Kent Misegades: Turning backs on GOP

Until 2013, I had been a registered Republican since I first voted in 1976. My wife and I served as campaign volunteers for leading Republicans, financially contributed to numerous individual, state and federal campaigns and volunteered in the GOP booth at the State Fair.

I served as GOP precinct chairman in west Cary twice, sat on the board of directors of the Global Transpark at the request of former House Speaker Thom Tillis and testified to a House committee on the folly of corporate incentives.

When voters in our state finally brought the GOP into power after more than 140 straight years of Democratic rule, I expected common-sense reforms such as a fair, single consumption tax, an end to the terrible renewable energy mandates, support for universal school choice and an end to back-room cronyism fueled by taxpayer-funded corporate welfare.

I also expected our elected officials to defend our state from attacks from D.C. and myriad far-left special interest groups seeking to overturn our state Constitution.

Very little of this has happened, which is why my wife and I are now registered independents. We prefer supporting causes rooted in traditional American values and free-market economics.

This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Kent Misegades: Turning backs on GOP."