Carolina Politics Online

It always gives me a warm and fuzzy when the people defeat the political elite.  For those of you unfamiliar with Charlotte, Ballantyne is a very affluent neighborhood in the south part of the city near the South Carolina border.  It’s a safe neighborhood with good schools and nice homes, but for some reason Mayor Anthony Foxx (D) and some others on the city council were in favor of flushing it down the crapper.  The proposal was to build a low income public housing apartment complex right smack dab in the middle of suburbia in the city and well, that didn’t fly too well with the residents.

From what is reported at the public hearing last night there were fireworks being thrown by the residents.  The Charlotte Observer was keeping a live update of the meeting on their Web site and of all the comments spoken, they naturally chose this one to put up for all to see.

6:25 p.m.: Said one speaker: “My house is over $1 million. I don’t want that crap next to me.”

Why Steve Harrison chose that comment is quite obvious, to paint this as some struggle between “poor impoverished victims” and those “evil country club snobs” who don’t want them in their backyard.  Well you know what?  I’m on the millionaire’s side.  I wouldn’t want that crap in my neighborhood either and he and every other affluent person in Ballantyne who worked hard their entire lives to reach that standard of living has the right to feel the same way.  Public housing destroys neighborhoods and I’ve seen it first hand.

Years ago I lived in a neighborhood of Pittsburgh called Sheraden.  At one time Sheraden was one of the safest, nicest middle class neighborhoods in the city.  That all started changing in the mid 1990s when a public housing complex over the hill was shut down and all the drug addicts and welfare trash started infiltrating Sheraden with their Section 8 vouchers.  Within ten years the neighborhood went through a complete metamorphosis.  Crime shot up, property values declined and blight was everywhere.  I was fortunate enough to live in the one part of Sheraden that hadn’t decayed like the rest, but the effect was in its infancy of taking hold just as I sold my home and moved down here to South Carolina.  Public housing destroyed Sheraden and it would do the same thing to Ballantyne if Mayor Foxx had his way.

The developers who were working with the public housing authority decided today to abandon the proposal.  Hey, I don’t blame people for not wanting to live in the ghetto and they don’t have to if they get their asses in gear and set their lives straight.  I work for a living and I can’t afford to live in Ballantyne.  There is no way those people deserve to live there on my tax dollars.

There was a bit of suspense in Asheville, N.C., Tuesday morning about whether newly-elected city council member Cecil Bothwell should or would be sworn into office. Bothwell, who was elected last month, is an atheist. The North Carolina constitution still bars atheists from holding elected office.

“I’m not saying that Cecil Bothwell is not a good man, but if he’s an atheist, he’s not eligible to serve in public office, according to the state constitution,” said H.K. Edgerton, a former Asheville NAACP president told the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Article 6, section 8 of the North Carolina constitution states: “The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.”

The Washington Post

These threats against Bothwell are completely unacceptable.  This is precisely what the Establishment Clause was placed in the Constitution to prevent.  Neither the Federal nor any state government has the legal authority to apply a religious litmus test to any public office holder.  In a free society we do not bully other people based on their religious beliefs or lack thereof.

Article VI Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution reads: ” The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”

That’s pretty cut and dry and trumps whatever language still survives in the North Carolina State Constitution.  Mr. Edgerton certainly has the right to be upset about Councilman Bothwell’s beliefs, but he does not have the right to have him expelled from office based on those beliefs.  That’s an issue to be settled in the future between Bothwell and God.

You might remember a month ago after the Republicans swept the Wake County School Board elections that Clay Aiken came out and publicly denounced their plans to do away with “diversity” busing.  His words caused him a minor controversy of his own as he was outed (yet again) as still being a registered voter in Wake County even though he no longer lives there.  His vote in the election was then challenged.  He announced before the Wake County Board of Elections that he intends to change his registration now to Chatham County, but he still knows more about what is better for Wake County children than their own parents do.

RALEIGH — Pop singer Clay Aiken announced Tuesday that he plans to change his voter registration but still speak out against the new Wake County school board’s plans to eliminate the current diversity policy.

Aiken made the announcement before the preliminary hearing today before the WakeCounty Board of Elections into whether he is qualified to vote under his mother’s Raleigh address even though he has a home in Chatham County. Aiken said he still considers Raleigh to be his home but wrote that he’ll change his voter registration “rather than get into a technical dispute.”

“I may not be able to effect change through my vote, but I will join other concerned citizens in speaking truth to those who would reverse decades of progress in Wake County schools,” Aiken said on his blog. “I stand by my opposition to policies that threaten to resegregate schools and eliminate diversity. These policies will not prepare children for the larger world.”

The News & Observer

What the hell would Clay Aiken know about the larger world?  He barely lived in it before shooting to stardom, a world where reality is masked by breakfast  mimosas and limousines.  Can Aiken name one, just one city that has shown undeniable benefits to having children spend three hours a day on a school bus as they are bussed clear across the county to a school 15 miles from their house?  Just name one, Clay.  It shouldn’t be that hard if it’s such an overwhelming success.  Aiken’s time would be better spent worrying about his own child rather than butting into the parenting of others.

Pope says his challenge to Aiken’s vote on Oct. 6 was based on a News & Observer story about the blog post, in which a conservative activist was quoted saying that Aiken did not live in Wake County.

Aiken responded to Pope’s challenge.

“It just goes to show the lengths to which some folks will go to silence an opposing view,” Aiken said on his blog.  “I’ve remained registered at the permanent address that I’ve long used here in Wake County because I consider Raleigh home.”

No, it just goes to show that you have to follow the damn law.  The election law is pretty clear.  You vote based on where you live, period.  You don’t get to choose to vote in a city you no longer reside in just because you grew up there.  Talk about being a selfish idiot.  It’s really not that hard to understand.  He, himself, must be a product of that phenomenal diversity busing program.

Apparently in Atlantic Beach if you challenge the status quo and win, their buddies on the Election Commission throw out your votes.  OK, I don’t really know for certain it’s a case of the “ole boys club” or in this case, girls.   They claim there are voting “irregularities.”  I am just amused that such a small town can generate so much news of corruption, fraud, and abuse and become a total laughing stock for the entire state.

They did get one thing right this past week, however.  They finally got around to suspending the mayor’s pay after she, herself, was suspended from her post by the governor.  Just for old times sake, let’s bring back that Pulitzer winning mug shot of Ms Pierce.  It’s been such a hit here.

Interesting.  How often does the President of the United States take the time to call the newly elected mayor of an upper medium sized city? I mean, I could understand if Foxx just got elected mayor of New York City or LA, but Charlotte?  I wonder what the motivation behind that phone call was?

The mayor and two members of the City Council were ousted in landslide elections Tuesday, and observers said the voters reflect local residents’ frustrations over the music theater the council brought to town a few years ago.

Voters made their feelings clear Tuesday, electing Emery Doughtie mayor over Beale by a 76 to 24 percent margin. City Council members Ed Deese and Jon Baker lost by similar margins.

WRAL.com

Sometimes, certain election results bring a smile to my face and put a spring in my step.

Roanoke Rapids took out a $21.5 million loan to build a 1,500-seat entertainment complex that was initially headed by and named for country music singer Randy Parton, the brother of entertainer Dolly Parton. Officials expected the project would spur growth along Interstate 95 and generate enough tax revenue to pay off the loan.

The excitement didn’t last, however. The city’s relationship with Randy Parton quickly soured amid allegations he misspent money and showed up drunk at a performance.

The City Council approved a $547,000 settlement in March 2008 to buy out Parton’s contract, and they pulled his name off the theater, renaming it the Roanoke Rapids Theatre.

Slow ticket sales prompted officials to close the theater temporarily in the summer of 2008 and forced the City Council to approve a five-cent increase to the local tax rate to help pay off the loan, which runs through 2027. The city sold the theater a year ago in a lease-purchase deal to a Chicago businessman for $12.5 million.

There are a few state officials who have yet to be held accountable for this boondoogle, but at least a few local officials got tarred, feathered, and run out of town (metaphorically anyways).

This also gives me an opportunity to show you one of my favorite interviews of all time. Here, in all his glory, is Randy Parton the night he was fired from his own damn theater-

Charlotte may have taken a left turn last night, but Greensboro went the other direction and elected a fiscally conservative newcomer.

First-time mayoral candidate Bill Knight ousted incumbent Yvonne Johnson in Tuesday’s City Council election.

The victory is the first by a challenger over an incumbent mayor since  voters began electing the mayor at-large in 1973.

Knight ran on a platform of fiscal conservatism and cleaning up the city’s police department. He will lead a council that, in the course of one election, now has a supermajority of registered Republicans.

“The voters spoke to change,” Knight said

The News-Record

While Republican and Democrat fortunes varied around the country, Democrats made out fairly well in Charlotte last night.  Anthony Foxx was the first Democrat to be elected mayor of Charlotte since 1985, breaking a Republican hold on the office.  Democrats also increased their majority on city council to eight, with Susan Burgess, Patrick Cannon, and David Howard claiming three of the four At-Large seats.

In the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board races two seats changed parties and that was the predictable District 3 and District 5.  James Ross, a Republican, was appointed to this very heavily Democrat seat when former board member George Dunlap won a seat on the Mecklenburg County Commission last year.  The odds were against Ross winning his own term, but it didn’t stop him from trying.  Rhonda Lennon (R) won the District 1 seat being vacated by Larry Gauvreau.  Richard McElrath (D) defeated appointed board member Kimberly Mitchell-Walker, which was the result I wanted to see.  Districts 5 went to Independent candidate Eric Davis and District 6 remained in Republican hands with political newcomer Tim Morgan winning that seat.

In Chapel Hill, Mark Kleinschmidt narrowly defeated Matt Czajkowski in the mayoral race.

There were no surprises in York County last night as former State Representative Ralph Norman (R) reclaimed his old House seat in District 48, easily defeating Democrat Kathy Cantrell by a huge margin.

In the school board run off race in Wake County, Republican John Tedesco trounced his opponent by 50 points to solidify the Republican majority on the Wake County School Board.

In Asheville, Democrats swept the City Council races there as well with Esther Manheimer, Gordon Smith, and Cecil Bothwell winning all three At-Large seats.  Incumbent Republican Carl Mumpower came in fourth with 14% of the vote.

That’s all the big news for tonight.  I’ll write a recap tomorrow.

9:57PM Mecklenburg County – Burgess, Cannon, Howard, and Peacock have won the At-Large seats giving the Democrats a veto proof majority on the Charlotte City Council, although it’s unlikely they’ll need with Mayor-Elect Anthony Foxx.

9:41PM Mecklenburg County – Anthony Foxx (D) has won the Charlotte mayoral race.

9:36PM Orange County – Mark Kleinschmidt has won the Chapel Hill mayoral race.

9:32PM Wake County – In the run off for the Wake County School Board District 2, John Tedesco has trounced Cathy Truitt 75% to 25% making the Republicans’ majority on the school board now official.

9:28PM Mecklenburg County – With 142 of 169 precincts reporting, Anthony Foxx (D) is leading John Lassiter (R) 51% to 49%.  It’s looking like Foxx is going to be the winner.  It also appears that Susan Burgess (D), Patrick Cannon (D), Edwin Peacock (R), and David Howard (D) will win the four City Council At-Large seats, increasing the Democrats’ majority to 8 of the 11 seats.

9:18PM Mecklenburg County – Foxx (D) has retaken the lead with 124 of 169 precincts reporting.  It is also starting to look like the Democrats are going to take three of the four At-Large seats on Charlotte City Council.  McElrath has a three point lead over Mitchell-Walker in CMS District 2.

8:58PM Mecklenburg County – In the At-Large Charlotte City Council races the top four are as follows: Susan Burgess (D) 15%, Edwin Peacock (R) 14%, Patrick Cannon (D) 13%, and David Howard (D) 12%.

8:56PM York County – Ralph Norman (R) has defeated Kathy Cantrell (D) in the South Carolina House District 48 race.

8:51PM Mecklenburg County – John Lassiter (R) now has a half percent lead over Anthony Foxx (D).

8:45PM Mecklenburg County – In the CMS school board races Rhonda Lennon (R) is leading in District 1.  In District 2 Mitchell-Walker (D) is barely ahead of McElrath (D) one and a half percent.  In District 5 Eric Davis (I) has a 30 point lead over Susan Walker (R).  Tim Morgan (R) is leading in District 6.

8:39PM Orange County – Mark Chilton has won the Carrboro mayoral race. It also looks like in Chapel Hill that Kleinschmidt will be the winner in that mayoral race.

8:34PM Mecklenburg County – With 23 of 169 precincts reporting, Anthony Foxx is at 51% and John Lassiter at 48%.  In the Mecklenburg County Council At-Large race, Susan Burgess (D) is at 15%, Patrick Cannon (D) is at 14%, Edwin Peacock (R) is at 14%, and David Howard (D) is at 12%.

8:24PM – In South Carolina House District 48 Republican Ralph Norman is decisively stomping Democrat Kathy Cantrell, as expected.

8:18PM – With 18 of 21 precincts reporting in Chapel Hill, Mark Kleinschmidt is leading Matt Czajkowski 51-45

8:05PM – With early voting ballots counted in Charlotte, Anthony Foxx (D) has a ten point lead over John Lassiter (R) in the mayoral race.  In CMS District 3 Joyce Waddell (D) has a huge lead of 39% with early voters so despite today’s voters I am thinking appointed school board member James Ross (R) will not be able to overcome that, which was expected.  The district is just too Democratic.

The final poll is out for the Charlotte Mayoral race.  According to 791 likely voters interviewed by Public Policy Polling between October 31st and yesterday, Republican John Lassiter leads Democrat Anthony Foxx 50% to 46% to be the next mayor of Charlotte.

In the Chapel Hill Mayoral race, it’s pretty much neck and neck between Matt Czajkowski and Mark Kleinschmidt with Czajkowski holding a one point lead.

Tomorrow the City of Charlotte will be electing a new mayor and sending four candidates to the At-Large seats, currently held by two Democrats and two Republicans.  There are also contested races in District 6 and District 7.  I’m not going to spend much time on these races as I did with the others because there isn’t much to really decide here.

Of the four At-Large seats, incumbents Susan Burgess (D) and Edwin Peacock (R) along with former Councilman Patrick Cannon (D) are going to win three of them.  I wouldn’t vote for any of them, but that’s conventional wisdom and the polling shows it.  It’s really only the fourth seat that is in contention.  Polling showed Tariq Bokhari with a slight advantage.  Either he or Matthew Ridenhour will do a fine job on the City Council.  Both are committed to getting the city’s spending under control and decreasing the role of government.  So vote for both of them.

In Districts 6 and 7 incumbents Andy Dulin (R) and Warren Cooksey (R) are running for reelection.  I don’t expect either of them to lose.

Finally, the mayoral race.  Quite honestly, I’m not all that enamored with either John Lassiter (R) or Anthony Foxx (D).  I don’t like the direction the city or the county has been going in and they are both currently office holders.  If I had to make a choice, it would be Lassiter only because the Democrats hold a majority on City Council so putting another Republican in the mayor’s seat keeps a balance in the city government.

Contrary to popular belief, not all the Wake Co. School Board races were decided on Oct. 6th. Three of them were, but the fourth, covering the 2nd District in Southern Wake, will be decided on Tuesday because no candidate got a majority of the votes during the Oct. 6th election.

And this race is getting weirder -and sadder- by the day.

On Oct. 6th, reform candidate John Tedesco received 49.5% of the votes. Had he received about 40 more votes, he would have had an outright majority and this race would be over. Tedesco, like the victorious candidates in Wake’s other three school board races, wants to amend Wake’s insane “diversity” policy that buses kids half-way across the county so our local liberals can feel better about themselves. Bane mentioned that the Mecklenburg School races are having the same debate.

Supporters of the diversity policy believe that a “socio-economic balance” in schools will make school better. Mention that those same socio-economically disadvantaged students currently have a paltry and shameful 54% graduation rate under this wonderful diversity policy, and they’ll stick their fingers in their ears and loudly hum hippie protest songs from the 60’s.

If you’re a parent and want your children to attend a local school you’ll be called a racist by out-going school board member Lori Milberg, a “re-segregationist” by the NAACP, or a bigot by the editorial page of  N&O. But you can also call yourself victorious, because 3 of the 4 change candidates won by large margins on Oct. 6th, and the aforementioned Tedesco almost won outright in a 4-way race.

Here’s where it gets weird.

Continue Reading »

Each of the six geographic districts of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board is up for reelection on Tuesday. CMS is in terrible shape.  The performance of the schools are getting worse.  The superintendent is awful and ineffective.  There are a lot of reasons for the deterioration of the school system, but the status quo of the school board hasn’t been helping make it better.  So here are my recommendations for Tuesday’s elections:

District 1 – Rhonda Lennon

Rhonda Lennon is a Republican from Huntersville.  She has been active in the school system for a few years now and is the founder of F.U.M.E. the Families United for Northern Mecklenburg Education.  She has been an active voice in bringing attention to the overcrowding going on in the suburban county schools and she is advocate for getting more parents involved in the school system.  Parental participation is key if the school district is ever going to improve.  Her opponents, Gail Summerskill and Robin Bradford are way out of touch with the district.  Summerskill is a San Francisco raised Obamabot who does not support the idea of  your child attending schools in your own neighborhood, but rather forced busing to achieve a leftist wet dream of “diversity.” As for Bradford, she has been endorsed by Nick Mackey.  Enough said.  This is a Republican district and I think it’s likely Lennon will win the race.

District 2 – Richard McElrath

The District 2 seat is currently occupied by Kimberly Mitchell-Walker who was appointed to fill the rest of Vilma Leake’s term.  Mitchell-Walker should not be elected to her own term.  This woman will have your kids being bussed half way across the county under this fantasy that mixing children of different income levels and races in the schools translate into a better education for minority students.  This practice is done in a lot of cities around the country and it’s had zero positive effect.  Instead it has been harming children by having them sit on a bus for two hours each morning and evening in order to integrate a school ten miles away from where they live.  Many parents, including minority parents, have sued to get this practice stopped.  So if you’ve worked hard to provide you and your family with a good income and lifestyle and bought a place in Cornelius to get your kid into a neighborhood of decent schools, Mitchell-Walker will steal that education by having your kid shoved off to the inner city of Charlotte every morning.

McElrath seems to understand that the gaps in education have to do with the home and neighborhood itself.

He says he’d still redraw boundaries where high- and low-poverty school attendance zones sit side by side. But the link between poverty and failure won’t end, he says, while children return to “neighborhoods where you can’t get fresh fruits and vegetables, but you can get fortified wine and beer.”

Changing housing patterns is his latest quest, but reform for failing schools remains his primary passion.

McElrath says that requires setting high expectations for poor students and acting forcefully to get the best teachers into those schools. At a debate, he gave Superintendent Peter Gorman a “D,” saying his efforts to reassign teachers have been “a shell game” that lures them from one high-poverty school to another.

Charlotte Observer

Democrat Richard McElrath is the right choice.

District 3 – James Ross

James Ross was also appointed to the school board to fill the vacancy of George Dunlap.  Ross has an uphill battle in winning his own term because he is a Republican in a black and heavily Democrat district.  Ross isn’t dissuaded by that, however.  He has been very active in the district holding meetings and getting to know the people.  He deserves four years to show the district what he can do.

District 4 – You’re screwed

Incumbent Tom Tate is running unopposed which is unfortunate because he sucks.  He’s had four years to show that he is not up to the job.  He expresses concerns about the achievement gap between schools and wants to redraw lines to mix students up better.  Of course, that’s just a game of numbers.  It won’t actually change the achievement level of each student and may actually hurt better performing students who get thrown into a school with a low educational success rate.

District 5 – Susan Walker

Susan Walker is an advocate of responsible school spending and kids being able to attend the school closest to their house in order to encourage parental involvement.  It’s just common sense, but that’s been lacking in CMS for a long time.  She believes in customized education for each child, being that not all children learn the same way or have the same interests and in doing more to stave off the drop out rate.

District 6 – John Ross

John Ross wants to get more money to the actual classroom and cut out a lot of the administration and bureaucracy in CMS, like CMS-TV for instance.  He also wants a zero tolerance policy for assaults on teachers by students.  That is a huge issue and something that needs to happen.  Any kid that assaults a teacher should be expelled from the school district permanently.  Ross has a financial background that will serve well in a school system that hasn’t wisely spent its money.

RALEIGH — Advocates of busing for diversity have already conceded Wake County’s school board election, but more than 150 people who rallied downtown Friday night sounded far from ready to give up on the long-standing policy.

In the Asheville City Council race this coming Tuesday, several candidates are competing, but only three can be elected to the At-Large seats.  I have gone over the platforms and statements of each candidate and have narrowed down the three that I would vote for if I live in Asheville.  You can call these endorsements if you like; I prefer to call them my recommendations.  Endorsements come from important people and institutions and I am but a humble blog administrator.  In no particular order, my choices are as follows:

Ryan Croft

Mr. Croft is big on the budget and while it may not be the most sexy issue out there, it should be one of the top discussions in everyone’s mind.  We are a country drowning in debt.  Our Federal government has accumulated a national debt of over $11 trillion with an almost $2 trillion budget deficit for just this fiscal year.  Our Congressional leaders are driving us into bankruptcy.  The Asheville City Council may not have any influence over the carelessness of the Federal government, but they can keep their own fiscal house in order.  Croft is committed to fighting for a balanced budget and rooting out waste and unnecessary government spending to get there, not raising taxes.  Croft seems to understand that in tough economic times, tough decisions must be made and he doesn’t appear frightened to make those calls.

J. Neal Jackson

Mr. Jackson is the owner of Eagle Supermarket in downtown Asheville.  Who better to know what a growing business needs than someone who possesses the experience of owning and operating his very own business in the city?  Additionally, Jackson has a strong educational background with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Entrepreneurship.  You can’t ask for better credentials in a city leader.  Jackson shares Croft’s fiscal sanity and is committed to pushing the city towards employing local companies for city infrastructure needs.  That’s just good sense.  The local government should use its local businesses and give back to the people of the community.

Esther Manheimer

I choose Ms Manheimer because she has a strong focus on improving the overall quality of life in Asheville.  It takes more than lower taxes to build a strong community, but a combination of affordability, efficient services, and environmental aesthetics.  Manheimer is a backer of reducing pollution and expanding public greenways and transportation.  All of these factors are important features that enhance the quality of life for all residents in a city and serve as incentives to attract more people to the community.  She also is an advocate of a strong business climate and supporting new and existing entrepreneurs in the city.  I think she has the right balance with the issues.

I think these three candidates would bring a nice equilibrium to the council.  We have a bit of the right, a little on the left, and some consensuses right in the middle that everyone can agree on.  I feel it’s important that all views get represented on the issues in order to generate the brightest ideas and solutions possible for the city.

A poll released from Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Charlotte city councilmen Edwin Peacock and Susan Burgess cruising to reelection along with Patrick Cannon, a former city councilman who has decided to once again seek the office.  This was all a given.  The only real surprise came with the number four spot.  Nothing against Tariq Bokhari, but he is the not the guy I was expecting to see bringing up the number four spot.  With the success that Matthew Ridenhour had in the Republican primary it’s rather shocking to see him only polling at four percent.  His Facebook page sent out a memo blasting the poll as bunk and I don’t necessarily disagree.  He may not be in fourth place, but polling at only four percent?  That’s a little hard to swallow.

A Public Policy Polling poll shows Republican John Lassiter and Democrat Anthony Foxx tied 45 to 45 in next Tuesday’s mayoral election.  This is the closest mayoral race Charlotte has seen in years as Mayor Pat McCrory won all seven of his terms pretty handily.  Demographically, Lassiter leads among white voters 63 to 29 and Foxx leads among black voters 80 to 9.  59% have a favorable view of Lassiter while 52% have a favorable view of Foxx.

A Cornerstone Solutions poll shows Lassiter leading Foxx 42 to 37 with a margin of error of plus or minus five points, which for all intents and purposes makes this a tied race as well.

PPP is a Democrat pollster and Cornerstone Solutions is a Republican pollster, so wading through a bit of the bias that could be present, I think Lassiter has a slight edge over Foxx going into Tuesday, which is what I’ve been predicting pretty much since both candidates were formally declared.

ASHEVILLE — From budgets to bike lanes to combating drug dealing, priorities listed by City Council candidates covered a wide range as their campaigns hit the final stretch.

Though candidates listed few common top priorities, both Smith and Manheimer mentioned transportation, with Smith talking about affordable housing, but also the need for “a multi-modal transportation system.”

Manheimer said it was “incumbent upon the council” to carry out master plans, one of which was for greenways. Bellamy also pointed to master plans for downtown, transit and the water system.

“The one thing I would say is, ‘finish,” the mayor said.

Croft said the major need was infrastructure, saying he didn’t like “the way we manage our maintenance, upgrading and building projects.”

One candidate, Jackson, pointed to declining revenues and increasing costs, saying the priority was “getting this budget back under control.”

Mumpower stuck by a regular theme of his, saying hard drug dealing in the city “remains under the radar” and he would continue to fight it.

Bothwell said he would try to get publicly financed elections to fight the influence of “big money in Asheville city races.

Smith said he wanted to encourage housing built for people making 30-140 percent of median income.

Cape said downtown development should be encouraged on Coxe Avenue, where a lower elevation could better accommodate taller buildings.

Asheville Citizen Times

So here they are.  Six hopefuls ready to forge their legacy upon the City of Asheville.  Let’s pick them apart.

Esther Manheimer – On her candidate Web site she states the following:

This diverse group illustrates Esther’s broad backing and highlights her ability to work with all of our citizens to move our community forward on important issues such as economic and community development; multi-model transportation; sustainable, affordable tax rates; repairing critical public infrastructure; and fostering a business climate that grows quality jobs.

That’s a good agenda.  I like that agenda, which is why I am somewhat baffled she would choose to focus on greenways as a priority.  With a down economy vivacious vegetarian and grassy knolls are going to be the furthest things from peoples’ minds as they walk into the voting booth.  A growing business climate and affordable tax rates would have been a much more obvious choice here, but then again, I wasn’t at the forum and can only rely on the reporting.  Perhaps all is not as it seems.

Neal Jackson wants to focus on the budget and that is again a wise and responsible goal.  We don’t want our cities to end up with like the Feds now, do we.

Ryan Croft – Focus on the infrastructure.  I am always amazed that cities haven’t learned from the business world when it comes to maintaining infrastructure.  In corporate America we use something called the Systems Development Life Cycle, a method of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure, primarily technology, to keep it up to ever improving business standards.  You allocate money yearly for this purpose.  You’d think cities around America would do the same for their sewer systems, buildings, etc.  Ever been to Detroit?  If you are ever unfortunate enough to drop in someday, take a walk downtown and look at all the old buildings with the cracks going up the side and bathrooms that haven’t been remodeled since 1955.  It’s a real treat.

Carl Mumpower – You’ll remember Mr. Mumpower from his unsuccessful bid to unseat Heath Shuler last year.  Personally, I think Mumpower is a bit off his rocker, but he has been arguably the most responsible councilman with the peoples’ tax dollars, so I give him a thumbs up for that.

Cecil Bothwell – Ah yes, publicly financed elections, or better yet known as the incumbent protection campaign.  Oh please, forcibly extract my wealth from me through the bondage of taxation and hand it out to all of the political whores who want to exploit public service for their own personal gain.  Don’t allow me to make the choice of who to give my money to.  Not to mention, that with every candidate getting equal financing, challengers to incumbents end up with a grave disadvantage.  Incumbents already have name recognition which is usually to their favor unless they’re a complete douche bag.  In most cases the only way a challenger can compete with that is to raise enough money to buy the media necessary to get their own name out there.  By denying that ability, you are only securing another term for the power entrenched incumbent.  Mr. Bothwell, you get a thumbs down.  And piss off.

Gordon Smith – Gordon administrates the Web site Scrutiny Hooligans.  I am not crazy about what is otherwise known as affordable housing, but Smith is smart enough to focus on an issue that will likely resonate with folks during bad economic times.

Robin Cape – Lower elevation to build taller buildings.  That’s the best she could come up with?  No wonder she couldn’t make it on the ballot.

So there you go.  If you live in Asheville here are your choices.  Vote wisely, although I’m not holding my breath.

From the Desk of Press 7 for Celtic

Re: We need to talk…

Dear N&O,

We need to talk.

You’ve probably noticed that we haven’t gotten along very well lately. There’s been a lot of arguing. I know you’ve been trying to communicate with me, but I admit it- I’ve started ignoring you. It’s almost as if I know what you’re going to say, and I know I’m going to disagree, so why bother?

I really tried to make it work. I know you did too. There’s a lot you have to offer. For instance, your comics section is always good for a laugh.

No, in all seriousness, your investigative reporting on Mike Easley was superb. So was your series of articles about how the General Assembly spends our tax money and how the state parole office has utterly failed to do its job. Your recent series of articles on forgotten historic hamlets and podunks that dot the North Carolina landscape is my newest travel guide. I rely on your online blogs for a lot of news, and I know that those blogs don’t exist without my subscription paying the salaries of their authors.

But I just can’t be with you anymore. And you know how most break-ups go through the whole, “it’s not you, it’s me” routine?

Well N&O, it’s not me, it’s you. It’s all you.

  Continue Reading »