Guarino

City Council Elections: The Big Issues-- Police Department

Let's recall the recent history of the Greensboro Police Department.

During 2005, false racial accusations were made against the leadership of the Greensboro Police Department and certain officers within the Department.  Shortly thereafter, city staff drove out the entire command staff, and placed certain officers under a prolonged, Kafkaesque series of investigations.  Dozens of black officers sued the city after the city attorney's office had essentially written their case for them. 

A new chief was hired.  It became clear that significant numbers of officers within the department simply were not working.  It was predictable that crime would soon spike severely. 

In various other ways, the department descended into chaos.

Then Bill Knight was elected mayor along with three other conservatives on the city council.  Knight's chief interest when he ran was the state of the GPD.  The city manager understood the mandate Knight's election represented; and began to enact changes.  And gradually, the department regained the trust of the general public.

There is still more work to do.  Crime levels remain too high.

But it is clear to me that we risk serious consequences if voters place the wrong "team" on the city council.  Robbie Perkins and Yvonne Johnson attempted to protect Mitchell Johnson from accountability over GPD issues.  If they are elected, the Pulpit Forum ministers would gain higher levels of access and influence once again. Recall that these ministers have an agenda to undermine the department.  The tendency in Greensboro had been to demonize and vilify police; and that previous norm is now at risk of returning.

I am concerned that other prospective candidates would adopt a similar viewpoint to varying degrees.  Marikay Abuzuaiter , Wayne Abraham and Nancy Hoffmann have served on the "human relations commission" which handles citizen complaints against the police department.  In fact, Abraham expressed public support for Mitchell Johnson at least several times when the whole mess was unfolding.

The current city council, for the most part, remained behind the city manager as he undertook the task of reforming the department.  Rashad Young doubtless understood that he would be supported as he performed this politically risky work.  We have Mayor Bill Knight and council members Danny Thompson, Mary Rakestraw and Trudy Wade to thank.  They should all be re-elected.  My hope and expectation is that Chris Lawyer would also be on their team regarding GPD-related issues if he is elected.

Nancy Vaughan's Kitchen Knife

Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan, who is running for reelection as an at-large member of the city council, startled attendees at a forum last week with this information:

There were even some surprises ... like when Nancy Vaughan was talking about crime in her Old Irving Park neighborhood, where her home was broken into three times in five years.

Because her husband is sometimes away, "I thought about buying a little handgun," she said. Instead, she sleeps with a kitchen knife next to her bed.

Ms. Vaughan is a person of privilege who lives in the city's most exclusive neighborhood.  And she is the Mayor Pro Tem.  Imagine that she would have to go to sleep with a kitchen knife beside her as a means of just-in-case protection.

Interestingly, she voted against the budget in June.  That budget laid the groundwork for the hiring of 40 additional police officers.  But she voted against it!

The city has had a crime problem for many years.  Part of the reason for this crime problem is that insufficient resources have historically been directed to the Greensboro Police Department as a proportion of the city budget.  Instead, we have seen massive spending in other less essential areas such as parks and recreation, debt, and the coliseum complex.  This is part of the "quality of life/community development" political psychology that has justified this kind of spending in Greensboro.  The Greensboro Partnership has been one key entity that has advanced that point of view.

We have therefore had non-essential projects like the Greenway and the aquatic center pushed.  These entail not only operational spending, but also the repayment of debt with interest.

Nancy Vaughan has been a big supporter of the Greensboro Partnership.  She was a big supporter of the aquatic center; and I am not aware that she has opposed the Greenway.  She made her dramatic reentry in order to stop the reopening of the White Street Landfill to residential waste.

All of these cost us tens of millions of dollars.  That is money that could have been used for crime control and the Police Department.  It is money that could have been used to hire more police officers and purchase more police vehicles.  I am hearing that there is somewhat of a shortage of usable police vehicles in the department right now.

When Nancy Vaughan and her liberal colleagues make a decision to spend money unnecessarily, they make less resources available for crime control.  Other candidates running for council who would spend money unnecessarily include Robbie Perkins, Nancy Hoffmann, Marikay Abuzuaiter, Yvonne Johnson and Wayne Abraham.

I suppose Nancy Vaughan's solution for citizens plagued by crime is to keep a kitchen knife at the bedside table,  or perhaps a baseball bat.  

She is clearly not going to resist the Melderec con Simkins/Greensboro Partnership calls for spending money frivolously. 

 

Abuzuaiter and Electronic Gambling in Convenience Stores

A few months ago, city of Greensboro staff developed a recommendation to increase the fee on electronic gaming devices or gambling machines in commercial establishments.  The idea was to discourage the proliferation of these throughout the city.

It turns out that the only person who spoke against the proposal was Isa Abuzuaiter.  His wife, Marikay, is running for the city council at-large:

Isa Abuzuaiter spoke against the fees for gambling machines. The fee increases that passed are $2,500 per location and $500 per machine. The vote to increase the fees pays 5 to 4, with Perkins, Bellamy-Small, Kee and Vaughan voting against it.

It is my understanding that the Abuzuaiter's own one or more businesses that might at least theoretically benefit financially from this type of gambling machine.  Interestingly, it was the liberal wing of the council-- including Robbie Perkins and Nancy Vaughan-- that opposed this move even though gambling preys upon the poor.  These folks are Marikay Abuzuaiter's political allies this election season.  And ironically, these are the parties who also often whine about the necessity to defer to city staff.

I suppose that a vote for Marikay might also be a vote to make the city safer for unrestricted electronic gambling.

Yet Another Reason for District 5 to Turn Out at the Polls

HT: Ed

District 5 candidate (and Latin Kings leader) Jorge Cornell and his supporters meet at the Green Bean downtown, begin to harass other customers, are asked to leave by management, and begin picketing in response.

Yes, district 5 residents most certainly need to turn out for the election this year.

Robbie's Approach to the Restaurant Tax Issue

There is little question that Robbie Perkins has advocated a restaurant tax.  But with the public discussion regarding this tax occurring in the midst of his long-awaited run for mayor, he has taken an interesting approach to try to discredit the No Restaurant Tax organization implicitly.

Both at a recent forum and also on WFMY, he has raised questions regarding the folks running the No Restaurant Tax effort.  WFMY, of course, largely bought his point of view because the station itself is a participant in our local politics.

But what, precisely, is Robbie's concern regarding whomever these folks might be?  I would bet these are primarily individuals and/or groups affiliated with the local restaurant industry who have at least some resources at their disposal.  Although Robbie does not go quite so far as to impugn explicitly their motives or their integrity, the viewer is left to fill in the blanks. 

This is an interesting approach for Robbie to take.  It is a slick tactic to deflect attention from his own previously stated positions by focusing attention on the group of citizens who are expressing concerns-- with a heavy negative connotation. 

That sure helps obscure his own record on the issue of enacting a restaurant tax.  And as noted above, WFMY and some other local voices are trying to assist him, for obvious reasons.

Attention, District 5: Do We Really Want to Elect a Gang Leader?

Jorge Cornell is the leader of the Latin Kings gang in our area.  He is Councilwoman Trudy Wade's opponent in District 5.

The News and Record reported this morning (unposted):

Cornell didn't appear at last week's district candidate forum.  When asked about their differences, Wade had one of the most entertaining answers of the evening.

"Well, I haven't been arrested 18 times and am not a member of any gang," Wade said.

This might seem funny to some.  But it would be a very serious matter if he were to get elected somehow; or even if he were to get a significant portion of the vote.  And some of us recall Cornell's ties to the Pulpit Forum crowd.

It is very important that District 5 turn out for this year's election.  We cannot allow a gang leader to take a seat on the city council.

Yvonne Johnson, Robbie Perkins, Nancy Vaughan and Forced Annexation

(Photo courtesy of Keith Brown, taken in Cardinal area, click to enlarge)

Doug Clark:

Danny Thompson, who lives in the Cardinal, is still sore about annexation, engineered, he said, by "Mayor Johnson." That's ex-mayor Yvonne Johnson, who's also an at-large candidate this year, and who was sitting immediately to Thompson's left.

Residents were given no say in the matter, Thompson said, and they "still don't have sidewalks, street lights, a city park ..." There was "no planning" done, he said, except to annex.

In fact, the city of Greensboro's historic approach to forced annexation was repudiated in the courts when it was challenged by angry residents of another community over the last year or two. 

Previously, Greensboro had a money-grabbing, avaricious approach to annexation.  That was back during the days when the Melderec con Simkins crowd was in full control-- Yvonne Johnson, Robbie Perkins, Don Vaughan (and his wife Nancy), and others.  Some of us remember the smug, self-satisfied manner in which the city's business was conducted at that time-- as if the entire crowd was inherently wise and beyond reproach.

Thompson is correct to point to Yvonne Johnson, because she was one of the major forces on the city council for a long period of time.  And, of course, she served as mayor and was a supporter of forced annexation.

WFMY Report Regarding Robbie and the Restaurant Tax

WFMY had a report yesterday regarding Robbie Perkins and the restaurant tax.  (ht: Michele)

Perkins contends that the premise is "absurd" that a restaurant tax has been advocated:

Note that WFMY takes Perkins' side on this matter.  But in fact, WFMY got the report wrong; and Perkins is not telling the truth.

The fact is that he proposed such a tax last year; and advocated it before a group of community leaders at the Grandover.  And this year, he responded to a candidate questionnaire circulated by TREBIC, and told the organization he would support such a tax.

It appears that Perkins is now trying to cover his tracks.  And he has the help of a local TV station to enable him to do so. 

HT: Tony Grapes

Nancy Vaughan's Antipathy toward "Mayberry"

We have talked about Nancy Vaughan at length.  We have spoken about her repeated recusals from important votes because of conflicts of interest; her multiple flip-flops; her unnecessary spending; and her tendency to stick her finger in the wind to determine what her position should be.

Her recusals and some of her positions have come, perhaps in part, because of her husband's interests.  Some have suspected that, when you buy Nancy for the city council, you are also buying her husband-- and whatever his interests might be, politically or otherwise. 

We learned recently about her strong support for the gay sociopolitical agenda as reflected by her endorsement by the Replacements Ltd. PAC.  Of course, she has also been in the classic Melderec con Simkins mold, with her shilling for the Greensboro Partnership agenda; and with the support she and her husband have received from the Simkins PAC.

But I read something that jumped out at me yesterday.  She said during a recent Greensboro Partnership forum:

When asked about hiring a new city manager, Vaughan said, "I don't want a city manager from Mayberry."

Hmmm...

You are gathered together with all these urbane Greensboro Partnership types, trying to demonstrate how you are going to help them build their various castles into the sky with taxpayer dollars.  And so, you express typical liberal condescension toward traditional small-town North Carolina political attitudes and values. 

Perhaps a "Mayberry" kind of manager would be a better fiscal steward. 

The fictional Mayberry, of course, is the idealized embodiment of past small-town North Carolina.  I had the opportunity to visit Mount Airy a couple of weeks ago for its Autumn Leaves festival.  I don't see a whole lot to criticize about places that are reasonably clean, safe, wholesome-- and that seem to honor traditional values.

At another forum last night, organized by the Neighborhood Congress, Ms. Vaughan spoke about some personal experience regarding crime:

Nancy Vaughan was talking about crime in her Old Irving Park neighborhood, where her home was broken into three times in five years.

Because her husband is sometimes away, "I thought about buying a little handgun," she said. Instead, she sleeps with a kitchen knife next to her bed.

Do you see the contrast?  Show your disdain for Mayberry values when speaking before the urbane Partnership.  This crowd, of course, has been among those that have typically undermined law enforcement and crime control in Greensboro.

But when you speak before a congress of neighborhood groups, relate your own personal experience with crime to make it appear that you might like a little bit more of Mayberry.

This is an interesting straddle.  But I think the cultural message is most revealing, because it reflects her politics.

And her politics have been, at best, conflicted.

I recommend against voting for Ms. Vaughan.  I think Danny Thompson is the best choice in the at-large race.  Another fiscal conservative who is running is Chris Lawyer.  By all means, do not vote for any other at-large candidates except Thompson and perhaps Lawyer. 

You don't have to vote for three; so please do not.

Why Would a Bank Sue an At-Large Candidate?

Along lines similar to a post I had here yesterday:

Why would a city council at-large candidate get sued by a huge bank such as Wells Fargo?  Does anybody have any idea?

What Does Rashad's Pay Raise Mean?

The News and Record reported earlier this week that Rashad Young will enjoy a $60,000 pay raise when he takes his new job in Alexandria, VA.  The newspaper described his raise as "sizable".

Ordinarily, a $60,000 raise would be considered sizable.  However, one must take at least two factors into consideration:

1. Upwards of one-half of the raise will be lost to combined federal, state and local taxes of various kinds.

2. Let's imagine a typical $200,000 house in a middle class neighborhood in Greensboro.  My understanding is that the same amount of house will cost in the range of $500,000 to $700,000 in northern Virginia.  That could amount to thousands of dollars extra per month in mortgage costs for the same amount of house.

After one takes those two factors into account, how much further ahead does he come with his touted raise?  I wish him well, but I still think this was a lateral move.

Various Pulpit Forum ministers with an intense interest in the Greensboro Police Department have been extremely unhappy with Rashad Young.  They would be given a much bigger seat at the table if Robbie Perkins were to become mayor.  And all the predictions have been that Robbie will, in fact, be elected mayor-- in spite of all of his baggage, and all he has done in the past.

I would not blame Young if he arrived at the conclusion that this is an opportune time to accept another position, even though his stay in Greensboro had been very brief.

Bill Knight's Ad in Rhino

Bill Knight's ads in the Rhino are getting tougher.

Today, part of his ad reads as follows:

Think about it, in 16 years what has Councilman Perkins done?

• Perkins supported a "progressive" liberal agenda
• Perkins never questioned tax or fee increases
• Perkins never questioned water and sewer rate increases
• Perkins never questioned Project Homestead
• Perkins never proposed a long-term solution for solid waste disposal
• Perkins failed to stand by our police department when the chips were down
• Perkins encouraged backroom deals

Do you want Perkins and his liberal colleagues controlling YOUR city council?

Go vote for Mayor Knight on Nov. 8th and Stop Perkins and his liberal colleagues from getting control of Greensboro.

Guess Who Sal's Supporting?

Former at-large candidate Sal Leone was a registered Democrat who ran as a moderate during the fall primary.

Now, he has switched his registration status back to Republican.  And he appears to be supporting Bill Knight, Danny Thompson and Mary Rakestraw.

Ordinarily, that kind of thing might be regarded as big news.

I thought I would point it out, just in case you hadn't noticed.

Backroom Deals and Robbie Perkins

(click to enlarge, HT: C4GC)

Revealing Information on the Non-telecast of the C4GC Video

Rhino:

An email to city officials from David Brown, the channel 13 station manager, explained what happened.

"As you may know there were questions as to the political content of the meeting and the possibility of removing a section," he wrote. "We began the preliminary work to remove the content..."

I have a question.  Did Channel 13 itself make the decision to remove the video on its own; or did other parties intervene and/or prevail upon the station to remove it, directly or indirectly?

As I noted earlier this week, this is a reminder of how machine government looks-- of how our old machine politics in Greensboro used to function.

That is a great example of why we especially need to elect Knight and Thompson and Rakestraw.  We don't need a return to machine government. 

Marikay Abuzuaiter: Relevant Personal Information?

Here are a couple of things I have been wondering about:

1. Has there been any significant criminal record among Ms. Abuzuaiter's immediate family?

2. Have the Abuzuaiter's faced any significant lawsuit within the last several years over any matters of financial significance?

If a candidate presents herself as a person who possesses the qualifications to help direct the affairs of an entire city, it would seem that these questions might be relevant.

Nancy Hoffmann, Part VI: Large, Illegal Campaign Donation?

Several days ago, I posted about candidate Nancy Hoffmann's campaign finances.  Two out-of-state individuals have donated $5,000 to her campaign.  Ms. Hoffmann, of course, is challenging incumbent district 4 Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw.  The limitation is ordinarily $4,000.

I have been able to determine that one of the two contributors, Elaine Fairey of South Carolina, is Ms. Hoffmann's sister.  That would make her large campaign donation legally permissible because there is an exception for first-degree relatives.

However, in the case of the other large donor, Frances Atherton of the state of Washington, I am not able to establish that she is a first-degree relation that would make her donation allowable.  Perhaps someone can demonstrate how accepting her donation is legal, because I am not able to see it right now. 

If Ms. Hoffmann has accepted such a large, out-of-state donation influencing our local election in violation of the law, that would be a major problem.  It seems the media might be interested if that were the case.

No Restaurant Tax: Graphics

The No Restaurant Tax initiative has a recently published graphic.  Check it out. (click to enlarge)

Minimizing the Prepared Food Tax

It appears that various parties are quite interested in minimizing the importance of the Prepared Food Tax in the Greensboro City Council elections-- even though Robbie Perkins had discussed and proposed it a couple of times last year, and even though TREBIC mysteriously included it on its candidate questionnaire this campaign season.

Methinks he doth protest too much: