Council Candidates 2011: Nancy Hoffman

I have received a response from Nancy Hoffman who is running for the seat in District 4.  I appreciate her participation:

1. What, in your opinion, is the single most important activity in which municipal government engages? (Please identify one program area only)  Land use planning.

2. Do you support granting incentive monies for private real estate development?  No.

3. What steps do you propose to enhance the Greensboro Police Department’s ability to reduce crime levels in the city of Greensboro?  Support our current Chief of Police Ken Miller who was brought in to be a change agent, work through previous problems and issues, return the department to a high standard of professionalism and effectiveness, and regain the trust and support of the community.

4. Do you favor allowing the Greensboro Coliseum to continue hosting the Superjam event?  Yes.

5. Do you favor using the White Street Landfill for residential trash?  No.

6. Will you seek or accept the endorsement of the Simkins PAC?  Yes.

7. Will you seek or accept the endorsement of TREBIC-affiliated organizations?  No.

8. What steps do you propose to spur the recruitment and creation of jobs in the city of Greensboro? What steps would you not propose?  Continue to ensure high quality of life in Greensboro and secure future of infrastructure to attract companies that create high paying jobs, do not pollute, and are willing to make long-term commitment to Greensboro. Will be at the table with our Economic Development team as a Council partner with a strong business background and history of creating and saving jobs in the private sector.

9. Would you ever vote in favor of increasing taxes for Greensboro residents?  Yes- The future is not predictable, and the citizens of Greensboro will be able to determine the level of taxation they prefer to support services and quality of life they desire.

10. Would you ever vote in favor of increasing water rates for Greensboro residents?  Yes- Again, the future is not predictable and responsible officials cannot get locked into promises.

11. What measures would you favor to limit the cost of benefits for city employees?  Would analyze existing benefits structure including retirement plan; my experience in the private business sector is that benefits and retirement can range from a low of 25-28% to a high of 32%.

12. Do you support adding more police officers to the Greensboro Police Department; and if so, how many?  Council’s role is policy determination; it should not micro-manage the police department. The Chief will make his recommendations to the City Manager.

13. Do you believe the computers in the Greensboro Public Library used by adults should be filtered to prevent the inadvertent viewing of pornography by minors who are nearby?  This is currently being done, and I trust our Greensboro Libraries Director Sandy Neerman to direct and monitor that program.

14. Which city activities or programs should be reduced or cut back?  Would look at the Parks and Recreation budget to determine if funds are being deployed for maximum benefit.

15. Which types of projects should be funded through bonds for economic development; and which types should not be supported?  Do not support generalized, unspecified bonds. Support economic development expenditures tied to dollars per job created.

16. What steps would you propose to eliminate the operating deficits at the Greensboro Coliseum complex?  Make the Coliseum an independent Authority.

17. Do you favor proposing bonds for capital projects, or do you support pay-as-you-go?  Bonds.

18. Do you favor giving Action Greensboro, the Greensboro Partnership and/or Downtown Greensboro Inc. special, increased standing in the formulation of policy decisions?  Will listen to the input and recommendations of Action Greensboro, the Greensboro Partnership and DGI for consideration in Council formulation of policy.  (Editor's note: A yes/no response was requested).

19. Do you favor taxpayer funding of Action Greensboro, the Greensboro Partnership and/or Downtown Greensboro, Inc.?  Yes.

20. Do you favor expanding mass transit services in the city of Greensboro?  Philosophically I favor mass transit and expansion of its use for the future; however, in the current economic environment we are struggling to maintain the existing level we have and should seek federal funds to expand.  (Editor's note: yes/no response was requested).

21. Do you believe the City Council should vote for the first time on the matter of whether or not taxpayer-provided benefits should continue to be extended to the partners of gay city employees?  Believe this is existing policy effected by a previous City Manager with no requirement for a Council vote.  (Editor's note: yes/no response was requested).

Comments

[michele]

Hoffman is not the only candidate who wrote more than yes/no on those questions that you added the editor's notes to. I checked, because I didn't remember you adding that before. You may want to go back to those and add the editor's notes to them, as well. Personally, I appreciate the expanded comments. I think it gives a better sense of their positions.

[Ken Hill]

Interesting responses. Land use planning is highly socialistic. Some of the other responses seem to be also.

[Bob Regents]

Lost my attention & support when answered SuperJamz.....

[curious]

After reading this post on Nancy Hoffman I immediately intrigued as to just who this woman is. I found her facebook page and viewed her "fan page" http://www.facebook.com/votehoffmann and is it just me or does she not have a photo shopped resemblence to State House Rep. D- Maggie Jeffus?

[sensei]

I don't like her response to questions, 1,4,5,6,9,10,16,19.
If she is the individual I'm thinking of, I didn't like what she had to say as a speaker from the floor at council meetings.

[Joe Guarino]

Michele, the questionnaire requested a yes/no answer for certain questions; and the cover letter specifically requested that the question be answered yes/no. However, I further advised that they were welcome to offer additional comments as well.

Some candidates will try to avoid having to answer "yes/no" to certain questions by obfuscating behind a bunch of verbiage; and that is what I was trying to prevent. I will go back over the other questionnaires to be sure that I handled them the same way when I posted them-- but I think that I did. If not, I will fix it when I can.

[bubba]

In addition, Hoffman is demonstrably wrong here, in regard to the porn in the library issue when she says "This is currently being done...."

No, it is NOT currently being filtered out.

Furthermore, he her statement "...and I trust our Greensboro Libraries Director Sandy Neerman to direct and monitor that program" shows that her judgement is just as questionable as Neerman's is.

This is clearly someone whose election would not be in the best interests of good government in our city.

[bubba]

Look at her response to Yes Weakly's "strong city manager" survey question:

"I support a “strong manager” form of city government in which the council role is to provide vision, long-term strategy, and policy determination. Professional city staff is charged with the day to day operation of city government, making appropriate recommendations to council, as well as undertaking the study and evaluation of policy decisions to develop options and implementation details for council to review and adopt. This model has been effective in Greensboro for decades, and it was under this system that the city experienced strong, steady growth, prosperity, and a reputation for being a progressive city with good quality."

http://www.yesweekly.com/triad/article-12371-nancy-hoffmann.html

This lady has all the earmarks of another "progressive" agenda troublemaker.

[sensei]

Vote for Mary Rakestraw!

[Jim lewis]

After reading Hoffmann's answers.
Vote for Mary Rakestraw.

[michael cooke]

After a walk in the neighborhood and seeing election signs I came home and checked online info on candidates. Nancy's responses seem forthright and sensible. I will consider her candidacy.

[bubba]

Which of her answers to Joe's survey questions suits you, Mr. Cooke?

[bubba]

Which of her answers to Joe's survey questions suits you, Mr. Cooke?

[Abner Doon]

"Will you seek or accept the endorsement of TREBIC-affiliated organizations? No."

Why not?