(Click on map to enlarge)
I'd also like to say in all honesty that I believe Mayor Vaughan, Councilwoman Hoffmann, Councilwoman Johnson, Councilman Barber and Councilman Matheny are all crooks and I've presented more than enough evidence in hundreds of pages on this website to prove that. Dr Wades's plan will relieve us of several of those crooks.
The fact that Dr Wade concentrated all of Greensboro's richest neighborhoods into her new District 4 is very telling. You see, that district is very strongly Republican and will almost certainly vote a Republican to City Council. But that district also concentrates most of Greensboro's elites into 1 district thereby reducing their overall control over City Council. Had we had such districting before we would never have gotten approval for the Downtown performing arts center. It may be this was Roy Carroll's idea but Trudy has pulled one over on Roy.
When I first came of age to vote all of Greensboro's City Council was elected at large and in most years all of them lived in Irving Park. Greensboro's working class neighborhoods had no representation. The current system attempted to address that problem but still gives preference to Greensboro's wealthy. By concentrating Greensboro's wealthiest neighborhoods into 1district Trudy is severely weakening the Elites.
Add to that under the current system, citizens living north of Pisgah Church Road, in the residential areas near Piedmont Triad International, near High Point, in Brightwood, Glenwood, areas near Pleasant Garden and others have all expressed to me they feel as if they have no representation at all. And when you see that 4 of our current 9 council members live in Trudy's new District 4 it's easy to see what those people might feel that way.
Dr Wade's plan actually gives us more district representation than ever before.
What many see as a blow to the working class and Northeast Greensboro is the fact that Trudy's new redistricting pits Jamal Fox against Yvonne Johnson. For starters: Johnson is on my list of crooks. Secondly, rumors abound that Johnson plans to retire and leave the state, perhaps moving to Texas. Either way, Jamal will have no problem motivating East Greensboro against Yvonne as East Greensboro is way beyond ready for new blood.
It's become very apparent from watching his conversations on Facebook that Councilman Wilkins knows a lot more about this process than he has been willing to let on. Unlike a lot of other high profile Republicans he hasn't turned and run from it now that a significant Republican backlash has developed but as smug as Tony remains he could go down with Trudy as the rest are jumping ship as if the fire is out of control. Trudy seriously needs to work on her PR skills, perhaps start holding some town hall meetings instead of just throwing things in voters' faces.
The idea that City Council will select the mayor instead of the voters? With the mayor having no more power than any single City Council member what difference does it make? One person, one vote. Instead of Trudy's veto option (a sure fire way to shoot down anything Roy Carroll doesn't like) let the mayor keep her or her vote, represent whatever district put him or her there and be appointed from Council by the Council.
Like I said, I wish Trudy had talked to us about it but overall Trudy's plan removes some of the crooks from council, reduces the concentration of power to Greensboro's elites who currently control the majority of our voting districts as well as the majority of our at large seats and gives power back to the working class.
Was that her plan? I doubt it, my guess is she's simply out to weaken Democrats locally but who cares when the fight is really between the working class and the elites who may be registered as Democrats but serve only for themselves and their cronies.
And finally as John Hammer wrote in the publication his boss Roy Carroll is forcing him to shill the plan in:
"It should cause quite a scramble if it does go into effect because, if the district lines remain, at least three districts currently have no one on the City Council. It should open the door for new people to run."
I think few will disagree new blood is needed.
