Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

Roger Gerber is a founder of The League of Charter Schools. Roger began his involvement in school reform as a public school volunteer and then as a homeschool teacher. In the late 90's, Roger lobbied the General Assembly for passage of a Charter School Law. When Charter Schools became an option in 1996, he helped form F.R.E.E. (Financial Reform for Excellence in Education), a non-profit group that sought three charters in the first wave of applications and were granted two.

Roger became F.R.E.E.'s public relations person. Later, he became temporary principal of one of the charter schools when the original principal left abruptly. In the second year that charters were granted in North Carolina, F.R.E.E. applied for an additional three charters and was awarded all three.

In 1998, Roger became an original member of the Charter School Advisory Committee, which recommended the acceptance of applications for new charters and monitored existing charter schools for the State School Board. He held that position until December 2002. Also in 1998, he helped form The League of Charter Schools and assumed the position of executive director for that organization. Over the years, he has served as a member of the board for several charter schools and he taught a class in computer science at one of the schools he helped form.

Roger has an undergraduate degree in government from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, after traveling around the US working for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the mid-70's, chose North Carolina as their home. They built their own house in Chatham County where they raised their two daughters.

Why vote GERBER for NC Senate District 18?

I will propose, support and vote for legislation that:

• Is consistent with The United States and North Carolina Constitutions;
• Permanently caps state spending at 5% of the state's private sector economy;
• Allows NC citizens to opt out of nationalized healthcare requirements;
• Increases education options for all students regardless of income;
• Limits the state's use of eminent domain and bans forced annexation.

Bonus Pledge

I WILL NOT serve more than four years in the North Carolina Senate.

Some Gerber food for thought:

Voters voting for politicians that give them other people's money are the root cause of our current economic problems. This is really a form of high level vote buying. If I offer someone ten dollars of my after-tax dollars to vote for me, I have broken the law. However, if via legislation, I spend taxpayers' dollars to favor a group of voters over another group of voters, that action is considered smart politics.

When the number of government handouts gets so numerous that no one person can track them, the natural instinct is to make sure that one's group is getting some of the handouts. It does not take long for those handing out the golden eggs to think that they could buy more support by killing the goose and getting all the eggs at once. This is why we must follow our constitutions and limit government spending.

I would appreciate your vote.

- Roger Gerber