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Local Government Leadership

Action Greensboro's panel discussion on Local Government Leadership has sold out!

Seriously. More than 250 people told the civic group that they planned to attend the discussion tonight downtown and that's all that can fit into the Empire Room. (We did a big piece on Sunday with the panel members previewing their remarks. Here's John Alexander's.)

The popularity of the thing has got to make our local government leaders think about how they are perceived. Well, it should. I wish I could say I was confident that it would.

I'm taking bets on the number of elected city and county officials that will be there. The over-under is 2.

You can watch it here and participate via Twitter.

Update: Shows what I know. synerG reports that Commissioners Paul Gibson, and John Parks, and Council members Sandra Anderson Groat, Mary Rakestraw and Robbie Perkins are there. Maybe they'll make some progress.

But the video isn't working, as of 5:27. Ah, is now.

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Tags: Leadership

Posted by John Robinson on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 1:23 pm

What do you think?

12 comment(s)

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Gerald Witt

June 24, 2009 - 2:20 pm EDT

I'll take the over.

wstutts

June 26, 2009 - 10:53 am EDT

John, would please stop publishing anything by John Alexander? He has all the answer to all the problems but somehow doesn't understand the questions. I really believe that John Alexander started the N&R downfall when he was your editor. His socialistic ideas must come fron Oxford. Look at the Center for Creative Leadership. How many have been laid off? Wasn't Mr Alexander the honcho out here until just recently?

By the way, you can send Rosemary away too.

John Robinson

June 26, 2009 - 12:49 pm EDT

If we stopped publishing commentary by people who have all the answers, what would we publish?

OK, that's just a joke. What specifically don't you like about what John said?

By the way, John was editor of the editorial pages and was never the editor of the entire paper. If you think there has been an N&R downfall -- and not everyone does -- it would be tough to track to John.

wstutts

June 26, 2009 - 9:36 pm EDT

The N&R has been going down hill for many years. What I'm trying to say about John Alexander is that he contributed to this downfall. He is hard headed as hell. I believe John Alexander thinks he has all the answers and all the rest of us are stupid.

Many years ago, we had an idiot for a Planning Director here in Guilford County. The search committee of
commisioners reccomended the wrong man and we were stuck with an incompetent new director. We were complaining and talking to the commisioners trying to remedy this really bad situation. John Alexander wrote an editoral blasting all of surveyors as petty and trivial. He didn't have a clue about the problems we were having but he had a stupid opinion. He never checked with any of us. The same with his recent recomments, he doesn't have a clue.
To be fair to him, he sure didn't learn about the problems with Mitch from the N&R. How could he. You paper didn't cover them did you?

John Robinson

June 27, 2009 - 6:26 am EDT

Thanks for your opinions, Wayne. Mine is that John described the situation about local government leadership problems quite well. Read the post above this one about the chairman of the county commissioners and how he perceives his role. That's the ultimate result John is bemoaning. I happen to believe that is not civically healthy.

wstutts

June 27, 2009 - 8:04 am EDT

I think Brenda Fox is outstanding as our Guilford County Manager. I also commend Skip Alston and Steve Arnold. They have all done an excellent job managing Guilford County. I'm sure John Alexander Would not agree with me. Their managementt style doesn't agree with his Oxford socialist training. Besides, Jim Melvin, his mentor, probably doesn't agree either.

We will be lucky if Mitch's politically correct style of management doesn't break us financially. How in the name of good common sense could John Alexander have endorsed Mitchell Johnson? But he did.

I only hope someday you both can come to your senses as to what has happened to us thru this damn Political Correctness. What was once a political tool has become an evil tool. Neither You nor John A seem to understand what this has done to our government.

Anyway, I like you John

John Robinson

June 27, 2009 - 8:21 am EDT

Well, thanks, Wayne. I like you, too.

But we disagree on how local government should be run, and I don't think political correctness has anything to do with it. The county commissioners have run roughshod over open government. Perhaps you like the outcome, but not knowing how they get to where they're going isn't good. Their firing/"forced resignations" of a variety of top county officials, for instance, makes what happened to David Wray look like minor stuff. Given that that's about all they've done, I guess that's what makes their performance excellent. But not to me.

How is Mitch's politically correct style going to break the city financially? He didn't do the city's budget for 2009-2010 so the council and the acting city manager can make whatever changes they wish.

Oxford socialist training? C'mon, Wayne. Ed Kitchen is much more Mitch's mentor than Jim Melvin. Did you not like Kitchen either?

wstutts

June 27, 2009 - 12:17 pm EDT

Come on John, Stevie Wonder ain't this blind. Even the N&R reported on the 50 plus lawsuits we are facing, caused almost exclusively by Mitch or his clones. God only know how much this will cost. We have lost most of our leaders because of Mitch. I don't really know Ed Kitchen. But I believe he ran for the trees when all this started. I think he set Mitch up. Ed carved out a pretty good job with Jim M didn't he? Gotta give it to him. He's sure smarter than Mitch. Mitch almost gave away the store to the pacs plus the Pulpit Forum, who in my opinion, is only after money.

If this isn't POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, then please explain it. Maybe I'm blinder than Stevie.

John Robinson

June 27, 2009 - 2:24 pm EDT

I argue with your point that the lawsuits were caused by Mitch. Some were caused by Chief Wray, whom, if I'm not mistaken, you support. Others are part of doing business. Heck, we get sued with some routine, almost all of them frivolous and dismissed or settled because they are too much trouble to pursue.

Where's the political correctness that is ruining the city? You're right, I don't see it. And don't trot out the police department. Even if you think that political correctness is run amok there -- there's no actual evidence of it -- most of us aren't affected by that.

And how do you justify Skip and Steve's running of the county, done behind closed doors, firing people without any evident reason other than politics?

wstutts

June 27, 2009 - 6:00 pm EDT

I believe what I believe and I give you the same courtesy. I do emjoy our conversations.

I'm going to Ben Holders BBQ tonite . I hope you will cover his campaign. Be assured it will be interesting.

John Robinson

June 27, 2009 - 7:44 pm EDT

Agreed.

Oh, you know we're going to cover Ben's campaign, despite his intense dislike of us.

Joel Landau - 4th District

June 27, 2009 - 1:45 pm EDT

"As a City Council Candidate for the 4th district, I am encouraged to find a growing interest in Local Government, and how it can work for Greensboro. The more that citizens of Greensboro get involved in the process of government, the more effectively they will find their government working for them."