Preservation commission accepts 'hail Mary pass' to save Kilby Hotel

Kilby Hotel owner Burnie McElrath speaks with preservation commission member Les Eger.

The Guilford County Historic Preservation Commission used a parliamentary sleight of hand to stall action on request by the city of High Point to approve an order to demolish what one commissioner called "probably the best African-American landmark in High Point" on Thursday evening.

Faced with a choice between denying the city's order and approving it with a delay of one to 365 days go give the owner time to stabilize the historic Kilby Hotel, the commission did something else entirely. It continued the matter — an action not within its powers — through creative use of parliamentary procedure. They voted unanimously to go into recess without adjourning until Nov. 19, which Chairman John Buford noted happens to coincide with the commission's next scheduled meeting.

The decision came after appeals from County Commissioner Bruce Davis, who represents the section of High Point where the hotel is located; Hurley Derrickson, who helped establish the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro; and Benjamin Briggs, a High Point native and president of Preservation Greensboro.

Davis noted that the Kilby Hotel has been the focal point of the city of High Point's plans to redevelop the historic Washington Street district, which functioned as the black downtown at one time. He also noted the significance of an African-American woman — the great grandmother and great-great grandmother of current owners Burnie McElrath and Myra Williams — building the hotel at the dawn of segregation.

"Even after growing up it was something that we could say, 'This is something that an African-American woman built. We're talking back in 1913 or somewhere thereabouts. This African-American woman with meager resources compared to what we have today was able to build a hotel. So I can point to this building as it stands now and tell a young person that 'this is what took place. This is what happened. If this could be done in 1913, then you can do the same thing.' Now, if the Kilby goes up in dust and we put up a placard that says, 'The Kilby used to stand here,' then I have nothing to point to.'"

Derrickson, who was one of the original incorporators of the nonprofit that launched the civil rights museum in Greensboro, pledged to help McElrath and Williams create a nonprofit, recruit board members and qualify for tax credits to attract investors to save the building. He said, his friend, Earl Jones — a co-founder of the civil rights museum, and former member of the NC House of Representatives and Greensboro City Council — has also pledged his support.

Both Davis and Derrickson said rallying the community around the hotel will be critical to its survival.

But it was Benjamin Briggs, executive director of Preservation Greensboro, who ultimately persuaded the historic preservation commission to hit the pause button.

Briggs said that he applied for a grant to pay for a mediator to try to broker an agreement between the owners and the city in what he characterized as a "hail Mary pass." Only 24 hours prior to the meeting Briggs said he learned that the grant, for $1,500, had been approved. Briggs said that Ben Speller, a member of the NC Preservation Commission who was heavily involved in the development of the Hayti Center in Durham, has agreed to act as mediator, adding that he hadn't consulted with either the owners or the city to see if they would be interested.

"It's daunting," Briggs said. "One way I deal with this is to not look backwards, but look forwards on what can be done with the building. Certainly a massive restoration is needed here — a major investment is needed.

"What we came up with was mediation," Briggs continued. "Mediation would introduce a third party to this discussion and dialogue that was not necessarily connected to the owners' interest per se and not necessarily connected to the city's interest per se, but would be a voice for the building — for historic preservation."

Briggs said he hopes Speller would have a plan to move forward by Thanksgiving. Some members of the preservation commission said their decision to delay the decision through a motion to declare the meeting in recess was based on a desire to hear what Speller has to say about the prospects for coming up with a viable plan to save the hotel.

The preservation commission's decision to delay demolition comes in the wake of a decision by the city of High Point to block of a portion of Washington Street after the city received complaints that the building was shifting. The city discovered that the roof and third floor within the brick walls of the structure had collapsed.

Darrell Long, the code enforcement supervisor for the building section in the city's inspections department, said he believes there is a good chance the Kilby Hotel will collapse if no action is taken.

"I feel like the general public, if they come into proximity of the building, they could be in significant danger."

Edwin Brown Jr., an inspections administrator, said the street was closed after the fire department received calls stating that the sound of glass breaking was heard. He submitted a fire incident report referencing a complaint on Oct. 13 from a caller standing outside the Kilby Hotel who stated that "the building is now creaking like it's ready to collapse at any moment."

Members of city staff who argued for the demolition order said Washington Street sees a high volume of foot traffic, there is a bus stop in front of the hotel and there is a homeless shelter two blocks to the north. McElrath acknowledged that patrons of nearby Becky's and Mary's soul food restaurant, which is located on Washington Street, have told her that parked at a church and walked down the street to deal with the blockade.

CB2 Structural Engineers, a Winston-Salem engineering firm contracted by the city to assess the stability of the hotel recommended in December that the building either be shored up or demolished.

"The apparent collapse of portions of the roof structural diaphragm, and, the apparent collapse of portions of the third floor diaphragm appear to render this existing building structure as a life safety hazard and could collapse upon adjacent people and property," wrote Charles L. Bowman, a professional engineer with the firm.

The owners of the building commissioned their own report, and brought in Kernersville professional engineer Larry L. Boozer to assess the building and recommend a plan for shoring.

"Our engineer's report definitely says the structure is sound," McElrath told members of the preservation commission. "When the roof collapsed it shored up the building from the inside."

Lee Burnette, the city's planning and development director, publicly rebutted McElrath's statement.

Later, McElrath acknowledged that the report does not directly state the building is structurally sound, but cited a paragraph about its condition in support of that argument.

"Exterior walls given the age (approximately 90 years) are in surprisingly good condition," the letter states. "Horizontal cracks which indicate out of plane excessive bending stress are not present. Additionally, 'stair step' cracking at wall base which indicates settlement issues is not present. A large vertical crack was observed on the east wall at the alcove area. The crack in my opinion is due to shrinkage and thermal expansion and is not a significant structural issue."

The city submitted an affidavit by City Project Executive Director Wendy Fuscoe as evidence that the owners have not demonstrated good faith to find ways to save the building, including by selling it to someone who can afford to shore it up to prevent further damage.

Fuscoe stated in the affidavit that an unidentified investor met with her, then-Mayor Becky Smothers and city council members in November 2009 to discuss ways to redevelop the Kilby Hotel and that later the investor approached the owners. The building was owned by Burnie McElrath and her brother, William J. McElrath, at the time. Fuscoe said that while "Joe" McElrath "was eager to sell, Burnie was not. The deal did not go forward, and interest in other redevelopment projects on Washington Street stopped."

Burnie McElrath told members of the preservation commission that redevelopment of her family's hotel has been hampered by an ongoing dispute by her brother, explaining, "For lack of a better word, family issues got involved."

Burnie McElrath said she rejected the proposed sale in 2009 because the same investor had attempted to buy the property from her brother a year earlier without her knowledge.

"I had a bad taste in my mouth," she said. "It was illegal. It was really inappropriate. When you're going to buy something you find out who the owners are. You don't just get ready to write a check without finding out who the owners are. I mean, come on. You know how women gossip in a beauty shop? That's how my daughter found out."

"I've never really wanted to sell the hotel because, like Mr. Davis said, the heritage for my family and the heritage for the black community. If I was to sell it, no one would go back in there and keep the history alive. The historical part would be lost."

McElrath's brother eventually relinquished control of the building, and her daughter assumed part ownership.

The Washington Street area is listed as a National Register District. The Kilby Hotel, along with an adjacent building, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buford asked Burnette what argument the city would have for maintaining Washington Street as a historic district if the Kilby Hotel was torn down.

"That becomes a question," Burnette acknowledged.

An overview of the Kilby Hotel from the city's 2010 nomination of Washington Street for the National Register of Historic Places suggests a rich and colorful history.

"The Kilby Hotel was named after Nannie and John Kilby, who came to High Point to start their lives together in the 1890s," the item reads. "The couple was an early investor in High Point real estate, as they built the hotel and recreation hall for blacks in High Point, which was then operated under Jim Crow laws. Shops were on the first floor, and the nightclub next to the hotel showcased jazz legends like Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald."

Vice Chairman Jerry Nix said what makes the Kilby Hotel unique is that a black woman built and operated it in an era when that was uncommon. He said he recognizes that the building is a safety hazard, but said there are numerous examples of schools burning and then being gutted and completely rehabbed.

"I really think if the public knew there was a chance something could be done to save it, they would get behind this," he said.

On redistricting

Democrat Marcus Brandon (left) and Republican Lonnie Wilson, who are vying for the NC House District 60 seat, appeared together at a candidate forum in High Point.

Candidates for NC Senate District 28 and NC House District 60 raised some interesting perspectives on redistricting during a candidate forum hosted by the Delta Sigma Theta sorority at High Point city council chambers tonight. Redrawing state legislative and congressional district lines will be the spoils for what ever party wins control of the General Assembly in the next term.

Among the intriguing aspects is the possibility that North Carolina could pick up an additional congressional district, which some reason would logically fall in the Piedmont Triad.

As the discussion demonstrated tonight, there are a myriad of considerations when it comes to redistricting.

Gladys Robinson, Democratic candidate for NC Senate District 28: “All the time our state, our local and our federal government have not treated all citizens equally, and so we have required that we do some creative planning and some creative drawing of lines so we can have representation from all of our citizens. And that has been done in several districts in North Carolina and across the entire country, so that we can have representation that is diverse. That is the critical piece we have to look at, as we look at redistricting and as we look at redrawing district lines.”

Bruce Davis, independent candidate for NC House District 60: “From all that I’ve read and heard, that is a long shot, because we’re in competition with another state that has really got the numbers. But, with that being said, if we have the opportunity to have another congressional seat here in North Carolina, I am a strong voice in Raleigh to advocate very hard and aggressively to try to get this congressional seat to come through this area.”

Davis also said that although he is running as an independent, he is a Democrat and his decisions about redistricting would be shaped by his party affiliation.

Lonnie Wilson, Republican candidate for NC House District 60: “So far, I’m against all that’s been said regarding that. If we’re the other party, of course we try to reconstruct those lines in a somewhat more straighter line. Let it fall wherever a person lives, and not gerrymander a district to try to select one type of individual or race. And let freedom ring in our state and in our counties, wherever you live, and let’s be representative.”

Marcus Brandon, Democratic candidate for NC House District 60: “I want to make sure that we clarify when we talk about gerrymandering that gerrymandering is not only a practice that’s just for race. We have a lot of gerrymandered districts for parties, and I would like to see us have districts that are a little bit more equitable because when you talk about gerrymandering, my seat is like 65 percent Democrats, and you have some Republican seats that are just as Republican. That’s just as gerrymandered as anything else. I want to clarify: Gerrymandering, it’s not just a racial issue; it’s also a party thing that we also need to discuss when we talk about redistricting and having equitable representation. People are less accountable if they are only accountable to one party because of their seat.”

State legislative candidates square off at Greensboro forum

Republican Jeff Hyde (left) and Democrat Don Vaughan address voters.

The Clean Smokestacks bill, a piece of legislation passed by the NC General Assembly in 2002, became a reference point for an open debate about the role of government in regulating business during a candidate forum tonight at Congregational United Church of Christ in Greensboro.

“The environment for small business in North Carolina is a poor one,” said Jeff Hyde, the Republican candidate for NC Senate District 27. “We are overtaxed, over-regulated and the mandates that come down from government for business activity are stifling.”

Irwin Smallwood, a retired News & Record managing editor, probed Hyde on the point, asking him to name three regulations he would repeal.

“One instance would be we required Duke Power a couple years ago to spend $3 million to clean smokestacks on the idea that there would be a significance difference in the emissions of those smokestacks,” Hyde responded. “Since it’s been done, there’s no discernible effect. They’ve done exactly what the state asked them to do. And yet what’s happened [is] our energy costs have gone up.”

Hyde’s Democratic opponent, freshman Sen. Don Vaughan, was given an opportunity to speak, but steered away from conflict. Vaughan said that he believes in a free enterprise system and generally favors less regulation on business, and pivoted to a different issue: “I think our teachers are over-regulated in the classroom. I think we should give them more ability to handle their problems without having to go up the food chain.”

Pricey Harrison, the Democratic incumbent in the NC House District 57 race, used part of her allotted time to chastise Hyde.

“The Clean Smokestacks bill is one of the best things we’ve ever done to clean up the air here in North Carolina,” she said. “It reduced emissions by more than 70 percent and it’s been a tremendous tool. And we have lower asthma rates; we can actually document that.”

Harrison and her Republican opponent, Jon Hardister, sketched out different political philosophies, but remained cordial and avoided direct challenges against each other on the issues.

The two candidates demonstrated different approaches in response to a question about what services they would cut to make up an expected budget shortfall next year.

“Clearly, if we cut $3 billion out of a $19 billion budget, that 15 percent of what’s out there is going to be pretty serious, and I think we’ll set ourselves back decades in terms of the investments in education and quality of life – I think will severely undermine us," Harrison said. "I think there’s a place where we can cut, but we’re going to have to have some alternatives. Close the tax loopholes. There are a ton of those out there. That’s been sort of forbidden ground. A $100 million bank tax loophole. There are things like that out there we can look at. Review the whole tax code. I’m not an expert. There are ways to create more equity in the tax code because we don’t really have that in the tax code right now. But there’s some pork in the budget, and I’m frustrated by that. I tried to lead the charge to eliminate that $10 million subsidy that was going to the UNC Booster Club and opposed that mega port that was never going to get permitted. There are things like that in the budget, but I don’t think it’s going to add up to $3 billion. It might be a half billion.”

Hardister responded, “The first thing we’ve got to do is what you hear politicians say all the time: You’ve got to go through the budget line by line. We need to start doing that, but in particular, we need to go to zero-based budgeting. After that, to look for wasteful spending I would start with corporate subsidies and corporate incentives, excessive possible entitlement programs, and the discretionary spending. We need to really put a hold on discretionary spending until we get the budget under control. And then I think we need spending caps. We need a constitutional amendment that pegs allowable spending with changes in inflation and population. Because North Carolina for years our population has increased, but spending increased at a faster rate, so we need to tie the two together and also put a formula in there for inflation.”

Sparks flew between Republican Theresa Yon (right) and Democrat Maggie Jeffus, who are competing for the NC House District 59 seat.

Remarks by Democratic incumbent Maggie Jeffus and Republican challenger Theresa Yon, who are vying for the neighboring House District 59 seat, provided more discernible contrasts for voters.

Asked to provide an example of wasteful spending, Yon mentioned the state film tax credit, which was increased from 11 percent to 25 percent in the most recent session.

“The state of North Carolina taxpayers will now pay 25 percent of the cost of making movies,” Yon said. “It’s projected to cost us $160 million over the course of the next few years. Do we really want the taxpayers to pay $160 million?”

Jeffus defended the use of incentives to maintain the film industry in North Carolina.

“You all remember ‘Dawson’s Creek’?” she asked. “That has left. We have lost to Louisiana. We’ve lost to Canada. We’ve lost to Mississippi. We’ve lost to Georgia. The governor was right on the verge of – back in the long session, I guess – of announcing a film that was being filmed in North Carolina. She was sure we would get it. Only to find out the next day that Georgia got it. These film people, the people that produce them, they bring jobs into North Carolina. Guilford County does have a film office here, and films have been shot here in Greensboro and High Point – all around. So we’re talking about jobs. Construction. Production. Directors. Costumes. They stay in hotels and motels. They buy food. It’s just a no-brainer. We need jobs. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Yon retorted, “‘Dawson’s Creek’ went off the air; it’s not filmed anymore.”

Yon and Jeffus also parted ways on the issue of education, specifically on a proposal by Yon to require that a minimum of 65 cents of every dollar allocated for education be spent in the classroom.

“I know my opponent has come out against that publicly,” Yon said. “She says it will tie the hands of local education agencies, and I disagree. Guilford County may use that extra money in the classroom to pay teachers bonuses. Forsyth County might use it to buy textbooks. Another county might use it to replace their arts and music programs they’ve had to cut. Another county might decide, ‘We need an after-school reading program.’ But it’s spent in the classroom. If we took just three cents more of every single dollar and spent it in the classroom, that’s $210 million more in our schools without raising your taxes. The lady in maroon asked earlier if we can cut some administration. Yeah, I think we can cut some administration and put it in the classroom.”

Jeffus acknowledged her difference of opinion.

“I do oppose the 65 cents in the classroom,” she said. “I want everything that we can get for the schools and for the classes and for the children. She does not understand how the budget is done. And we do need to give them flexibility. It will tie their hands. That’s one of the things we do – we give a great deal of flexibility to the [local education agencies], and each LEA is different. What we need in Guilford County, they might not need in Carteret County or someplace else – Hoke County – so that they have the flexibility to do what they need to do. And I think most of them do a diligent job of putting it into the classroom. And a great deal of our education money goes to teacher salaries.”

Yon found an unlikely ally for her initiative in Marcus Brandon, the Democratic candidate for House District 60, who noted in his remarks that he was not opposed to mandating that 65 cents out of every dollar be spent in the classroom.

Brandon's Republican opponent, Lonnie R. Wilson, outlined a conservative Christian political ideology.

“Believe me, when you get up here, the elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top as much as it usually does, and you can’t remember everything you want to say," he said. "So I’m going to have to read some of my stuff. And I do believe this stuff that I’m reading. I do believe ‘In God we trust.’ And I do believe that our representatives should defend our ancient landmarks of Judeo-Christian values. And those we send to Raleigh should do that. And I am a conservative; I am a Republican. This is my first run for office, and maybe the only one.”

Broader themes related to longstanding Democratic control of the General Assembly and a the possibility of a Republican majority after the coming election emerged in an exchange between Republican John Blust and Democrat Alma Adams, who respectively face nominal opposition in their quest for reelection in safe districts 62 and 58. Libertarian Jeffery Simon and Republican Darin H. Thomas – neither of whom was present – are respectively seeking the District 62 and District 58 seats.

“The process is broken,” Blust said. “You see it in Washington. You see it in Raleigh. Rep. Jeffus just told you the decisions are all made in Room 612. And I’ve been out on the block before. I’ve knocked on over 13,000 doors in this community, and I’ve won elections, and I’m entitled to a seat in the room where the decisions are made. I can’t use force and I can’t be violent, but I resent that I’m shuffled off because, ‘You’re in the minority and you don’t get to. We’ll tell you and we’ll come out and we’ll give you a 300-page bill and you’re supposed to vote for it or you’re against education. You’re against the children.’

“And I’ve heard that over and over, and I’ve still studied,” he continued. “I’ve come up with proposals. When we redid the budget a couple years ago, I had five or six amendments. I run an amendment every budget. They set the process up so you can’t touch the decisions they’ve made in the back room. And it’s wrong. It has got to be opened up. The answer to the budget would be, let all 120 House members have some say. I resent it. It really angers me. I hear the same thing on television. I hear it out of the president. I hear it out of the Houser speaker. ‘The Republicans are the party of no, and they don’t have any ideas.’ If I don’t have any ideas, then you can let me in Room 612 and I won’t do a thing because I don’t have any ideas. But I have ideas.”

Blust added, “If Marcus Brandon wins and the Republicans have the majority – I’m more hopeful than ever – If Alma wins, I am not going to let the Republicans arrange that House the same way and say, ‘You don’t get to represent your people.’ It’s a blight on our constitution, our way of government. And we’re going to have to be willing as Republicans to lose some votes because we might run something and instead of getting people by cajoling them and threatening and having a $128,000 base-pay speakers aide go whisper in your ear, ‘We don’t have the votes, can you leave?’ let the body work. You might find the budget gets better. The process will work. The genius of our republic will let us pass good, solid budgets.”

Adams – like Jeffus, a senior budget writer – disputed Blust’s assertion that the room where the Appropriations Committee meets is closed, adding that it’s natural that the party in control will limit participation from minority members.

“I don’t want anybody to think that 612 is closed,” she said. “Rep. Blust, I don’t know how many times you’ve been in there. The door’s always open. The process – Rep. Blust was there when the Republicans were in control. The process – now, I’ve been there 16 and a half years – the process has never changed, no matter who’s in control. But we do work together. But there are some philosophical differences that are probably always going to exist. Now, how you change that I don’t know. I haven’t been able to change it in 16 years. When Speaker Brubaker was speaker when I came there or after I came there, I was silenced and could not present my amendments or speak. Some of those things are probably never going to go away. But I don’t want people here to think that we don’t collaborate and put legislation together. I mean, I filed a number of bills with three Republican women. I chaired the women’s caucus that actually the Republicans put me in. There is some civility. Whether that process is going to change from historically the way it is, I’m not sure how much we can do about that.”

Gladys Robinson was the lone candidate present for the NC Senate District 28 race. Republican Trudy Wade and independent Bruce Davis will also be on the ballot. Wade was unable to attend because she was participating in a previously scheduled neighborhood walk in the Greensboro City Council district that she represents.

Prompted by supporter Lewis Brandon, Robinson knocked Wade for a unanimous decision by the city council last month to delay approval of a $5 million federal grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide weatherization for buildings in east Greensboro last month. Minutes from the council's Sept. 21 meeting state, "Council discussion focused on the potential consequences of loan defaults and the City’s assumption of financial responsibility."

“I think it’s a travesty," Robinson said. "What we’re talking about now is how to grow jobs so we can improve the economy. So any source – federal or state or businesses or whatever – we can get to come into Guilford County that promotes jobs, we know that weatherization means better use of our energy, for one thing. But it also means that it’s low-income people whose houses can be weatherized, can have more efficient living. It also means jobs. And that’s critical. So I think that any of us who say we want to go to Raleigh and we want to create jobs to improve the economy, if we’re not supporting that and if the city council’s not supporting that and my opponent, then I’m not sure that those are the kind of people that we want in Raleigh.”

Candidates Robinson and Davis interviewed by PAC

Democrat Gladys Robinson and independent Bruce Davis submitted to questions from the Guilford County Community PAC tonight at New Light Missionary Baptist Church in Greensboro. The two are vying for the District 28 seat in the NC Senate, which encompasses east Greensboro and most of High Point. A third candidate, Republican Trudy Wade, was not present.

PAC treasurer Millicent N. Lee raised a question about whether the competition between Robinson and Davis might allow Wade to win the election. Both Robinson and Davis are black, and while Davis will be listed as an independent on the ballot, he is a registered Democrat who currently serves as such on the Guilford County Commission. The Democratic Party enjoys an advantage in voter registration in District 28, but has less margin of safety this year considering that Republicans are going into this election energized and mobilized.

“There’s talk that Bruce Davis and Gladys Robinson will split the community vote, and Trudy Wade will ease on in the door,” Davis said. “One thing about me, I study numbers. Personally, I don’t think – I could be wrong, I’ve been wrong once or twice – but the numbers do not support Trudy Wade. The race will be split…. To say that our community is split, first of all it was split because of the deception that was created. It will split no doubt, but I plan to be the victor when it splits. Trudy Wade – the numbers don’t support her. Our community is more in tune with what’s happening than at any time in the last hundred years.”

Davis has said he would have filed to run had he known that the seat’s current occupant, Katie Dorsett, would stand down. Dorsett upset many Democrats when she first filed for the seat, and then withdrew at the last minute, after which her friend, Robinson, filed.

Both candidates emphasized their humble backgrounds. Bruce Davis told the audience about his military service in the Marine Corps. Gladys Robinson highlighted her experience as a student activist at Bennett College working to improve working conditions for sanitation workers and cafeteria workers.

“We knew that something was wrong,” Robinson said. “Most of them were us.”

Robinson pitched her experience with healthcare and education.

“It’s important for you to know that, no, I’m not an elected official, so if you count that as experience, I don’t have it,” she said. “But if you count as experience being an advocate in this community for almost 40 years and working along side you, learning as I was a student at Bennett College and getting out in the community and working with people and their needs, ever since then working for the most vulnerable populations. I haven’t worked with the big businesses. I have worked with the people who needed jobs. I’ve worked with the people who are sick. I’ve worked with people who needed education. And I’ve advocated and helped teach people how to advocate because that’s what we need to do. So if you’re looking for background and experience as a community advocate, then I’m your person."

Davis vs. Dorsett, continued

At a May 1 candidates forum at the Greensboro Historical Museum, Sen. Katie Dorsett, who is defending her NC Senate seat in District 28, and challenger Bruce Davis, a Guilford County Commissioner, took questions from audience members. In an earlier post, I published the candidates’ responses to questions I posed.

Because no Republicans filed to run for the seat, the winner of tomorrow’s primary will almost certainly take the seat, barring a successful write-in campaign.

Davis discussed why he believes it’s time for a change and representation, and Dorsett explained why she believes she should keep her seat.

Davis: After awhile of moving in the same direction, I think it’s always good to have a change. And some people say, ‘Well, no, change is not necessarily a good thing.’ But if we look around, had we not had many changes over the years we would be in a sad condition. That’s not to say anything about the Honorable Katie Dorsett, and what she has accomplished. Certainly, she has accomplished much. When we talk about a change — and certainly we’re all hoping for a change in the White House — but if we’re not looking for a change in every aspect of government and politics, then it’s not going to matter whether we change at the top because anything in between or at the bottom can overthrow or trump all the changes that are made at the top. So, I think that once you stay in a position so long you do tend to have blinders on. And you do tend to become a part of the status quo. And there’s always room for new vision…. One failure of our community is we don’t do enough of grooming our new leaders…. We tend to get in a place, and we stay a long, long time, which may be good; it may be honorable. However, I know of students right now at North Carolina A&T who are ready to start being in leadership positions. However, if we tend to pass the baton laterally and not groom and bring people up then we don’t serve our community well. Because I would rather have three or four senators who have gone through – that we would increase our political capital in our community – than to have one to stay in twenty years.”

Dorsett: “I certainly think we need to be grooming people, but I’ve been in the Senate six years — the same amount of years that my opponent has been in the Board of Commissioners. I’ve served three terms, and that’s probably one of the shortest tenures in the Senate. Most people who get there and assume any kind of leadership position must have been there for some period of time. But I run on my experience. I have been in service at the city level, at the county level, at the executive branch level, and now at the Senate level. I do serve as the majority whip, which means I am part of the leadership for the Senate. We in Guilford County have had two people who have some experience. One we have lost. That is Senator Kay Hagan, [who is vacating her seat to run for US Senate]. Two new people in the Senate from Guilford County, I think would not be of good service to us, so that really is something that I think we need to consider. I know that the voters will decide, but I think we’ve done very well by Guilford County. We’ve brought in money for the Millennium Campus. We’ve brought in money for the Furniture Market, the civil rights museum, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown [Museum]. And if we expect to have a voice in what comes to our community, you have to have had some exposure and some experience, and some tenure before you’re able to be in a leadership role. So I bring my experience to this position, and I think it has served us very well.”

The candidates responded to a question about what they might do to address the dearth of healthcare facilities in southeast Greensboro.

Dorsett: “One of the things I’ve done is find monies for children so that children are covered…. We also have different grant programs where our communities can apply for grants for assistance. And I think there was someone at the convention talking about a resolution to ask the state for a certificate of need and some funding, so we could do it in that way. But the ideas come through your [county] health department, and the health department connects with the state health department.”

Davis: “I recognize that there is a need for healthcare in southeast Greensboro. As a commissioner, I am proposing in this year’s budget that we take some steps to put something in place. Looking for funding will be one of my issue’s in this year’s budget. Where we get the money, we won’t discuss that right now, but I’ve got that figured out…. I think the same leadership has to be shown at the state level. You go get it. There’s money in different places for different needs, and the other senators and legislators have needs in their communities, and we have needs in our communities. And that’s what I’m talking about when I talk about building bridges and going and meeting with other senators and saying, ‘What is your agenda? What are you trying to do in your community?’ And then by building bridges, opening myself up to them. And then: ‘This is what I need in my community. In southeast Greensboro they need healthcare.’ There’s funding there. Let’s make it happen.”

Dorsett: “When we deal with this, we can’t just deal with southeast Greensboro. We have one-hundred counties, so we have to look at the total picture. But within that $12 million there is money for various grants for various grants, so perhaps one of those grants – if it is funded – could possibly come to our community…. That has to be put in bill form in an appropriation, and the $12.5 million is funded. Then it goes through our public health division to be spread out to the one-hundred counties. That’s our process. And so we have to deal with five hundred and some municipalities.”

Davis: “I, if elected to represent District 28 then I am going to fight for those needs in our communities. I understand that we represent the entire state, and I understand the grant process, and I understand it very clearly. The business I operate in uses some grants. Many of the boards I’ve served on use grants, so I do understand that, but I also understand where certain individuals who serve in certain capacities in different parts of the state have more highways and byways and money being spent than the law should allow. If you wonder how these things happen, if you wonder how certain things get to be, the grant process sounds like an equitable kind of thing. It sounds like it’s fair across the entire state. On paper it is like that, but in reality you do have to fight for your… that’s why you’re in that position. That’s why you represent the people. I heard about all these [initiatives Dorsett funded], but I don’t think they got funded without Ms. Dorsett fighting for them. If they did, that’s great, but in that case we don’t need the legislators and the state senators to represent that portion – we represent the entire state – but you have to be a voice for that portion that the people sent you to that seat.”

NC 28 debate: Katie Dorsett and Bruce Davis

Katie Dorsett of Greensboro, who is serving her third term as state senator for District 28, appeared at a candidate’s forum sponsored by Concerned Citizens of Northeast Greensboro at the Greensboro Historical Museum on May 1 with challenger Bruce Davis, a Guilford County commissioner from High Point. Both candidates are Democrats, and the winner of the May 6 primary will take the seat because no Republican candidate has filed. The district encompasses most of High Point, much of east Greensboro, all of Jamestown and Pleasant Garden, and a large swath of southern Guilford County.

The candidates discussed their views of the Street Gang Prevention Act, a bill that would enhance sentences for criminal defendants identified as gang members. The legislation, which enjoys the backing of a coalition of North Carolina mayors, including Greensboro’s Keith Holliday, stalled last year in the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Dorsett is a member.

Dorsett: “I certainly know that we’ve done a lot of discussion on gangs. I would say that some of our communities have been further along than we have. High Point was one of the first ones to have their own area in the police department to look specifically at gangs. Senator Malcolm Graham had a bill that was looking for approximately $20 billion. That got stalled. Representative Mickey Michaux had one in the house. I do say that we do have some money though. We appropriated a little more than $4 million to the Governor’s Crime Commission for grants for different communities, so it has not gone unnoticed. I know that the activity and the awareness on gang prevention has been heightened in the last several months. But we have to understand, too, that when we get into a matter of priorities, it’s a matter of how we can get the most for our money.”

Davis: “I really need the bill in front of me. I really need to know the components of the bill. And I think our legislators and all of us as community citizens need to understand about gangs. We need to understand the history of gangs, and how they have always been a part of our community. Gangs are not a new thing to our community, but we have to understand where they come from and how they have evolved, and what they are right now, so that we can, first of all, not stereotype, and not just go after everybody with — every kid who puts a mark in his eyebrow, or every kid who wears baggy trousers, because now we become profilers, and so I would have to study that bill. There’s no way I can sit here and tell you that yes, I would support it, or no, I would not, without studying the issue and also having different forums throughout our community, so that everybody understands what gangs are about, where they evolved from, and what it is about gangs. We don’t want to have a fear factor in our gangs without knowing where they come from or the issue of gangs. Certainly there’s an education component that needs to go in there. I’m not aware of all the particulars in that bill. Would love to have the opportunity to have that discussion.”

Gov. Mike Easley said of the Job Maintenance and Capital Development Fund last fall: “Never in the history of the state has anyone given a company up to $40 million and allowed them to lay off hundreds of workers.” Dorsett voted for the legislation. The candidates discussed their respective positions on corporate incentives.

Dorsett: “Well, I’ll tell you, that’s a little bit misleading, because we did come back and the governor did sign that subsequent bill, and it was pretty much the same language. So he might have vetoed it in one sense, and then he went back, and there was some refinement, and we still passed that. In terms of incentives, I wish we didn’t have incentives, to be honest. I think that it is something that we could do without and be competitive in other ways. Having said that, when I was secretary of administration [under Gov. Jim Hunt], we competed trying to get Mercedes, and we lost that to Alabama. Alabama gave away the store, and it took them a long time to recoup some of that. Our package was not the same, but we recognized that there was a limit as to what we could do, and so we cut it off. I was secretary when we were trying to get the BMW plant, and we tried to put together a package. We again gave away all we thought we could do, and yet it went to South Carolina.

“I’m saying that to say that there has to be some way of being competitive, and incentives right now appears to be the only way we can do that. I did hear part of the discussion as we talk about Skybus…. There’s some producing that has to take place. We don’t just give this money up front. So Skybus didn’t get all that money up front. They have to be able to show that they will hire a certain number of people. And there are certain things that are part of the contractual agreement. And I think you saw in the paper that most of that money that was supposed to go to Skybus — it was an unfortunate circumstance — will be recovered or has never been given. I do not believe that we can afford not to have incentives.

“And we talked tonight about how we can increase the revenue. The only way to decrease the taxes is to increase the revenue. We can do that by bringing businesses into our communities. We bring businesses into our communities by being competitive so they don’t go to Virginia or they don’t go to South Carolina or they don’t go to Alabama. So we have to do some of that. And until the federal government or somebody at another level is able to intercede on behalf of all of us, I think we will forever be finding ways to compete to bring industry so that we can increase the revenue so we can keep our taxes low. So I don’t like them, but I think we have no choice but to have them.”

Davis: “I have supported those incentives because we have lost so many jobs in Guilford County. However, I have taken another look at those incentives and feel that just as was stated, once those incentives are put in place and then we start losing those jobs that we thought we were going to get, then there’s certainly a problem there. I would certainly like to see the counties taken out of the corporate incentive business. It is a necessary evil because that’s what they are doing right now. That’s what other states have to do. But right now, at the county level, it causes our counties to compete against one another. And so you find that FedEx may go to Forsyth County, or [if] we up the ante they’ll come to Guilford County. Well, truth be told, those workers will travel wherever….

“With that being said, it will probably be good to do away with them from a state level, but, again, understand that they’re a necessary evil. We could take those same funds that we give to large corporations and offer incentives to small mom-and-pop businesses, those small businesses that are really out there struggling because about 54 percent of America’s income comes through the small businesses. They are taxed at the same rate as the large corporations, depending on the property that they have or what have you. So I think that those incentives could be used in a better way, by supporting start-up businesses that maybe promote a greener economy. I’m a small business. And you start out a small business with credit-card debt. And you're continuously trying to chase those debts, and you never get a strong hold on what’s happening. But with my small business I put food on the table for 18 families. If I had those incentives I would be able to do much better for those families right here in our community. And if we were able to take those incentives and put them into start-up businesses, small mom-and-pop businesses, that’s where the money should go.”

The candidates discussed their support for restoring the protest petition in Greensboro. The protest petition provides that if a certain percentage of adjacent property owners protest a proposed rezoning the city council is required to muster a 75-percent super-majority to approve the request. Greensboro lost the protest petition in 1971 by of an act of the General Assembly, and it remains the only city in the state that does not have this provision.

Dorsett: “I’ve heard a lot and had public hearings over in Greensboro and High Point, and they’ve been to Raleigh as well. And I have agreed to sponsor that legislation in the Senate to permit Greensboro the same as everybody else…. I don’t know a lot — I remember looking back in history when it started, and I don’t know the basis of which it started, but I do think it’s unfair for all other communities and cities in our state to abide by one law and Greensboro have exemption, when there’s, in my opinion, no real justification for it.”

Davis: “I would support it. I have no real problem with that. I would have to agree with the Honorable Katie Dorsett. We need to have consistency.”

Preview: NC Senate 28, Guilford County Commission and Guilford County School Board candidates

I got the opportunity to ask questions of incumbent NC Sen. Katie Dorsett and challenger Bruce Davis, a Guilford County commissioner, at a debate sponsored by Concerned Citizens of Northeast Greensboro at the Greensboro Historical Museum last night.

At-large candidates for Guilford County School Board and Republican candidates for at-large Guilford County Commission seats (the Democratic primary isn't competitive) were also invited. Among the at-large school board candidates, Sandra Alexander, Alan Hawkes and Michael McKinney were present; EC Huey and David Crawford were not. Inexplicably, only one county commission candidate, Joseph Rahenkamp, showed up. Rudy Binder, EH Hennis, Larry Proctor and Wendell Sawyer were missing in action.

I'll be posting excerpts of the candidate's responses, along with School Board Chaiman Alan Duncan's call for support for the school bond referenda, over the weekend. Our print edition comes out after the election, so time is of the essence.