Share Email Print RSS

Goldman Wins ...

Paul Goldman may not win the contest to become Richmond's next mayor, but he did carry the night at the well-attended mayoral forum on Tuesday at the Virginia Historical Society . The topics covered by the five candidates were generally to do with arts, culture, tourism and schools.



Several times during the course of the evening's wordy jousting Goldman got laughs, occasionally at the expense of the others onstage with him. More often, it was his old boss, Mayor Doug Wilder , who was the target of Goldman's sarcastic jabs. He even seemed to get the best of Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Michael Paul Williams , who took Goldman's mocking tone in stride.  



The League of Women Voters and Style Weekly sponsored the event, the second in a series of three such mayoral forums. A replay of the entire forum can be heard on WRIR-93.7FM on Friday, Oct. 17 at 1 p.m.



Following the candidates' opening remarks, Style staff writer Brandon Reynolds asked the night's first question. It was a gotcha ploy designed to reveal the candidates' lack of exposure to bands such as Municipal Waste and GWAR . Although the question itself was garbled, the tactic worked, as none of the hopefuls behind podiums showed any familiarity whatsoever with the heavy metal/thrash aspect of Richmond's diverse music scene.



The worst performance was turned in by Lawrence E. Williams, Jr ., who frequently wandered off-topic to promote his idea about building three new middle schools. It didn't matter what the question was, Williams hammered away -- in a well-modulated tone -- that he wants those three schools to be multipurpose centers for their surrounding communities, with social services housed in each school as well.



Although Williams' concept sounded good enough, it hardly passed as the answer for every problem the City of Richmond is facing.



On a roll, Goldman chimed in to remind Williams and everybody else that with the "fiscal crisis" -- for the time being -- has put the kibosh on any new spending ventures.



The other three men standing on the stage, William J. "Bill" Pantele , Del. Dwight C. Jones and Robert J. Grey, Jr ., all had their moments, but they did little to separate themselves from their opponents on most issues raised.  



Jones said, "The cultural landscape is the soul of the city." More than once he decried "personality-driven politics," in thinly veiled references to the sitting mayor's style of governance.  



Grey touted the coming of the new the performing arts center , now under construction. He also threw in the fact that he has performed on the Firehouse Theatre's stage as an actor.



Goldman said he'd forgotten who coined the term, but he agreed with the guy who suggested Richmond should do more to support its "creative class."



Grey reminded Goldman it was social scientist Dr. Richard Florida who developed the theory that the creativity of artists, musicians, etc., can be an engine to drive a city's economic development.



The moderator, Jason Roop , Style's editor, asked the five for a one-word-answer to whether they support the controversial Patrick Henry charter school project , which just received approval from the Richmond School Board.



Candidate Pantele: "Yes."



Candidate Williams: "Yes."



Candidate Goldman: "Yes."



Candidate Jones: "I think so."



Candidate Grey: "Aye!"



Asked about supporting regional cooperation in education, Pantele brushed the question aside, "We have no ability to force a regional school system. We need to strengthen our system. The business community is anxious to help."



Grey suggested year-round schools and after-school programs that would help many families with childcare needs.



Pantele, currently the City Council President, threw in a call for a free breakfast program for kids who are too hungry in the morning to pay attention in class.



Williams called for three new middle schools, again!



Roop asked each man if they would be in favor of opening the books to let the public see into the operation of public/private ventures such as CenterStage and the Landmark Theater . Each man said "yes."



However, Gray said that is already the case, because the law calls for it. Roop seemed to disagree, but didn't follow up.



Ever the idea-man, Goldman would like to see a push to put a new statue on Monument Avenue that would "tell the story of Southern women."



To close the event, each candidate was asked what act, what kind of show, he would bring to CenterStage, once it opens.



Pantele said, "Aw, come on!" Then he laughed, shrugged and said, "Bon Jovi."



Williams dreamed aloud about a play where a person comes to the city to dine ... and 15 people ... and, so there's no stage.



As the mood in the room was rather lighthearted, a few people in the audience chuckled.



Goldman called for a new production of "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial."



Jones wanted Oprah Winfrey to come to town.



Grey, who had joked about his own acting earlier, said he would like to star in a play.



Not one of them was quick enough to say that if he got the chance he would put Municipal Waste or GWAR on that stage.