Denise "D.D." Adams, a Democrat, and John Hopkins, a Republican, aren't that far apart on the issues of Dell and the downtown ballpark as they campaign for the North Ward seat on the Winston-Salem City Council. But because Adams has fresh ideas and experience in public service, she's the most qualified candidate.
Adams and Hopkins are vying for the seat held since 1989 by Nelson Malloy, a Democrat who's stepping down for health reasons and to spend more time with his family.
Hopkins is a 49-year-old computer technician with Time Warner. His property was annexed into the city in 2006, which fueled his opposition to forced annexation and, in large part, led him to run for office.
He criticizes the city's economic-development efforts, especially its focus on attracting residents in the 18- to 34-year-old range. Instead, he said, it should concentrate on attracting retirees, because it is a safe city and offers good medical care.
More incentives should go to small businesses, he said.
Hopkins, like the other Republicans running for city council, has signed a so-called contract to not vote for additional city money for the downtown baseball stadium, among other measures. He questions the city council's approval of millions of dollars in financial backing for the stadium, which had been stalled for months until a new cash infusion was approved by the council in June. He also is critical of incentives paid to lure Dell to build its Winston-Salem plant, which will close in January.
Adams, a 55-year-old quality engineer for Johnson Controls Inc. who has served on the board of the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem, also questions those projects. And she has clear ideas for change. For example, she said that the Dell agreement should have included provisions mandating more public accounting of employment figures and future plans.
The ballpark will be a positive development, she said, but the city should not have gotten involved in the first place, and it should get out of it as quickly as possible and look for other qualified investors to work with developer Billy Prim on the deal.
Whatever happens going forward, Adams said, there's a need for greater accountability. "Let's do it right and notify the citizens early that we have a problem," she said. "Communication, education and seeking public input are key, whether people agree with a project or disagree."
Adams' experience on the housing-authority board, where she served for most of the 1990s, should help her in such efforts. She was unafraid to ask tough questions or speak out when she saw the authority's money being wasted or mismanaged. For example, she said, she successfully pushed for the mandating of written work orders for maintenance and for more stringent review of project contracts.
Adams is confident, seasoned and reasonable in her thinking. The Journal endorses Denise "D.D." Adams for the North Ward council seat.
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