Robinson chats with area voters before speaking to a crowd gathered last Friday inside La Cabana restaurant. Scan the QR code for a video from Robinson’s appearance.
ROCKINGHAM – Embattled Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson dropped by La Cabana in Rockingham for a campaign stop while touring the southeastern portion of the Tar Heel State Friday.
With a myriad of accusations lobbed by the media the past couple of weeks, Robinson felt it necessary to personally reach out to the public to share his story and vision.
“We’re still out on the campaign. We don’t feel like the campaign is that contentious at all. We had some allegations made against us, and we have our attorney working on that right now for us as we continue to campaign,” Robinson said.
While speaking to dozens of attendees, Robinson said the accusations against him are a deflection from the issues plaguing North Carolina. By attacking Robinson’s character, Robinson believes it distracts voters from examining the failures of state government.
“Public safety, public education, healthcare, infrastructure and housing – they won’t talk to you about why the governor of this state is important to those things. The governor appoints the people over those agencies … They don’t want to talk about that or facts of this state when it comes to this economy,” Robinson said. “Prior to 2010, before the Republicans took over the legislature, the Democrats had control of the whole state. Guess who was a part of that legislature. Josh Stein, my opponent, but he never talks about that. When he was in charge, when the Democrats were in charge, we were $6 billion in debt to the federal government. We were furloughing state workers because we could not afford to pay them. Teachers did not get a pay raise for six years.”
An issue Robinson touched upon Friday was the growing epidemic of fentanyl abuse and deaths related to overdoses. Richmond County ranks well above the state average for deaths and overdoses, but Robinson said throwing addict in jail will not solve the problem.
“One of the things we need to do right now is get people in office to give law enforcement the tools to shut off the spigot. We have got to stop in the streets. Suing the drug companies is just fine, but we know these people aren’t getting it from drug companies. They’re getting it from drug dealers on the street,” Robinson said. ” … One of the worst things we’ve done in regards to mental health is this – we allowed our jails, sadly, to be mental healthcare centers. That is not a place where people should get care. We have got to get the talented folks inside the healthcare sphere to bring some inventive ways to get healthcare and mental healthcare to every person in this state. It is desperately needed. It can get done. We just have to put in the work.”