Puzzles
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Up Front
Jan. 9-15, 2020
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to sell land to the school district for a new Ashley Elementary had been taken off the agenda. “I’m standing before you tonight, asking, pleading and even begging if you will please put the sale of the land for Ashley Elementary School back on the agenda,” Parmon said. “In good conscience, I would hope that you as a board would see that by not doing so this continues to put our children’s health at risk and it stops development in the Northeast Ward.” Mayor Pro Tem Burke publicly disputed Parmon’s characterization of the proposal as being taken off the agenda. But at her prompting, an assistant city manager explained that the city was yoking the proposed sale to an application by the Housing Authority of WinstonSalem to replace the Cleveland Avenue Homes public-housing community. A month later, the item was on the agenda for the city finance committee, and at the next city council meeting members voted unanimously to approve the sale of the property for the new school. The three candidates take somewhat different stances on the housing authority’s application to the federal government for a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods grant. The agency has been turned down for the grant three years in a row, and is now applying for the fourth time. Some residents have expressed concern that the replacement of Cleveland Avenue Homes will result in displacement of poor people. King said he’s satisfied with the assurances that he’s heard from the housing authority. “As long as the people have somewhere to go and stay, it’s a good idea to have the federal government put $30 million into the project,” he said. “Just make sure people have the opportunity to come back.” Parmon said she would always be open to dialogue with the leadership of the housing authority, which frequently comes before city council seeking financial assistance. But she expressed skepticism that all of the residents will be able to meet the criteria to move back in when the new project is completed. “For those who don’t qualify, where are they gonna go?” she asked. “We already know there’s a shortage of housing.” Barbara Hanes Burke said she’s already met with housing authority CEO Larry Woods to discuss the grant proposal. She said after the agency was turned
down during the most recent grant cycle, she successfully advocated for the grant proposal to expand its focus, covering more areas of the Northeast Ward. On many issues, the candidates are in accord. All three expressed concern about a lack of access to healthy food in the ward. “It’s a food desert,” King said. “The elderly, disabled and kids have a hard time getting fruits and vegetables.” Parmon said the only grocery store in the Northeast Ward is a Food Lion in the Northside Shopping Center. King said he wants to try to recruit a Food Lion to Ogburn Station Shopping Center. “When we talk about development, the best they give us is another Dollar General and a liquor store,” Parmon said. “Those don’t sustain us.” Burke mused, “It would be wonderful if we could get some businesses to come to the Northeast Ward, especially a restaurant that served healthy food.” Parmon agreed. “We have a lot of fast food,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of sit-down-and-eat-healthy, open-up-amenu type of places.” All three candidates cited public safety as one the ward’s highest priorities. Parmon said city leaders need to be willing to “speak truth to power” on the number of homicides in the city, which set a 25-year record last year, although only three took place in the Northeast Ward. In 2014, voters approved a public safety bond to fund three police substations, located in the Southeast, North and Southwest wards. King said he wants to see a substation placed in the Northeast Ward with 24-hour staffing. Burke is thinking along the same lines. “I believe we’re going to have to work more closely with law enforcement,” she said. “We have done a great job in the city of placing police satellite locations. We probably need to increase that number.” While the campaign is off to a spirited start, the tenor has remained respectful, reflecting the intertwined relationships among candidates. Parmon said she has known Burke since she was a student at Carver High School, adding that Burke encouraged her to run for office, although perhaps not the same one she sought for herself. “Outside of politics, we actually have a good relationship,” Parmon said. “Win, lose or draw, after March 3, we’ll shake hands and wish each other well.”
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“It’s an embarrassment,” Hanes said. “We can do better as a country.” In the past, Hanes has faced scandal for his campaign finances. In 2018, Hanes paid the state more than $1,000 after an auditor discovered an illegal campaign contribution from drug company Pfizer, according to the Raleigh News and Observer. The newspaper also noted examples of improper spending of campaign funds by Hanes including during a 2016 trip to Singapore, clothing from a UNC athletics gift store and small amounts used for a gym consultation fee and shoe repair. Hanes told TCB that his campaign worked with the state Board of Elections to clear the discrepancies up and that he’s thankful for the board for their work. A candidate with almost a decade of working behind the scenes with elected officials, Rhonda Foxx has filed to run against the four other Democrats for the 6th Congressional District this March. Foxx began her career as a staffer during an internship with US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2011. The longest position Foxx held was as chief of staff for US Rep. Alma Adams from 2014 through December 2019. Adams, a former state lawmaker and retired professor at Bennett College, moved to Charlotte to represent the 12th Congressional District after the lines were moved. Foxx said she was encouraged to run after the district was redrawn — again — in November. “The highest voting demographic is African Americans,” said Foxx about the new 6th district. “It’s also millennials and women, and there was no one that fit that demographic in this race. I wasn’t going to not let our voices be heard.” Foxx also urged voters to remember that the new maps are temporary and will be redrawn again in 2021. She said she hopes to make the most of the time she has and work to keep voters engaged. “This is a two-year map,” Foxx said. We need to turn out voters across the state. We need a candidate who knows
how to get things done. I represent the bulk of people in this district. Washington isn’t working for all of us.” Foxx said she’s also focused on criminal justice reform and fixing the education system. She said that she hopes that her candidacy encourages other women to run for office. “I want everyone out there to look at this race and see that I had the courage to try and think, I have the courage to try,” said Foxx. “That’s the ultimate goal for us. Moving the needle for us is encouraging people to get off the sidelines and get involved.” Two Republicans — Laura Pichardo from Pelham and Lee Haywood from Summerfield — have also filed to run. Haywood has been the GOP chairman of the 6th district for the past two years. “It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the NC Republican Party 6th Congressional District Chairman for the past two years, but feel compelled to take the leap from GOP activist to candidate and feel my experience can be best utilized by providing a conservative choice in this upcoming race to the good people of the newly redrawn 6th District,” Haywood wrote on Facebook. “This will not be easy and because of the demographics, I am not expecting much support from the establishment GOP, but I refuse to sit by and let the Democrat Party obtain this seat without any competition,” he continued. In another post, Haywood highlighted eliminating the national debt, overhauling the immigration system, protecting gun rights and fixing the education system as reasons for his campaign. Pichardo, who doesn’t reside within the newly drawn district, said on Facebook that her reason for filing was also the $21 trillion national debt. “We and future generations to come would have to be responsible for paying off this debt,” Pichardo posted. “The creation of a sustainable budget and finding cost savings in operations will be my primary goals.”
Only two Republicans have filed to run: Lee Haywood from Summerfield and Laura Pichardo from Pelham.