Guilford County GOP Chairman Bill Wright surmises that Greensboro voters are tired of Mayor Yvonne Johnson's leadership and want a Republican to come in and clean up the Greensboro Police Department mess. A Democratic Party mailer supporting Johnson and other Democratic candidates has generated plenty of discussion over the past two days.
Wright says in a press release that hit my inbox today that "the voters of Greensboro are looking for new leadership that actually listens to the people who elect them. They are tired of the continuing embarrassing saga of the Greensboro Police Department. Strong leadership is necessary to return the once highly effective and efficient police department back to the excellent level of service and protection that was once provided to its citizens. The convoluted removal process of the former City Manager illustrates 'how not to handle a personnel situation,' again a cry for new and effective leadership. Greensboro continues to assess one of the highest property tax rates on its citizens in the state at a time when Greensboro’s unemployment rate hovers around ten percent."
Meanwhile, Republican mayoral candidate Bill Knight confidently comments on Joe Guarino's blog that "there is no doubt the mayor is running scared. She is entrenched and desperate to retain her grip on power, where she can play to special interests. She has held office for sixteen years, but is about to be ousted by a newcomer who never held an elected office. Add to that the fact that this is an off-year election where voter turnout typically is low — not so this year!"
3 comments:
I don't know if you published the press release in its entirety, but did Wright say mention anything about Knight or Johnson's political affiliations?
I'm at home right now, and I don't have access to the press release, and I can't remember if Wright mentioned anything about Knight and Johnson's party affiliations. If he didn't, I think it's fair to say they could easily be inferred.
Roch, the press release does not mention either Johnson or Knight by name, much less their party affiliations. Wright does say, "The Democrat controlled city council and legislature operate under the same ideals of an ever expanding government, higher taxes and more infringement into individual freedom and property rights. Yes, the awakened voters of Greensboro have sent a chill rushing through the Democrat council candidates and the prospect of losing control of the Greensboro City Council is real and frightening to the Democrat establishment with their feeling of entitlement."
An anonymous source closely associated with the Guilford County Democratic Party confirmed to me that, indeed, the state Democratic Party doesn't like the idea of a Republican majority on the council in a city where Democratic voters outnumber Republican voters. That could happen if Bill Knight, Danny Thompson and Mary Rakestraw win their races.
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