Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009

Rouzer calls for back-to-basics approach in state

Editor’s note: Each week, the Record asks someone in the community five questions about life, work or anything in between.

JOHNSTON COUNTY — David Rouzer was elected last fall to represent Johnston County and part of Wayne County in the N.C. Senate.

Rouzer, 37, grew up in Durham and spent his childhood summers on his family’s tobacco farm near Four Oaks. He has worked as an adviser to Jesse Helms and Elizabeth Dole, former senators from North Carolina.

Last week, Rouzer, a Republican, found out which committees he will serve on in the Senate — Agriculture, Appropriations, Finance, Health, Judiciary and Applied Technology and Energy. What was your first day as a state senator like?

“Opening day is opening day,” Rouzer said, explaining that not a lot of official business took place on swearing-in day — Jan. 26.

He says he got to know his fellow senators and that his family and friends were there to see him sworn in to office.

You had years of experience as an adviser in Washington. How did you know you wanted to come home and run for office instead of continuing to work for other elected officials?

“It’s not necessarily any conscious decision I made,” Rouzer said.

When he moved back to North Carolina from Washington, Rouzer rekindled his involvement with the Johnston County Republican Party. Around that time, former Sen. Fred Smith, who held the seat Rouzer now has, decided to run for governor. So the seat opened up.

“When I got back home and started going to meetings, one thing just sort of led to another,” he said. At first, Rouzer didn’t exactly jump at the chance to run for elected office. It’s basically a part-time job, and he worried about how he would juggle his agriculture-consulting business.

“You know, I’m not an independently wealthy person,” he said.

After he won the race, Rouzer transferred his clients to another firm but continues to act as an adviser for that firm.

Rouzer says he’s currently pursuing other business ventures, but he declined to share details. This was a tough election year for Republicans. What needs to happen for the party to bounce back? “I think we need to get back to the core basics of what the Republican Party stands for and believes in,” Rouzer said.

He gives examples: running an efficient government, being a good steward of taxpayers’ money, not being tied down to interest groups and making decisions based on common sense.

“Everyone knows government is bloated, ineffective, inefficient in the use of taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Rouzer says he is confident the Republican Party’s message will resonate.

How do you think the state should continue to deal with the large budget shortfalls?

“Well, I think we need to cut the government,” Rouzer said.

Instead of borrowing more money, he says, the state should make cuts in the budget. How? Get rid of programs and agencies that aren’t living up to their expectations, Rouzer says.

The state could make cuts from the education budget, he says. He admits that could mean bigger class sizes. “I think there are all sorts of areas we could look at to make some cuts,” he said.

What’s your top priority as a senator this year?

“My top priority is to help change the debate in Raleigh from how to grow and protect the government budget to how to grow and protect the family budget,” Rouzer said.