THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 21, 1996 TAG: 9604190385
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Decision '96<: The Portsmouth Candidates
LENGTH: Long : 489 lines
Over the next two weeks, the candidates for Portsmouth's School Board, mayor and three open City Council seats will be asked issue-related questions by the news media, the public and special-interest groups leading up to Election Day, Tuesday, May 7.
Beginning with today's issue of The Portsmouth Currents, The Virginian-Pilot offers these candidates a chance to tell you what they think is important - and in their own words.
We begin with the mayoral and council candidates today.
We invited them to respond to two open-ended questions about what they want to accomplish and what qualifies them to deserve your vote. Their answers are limited only by the space on the next three pages, and so for the most part these are their unedited comments.
We put the same questions to the 16 announced candidates for five seats on the nine-member School Board - in the city's first-ever direct school board election. Their responses will be published in Currents next Sunday, April 28.
All of Portsmouth's elections are at-large, so all voters will have the opportunity to choose from all three mayoral candidates and from a pool of seven candidates for three City Council seats.
You'll be reading much more about these candidates - both in Currents and The Pilot - over the next two weeks. On Sunday, May 5, we will publish our comprehensive Voters Guide in Currents so you can compare all school and council candidates on the same issues - issues that you, the voters, have told us are most important to you.
This is a lot of reading; we realize that. But by providing you with as much information as we can, we are trying to help you make the best choices from among the candidates who would run your city and your schools.
The rest is up to you. QUESTIONS
What is your vision for Portsmouth 10 years from now? How would you work to achieve that as a member of the City Council, and what special qualities or skills do you possess that make you the best person for this job? [Portsmouth School Board Candidates]
RAFIQ ZAIDI
Age: 52
Address: 500 block of Dinwiddie Street, Downtown
Occupation: Consultant, health and environment, National African-American Leadership Summit, Washington, D.C.; hospital service aide, Portsmouth Naval Hospital.
Political experience: Former assistant and coordinator, youth programs, Mayor Harold Washington Task Force, Chicago; former coordinator, Mayor Harold Washington, Political Mobilization for Voter Registration, Chicago.
What is my vision for Portsmouth 10 years from now?
The question is timely and important, but the answer is not easy. My effort to answer must focus on the system and the process by which the local government operates. My vision is for all local government representatives to be comprised of leaders the citizens of Portsmouth respect. Such leaders should be people of morality, honesty and integrity.
I vision a local government governed by the people and for the people. I vision a Code of Ethics for local government service similar to those adhered to by the U.S. Government, being applied to all local officials. (Authority of Public Law 96-303, passed by Congress on June 27, 1980, and signed by the president into law on July 3, 1980.)
It reads: CODE OF ETHICS FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICE
I. Put loyalty to the highest moral principles and to country above loyalty to persons, party or government department.
II. Uphold the Constitution, laws and regulations. . . .
III. Give a full day's labor for a full day's pay; giving earnest effort and best thought to the performance of duties.
IV. Seek to find and employ more efficient and economical ways of getting tasks accomplished.
V. Never discriminate unfairly by the dispensing of special favors or privileges to anyone, whether for remuneration or not; and never accept, for himself or herself or for family members, favors or benefits under circumstances which might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of governmental duties.
VI. Make no private promises of any kind binding upon the duties of office, since Government employee has no private word which can be binding on public duty.
VII. I vision that we, as citizens of Portsmouth, will within the next 10 years have a full and complete council body of responsible leadership whose oath will be: Engage in no business with the city, either directly or indirectly, which is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of duties.
VIII. Never use any information gained confidentially in the performance of duties as a means of making private profit.
IX. Expose corruption wherever discovered.
X. Uphold these principles, ever conscious that public office is a public trust.
I, Rafiq Zaidi, am the best person for the job because I possess a sense of public responsibility and respect for the public. Working closely with former Mayor Harold Washington of Chicago, Ill., I obtained the unique skills to create ``safe zones'' - community crime prevention programs, bringing about positive change resulting in the ultimate eradication of the dilemmas and obstructions affecting our very existence.
I am qualified to tackle our existing problems with bold solutions, encouraging and including all citizens.
CAMERON C. PITTS
Age: 59
Address: 4800 block of Mallard Crescent, Hunters Point
Occupation: Retired businessman; electronic consultant, president of ABEC Inc.
Political experience: Councilman now; president, Hunters Point Civic League
My vision for Portsmouth, Va., Year 2005, is that we will become a great, unique, multicultural, centrally located community, where people care for each other and feel good about themselves as we work and play together. The Downtown Plaza will have a festival atmosphere, a holiday attitude, and a caring climate of well-being, which will create a family oriented, happy place where the majority of our citizens would want to congregate. Neighborhoods will be bedroom clusters where quietude and tranquility prevail.
The Downtown R.V. Park that I initiated would be all summer long. A Portsmouth water fountain activity to be seen from Norfolk Waterside would produce a visual desirability for tourists to continually come over on the ferry and visit us. We will be interconnected by public transit and rapid rail to regional airports and beaches. Because of our history, museums, antiques and art culture along with the flying carousel or other unique icon in the second floor glass atrium of our Children's Museum of Virginia, we will be the tourist destination of choice. Our magnet schools, community schools and public education of excellence in our central location of the Hampton Roads region, will make us be a place of choice for working, living and playing. Specialty retail sales and industry businessmen will be standing in line for a presence in Portsmouth.
With PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) from federal funds for the $2.9 billion in U.S. Government tax exempt property, economic development and tourist dollars, the services that citizens expect will be paid for at a far lower tax rate than presently required.
We will have a Code of Ethics and an Ethics Commission supporting the Freedom of Information Act, the Human Rights Act and the Conflict of Interest Act to provide the citizens with a higher comfort level of trust in their city government.
My goal as city councilman is that the people of Portsmouth will become, with regional cooperation of our sister cities, a great multicultural city where the citizens and government have accepted with pride and self-esteem the responsibility of working together in harmony to enable all of our residents to ``feel good about themselves,'' and have the sense of well-being, security, hope and happiness.
As a Portsmouth City Councilman for the past four years and the Hunters Point Civic League president 12 years prior to that, I am the ``Citizens Candidate'' and ``Conscience of Council.'' I have a zero tolerance for crime. I am available 24 hours a day and I understand ``civic democracy'' and stand tall for what's right.
I believe that when you bring the appropriate people together in a constructive environment with good information, they will create authentic visions and strategies for addressing the concerns of the community.
I still dream that Portsmouth will be the ``Shining Star'' of Hampton Roads. Let's bring Portsmouth to the grandeur it deserves.
``Some people see things as they are and say, Why?
``I dream things that never were and ask, Why not?''
Help me help you: Let's build our ``Dream'' together.
LEE E. KING
Age: 63
Address: 1500 block of Belafonte Drive, Cavalier Manor
Occupation: Retired general manager, Naval Aviation Depot
Political experience: Former councilman; now on Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority
My vision for Portsmouth 10 years from now is to have:
1) A stable economic base that provides for services that are needed by the general public.
2) A public support system operative to the extent that citizens feel safe.
3) An efficient and effective school system that addresses the needs of students for productive citizenry.
4) A public that expresses confidence in a city council that is responsive and accountable to the citizens.
I see a unified city that can boast with pride ``The Power of the People'' in creating a positive public image. I would work to achieve this vision by providing opportunities for and supporting economic and neighborhood development projects to enhance the quality of life for all citizens. I believe that encouraging greater participation and cooperation by all agencies with all community groups will ultimately eliminate criminal activities. These components will ensure a more responsive and accountable city council and a workable plan to promote unity and a positive public image.
I wish to see our city grow and develop to welcome ``An All-American City.'' Being open-minded, feeling responsive and accountable to the general public are my basic strengths, my previous experiences as vice mayor, councilman, and serving on city boards and commissions as well as extensive community involvement provides me with the knowledge, expertise and commitment to services needed to address these goals.
MILTON A. HOOVER
Age: 54
Address: First block Decatur Street, Cradock
Occupation: Supervisor with Parks and Recreation; 33 years with the city of Portsmouth
Political experience: Has never run for office but has worked on campaigns for various city candidates.
Ten years from now I can see Portsmouth having economic growth with new business which would create more jobs and lower our tax burden. This can be done by offering new businesses tax breaks and older existing businesses tax relief.
I also envision the senior citizens being more a part of our city by offering more activities and involvement.
I have been a Portsmouth resident most of my life except for the time spent in the Army which was three years. I have been involved in most civic functions from Little League to the Chamber of Commerce. I am a working member of my community and understand the ordinary citizen and the working class.
JAMES C. HAWKS
Age: 49
Address: 4100 block of Faber Road, Green Acres
Occupation: Attorney
Political experience: Incumbent councilman, two terms
For far too long, the city of Portsmouth has been the step-sister of Hampton Roads. People of the region know little about us and are reluctant to visit. It shouldn't be that way. Portsmouth is a charming city with an enviable waterfront location. We have lovely neighborhoods and a warm, friendly populace. But most of all, we have history.
With little room for commercial and industrial growth, we must fully develop our potential for tourism. Our location in the center of Hampton Roads with connecting interstate highways guarantees us access to the tourists already coming to Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. Our historic Olde Towne is within sight of the convention visitors to Norfolk. The many historic sites within the shipyard and the Naval Hospital greatly add to the tourism potential of the city.
Building a genuine tourism industry for our city will require the capacity to house visitors and the ability to guarantee their safety. We must continue to encourage the growth of bed and breakfast inns and we must promote the development of a first-class hotel in Portsmouth. We must present our historical sites and artifacts in such a manner that our visitors don't just see relics from the past, but actually get a feel for how things were in the past two centuries. Our visitors must have an opportunity to shop, dine and otherwise spend their money while in our city and this offers great potential for our already redeveloping High Street corridor. To guarantee their safety, we must eradicate the blight throughout our city that breeds crime and antisocial behavior. We must continue to improve our neighborhoods and restore a sense of pride to our own citizens.
The past eight years as a city councilman have taught me the necessity of building consensus with my colleagues in order to achieve progress. My work as chairman of the Downtown Initiative of the Vision 2005 development plan has taught me the value of citizen participation in an open planning process. In order to have tourists wandering about the streets of our city within the next 10 years, we must first discover our own city. We must then develop its potential to attract tourists by unveiling its rich history and making a visit to Portsmouth an exciting, educational and memorable event.
BERNARD D. GRIFFIN
Age: 57
Address: 1300 block of Watson Street, Mount Hermon
Occupation: Retired educator
Political experience: Incumbent councilman; former chairman of the School Board.
My vision for Portsmouth 10 years from now is a viable city that has a positive image, more economic development, additional industry creating a better tax base, an effective crime prevention and intervention task force, an educational system second to none, a thriving city where there is respect for the ethnic heritage and opinions of others, and a prosperous city that truly considers senior citizens as the assets that they are.
I would work to achieve the above by making sure that the individuals who are responsible are given resources and information to carry out and perform their duties. In addition to the aforementioned qualities, I would continue to access their goals and progress to achieve these objectives by having periodical information on reaching goals and objectives. I will communicate and emphasize to citizens that their input in accomplishing a better overall life for the citizens of Portsmouth is of utmost importance, and that their positive participation in developing a strategy for the city's future has always worked for the betterment of the city.
My special qualities that I possess for seeking re-election are numerous. I have the ability and dedication to perform on behalf of all the citizens of Portsmouth, to work as a team player on the council and to analyze the past, present and visualize the future of the city. Other qualities are my commitment to serve and promote Portsmouth as a city with a rich history, my ability to seek citizen input in decision-making, my inclination to impress citizens that together we can make Portsmouth a city we can be proud of, and finally, my value system that places honesty, integrity and getting along with others as high priorities for any elected official. I feel that collaboration is of utmost importance.
If I am fortunate enough to receive your endorsement, it will assist in enabling me to continue to serve the citizens of Portsmouth to the best of my ability. Your endorsement would help me to give credence to my decades of community service and first term of service as a city councilman in Portsmouth. Thanks for your endorsement in 1992!
J. THOMAS BENN III
Age: 56
Address: 100 block of West Road, Glensheallah
Occupation: Director of quality assurance, Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Political experience: Seven years on Portsmouth School Board, in fourth year as chairman.
``Full many a flower is born to blush, and waste its sweetness on the desert air.'' So said Thomas Gray in ``Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.'' So it has been with the city of Portsmouth for far too long. Our beauty, our value, and our potential qualify our city to be a viable and recognized entity in this great region. Yet, we who live in Portsmouth tend to criticize ourselves too harshly. We tend to shrink from celebrating our victories and achievements. In doing so, we fail to affirm ourselves to others and we fail to receive the recognition that we so earnestly covet.
Self-affirmation is the first step to being affirmed by others. In ``Walden,'' Thoreau tells us that: ``If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.''
Henry James said: ``Compared to what we ought to be, we are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources. Stating the thing broadly, the human individual thus lives far within his limits. He possesses powers of various sorts which he habitually fails to use.'' The same is true for Portsmouth which has yet to achieve its full potential.
I believe that, collectively, we are smarter and much more capable than any individual among us. We all have individual talents, and if we can somehow put them together to work toward any dream - any vision - anything that we all agree is worthwhile . . . those things will most certainly come to pass!
Therefore, my vision is that we will all work together to achieve a commonly shared vision of what we want Portsmouth to be. We will be a viable and respected city that is an essential part of the Greater Hampton Roads ``Cooperative Community of Cities.'' Our value to the area will be realized through Vision 2005 which will expand far beyond the concepts that have been presented thus far. Vision 2005 will be the vehicle for inclusiveness for all our citizens. The plan will become the catalyst for us to end the tendency to focus on our differences that causes us to compete for the same precious resources . . . it will promote cooperation which, in turn, will promote economic development. As the image of Portsmouth improves in our own eyes, others will acknowledge us for our leadership in regional cooperative efforts.
My education includes instruction and experience in group dynamics and organizational engineering, as well as quality improvement techniques and tools. These skills have been learned as a part of my job at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. I have applied those skills as chairman of the School Board. The most notable result was the school system's receiving the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award last year. That award was the result of the communication of a vision to the entire organization and the work of everyone to achieve that vision. The same can be true for the city of Portsmouth.
I have the knowledge, the skills, the desire, and the energy which is driven by my love for this city to help Portsmouth become everything that we all want it to be. MAYOR
GLORIA O. WEBB
Age: 63
Address: 200 block of Park Road, Glensheallah
Occupation: Mayor
Political experience: Incumbent mayor who has served two terms; 16 years total on the City Council. Also served on the School Board eight years.
My vision for Portsmouth 10 years from now is that of a small city with a diverse population working together in harmony so that we may achieve an enviable position in Hampton Roads - a community of choice for new residents, new commerce, new industry.
That Portsmouth is a safe city with many unique neighborhoods and an education system producing graduates who are well prepared for college or the world of work.
That Portsmouth citizens share the pride that I feel and communicate that positive image to others. We will be a city of pro-active people dedicated to moving ahead.
Our future is very bright. We must take advantage of the energy and enthusiasm that is here. New optimism and spirit has been generated by Vision 2005. The first phase of Vision 2005 to revitalize Downtown, Midtown, Effingham Corridor, Olde Towne and Northside would be completed and the city would be in a position to expand into other older neighborhoods like Cradock, Prentis Place and Fairwood Homes. New volunteers would be recruited for additional task forces to assist government in the planning and renewal.
In 10 years, the neighborhood impact officers working with the citizens would have been successful in every area of our city and the crime rate would be dramatically reduced.
Portsmouth would have achieved financial stability through revenues from new industries.
Quality schools, safer streets, improved neighborhoods, positive citizens will surely be an attractor for business and industry.
I would achieve these goals by asking our citizens to elect persons to the Mayor's office and City Council who are fair and honest and whose integrity and dignity are of the highest standards; who are objective, who are team players and who understand the art of compromise.
The elected officials must stay focused on the big picture (our future) rather than succumb to the loudest voices.
I am qualified for the job through my educational background and past experience. Serving as a member of the School Board, chairman of the School Board, member of City Council and Mayor, I have shown I can work with all citizens and be sensitive to their needs.
My education in mediation and facilitation of diverse points of view is also very helpful in my position as Mayor.
In addition, I am extremely proud of our city and what it has become over the past 30 years - a decaying city of World War II vintage, rotting waterfront, tattoo parlors and saloons to a small, ever-changing modern city that capitalizes on its history and uniqueness, grateful for the military presence.
I have been devoted, for over 26 years, to the betterment of the city that I choose to call home.
FRANK A. HARTE
Age: 75
Address: 3400 block of Dogwood Drive, Siesta Gardens
Occupation: Retired engineer and businessman
Political experience: None; ran for mayor 10 years ago.
My 10-year vision for Portsmouth is that of a borough incorporated into a major metropolitan city enjoying all of the amenities and advantages of such an arrangement. However, my real vision for Portsmouth is here and now. There are several persistent problems within our city that have all but stopped her forward progress.
Our inability to unite, mount a concentrated effort, and provide the necessary resources to abolish our crime/drug problem is obvious. Until we resolve this debilitating problem our present population will continue to remain locked in their homes at night, our population growth will remain stagnant, our economic development will continue to be anemic, and our city's image will continue to darken.
Our judicial system seems to be absolutely useless; its own internal components seem to operate independently of each other; no unity of purpose seems to exist. The objectives of our justice system that ensures the inhabitants of this city a safe and pleasant place to live have been lost.
Our ``governing body'' does not seem to understand the meaning of the words ``governing body.'' Their internal division and squabbles, the constant conflicts with the citizens, their cavalier spending attitude that the citizens have no need to know how they spend tax dollars, and, their position that they are the only ones that know what is good for Portsmouth fosters constant citizen turmoil.
After college, my continued education and experiences were enhanced in the industrial complex of our nation in the areas of engineering and management. I view the operation of this city as that of a large corporation; it has all of the same operational functions. I propose to bring to the ``governing body'' those managerial elements that have proven successful throughout our nation's industries. The first managerial principle that I would bring into play is the axiom that: bureaucratic and management problems cannot be solved from the bottom up, they must be resolved from the top down.
I seek the Mayor's position because the Mayor is the official head of the city and President of our governing body, thereby providing the avenue to look down into our infrastructure and identify our problems or problem areas; this office also provides the prestige to form a working relationship with the City Manager to resolve our immediate problems. Then, establish a priority list for the resolution of other problems aggravating our city's progress.
With our governing body's knowledge I would move into five areas immediately:
All problems in this city, without exception, would come under the purview and responsibility of its governing body.
Use the prestige of the Mayor's office to bring all of our civic leagues under one umbrella and use all of our people's talents for the benefit of our city.
To provide the necessary funds and whatever support necessary to our Police Department to stop our present crime/drug epidemic.
To do whatever is necessary to enhance our city's image that would demand deep respect from our neighbors and instill pride in our citizens.
To establish spending priorities that address the immediate and pressing needs of our city, then, and only then, examine our future dreams and how to fund them.
DR. JAMES W. HOLLEY III
Age: 69
Address: 1400 block of Carson Crescent West, Cavalier Manor
Occupation: Dentist
Political experience: Mayor 1984-87; vice mayor 1978-80; city councilman 1968-80 and 1982-84; civil-rights activist who helped to open Portsmouth's public libraries and its golf courses to black residents.
Here in the remaining few years of the 19th century and on the threshold of the Third Millennium, it is for all of us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recognize where we are; contemplate what positives for Portsmouth the future might hold and together plot a course of unified action. My vision for Portsmouth, the city of my birth and rearing, and looking just 10 years ahead, is ``A TOTAL CITY CONCEPT IN ACTION.''
The approach which I call ``TOTAL CITY CONCEPT'' is first of all a recognition that what happens anywhere in the city affects its citizens everywhere in the city. The concept, used positively and set to an achievable schedule of steps leading to a goal of unified and aggressive action will spark in our city a new awakening of civic pride. It will encourage the unproductive among us to gain needed confidence in their self-worth and to become productive. It would spur the productive among us to strive toward higher levels of excellence. Without doubt, ``such a rising tide of civic pride would lift all boats.''
Ten years is a short span of time to look, plan and produce on a broad citywide basis. Working closely with members of City Council and encouraging the full use of their specialized individual talents, together we can provide the leadership so necessary to the achievement of the TOTAL CITY CONCEPT should I be honored with election as the next mayor, such would be the goal of my four-year term of office.
Portsmouth is a land-locked city and what might appear to others as a liability appears to me as a challenge well worth exploiting. It happens that no part of the city is physically too distant from any other part except in a mental perception. Unlike the larger towns in our region having great acreages and isolated communities therein, we in Portsmouth have the real advantage of ``community'' and now the challenge of ``togetherness'' for the welfare of all. We have nobody to waste! There is untapped talent all over town! I promise to be a WORKING MAYOR, constantly seeking for ideas among the citizenry and striving zealously for the restoration of confidence in Portsmouth's possibilities. As a former city councilman and mayor, a practicing dentist for 40 years, a World War II veteran, member and officer of numerous local, state, regional and national associations, I am sure of having the expertise to serve my city as mayor at this strategic time in its history.
Finally, and referring again to the TOTAL CITY CONCEPT, such if implemented, will surely establish the climate which, among other benefits, will attract the greatly desired new industry while increasing the security and success of our present businesses. ILLUSTRATION: [Photos of all the candidates]
KEYWORDS: PUBLIC JOURNALISM COMMUNITY CONVERSATION PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL
BOARD CANDIDATE PORTSMOUTH MAYOR'S RACE ELECTION by CNB