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News & Record election questionnaire - Greensboro City Council District 3

Office you seek
City Council District 3

Occupation
Director of Security - American Hebrew Academy
Greensboro Police Supervisor - Retired

Age
57

Education
Bachelor of Science - Guilford College

Address
2641 Stratford Drive 27408

Web Site/blog/email address
bblanksgso@aol.com

Previous elective experience
Candidate - 2002 and 2006 Guilford County Sheriff

Other relevant experience
Chairman - NC Private Protective Services Board
Co-Chair - Bicentennial Torch Relay

Family
Married to Cathy Ulmer Blanks - 29 years
Son Justin Blanks - Greensboro Police Officer
Daughter Kelly Blanks - College Student

Why have you chosen to run for this office?
It is my belief that Greensboro is at a turning point. Economic growth, lack of adequate natural resources, conflict within city government, city services and local politics all point to the need for leadership from someone who is intimately familiar with Greensboro as a longtime resident, employee, and community leader. Greensboro's neighborhoods, which are the backbone of our community, are at risk of intrusive development. The citizens that live in those neighborhoods need a strong advocate at city hall.

Key qualifications you bring to the job.
Of all the candidates seeking the District 3 seat, I bring the most experience with, and knowledge of Greensboro to the office. I served as a Greensboro Police Officer for 35 years. I have been a small business owner. I have lived in district 3 for decades. I am familiar with the concerns and goals of the citizens of Greensboro, because I share those same concerns and goals. I will serve those citizens, not special interest groups.

What distinguishes you from your opponent(s)?
I do not seek election in order to promote an agenda…I seek election to represent the residents of District 3 and City of Greensboro.

Please list the top three issues in your district and your stances on those issues (briefly, please).
1. Neighborhood zoning changes that affect the quality of life for residents -
Council members should consider residential concerns over special interests.
2. Police protection. We need to be fully staffed with well-trained uniformed officers to answer citizen's calls for service in a timely manner. This is the issue that affects the majority of our citizens. Only then should we staff non-call answering positions that address specific needs.
3. Taxes. City Council should review several tax issues, including city "fees" that are essentially taxes. City government should strive to live within a budget just as our resident's do, as opposed to relying on increasing taxes.

If different from above, please list the top three issues citywide and your position on them (briefly, please):
Water and Sewer capacity. We need to develop a vision for the future that addresses our dependence on a consistent supply of water. Residents should not live under the threat of civil penalties for water usage every time we have a dry spell. The Randleman reservoir will provide relief, but we need to enact additional measures that can be applied on a consistent basis, including routine conservation of our current resources.

We must foster relationships with neighboring cities for our infrastructure needs. Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem and Burlington have grown physically as neighbors. We must now grow closer politically as neighbors to solve the issues and conflicts associated with regional growth. The recent High Point Road corridor discussion is an example of reconsidering infrastructure needs that affect more than one municipality.

What lessons do you think should be drawn from recent problems in the Greensboro Police Department?
We should allow the appropriate agencies to investigate criminal activity within the police department. We should not allow city management, consulting firms and the media to take over the agenda in a public forum until the facts are known.

Have those problems been resolved? Why or why not?
No. There is a lack of trust of city management, city council, and to some extent, the police department in general, due to the initial mismanagement of the problems.

Have the mayor and City Council done an effective job in addressing Greensboro's economic needs? What more should they do?
The city's economic growth has been steady. Again, the concern is the infrastructure to support additional growth. We are under water restrictions now, and the short term outlook is bleak. How do we accommodate future growth?

If you were to give the city a letter grade on its effectiveness in managing growth, what would it be?
F. Developers determine the direction this city takes…not city council. The citizens need a voice on council

How would you evaluate the City Council's handling of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report?
They allowed the issue to drag on too long. City Council should take the official stance of issuing their regret and expressing their sorrow over the incident. There are those involved with this issue that will never be content with the conclusions drawn by any study. We cannot rewrite history. Crimes occurred on that day in 1979. A criminal trial and civil trial ruled in the matter. We may or may not agree with those rulings, but we must live with them and begin to build bridges instead of building walls.

What vote or decision of the current council would you overturn? Why do you disagree with the decision?
Closing the White Street landfill. It was not necessary and it was too costly.

Does Greensboro have a gang problem, and if so, how best to address it?
Any level of organized crime is a problem. We have had a gang problem since the 80's, but because it did not effect the greater population of citizens, it did not get much attention outside of the police department. Now that it has moved into the schools and into more communities, it is getting media attention. I can assure you that every gang member in Greensboro has an arrest history. If we had them behind bars once, why are they not there today? The criminal justice system, starting at the state level, is going to have to cooperate at all levels to insure that gang leaders and their followers are incarcerated for the crimes they commit. Once they are removed from society, our efforts to educate young people about the downside of gang membership will begin to have an effect. It is important to have a police gang unit, just as we have other specialized investigative units, but they will simply be opening a revolving door if the criminal justice system, especially the courts, do not step up to the plate.

A recent social capital study cites not only continuing distrust among citizens in Greensboro but higher-than-average distrust of the police department and city government in general. How would you address those problems?
When politically hot issues, such as Project Homestead, become public concern, city council must insure citizens that those issues will be investigated thoroughly. Citizens in Greensboro feel certain special interests groups are not held accountable with tax dollars. Whether this is fact or perceived, it causes a lack of trust among citizens. Communication is the key. Concerning distrust of the police department, the study indicated that the lack of trust was more prominent among minority communities, which is consistent nationwide. The police department has made great strides in addressing these issues. Officers from the mid-management level and above now reflect our community as a whole in regards to racial/gender makeup. The hiring practices of the department have addressed these issues has well. When the community sees that they are represented within the department, and when all citizens are dealt with fairly and consistently, regardless of the race of the officer or the citizen, trust will be restored.

What current council member do you admire most? Why?
Diane Bellamy-Small. I do not always agree with her politics and I am not a fan of the drama that seems to surround her, but she represents the concerns of her constituents.

What should be the vision for Guilford County?
Guilford County should continue to form partnerships with county municipalities and township to insure a high quality of life for all of its citizens.