Oct
03
Best Mountain Xpress Voter Guide Ever?
ByThe Mountain Xpress published it’s Asheville City Council Primary voting guide in this week’s edition. Fifteen candidates on ten issues in addition to their political parties, occupations, education, experience, top donors, and endorsements… with fun clickable pics of each of the candidates.
I’m voting for Elaine Lite, Brownie Newman, and Bryan Freeborn. What are you doing?
Re: about the group endorsing Jan Davis …
You may be wondering who “Mountain Council for Accountable Development” is … here is a list of contacts given to Mountain Voices Alliance a few months ago by the group:
Duncan Haggart, Key Commercial Real Estate
Terry Horner, Preferred Properties
Caroline Sutton, Homebuilders Association
Stuart Ray, ?
Derek Weekley, ?
Steve Towe, developer
Mike Butrum, lobbyist Homebuilders Assoc/Board of Realtors
David West, Asheville Board of Realtors
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
Well, Heather, why in the world would all those realtors and developers endorse Jan Davis?
They must like his “centrism”.
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I voted today. yeehaw.
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Hey Gordon, that wasn’t me on the Express page. I don’t sock puppet.
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In any case, no one has answered the question as to her competency on the other issues. As I said on the Xpress site, I respect her environmentalism, but I was severely disappointed with her inability to answer many of the questions. Even on her website, it’s all single issue.
Yes, she seemed real nice and thoughtful, but she wasn’t informed.
It’s not spin if it’s true.
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
Single Issue? I’d love to get some full disclosure out of you, Bob.
From Elaine’s website (go there to see the bullets below the themes):
Help Stop Overdevelopment
Promote Safe, Affordable Housing
Build A Strong, Vibrant Local Economy
Promote Open Public Process and Election Reform
Protect, Preserve, and Restore Our Environment
Add these to her ideas regarding community police stations to address crime and drugs, and you have a very well-rounded platform.
Which questions didn’t you hear her answer? I listened to the show as well, and I was impressed with the way she handled questions from Carolina Stompers, conservative natives, and folks with some of the more conventional Asheville concerns.
How many other issues do you want her to be competent on? We’ll get her started on rocket science and metallurgy if that’s what you want.
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I just listened to the podcast of Matt Mittan’s interview with Elaine Lite, and it did sound at times like she was struggling. A lot of that – most of it, actually – could be chalked up to nerves.
For the most part I agreed with her stances on the questions that she did answer (she did acknowledge that that she’d have to study several issues, but at least she didn’t try to bullshit anyone). Namechecking Ralph Nader as a political role model (
) and saying that Dennis Kucinich wasn’t a politician (???) didn’t help matters much, at least for me. Once she got to the caller questions, she seemed to warm up a little.
Give her time. She’ll overcome the nerves and become more radio-savvy eventually. I hope she does – she has a great “FM voice”.
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
Huh.
I tuned in at the point that callers started questioning her. I guess I’d better go back and listen to the rest. Her pauses sounded thoughtful to me, and she handled the Stompers’ attack question with grace.
Her stances are very clear in the Mtn. X guide if anyone has questions.
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
Have y’all seen Brownie’s list of accomplishments while on Council? It’s pretty damn impressive. Here’s the link.
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Has anyone else seen the emails going around about Selena writing bad checks to religious entertainers and the Ag Center. It looks like well over $20,000 in bad checks that she wrote.
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There’s no need to be snarky.
She had no real answers to the zoning question and said she needed to do more research.
She had no answer to the Civic Center question and said she needed to do more research.
Her answer to the drug problem was to have the schools have counseling, which is impossible (considering how much it would cost to hire trained drug counselors for schools) and would face a ton of lawsuits from parents. No real solutions.
Her answer on the UDO was it needs to be simplified (we all know that), but she gave no solution.
She wants to create “Neighborhood Police Centers” to combat the crime rates, but gave no substance as to how this would even be possible nor how any authority would be granted to the “citizen police”.
On paying for infrastructure, she wants to begin charging an impact tax, which is fair enough, but in the same vein she wants to stop development (which I support as well). So where does the impact tax come from? Her hotel tax will never, ever fly and is actually prohibitive to the tourism industry.
Don’t get me wrong; like I said, I completely agree with her on the stance of development and environment and gentrification, but that boils down to one real issue. She’s against partisan elections; good for her, but that’s not really part of a platform. So, o.k. not really single issue.
Is it so wrong for me to be bothered by her hesitancy to answer questions? Is it wrong to be upset with her total lack of knowledge on zoning, the civic center and the UDO? These are big issues here lately.
How many other issues to I want her to be competent on? All of them.
Full disclosure: I’m a Democrat. Does that mean I shouldn’t question her lack of depth?
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Based on what I have read so far about the candidates I am leaning with Freeborn and Newman. I could vote for Elaine, but tend to agree with bobaloo. She does not seem to have much depth when it comes to the big picture. I may hold my third vote and see what happens with the primary.
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
Bob,
Thanks for the details. I honestly had no idea where you were coming from.
Elaine has a big picture vision of an Asheville that focuses on building its own strengths, keeps its money in the community, protects our historic and environmental heritage, and works to incorporate public input into more of the important decisions facing the city.
Y’all going out to either of the candidate forums? There’s one tonight and one tomorrow. You might get a chance to hear Elaine (an the others) in a different environment and context. I have the advantage of having spent time with her informally to hear her vision regarding those things you felt she was incomplete on, so I understand that others might have more questions.
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
John,
Can you tell us more about the Selena rumors? Is there evidence somewhere? Was she charged?
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
“The Oct. 4 forum is sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and will be at Brown Temple CME at 32 Phifer St. at 6 p.m.
The Oct. 5 forum is sponsored by the YMI Cultural Center, The Urban News and The People for Justice. It will be at the YMI Cultural Center at 39 S. Market St. and will run from 7-9 p.m.”
Here’s where tonight’s forum is
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No sweat Gordon. I know that she has the best of intentions, but I need substance. I may be damning myself here, but that’s why I can’t stand Robin Cape. All talk and no substance.
I’m certainly not equating Ms. Lite with her (I genuinely like her attitude), but I really want her to prove herself, not be voted in on the merit of being friends with Brownie Newman. Brownie’s got his good points, but he’s seeming more and more like a “company man”. I’m really disappointed he didn’t go on TAS to at least prove himself and show he has no fear.
Sadly, with family commitments I can’t make it to forums. Hopefully I’ll be able to find at least a transcript, if not recordings, on the web.
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There are some pdf files that got fwd to me of the canceled checks, along with a long email from one of the entertainers that was bilked. I can email the to you if you would like.
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What is your email?
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
scrutinyhooligans at yahoo
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
Bob,
Here’s hoping you read the voter guide and that helped you.
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Hey, did anyone else notice that both Brownie and Bryan cited legal/ethical reasons for not responding to the Ellington question, yet Jan Davis did answer?
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Jan Davis has no ethics.
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What about Lindsey Simerly ? she seems like a lot of fun. Mix things up a bit!
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All my dealings with Jan (as a jourmalist in the past, as a one-time client of his business and as a city resident) have been nothing but positive. I think he’s a good man and that he’s genuine, whether I agree with him on everything or not.
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Gordon, you’re probably already heard that Selina Sullivan was arrested on Wednesday:
http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771004030
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Great stuff. All this discussion over a local primary.
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Full Disclosure: I am active on Brownie’s and Bryan’s campaign. I am not a spokesperson for either.
It seems as though a lot of folks running don’t know what the job of a city councilperson is. For example:
Dee Williams – is mad because too many people get gaveled down at city council meetings. Someone should tell her that the mayor holds the gavel, not the council members.
Dwight Butner – wants a five year moratorium on forced annexation because, get this, ‘annexation is a tool for planning, not revenue’. Uhh Dwight, Buncombe is the largest county in the state with no zoning. That’s why we annex so much, for planning.
William Merideth – will make school boards elected positions. The city can’t do that. The state does that
William Merideth – will make the state fix our bridges. Ummm, no, you see, the state outranks the city and the federal government trumps the state. That should have been covered in your 8th grade civics class.
William Merideth – says that he will exert ‘snap command’ over the police force. No again. A single council member cannot give orders to a police officer or the chief. Its illegal.
Matt Hebb – “Some years ago, a person who had a few hundred dollars and some ambition could open a business. But now there are permits and building codes…”Insert your own smartass comment here
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Hi All,
I’m posting information and links about Elaine every day from here on out to the election on my blog:
http://chasing-the-bread-truck.blogspot.com/
(She may even become one of my “Profiles in Courage” if she’s lucky, which is like the Nobel Prize — only better.)
I thought Elaine did a great job on the Mittan show. What’s wrong with thinking before you answer a question? What, you want canned political-speak or someone to answer with a packaged talking point that doesn’t really answer the question (i.e. like the pros)?
Elaine has worked her ass off the past two years learning about local government — this in addition to publishing several Critter magazines in various cities as well as … visiting and/or calling back EVERYONE who has contacted her for help when a stray animal needs assistance or a person needs advice or help with a problem caused by careless development; or when a non-profit group needs someone to make them a free flyer or put together their newsletter … she has sat in one monotonous public meeting after another absorbing all the minutia of governmental process — and she’s done all of this for free. As a good citizen. All for you and me and the children we love and the mountains, streams, trees, etc., we love.
If someone like Elaine can’t get elected, then we’re really up %$#@ creek.
We’re lucky she’s running, because she’s a smart, brave, and down-to-earth person. She is constantly researching local policy and progressive policy in other cities.
I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as she did on stopping the Progress oil-burning plant. You ought to meet her — I’m telling you, she is a superstar.
Elaine talks a lot about development, because it’s one of her main areas of interest. But I guarantee you that whatever issue she’s faced with on council — she will do the homework she needs to do to make an informed decision.
And she’ll talk to people and deal with people with humility and humanity. The office of city council is a thankless, hard job. We’re lucky someone as smart and thoughtful as Elaine is willing to run. The developers pay people to be at city council/ county commission/ and city & county p&z. They have their peeps on all the boards and every governmental committee that comes along to recommend policy, and they give tons of money to political candidates.
If the overdevelopment problem WAS Elaine’s only issue, I’d still vote for her in a heartbeat. (Just look around to what’s happening to this place. It’s heartbreaking.) But Elaine is well-informed on the other issues facing Asheville, and I’m beyond thankful that she’s willing to run.
Cheers,
Heather Rayburn
Elaine Lite #1 Fan
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Twitter: BuggHere
says:
Schill much?
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Twitter: gordondsmith
says:
Misspell shill much?
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What should be the motivation for economically impoverished minorities to actually get out and vote for ANY of these candidates?
I’m being serious, not provocative. And I vote.
Who has shown, in any real way among these candidates, that they give a damn about disenfranchised blacks and Hispanics in Asheville who literally live in a world few of these candidates know anything about?
I’m all for protecting the environment and the “green” issues I see being touted — but to be honest, that is viewed as an elitist issue among thousands of people here.
If you don’t believe me, go to Pisgah View or Hillcrest or a trailer park and ask a resident how much he or she cares about global warming.
They want to get through the night without getting their door kicked in by thugs or go to sleep without hearing gunshots.
So who’s campaigning in their interests, which are also mine? My eyes glazed over a long time ago over the bitching about stuff like Staples and Greenlife and even the Ellington.
People are LITERALLY getting killed. What the hell do I care about a whether vines are added to distract from a brick facade?
So who should I vote for? Seriously. Point me to whoever has have shown that they get this. And when I’m at Pisgah View next week, I’ll be sure to let people know.
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Heather Rayburn:
Like I said, I’m not doubting that Lite really wants to be on the council and that she’s not a genuine person. I’m not going to argue that point.
You may have thought she sounded thoughtful and that would be acceptable had she actually had some well rounded answers to the questions posed to her. I don’t mind a pregnant pause if it gives you some insight to the person.
But the sad fact of the matter is she was given the questions BEFORE the INTERVIEW. Sorry, but that’s a deal breaker in that it makes her look unprepared and uninformed (which she obviously was). She should have spent less time figuring out how council works and a little more time on the many issues Asheville faces.
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Hi, Bobaloo — am wondering when you are running? Step one, post with your real name. Elaine was given the questions a few minutes before the interview, and she was great! Hey, I have an idea … let me interview you on the issues. We can set this up exactly as the interview on the Mittan show. Different questions, but you’ll get the same time to review them. Just email me at hrayburn@charter.net if you’re interested.
Melissa, of course, there are people faced with life and death issues in the poor communities where issues like global warming and environmental protection don’t even register. But development and environmental issues still impact them. It fact, the poor bear the brunt of environmental degradation and bad development — just look at Katrina. Or look at the isolation of Hillcrest — they residents there can’t even safely walk downtown. Good design can alleviate a lot of social problems.
Development and planning impact the poor in ways too complicated for me to write about in a brief entry. But I recommend a great book on the subject called “Suburban Nation”:
http://www.amazon.com/Suburban-Nation-Sprawl-Decline-American/dp/0865475571
Design and development patterns impact the availability and quality of public transportation and other infrastructure; the psychological well-being of the people in their living space; it also impacts physical health.
I’m glazed over too at Staples and Greenlife, and I’ve studied those situations ad nauseum as they are in my neighborhood. Once you get so far into researching something and putting so much time into it, you really have no choice but to see it through.
These cases are important because of the lack of accountability surrounding them and the huge impact they’ve had to the neighborhood — and in Staples case, the whole downtown viewshed. Where one neighborhood is run over in this way, everyone’s neighborhood is at threat. In fact, by not enforcing the law on the Staples billboards, that sets a legal precedent, and another company could come in and argue that they have a right to similar billboards.
Well, anyway, time to make the doughnuts … cheers, Heather
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Thanks for the thoughtful response, Heather.
I still really don’t think better environmental design is the way to appeal to and energize disenfranchised minorities in Asheville. I’m all for environmental justice and all it means for the poor and working class. Poor people, by and large, live near or upon the most toxic areas in the country.
But you know what folks are talking about today, and what they were saying in the church I was in yesterday and what they’ll be talking about at two more community meetings next week?
…That somebody’s 12-year-old middle-schooler was shot in the back of the head at a whacked out birthday party in Montford on Sunday. We have three unsolved homicides in the African American community this year and all are believed to be gang-related.
I work at the police station. I have seen a couple of our officers near tears this week. And I worked hard to get some local black ministers to even sit at the table with the APD and to give us help — and a chance to solve these crimes.
Which candidate has shown (not just said) they give a damn about what’s happening in our poor communities right now? I will support that person (or persons) with all my Democratic might…
(And again I’m being sincere, friends – not looking for a fight…)
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David Roat,
Fair comments, indeed. My thoughts..
Dee Williams – is mad…because citizens speak once and are never asked follow-ups, or are allowed to reply in their defense. Councilmen could be actively replying, and they tend to lean towards silence. Just a trend though, and although disturbing, not really a big point and hardly worth mentioning. But I do think her point is at least valid.
Dwight Butner – yeah he doesn’t understand why annexation is wrong, or at least sounded confused about it there. I think that was a brand new idea of his, but it wasn’t a particularly good one, was it?
William Merideth – School boards – i think a bunch of candidates want to change that, though it’s hardly an issue (imho). If the state has to change it though, it would be our councilmen asking them – whatever.
William Merideth – bridges – Federal gives the state money, but the state divides it up. And he correctly knew that you gotta yell at them, because he was (roughly) right about the % of our bridges that are nearly-closed to due condition. Could be a big issue eventually if no leader does anything about it and something bad happens. That’s life, and the roads ARE the cities responsibility – the highways are the states. I think he was right enough, and he’s not the one who needs a civics lesson here.
William Merideth – Yeah, he can’t tell them what to do (though mumpower does, somehow?), but council is in charge of city manager who oversees the police. I’m not even sure he was referring to empowering himself or rather an oversight board/ombudsman, who legally could do all that if employeed by the city.
Matt Hebb – Yes he steps in his own mouth. And it gets stuck there. Hyperbole (I hope), because if he was that bad with numbers, his business would be gone already.
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