Keith Strange/The News

State auditor Beth Wood is on the stump yesterday as she visited the Surry County Democratic Convention at the courthouse in Dobson. She told the crowd that her goal is to eliminate wasteful spending in Raleigh.

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DOBSON — Dozens of Democratic supporters came out under an overcast sky for the Surry County Democratic Convention Saturday.

The event got under way mid-morning with a reception, featuring refreshments provided by the campaign of Ric Marshall for Senate, at the Surry County Courthouse.

During the event, Beth Wood, who is campaigning for a second term as the state auditor, told the crowd she wants to continue her mission to cut waste in Raleigh.

Telling the crowd that the vast majority of state money comes from taxes, Wood said it makes sense to have an auditor in office who keeps a careful eye on spending.

“Who’s making sure this money isn’t wasted and there isn’t corruption in Raleigh?” she asked. “Well, I haven’t found any corruption, but there certainly is a lot of wasted money.”

She said that after growing up in a poor household, she knows what it’s like to have to pinch pennies.

After becoming an accountant, Wood went to work in the State Treasurer’s office, where she learned the reality of government finance.

“There was no bottom line when it came to your tax dollars,” she said. “It was spend, spend, spend.”

After witnessing the wasteful spending firsthand, Wood moved to the State Auditor’s office.

“That’s where I could make a difference in every citizen’s life,” she said.

Wood said that during her first term she began tightening the reins on spending at the state capitol, noting that one employee evaluation had more than 80 percent of the state employees listed as “exceeding expectations,” despite many of their colleagues not wanting to work with them.

“How can we have an evaluation like that on one hand and have workers unwilling to work with them due to incompetence?” Wood asked.

Asking for the vote of the crowd in attendance, Wood said she has since changed the laws that enabled some of the waste in government.

The goal is to look at areas where cuts and streamlining measures can be made without impacting services to the citizens of North Carolina.

“There was government waste with no accountability,” she said. “Let’s make sure that your tax dollars being spent aren’t being wasted.”

Reach Keith Strange at kstrange@heartlandpublications.com or 719-1929.