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I get Mr. Wood's strategy. It's actually a good one, because as far as I'm concerned, as soon as Becky opens her mouth, she loses votes.

Please ask her what role the High Point government should play in assuring that the citizens of High Point have quality schools?

Ask her her thoughts on citizens moving out of High Point because of the High Point High Schools FAT Chance plan.

Ask her why she feels that spending millions on Simeon stadium is justified when she has NEVER offered to spend one cent on educational programs in the city of High Point.

Yea Doug, ALL school questions. I know you hate that, but that is a part of living in this community. And to some, no, make that many, the quality of the schools can make or break a city.

I'm sick and tired of her reply that city government cannot make school policy. The CAN advocate for quality schools and at least just make it look as if they cared about the families with students in the school system--even if it's not a system that they run.

She needs to get our of denial and face the fact that High Point families with kids in GCS are SCREAMING for help!

We did spend a lot of time talking about school issues -- that and the furniture market took up almost the entire interview.

She expressed strong concerns about the schools, in particular that the high school magnet programs are not delivering the academic quality promised.

She expressed concern about discipline issues. She's met with the superintendent, principals and police officials. She supports Chief Fealey's approach, which is to respond aggressively to incidents on school campuses and make arrests when appropriate.

She and City Council launched a work force study which, although not specifically addressing the schools, probably will turn up deficiencies that will point to school failures and hopefully identify areas where improvements can be made.

It remains a fact, however, that the city of High Point does not run the schools, fund the schools or have any authority over the schools.

What does Mr. Wood say he would do as mayor to improve the schools?

Mayor Becky is definitely NOT getting my vote; she has done nothing for North High Point. Her and the city council continue to allow builders to build homes without any regard where the children will go to school. NOw we have the choice plan mess.

I would vote for a piece of wood before I would vote for her.

I POSTED ONCE AND I WILL POST IT AGAIN:

I WOULD VOTE FOR A PIECE OF DEAD WOOD BEFORE I WOULD VOTE FOR MAYOR BECKY!!!!

SHE HAS DONE NOTHING FOR NORTH HIGH POINT. SHE ONLY CARES ABOUT THE FURNITURE MARKET!

Steve Wood was at the Penn-Griffin forum tonight. Where was Good ol' Becky ?? Maybe if the forum had been at that Crown Jewel Central she would have been there.

I have ordered a shirt with the Mayor pissing on all the little children of High Point. I'm taking orders.

4wood: Is that you, Steve?

I would hope any mayor of High Point would care about the furniture market. If it's a criticism that Becky Smothers does, I think she'd plead guilty.

Mr. Wood probably felt it was a waste of time to meet with all of you. You probably already made up your mind.

While the Furniture Market is important to High Point, it will now doubt be of diminishing importance in the future. The days of an East Coast market and a West Coast market are almost here. I would hope Mayor Becky realizes this and invests limited tax dollars into other areas as well.

Mr. Wood might have figured our minds are made up. I won't say that's true, but given our familiarity with his long record in public office and Mrs. Smothers', that's pretty close to true.

But a waste of his time to participate in an interview? He passed up an opportunity to challenge Smothers' record and any of her statements he disagreed with and to present ideas of his own.

Should a candidate for office not participate in debates because polls show he's behind and most voters have made up their minds?

Of course, there are no polls taking the pulse of the High Point electorate that I'm aware of.

I expect Wood will receive a strong vote in north High Point from people who are mad about the schools, mad about FedEx, mad that too many other people have been allowed to move into their part of town and mad at High Point in general.

But, can he beat Smothers?

Doug,

why would people in north High Point be mad at the rest of High Point? I don't get it.

Not you, John. But maybe some of your neighbors.

Nice handle, by the way

So, are you voting for Wood or Smothers?

No,it is not Steve Wood, but someone who spoke to him at the redistristing forum. Where was Mayor Becky? That's right she only cares about old High Point money/furniture market, but I hate to break it to her the growth is in North High Point. She better start paying attention to North High.

doug, i thought this blog was anonymous...If it is, you, as always, are one intelligent slu- I mean sleuth. (forgot the pesky "e"-never much of a typist). In reguards to your question, I'm not much aquainted with Mr.Wood. Saying he doesn't like the choice plan is obviously in his favor, but Osama bin Laden could get off the boat, say he hates the choice plan and carry up here by landslide. The first question would be...Where've you been Mr. Wood? Becky is actually pretty cool. she may or may not have been sold a bill of goods on the choice plan as she claims. Let's face it, the downtown High Point folks have got pretty much what they've wanted in High Point for 150 years. When dot, Mendednhall did their pre choice plan vote dog and pony, she may have been taken in, who knows? After 150 years you begin to maybe not look at the implications of what you're doing quite as closely. Maybe some of them may have asked the question but it may have been "look, so they get mad. they'll get over it". What I think is the most unforgivable is they kept the choice plan out of stubborn pride even when they lost the grant, which is negligent. The other thing is, if my children weren't white, would Dot and Mendenhall have tried to hustle them into their school? You, Doug know the answer to that. But we're the Racists? As to who get's my vote? High Point has other issues besides the choice plan. (I can't believe I said that) Becky needs to show that the city is going to take a proactive role in resolving the school problems. If she continues to say "the city doesn't have a position on the plan" which is like the mayor of New Orleans saying he doesn't have a position on Katrina" then I think she's in trouble. Mr. Wood has to show he's not bandwagoning the choice plan and come out strong on other issues, then he has a chance.

Skeet Club Savage:

That's a pretty good analysis.

Clicking on your signature produces whatever email address to put down. The truly anonymous bloggers (most of them) make up phony email addresses; you used a real one; hence my detection of your not-so-secret identity.