Mayoral rivals offer different visions at Political Forum
Two of Charlotte's Republican mayoral candidates offered competing visions for the city Thursday night, with one pushing limited government and the other offering examples of how government can work for its citizens.
Martin Davis and John Lassiter (both Republicans) outlined their views during a forum sponsored by the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
Seventeen City Council candidates also attended the two-hour forum at Little Rock AME Zion Church. The caucus invited everyone competing in the Sept. 15 primaries.
The Republican mayoral primary pits Davis, Lassiter and Jack Stratton, who did not attend. The winner faces Democrat Anthony Foxx in November.
Davis invoked the Founding Fathers' belief in limited government.
“As a nation, we have strayed far, far away from that,” he said.
He criticized what he described as Charlotte's high taxes and said he opposes economic development grants, which Lassiter has supported. Asked to answer yes or no on whether he would support “uncontrolled” and “unplanned” growth, Davis said he would.
He later clarified to the Observer that while some controls are needed, regulations should be relaxed.
Lassiter, a three-term council member, said he opposes uncontrolled growth. He also detailed initiatives he said he and the city have taken to foster economic development. In particular, he cited efforts to help minority contractors and spur development along Wilkinson Boulevard, Beatties Ford Road and North Tryon Street.
He touted what he called the unparalleled experience he would bring to the job as a former neighborhood leader, planning commissioner, school board member and councilman.
Asked how they would build coalitions across the city, Lassiter said he “understands the diversity of the community” and even invited the 80 or so people present to a breakfast he's hosting Aug. 22 at the old McDonald's Cafeteria on Beatties Ford Road.
Davis called diversity “a catchword for racial differences.”
“I've seen Tiger Woods play golf,” he said. “I've seen Barry Sanders play football. Black people are capable of competing with white people.”
At-large candidates speak
Virtually all of the 13 at-large candidates at the caucus forum agreed that economic development and public safety are the main issues facing the city. Moderator Bea Thompson also fired different questions to each of the 13.
On Sept. 15, primary voters will nominate four Democrats and four Republicans.
Here is some of what the candidates said Thursday night:
Raphael Basisa, D: Called himself an “original” with “very good judgment” who would bring new ideas to council. “I'm not going to focus on experience,” he said, “because I've never been on City Council.”
Georgia Belk, R: Touted her efforts last year on what she called “the campaign to change our court system,” which resulted in the election of her husband Bill to the District Court. “I'll be as committed on City Council to you as I was on the reform campaign last fall,” she said.
Tariq Bokhari, R: One of the organizers of Wednesday night's “town hall” on health care – a meeting that drew some 100 people – he said voters should look at what candidates do, not just what they say. “You will never hear me say it's not my responsibility,” he said.
Susan Burgess, D: The only incumbent Democrat in the race, she said she would work to keep Charlotte a great place. “I want to maintain that,” she said.
Patrick Cannon, D: Asked what mistake he'd made that he'd learned from, Cannon, a former council member, had a hard time thinking of any. “I believe that I have tried to do the best I can with the information before me,” he said.
Anthony Castrillon, D: As a first-generation American whose parents came from Ecuador, he said he hopes to keep Charlotte “a beautiful city everywhere, not just (in) certain pockets.”
Dave Howard, D: Touted his track record as a planning commissioner and advocate for affordable housing. Said Howard: “I'm a solution-oriented person.”
Craig Nannini, R: Said Charlotte's tax structure deters businesses – and jobs. “Why would a business owner come to set up shop,” he asked, “when it's going to cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra costs?”
Edwin Peacock, R: The only incumbent Republican in the race said he would push to diversify the city's economy, with special focus on green energy as well as NASCAR and the financial industry.
Darrin Rankin, D: Asked how he would not give in to special interests, he had a simple answer. “Just be myself,” he said. “I'm my own person.”
Jay Rao, R: Said the biggest city budget challenge is balancing needs. She called for an audit of the entire budget “to see what works and what doesn't.”
Matthew Ridenhour, R: A former Marine, he said would help lead the city like he led joint exercises between the Marines and Army. “We focused,” he said, “on the mission.”
Bob Williams, D: Called himself “a common citizen” fed up with rising tax and utility bills. “I'm tired of (how) these things keep going up and up and up,” he said.
Republican at-large candidate Jerry Drye did not attend.
District 1 Democrats Patsy Kinsey and Owen Sutkowski and District 5 rivals Darrell Bonapart and Nancy Carter also answered questions.
Rival protests Lassiter's use of city video
Republican mayoral candidate Martin Davis asked election officials on Monday to order one of his opponents to remove a video clip from a city-produced television show from his campaign Web site.
The request was part of a complaint Davis filed with the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections against city councilman John Lassiter, and references a 5-minute, 37-second clip about Lassiter that originally aired as part of a show about the council on the Government Channel.
Mecklenburg Elections director Michael Dickerson said he planned to forward the complaint to the state board of elections. Davis told the Observer he was told the state board could discuss the matter on Thursday.
It is the second complaint Davis has filed in recent days about the TV show. The previous complaint was against Lassiter and Democratic mayoral candidate Anthony Foxx, who also sits on the city council, and claimed the city was giving the pair an unreported in-kind contribution by featuring them on the show.
City Attorney Mac McCarley has defended the video, telling the Observer last week it was not campaign-related and featured “sitting elected officials communicating with their constituents.”
But Davis writes in his complaint that Lassiter's use of the video clip on his Web site constitutes an “illegal contribution.”
“I ask that you issue a cease and desist to Lassiter to remove the video from his campaign website and take whatever legal action against Lassiter that is warranted under North Carolina law,” Davis wrote.
Davis said he has a video on his own campaign web site that cost $2,400 to make and is of lesser quality, so taxpayers may have paid more to cover the cost of the Lassiter clip.
On Monday, Lassiter said the TV show on the council was produced by the city last year and done independently of the election season. He said he included the segment on his campaign site because “I think it's an accurate portrayal of my involvement and a good way for people to get to know me.”
Lassiter said the video is in the public domain and available on the city Web site, as are Martin's appearances at city council meetings. He said Martin could download those clips if he wishes to let people know more about him.
Replied Martin: “We'll see what the board of elections has to say about that.”
Davis, Lassiter and Jack Stratton are vying against each other in a September primary.
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Sources: Charlotte Observer, Google Maps
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