City Council Candidate Questionnaire

On Saturday evening, I dropped in the mail a questionnaire to each of the 33 candidates running for city council and mayor in the city of Greensboro.   The candidates should be receiving these questionnaires today and tomorrow.   

The document has only eight questions, mostly developed from the content of a previous post on this blog.  It does not attempt to be comprehensive, but rather targets those matters discussed in that post.

I do not know how many candidates will respond, if any.  But for those that do, I will be highlighting their responses here, and providing analysis. 

Comments

[Brenda Bowers]

Great idea Joe! I am compiling a bio of sorts of each candidate based on information from the newspapers, with special emphasis on their quoted comments. BB

[Bubba]

I wonder how many will reply, and of those who reply, how many of them will actually read the "Melderec con Simkins" thread here first.

[Joe Guarino]

Brenda, that sounds like a good plan. It is a good idea to amplify the coverage from the newspapers, because many do not see it, or do not know how to put it into a proper context.

Bubba, it will be interesting to see what the response rate will be. I have no clue. But it would be good for all to see the thread to which you refer.

[Seymour Hardy Floyd]

Joe,

Can you post the questions and maybe the cover letter (if you included one)?

From your earlier post, I have an idea of what you plan to ask about, but I'd be curious to know how you phrased the questions.

I look forward to discovering how candidates respond.

Sincerely,

Hardy

[Joe Guarino]

Sure, Hardy. The questions are as follows:

1. What do you regard as the single most important function of local government?

2. What would be your specific plan or approach to attract new employers, and retain existing employers, in the city of Greensboro?

3. What would be your specific plan to reduce crime in the city of Greensboro?

4. Would you ever vote in favor of a tax increase? (Yes or No)

5. Are you going to seek or accept the endorsement of the Simkins PAC? (Yes or No)

6. Are you going to seek or accept the support of TREBIC? (Yes or No)

7. Do you support same-sex domestic partner benefits for city employees? (Yes or No)

8. What would be your specific plan to clean up the Greensboro Police Department?

[Joe Guarino]

And Hardy, the cover letter reads as follows:

Dear Candidate:

It is my understanding that you have filed to run for office in the City of Greensboro municipal elections this year.

I am a local blogger who resides in the City of Greensboro. I am enclosing a copy of a very brief questionnaire that I would request you complete and return. A legible, handwritten response would be fine. I plan to report on, analyze and summarize these responses on my blog site.

If you run out of space for your responses on the front, please feel free to continue on the back of the page, or attach an additional page.

Please return your response to my business address (which is provided).

An addressed, stamped envelope is provided for your convenience.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Very truly yours,

Joe Guarino, MD

[Seymour Hardy Floyd]

Joe,

Thanks for taking the time to post these.

I hope at least some of the candidates will choose to respond to your questions.

The idea has passed my mind simply to send the candidates an invitation to explore local blogs, consider posting their own comments, and possibly even set up and use their own blogs.

I believe past candidates and/or polticians have been provided workshops where local bloggers have provided some lessons and even helped individuals set up their own blogs.

I'm not sure if there's been any similar effort set up for this year's 33.

Going back to your questions, are there any other groups, besides TREBIC and the Simpkins PAC, whose endorsements are considered influential and beneficial for candidates to receive their endorsements?

I have mixed opinions about such groups.

I definitely think both groups have sometimes controlled our local candidates and politicians too much.

At the same time, I'm not sure they don't have at least some rights to try to influence the elections.

We all support or belong to special interests. Even our country's primary political parties represent a range of special interests.

Where do you think the line should be drawn?

Should groups have any rights, as far as trying to influence election results?

It would be interesting for some candidates/elected officials to reveal how they perceive the influence of such organizations and to let us know how receiving (or not receiving) a group's endorsement might influence their actions.

Keep us updated on the results.

Sincerely,

Hardy

[Joe Guarino]

Hardy, thanks for your thoughtful comments.

With respect to your question as to whether there are other groups-- I suspect there are those that endorse, but none with nearly the influence of the two I cited as far as I know.

Yes, these groups have the right to endorse and support candidates. But on the other hand, when there is a suspicion that these entanglements lead to bad policy decisions, or inappropriate actions, it is entirely appropriate to expect that candidates disclose their intentions, and their alliances long before the primary and election.

Some candidates will likely indicate that they seek and receive these endorsements because they philosophically are consistent with the group's aims. Of course, it is hard to know what their motivations may be sometimes. But I think that open disclosure, and widespread reporting of these disclosures in a prominent fashion, through all modes of media, is part of the answer to the problems these groups pose.