Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines stands by his buddy Billy Prim as the City Council waits for the pitch for more money to fund the downtown stadium:

Prim said last week that if the stadium fails, he will not be at risk of personal bankruptcy, but Joines said that Prim was still taking a chance. “He’s got $30 million at risk here,” Joines said. “He’s got lots of skin in the game.”

Deciding whether to support the deal could become a point of debate in this fall’s city elections.

Joines, a Democrat, is running for a third term as the city’s mayor. The entire city council is also up for re-election.

Nothing in the article or the accompanying editorial qualifies Joines’ numbers. Best I can tell, Prim has $4 million in the deal, while costs keep rising for taxpayers and the banks.

I’ve said it before — if no one steps up to take Joines on in the mayor’s race, then there’s no hope for that city. Sad but true.