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It is clear that you love your city manager, but what is it about Ms. Rakestraw that you disagree? Is it that she is trying to clean up the corruption in your city hall that you disagree with, or is it some personal beef?

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The key words in this letter are "once again"! She does this everywhere she lands.

Does anybody remember Rakestraw covering her mouth, giggling, and laughing along with Phyllis Gibbs during their terms on the county commissioners meetings? Not one meeting but tons of meetings! Then she comes out with some bizarre talk on Dusty Dunn, trying to link B.J. Barnes with the mysterious, yet unsolved, death of Ed Pons. She gives women a bad name in that she has never had an original idea in her life. She and Wade have formed their little "Tea Party" now on the City Council--guess they can laugh and play while some of the adults do the business of the people.

Everybody remembers Trudy Wade "losing" her seat but refusing to give it up. Seems wherever these former commissioners go, they end up costing the taxpayer in wasted time. These two make quite a pair on our board. They deserve each other.

I agree with the writer. My own personal opinion is that the Wray matter is one for the legal system, and not for Mary Rakestraw, in her short period on the council, to post blame. We do not need to go without a School superintendent and a City Manager at the same time. What do you tell businesses, you are trying to recruit, when they see such shenanigans like Rakestraw plays? We need to quit putting the throwaway "clowns" from the County Commissioners on our city council.

Holy cow! Does this guy even know what's going on?

I suggest everyone check out the local blogs like Joe Guarino, Ed Cone, Ben Holder and others for extensive discussion from several view points on the issues.

Accountability in government. Who'd have thought it would cause such a ruckus?

TLC,

You, Perkins, Matheny, Melvin, and the rest of the economic development crowd need to understand that economic development interests are not the most important thing to many residents. Some of us are concerned about honesty in government as well as safety and security in our homes. Ms. Rakestraw has the support of many residents in this city to clean it up.

Oh, Mr. Graham, are you the Graham that works closely with Mr Matheny? You wouldn't be biased would you?

Hey liberal conservative - how about checking out your facts before you miscall the truth. Mary along with Trudy are the only two who know the truth about corruption in government and call it like it is. Would you have had Robert White, the former police chief locked out of his office like Wray for doing what he dumpted on Wray and then calling him racist? If three new black police officers on duty raped a police officer, why in hell did it take so long for the DA's office to become involved (only last week according to Howard Newman)? Why wasn't the case turned over to the Attorney General since that is the responsibility of the DA (dumb ass) to report crime within the county and city. Oh, I wonder who the attorney will be representing the case or even the judge. Will it be Jack Hatfield along with Joe Turner? Oh, my my my, you can't have a cop killer loving judge who works for the police at the direction of the Hatfield's using a so called dirty cop to pull off their financial fraud crimes whereby those innocent public servants like David Wray are kicked off othe job when the truth starts to surface in April 2005. It's totally amazing how the liberal conservative or anyone else thinks there is going to be justice in this matter in the courts when the whole court system is as corrupt if not more so, than what is in the city council made up of certain attorneys, past and present who need to be disbarred and work against justice at the direction of the underlying problem - an ex federal con artist and his lesbian partners directing the courts and judges. You see, there is no justice when the Hatfield's are involved in the Hinson and drug king pin's prostitute girlfriend that everyone shares. My my, wonder if Jack lets her stay in the loft in New York? Then, it's amazing, that Ken Free, attorney for Lt. Hinson was a former assistant prosecutor who all of a sudden in May 2005 leaves for personal reasons. Um Um UM - could it be Stephanie Reece since his wife was also an assistant prosecutor. You see, the Hatfield's brought Ken Free in since it involved a falsified trumped up warrant by Joe Turner by Kitty using a dirty cop, Cuthbertson. The exhorbitant bail by personal vendetta by Kitty and Joe as federal defendants in my first federal case sabotaged by my own black retained attorney out of county whose brother is Tom Wright in Raleigh and currently represented by of all people Doug Harris of Greensboro. As well, Mr. Wrights son is/was on the police force in the Lt. Hinson bachelor party in 2005. My how corruption seems to expose itself when the Hatfield's drag everyone into their financial fraud crimes to obstruct justice and a fraud investigation by the Greensboro Police Department and internal affairs cops James Fulmore and Brian James in March 2006. That also includes chief Bellamy dumping his responsibilities on everyone else. There is a federal law that it is a crime for public officials and servants to deny or deprive the public of honest services. David Wray nor Scott Sanders will ever be allowed justice, since the Hatfield's control a cop killer loving judge who lowers the bond on such animals like himself. Wonder what he would have done had he been in the cops uniform and had a gun pointed at him, Smith and Wesson - bang bang. How do you think the crime and corruption continues in Greensboro when the judges and police department are no better than the cons walking the streets and killing innocent human lives as they destroy within the courts by the domestic violence they perpetrate as officers of the law. Surely you don't think Wray will get a fair hearing since Joe Turner is controlled by the Hatfield's and will be when election time comes around in the fall of this year and Joe wants to run for superior court judge so Jack Hatfield can win his cases. What the Hatfield's can't do legally, they involve others to take the fall for the crimes they belong behind bars for at the present time - even a few murders that they have caused. Pitch Mitch into the landfill where he belongs. I hope Mary Rakestraw and Trudy will do what is right and see that the truth is exposed. Mary knows the corruption of the county commissioners involving Skip Alston and his stupidity that DSS is allowed to get away with and the corruption that involves the abuse of my son by my ex's kidnapping involving the clerk of court illegally in Sept. 2002 as well as Judge Turner by Hatfield in April 2004. All were federal defendants in my federal case. Let's see what you think Mr. Liberal conservative when my newest federal case is filed and it involves the city, county, both law enforcement agencies, the good ole boy network and the dirty dozen attorneys (actually there are more than a dirty dozen with the newest additions) Guilford County DSS, Guilford County Mental Health, the DA's, former, past, and present, and one of your ones trying to leave the state, good ole Terry Grier. Wonder if he will stay at the Hatfield estate in California? My my my, how the Hatfield's are involved in nothing but corruption that costs innocent people their reputation, their families, and innocent children used to carry out their slime crimes of fraud by corruption and obstruction of justice. I suggest that Mitch be fired along with chief Bellamy, all the police department bleached out and drug tested, and then stand back and see where you are. It's a shame that you all bitch about crime and killings of innocent persons, but as long as you have drug lord cops back in business and drug lord attorneys and judges at the helm by the illegal campaign contributions paid by the Hatfield's to control the courts, then you will have ongoing crime. I know, my son is in harms way because of the crime within the filthy police department that David Wray was beginning to expose in 2005. He deserves to know what the Hatfield's set in motion. I say let the truth be known and Jerry Bledsoe if you read this blog, you need to know the rest of the story that fills in the blanks of your articles. You see, Beverly Hinson was used at Wachovia Bank to cash my father's life earnings converted illegally by David Churchill in 2003 to Kitty Hatfield on two occasions, and hiding unreported hidden income by Kitty Hatfield, David Churchill, and my ex in an illegal hearing held ex parte in secret (a fraud and treason upon the court and unenforceable like all of Hatfield's falsified orders written and filed by Churchill and his staff to obstruct subpoenas by the sheriff's office and his deputy Ed Pons many years ago, while using his so called wife Florence as a guardian ad litem illegally. Look under the woodpile if you can get close enough without dying from the stinch of corruption before you cast your stones the wrong way and at the wrong persons. Unless you have been at the hands of the Hatfield's, the corruption of the judge who wants to be a superior court judge so more drug crimes and killings can take place for Jack Hatfield to win his cases at that level, since Kitty did Joe and all other judges who fall under his dictatorship and conspiracy directed by Kitty, then shut up. Joe oversees the corruption that Churchill has carried out and threatens the lives of my son and other family members. I look at it this way, murder in the one, including the involvement of the police department to obstruct the financial fraud investigation in 2006 as ordered by Karen Nenstiel of the SBI when Karen Walters was over the financial fraud division. Wonder where she is now? Obviously Captain Rogers from the western division where the crimes against my son by his pedophile abusive father at the direction of Hatfield came from, is no better uptown since the same pedophile is on the lam and complains in his LTE on 1/28/08 about recession while living off of government fraud by mental health fraud, social services fraud, welfare fraud, HUD housing fraud, disability fraud, and government fraud of my parents and family by my ex at the direction of Kiltty Hatfield and Joe Turner using the police department to cover up and obstruct justice. Think before you say something you have no idea about. I commend Mary and Trudy for saying the truth. The one who heads City Council as well as former Ed Kitchen and Keith Holiday are all federal defendants in their aiding and abetting the crimes of the Hatfield's and my ex while my son suffers daily the ongoing abuse of a pervert who belongs behind bars along with the city manager, the chief of police, the sheriff, and those officers of law enforcement who are controlled by the Hatfield's while they walk away with the crime being placed upon Wray and many others. Mitch can't pitch the truth since he is their inside man as well as Mike Barber. Corruption breeds where Mike states that if your're not liked then you are wrongfully judged by the courts at the direction of the ring leaders of drugs and crime - KITTY AND JACK HATFIELD. Hope you read this Joyce Logan and respond back. I'm not afraid to tell the truth, for the truth will set you free. If you turn on the light switch in the Hatfield office each morning, along with the city manager, the city attorney back in the saddle, Linda, as well as the courthouse judge's chambers, you'll see the cockroaches running for the dark. You see criminals like to live in the dark since they can't operate in the light.

TLC,

Don't worry what you tell businesses that you and the economic development interests are trying to recruit, just offer them several million dollars of taxpayer money as an incentive. That'll do it. No problemo.

Wow! If you live in Oak Ridge, why are you so concerned about the City of Greensboro? Too Funny.
Just saw where Rakestraw and Wade had no one schlepping with them.
They look like Rhino Times Stool Pigeons--especially since the Rhino predicted Mitch was going down!

Guess the council got a reality check, and realized the bloggers and the Rhino do not drive the agenda.

Prediction: Mary and Trudy will twist in the breeze, being ostracized by the rest of the members.

I don't claim to know much about Rakestraw, but her response is just another knee jerk reaction without reason. Johnson may not be a great city manager...I don't really pay attention to all city business. However, if there is a call for his job over David Wray, allow me to re-post this from another thread...

Wray lied to Johnson about what was going on, justification or not. When he got called out on it he quit. You can't lie to your boss and expect to keep your job, no matter what the circumstances. I highly doubt there were any racist intentions behind the photo book, but Wray handled that and all things Hinson very poorly from a procedural point of view. He tried to push a chancy criminal investigation when he could have disciplined and demoted Hinson all along.

In addition, he alienated the vast majority of street officers and created a chaotic divide among upper level supervisors, across all racial lines. He caused a 'with me or against me' atmosphere which turned yes men against those that stood by their principles. Morale dropped like a rock as he moved to a rotating schedule, with no regard to the upheaval of officers' personal lives due to family and childcare issues. The idea was to put more officers on the street, but the easiest way to accomplish that is to eliminate some of these alphabet soup special units that Wray was so bent on. Put these veteran officers back on patrol where rookies can learn from them while working together with flexibility to react to the call load. Go back to a fixed schedule and simply assign more officers to the 4pm-3am shift when crime is higher. This stuff is not rocket science, but for some reason the simplest solutions are ignored in favor of somebody's pet project or idea.

Racial controversy or police operations, one way or the other the GPD is better off without Wray. Get over it and get used to it.

rb2dye,
Just because it's in print doesn't make it so. If you're depending on Jerry Bledsoe for your "facts" then I'll count on Barney the dinosaur for my 401-K advice!

There was a guy in a sandwich board walking around the courthouse today with all sorts of funny things about Mary Rakestraw. I wanted to see if he was the John Graham that wrote this letter, but someone came up to me and I didn't get to ask him. Older guy with gray hair but I've never seen him before--probably mid sixties to seventy years old.

Let me add that Wray bumbled through these issues with an almost comical (but sad) self-obsession. Whether it was his 45 minute hairdo, the lengthy mid day jogs with yes men partners all around downtown (if only street officers could work out on the clock like that), the over dramatic poses, head nods, and facial expressions of concern during public functions (all completely fake), or the really creepy collage of photos of himself in the hallway outside his office (taken by a captain that he turned into his self-appointed PR photographer), Wray was a phony, vain, and condescending person who cared more about the form of his office over the function of street officers. I imagine that this was due to his paltry amount of experience on the street before getting fast tracked up the chain of command. Generally though, he considered himself smarter than anybody else, and never gave due consideration to the concerns or ideas of street officers and even his upper level commanders. He was not a leader, he was a divider, plain and simple.

TLC,

I don't like the sleaze that is moving outward in the county that has taken hold in Greensboro, and from what I read here on this blog, no one there cares about it, because we can't let someone trying to clean it up screw-up your economic development.. And, that's fine, just keep it there in Greensboro. That is why some of us have decided to get out of Dodge there while we can. Perhaps when you and your ilk have been a victim of the sleazey criminal factor in Greensboro, you'll want to get to Oak Ridge as well, but we'll have the bridge up over the moat.

One other thought for TLC and the other economic development types to consider is that as we watch how Greensboro mishandles these matters, it only convinces those of us in the county to consider where we spend our discretionary dollars, because we may not live in Greensboro, but we do spend our money there. If this disaster is allowed to continue unabated and the environment continues to deteriorate in Greensboro, there are many of us who will choose to take our dollars westward to Winston Salem. So, you can thumb your collective noses at those of us in the county, but you'll so it without our dollars being spent in your economy.

Unbiased,
I overheard a conversation where a man said, "I don't know if David Wray is a racist or not, but I sure know that the people supporting him are". That was a profound observation.
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OakRidge,
Greensboro stepped up today and hit the ball out of the park. They pushed Rakestraw and Wade to the margins and made the Rhino Times look irrelevant.
If you haven't gotten a copy, then go get one! They had Mitch Johnson in the grave, and they even thought Sandra Anderson-Groat and Mike Barber would join the "giggly girls" for a coup. What was hilarious is they tried to use a cartoon to shame Zack Matheny into voting with the "giggly girls" and they figured WRONG.
When the dust settled, it was Rakestraw and her sidekick twisting in the breeze. I still think Wade will ditch her 'Rasputin' and join up with the mainstream. She's got more gray matter than Rakestraw.

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TLC,

Thank goodness for Trudy and Mary - they're doing exactly what their constituents who voted them into office want them to do.

Good for them!

Angie,
That may be true with Wade, but Rakestraw will be tossed in the next election. She makes a mockery of every board she sits on. Besides, as the letter writer says, her behavior is quite bizarre. That Ed Pons/B.J. Barnes thing was about as crazy as anything I've heard since Calvin Hinshaw and Robert Moores were elected officials. She's toast. Even Wade will "decouple" from her soon.