4.5.06 - Rep. John Rhodes Campaigns For Tighter Controls On Official Documents

North Mecklenburg, NC. - Today, Representative John Rhodes announced renewed plans to push for tighter controls over official documents, including North Carolina Driver's licenses.

District 98 Representative Rhodes issued the following statement:

"The time has come, as U.S. Congresswoman Sue Myrick has indicated recently, to put a stop to obtaining official identification using homemade paperwork.

"Some dispute that the September 11th terrorists used North Carolina as a base of operations to obtain driver's licenses, however, even if they specifically did not, others can and do. In the case of Ramzi Yousef and El Sayyid Nosair, who committed the first World Trade Center bombing, there were manuals found in their apartment from the Army Special Warfare Center located at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. There are demostrable links which place terrorists in our state in cases like this one."

"In 1996, according to the Washington Post, 10/23/2001, a conspirator in a plot to attack the Phillipines, Abdul Hakim Murad, admitted to the FBI that he had crisscrossed the US and even attended a flight school in North Carolina. Entering a course in flight instruction requires identification. My efforts are focused on making sure no future attempts are made to obtain official documentation from this state under false pretense. That begins with removing loopholes in current laws.

"I have already introduced legislation for that effort. My opponent in this primary seems to be blissfully unaware of the danger we currently face from such fraudulent behavior. My opponent, who campaigns about his 'plan' for North Carolina, has yet to produce anything except a litany of complaints. Most of which are already known and have been reflected to me by constituents of the district as I visit them in their homes and businesses.

"We all know that we need to lower the tax burden and eliminate wasteful spending. That is obvious. My opponent has not progressed beyond telling us what we already know. He says he 'has a plan' yet shows no one anything resembling a plan. His printed materials consist of three sentences stating the obvious, we need to lower taxes, stop wasteful spending and improve schools.

"While I have spent many hours crafting legislation, such as the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, to confront these problems, my opponent runs around to anyone who will listen, touting tired epressions about lowering taxes and of disdain for me.

"We don't need another 'bring back pork to the district' representative in Raleigh like my opponent, Mr. 'beads and trinkets'. We need focused leadership. We need to continue fighting the good fight and recognize that many national issues directly affect our state. While my opponent writes about purely local issues like police and fire safety (good topics for local debate and town budgets) I am dealing with issues that affect all North Carolinians and every American.

"We have corrupt officials in positions of our state house who affect our safety and homeland security. I started the process of removing our House leadership and have been very effective to date in doing so. Every media outlet in the state is calling upon House leadership to resign, clearing the way for necessary legislation. Now, I want to address those items which will determine the fate of this state and this nation. I ask for your vote this May 2nd to continue my work fighting the good fight."

Republican primary voters may vote on May 2nd, 2006 at their local precinct for Representative John W. Rhodes.