Ann Harlan

Ann Harlan has a Doctorate from Michigan State University and a Masters from The University of Michigan. She has been teaching Sociology at the local community college since January 2006. She has a background in Maternal and Infant Health, Adult Psychiatry and Pediatric Health Care. She was a foster and adoptive parent and 4 of her 5 children were adopted from the foster care system and have different disabilities. Dr. Harlan and her children have lived in North Carolina since 2005 and have love the people and the climate.

• End Partisian Gerrymandering so our votes count.
• Fully fund the public school system so students have the resources they need and teachers have pay that is equal to the national average.
• Assure everyone has healthcare which can happen with Medicaid Expansion and when everyone pays their fair share of taxes.

Affordable Housing Jobs with Living Wages Reproductive Rights Union Membership Green Energy Fair Taxes Legalize Marijuana End DMV Inspections

I look up to Bernie Sanders and have learned that I must stand on my values of justice and progress. He taught me, through his example, that some people are going to want to silence my voice but that I had to maintain my stance on issues such as social justice, global warming, equality, fair taxes, affordable housing, healthcare for everyone, maintaining reproductive rights and other issues.

Robert Reich, a brilliant economist and professor at UC Berkley, has a film called Inequality for All and it is an intelligent look at our economy and how we have come to have such oppressive economic inequality.

To be willing to listen - to constituents, to the public to listen to each other.

I am an intelligent, educated woman with many years of diverse work experience who has a proven track-record of sticking with the work at-hand until it is completed. I find that being flexible and persistent is what leads to success. I'm always willing to educate myself and seek information and advice of others as needed.

To craft legislation that will make the lives of people in North Carolina better, improve the environment and create a fair taxation system.

I care deeply about our children and grandchildren and their future and I want to make sure they have opportunities to not just survive but to thrive in a cleaner, kinder and economically better functioning world.

I grew up outside of Detroit. When I was 9 years old (in 1967), it was the summer of the "Detroit Riots". Civil Rights issues had percolated to a boiling point despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because you can't legislate people's hate. I remember my family standing at my bedroom window where we could see the tops of buildings burning. That summer over 1,000 buildings burned, more than 40 people died and more than 300 people were injured (mostly African Americans). Racial tense was palpable. I remember feeling scared but I was too young to understand. Through my parents and public school education, I came to understand over time, that these dark times in our history were the result of economic inequality and blatant racism. Many changes began to take place in Detroit including cases in the court systems and employment opportunities. But this wasn't just an African American issue. It was an issue for all of us. Detroit was a multicultural area (drawing people from all over the world who wanted good paying factory and support jobs) but many people of color felt that life wasn't going to be fair. My teachers taught us about racism and to appreciate each other's differences. We sang songs, made art projects and we learned a better way. We learned we are more the same than different. Detroit took on a big project - The Riverfront Festival. Each weekend in the summer, the city sponsored a different cultural group. The folks cooked ethnic food, wore clothes from their home countries, taught us to dance and sing different kinds of music. They brought out artifacts and told us the historical context. We learned, ate, laughed, danced and sang and had a good time - with people who didn't look like us or talk like us. Those of us who cared, learned something beyond tolerance, we learned to appreciate each other. We lost our fear and gained love. It wasn't perfect and didn't fix everything but it was steps in the right direction - that of unity.

My first job was as a bank teller. I worked that job for 3 years while I was attending the community college where I obtained an Associates Degree in Business.

To Kill A Mockingbird because it is about someone trying to make a situation fair despite racial and economic differences.

Miss Marple.

Dream a Little Dream of Me (the Mama Cass version)

I have struggled for many years in poverty as a single parent and am very good at managing the limited funds that I have after all these years of experience.

I believe we should work with the governor to set legislation that benefits everyone and sets right injustice and inequality. That will require good communication between state legislature and the governor.

I believe the greatest long-term challenge will be economic issues. People want to be able to have meaningful work where they are paid living wages. For far too long, our legislators have allowed people to get stuck with poverty wages and have not done anything about it. When someone is rich, they may not understand how hard it is to struggle just to have a roof over your head and enough food to eat. I've been a single working mother living in poverty and trying to feed my children so I know these struggles. It is time to treat workers with the respect they deserves for keeping our economy going. We know from economists that 70% of our state's economic health is based on consumer spending. Consumers can't spend if they can't even survive in our society. People have to be able to make enough money to spend money on things needed for daily living outside of basic necessities for survival. I believe we have to start with raising the NC Minimum Wage. I also believe that we must make sure that everyone is paying their fair share of taxes. We can offer incentives to businesses to move to or stay in our state but it must be a reasonable balance. It cannot be that businesses or the rich do all the taking. The rich and folks who run large corporations are driving on our tax-funded roads, using our tax-funded schools, libraries, police and fire services and enjoying a lifestyle that few will ever achieve. It is time for them to carry their share of the economic burden. I also believe that we should be giving tax breaks to new start-ups and small business owners who employ people so they have the opportunity to grow their businesses.

While a unicameral state legislature may speed up the legislative process, it may also limit the voices that present issues from different perspectives.

I believe that we need fresh voices coming into the legislature to assure that new issues and different perspectives are heard. If we have the same people constantly representing us (those with previous experience) we are going to narrow our vision. This would eliminate young adults from running for office when we must hear and understand the concerns of younger generations. I believe it is good to have inexperienced people in office as they can be taught the essentials of the legislative process while bringing the richness that any government needs to represent all of the people.

I believe it is important to build relationships not only with folks within my own party but with independents and folks in the other major party. We will be working together for the benefits of the people in NC and it is easier to do that when we have a friendly relationship and not an adversarial one. Also, I believe I can learn from people who have different opinions and approaches and I want to remain open-minded about issues.

I believe we need to have an on-going committee of folks who are non-partisan and will be in charge of redistricting. This can be done through research facilities, universities or private groups. While we have a census every 10 years, we also have many economic, geographic and social issues that impact the migration of people, so we need to have an on-going system of redistricting that is not based on partisan labels but on population increases and decreases.

While I would be willing to serve as I am needed and educate myself on any and all issues, my professional experience would lean to committees on: education, families, children, healthcare, HHS and Social Services.

I believe Bernie Sanders is a champion of the average person and the oppressed and is concerned about the same issues that cause me concern and that his diligent fight for justice and fairness are those that are a model for me.

I am dedicated to serving the people of North Carolina and am currently not interested in any other political offices.

A young Latina adult recently told me about her life as she struggles with health and mental health issues. She was sexually assaulted, is unable to afford to go to her doctor, cannot afford her medication and is struggling with maintaining part-time employment and persistent thoughts of suicide. She is one of the folks in North Carolina who needs wrap-around services in order for her to function. While most people need a minimum of health and/or mental health services, some folks need more intense and diverse services. She is in my thoughts as I think of legislation that is badly needed in our state.

I'm sorry to tell you but jokes don't stick in my head.

I cannot image more than one situation in which there would not be time to hold an emergency session to address some imminent issue in NC even if that had to be a zoom meeting so I don't see emergency power being necessary. Granting emergency power is problematic as a very few people may take advantage of such an overuse of power.

I believe that compromise is a good goal but we cannot compromise on issues that impact people's lives and livelihoods when folks are being treated unfairly and suffering from bad legislation. I believe sometimes I will have to fight for what is right and be unwilling to compromise when issues of injustice, unfair treatment and bad policy exist.