Wow, am I goofy or what. I meant to ping you all to the other thread. Incoming...
Posted on 11/04/2009 5:27:00 AM PST by Jet Jaguar
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Greensboro’s first African-American mayor was ousted Tuesday by Republican challenger Bill Knight. Knight won 51.36 percent of the votes to Johnson’s 48.54 percent in unofficial election results.
Knight, during an interview this week, said that while businesses in the Gate City have had to cut back on expenses, the city budget needs to be more heavily scrutinized.
Knight said he is also willing to consider reopening the White Street landfill as a way to save money.
Knight lost his first political campaign for City Council two years ago. A former certified public accountant, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Johnson was elected mayor in 2007. Before that she served for 16 years on the City Council, spearheading efforts to bring businesses such as Fed Ex and Honda to the area. She had more than 100 staffers working on her campaign, some who were paid.
I’ll take it!
Wow, you mean, a white male can win elections now-adays?
He beat a black woman, too.
And Johnson is even personable!
And has been a total mess ever since.
City Staff Still Sneaking Around Council
by John Hammer
Editor
October 29, 2009
City councilmembers learned of two city construction projects from outside sources this week. One is an amphitheatre being built behind the old Canada Dry building next door to the Greensboro Coliseum, the other is the replacement of a paved walking trail with a paved walking trail.
Mayor Yvonne Johnson and Councilmembers Mary Rakestraw and Trudy Wade all said they didn't know anything about the amphitheater, which Rakestraw found out about when a constituent called to ask her some questions about the new amphitheater. Rakestraw said she apologized to the woman but admitted that she had no idea what on earth she was talking about.
Councilmember Zack Matheny heard about the amphitheater from Rakestraw, and Matheny is also on the War Memorial Commission that oversees the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Matheny was more than a little miffed to find out that the Coliseum was building anything without his knowledge.
At the council briefing on Tuesday, Oct. 27, Matheny said he talked to Coliseum Managing Director Matt Brown about the project, which Matheny said was not being called an amphitheater. That's interesting because sources say that the technical review committee documents refer to the structure as an amphitheater.
Matheny said the outdoor venue had cost about $95,000 and Brown had used money that was left in his budget from last year.
City Manager Rashad Young said he didn't know what to call the structure if it wasn't an amphitheater – maybe a pavilion – but that this outdoor venue would have seating and be set up for outdoor use.
Wade said she was told it was going to be a 6,000 seat amphitheater.
After the meeting Rakestraw asked how the Coliseum could have money left in its budget, since the city subsidizes the Coliseum to the tune of $1.5 million to $2 million every year. She said it seemed like any extra money should go back to the city.
The council didn't know about the amphitheater, the Coliseum commission didn't either, but the city staff knew.
During the forums the City Council candidates have talked a lot about the need for transparency. It's hard for the City Council to let the people know what is going on when they don't know themselves.
Rakestraw said she hated being called by constituents and asked about big city construction projects that she knows nothing about, and she asked why the council wasn't at least sent a memo.
http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com/Articles-i-2009-10-29-201306.112113_City_Staff_Still_Sneaking_Around_Council.html
The White Street landfill is a beautifully run and managed. I go there often to buy mulch and compost. Its been there for years and years. The AA community built housing around the landfill and then began to complain because there is a landfill in their midst (duh, it was there when you built your house). So the City/County closed the landfill (except for the mulch and compost operations) and began to pay big bucks to carry trash to another location in another county. Of course, then they have to raise taxes and fees and the AA community on White Street is still complaining.
The experiment has ended.
Looking at the security company ads these days, you'd think all they do is break into homes.
Surely there is a racist component to this victory. /sarc
When will blacks wake up to the fact that the only time liberals and democrats care about them is on election day.
Ping to News & Record article on Knight’s victory.
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