Hartzman questions GPAC funding, research

Hartzman sent us this head shot to use as a joke.
We're still waiting for a real one.

Greensboro mayoral candidate George Hartzman is a man of many questions. To anyone familiar with city politics, especially city council meetings, this comes as no surprise. Hartzman's questions — posed to city staff and council members at meetings and again (with a slew of local media and bloggers copied) in regular emails — usually focus on a lack of government transparency and a perceived absence of necessary research on issues the city is deciding. 

The emails, at times daily, vary between a single issue (often with a link to his blog) and a plethora of questions, like the one that came through around 12:30 a.m. last night entitled "Where is the money to buy the GPAC properties coming from?" A good question, since council was originally considering using land it already owns and previously committed $20 million of public funds to the proposed performing arts center (not including millions more to buy land for the project). 

Hartzman also asked about the expected impact on the Carolina Theatre, which should be a significant consideration and (in this reporter's opinion) has mostly been brushed off by GPAC proponents who make vague statements about the arts organizations working together to avoid hindering each other.

Here's the full body of Hartzman's email, with my emphasis added. 

"Where are candidate info requests?

Why aren't they in the IFYI?

Approximately when will speakers from the floor commence on August 20?

Please provide the parking study that shows how much governmental tax revenue will come in from public parking at the new GPAC spot that will pay for the debt service.

Where is the chamber of commerce/Greensboro Partnership going to move to?

What's it like to sell your soul at the expense of everyone else?

What are the anticipated heavily used avenues for cars coming into and out of downtown for a show?

What is the anticipated traffic congestion for GPAC shows and Ball games on the same night, that will most likely end at the same relative time?

What will be the ability of those trying to get into downtown to go to a club if a ball game and GPAC show occur on the same night?

What is the anticipated effect on the Carolina Theater, considering the venue that went under when DPAC opened up?

What are the anticipated noise levels from crowds leaving the GPAC?

Are the details of the private donations going to be made public before August 20?"

We won't be posting all of Hartzman's emails to us and the city, of course (he has his own blog for that), but we will be covering the mayoral race more in depth as the primary between Hartzman, Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan and Mayor Robbie Perkins draws closer. Several candidates in other races said Hartzman contacts them regularly, too. John Alexander Underwood in District 4 said Hartzman is assembling a loose coalition of challengers to help each other defeat incumbents, himself included. 

Which Greensboro council candidates voted in 2011?

There are a handful of new Greensboro City Council candidates who didn't vote in the council primary two years ago, but only one newcomer didn't vote in the last council election at all.

John Alexander Underwood, who is running against incumbent Nancy Hoffmann and former mayor Bill Knight for the District 4 seat, votes regularly but completely missed the 2011 city council election (He did vote in the primary and general elections for the 2009 council races).

Tigress McDaniel in District 1, Corey Pysher in District 3 and Alex Seymour in District 5 didn't vote in the 2011 council primary (but showed up for the general election). To be fair, there was no primary in these three districts, but the candidates could have voted in the mayoral and at-large primaries. Speaking of at large, candidates Joseph Landis and Katei Cranford, two of the nine at-large candidates, didn't vote in the 2011 primary either.

Wanna know more? You can look up the full voting history of the candidates, yourself or anyone else on the state board of elections' website (when they voted but not who they voted for, obviously). Here's the link. Some aren't registered under the same name that will appear on the ballot, like Kathryn Cranford and Scott Seymour.

We'll be uploading basic candidate profiles for all of the Greensboro City Council candidates soon at www.triadpolitics.info. Some of the Winston-Salem council candidates are already up, but we're still waiting to hear back from most of the candidates in Greensboro. Stay posted!