Law school debate: "Resources on the street"?

Anthony debated his now-official mayoral opponent, John Lassiter, Wednesday evening at the Charlotte School of Law, in the first of numerous debates before Election Day Nov. 3. A few things that stood out to us:

1) In his introductory remarks, Lassiter touched on public safety, relating the story of a poll worker on primary night who told Lassiter someone had broken into his home. It’s an example, Lassiter said, of the importance of deciding “how to get resources on the street.”

Well, the best way is to pay for them. It took us back to 2006, when the Democratic and Republican members of the City Council were going back and forth over the budget. Then-Police Chief Darrel Stephens asked for 70 new police officers. The city manager proposed 55. Lassiter and his fellow Republicans on the council offered a budget proposal that would have paid for 35.

The budget Anthony and the other Democrats on the council came up with – and the one that ended up passing over a mayoral veto – paid for all 70 of the officers Stephens had requested. Every year since then, the council has fully funded the chief’s requests for officers.

Does anybody doubt that was the way to go? And what does it say about Lassiter that he was willing to cut in half what the chief of police said he needed to keep Charlotte’s streets safe? And now he’s crowing about “get(ting) resources on the street”?

2) Three times (by our count), Lassiter referenced his work in heading up the effort to construct the arts and cultural facilities complex uptown: in his introductory remarks; in response to a question about improving relations with state government; and in response to a question about his record compared to Anthony’s.

He deserves credit for taking the lead on that project, which included working with legislators on the rental car tax hike to pay for it. But it’s telling that it was really the only specific example he could cite when he was asked about his accomplishments during his six years on the council. There’s a reason: That’s all he’s got.

Anthony, on the other hand, listed specific after specific: the business corridor plan to take economic growth to neglected parts of the city; leading the effort on new neighborhood and road improvements; working to expand opportunities for small business through the Small Business Enterprise Program …

Those are all things that don’t come with built-in support, as the arts and cultural plan did. But they’re no less important, and they illustrate Anthony’s commitment to the city as a whole, rather than just uptown. There’s another key difference – as worthwhile as the arts project is, it’s essentially geared to tourists, to making Charlotte a nice place to visit. Anthony’s projects aim to make Charlotte a good place to live.

3) In talking about term limits, which Anthony supports, Lassiter said he’s imposed them on himself. Interesting. He spent 11 years on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education before running for the council. Nice restraint, John.

Then he made another very interesting point, an odd one for someone who’s held some kind of public office for 22 consecutive years. You don’t want to stay in office too long, he said, because “at some point, you quit providing value because the energy’s not there.”

We couldn’t agree more.