Debating an Empty Suit

Last night was the first of many forums in this campaign season. The Greensboro Unity Forum was held at the Greensboro Historical Museum for mayoral and district candidates. As one of two candidates for the District 3 seat, I was also the only one of the two of us that showed up. There was pretty good attendance last night at the forum.

The big moment last night, for me at least, was a question on the White Street landfill. I reaffirmed my pledge from two years ago to always vote to keep the landfill closed. I also was received well by the crowd for suggesting the idea that we organize, get signatures, and get a referendum vote on the May 2012 ballot to keep the landfill closed. The way I see it, this Council has botched the landfill issue time and time again and putting it in the hands of the people of Greensboro is the only way to assure the landfill stays closed. I also called for, as I did two years ago, a regional solution to our waste problems.

One can only hope that my opponent will finally speak his mind on the landfill issue. He has skated by on being recused, when he really should have voted anyway. I am almost certain that he will now use the shield of the lawsuit and court injunction filed against him to not speak on the issue still. One can only hope I will not continue to debate an empty suit.

We also spoke last night on RUCO; which I fought for, for several years as the Chair of the Montgomery/Wells Fair Housing Committee of the Human Relations Commission. RUCO has been gutted at the state level, lobbied to be gutted by TREBIC while Mayor Knight and my opponent were present at the General Assembly. With all the real estate money my opponent funds his campaigns with, you would have to assume he wasn't just an observer.

I called for more police officers last night, the same number I called for two years ago. 950 total with a 9th District so we can stop playing whack-a-mole with our cities criminals.

I also called for us to stop giving incentives of huge monetary value to folks like Roy Carroll and Koury Corp, and instead give incentives to small businesses with plans to expand and create local jobs.

I am sure more was discussed last night, but you have to attend these forums to hear it all. So join me on the next stop on the "Tell the Truth to the Public" tour, which is the College Hill Forum next Thursday at Fellowship Hall of the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant at 501 S. Mendenhall Street between 7:30 PM and 9:00 PM. Let's hope my opponent appears as more then an empty suit at this event so he can answer for his actions in office.