Causey, Goodwin Compete for insurance post This year, the news media has been focused on the Presidential election, and understandably so. Here in North Carolina, we’ve also been bombarded with ads about candidates for Congress, Senate, Jim Longworth and State legislature. Longworth But ask most people at Large who’s running for State Insurance Commissioner, and you’ll get a blank stare. It’s ironic because very few elected officials have more impact over our everyday lives than does the Insurance Commissioner. During a recent taping of Triad Today, I spoke with Mike Causey, the current Commissioner, and Wayne Goodwin, who preceded Mike in that job and now wants it back. JL: Most folks aren’t aware of all the things that the State Insurance Commissioner regulates, and the responsibilities he has. MC: When I was campaigning in 2016, I’d go around the State and introduce
myself. I’d say, “Hi I’m Mike Causey and I’m running for State Insurance Commissioner.” And people would say, “Well, what kind of insurance do you sell?” And I’d tell them, “We don’t sell insurance, we regulate it.” Folks just don’t know what all falls under the Department of Insurance. The Commissioner is also the State Fire Marshal, overseeing all fire departments and fire training. We’re over engineering codes and building code inspections. We regulate manufacturers of modular homes and mobile homes, which is a huge industry in our State. WG: The Insurance Commissioner’s office has fairly broad regulatory authority. Not just about regulating insurance agents, but insurance companies and insurance rates. You also regulate bail bondsmen and collections agents. You provide education about Medicare for every senior citizen in the State. MC: We also have sworn law enforcement officers to investigate fraud and arson. In fact, North Carolina was the first State in the nation to put sworn officers in the Department of Insurance. WG: It’s a huge office with great responsibility.
the issues that are on the ballot and look less at the personality of the people on the ballot. If we can do that, and continue to do that, then North Carolina will not only be a battleground state, we will be a state that can set the tone, pace and agenda for what the rest of the country could look like.” “We are existing on a deeply uneven playing field that is designed to make us feel alone, and that change is impossible or blame ourselves for problems— to me one of the antidotes to hopelessness is community,” St. Louis said. “Kay has a stake in my freedom as a trans woman, I have a stake in Kay’s freedom as a single Black momma of two incredible children— that breaking of isolation is really critical; to realize we are not alone, and that when things are set up against us, we have the tool of people power to win. And that is what you get when you join an organization like Guilford For All.” Dear reader, if you are like me, you may find yourself leaning into the feeling of hopelessness and let headlines ruin your day and further discourage you. All while complaining about nothing changing and idly standing by. To that, I have only this to say: Snap out of it and get to work. Voter disillusionment is what keeps the
careless and power-hungry in office for decades without any change. “As a single mom, I used to think, out of everyone that could be listened to in the city, why do they want to listen to me?’ I had to take a step back and realize, nobody advocates better for you than you, nobody is better to speak to your people than you if you are of your people. If you feel called to serve, it is a duty to serve your people. The change starts with you,” Brown said. “People think that you have to be able to move mountains to get change. Now, it may feel that way on a national scale, but on a local scale, it doesn’t take that. On the local level, it takes the engagement of citizens, even if there are citizens that people haven’t heard of before.” To see what candidates G4A and FFF are endorsing and why, visit www.carolinafederation.org/2020-endorsements/ and to learn more about the organizations, follow them on social media, and learn more about the Carolina Federation, and sign up to be a volunteer online at www.carolinafederation.org !
WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM
Mike Causey and Wayne Goodwin Both men know something about responsibility. Before holding the Commissioner’s job, Causey was an Army veteran who came up through the ranks in the insurance industry, while Goodwin is an attorney who took on big corporations. MC: No offense to my attorney friends, but I think it’s a good idea to have an insurance commissioner who actually has experience in the insurance business. I’ve gone through the ranks as an agent, agency manager, superintendent of agencies, and I’ve been in all aspects of insurance. That not only helps me understand the agent’s point if view, it helps me understand the consumer’s point of view and what they have to go through. That’s why last year
alone, we were able to help over 258,000 people in this State. WG: During my two terms as Insurance Commissioner I saved us $2.4 billion, had refunds of $206 million, and we had the lowest car insurance premiums in the country right here in North Carolina because of the decisions I made. JL: With all of the responsibility and stress that comes with the job of Insurance Commissioner, why do you want the job again? WG: Because for as long as I can remember, even as a kid, my passion in life was I wanted to solve problems and help people. MC: We had an agriculture commissioner years ago named Jim Graham, and he would tell everybody, “I love my job.” Well, that’s the same for me. I love my job and I love helping people. For more information about Mike Causey and Wayne Goodwin, visit www.mikecauseync.com and www.waynegoodwin.org . To learn more about the NC Department of Insurance, visit www.ncdoi.gov. ! JIM LONGWORTH is the host of “Triad Today,” airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11am on WMYV (cable channel 15).
KATIE MURAWSKI is the editor of YES! Weekly. She is from Mooresville, North Carolina and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in film studies from Appalachian State University in 2017. OCTOBER 7-13, 2020
YES! WEEKLY
7
