City Council Candidate Questionnaire Response-- Trudy Wade, District 5

I have received a questionnaire response from Dr. Trudy Wade.  I appreciate her participation.  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 you specific plan or approach to attract new employers, and retain existing employers, in the City of Greensboro?

I would do the following:

1. End the out of control increases in taxes and user fees

2. Make new employers aware of the specialized job training available due to extensive secondary schools within our community

3. Upgrade infrastructure where necessary to attract new businesses

4. Make potential new employers aware that Greensboro is an employer friendly city.

Retaining existing employers would best be accomplished by business friendly government such as

1. Ending the out of control increases in taxes and user fees

2. Making the board of adjustments and other boards more business friendly

3. Removing outdated ordinances, which hinder expansion of existing businesses

4. Making the bureaucracy more business friendly


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

1. Immediately provide more officers in crime areas by shifting officers from less vital areas such as traffic patrol until more officers can be hired and trained

2. Use money from the Greensboro General Fund Balance to pay for an increase in the number of officers this fiscal year.  Look at savings from an audit of all departments in future years to pay for these additional police officers.  Start collecting the more than $1,200,000 in outstanding parking fines and use that money for more officers.

3. Encourage and assist community watch groups

4. Work with community partners to provide gang prevention and other crime prevention programs

5. Provide ways to immediately

    A Decrease response time

    B Restore citizen trust in the police department.

4. Would you ever vote for a tax increase?  No.

5. Are you going to seek or accept the endorsement of the Simkins PAC?

6.  Are you going to seek or accept the support of TREBIC?

My answer to the question regarding endorsements;

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan when he was asked why he accepted money and an endorsement from the Log Cabin Republicans: "I can only say that they must have done so because they agree with me on the issues I am running on"

I am campaigning for this council seat on a platform of these important issues facing our city:

A. Crime and public safety

B. Ending the out of control increases in taxes and user fees

C. Job creation and positive economic development

D. Honesty, integrity and accountability in city government

E. Equal share of city funding for roads, parks and all community expenditures

F. Equal representation on boards and commissions

G. Listening to the concerns of citizens and effectively presenting those concerns.

Just like Ronald Reagan, I will accept the support of individuals or groups who agree with me based upon my stand on important issues.

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

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

1. Have an independent agency such as the SBI and/or FBI investigate the allegations that there is corruption within the Greensboro Police Department

2. Hire consultants to study reorganization of police department

3. Have the city adopt a policy of zero tolerance for any illegal or improper activity on the part of police officers.

 

My reaction:

I want to thank Dr. Wade for her detailed response.

Overall, she provides some very good responses on the most important activity of local government; economic development; crime; domestic partner benefits; and the Greensboro Police Department.  While her specific suggestions on crime may not necessarily reveal an overall approach to fighting crime, it nonetheless is prioritized appropriately.

Her response on the matter of endorsements is problematic.  I don't think Ronald Reagan accepting the support of Log Cabin Republicans is a good analogy for a candidate in Greensboro actively seeking the endorsement of the Simkins machine-- especially for a candidate who is otherwise a strong conservative. I will not list the reasons, but there are at least several.

And the dilemma extends further.  In the district 5 race, Councilwoman Carmany is seeking the support of TREBIC and Simkins, but Angela Carmichael has said she will not.

Ms. Carmichael presented herself very well at the first candidate forum.  While her questionnaire responses are not as strong as those offered by Dr. Wade-- especially with respect to prioritizing crime and the GPD-- she is unencumbered with special interest affiliations.

Trudy Wade's questionnaire response leaves us forced to choose between Ms. Carmichael and the good doctor.

The remainder of the questionnaire responses may be found by clicking "Council Candidates" below or at the top of the right column.  They may also be accessed by going to this web page.

 

Comments

[Brenda Bowers]

Joe, IMO there is no contest here. We know Sandy Carmany's attitude and record of the past year and a half and it just doesn't sit well with me when an elected officials turns her decision making over to an underling. I only remember one time that she acted for the good of the community and that was when she threw a curve at the last minute in the budget voting session and got 30 more police officers hired. Other than that the lady has never seen a spending project she hasn't liked.

The good doctor on the other hand voted against tax increases every year that she was on the County Commission. Of course being a Republican she was no more effective than any of the other Republicans in getting anything else done. I do believe however that Mitch Johnson and Linda Miles won't be able to BS her as they have the current council. I’m just sorry I can’t vote for her myself but that’s not my district. ( Joe Wilson is still my choice for District 3. ) BB

[tonywilkins]

Joe,
As a voter in District 5 I'm supporting Dr. Wade also.
Wade's answers to your questionnaire show strength, leadership, and experience.
Carmany has always been very responsive to any question that I have asked, but her constant support of an incompetent city manager is inexcusable.
Wade's answer under question 6, "Honesty, integrity and accountability in city government" indicates to me that she would take care of that problem.

[tonywilkins]

One more comment that's worth mentioning Joe is question #8 concerning the GPD.
In looking back at other candidate's answers I believe Wade is the only one with the fortitude to mention bringing in the SBI/ FBI. It's a sad state of affairs that it's necessary when most of the GPD should be considered heroes to us all for their dedication and service in protecting us.
Carmany states "the problems involving a very small number of officers are being effectively addressed with most of those prior problems now resolved"
I would like to know how, specifically, those problems have been resolved and would certainly like for Carmany to respond to that question.

[Joe Guarino]

Brenda and Tony-- Trudy Wade would certainly merit support in a head-to-head race with Sandy Carmany, for many of the reasons you cite, assuming she will make it past the primary.

The point of my post, however, is that her regrettable decision to seek the Simkins machine endorsement makes her overall profile-- as revealed in her questionnaire responses-- to be not much better than Ms. Carmichael's.

It should be remembered that Ms. Carmany has made this same unfortunate decision; and is not as strong on issues like taxation and the GPD matter.

[Warthog]

TonyW.,

No doubt that Carmany's comments relate to David Wray and associates, as she sees those as the problems to be resolved.

[tonywilkins]

ORR, I suspect you are correct but I was really hoping Carmany would explain the statement in specific detail. I suppose she does not feel it necessary to do so or not in her best interest to do so.
I'm also unable to find any comments from her about the Walt Jones "Secret Linda Miles Underground Operation" accusation. (reminds me of a famous Bob Dylan line, "you don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows.")
It's funny how sometimes an election will bring on an affliction called "tight lippedness."