Coastal citizens must impress upon the North Carolina General Assembly how ferry tolls will effect our economic life, lobbyist Joe McClees told about thirty Ocracoke residents on Thursday, March 1.

The moratorium on ferry fees Governor Bev Perdue signed on Tuesday night "gave us a temporary pass," said Joe.  "This is not over, but we have to tell our story."  

His wife and business partner, Henri McClees, said the legislature can undo the rule.  "We are no longer talking to bureaucrats, we are talking to elected officials,"  she said.  "Our motto is 'No Ferry Tax.'"

Both encouraged concerned citizens to directly contact legislators.  To succeed in repealing the "ferry tax," there must be a surge of phone calls and emails to representatives in Raleigh, said Henri.  

Emails should say "No ferry tax" in the subject line, focus on coastal legislators, and be short and to the point.  "Say, 'the ferry is my highway,'" said Henri.  When applicable, write "'I am your constituent,'" she urged.  2 - 4 sentences is sufficient.  Be positive, and thank them for their attention, she said.  

Don't try to be funny, don't use profanity, and most important "I beg you do not send the message to every single legislator," said Henri.  Messages need to be personal to receive attention, she explained.

The McLees cancelled a March 9 trip to Raleigh, and are organizing a contingent of 1000 citizens from coastal counties to make the trip in the next two or three weeks.  It is a lot of work to get 1000 people, said Henri, but that number is necessary to gather media attention in Raleigh.  

"A couple hundred people is not news," said Joe.

Earlier in the week representative Tim Spears "went to see [speaker of the NC house] Thom Tillis to negotiate for us," said Joe, who encouraged concerned citizens to "adopt, praise and encourage" Spears to continue advocating to repeal the fees.

To win this fight, citizens will "have to commit time, effort and energy,"  said Joe.  People may have to travel to Raleigh to protest several times, he said.  

Joe, who served in the NC General Assembly for 27 years, said lobbying is more fun.  He grew up and still lives in Oriental, NC.  Joe often lobbies for Beaufort County.  Both Hyde and Pamlico are paying Beaufort $10,000 to use Joe and Henri's services for one year.  

"Coastal counties have to band together for issues that affect us," said Joe.  He envisions a "new era of working together."  If we win this, we'll have a greater voice the next time coastal counties have a need, he said.  

After the 2010 Census and subsequent re-districting, Eastern North Carolina lost representatives, while urban areas, particularly Charlotte-Mecklenburg, gained votes.

Citizens of lowland NC must be more active in protecting their interests, said Joe.  "We used to have powerful politicians in the east, and we don't have them anymore,"  he said.

"This is war, and I am a warrior," said Joe.  "Compromise is not in my vocabularly right now.  Why negotiate when we haven't begun to fight?"

Link here for contact information for representatives and to sign up for the email list updating citizens about how to be involved with this issue.

To hear excerpts from Joe's talk, tune in to This Island Life on WOVV 90.1 fm (or online at wovv.org) at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7.