The following is a letter to the editor from Rhino Times reader Jim Donaldson
This is my road map to make Greensboro Great again!
The first thing that needs to be done with the Greensboro Mayor, City Council, and Department Heads of the City of Greensboro is to establish accountability.
1) No one should serve as our Mayor on our City Council if they or their entity is funded by the City of Greensboro and its taxpayers.
2) Our Chief of Police must immediately fall under a new incentive plan which will be based on his or her performance. The bar will be set by the rate of crime in Greensboro. Other incentives will be based on the number of illegal guns and habitual offenders that are taken off our streets. This compensation plan will penalize the compensation of our Police Chief based on homicides, aggravated assaults, auto crash injuries, and property damages from auto crashes in our city.
3) Millions of dollars will be saved on consultant fees spent by our city by strictly limiting consultants. If a City Department head is not capable of being a leader in his field of expertise, he should be replaced and never be subsidized by consultants.
4) Our City Leaders have chosen to no longer actively manage the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and the Tanger Center. If this represents 20% of our City’s Budgets and Revenues, then all those formerly directly responsible for these operations (including our Mayor and City Council) compensation packages should be reduced 20%.
5) All the wasted funds on special interest projects (Cure the Violence), consultants, and unearned wages would be used to give our entire City of Greensboro Police Department and our First Responders a 20% raise.
6) To further fund these activities the Greensboro Gun Show will return to the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. If you remember our mayor and former Coliseum Manager arbitrarily canceled this event costing us taxpayers close to one million dollars of revenues over a 5-year period. I contend there is as much or more class, character, and education to be learned at the Greensboro Gun Show as there is at the Tanger Center.
7) P.S. If we can’t fund a 20 % raise for our 1st Responders with responsible spending. I propose a one cent tax hike to fund, attract, and retain these brave individuals. Revenue from such a sales tax hike would go directly into a fund to be spent exclusively on 1st Responders and not to a General Fund for our Politicians and City Leaders to waste!Jim Donaldson
2) Our Chief of Police must immediately fall under a new incentive plan which will be based on his or her performance. The bar will be set by the rate of crime in Greensboro. Other incentives will be based on the number of illegal guns and habitual offenders that are taken off our streets. This compensation plan will penalize the compensation of our Police Chief based on homicides, aggravated assaults, auto crash injuries, and property damages from auto crashes in our city.
3) Millions of dollars will be saved on consultant fees spent by our city by strictly limiting consultants. If a City Department head is not capable of being a leader in his field of expertise, he should be replaced and never be subsidized by consultants.
4) Our City Leaders have chosen to no longer actively manage the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and the Tanger Center. If this represents 20% of our City’s Budgets and Revenues, then all those formerly directly responsible for these operations (including our Mayor and City Council) compensation packages should be reduced 20%.
5) All the wasted funds on special interest projects (Cure the Violence), consultants, and unearned wages would be used to give our entire City of Greensboro Police Department and our First Responders a 20% raise.
6) To further fund these activities the Greensboro Gun Show will return to the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. If you remember our mayor and former Coliseum Manager arbitrarily canceled this event costing us taxpayers close to one million dollars of revenues over a 5-year period. I contend there is as much or more class, character, and education to be learned at the Greensboro Gun Show as there is at the Tanger Center.
7) P.S. If we can’t fund a 20 % raise for our 1st Responders with responsible spending. I propose a one cent tax hike to fund, attract, and retain these brave individuals. Revenue from such a sales tax hike would go directly into a fund to be spent exclusively on 1st Responders and not to a General Fund for our Politicians and City Leaders to waste!Jim Donaldson
You had me until the tax hike, Jim.
Sorry.
Exactamundo! NO more f&*)&*g taxes.
No more taxes…
Nothing is more important to the future, quality of living, and safety of our citizens than our First Responder’s! My proposal of a tax hike had a big IF to begin with. Read it, and then vote for more responsible City Leaders next fall! Most likely, it’s asking too much for our current leaders to engage in responsible spending? Don’t like tax increase either, but this one is so important it would be difficult for any citizen to vote against it! Let’s hope the tax increase proposal is not necessary.
Jim Donaldson
I’m with you Jim. The expertise is consultant based, like a dog chasing a car- The unprofessional overview of how the city is run is embarrassing. Dollars lost to what I call the “Famous syndrome”, those on city council have some vision of themselves as being famous for being in the political arena of the city of Greensboro. Education about how government works is repeated for those people, and eight years is beyond sane as they become complacent to solving issues. The county commission is a highlight of “Political Speak” not real solutions, just lip service. Get ready, the city will remind people of the days when the Gold Rush happened and the phrase “Wild West Town” found its place in history.
Before you raise taxes…Audit all City Departments. Start by interviewing the essential city employees. They know where the wasteful spending starts in their departments. Most will say department head salaries do not match their qualifications. Most essential employees are grossly underpaid and overworked and are made to believe mandatory overtime is a benefit.
Lol, once you added the gun show to your list it seems you were putting your personal interest versus something that would actually improve the city and how it operates.
No, the gun show made money for the city, along with making money for Greensboro restaurants, hotels, and retail outlets.
It was cancelled out of woke Politically Correct spite.
You’re absolutely right Austin the gun show never lost money and beyond what you said each show was not only popular in Greensboro it also provided a legal means for several hundred people to earn extra money. Also don’t forget the extra tax dollars that it brought into the city and county. King Skippy’s favorite word.
TAXES
Were you one those commetors raving against the art center and that the revenue figures where made up numbers? Asking for a friend.
Yes Rebel, you’re 100% correct. And… it was fun! The best gun show around.
Chrissy is just displaying his ignorant stupidity again. He literally doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but that’s nothing new, is it?
So, your personal pet event. Good for you. You would fit right in on the council. (I was a fan of the gun show as well but really prefer the old Dixie Deer Classic in Raleigh as I am more a hunter than a ‘gun guy’)
My “personal pet event”…?
Wrong again, Chrissy. Does it never get to you that you are so consistently wrong, about everything? Do you never check yourself? Do you just spew your preconceptions and prejudices without ever looking back?
In other words, are you just a BSing blowhard?
I can see the headlines now “Gun Show Saves Greensboro”. Lol.
Funny how you all often take decisions as zero sum exercises. Why would you not assume that events that replace the gun show also generated revenue.
But you be you.
Funny how you never admit it when you’re wrong.
——————
Deflect & digress… Deflect & digress… Deflect & digress…
Ok, I will type slower for you this time….
He presents a 7-point plan to save Greensboro and one of the points (not a sub-point, a primary point!) for “Saving Greensboro’ is the bring back the Gun Show. LOL. Sure, the Gun Show makes a little money, but I am equally sure that the events that replaced it made the same if not more money. And really, is the money the Gun Show used to make gonna save poor ‘ol GSO? LOL, Nope. Its just a small thing he is personally upsest about and in his pretend world where he has the power to save GSO, he tosses in his Gun Show to make himself happy.
Typical hypocritical group to get upset (rightly by the way) about city council funding their pet projects (which I am sure they will tell you have a net benefit for the city) then to present your plan with your pet event tossed in as primary point for saving GSO. LMAO.
If THAT doesn’t make sense to you, maybe I can use crayons and pictures to help you see the humor in the idea. But you be you.
No-one’s saying that reinstating the gun show will “save Greensboro”. We’re saying it was a worthwhile and money making event for the Coliseum and many private businesses, and that it was cancelled arbitrarily out of Leftist spite.
Which is true.
Spin away with your sophistry and disingenuousness. It’s just more BS from you.
—-
And spare us the insults. They just reveal what kind of person you are.
That is literally what he said. Point 6 of 7
Nowhere in his point No. 6 does he say that the gun show will “save Greensboro”, as you claim.
You are flat out wrong, and for once, the proof is right here in black & white.
You are explicitly and unarguably incorrect.
Care to apologise?
Wow you are daft. The literal title of the letter is A 7 Point Plan TO SAVE GREENSBORO. Point 6 is to bring back the gun show. You do understand the importance of context?
In the point he even notes that this will ‘fund’ his other points. LMAO
Amazing the hoops you jump through to avoid admitting you are wrong. Hey….Austin….hate is both a noun and a verb! Remember that one? Bahahaha
***** NEWSFLASH ******
Hey Chrissy, the letter writer DOES NOT choose the title of the Letter when its published.
The Editor does – and that’s Scott Yost.
Jim Donaldson had NOTHING to do with the claim in the title. So he made no such claim.
Do you understand that now, Einstein?
So are YOU ready to admit that you are wrong..??
C’mon, we’re all waiting. It will be a first to see Chrissy admit he’s been proven wrong. But you won’t. You’re not big enough, are you?
Fine….he uses the the phrase “This is my road map to make Greensboro Great again!” which is basically the same thing. My point stands.
his little pet event will make Greensboro Great! and fund his other ideas. LMAO
No, your point is refuted and you grudgingly admit it. Nowhere in Point 6, or anywhere in his Letter does the Letter writer claim that the Gun Show will “save Greensboro”.
And you have been forced to admit your error in making that claim.
Just a small point, but a meaningful one.
My point stands.
And hate us still both a verb and a noun.
You just won’t admit to ever being wrong, will you? That’s a personality defect.
People like you never apologize, either. Well why would you when you’re perfect?
A perfect asshole, at least.
But you be you…. So FN STUPID! Commie Chris, you probably would find it more appealing to spend your money in Woke County! Every thing you do seems to be on the stupid side. I’ve been to both The Dixie Classic and the GG&KS and can say without a doubt the Greensboro Gun and Knife Show is way better. Oh, and I’m just responding for your friend… tell him I said, MEOW!
LOL, now I am a commie because I like the Dixie Deer Classic more than the old Greensboro Gun Show? Weird
Austin, the gun show was the best around I have several friends who are vendors and they all agree always great crowds, good revenue and never any trouble. It was a good value for the money I personally will never visit the Tanger center too expensive and I don’t fit in with the nose in the air liberals of Greensboro. One other thing that has been left out is the fact that 500k of taxpayers dollars was used to pay off a promoter for his contract without ANY public discussion and it was done under cover until it wasn’t
Commie Chris, it’s not that you prefer one event over the other it’s that based on your views on everything point towards communism and besides that I have always referred to you as Commie Chris. Weird you’ve never noticed but maybe it’s because the shoe fits. Perhaps Cinderella Chris would suit you?
Capt Curt clearly doesn’t know what communism is as I have never supported all property being publicly owned.
Conservative love to use their big scary words to label people they don’t agree with because they lack the ability to engage in actual deep discussions of ideas given their lack of support for things like facts, data and research.
I could get behind all except the Police Chief accountability reasoning. If someone has evil in their heart to commit a crime, particularly murder, they will find a way. Take away guns, they will uses knives. Take away knives, they will use spoons, or a shoe string, or a vehicle, or a number 2 pencil. The positions of Chiefs, (Assistant, Deputy, and Chief) in Greensboro has been held by the full spectrum of race and gender. All of which I argue, have had the same challenges. Staffing, being the first issue. Top down support likely being the second. Most on current Council, tied the hands of a past Chief to not enforce minor violations, calling it racist. This began a work stoppage that only got worse with the rise of BLM, and the “Just let them take the street and burn it down” mentality. But I digress. A societal shift “back”, is needed. Common sense. Most qualified people in the right positions. Greensboro will NOT ever do that. Whether they label it DEI, MWBE, woke, or what have you, they will always have a quota line drawn. I have confidence in the current Manager and Chief, but their hands are tied on certain things, and no matter who is in those positions, always will be. There are only 2 on the current Council that have consistently supported the Police Department. Young people don’t want to do that job anymore. Why would they when lack of support is abundant and crooked District Attorneys are trying to make a name for themselves and not follow the law. Change is needed. Is Donaldson the answer? I don’t know, but more of the same, definitely is not.
Ridiculous lol. As much class as the gun show as at tanger? This author lost all credibility with that one statement
We should allow all shows if they are lawful
8) Referendum to force all future reappraisals of real estate to be revenue neutral.
Hear, hear!
No more sly tax hikes!
Excellent suggestion David
Replying to Jim’s letter: The percentage to the police won’t work. They are not responding to calls such as shoplifting etc.
Class. At a gun show. Lol. That was funny. Thank you for the laughs
Taylor, you sound like a Hillary Clinton supporter… I’m sure you enjoy all the woke leftist anti- American rainbow crap the libtards can’t get enough of that seems to be the main draw at the Tanger. As for me, my opinion is the folks at the Greensboro Gun Show are definitely a BETTER class of people. See ya at the Walmart…. Taylor!
Taylor. I’ll take a “good ole boy “ from the gun show to have my back any day opposed to a pencil neck liberal from Tanger center. At least I’ll know who’s holding what in their hand
LOL ! You crack me up, Rebel. Good one!
Thanks Austin I really enjoy you and Alan’s point of view in your posts. Cracking open a cold one in your honor. Cheers
Cheers, my friend !
Since Chrissy characterizes us as “Moonshine swilling rednecks who drink at the tailgate of our trucks” maybe we should fulfill his fantasy and have a few cold ones together. I really do have a Chevy truck.
If you’re up for it, you can call my business’s number at 1-800-673-3763. Just leave a message. I’ll call you back.
And thanks for the kind words about my letters.
I love Dixie (and I’ll tell you a funny story about when I flew to Britain in November through Newark).
Iechyd Da!
Good, but the gun show….100% agree on the Consultants. We pay staff to do the work…..make them do it. Run government like a business.