What is "Divisive" in Greensboro?

I want to continue my discussion of the district 4 City Council race.

Within the last several days, I provided a preliminary assessment of the candidacies of Tony Collins and Nancy Hoffmann, both of whom are challenging Mary Rakestraw for the district 4 seat.

It is interesting that both Hoffmann and Collins are making claims about themselves that apparently seek to make an unstated comparison with Rakestraw.

Hoffman claims she will "respect the citizens", "listen to all the people", "reach across divides and bridge differences".

Collins states that "we can do better by ... dialing down the rhetoric on the issues that divide us.... We need leadership that listens and responds when people speak."

I think this is all disingenuous nonsense.

I am not aware of a single instance in which Mary Rakestraw, in her official role as council member, has ever treated a citizen in a manner that was even one iota less than respectful.  There is not one bit of evidence that she has not listened to the people at council meetings; or that she has not listened to her constituents.

In fact, during council meetings, she always respects decorum, and consistently refrains from making comments that could be regarded as inappropriate.  She speaks with restraint and uses good judgment.  Sometimes I wish she would debate more, but the fact is that her voting record is fairly exemplary.

So what are Hoffmann and Collins talking about?  Perhaps it is the landfill issue.  Perhaps they are suggesting that Mary Rakestraw should have caved, and adopted the position demanded by landfill opponents.

But let's remember one thing.  It is the landfill opponents who behaved poorly at city council meetings over a period of many months.  It is that group that attempted to make it a spectacle to win their cause.  Ms. Rakestraw did not cause the awful tactics they used.  They did.

They are the parties that behaved in a divisive fashion-- not the city council conservatives.

Tony Collins and Nancy Hoffmann are apparently of the opinion that council members should simply relent and give in to the other side when enough people show up at meetings and make a huge scene.  Or else they are of the opinion that council members should never adopt a position that might provoke such extreme behavior in the first place.

In the process, both Collins and Hoffmann throw a bone to the city's racial identity politics, and suggest they will play along.

That is what Greensboro's politics had been for decades.  That is what gave us Project Homestead and the GPD fiasco and all the instances of corruption and impropriety that had been blithely tolerated.  Collins and Hoffmann apparently yearn for a return to those days.

If my interpretation is correct-- and I think that it is-- then this is pretty disgusting.  They are placing the demands of one particular group over the interests of the taxpayers.  They are deliberately creating a mistaken impression of their opponent. 

Comments

[Capt. Spalding]

It's straight out of the Left's playbook; accuse the opposition of the behavior that your side engages in.

I agree, Joe. Agree with her or not, you can't say that Mary Rakestraw engages in the kind of verbal gymnastics and ad hominem attacks that her opponents seem to revel in.

Meeting after meeting, the anti-landfill crowd, the far-left radicals of the Human Relations Commission (and given their shameful demeanor at these meetings, I would say that humans are the last things these individuals can relate to) and the rest of their amen choir give Rakestraw, Wade, Knight and Thompson their best shot. But it's the enablers on the Council (the pompous Robbie Perkins, the imperious Nancy Vaughan and the "she'd be funny if she weren't so pathetic" TDBS) that accomodate and even encourage their rude behavior.

What really sucks is there is a very real possibility, and I mean like a 97% chance that the professionally aggrieved will carry the day and we'll be right back where we were three years ago.

[Joe Guarino]

I agree that this election season poses certain risks, Capt. I just hope that the good people of Greensboro will see through all these smokescreens, and understand what is truly happening.

And yes, there is no question that Limousine Liberals Robbie Perkins and Nancy Vaughan are a big part of the problem.

[Roch101]

"There is not one bit of evidence that she has not listened to the people at council meetings; or that she has not listened to her constituents."

Was she listening or not listening to her constituents when she cast her vote on the library filters?

[sal leone]

Well people I see we have a problem in Greensboro. I sent my wife out on the first day of early voting. I called her from out of town and asked how it was going and she said in a few hours she handed out 8 filers and saw low turnout. I guess who do we blame here, Nancy, Robbie, Rakeshaw, Trudy, Knight , NO. The people are to blame for this because we vote the people into office. I was looking at past primary results and found about 6 % of registered voters showed up and about 18% at the general. I turned 18 about 22 years ago and registered fast and loved voting at every elction. I have been on the election trail and talked with people who do not know any issue in their city, some don't vote, and many more are not even registered. This is America and the only country that voting is fair and with early voting and absentee ballots I do not know what the problem is.
SAL LEONE
leoneforcouncil.com

[Roch101]

"This is America and the only country that voting is fair..."

Really?

[sensei]

Sal - Welcome to Greensboro! Seems like you're kinda late to realize that many folks here don't have a clue as to what is happening with city government. This is why council members such as Robbie, Nancy & tdBS are elected.
I'm sure that America is NOT the only country where "voting is fair."
The problem is that the majority of our citizens are too wrapped up in their personal lives to care about what is happening around them, even though it affects them tremendously.

[Don Moore]

You also forget it was the Greensboro Political Machine that pushed low-cost housing towards the City Landfill. The Landfill was there before there were people there.

[sensei]

I've watched every council meeting for over five (5) years and I agree completely that Mary Rakestraw has been a model council member and very respectful to all persons, no matter how ridiculously they have acted towards her. I believe that the majority of Greensboro's citizens who have been paying attention realize that and will see the attempted devisiveness by Collins and Hoffman. These individuals, and persons like them, are dispicable!

[ab]

Don has a good point.

[Roch101]

I think it was contemptuous of voters for Mary to say that she did not know where her redistricting proposal came from and quite inconsistent with her otherwise respectful conduct as a council person.

[ab]

Really, whoever voted to close it aggainst staff recomendation should apologize and fix it. If not, they should be removed from office. Major mistake hat they can't even admit, with re help of the news and record.

[Joe Guarino]

Roch, I don't think there is any basis for the claim that she wasn't listening on the library filters issue. I believe she listened, and made her decision. With respect to the redistricting issue, what is the evidence you have that her statement was "contemptuous"? Do you think it might be possible that it was true? How would you know about that?

Sal, the low turnout has always been a problem. I want all the voters, however, to know the candidates, and to know the issues. I would prefer that people not vote if they do not do their homework. And sensei, I agree that too many potential voters do not pay enough heed to what is going on.

Don, I agree. Build housing and then use the existence of the housing to advocate keeping the landfill closed to residential waste. Some have postulated that the issue of closing the landfill and keeping it closed was, in part, based on development considerations. And the comments by Keith Holliday earlier this year lend that premise credence.

[Joe Guarino]

sensei, I agree that Mary Rakestraw has consistently been very respectful. Collins and Hoffman are peddling a bunch of hooey.

Ab, I agree that those who voted to close the landfill should apologize and fix the problem. Who are they among those who are running in this election cycle?

Robbie Perkins? Nancy Vaughan? Tom Phillips? Yvonne Johnson?

[ab]

Who let them rezone all t land to dvlop next to a landfill in the first place? It seems to be a mystery. The original training for greed was theinitial sin.

[Joe Guarino]

Ab, greed is the "mother's milk" of what our local politics had been in the past.

It should also be duly noted that the same crowd voted to rezone phase 4 and phase 5 so they could not be used as a landfill in the future. It all seems fairly premeditated.

[Roch101]

"Roch, I don't think there is any basis for the claim that she wasn't listening on the library filters issue."

Who made such a claim?

[Roch101]

"Major mistake hat they can't even admit, with re help of the news and record."

Well, that's convincing.

[Joe Guarino]

Good point regarding the "claim". You just asked a question. But I don't think there is any reason to believe she did not listen to alternative points of view on this question. She just made her decision, and cast her vote.

But it was just one vote among many. And overall, her voting record has been excellent.

[sal leone]

Hi
I agree Joe people need to do their homework and vote for someone who is aware of issues and has a plan. I have done research on issues. The landfill reopening was not a bad financial move but a bad P/R move. I am all for saving money and using it to help others but when options are around lets use them. The landfill will not be around long at White St so the need to look around is alive and well. I blame other past councils that did not see this as a problem but rather they wanted to protect their re-elction and not worry about the future. I do not have all the answers to the many issues that face Greensboro and if someone saids they do then you got a lair in a candidate. I am good at talking with the people, researching, balancing numbers and common sense. I hope that more people come to the polls and voice what they want for their future. I learned that there are two kinds of people, people who complain all the time and people who complain and want to fix it. We will see where Greensboro is in this respect. I am no fool to the issues here in Greensboro. There is more than just the landfill, unemployment at or about 10%, lawsuits pending in court in regards to GPD,crime rate and overall mistrust of the people with the council.
sal leone
leoneforcouncil.com
A note that I look like the only candidate that is communicating on here, interesting. I am either a fool for talking with the people or hiding is the best political move.

[Hugh]

The best entertainment in Greensboro is the circus of City Council. I'll miss the fun if the clowns get voted out.

[ab]

Roch, do you think the landfill should have been closed?

[Joanne Wittenborn]

Sal, you are not a fool for communicating with the people in an honest and direct way. Hiding is a cowards way. I may not agree with you politically, but I respect you. As for the low turnout your wife reported -all I can say is "shame on the citizens of Greensboro". Let us hope that everyone is waiting until Primary day -October 11th to vote.

[Joanne Wittenborn]

I feel the need to post this comment. I am very disappointed in the press -the News and Record, the Rhino Times and Yes Weekly. The reporters for these publications that I see out and about are Joe Killian, Amanda (N&R) John Hammer (Rhino) and Jordan Green (YES). I feel they need to report more fully and forcefully on the truth of what goes on at City Council meetings. They need to let the public know how very divisive the speakers from East Greensboro are towards the Conservative members of the City Council -week after week ....after week etc:.... The Council members (Mayor Knight, Danny Thompson, Trudy Wade and Mary Rakestraw -all very upstanding citizens) are very stoic and respectful of even the most dis-respectful speaker. Last week a Minister stood up and said that in all of his years in Greensboro -this was the "most divisive council"! I have been consistently attending the meetings and beg to differ. The speakers who yell "racist" to the council members and goad them are the divisive and rude ones. The truth is the truth and the activists from East Greensboro should not be able to get away with "bullying!"

[Joe Guarino]

I agree with you, Joanne. The four city council members withstood enormous amounts of abusive behavior from this crowd. But it was not just east Greensboro. It was also the local Democratic left from the rest of Greensboro and the members of our esteemed "human relations commission". The four council members resisted the temptation to lash back, and maintained a professional bearing throughout.

You would never know this reality from reading the News and Record or Yes!Weekly. John Hammer did report on this dynamic to some extent.

But control of the language is critical. The opponents of the four council members label them as divisive because it gives them the upper hand. As you point out, they are the ones who are divisive.

Sal, I appreciate very much your forthright comments here.

[bubba]

"I feel they need to report more fully and forcefully on the truth of what goes on at City Council meetings."

Joanne, for the most part, they feel they're under no obligation to do so.

In the case of the N&R, they just don't care that they're irresponsible and unprofessional. In the Rhino's case, they don't want to upset their TREBIC affiliated advertisers. And Yes Weakly is unabashedly "progressive" in its orientation.

As Joe points out, it's just a little obvious who the divisive are. They're the ones who are the darlings of the sorry excuses for media in this town love to schmooze.

[Joanne Wittenborn]

Bubba -AMEN!!

[SAL LEONE]

Thanks Joanne
I do hope we can chat sometime, we probably agree on more things then not. The landfill issue just consumed the election and it is one issue. The city has a lot of issues and I hope people vote in numbers and make it clear what they want or who they want. I agree that council members should not be yelled at and this includes those that want to open the landfill, respect is respect.

SAL LEONE

[Your Christian Brother]

Instead of "guessing" what Tony Collins was trying to say, why not follow up and ask him. As a friend and supporter of Tony, I can tell you that his rhetoric is not aimed at Mary Rakestraw. He wants all of the Council to learn to argue their positions, to discuss all sides of an issue, without getting into petty personal attacks. He believes that once a decision is made that the Council must then come together behind the decision, and move forward in a respectful manner. None of that has to do with Mary Rakestraw. All of that has to do with his vision for a better City Council of which he would like to be a part.

[Your Christian Brother]

As a follow up to my own post, please go back and review Tony's performance on the Zoning Commission. He made choices that he believed to be in the best interest of Greensboro, and I don't believe there is one specific example that might demonstrate that he might relent merely because of a large outcry. I also know him to be NOT THAT TYPE OF PERSON; he has his position and states it respectfully even if others disagree. Tony Collins has a record from the Zoning Commission and you can likely check it to see if he demonstrated the lack of spine that you seem to be attributing to him. Investigate before you opine.

[Joe Guarino]

Brother, I will have an opportunity to hear Mr. Collins if he participates in the C4GC forum.

But let's be honest with ourselves. He is running to unseat Ms. Rakestraw.

You said:

"He wants all of the Council to learn to argue their positions, to discuss all sides of an issue, without getting into petty personal attacks."

Mr. Collins is allied with Keith Holliday and the Melderec crowd. When Holliday was mayor, and this crowd was in control, the council tended not to discuss issues during open meetings. Nearly everything occurred in a back room. Little, if anything, was argued during open meetings.

Moreover, neither Rakestraw nor the other conservative council members have made petty personal attacks that I have seen.

You said:

"He believes that once a decision is made that the Council must then come together behind the decision, and move forward in a respectful manner."

I am not aware of any instances during which Rakestraw and the conservative council members have been disrespectful. But the type of language you employ tends to implicitly require that folks not have differences based on principle. In fact, they should have differences based on principle, and they should verbalize them. Political principle is important.

I don't want the council to agree on everything or to create a false facade of unity-- which was what Tony's ally, Keith Holliday, expected. Instead, I want them to do the right things for the right reasons. The vast majority of the time, Mary Rakestraw tends to do so.

[Joe Guarino]

Another point. Collins' alliance with Holliday and the Melderec crowd is part of a pattern whereby those with development-related interests tend inappropriately to give the east Greensboro political establishment what it expects in exchange for its support on other issues. One classic example of this was when Action Greensboro illegally gave the Simkins PAC $5,000 because it would endorse the bond issues placed on the ballot during the 2008 campaign season-- especially the school bonds. Others, of course, include Project Homestead, the closing of the landfill and the GPD fiasco-- all of which happened during the mayoralty of Keith Holliday (Collins' buddy).