Guilford and Forsyth election results

Guilford County district judge candidates Polly Sizemore (second from left) and Lora Cubbage (fourth from left) campaign outside of Vandalia Presbyterian church on May 7.

An abridged version of the following, meaning a list, will run in our May 14 issue. You won't find any mention of the Democratic presidential primary in this post because that's a story in itself, but you'll see plenty of that in the print product next week.

Guilford County bond referenda
• A $412.3-million school bond was approved 54.8 percent to 45.2 percent;
• a $45-million bond to rebuild Eastern High School was approved 53.9 percent to 44.1 percent;
• a $114.6-million bond to build the new Guilford County Detention Center was approved 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent;
• a $79.5-million bond for the new GTCC aviation campus was approved 54.7 percent to 45.3 percent;
• a $20.2-million parks and recreation bond was defeated 52.3 percent to 47.7 percent; and
• a quarter-cent sales tax defeated 75.1 percent to 24.9 percent.

US Senate race
NC Sen. Kay Hagan defeated Jim Neal in the Democratic primary for US Senate, capturing 60.1 percent of the vote. She faces Republican incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole — who handily dispatched challenger Pete Di Lauro — in the general election on Nov. 4.

US House District 5 race
Roy Carter edged out rival Diane Hamby by a mere 531 votes in the Democratic primary. Carter’s 50.3- percent showing makes him the nominal nominee to face Rep. Virginia Foxx, the Republican incumbent, in November, but the NC Board of Elections had not completed the final canvass for the May 6 primary as of press time.

US House District 6 race
Teresa Sue Bratton sailed to first-place against rivals Johnny J. Carter and Jay Ovittore, a party insider. She won the Democratic nomination for District 6 by 61.2 percent, with Carter and Ovittore respectively claiming 28.4 percent and 10.5 percent. Bratton faces the popular Republican incumbent, Rep. Howard Coble, also of Greensboro, in November.

US House District 12 race
Rep. Mel Watt of Charlotte, the longtime Democratic incumbent, faces Republican challenger Ty Cobb Jr. of Rockwell in the general election.

US House District 13 race
Rep. Brad Miller, the Democratic incumbent, handily beat challenger Derald Hafner by a 77 percent margin. He faces Republican Hugh Webster of Yanceyville in the general election.

Governor’s race
Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue defeated her opponent, Treasurer Richard Moore, 56.2 percent to 39.8 percent to win the Democratic nomination for governor. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory won the Republican contest with 46.2 percent against opponents NC Sen. Fred Smith, Bill Graham, Bob Orr, and Elbie Powers. Second-place finisher Smith took 36.9 percent of the vote. Libertarian Michael Munger will join Perdue and McCrory on the general election ballot in November.

Lieutenant governor’s race
NC Sen. Walter Dalton easily won his primary contest for lieutenant governor on the Democratic ballot, with 45.7 percent of the vote, despite a spirited fight for a runoff from Hampton Dellinger, who took 33.6 percent. The two other candidates, Canton Mayor Pat Smathers and Winston-Salem City Councilman Dan Besse, respectively received 13.7 percent and 7.0 percent. Even in Forsyth County, Besse placed behind Dalton and Dellinger with 26.6 percent of the vote.

In the Republican primary, Sen. Robert Pittenger sailed to victory with 59.0 percent of the vote, besting rivals Jim Snyder, Timothy Cook and Greg Dority.

Attorney general race
Attorney General Roy Cooper faced no opposition in the Democratic primary, and only one Republican candidate, Bob Crumley, an Asheboro lawyer who practices in Greensboro, filed in the race. The two face each other in the November general election.

Auditor race
Beth Wood easily defeated Fred Aikens in the Democratic race for auditor. She faces the Republican incumbent, Les Merritt, in November.

Commissioner of agriculture race
Incumbent Commissioner Steve Troxler, a Republican, faced no opposition in the primary. Only one Democrat, Ronnie Ansley filed. The two face each other in the November general election.

Commissioner of insurance race
Wayne Goodwin knocked David C. Smith out in the Democratic primary contest for commissioner of insurance. He faces Republican John Odom in November.

Commissioner of labor race
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation program officer Mary Fant Donnan of Winston-Salem took the largest share of votes, with 27.6 percent, in a four-way contest with former Labor Commissioner John C. Brooks, who received 24.4 percent, according to the unofficial count. Brooks said after the final canvas this week he will decide whether to request a runoff with Donnan, which would occur on June 24. The two other candidates Ty Richardson and Robin Anderson won 24.1 percent and 23.9 percent respectively.

Secretary of state race
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, the Democratic incumbent, faced no opposition in the primary, and Jack Sawyer was the only Republican to file for the race, so the two face each other in the November general election.

Superintendent of public instruction race
Democratic incumbent June St. Clair Atkinson fended off a challenge from Eddie Davis by a margin of 53.0 percent to 47.0 percent. Republican candidate Richard Morgan easily defeated rivals Joe Johnson and Eric H. Smith. Morgan won 51.3 percent of the vote, propelling him to a contest with Atkinson in November.

Treasurer race
NC Sen. Janet Cowell won 46.5 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary for treasurer, an office vacated by Richard Moore because of his unsuccessful quest to be the state’s next governor. Cowell’s two rivals, David Young and Michael Wiesel, respectively won 36.2 and 17.4 percent of the vote. Cowell faces the sole Republican aspirant, Bill Daughtridge in the November general election.

NC Senate District 26 seat
Republican Leader Phil Berger or Eden did not have an opponent in the primary, and faces no challenger in the general election.

NC Senate District 27 race
Former Greensboro City Councilman Don Vaughan filed as a Democrat for the NC Senate seat vacated by US Senate candidate Kay Hagan, and Joe Wilson filed as a Republican. The two candidates will battle for the right to represent the Greensboro district in the November general election.

NC Senate District 28 race
Sen. Katie Dorsett of Greensboro, the incumbent, handily fended off a challenge from fellow Democrat Bruce Davis of High Point. Dorsett won her primary against Davis by 65.0 percent to 35.0 percent, and she advances to the general election without opposition.

NC Senate District 31 seat
Rep. Peter S. Brunstetter, a Republican from Winston-Salem, faces no opposition in this election.

NC Senate District 32 seat
Sen. Linda Garrou, a Democrat from Winston-Salem, faces no opposition in this election.

NC Senate District 33 seat
Sen. Stan Bingham, a Republican from Denton, faces no opposition in this election.

NC House District 57 seat
Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Democrat from Greensboro, faces no opposition in this election.

NC House District 58 race
Rep. Alma Adams of Greensboro, the Democratic incumbent, faces Republican Olga Morgan Wright in the general election. Wright is making her third attempt to unseat Adams in a district with high Democratic registration.

NC House District 59 race
Rep. Maggie Jeffus of Greensboro, the Democratic incumbent, faces Republican Jim Rumley in the general election. Like Wright, Rumley is hoping the third time will be the charm.

NC House District 60 seat
Rep. Earl Jones, a Democrat from Greensboro, faces no opposition in this election.

NC House District 61 race
Rep. Laura Wiley, the incumbent, prevailed in a closely fought contest with challenger George Ragsdale of Jamestown. Wiley, a High Point resident, won the primary 51.8 percent to 48.2 percent. She faces no Democratic challenger in the general election.

NC House District 62 seat
Rep. John Blust, a Republican from Greensboro, enjoys his third consecutive opponent-free election.

NC House District 71 seat
Rep. Larry Womble, a Democrat from Winston-Salem, faces no opposition in this election.

NC House District 72 seat
Rep. Earline Parmon, a Democrat from Winston-Salem, faces no opposition in this election.

NC House District 73 seat
Rep. Larry R. Bown, a Republican from Kernersville, faces no opposition in this election.

NC House District 74 race
Republican Joint Caucus Leader Dale R. Folwell of Winston-Salem faces Democratic challenger Bill Browning, also of Winston-Salem, in the November general election.

NC House District 75 seat
Republican Minority Whip Bill McGee of Clemmons faces Democratic challenger Dan Bennett of Winston-Salem in the general election.

Forsyth County Commission District B race
Jim Hatcher of Winston-Salem and incumbent Bill Whiteheart of Lewisville were eliminated in the Republican primary to the District B seat on the Forsyth County Commission, which allows three candidates to go forward to the general election. Surviving the cut were incumbent Gloria D. Whisenhunt of Winston-Salem, with 26.2 percent; incumbent Richard V. Linville of Kernersville, with 23.6 percent; and newcomer Dave Plyler, with 21.9 percent. The three Republicans face a slate of three Democrats in the general election: Nancy N. Young of Winston-Salem, and Jimmie Ziglar Jr. and John C. Gladman, both of Rural Hall. Only three candidates will walk away with seats on the commission.

Guilford County Commission at-large race
Guilford County Planning Board Chairman Larry Proctor and Wendell Sawyer, both of Greensboro, led voting in the Republican primary for Guilford County Commission at large. Proctor claimed 36.0 percent, and Sawyer pulled down 26.0 percent. Rudy Binder, Joseph Rahenkamp and EH Hennis were eliminated. Proctor and Sawyer advance to the general election to contend for two available seats with incumbent Democratic Commissioners Paul Gibson of Greensboro and John Parks of Jamestown. With registered Democrats outnumbering their Republican counterparts in Guilford County, Gibson and Parks are favored to win reelection.

Guilford County Commission District 4 race
Commission Chairman Kirk Perkins, the incumbent Democrat, who lives in McLeansville, faces Republican challenger Eddie Souther, also of McLeansville, in the general election,

Guilford County Commission District 5 race
Incumbent Commissioner Bill Yow of Greensboro beat back a Republican primary challenge by two opponents, Rick Wallace of Pleasant Garden and Lisa Andrews of Whitsett, claiming 63.1 percent of the vote. He advances toe the general election with no further opposition.

Guilford County Commission District 7 seat
Commissioner Mike Winstead, a Republican from Greensboro, faces no opposition in this election.

Guilford County Commission District 8 race
Longtime incumbent Commissioner Skip Alston, a Democrat from Greensboro, handily defeated primary challenger Greg Woodard, 69.4 percent to 30.6 percent. He advances to the general election with no opposition.

Guilford County School Board at-large race
Sandra Alexander of Greensboro and Michael McKinney of High Point prevailed in a five-way primary contest, jettisoning contenders David Crawford, Alan Hawkes and EC Huey. Alexander and McKinney respectively garnered 44.2 percent and 20.7 percent of the vote, and will face each other in a general election contest to fill the seat vacated by school board member Dot Kearns of High Point.

Guilford County School Board District 1 seat
J. Carlvena Foster of High Point is running unopposed for the seat being vacated by school board member Walter Childs.

Guilford County School Board District 3 seat
Incumbent school board member Darlene Garrett of Greensboro faces Mike Stone of Oak Ridge in the general election contest for the District 3 seat on the nonpartisan school board.

Guilford County School Board District 5 seat
Paul Daniels of Greensboro is running unopposed to fill the seat being vacated by school board member Anita Sharpe.

Guilford County School Board District 7 seat
Incumbent school board member Kris Cooke of Greensboro is running unopposed for reelection.

Guilford County School Board District 9 seat
Incumbent school board Vice-President Amos Quick III of Greensboro is running unopposed for reelection.

Forsyth County Register of Deeds race
Sitting Register of Deeds Karen Gordon, a Republican from Winston-Salem, faces Democratic challenger Norman Holleman, also of Winston-Salem, in the general election.

Guilford County Register of Deeds office
Incumbent Jeff Thigpen, a Democrat from Greensboro, is running unopposed for reelection.

NC Supreme Court associate justice’s race
Incumbent Associate Justice Robert H. Edmunds Jr. of Greensboro faces challenger Suzanne Reynolds of
Winston-Salem in the general election.

NC Court of Appeals seat
Chief Judge John C. Martin of Raleigh faces no challenger in this election.

NC Court of Appeals judge’s race
Incumbent Judge John M. Tyson of Fayetteville was knocked out in the primary by challengers Sam J. Ervin IV of Morganton and Kristin Ruth of New Hill, who claimed 36.8 percent and 25.6 percent of the vote respectively. Tyson came away with only 21.9 percent and a fourth contender, Janet Pueschel of Raleigh, took 15.7 percent. Ervin and Ruth advance to the general election.

NC Court of Appeals judge’s race
Incumbent Judge John S. Arrowood faces challenger Robert N. Hunter of Greensboro in the general election.

NC Court of Appeals judge’s race
Incumbent Judge Jim Wynn of Raleigh and Jewel Ann Farlow of Gibsonville survived the primary with 48.1 percent and 37.3 percent of the vote respectively. Dean R. Poirer of Mount Olive was eliminated. Wynn and Farlow now advance to the general election.

NC Court of Appeals judge’s race
Incumbent Judge Doug McCullough of Atlantic Beach faces challenger Cheri Beasley of Fayetteville in the general election.

NC Court of Appeals judge’s race
Dan Barrett of Advance challenges Judge Linda Stephens of Raleigh for her seat in the general election.

Forsyth County District Court judge’s seat
Chief Judge William B. Reingold of Clemmons faces no opposition in his reelection bid.

Forsyth County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Camille Banks Payne of Winston-Salem faces no opposition in her reelection bid.

Forsyth County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Chester C. Davis of Winston-Salem faces a general election challenge from Amy Allred, also of Winston-Salem.

Forsyth County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Larry Fine of Clemmons faces no opposition in his reelection bid.

Forsyth County District Court judge’s seat
Judge William Graham of Winston-Salem faces no opposition in his reelection bid.

Forsyth County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Tori Roemer of Winston-Salem faces a general election challenge from Kelly Patterson, also of Winston-Salem.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Chief Judge Joseph E. Turner of Greensboro faces no opposition in his reelection bid.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Sherry Alloway of Greensboro faces no opposition in her reelection bid.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Susan E. Bray of Greensboro faces no opposition in her reelection bid.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Incumbent Judge Susan R. Burch of High Point faces a general election challenge from Susan R. Holliday, also of High Point.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Linda Falls of Greensboro lost her bid for reelection in her primary contest, garnering only 29.0 percent of the vote, compared with 36.4 percent by Robert Enochs of Greensboro and 34.6 percent by Angela C. Foster of Greensboro. Enochs and Foster advance to the general election.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Michelle Fletcher of Greensboro faces no opposition in her reelection bid.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Incumbent Judge Robinson Hassell of Greensboro and Avery Michelle Crump survived the primary, respectively winning 38.4 percent and 36.0 percent of the vote, while Greg Gorham of Greensboro was eliminated. Hassell and Crump advance to the general election

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Patrice A. Hinnant of Greensboro faces no opposition in his reelection bid.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Pete Hunter of High Point faces no opposition in his reelection bid.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Betty J. Brown and Chuck White, both of Greensboro, survived a primary contest to replace retiring Judge Lawrence McSwain with respective vote tallies of 38.5 percent and 37.4 percent, while Lora Christine Cubbage of Pleasant Garden was eliminated.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Polly D. Sizemore of Greensboro survived her primary contest with ease, garnering 44.4 percent of the vote. Barbara Gore Washington of Greensboro won the second largest share of votes, and will face Sizemore in the general election, while Randle L. Jones of Stokesdale goes home.

Guilford County District Court judge’s seat
Judge Teresa Vincent of Greensboro faces no opposition in her reelection bid.

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.”

Joseph Rahenkamp, Republican candidate for Guilford County Commission at-large

Joseph Rahenkamp nominally answered questions at a candidates forum at the Greensboro Historical Museum on May 1. Rahenkamp was the only candidate for an at-large Guilford County Commission seat in the Republican primary to attend, although Wendell Sawyer answered the same questions in writing. Along with Rahenkamp and Sawyer, former Ku Klux Klan exalted cyclops EH Hennis, Guilford County Planning Board Chairman Larry Proctor and Rudy Binder are also on the ballot.

The two candidates who win the most votes in the Republican primary will advance to the general election in November, where they will face Democratic incumbents Paul Gibson and John Parks.

Asked whether he favored the property tax or the sales tax as a means to raise revenue, Rahenkamp responded that more prize money should be paid out by the North Carolina lottery to increase ticket sales.

Rahenkamp: “I don’t approve of either one. You’re going to have to start working and getting smarter and make what money you got work out. If you go back and check, every year, there’s greater and greater monies coming in and raising the tax base. We’re going to have to start making it work out. People right now, a lot of them are losing their homes, losing their cars and losing their trucks…. You’re going to have to hold the line and get smarter. [This] is and it is not going to answer your question. Come back to raising this money with this school bond. You need to take this lottery, where they’re taking 50 percent right now for the schools, drop it back and put 10 percent in it, and by doing that… you’re going to have more people buying tickets, and it’s going to generate your revenue. It’s going to be more than it is right now.”

Note: About 35 percent of the proceeds from the North Carolina lottery go to the Education Lottery Fund at the Office of State Budget and Management, while at least 50 percent is paid out in prizes.

Rahenkamp did not respond to a question about whether he supports a proposed jail bond, except to say that he opposes raising taxes. He also did not respond to a second question about whether the county was adequately pursuing alternatives to incarceration such as funding drug treatment programs.

Rahenkamp: “I’m not for raising taxes for anything…. It comes right back to what I just said. People are hurting. They’re losing their homes. They don’t know how they’re going to make it. And I do not believe when someone is drowning you take and push ’em down…. We’re going to have to get smarter. That’s where it comes back with the school board we were just talking. Education… you’ve got to get smarter in all of your categories. You’d be surprised what you can do with stuff when you have to do it.”

Rahenkamp suggested he favors a lenient approach to illegal immigration, but did not answer a question about whether he thought it was a good idea for the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office to participate in federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g), which authorizes local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law.

Rahenkamp: “Well, you’ve got a big problem there. You’ve got an awful lot of people in this country that are in here illegally, okay? What you’ve got to do is take the bull by the horns. They are in here. Let them start paying their way like everybody else. You’re not going to get away from it. You turn right around, you put them across the border, they’re gonna come right back in here, maybe come back in another way. Maybe they might not come to Guilford County; maybe they might come to LA County. Let ’em start paying their way like the rest of us.”

Candidates for Guilford County School Board: McKinney, Alexander and Hawkes

At-large candidates for Guilford County School Board Michael McKinney, Sandra Alexander and Alan Hawkes debated at the Greensboro Historical Museum on May 1. Along with EC Huey and David Crawford, the three are vying against each other to replace outgoing at-large member Dot Kearns, who chose to not run for reelection. Two of the candidates will advance to the general election in November after tomorrow’s primary.

McKinney and Alexander said they supported a proposed $412.3 million school bond, while Hawkes said he remained undecided. McKinney and Alexander proposed a variety of ways to pay for school construction should the bond fail.

McKinney: “I hope it don’t fail because I’m a supporter of it, and our kids need it. In the event that it does, however, I think that the board of education has to step back and do some operational assessment to ensure that we are operating in an efficient manner and are not wasting our taxpayer monies excessively by having an overlap of positions and an overlap of programs. Secondly, we have to look at alternatives… and that is we turn to looking at builders who are experts in the industry at possibly building our facilities. And the way that would work is – I’ve seen it work at HBCUs in the past, where they deed over a plot of land to the developer, and they will build a facility and lease it back to the institution, and the institution would lease it over a period of time. The developer would share a small percentage of the net income with the lessee. And after ten or fifteen years the ownership would revert back. Now the way that would work is the district would have to have its own revenue, which means I think we would have to look at the possibility of the district having its own taxing authority.”

Alexander: “I too am a supporter of the school bonds, both of them. Rebuilding Eastern Guilford High School is a no-brainer; we simply must do that. But I also support the second bond as well, because I’ve been in and out of our schools, and I see many of them are dilapidated. Many of them are badly in need of repair, and so we do indeed need the school bond. I’ve thought long and hard about it, because I know there are segments of our community, which do not support the bonds, but I reasoned that if we can spend $12 billion per month on a war halfway around the world, then surely we can invest in our schools. If, indeed the bond fails, I think we should begin to examine why it has failed, and try to build relationships with those segments of the community that feel that they are unfairly treated when it comes to receiving the benefits of the bond. And we all know who that segment of the community is. We should seek federal funding to help us with our capital improvement problems, and we should develop relationships with private developers in order to meet our needs.”

Hawkes: “I acknowledge that the need is great for capital expenditures. I have a major problem, first of all, that there’s such extravagance. We can see that out at Northern High School. This school board seems to be obsessed with buildings…. It’s an issue of equity, in my opinion. The dollars should be spent more equally around the county and around southeast Greensboro. That said, it’s not the building itself that actually makes a learning experience; it’s what’s going on in that classroom. My preference is putting the resources in the classroom, giving the teacher control of the classroom, helping these children learn to read and write. It’s not how beautiful the building is; it’s what’s going on in that classroom and how those children are getting that true sense of joy and accomplishment when they can read and write.”

McKinney and Alexander said they believe that students of color and poor students benefit from attending schools balanced along racial and socio-economic lines, while Hawkes said diversity is important, but not a paramount social good.

McKinney: “As a former diversity trainer for a national bank, absolutely they benefit. We’re living in a global society, and we are moving towards a global economy, and we need to be able to teach and equip our children to be prepared to deal with that global society. I think it’s important that our teachers, our staff, our administrators all attend a diversity training, if they have not done so, and I think we need to monitor to ensure that everyone, regardless of their differences are respected because of their differences. I remember hearing someone say, ‘We have to continue to work on our differences until differences make no differences.’ I have found that children from challenging socio-economic backgrounds are in need to exposure to a more diverse school environment.”

Alexander: “My answer to that is that all children benefit from being educated in a diverse environment. Ideally, I would like to see our schools reflect the larger society. If students are going to have to work and operate in a diverse society as adults, they can best do so if they’re trained to do so while they’re young. And our schools are the very best place to do that. I too believe in the value of diversity training. I think Guilford County Schools have moved in a positive direction with regard to that, by hiring a diversity officer, and I think that person has made a great deal of difference in our schools. This is a world that’s going to be radically different from the one that we have experienced. Our students are going to be competing not just against folks from the other side of Guilford County, but with students from around the world, and the earlier they begin to experience competition with persons who are very different from themselves the better we all will be.”

Hawkes: “I agree that diversity is a desirable aspect of education, but it’s trumped, at least initially, by other factors, including accomplishment. Diversity in elementary school is great, but if you’re coming out of elementary school and you’re not reading and writing at grade level and you’re not doing your math at grade level, you’re not going to be able to compete. I believe there’s something to be said for neighborhood schools, and giving children reading and writing and doing their math at grade level. And as they climb academically naturally they’re going to enter diverse and challenging environments. Diversity, just as a goal in elementary school, I think is trumped by resources to the classroom, good teachers and genuine achievement. Diversity for diversity’s sake, I think, does more harm than good.”

McKinney and Alexander said they support recommendations by the School Climate Task Force to assign a social worker to each school and reduce class size, while Hawkes remained noncommittal. McKinney discussed some options for paying for those initiatives, while Alexander took a pass.

Alexander: “Attending the School Climate Task Force meetings was how I became involved in wanting to pursue candidacy for the school board. These statistics [in the report] were appalling to me. I won’t go into them, but when only 42 percent of African-American males in North Carolina graduate from high school I begin to see the magnitude of the problem that we’re facing.

“I’ve read the document, and I believe that hiring a social worker and reducing class sizes are just two of the recommendations from the report, but they will not do the job. I think the most important recommendation to come out of the School Climate Task Force was the use of the positive behavior support initiative in all the schools in Guilford County. That’s a [state] Department of Public Instruction mandate. It suggests that schools reward students for doing rather than punishing them, dismissing them and suspending them for poor behavior. Guilford County has been slow to implement the positive behavior support initiative. And I have seen it work in other counties where the population is infinitely more diverse than our own, and I believe if we implement this program in every school in Guilford County we will see students behaving much better than they are today.

“The way it stands now, many of our students are in a vicious cycle of suspension, dismissal and readmission. And most of the students caught up in that cycle are of Hispanic and African-American descent. As long as that continues our schools are going to be chaotic. The behavior is not going to be modified so that teachers can teach and students can learn.”

McKinney: “I, too, agree with Sandra that I think smaller classrooms provide more direct attention to the students. I think a social worker at each one would be ideal. The question is how do you pay for it? When I look at the number of crimes that occur at Guilford County Schools in the year 06-07 and how the majority of those were related to the possession of substance or the possession of alcohol, or assault on school personnel that there’s some underlying issues that I think a social worker will be able to assist with. Now how do we pay for that? Again, we go back to surely it is a budget shortfall and there’s always been a need for additional funds to manage what we do, but we need to make sure that we are effectively managing what we have to make sure that we are not wasting money, first and foremost. Secondly, if an opportunity presents itself that professionals from the community that could lend their support, it might free up other revenue that we could use to support other initiative like the social worker and reducing class size and hire more qualified teachers.”

Hawkes: “One of the six points in my program is the expectation to children, clearly articulated, that they will succeed, and getting parental buy-in for those children’s education. Twenty-five years ago the Education Department issued a report called “A Nation At Risk” about our public education system. In the preamble to this report, it said, ‘If a foreign power inflicted our public school system on us, it would be considered an act of war.’ I wonder how much has changed in the last twenty-five years. In my view, we’re focused on smaller classrooms and we’re focused on a lot of issues other than what goes on in that classroom and making the children excited about learning…. The lower class size per se is not necessarily the answer; it’s getting that parental buy-in, it’s getting the expectation clearly articulated for our children that they can succeed, and pouring the resources into the classroom instead of building an extraordinary edifice in northern Guilford County. Show the children and the parents and the teachers at some of our poorer schools that they are valued too, but that the expectation is there.”

EC Huey, at-large candidate for Guilford County School Board

EC Huey, an at-large candidate for Guilford County School Board, said he was not able to attend the May 1 candidates forum at which I asked questions because of an emergency. I’m publishing his written responses to the three questions I asked the candidates. Huey’s opponents in tomorrow’s primary are Sandra Alexander, David Crawford, Alan Hawkes and Michael McKinney.

Huey discusses what Guilford County Schools should do if voters reject the proposed $412.3 million school bond.

Huey: “Not only does our school board want to have one of the largest taxpayer-unfriendly bond issues in county history, they're so confident that they failed to conjure up a Plan B should it fail. It is irresponsible. I support responsible school construction in Guilford County by seeking public-private partnerships. I also support our county commissioners getting more involved in school construction matters (such as what is happening in Wake County) where our county board could acquire land, construct schools themselves and lease it back to the school system. I support best practices when it comes to school construction that is taxpayer-friendly, and one way to do that is to have all real estate and construction matters outsourced from GCS to an outside firm or agency that is charged and experienced with real estate and construction.”

Huey discusses his views on the relative merits of drawing school attendance lines to achieve racial and socio-economic balance.

Huey: “I believe all of our schools should be integrated and I believe in strong diversity in our schools. But I also believe in natural integration in neighborhood schools, not forced busing. We have magnet programs that can aid in this effort, but our magnets can be strengthened at all levels; they’re not working to their full potential. I’m in favor of children attending their closest neighborhood school.

“Too many children are being bused all over this county, daily. And with diesel fuel at an all-time high, it is senseless. To that end, I’m also in favor of ensuring all of our schools have access to the necessary supplies, resources and manpower for them to succeed so that our children can succeed. Social experimentation on our children is wrong. It failed in High Point. It continues to fail countywide.

“I feel very strongly that neighborhood schools are the anchor for every neighborhood and community, and must be treated as such. Our neighborhoods and communities must embrace these schools and embrace these children and do all they can to help these children succeed.”

Huey states that he supports many of the recommendations of the School Climate Task Force, but does not respond to the second part of a question about how he would propose to pay for implementing the recommendations.

Huey: “I agree with many of the recommendations from the School Climate Task Force. Safety and school discipline is a top priority in my campaign. As such and in addition, I have a six-point plan on school discipline. It includes:

“1. Audit, examine and strengthen existing school rules. Enforce the rules GCS has on the books and enforce them uniformly across all schools.

“2. Conduct an internal audit all of GCS’ existing alternative environments: In-school suspension, SCALE, etc., to determine their effectiveness (or ineffectiveness). Strengthen these programs where necessary.

“3. Expulsions for serious offenses.

“4. Examination of the “Charlotte model.” Specifically, it is looking at a unique alternative program Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has, which they call 10-day/30-day “suspension centers,” to determine their effectiveness and see what can be duplicated here in Guilford County.

“5. Expand partnerships with area churches and other local faith-based organizations.

“6. Audit and examine miscellaneous programs GCS has to combat school violence: Keep what’s working, toss out what’s not working.

“My plan also includes keeping school resource law enforcement officers, adding and expanding closed-circuit camera surveillance systems in schools, and ensuring parents and teachers are part of any changes, through school PTSAs and school leadership committees.”

Giuliani stumps in Greensboro

Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, took aim at the Democratic Party during a Monday campaign stop at the NC A&T University Alumni Events Center in Greensboro, befitting a Republican contender leading in a recent poll of voters in the Southeastern Atlantic seaboard region.

Addressing a crowd estimated at about 750, mostly women — the event was sponsored by a group called North Carolina women for Rudy — Giuliani opened his speech with his signature theme of pursuing a muscular deployment of American military power abroad.

“We have to keep ourselves on the offensive to face the challenge of Islamic terrorism,” he said, adding an endorsement of President Bush’s policy in Iraq: “The surge is working. This is what a lot of people thought was impossible five or six months ago. It now seems possible. Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, isn’t that good for the ultimate goal, which is to protect ourselves from Islamic terrorism?”

Without mentioning the sitting president by name, Giuliani embraced several of Bush’s more controversial initiatives.

“We should have a strong military,” he said. “We should have a strong intelligence where we have the Patriot Act, we have surveillance, we have aggressive questioning of terrorist detainees — not torture.”

It was Giuliani’s domestic platform that garnered most of the applause amongst the well-heeled women who paid for the honor of listening to the former New York mayor and eating plates of quiche and fresh fruit.

“What country has more social mobility than America?” Giuliani asked. “How have we done that? We’ve done that not because we have this great big central government. It isn’t the central government that does that. It’s the people. That’s why I believe in lower taxes.”

The candidate accused his Democratic rivals of favoring a massive tax increase, which they describe as “discontinuing the Bush tax cuts.”

With the Democrats in power, Giuliani said, “you’re looking at a tax rate — federal, estate and local taxes — at 52 to 58 percent. That means you become the junior partner and the government becomes the senior partner in your success.” He added, “The only way you get people out of poverty is you help them to help themselves, help them get a good education, help them get a good job, not a welfare handout to the poor and middle class.”

Giuliani said he advocates repealing the estate tax, another sentiment that drew an appreciative response. “We should give the death penalty to the death tax,” he said. “The inheritance tax is a double tax.”

He said he is in favor of simplifying the tax code, but would not support a flat tax. He went on to say he believes some deductions, such as those for home mortgages and charitable giving, are good, and could not be disentangled from the tax code.

Giuliani built a case for the government providing education vouchers allowing parents to shop around for the school of their choice.

“American higher education is, I think, the best in the world,” he said. “The place where we’re struggling more, where we’re deteriorating — not completely deteriorating — is at K through twelve. How can one be so good and the other one have so many problems?

“One you pick and one is chosen for you,” he said in answer to his question. “Nobody forces you to go to a college that everybody thinks is terrible. Nobody forces you to go to a college where nobody’s graduated in five years. Nobody forces you to go to a college where there’s violence. What if we used that same principle for K through twelve?... Don’t you think this might be the single greatest civil rights issue of the moment?”

On the subject of healthcare, Giuliani took another swipe at the Democrats candidates, many of whom favor universal healthcare.

“Healthcare should be provided through private options, by giving people more choices, not by more government intervention,” he said. “We don’t want to go on a road that leads us inexorably towards socialized healthcare.”

Giuliani said he favors introducing a health savings account.

“The less you use the plan the more you save,” he said. “What you do is exercise more, improve your diet, and get your annual checkups.”

A poll published by Elon University in November found that Giuliani leads the pack among voters in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia who said they are likely to support the Republican candidate in the general election. Giuliani took 24.6 percent of the vote, followed by Fred Thompson with 16.2 percent and Mitt Romney with 11.6 percent. A large portion, 28.7 percent, indicated their votes were up for grabs.

An earlier poll conducted specifically for North Carolina ranked Giuliani second among likely Republican voters in the Old North State, with 21.0 percent, behind Thompson.

Many of those in the audience at A&T wanted to know the Giuliani’s stance on immigration.

The candidate’s response was concise: “We should end illegal immigration and expand legal immigration. We have to do the first before we can do the second.”

His specific plan involves implementing a BorderStat program modeled after the New York Police Department’s CompStat program to impose accountability at the border. He would also issue a biometric identification card for non-citizen workers and students, and create a foreign resident database.

“In the era of the war on terror and the drug dealing, we have the technology to do it,” he said. “We’re gonna be a better, more healthy country for it.” He added that he has the experience to manage “big programs.”

Giuliani was introduced by Aldona Wos, the former ambassador to Estonia and the wife of Louis DeJoy. Wos’ husband is the chairman and CEO of Greensboro’s New Breed Logistics and reportedly the vice-chair of Giuliani’s North Carolina campaign committee. As has been previously reported, DeJoy and Wos hosted President Bush at a fundraiser at their Irving Park house in October 2006.

“We all envision peace, prosperity and freedom for all,” Wos said, introducing Giuliani. “Today we have with us a former US attorney and mayor who has the proven experience to champion these goals.”

Giuliani, in turn, described Wos as “a major supporter and a really good friend.”

According to this Washington Post blog post, DeJoy is one of Giuliani’s “bundlers,” fundraisers who have committed to raising between $50,000 and $1 million for the campaign. Federal Election Commissions records show that Wos has donated a total of $4,600 to the Giuliani campaign, $9,600 to committees affiliated with North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, and $28,500 to the Republican National Committee in 2007, while her husband has donated $4,600 each to the Giuliani and Dole campaigns, and $1,000 to North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx this year.