I’ve also made my RE decisions based on retirement. I planted my investments on exactly the same basis. I want to be somewhere that I can walk and have community out my front door. My bet on downtown Raleigh nearly 30 years ago just might pan out for me if I can get a #&$% movie theater planted before I retire!
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There is a virtual District D Candidate Forum tomorrow night (9/29) from 7 - 8:30. The forum will be held via Zoom. Registration information is available here: https://jennifertruman.com/events/districtdforum
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Thank you Brian!
Yes District D folks, please register for this webinar. I have been told by Jenn that there is a LivRal contingency signed up to speak. We need to show up in numbers!!!
Thanks
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Curious to gather everyone’s thoughts after the AMA yesterday with Mayoral candidate Terrance Ruth
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I am curious how it all went. Kind of exciting, sitting on the sidelines here, to think of this forum having some political influence.
I finally know infulencers!!
What till my dozen of followers find out!!
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You can read the whole thread here!
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I would have liked a more “yes” or “no” answer on the townhome development in 5-points. I think that was a very pointed, representative question, and I am suspicious of anyone that doesn’t support that development given the housing shortage crises in the city.
Maybe my bias is showing, but if you don’t support replacing a sprawling mansion with 17 townhomes in the heart of the city, making room for 17 families where there previously was only 1, and certainly increasing the tax base density while creating a development that fosters community and neighbors instead of pearly gates and seclusion, I don’t support you.
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I wish that my question had been answered…guess I need to do some more research on my own. But I think it was awesome that this was “live” on the forum. The notification was the bomb also. No one can say they didn’t know it was coming.
Agreed, I felt like a lot of his “answers” were essentially non-answers; very carefully worded as to not actually give straightforward information that clearly and decisively answers the exact question being asked … aka very typical politician word salads. I was not swayed away from MAB, who- for all her faults- is certainly a lot more blunt and “real” sounding in her responses, which like it or not, I at least respect a lot more even if sometimes she says things I know will read very “bad” to her critics.
Mr. Ruth seems like he wants to- at least APPEAR TO- be everything to everyone, especially with his insistence on seemingly getting “permission” from every single human being that lives within Raleigh city-limits on any and every policy point, and that kinda mentality is simply unrealistic in a city of hundreds of thousands of people. So rather than give the hard truths and answers that we know are best, regardless of the small-town fantasy world some people who have lived here for 20-30 or more years want to live in; he gave soft, smart sounding responses that kinda didn’t actually answer anything, IMO. @keita even pushed back on one non-answer asking “but what does this mean? How would you do this?” and even that was met with more nothing of substance, really. Just a lot of “we need to” and “we shouldn’t have to” statements, but without stating HOW he wants to _____ or what we CAN DO instead of _____.
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The one response I did appreciate was his agreement on wanting to keep more “weird” in Raleigh. But that was a softball, so I would’ve actually been surprised had he said something like “nah, Raleigh should focus more on family oriented stuff” as if that’s not already 90% of the goings-on in this city LMAO
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One of the most striking and tone-deaf responses was this, in response to Leo and I’s question on if he supports (among other procedural changes) raising the salary of the Mayoral position to allow for more non-wealthy residents to run and perform the job:
…That is literally why we believe raising the salary of this position is a step forward, so that elected officials don’t have to have a better paying full-time job outside of government or aren’t already starting from atop a pedestal of wealth and privilege - and the assertion that “they are living comfortably enough” is extremely tone-deaf, IMO, as they are all living comfortably because they were wealthy and successful in their careers before being elected to these positions - so that still does nothing for the average joe who has a basic city management degree, or who’s done lots of community service and organization who would like an opportunity to represent their city in a bigger capacity. What he essentially said with that answer, to me, is: “We shouldn’t raise the salary of Raleigh’s Mayoral position because rich people can afford to be mayor.” Not a good look for someone who wants to shape the future of one of the fastest growing cities in the US… I don’t want my only options going forward for representation in my city gov’t to be wealthy, well-off people who probably can’t even relate to the vast majority of their constituents.
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That struck me as particularly bad too. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but I don’t think he’s in synch with my positions, and his answers seemed evasive even on direct questions. There’s nothing from that which would make me switch my support from MAB.
Very minor, but I get annoyed when people end things with Have a blessed day. I appreciate the sentiment, but it just reinforces this idea that being religious is the default, and I dislike that coming from a potential or actual government representative.
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That’s my impression, too. Assuming he sticks to his guns about gaining constant community consensus, I think he sounded like the kind of leader who would be frozen in place with indecision when times are tough.
If you ask me, this is almost worse than your average stereotypical NIMBY: at least they have a position that they’re willing to fight, and you can expect some sort of self-consistent ideas or salient line of reasoning. But all bets are off if you can’t make any decisions.
In his (weak) defense, though, I also asked that question 15min before he and his campaign staff were scheduled to sign off. Still, I agree that it’s not a good look…
(Side note: this is why I love grilling people on transportation-related issues! I think hot-button topics like affordable housing or green infrastructure can be genuinely summarized with short, diplomatic answers, but you cannot get away with transit issues without sweating the details.)
I personally agree with you, but I didn’t read that as him necessarily being comfortable with preserving the privilege barrier for becoming Mayor. I read it as more like he felt resigned to the status quo where only people with the time and money run for office, and there’s nothing to be gained from changing that aside for making the power-that-be richer. That seems like a cynical and morally unimaginative position in my eyes, but just as plausible.
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Cities with council-manager forms of government and associated mayor salary:
- San Diego: $206k (population: 1.4 million)
- Dallas: $80k (population: 1.3 million)
- Cincinnati: $122k (population: 302k)
- San Antonio: $61k (notable: the salary was $4k a year until 2015. population: 1.5 million)
- Kansas City, MO: $123k (population: 491k)
- Charlotte: $39k (Increased from $25k last year. population: 873k)
- Raleigh: $27k (proposed increase to $45k. population: 469k)
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I was pretty disappointed too (and maybe I’m biased because my question was not answered). The answers were very broad, kind of trying to make “both sides” happy. Sounded a lot like politician talking 
.
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I’d go so far as to say that it’s not so much presumed as a default, but as a presumed positive differentiator. I am not against people wishing each other a blessed day, but I see it as a dog whistle more than a genuine sentiment. It turns me off too.
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I have family in town and couldn’t attend the live event but it sounds to me like he was effectively answering questions knowing Livable Raleigh was probably watching and didn’t want to anger them. Sound right?
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That’s the feeling i had too!
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or answering questions not to anger anyone. It felt like a politician answering a question without really answering it. Thanks to the people who put all this together but I’m hoping MAB keeps her seat
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I was hopeful because I’m not 100% a MAB fanboy, but I do like her and I don’t see a better option. I don’t see this as settling at all, but I think she’s still best for our city going forward right now.
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