Bellamy-Small interviewed
Today's election interviews included a 90-plus-minute sitdown with District 1 incumbent T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, who was engaging and informative.
She even laughed and smiled a time or two.
Bellamy-Small obviously felt vindicated that she survived a recall election last week.
"I'm happy for the district," she said.
She also said she would like to see changes to the manner in which recall elections are conducted, among them:
1. a more clearly worded ordinance that overtly spells out who is eligible to sign a recall petition.
2. tougher criteria on the grounds for a recall, as in breaking a law, or some other provable malfeasance.
I doon't disagree.
While they're at it, it would make sense to restrict when a recall election could be held. This one was far too close to the regular election to make any practical sense.
Bellamy-Small's answers were, on the whole, thoughtful and well-informed. She had clearly done her homework on the issues.
But she made it clear that this session was the exception and not the rule. She handed out a statement before the interview with me, Doug Clark, Margaret Banks and Goverment Editor Eddie Wooten:
"I, T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, a candidate for the Greensboro City Council District 1 seat, am reluctantly participating in this candidate interview with the News & Record. Due to the extremely biased and unbalanced coverage I have received from the paper both in the editorial and news divisions over the last nearly 18 months, I do not feel I will be given a fair opportunity by this paper towards my candidiacy. I respectfully request that this statement accompany any articles or editorials that may be written about me and my candidacy for the city council. Thank you."
We tried to convince Bellamy-Small that we have no vendetta against her. Heck, we endorsed her in 2005. That doesn't mean we'll always agree with her. But we'll do our best to be fair and factual.
It doesn't help, however, when we can very rarely get her side of the story, and only, in most of those cases, by fax or e-mail.
Comments (3)
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Liz:
I didn't say we minded doing the interviews. They are invaluable. (Does anyone think we would have committed to individual interviews versus groups this year if we didn't think they were important?)
That said, they do consume a lot of time. And we still have a daily paper to get out.
As for the length of the TDBS interview, it WAS longer than most, but we hadn't interviewed her in two years.
She had a lot to say and we had a lot to ask.
But I would suspect that if you ask any of the other candidates we've interviewed, I doubt any would say that they didn't get enough time with us.
Posted on August 28, 2007 6:28 PM
So, "Miss T." wants to see some changes on how recalls are conducted. That is the constitution, and not the city ordinances, that gives any person the right to initiate a recall, whether they live in your district or not. Don't you get it, Miss T. That's why I find you so disgusting! You always try to implicate a racial tone to your ignorance of your actions.
This recall was due to the conduct of your character. Not your race! We didn't care what y our race is, is the way you conducted yourself as an elected official. You've lied so much, to the people and the media, that you don't know which is the truth! You've alienated most of your own people (African Americans), and instead of your back up group (Pulpit Forum) unifying the district and the city, your racial venom is dissmenated to all who dares to come in your way.
I've read every piece of material about you, and watched every council meeting on Tuesday nights on cable. Like for example, the last city council meeting, when a Dr. Hayes, which you nominated to serve on the Community Resource Board?, and Councilwoman Gatten, seconded the nomination. You should see the look on your face. It was so condascending and obscence, as far as I am concern. Talk about pushing the racial inuendoes, and the stand-offish look. You did it! Go back and look at that tape.
I pray that the district sees you for what you are. You're not a leader. Your not a good representative for district one. Most of the events that I've seen you at, was where a meal was served. You always stack your plate up high, and then drink a Diet drink? Do you remember, in the last election, there was a forum at Mahi's, and all the candidates, including the guests, paid $15.00 for the dinner? When the committee asked me to approach you about your money, you were very rude to me, and stomped off, and said, I'll get it later, my purse is in the car.
The way you said it, it was very disrespectful and mean. Like you are ALL THAT! Well, in my book, you ain't!
I can on and on about you. But I'll get so angry and riled up, that I might hit somebody for no reason. You, Ms. T, is a bigot, as well as a racist!
Posted on September 13, 2007 12:06 PM
So, "Miss T." wants to see some changes on how recalls are conducted. That is the constitution, and not the city ordinances, that gives any person the right to initiate a recall, whether they live in your district or not. Don't you get it, Miss T. That's why I find you so disgusting! You always try to implicate a racial tone to your ignorance of your actions.
This recall was due to the conduct of your character. Not your race! We didn't care what y our race is, is the way you conducted yourself as an elected official. You've lied so much, to the people and the media, that you don't know which is the truth! You've alienated most of your own people (African Americans), and instead of your back up group (Pulpit Forum) unifying the district and the city, your racial venom is dissmenated to all who dares to come in your way.
I've read every piece of material about you, and watched every council meeting on Tuesday nights on cable. Like for example, the last city council meeting, when a Dr. Hayes, which you nominated to serve on the Community Resource Board?, and Councilwoman Gatten, seconded the nomination. You should see the look on your face. It was so condascending and obscence, as far as I am concern. Talk about pushing the racial inuendoes, and the stand-offish look. You did it! Go back and look at that tape.
I pray that the district sees you for what you are. You're not a leader. Your not a good representative for district one. Most of the events that I've seen you at, was where a meal was served. You always stack your plate up high, and then drink a Diet drink? Do you remember, in the last election, there was a forum at Mahi's, and all the candidates, including the guests, paid $15.00 for the dinner? When the committee asked me to approach you about your money, you were very rude to me, and stomped off, and said, I'll get it later, my purse is in the car.
The way you said it, it was very disrespectful and mean. Like you are ALL THAT! Well, in my book, you ain't!
I can on and on about you. But I'll get so angry and riled up, that I might hit somebody for no reason. You, Ms. T, is a bigot, as well as a racist!
Posted on September 13, 2007 12:07 PM