I have received a response from Sandra Anderson Groat, an incumbent at-large member of the Greensboro City Council. I appreciate her completing the questionnaire and returning it to me. Her responses are as follows, unfiltered:
1. What do you regard as the single most important function or purpose of local government?
Public safety.
2. What would be your specific plan or approach to attract new employers, and retain existing employers, in the City of Greensboro?
a) To use Economic Development bonds to bring water and sewer to sites that could be developed for commercial and industrial use by a developer;
b) To provide reasonable incentives (as long as that is the game) to companies to locate here or expand here;
c) Providing technology based education and training (as has already been started), providing a well-rounded, good workforce;
d) To support and help to strengthen the small and medium sized businesses we have;
e) To provide a quality of life, including reduced crime, that makes people want to live and work here.
3. What would be your specific plan to reduce crime?
a) Community based policing with consistency of officers in all neighborhoods. This will enable police to build relationships and trust in the community which should lead to the sources of crime and eradication;
b) Effecting a family/police intervention program of known drug dealers and gang members, such as the successful West End Project in High Point;
c) Providing structured programs and recreational venues for young people;
d) Parenting classes for parents of 12-18 year olds, through community or faith based organizations and even through the Human Relations Department of the City;
e) Example of younger or newer gang members by showing off big falls for big bosses;
f) Providing the eight to ten officers that the Police Chief says that he needs to work on these gang and drug dealers. It takes money to get things done. I think that our money can be no better spent than in the area of public safety.
4. Would you ever vote in favor of a tax increase? Yes.
5. Are you going to seek or accept the endorsement of the Simkins PAC. Yes. I have built approximately 1200 homes for families in Southeast Greensboro.
6. Are you going to seek or accept the support of TREBIC? Yes. I am an affordable housing home builder.
7. Do you support same-sex domestic partner benefits for City employees? Yes, I do. Also most large companies now provide these benefits.
8. What would be your specific plan to clean up the Greensboro Police Department?
a) Continue to work for transparency in government;
b) To learn the truth of what is wrong;
c) To be able to look together at what we find in an open manner. No stuffing anything under the rug;
d) Ask and answer hard questions honestly and in a straight-forward manner;
e) Give specific instructions, with a time frame, for the Manager to right wrongs that have occurred.
My response: Ms. Anderson Groat has provided some thoughtful, detailed responses-- which I appreciate.
Ms. Anderson Groat is the only candidate thus far who has provided a very specific response to the first question. I appreciate her holding that public safety is the most important function of local government.
Her response on the matter of attracting new employers, and retaining existing employers, was quite good. Elsewhere in the questionnaire, however, she indicates she would raise taxes, which would tend to undermine efforts to attract and retain employers. I am not sure what role city government should have in providing education and training-- which she seems to be advocating. In addition, her citing "quality of life" as a means to attract and retain jobs can be an open invitation to regular tax increases, as it has been in the past.
She admits that she would seek the support of TREBIC and the Simkins PAC. She cites her real estate background in East Greensboro. This background, however, does not compel her to seek and accept support from these two groups. She may feel that her background somehow qualifies her for this support, but she is not required to seek it.
She favors same-sex domestic partner benefits for city employees, and cites the provision of these benefits by "most large companies". The fact that large companies sometimes provide these benefits, however, does not make it ethically correct. Moreover, I somehow doubt that the City of Greensboro is willing to adopt other management practices, and specifically other human resources practices, seen among large companies. Indeed, the situation is quite to the contrary. Why, then, should we feel compelled to emulate large companies on this one issue?
Again, her response on taxation is disappointing.
Her response to the question on the matter of crime is in some respects encouraging. Her statement that "our money can be no better spent" than on public safety is a home run. Community based policing is very good, as far as it goes. Many of her other suggestions and approaches, however, represent "soft" approaches to preventing crime, but there is little discussion of "hard" approaches. Of course, this is reflective of the prevailing political culture in Greensboro, which has been unlikely to support more aggressive, tougher approaches.
Her response to the question on the Greensboro Police Department is very interesting. She makes general statements about transparency, being straight-forward, etc. However, I find the following statement to be of significance, when asked what she would do to clean up the GPD: "To learn the truth of what is wrong." She then talks about not stuffing anything under a rug, being open, answering hard questions honestly, and giving instructions for the City Manager to "right wrongs".
What does this mean?
In the fall and winter of 2005-2006, the City of Greensboro had already decided that it had "learned the truth" of what was wrong in the Police Department. In this respect, we should probably extend some grace to Ms. Anderson Groat, who ascended to the City Council in January, 2006 after the storm had already built.
However, she sought and obtained the Simkins endorsement two years ago; and seeks it again this year. To the extent that the handling of the GPD matter has been a reflection of our fair city's machine politics, she has unfortunately become a part of that.
Perhaps she hopes and intends to try to make things right, but it is hard to know for sure.
Otherwise, her responses represent a mixed bag, with some very positive elements, and some pockets of weakness.
To see all the other candidates' responses, click "Council Candidates" below or at the top of the right column.
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