I have received a questionnaire response from George Hartzman, who is challenging the incumbent Zack Matheny in District 3. I appreciate his responding:
1.What, in your opinion, is the single most important activity in which municipal government engages? Keep the peace.
2. Do you favor taxpayer money being used to provide incentives for private real estate development? Depends on what is in the best interests of the City of Greensboro. But on the face of it, No.
The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe, if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself That, in essence, is fascism, ownership of government by an individual, by a group or by any other controlling power-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
4. Which pattern of development do you prefer for the city of Greensboro's future-- higher levels of density with infill, or a more suburban pattern? I believe sprawl will be a self correcting economic phenomena that will lead to a more residents in the city centers as cost of living to income rises.
5. Do you favor markedly expanding the usage of the White Street Landfill for residential trash to save taxpayers' money? Yes.
6. Will you seek or accept the endorsement of the Simkins PAC? No. I am not accepting donations of more than $100 from anyone or endorsements and/or donations from lobbyists or PACs.
7.Will you seek or accept the endorsement of TREBIC-affiliated organizations? No. I am not accepting donations of more than $100 from anyone or endorsements and/or donations from lobbyists or PACs. I did fill out TREBIC’s questionnaire, which I found to be educational.
8.What would you do to attract more employers to the city of Greensboro? By not spending more than we make on what we don’t need, to emerge from the worst recession since the Great Depression, with the least amount of debt, the lowest taxes, the safest community, and the most educated workforce, so the Triad can attract good paying jobs with our centrally located transportation and technology infrastructure.
I would not attract more employers by building the northern Urban Loop in its current planned route. It should be routed north or cancelled. Now that 29 is to become a major highway, the DOT is projecting 72,000 cars a day driving through.
9.Would you ever vote in favor of increasing taxes for Greensboro residents? Increasing debt is raising taxes. If the city borrows to not raise taxes, they are raising taxes on the future income of our children. Ever is a big word. Tax issues have to be dependent on the best interests of the City of Greensboro’s future.
10.Would you ever vote in favor of increasing fees for Greensboro residents? There are three ways to maintain spending as revenue falls: tax increases, debt and spending cuts. I will prioritize spending cuts first. If we continue to offer up profligate borrowing proposals, we may become cut off from debt markets. Increasing fees slows economic growth. We are going to be faced with some tough choices. Saying “ever” would be irresponsible, if confronted with a 30% revenue drop.
11.What measures would you favor to limit the cost of benefits provided for city employees? I believe the city’s 457 and 401k plans could cut costs significantly and create local, instead of outsourced jobs. NC unfunded liabilities are probably more than 25 billion, on top of the states 28 billion in debt. Something will have to give at some point. The city’s health care costs have shot up even though they are self insured. It needs looked at.
12.Do you support adding more police officers to the GPD? If so, how many? Yes. Also see an idea on downtown loitering problems including “Street Teachers” at questionsforgreensboro.com.
13. Do you support bringing the police chief under the control of the City Council? Don’t have enough data to say.
14. Do you think our libraries' computers should be filtered to protect young people? First Amendment. It is up to parents to raise their children, not the state. Next thing you know somebody is burning books. Who gets to decide what’s filtered?
15. Do you favor expanding mass transportation services in the city of Greensboro? Transit growth should be organic relative to demand. Energy costs and economic reality will force the issue sooner than later.
16.What approaches do you think the police department should employ to decrease crime in our city? Religious and Retired groups are going to have to step up. The NC Department of Health and Human Services got cut 29% in the budget and more cuts will be sooner than later once they realize and/or disclose their revenue projections are off farther than they actually are.
17.Do you favor or oppose the city planning department merging with the county planning department? Don’t have enough data to say. If there are efficiencies in consolidation, it needs to be looked at.
18. What types of projects should be funded through bonds for economic development, and what types of projects should not be supported? Let’s not spend more than we make on what we don’t need.
19. Do you favor proposing bonds to fund capital costs, or do you favor pay-as-you-go? Pay as you go.
20. Do you favor giving special, increased standing to Action Greensboro and/or the Greensboro Partnership in the formulation of policy decisions? From what I have found, Action Greensboro and the Greensboro Partnership represent local business interests. Seems kind of Orwellian to give special, increased standing to anyone over all others. Isn’t that how we got into the economic mess we are in now?
21. Do you support bringing the city attorney under the control of the City Council? Providing more power to the City Council under current circumstances seems like not such a good idea.
22. Do you favor providing taxpayer money to Action Greensboro or the Greensboro Partnership? Don’t have enough data to say. For what?
Comments