, where every other pension plan has that level at 1-2%, even with a traditionally conservative investment strategy over the past 6 years we would have had an extra $10 BILLION in our pension plan which could have finance any COLA we could have dreamed of and made the plan much more solvent.
In terms of the State Health Plan, we need to make sure that folks are using their health insurance effectively, going to the doctor for regular check-ups and investing in more preventative and wellness programs to lower the long term cost of the plan. Additionally, we need to stand up to the Hospitals and Pharmaceutical Companies whose corporate consolidation is creating outrageously high prices for basic care. We must use the bargaining power of the State Health Plan to negotiate better rates so our public servants have the healthcare they deserve. Finally, we have to work with the General Assembly to increase pay so we can recruit younger folks to work for the State Government. With a 25% vacancy rate across the state, our risk pool is getting older and sicker, and we have to balance that out with younger and healthier folks wanting to work for the State Government if we want to make our plan solvent. You can’t have a government that works for everyone if you don’t have good people willing to work for the government.
Additionally, I want to improve the relationship between this office and our local governments. The role of this office should be to be proactive and make sure our Local Governments are able to make the investments they need to ensure their communities can grow and prosper. I hope to be much more proactive in identifying financial problem areas before they become an issue so we can keep our local governments on solid financial footing before things get out of hand.
Finally, I want to use this office so that people around the state understand what is going on with our state’s finances and the decisions that are being made. North Carolinians in 90 of our 100 counties paid more property taxes last year than they did the year before because so many of our communities are having to fill the gap left by our state legislature’s unwillingness to fund the things that our communities desperately need. Folks need to know the impact of these tax changes and how that impacts their communities so they may be able to hold their elected officials accountable. Our State and our Government works best when we invest in our people and invest in our communities. I intend to use this role to travel around the state to let people know what is happening with the finances of this state, and how it impacts their communities.
For someone who may only be paying attention to the top of ballot races, what would you say to them about the State Treasurer office?
This role matters because the responsibilities of this office touch every single person in this state. If you want great teachers in every classroom, if you want qualified state employees working for the government, if you want to make sure your community has good schools, good roads, and the infrastructure necessary to grow and prosper, then you depend on having a great State Treasurer who will make sure our Teachers, Firefighters, Police, and other State Employees have the benefits and retirement they need, and our state is able to afford the investments we need to make to improve the quality of life in every corner of this state.
We read a piece from Border Belt recently that profiled a bunch of high school students in Robeson County who weren’t planning to vote because they didn’t see the point. What would you say to them?
I’d say to them that decisions are made by those who show up. If folks don’t vote, they make it so easy for those in power to ignore their voices, and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. The beauty of democracy is also its challenge, things don’t happen on their own, you have to fight for them and you have to get involved. I think it is imperative for candidates to go out into these communities that feel disconnected and show them that their voices are being heard and they do matter. I have spent a lot of time in this campaign in Robeson County and I was thrilled to be the Democrat who got the most votes in that county in the primary. In fact, I got more votes than any candidate on the ballot except Donald Trump. Showing up matters, voting matters. If you don’t feel like your voice is being heard, then get involved and make it heard. I guarantee people are listening, but if you don’t speak there’s nothing for them to hear.
(We ask every candidate this question) If you could design a pair of Crocs for yourself, what would they look like?
Great question! Anyone who knows me knows how much I love North Carolina and NC related gear. I don’t think any outfit would be complete without some NC Flag Crocs. Perfect for any occasion!