04/29/2020
Elect Rob Zapple
New Hanover County Democratic Convention
Saturday, April 25th 3:00pm
Good afternoon,
My name is Rob Zapple and I have the privilege of representing you as a New Hanover County Commissioner. It's an honor to speak with you today, and I would like to thank Richard Poole and the entire Executive Committee of the New Hanover County Democratic Party for inviting me to participate in this important and unique event – coming to you live by Zoom.
We are, today a nation at risk, and there has never been a time in our history when effective government was more important to the safety and well being of our citizens.
The speed with which the Covid-19 virus has changed the lives of every American has been unbelievable. Less than 60 days ago, the stock market was booming, high school seniors across the country were eagerly awaiting for news from colleges and universities, and our county’s unemployment rate was hovering around 3.5%, what most economists considered full employment. Covid-19 was little more than a curiosity, something that was happening somewhere else...in China and Europe, maybe on the West Coast, but it had nothing to do with New Hanover County. Most of us had never heard the term, ‘social distancing’, before the end of February – today it is the guiding principle of our lives.
It is in times of emergency that government either fails us...or makes us stronger. We look to our local government for the leadership and the wisdom to take the actions and make the decisions that will make us safer, help us return to our normal activities, reopen our businesses, and reconnect with our friends and families without fear for our health and safety. That is the essential test that government must pass...and that is our challenge.
During this pandemic your New Hanover County government, in partnership with the City of Wilmington, our beach communities, and the leadership and staff of our County owned hospital, have come together to support Governor Cooper’s plan based on the advice of medical experts and solid scientific data. As a community we have rallied behind the core message of ‘stay at home’ and social distancing to stop the exponential growth of the virus – and, the good news is - it has worked!
Our County has reported just 76 positive cases of Covid-19 in a population of more than 235,000 citizens and 48 of those have recovered. As of Friday there were only 4 Covid-19 positive patients at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Our hospital and our County Health Department have more than adequate supplies of PPE and ventilators on hand. A plan for widespread testing throughout New Hanover County is in the works, with more on that coming this week. We have, as a community, ‘flattened the curve’ – and, so far, have prevented a surge of serious cases from overwhelming our hospital.
Now we can begin the slow, cautious path back to what will be the “new normal.” At the end of April, the county's additional restrictions will be lifted. If, on May 8th, we're seeing a downward trend, we'll begin Governor Cooper's three stage plan to re-open our County and the state. But, unless we continue to follow the guidelines and observe social distancing, while under the State of Emergency, we could quickly slide backwards and experience a second surge of the virus. None of us want that to happen.
The economic and psychological damage that has already been done to our community over the past two months is enormous. Revenues that support our County services – sales tax, property taxes, and room occupancy taxes – will all be reduced this year, next year and possibly for years to come. Funding for our schools, our sheriffs, our libraries and our parks will be under close scrutiny as we try to do more with less.
The economic uncertainty will affect all aspects of our lives in New Hanover County – including the future plans for our County owned hospital. The nine-month process of ‘exploring’ options for NHRMC has resulted in 6 large healthcare systems submitting proposals in response to the Request for Proposal that was sent out across the nation. Five of those responses would eventually result in selling our hospital to another entity. All of these proposals were written prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the promises of lavish sale prices will need to be recalculated and reconsidered as healthcare systems across the nation are reporting losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The world has changed...dramatically. As a County we need to step back and reconsider these proposals in light of the pandemic that has for the most part overwhelmed major institutions and has already redefined what healthcare means to our citizens. And, along the way, we should thank our lucky stars that we were not tethered to a much larger healthcare system that could have suffered staggering losses and looked to the PPE and personnel of New Hanover Regional to fill their needs - sapping critical supplies from our community. Sometimes, being independent and having control of your destiny is a good thing. New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s success in preparing our community and managing its resources during this pandemic has significantly benefited our community – while many other hospitals across the nation have been thrown into chaos. It begs the question - why isn't remaining independent at the top of the list of possibilities the hospital is considering?
All of what we're experiencing reinforces the importance of having strong, competent local leadership. We have a once in a generation opportunity this November to turn the political course of New Hanover County in a new and positive direction. There are three seats in play on the County Commission in this November’s election. Commissioner Barfield is up for re-election and his representation of all citizens in New Hanover County, his experience over 12 years of service has helped to make our County a better place to live. We need Jonathan on the Commission to continue our work. We also need the experience, the intelligence and the commitment of Leslie Cohen and Dr. Kyle Horton, to help turn challenge into opportunity and move our county forward.
Having four, solid Democrats on our County Commission is within our grasp with this election. It would be a first in modern history. It can only happen, though, if the people in this virtual room – the core of the Democratic Party in New Hanover County – make a commitment to work hard throughout the summer and fall to get Jonathan, Kyle, and Leslie elected.
This campaign season is going to be unlike anything that we have ever seen. House parties, Coffees with the Candidates, even Candidate Forums will all be reimagined in a post Covid-19 world. A greater reliance on social media, direct mail and personal contact will all be part of the ‘new campaigning’. This will all take dedication and hard work to make a Democratic sweep in November a reality.
One more thing – money. More than ever before the candidates will need your financial help. Without the ability to meet one on one or, in large groups, the traditional methods of raising campaign funds will be severely restricted. We need your help with donations but even more so in finding creative ways to help rewrite the Campaign Book and motivate voters to get out and vote.
From the national, to the State, to our local elections - this is our year. Let’s get out and show what Democratic leadership can do. Re-elect, Jonathan Barfield, elect Dr. Kyle Horton, Leslie Cohen, Harper Peterson, Deb Butler, Marcia Morgan, Adam Ericson, Clayton Hamerski, Stephanie Walker, Hugh McManus and Chris Meek!
It's up to us...and it's never been more important. Stay safe and healthy – and remember to file for an absentee ballot, today!
Thank you.
