A Unifying, Credible Leader
Some people have such a gift for leadership and public service that they stand out in any crowd, earning respect wherever they go, whatever they do. Roberta Greene is one of those people.
She seeks a second term on the Spokane City Council. She has earned it. She has earned it by involving herself in a wide array of community volunteer activities. She has earned it by handling with grace, competence and fortitude the often difficult battles of a council seat, as well as the numerous, behind-the-scenes committee memberships that go along with service in City Hall.
If Spokane is going to bring hope to its low-wage economy and unity of purpose to its fractious local politics, it needs Roberta Greene and more people like her. Unity and better jobs are her top goals and she has the background to help Spokane achieve them.
Greene holds deep values, and takes them with her into community work that helps people in practical ways: Steward of Bethel AME Church. Chair of Chase Youth Commission. Trustee of Spokane’s Community Colleges. Involvements like these illustrate this successful businesswoman’s desire to provide opportunity for community members who are young or disenfranchised.
On the City Council, Greene - a former economics professor and social worker - is well-informed when other members are misinformed. Gracious when others want to bicker. When she is confronted with cheap shots and factual errors, she smiles, softens her voice to the texture of velvet and firmly tells the truth, even if it’s not popular. For example, she recently reminded her challengers that there are no secret hoards of money that City Hall is holding back from needs like street repair. Rather, Spokane has a tight budget, a weak tax base and a long list of needs that can be funded only by frank, competent proposals to the taxpayers.
When difficult issues come to the council, Greene is the one who asks whether the public was adequately consulted. City Hall, she says, hasn’t done a good job communicating with the people.
Out in the national market for economic development, Greene points out, Spokane is a relatively small player and cannot afford the internal divisiveness of rival visions and rival organizations. There is plenty of work, and plenty of need, for everyone to lend a hand - as long we work respectfully together. To do that, we need gracious, unifying, credible leaders. And that’s why we need Roberta Greene at City Hall for another four years.