Candidate Biography (submitted by campaign):

I am a Yankee by birth, Southerner by choice and an American by the grace of God.

Born in The Bronx, New York on January 2, 1949 and raised on Long Island, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after graduating high school in 1967. My first assignment was to the Philippines. There I met and married my wife of 39 years, Maria Elisa (Lisa) Quiambao.

After tours in Michigan, Kansas, Vietnam, New Jersey and the Philippines again I earned a commission in 1980 and served as public affairs officer at bases in Italy, the United Kingdom and Florida. I first came to North Carolina in 1985, where I served as public affairs officer for Pope Air Force Base, Fayetteville from 1985 to 1990.

In 1992, I retired after 25 years service. Lisa and I decided to move back to Fayetteville. My goal was for "second career" of work in the non-profit field. I also became a freelance writer. My jobs included communications director for the United Way of Cumberland County and an administrative assistant for Catholic Social Ministries, and St. Ann Catholic Church.

I also began my political career in Fayetteville, helping form a Libertarian Party chapter and running for Cumberland County commissioner (twice), NC Senate District 21, and the non-partisan Fayetteville city council (twice). I served four years on the Fayetteville City Planning Commission, including two as chair.

Lisa and I moved to Wake County in 2006 to be near our two married children, Annalisa and Daniel, and our six grandchildren. We live in Cary.

I earned a bachelor's degree in social studies from the University of the Philippines at Clark Air Base, a master's degree in public administration from Webster University and a master's degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University (New Orleans).

I'm running for the NC Senate in District 17 to give people a choice -- and a chance to vote for freedom for a change. I'll fight to break the choke-hold the Democrat-Republican duopoly exerts on our State government.

My platform is short and simple: I will support reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and I will oppose increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.

The key issues are to:

Stop municipal aggression. End forced annexation and give the people the right to decide whether or not they want to be annexed. Curtail the use of the anti-democratic power of eminent domain. Free the people to use their property as they see fit, so long as they do not harm others. Replace zoning ordinances with voluntary covenants.

Provide education options, not roadblocks. Give parents control over their childrens' education and more choice for schooling by raising the charter school limit, lifting the regulatory burden on private education and home schools, and granting eduction tax credits or vouchers to all taxpayers.

Restore free, fair & open elections. Reform North Carolina's most restrictive in the nation election laws, open ballot access to all parties and individuals, restore the people's unregulated and unrestricted right to vote for the candidate of their choice.

This is a grassroots, guerrilla campaign, using the on-line "free press," public forums, and the traditional news media. I'll blog regularly on my website, LibertyPoint.org, where you can also read my issue papers on previous articles on NC issues.

If you still have questions, I'll be honored to speak to any audience, anytime, anwhere, and welcome telephone calls, emails or even old-fashioned letters.