On the ballot, District 3: Van Arthur Anderson
By From staff reports
Published in News on October 28, 2015 1:46 PM
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Van Arthur Anderson
Q: Why do you want to be on the Goldsboro City Council?
A: I have lived in the community for most of my life. I have seen some good things, and I have seen some bad things that have happened. I want to try and help make some positive things happen for the community here.
One thing is jobs. I think we need a lot of jobs here in District 3 and Wayne County. Education, as far as the young people, and not only that, but the things that are happening on the streets so we can rehabilitate some of the citizens with a criminal background and reintegrate them back into the community. I would like to see if we couldn't set up something like that.
Also the safety of the citizens because of the crime rate I feel like at times some people feel like that they are housebound.
Q: What government experience do you have? If you don't have government experience, what are your qualifications?
A: I don't have the actual government experience, but I have owned businesses that I ran successfully. So I would like to bring some of those ideas and thoughts with me. The same principle that works for that also works here for the city.
Q: The City Council has designated four major issues it intends to tackle in the coming years:
* Greenways and pathways around the city, both maintenance of existing systems and bringing new ones to Goldsboro.
A: The greenways and pathways are good. They are safe for the environment. It would help us a lot. I would say if we did this, it would improve our environment. So I am all for that. I'd like to see more added.
* Continue to invest in downtown.
A: I think we need to wrap up what has already been started. Beautification downtown is absolutely wonderful. But what we really need are some jobs around here because no matter what we do downtown, people need to be able to afford to go and do things. So it is more than just downtown. I think we need to finish it up, and then we need to go ahead on.
You know when people come to town there are certain areas they do not bring them through. So I can understand that you have got to have something nice, but you have got to have an incentive for people to come here. You have got to take care of the people who live here. We have just got to get some jobs down here.
* Develop the city's parks and recreation department.
A: I would like to see more in parks and recreation. I actually used to work with the city. The youth especially need somewhere, but not only them, the adults need something to do. I have seen things we could clean up some of these street corners in Goldsboro if they had something to do. But there is really not a lot for us to do around here. We are losing a lot of our young people because what happens when they reach an age to make a decision, they leave because they say there is really nothing to do here compared to other places.
I'd like to start with the basics of young people whenever they are growing up. It is important for young people, they have got to have somewhere that is safe, going right on up to mentoring programs to lead and guide them into adulthood so they can grow up and be what they are supposed to be.
* Combat blight throughout the city.
A: I think we need to look and see what is the cause. Why did this happen? See if there is anything the city can actually do. See if there are any funds to help with these houses. Sometimes this is the only thing people have to live in. They can't afford to do things. Sometimes it is their health issue or something like that. So the city can step in and if anything can possibly be done, it would be real helpful.
I reflect back to the time I was growing up. If your barn burned down, your neighbors came and helped you build a barn. If we can just get the community to work together.
Q: As for the budget, are there things you would like to see cut, increased or added?
A: I need to sit down and look at the city budget. I am familiar with it a little bit. I went down and talked to the city manager, but I need to sit down and look at the facts and figures before I can make an intelligent decision on it.
I would like to see more for the youths, educational programs. We have an opportunity to do an apprentice-type thing. If we would take like carpenters, plumbers, electricians, those people who have those skills that already have businesses and are established to give them an incentive so they could take the young people and take them under their wings and teach them.
Q: What do you think the city needs to do to help curb the violence, particularly shootings, that seems to be escalating?
A: I think there needs to be more foot patrols because I know if something is going on, and you are passing by in a cruiser, I know it is a hard job having officers out there like that, but the only thing a person does when they are out selling drugs or whatever they just go back behind the house. They have somebody looking out. Once the officer is gone they are right back out again.
We have to stay constant on it. It would be nice to have a program whereas we could help the ones on the streets with the crime and felonies on their record and they couldn't get a job that they could begin a program where they could begin removing those felonies if they improve themselves and want to come off the streets.
As they improve themselves and get those felonies off they could become productive citizens.
If they didn't want to do it they have just got to be locked up.