.
. >>
. >> GOOD
. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO FLASHPOINT.
JOINING ME TODAY CHARLOTTE CITY
COUNCIL MEMBERS AND LATER THE
CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL
STOPPING BY AS WELL.
WE WERE TALKING THE MAJOR STORY
DOMINATING THE HEADLINES THIS
WEEK THE 2020 REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL CONVENTION AND THE
STATUS OF CHARLOTTE'S BID.
THE RNC EXPECTED TO VOTE ON
WHETHER OR NOT TO HOLD ITS
CONVENTION HERE OR IN LAS
VEGAS.
TO VOTE ON THE CONVENTION
CHARLOTTE CITY COUNCIL HOLDING
A MEETING.
WE KNOW MAYOR VI LYLES CALLING
A SPECIAL MEETING AND WE KNOW
SUPPORT IS ANYTHING BUT
UNANIMOUS.
>> Reporter: MAYOR VI LYLES
TRIED TO GAIN SUPPORT FROM THE
DEMOCRATIC WOMEN OF MECKLENBURG
COUNTY FOR HER EFFORTS TO BRING
THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION TO
CHARLOTTE.
>> WHAT I WOULD HOPE IT'S WE
WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO
SHOWCASE WHAT IS RIGHT ABOUT
WORKING TOGETHER IN GOVERNMENT
HERE IN CHARLOTTE.
>> THE MAYOR SAID THE ECONOMIC
IMPACT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN'T
BE A BOARD.
THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE
OPPOSITION EARLIER THIS YEAR TO
THE EFFORT TO BRING THE
CONVENTION HERE NOW WITH LESS
THAN A WEEK BEFORE DECISION DAY
CONCERN IS MOUNTING WITHIN THE
MAYOR'S OWN PARTY.
TWO DEMOCRATIC COUNCILMEMBERS,
JUSTIN HARLOW AND LAWANDA
MAYFIELD, SAID THEY WOULD BOTH
VOTE TO REJECT IT.
SEVERAL OTHER DEMOCRATS REMAIN
UNDECIDED.
MAYFIELD SAYS HER CONCERN IS
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S POLICIES ON
MINORITIES AND IMMIGRATION.
>> MY COMMUNITY IS MAJORITY
MINORITY AND I REPRESENT
DISTRICT THREE AS WELL AS THE
ENTIRE CITY WHEN I VOTE.
ONLY HAVE MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITY IN FEAR I HAVE TO
TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
THE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN TOOK A
VOTE LAST NIGHT ON SUPPORT, THE
VOTE FAILED.
>> LET'S CUT TO THE CHASE.
YOU KNOW HOW YOU ARE GOING TO
VOTE AT THE SPECIAL MEETING?
>> I THINK WE KNOW WHAT WE
FEEL, I THINK WE HAVE A BIG
STEP LEFT IN THE REVIEW OF
CONTRACT LANGUAGE AGAIN THERE
HAS BEEN A LOT OF FALSE
NARRATIVES AND INFORMATION OUT
THERE.
WHEN WE SAY WE NEED TO REVIEW
THE CONTRACT LANGUAGE IT IS
WHAT IS IN THE CONTRACT AND
WHAT DOES IT SAY WE'VE BEEN
TOLD TO VARYING PHASES ALL THE
WAY UNTIL LATELY EVERYTHING
THERE VERBALLY AS LONG AS YOU
HAVE ASKED FOR THAT
INFORMATION.
WE NEED TO CONFIRM WHAT WE HAVE
BEEN TOLD TO STOP -- ACCURATE.
>> YOU ARE APPROACHING THIS
FROM A FINANCIAL ASPECT MEANING
IS THE CITY GOING TO GET
EVERYTHING THE CITY NEEDS TO
GET TO HOST THIS CONVENTION?
>> NOT JUST THAT.
THERE IS A LOT OF OTHER THINGS
WHICH IS WHY I ME THEORETICAL
YES AND STRONG US AT THIS
POINT.
ECONOMICALLY YES WE WILL HAVE
GREAT IMPACT.
THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO
SHOWCASE THIS CITY AND WHAT WE
ARE ABOUT AND HOW WE CAN HANDLE,
IN THE MOST CHALLENGING OF
TIMES, THESE TYPES OF
INCIDENTS.
>> JUST AS WE DID FOR THE DNC.
>> EXACTLY.
JUST AS WE DO ALL THE TIME.
>> AT THE TIME OF THE TAPING WE
HAVE NOT SEEING A CONTRACT AT
ALL.
WE WILL SEE ONE THIS AFTERNOON
WHICH WILL BE THE FINAL
CONTRACT.
I DEFINITELY CAN'T JUDGE WHAT I
HAVEN'T SEEN YET.
AS I SAID A COUPLE WEEKS AGO
I'M CONSIDERING EVERYTHING.
ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNICATIONS
I'M GETTING FROM MY COMMUNITY
AT LARGE.
I AM AN AT-LARGE MEMBER AND I
WILL PRESENT THE ENTIRE CITY
800,000 PLUS FOLKS.
A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE WEIGHED IN
ON DIFFERENT SIDES.
>> WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?
>> THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM PEOPLE
SAY THEY REALLY WANTED PEOPLE
SAY THEY DON'T WANT IT SOME
PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED AND
FEARFUL FOR WHAT CAN HAPPEN AND
SOME PEOPLE DON'T THINK
POLITICS MATCH.
AGAIN WHAT I AM LOOKING AT THE
CORRESPONDENCE, SOMETIMES
PEOPLE IDENTIFY AS CONSERVATIVE
REPUBLICANS SAY THEY DON'T WANT
THAT HERE.
THEY IDENTIFY AS LIBERAL
DEMOCRAT SAYING BRING IT.
FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT REASONS. I
HOPE THE COMMUNITY WILL
CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION UP
UNTIL MONDAY AT 2:00 WE SHOULD
HAVE A SPIRITED MEETING.
ULTIMATELY, WE WILL FIGURE OUT
WHETHER WE WILL DO THIS OR NOT.
>> OF A HAD TO PUT YOU BOTH ON
THE SPOT WOULD BE A YES VOTE WE
WANT THE CONVENTION WOULD YOU
COMMIT TO THAT NOW?
>> I WOULD NOT COMMIT TO THAT
RIGHT NOW.
>> BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT DONALD
TRUMP BEING THE CANDIDATE OR
BECAUSE PROBLEMS YOU HAVE WITH
THE CONTRACT AND HOW THE CITY
IS GOING TO FARE.
IS A POLITICS OR CONTRACT
RELATED.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE
BEST THING FOR THE CITY TO DO
RIGHT NOW.
>> BECAUSE PRESIDENT DONALD
TRUMP IS THE CANADA?
>> THAT'S A VERY BIG PART OF
IT.
I THINK IF THIS WAS A DIFFERENT
CANDIDATE IT WOULD DEFINITELY
BE PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THIS BUT I
DON'T THINK I WOULD OPPOSE THIS
IF MITT ROMNEY WAS AT THE TOP
OF THE TICKET.
>> WHAT IF A DIFFERENT
CANDIDATE.
NO ONE SAID THERE WOULD BE A
CHALLENGE YET.
WE ARE ALL ASSUMING PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP IS THE CANADA BUT
HE HASN'T COMMITTED ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER AND IF HE DOESN'T THAT
MY OPEN THE FIELD FOR A VARIETY
OF DIFFERENT CANDIDATE.
>> HE COULD SWITCH PARTIES IN
THAT AMOUNT OF TIME AND
LITERALLY RUN FOR PRESIDENT AS
A REPUBLICAN.
>> THE PRESENT UNITED STATES
REMAINS THE HEAD OF THE
POLITICAL PARTY.
>> AT THIS POINT U OF O IS
BASED ON ASSUMING HE'S A
CANDIDATE?
>> IT IS A STRONG PART OF THE
CONSIDERATION I AM MAKING .
>> YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH HIM
BEING THE CANADA?
>> NO I DON'T.
IT IS IRRELEVANT IN THIS
DEBATE.
NOT JUST BECAUSE THE REASON I
SAID EARLIER, MANY TIMES THIS
WEEK HE IS ONE MAN OBVIOUSLY
IMPORTANT PART OF ALL THIS.
THIS IS A PARTY WITH MILLIONS
AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, THEY
ARE CONVENTION TOO.
TO BE HONEST WE'VE BEEN OUT ALL
WEEK AND THE MAIN DEBATE POINT
OF A LOT OF PEOPLE STRONGLY
OPPOSED TO THIS IS WE ARE
OPPOSED TO THIS PRESIDENT'S
DIVISIVE RHETORIC.
THAT PROMPTED ME TOO LOOK AT
THE DEFINITION OF TO GET AND
SAY SOMEONE WHO IS INTOLERANT
OF OTHER PEOPLE'S VIEWS AND
OPINIONS.
>> THAT IS EVERYBODY.
>> THAT IS EVERYBODY.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DECISION
AGAINST AN ECONOMIC BOON TO OUR
CITY LIKE THIS SIDING BIGOTRY
WHEN IT IS LITERALLY BIGOTRY
THAT IS THE PREMISE OF THE
ARGUMENT.
>> I CAN'T SEE HOW THAT'S
POSSIBLE.
>> AMERICA HAS A WAY OF
WATCHING THINGS THAT AN EVIL
AWAY.
BY USING THE VENEER OF ECONOMIC
IMPACT.
I THINK TIME AND TIME AGAIN
THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO
DO WITH THIS PRESIDENT.
IT IS MORE THAN RHETORIC, IT IS
ACTIONS.
DIVISIVENESS TEARING UP NOT
JUST THIS COUNTRY BUT THIS
WORLD.
>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS BECAUSE
I AGREE WITH THAT TENANT
SOMEWHAT.
IF WE VOTE YES FOR THIS AND WE
MOVE FORWARD, WOULDN'T IT BE
BETTER FOR US TO HAVE THIS IN
OUR OWN BACKYARD RATHER THAN
WHITEWASH IT OR SWEEP IT UNDER
THE RUG WE CONTINUE, YOU AND I,
THE REST OF THE CITY, TO HAVE
THIS DIALOGUE IN A PRODUCTIVE
MANNER FOR TWO YEARS LEADING UP
TO IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN
ACTUALLY SOLVE.
>> I WILL SAY I COMPLETELY
AGREE WITH THAT.
IT IS A GROUP OF THINGS I'M
CONSIDERING AS I MAKE THIS
DECISION.
THE PEOPLE OF CHARLOTTE WOULD
FACE IS PRESENT HAD A BUT I
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
IRRESPONSIBLE TO MAKE THAT
DECISION WITHOUT GETTING INPUT
FROM THE COMMUNITY TO SAY WE
ARE STILL HEALING FROM
SEPTEMBER, 2016.
FOR ME TOO SAY CHARLOTTE THIS
IS YOUR DUTY TO DO THIS IN TWO
YEARS WITHOUT CONSULTING THE
PEOPLE HOSTING THIS THING, IT
WOULD BE AN IRRESPONSIBLE
LEADER.
>> THE MAYOR CAME OUT ALL MOST
IMMEDIATELY AND SAID WE WANT
THIS CONVENTION.
>> TWO WHAT THINGS.
ANOTHER FALSE NARRATIVE I NEED
TO CORRECT.
THE MAYOR CAME OUT, NOT FOR
HERSELF OR THE GOP, SHE CAME
OUT IN HER ROLE HAVING MANY
CONVERSATIONS, ANYONE PUSHING
THE NARRATIVE THE MAYOR IS ON
AN ISLAND DOING THIS BY
HERSELF, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
SHE HAS BEEN OPEN AND PLUGGED
IN THE WHOLE TIME.
THE VOTE OF THE DEMOCRATIC
WOMEN, FIRST OF ALL THAT IS ONE
VERY SPECIFIC SIDE OF OUR
COMMUNITY TWO IT WAS A CLOSE
VOTE 30-21.
EVEN WITH THAT GROWTH -- EVEN
WITH THAT GROUP -- I HAVE
BIRDIES THAT FLY AROUND HERE.
>> FAKE NEWS.
>> YOU ARE SURPRISED BY THAT?
>> I HEARD IT WASN'T THAT
CLOSE.
>> WRINKLING ABOUT PROCEDURE BUT
AGAIN I WASN'T THERE FOR THE
VOTE.
>> NEITHER WAS I. IF MY STAT IS
WRONG I HAVE A TRUSTED SOURCE
THAT TOLD ME THAT.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY TO
YOU YOU MENTIONED SEPTEMBER,
2016 CLEARLY THAT IS PART OF
YOUR STORY AND YOUR RISE TO BE
SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW AND IT'S
A GREAT STORY.
CAN YOU ALSO NOT AGREE, NOT
JUST FROM A DIALOGUE POINT IF
YOU BUT ALSO THAT WE HAVE NOT
FULLY SOLVED OUR PROBLEMS AND
HEALED OUR COMMUNITY AND
LEARNER LESSONS FROM 2016.
AGREE WITH THAT?
>> TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT.
>> YOU AND I ARE WORKING WITH
MANY OTHERS DOING JUST THAT,
RATHER THAN WAIT AROUND FOR
THAT LAST POINT TO GO OFF AGAIN
WHY NOT SCHEDULE IT NOW AND WHY
NOT WORK FOR A DEADLINE WE CAN
CONTROL AND SAY THIS COULD BE
DANGEROUS WE WON'T QUIVER IN
THE CORNER WE WILL STAND UP
UNIFIED.
>> DANGEROUS HOW?
>> ONE OF THE BIG NARRATIVES IS
YOU DON'T WANT TO INVITE
PROTEST AND RIOTS.
>> GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
I DID A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH.
THE LAST TIME THERE WERE MAJOR
PROBLEMS AT THE CONVENTION IN
2008 AND BOTH CITIES HAVE
PROBLEM IN ST. PAUL AND DENVER.
THE DNC AND RNC.
CLOSE TO ALMOST 1000 ARREST
BETWEEN THE TWO.
IN 2012 IN TAMPA, THE RNC AND
DNC HER LESS THAN 30 ARREST
BETWEEN THE TWO.
SEEMS LIKE SECURITY -- --
>> LESS SECURITY IF YOU LOOK
BACK ON HISTORY IN TIMES OF
CONFLICT WITH THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA LOOK AT 9068, 2008
OUT OF THE BUSH YEARS, EARLY
90s AND DIFFERENT TIMES.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS.
THINGS YOU EXPECT A POLITICAL
CONVENTION.
WHEN YOU GO BACK TO 2016 I WAS
THERE.
IT MIGHT BE A GOOD STORY BUT I
KNOW IT WAS TRAUMA.
REAL TRAUMA THAT I EXPERIENCE,
TRAUMA MY FAMILY EXPERIENCED,
ALL THE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS TO
THE ENTIRE CITY.
THAT IS A DIFFICULT THING TO
DEAL WITH IT.
IT BOILS DOWN TO A MATTER OF
BEING BRAVE OR NOT I THINK THE
PEOPLE CHARLOTTE HAVE SHOWN
TIME AND TIME AGAIN WE ARE
BRAVE PEOPLE.
THE WILLINGNESS AS A LEADER TO
BRING THAT TRAUMA TO THE
FOREFRONT WITH OR WITHOUT.
>> THE WILLINGNESS OF A
COMMUNITY TO GET OUT OF YOUR
COMFORT