Top 10 list at the Raleigh election forums: No. 10 —
LWVs/WakeUP Wake County forum
WakeUP Wake County and the League of Women Voters combined to put on a candidates forum Thursday — City Council candidates only. Last night, the four mayoral candidates joined in at the University Park Homeowner Association’s forum. Goodness, these were genteel events. Everyone there was so nice. (No Joe Wilsons.) But not everyone was there.
Top 10 things said and heard:
10 — Where was Mary-Ann Baldwin? A lot of people were asking. Or Champ Claris, for that matter? Two of the four at-large candidates made it to neither forum, including incumbent Baldwin, who scheduled a fundraiser opposite the WakeUP/LWV event and told UPHA organizers she’d be out of town for theirs. Also MIA: Waheed Haq, one of the two candidates in District E, and Charles Reisinger, one of the two in District C. Otherwise, every mayoral and council candidate made it to one or both events, including District A Councilor Nancy McFarlane — she was one for two — who’s running unopposed.
9 — The Baldwin/Claris no-shows opened the door for Lee Sartain, also running at-large, who did well in both forums by tossing out some ideas of his own (a Raleigh-centered transit system separate from Triangle Transit, for example) while also riffing on the other at-large incumbent Russ Stephenson’s good answers …
8 — … but Sartain was tripped up toward the end of the UPHA forum when he was asked if he has any experience that would help on council. His answer: Not really, and that could be his secret weapon. “In some ways, the lack of experience, uh, won’t bog me down,” Sartain said.
7 — What’s the better way to pay for growth, impact fees or property taxes? District C incumbent James West said taxes, as did District B challenger John Odom. (Though Odom, a Republican, was quick to add that he favors neither; Democrat West called for “balance.”) Most interesting: Republican mayoral candidate Larry Hudson II, self-described fiscal conservative (”I am a heavy non-spending person,” he exclaimed at one point), who said developers should pay higher impact fees before property owners are hit with higher taxes. Hudson went on to say that, as an anti-sprawl measure, the city should think about charging developers for water & sewer hookups (capacity fees) based on how far out they are. “Distance rates,” he called them. New one on me.
6 — Is more affordable housing needed? Yes, said Councilors Rodger Koopman (District B) and Thomas Crowder (District D). Koopman would raise impact fees on developers in general, but cut them for projects with 10 percent affordable units. Crowder said major mixed-use projects should be required to have 14 percent affordable units — with no impact fees as the carrot. Sartain agreed in general and said Raleigh should go to the legislature for approval to use graduated impact fees. West said he was pro-affordable housing, but against any sort of inclusionary zoning requirement. (Odd for a SE Raleigh rep who’s always complaining that all the low-income housing is in his district and should be spread across the city.)
5 — Is affordable housing a priority? No, said mayoral candidate Gregg Kunz. “Not everybody can afford to live at the top of the RBC tower,” Kunz opined. “[They] gotta move to where the affordable housing is.” Kunz several times put himself in the running for worst answer in the simple question category. (Example: You say you’re an entrepreneur … how will your experience help on council? Nothing about Kunz’s answer was decipherable after he said he attended the University of Arizona and used to work for a big corporation.) But the prize for worst answer, simple question category, went to …
4 … John Odom, who was asked if thinks community garden projects are a good idea as part of the city’s efforts to conserve open space. Odom, honest to a fault, said he’d never thought about it so his answer would have to be no. Koopman, who is trying to keep Odom from re-claiming his old seat, gave the correct answer: “A great idea.”
3 — What’s the next controversial (or maybe not) idea you haven’t heard about yet? Mayor Charles Meeker hinted at it when he asked aloud what should follow such blockbusters as the reopening of Fayetteville Street. A new Blount Street plan? he said. Or a pedestrian bridge connecting the two sides of North Hills? Bingo. City Council said no — with Meeker in the lead — when North Hills developer John Kane wanted a $75 million subsidy for his parking decks. But when North Hills East opens for bidness, will folks need their track shoes to get from their apartments, on one side of Six Forks Road, to Coquette on the other side?
2 — What’s the least controversial subject in Raleigh? It’s transit. Everybody’s on-board, it seems. Even Bonner Gaylord, awkwardly managing to say nothing else of consequence at the LWV/WakeUP forum, said he’ll vote yes on the 1/2-cent sales tax for transit when it’s put on the ballot. Hudson II, the Republican mayoral candidate, said it would be worth the extra money to extend the transit system — when it comes — across I-40 from RTP to RDU International. It would save a lot of $60 cab rides home, he observed. (Although he later said that while he’s pro-transit, he’s not for building anything yet.)
1 — And the No. 1 thing we heard came from mild-mannered mayoral candidate Mark Enloe, who raised the subject a couple of times at the UPHA forum, but so softly that it barely registered. Why is Raleigh 10 years behind Charlotte in transit? Why are we behind in water conservation? Why are the baseball stadiums in Durham and Zebulon but not in Raleigh? “Is Raleigh everything you think it should be for a city that’s had all these top rankings?” Enloe asked. “Is there perhaps a fundamental lack of leadership here?”
12 Comments
Wow on #7. While I don’t support Hudson over Meeker, I will give me mucho credit for his “distance rates” idea. That sounds like something you’d expect from a progressive.
— RaleighRob 16 September 2009
I attended the UPHA forum. I thought both Kunz and Enloe unimpressive and remarkably uninformed on issues. I, too, was impressed with Hudson’s “distance rates” proposal, though I thought the rest of his presentation poor (but not as poor as Enloe and Kunz).
Ted VanDyke was impressive but not so much so I thought to switch my support for Crowder. Russ Stephenson already has my support, and I thought Lee Sartain is the young man to watch. He tells you right up front he’s a “wonk.” He may be a young wonk, but he was well informed on the issues and works at the legislature as a lobbyest for NCSU. I think he’s going places in a Janet Cowell sort of way.
— Joel Haas 16 September 2009
WakeUP Wake County is holding candidate forums to encourage voters to find out where candidates stand on important growth issues of our community. WakeUP will host a forum for Cary Town Council candidates Sept. 23, 7pm, Kirk of Kildaire Presbytarian Church. Vote on Oct. 6th!
— Karen Rindge 16 September 2009
I was also at the UPHA forum. One comment missing from the list that I thought was interesting was from Mr. Van Dyk… “Raleigh is bigger than just District D” while I concur, the fact is he is running for District D, and was talking to District D residents… He could have been more specific with his answers on how he would support District D as a whole instead of restating marketing messages from his website.
— UPHA Resident 16 September 2009
I think it’s embarrassing and really telling that the 3 mayoral candidate’s that are running for mayor against Charles Meeker havnen’t even voted in a local election!!! How can they go from not voting to wanting to be mayor?? They were all very uninformed and not impressive at all.
It’s also very telling that both Mary-Ann Baldwin and Champ Claris couldn’t make room in their schedules to attend at least one of these important public forums so the citizens could learn more about them.
As always, Russ Stephenson and Thomas Crowder were very well informed and knowledgeble. Lee Sartain may lack experience but he is very bright and has great ideas. I would love some fresh new ideas on council.
— Donna Bailey 16 September 2009
I took notes too Bob, check them out at: http://lineberry.org/blogs/2009/09/15/upha-2009-candidates-forum-qa/
I love the “What about pursuing an NBA franchise for downtown Raleigh?” by Enloe answer myself. Dude, Charlotte has the Bobcats. Hello????
Regardless of who you support. Please vote on Oct 6, 2009.
— Jason Hibbets 16 September 2009
Sir Charles has gone global.
check him out on http://www.toubanc.org
— fxcw 17 September 2009
Charlotte has the Bobcats?? L.A. has the Lakers too. Don’t tell me, you think there’s a rule governing NBA teams that dictates that we can’t have two teams in the same state. Well, if one of the cities seeking a team is Raleigh then you just might be right. It would take some community interest and some aggressive promotion of the idea by the city… something you won’t get this from the current mayor. That’s why we need a change. Ask some of the business owners on Glenwood and Fayetteville Streets if they might be interested in getting a team…
— Mark William Enloe 18 September 2009
The businesses (bars) on Glenwood and Fayetville Streets barely recognize the Hurricanes. Heck they ignore NC State half the time. Do you honestly think an NBA franchise will be any different?
LA has two teams — the Lakers and the Clippers. That doesn’t necessarily mean Raleigh can support one. Heck the Triangle has 2.5 college teams a lot of people would rather see play than more than 80+% of the NBA.
To say nothing of the 2006 Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. What is wrong with supporting what we already have?
How much money do we want to throw at such a fool’s errand? I am glad we are thinking about immediate priorities today than chasing dreams that will cost a lot more than they return economically just for an ego boost.
There *is* a rule governing minor league baseball teams and how close they can be to each other. That is why Durham and Zebulon have teams and Raleigh does not.
— RonB 21 September 2009
Number 5 - indeed, Kunz provided a very stupid answer to the question on affordable housing. Would someone please define ‘affordable housing’ and exactly how this ‘issue’ impacts our community? Is this a question of the price of a home for purchase or for a rental property? Is ‘affordable housing’ a priority? It seems that it is an issue that everyone wants to talk about but no one has defined what the term means and where we lack affordable housing. There are plenty of rental properties ‘Inside the Beltline’ for less than $700.00 per month - is this ‘affordable’? Or does affordable mean $250 per month? Kunz’s trite answer apparently was lost on a few people. The point of ‘not everyone can live at the top of the RBC tower’ was simple enough and meant to point out that we actually have a lot of affordable housing in the area - in downtown as well as throughout the City. If the question of affordable housing is related to home prices keep in mind that in a free-market world (which we still live in)supply and demand as well as size, value, and location are parts of the equation. If we are talking about rental units bear in mind that there was a cost to build the property and that whoever built it, or owns it, needs to make a return on their investment (that damn free-market keeps rearing its ugly head). They will set the rental price at a point where there is demand and they can maintain a high occupancy rate. So, that said, not everyone can live atop the RBC tower - but they can live within site of it, if they want to live downtown, or, they can commute from other areas of our fine City and county.
If the ‘affordable housing’ issue is actually a question of the City footing the bill for building housing and then subsidizing rent for the inhabitants……I do not see the need unless it is for a short term rental to help someone during a time of need. Six months would be fair. Let’s stop looking for ways to raise taxes and build more government programs. People who want to get ahead need to get off their asses and stop relying on the rest of the taxpayers to support them.
Gregg Kunz
— Gregg S Kunz 21 September 2009
@MarkWilliamEnloe - I’m a big pro sports fan, don’t get me wrong. Big into NFL, glad we have the Hurricanes here, but one great thing about the Triangle is that we have great college sports. Let’s focus on our assets here and figure out how to take advantage of that before we try to gamble with a pro baseball or basketball francise. True, Raleigh made a mistake by not placing the RBC Center downtown, but it’s done. Let’s figure out how to make things happen with what we have.
— Jason Hibbets 28 September 2009
Hey Shakespeare, please check the ’source’ of your ‘facts’. While I would have loved to attend this event I did not. Whichs I must assume that you did not as well. I did say (hese stupid things’ at the UPHA event - did you make it there or did you get your infmation straight from your source?
— Gregg Kunz 4 October 2009