Greensboro Mayor Robbie Perkins is having financial problems.
Perkins owed the IRS $86,000, which he says he has now paid down to $30,000. Perkins also faces foreclosure on the home he owns with his estranged wife. A high-powered real estate developer, Perkins says he’s suffering from the economic downturn, as are many others in the real estate business.
I’m constantly amazed at the personal problems politicians are able to weather —- former Guilford County Commissioner Steve Arnold comes to mind. But it’s only short-term —- look where Arnold is now. Perkins will weather this storm, only until we approach next year’s election, at which time he will either decline to run or will be defeated. The majority of Greensboro voters may have been fooled twice at the federal level, but they’re not going to suffer a mayor with such a turbulent personal life.
Which in turn means the proposed downtown performing arts center is now dead. Given the mayor’s situation, no booster is going to be able to pitch it with a straight face.
Bonus observation —- Given the fact that the N&R was fed the story by East Greensboro blogger Billy Jones —- it will be interesting to see how the local paper of record pursues this story. Will the N&R ride Perkins hard, or will it be a ‘move along, nothing else to see here’ situation?
Bounus observation II Note to former Mayor Bill Knight, the fine man Greensboro voters turned out in favor of Perkins —- I realize you said you were done with politics, but it’s only going to be a couple of years, and you’re only 70-odd years young, so maybe you’re up for another shot?
Bonus observation III Former City Council candidate David Hoggard —never shy about publicly sharing his personal and financial problems over at his blog, says over at Ed Cone’s blog that Perkins troubles ‘hardly’ make him unfit or unqualified to serve as elected. Again, the voters will decide, and I predict that they will decide he is indeed unfit and unqualified.
