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News & Record election questionnaire - Greensboro City Council District 1

Office you seek
District 1 City Council

Occupation
Contractor, Construction Project Management

Age
46

Education
BS Industrial Technology, A&T, with concentration construction Management

Address

Web site/blog/email address
http://www.vote4tonyaclinkscale.com

Previous elective experience
none

Other relevant experience (boards and commissions, etc.)
Community Resource Board, High Point Road/ W Lee Street Corridor Committee

Family
5 adult children

Why have you chosen to run for this office?
District 1 needs more effective leadership on city council

Key qualifications you would bring to the job.
* management education and experience
* extensive and formal leadership training and experience
* understanding of urban development
* budget experience
* intensive experience negotiating for services and contracts
* experience working with a variety of issues facing youth and children
* direct understanding of issues facing youth and children
* volunteer experience working with senior citizens

What distinguishes you most from your opponent(s)?
* An ability to deal more effectively with people and to build collaborative partnerships.
* More professional approach to public services responsibilities
* Greater commitment to public accountability
* More negotiating experience
* More experience working with businesses, corporations and developers, MWBEs and small business issues
* better understanding of community development and effective advocacy
* a more proven track record of handling and completing projects and initiatives successfully

Please list the top three issues in your district and your stances on those issues (briefly, please).
* Divided community - splintered communities, lack of consistency, lack of collaborative alliances across the city
* Slow growth and no vision or plan for the future - we need more vigorous economic development strategies and policies
* Increase in violent crime: Gangs and violent assaults are on the rise. Seniors are too afraid to leave their home.

If different from above, please list the top three issues citywide and your position on them (briefly, please).
* A lack of vision: Unlike Raleigh and Charlotte, Greensboro does not seem to have an "risk-taker", "big-dreamers". The city seems a little to conservative in its economic strategies. For example, Greensboro seems to hold on to the dream that the textile and manufacturing industry could make a come-back. Instead we should be investing in more contemporary and innovative ways to utilize the textile and manufacturing expertise.
* Slow economic growth - Caused partyly by the condition previously stated, yet also because of a social strain. Communities and social entities are not working together to build share a common vision of Greensboro's future. Communities seem to have been left out of the planning stage.
* Widespread social distrust has prevented Greensboro citizens from reaching out beyond their boundaries to build alliances that lead to a more productive city.

What lessons do you think should be drawn from recent problems in the Greensboro Police Department?
* The Greensboro Police Department must become more open and communicate more effectively with the City Manager office so that the manager can report factual information to city council.
* The police department must become transparent, making a deliberative effort to responsd to the citizens concerns. At same time, our community leaders, churches and social groups must work to bring community and police together.

Have those problems been resolved? Why or why not?
No, I think it's clear that there is still widespread distrust the police department. The fact that this RMA report has been made public, yet the issues brought up by the report has not been address by council has probably increase distrust of the police and city officials.

Should this district have had a recall election on Aug. 21? Why or why not?
It was a waste of money to have an election 6 to 8 weeks before an election where all people of the district could have taken action to address the concerns of the Recall.

Voters must decide whether or not they want a democratic process or not. Democracy is the American way of life. Some voters felt that they had been wronged by the councilwoman, being injured our laws gave them the right to seek a recall. Our state supreme court upheld that right.

Other voters felt that the reason for the recall was unjust and that the recall should not occur, so our constitution and state laws gave them a right to speak out against the recall. In the end, voters were given the right to decide which side should prevail. Voters chose to exercise this right and, therefore, our democratic system worked.

Should the rules for recall elections in the city be changed? Why or why not?
Again, this is a democratic society; if it is discovered that our laws are outdated or unjust, then we should change them.

Have the mayor and City Council done an effective job in addressing Greensboro's economic needs? What more should they do?
The economic growth of Greensboro is considerably lower than neighboring cities, so I do not feel that they have done the most effective job. However, I am optimistic that going forward council will revise their economic strategies and policies.

Does Greensboro have a gang problem and if so, how should the city address it?
Yes. The city needs to ensure that policing policies aimed at curbing gang activity are balanced with initiatives that address the socioeconomic influences that lead children and youth to join gangs.

How can the city spur more economic development in District 1?
* implement plans to build a more educated and skilled labor force
* assist communities within Greensboro to build productive inner-city alliances
* reduce the bureaucratic barriers that hinder small business growth
* be more cautious when giving tax credits and financial incentive to large corporation. Council needs to investigate the track record of these corporations before incentives are offered.
* support Minority, Women and Business enterprises because they are the one who will more often than you establish businesses and support economic growth in the minority and more economically depressed communities

How would you evaluate the City Council's handling of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report?
Did the council handle the TRC report? The only part of the show that I saw was the part where council said "thank you for your service .... your dismissed…." I am lost on this one.

If you are not an incumbent, what vote or decision of the council would you overturn? Why do you disagree with the decision?
(No response given).

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?
* implement better public relation strategies on behave of the police department
* voluntarily allow neighborhoods and community leaders more open access to the police department, making an deliberate effort to get the community involved with the police department and the policing process)
* opening addressing the concern of people of color

What current council member do you admire most? Why?
Yvonne Johnson: She is able to reach out across the community and address the needs of all citizens. She is very personable yet professional in her duty to the community

What should be the vision for Guilford County be?
Grow, Grow, Grow Grow stronger, grow wiser, grow together