We’re introducing a new SouthsideCentral feature today… SouthsideSeven. I’ll ask our guest six questions and they’ll answer them. The seventh question is all theirs. They can ask themselves anything that they want and if they’re stumped, they can always ask me one.<\/p>\n
We’ll start big here with an exclusive interview with Lawrence Gaughan. He’s the Democratic challenger for the 5th Congressional District and will be facing Robert Hurt in the November elections. This is the first interview he’s done with the Danville media. I’ve got SouthsideOne ready to go… let’s start SouthsideSeven!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Zero down, SouthsideSeven to go…<\/p>\n
SouthsideOne<\/strong>: Would you please introduce yourself and tell our readers all about you?<\/p>\n My name is Lawrence Gaughan and I’m from Charlottesville, VA. I’m a professional voter advocate, an actor, an activist and the founder of a non-profit organization called Gov360 (now the former director of that organization), and I’m now running for Congress because we need some change in Washington.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n SouthsideTwo<\/strong>: Southside has its own special needs. Tell us what your ideas are for Southside.<\/p>\n We need to provide incentives for jobs for companies and manufacturers to create\u00a0 jobs here in Southside. That’s the # 1 issue on peoples’ minds is being able to have the opportunity to provide for themselves and their family. The way you do that is that you companies incentives to stop shipping jobs overseas and to reopen shuttered factories here in Danville, Martinsville and all throughout Southside.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n SouthsideThree<\/strong>: Congress has the lowest popularity in a long time. Tell us what makes you different from the current Congress.<\/p>\n People are sick and tired of business as usual and that’s why the approval of Congress is at a record low. There’s been a general lack of participation of people in picking the members of Congress. I stand on the same side with the majority of people in the 5th District on all the issues that matter and if they all come out to vote, I will win in November.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n SouthsideFour<\/strong>: What makes you different from the incumbent, Robert Hurt?<\/p>\n I can relate to ordinary working people in the 5th District. I have not come from a background of wealth and privilege like he has. My family does not own a uranium mine. I’m not a lawyer and the bottom line is that I’m not a career politician.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n SouthsideFive<\/strong>: You just talked about uranium mines and that’s a big issue in Southside. Let’s talk about the environment. What can you do to protect the environment?<\/p>\n In order to protect our most precious and valuable resources, we need to have a certain degree of regulations…. but they’re not job-killing regulations. They’re regulations that are designed to protect the resources that we have so that they’re sustainable revenue sources in our communities. People will come to Southside and want to do business as long as we don’t destroy our rivers and other precious resources.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n SouthsideSix<\/strong>: Southside’s economy has been devastated by trade agreements with multiple closed factories. What’s your opinion on the trade agreements and how can we get those jobs back… or new jobs to come here?<\/p>\n Both sides are equally guilty of creating these tax loopholes in the trade agreements to allow companies the incentive to ship jobs overseas. When Robert Hurt takes the side of this kind of activity, he’s really saying “Let’s not create jobs here, but in places like China” and that’s what he’s done. He’s created jobs in China but very few jobs here in Southside.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n And now, our first SouthsideSeven question… ask yourself a question and then answer it!<\/p>\n SouthsideSeven<\/strong>: Aside from job creation, what is the most important duty for a Congressman?<\/p>\n To protect our country… and those two go hand-in-hand. Job creation providing sustainable solutions to unemployment is the best way to create a more secure and more safe homeland. Our greatest threat to our national security is financial instability here at home.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, SouthsideSeven! We’re done!<\/p>\n We’d like to thank Lawrence Gaughan for being our first guest on SouthsideSeven and we wish him well in the November election.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We’re introducing a new SouthsideCentral feature today… SouthsideSeven. I’ll ask our guest six questions and they’ll answer them. The seventh question is all theirs. They can ask themselves anything that they want and if they’re stumped, they can always ask me one.<\/p>\n We’ll start big here with an exclusive interview with Lawrence Gaughan. He’s the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-southsideseven","odd"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pwqFk-2mv","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9092,"url":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/2014\/07\/04\/southsideseven-debbie-sparks\/","url_meta":{"origin":9083,"position":0},"title":"SouthsideSeven: Debbie Sparks","author":"SouthsideCentral","date":"July 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It's time for another SouthsideSeven. I've got six questions for our guest and the seventh one... well that's special. Debbie Sparks, come on down and be our guest for this SouthsideSeven. Zero down, SouthsideSeven to go... SouthsideOne: Tell me who you are and all about you. My name is Debbie\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "SouthsideSeven"","block_context":{"text":"SouthsideSeven","link":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/category\/featurescentral\/southsideseven\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11163,"url":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/2014\/11\/12\/southsideseven-tamond-briggs\/","url_meta":{"origin":9083,"position":1},"title":"SouthsideSeven: Tamond Briggs","author":"SouthsideCentral","date":"November 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Let's introduce a new performing artist from the area who's already working with kids. Tamond Briggs, have a seat in the SouthsideSeven chair. Tamond just performed for the kids at a local school. Let's get right down to the questions! Zero down, SouthsideSeven to go... SouthsideOne: Who are you and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "SouthsideSeven"","block_context":{"text":"SouthsideSeven","link":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/category\/featurescentral\/southsideseven\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/Wl8qFvQ.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11740,"url":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/2015\/01\/10\/southsideseven-andy-rice\/","url_meta":{"origin":9083,"position":2},"title":"SouthsideSeven: Andy Rice","author":"SouthsideCentral","date":"January 10, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Halifax County's Andy Rice is going to be directing Halifax County Little Theatre's spring production! Let's sit him down in the SouthsideSeven chair. He's been behind the stage. He's been in front of the stage. He's been on the stage. He's done it all. Let's get to the questions! Zero\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "SouthsideSeven"","block_context":{"text":"SouthsideSeven","link":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/category\/featurescentral\/southsideseven\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9501,"url":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/2014\/07\/28\/southsideseven-herman-logan\/","url_meta":{"origin":9083,"position":3},"title":"SouthsideSeven: Herman Logan","author":"SouthsideCentral","date":"July 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"He's local. He's talented. He's a hell of a good guy. Herman Logan, have a seat in the SouthsideSeven chair. We want to know more about you. There's going to be a fashion show in Halifax County on Saturday evening, August 2nd. Yep, you heard that right. Herman Logan is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "SouthsideSeven"","block_context":{"text":"SouthsideSeven","link":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/category\/featurescentral\/southsideseven\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/RWJYNim.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/RWJYNim.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/RWJYNim.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9418,"url":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/2014\/07\/19\/southsideseven-ron-miller\/","url_meta":{"origin":9083,"position":4},"title":"SouthsideSeven: Ron Miller","author":"SouthsideCentral","date":"July 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the SouthsideRegion's most creative minds is stepping into the SouthsideSeven spotlight. Today's guest is renowned artist and writer Ron Miller! You can read a good biography of Ron Miller on his Wikipedia page. Let's get it started... Zero down, SouthsideSeven to go... SouthsideOne:\u00a0 Tell me who you are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "SouthsideSeven"","block_context":{"text":"SouthsideSeven","link":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/category\/featurescentral\/southsideseven\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/Yxve4Bh.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9852,"url":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/2014\/08\/16\/5th-district-congress-race-update-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":9083,"position":5},"title":"5th District Congress Race – Update #1","author":"SouthsideCentral","date":"August 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It's baaaaaack! It's that time again where we have to choose our representative for the U.S. House. Let's look at the field and see where we're standing in our first update for the season. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th (80 days away from this publishing day). 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