Archive for Local
We’re friends with a few of the country’s name-brand bloggers. There’s no magic to it. We just keep seeing them at conventions. We know lots of local and state-level politicians too. There’s really no magic to it, either. It isn’t just about donations or family connections. It’s about showing up.
The first time you show up to volunteer nobody knows you. Maybe they catch your name. The second time you show up maybe they remember seeing you before. (What was your name again?) The third or fourth time, now you’re somebody they think they might need to take seriously.
I got into this business working on Patsy Keever’s 2004 congressional race. I didn’t know Patsy from Adam, but I was angry and frustrated and that was where the fight was. I walked in off the street to stuff envelopes or something — I didn’t know anything about electioneering. (I was out of work.) A couple of weeks later I had my own computer and a desk. I entered data, cut call lists. By the time it was over, I had done about everything except fundraising, including location scouting for commercials and playing craft services for the film crew.
It amazed me to watch activists walk in off the street, offer to write “white papers” and expect to be dubbed the campaign’s chief advisor on [your pet issue here]. Can you make some phone calls? No?
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Chris Dixon, candidate for State Senate District 48, highlights this good economic news:
“The Asheville Tribune” Touts Benefits of Federal, State, and Local Economic Stimulus
As the Democratic candidate for State Senate District 48 (Buncombe, Henderson, and Polk counties), I have made local job creation my #1 campaign issue. It was the loss of the Volvo plant in Arden in December of 2009 that spurred me to run. So, I was heartened to see the following headline in The Asheville Tribune (Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2010): “Fletcher company to offer 100 new jobs in expansion plan.”
This is surely good news for a town in the heart of my district, and the page 3 article gives plenty of encouraging details. All told, brake manufacturer Continental Teves will add 388 jobs in “three to four years,” doubling the plant’s workforce to 625 workers. This will more than replace the 250 jobs shed by Volvo—mostly to unionized plants in Pennsylvania.
However, the most interesting commentary in the article follows:
(Kathryn) Blackwell (corporate spokesperson in Auburn Hills, MI) said brake-making has perked up since deciding a year ago to expand the Fletcher facility. “Then we had two major customers (G.M., Chrysler) coming out of bankruptcy, with no sign of light at the end of the tunnel. But at this point, we’re seeing volumes picking up considerably—beyond most experts’ analysis.”
North American auto production is 25 percent above industry projections this year, Blackwell said, with Detroit’s Big Three needing brakes and other parts. “This is the first good news we’ve had in over two years.”
The article goes on to mention that the Fletcher expansion beat out plants in Europe and Mexico thanks to what Blackwell describes as “Fletcher and Henderson County tax incentives and a state grant of up to $2.2 million.”
Hmmm. Let’s see. GM and Chrysler are still in business thanks to a federal intervention. The Wall Street Journal’s Detroit bureau chief declared, “…President Obama’s auto industry initiatives are working and the president is entitled to take a bow, no matter how much that might pain conservatives.” Henderson County’s all-Republican board of county commissioners conspired with the Fletcher town council and the Democratic administration of Gov. Bev Perdue to bestow various economic incentives upon Continental Teves.
How long before we see a Tea Party protest at the plant gate? Surely, they won’t sit idley by as socialism and economic bipartisanship (the horror!) gain a foothold in Fletcher.
This is what we need more of–a lot more!
WSJ link: http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703999304575399670446387614.html
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Chris Dixon for NC Senate
PO Box 1913
Skyland, NC 28776
(828) 290-9710
“Let’s send a NEW voice to Raleigh.”
More of that, please.
Here’s a quick note to mention the City Council meeting in East Asheville tomorrow night and also my imminent departure for parts unknown.
Tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8/31) at 6:30pm, the Asheville City Council will convene at Groce United Methodist Church in east Asheville for a special meeting. You’re invited. I talked about taking Council “on the road” during my campaign, so I’m thrilled to have been one of the advocates for this event. Chris Pelly is an east Asheville neighborhood leader and has been instrumental in getting this meeting scheduled.
East Asheville residents are making it abundantly clear that they want more multimodal infrastructure, particularly sidewalks. A study showed that E. AVL has only 9% of the city’s sidewalks. This is due largely to post-war construction and the love affair with the automobile, but it’s time these neighborhoods got retrofitted for better and safer pedestrian mobility. We know that all of Council is very interested in seeing more sidewalks across the city, so I’m hoping east Asheville residents will show up with their ideas about how we ought to pay for them.
A comprehensive multimodal transportation system is vital to Asheville’s health and economic development. Sidewalks, bike lanes, transit, greenways, and roadways must work together to offer maximum safety, convenience, and choice.
On another note – I’m going away for a week to celebrate my 40th birthday (it’s on September 5th). I’ll be cruising out of town on Wednesday morning and returning a week later. Thank goodness for good friends willing to house-sit and look after our two big hounds while we’re away.
More upon my return. Consider this a week-long open thread for your amusement.
Lots to discuss. RCP ranking the NC-11 race a toss-up. Speaker? Jobs fair. Miller Ad. Buncombe’s jilted progressives. BCGOP shenanigans.
Shuler’s votes on energy, environment, education, and labor look great. Shuler’s votes on health care and civil rights don’t. GOP’s lame attempts to again tie him to a demonized Pelosi look silly.
Heath Shuler is monied, and Jeff Miller is not. The Asheville Tea Party decided not to endorse Miller, so the WNCGOP formed their own Tea Party to make sure he got a Tea Party endorsement of some sort. The Buncombe GOP is putatively leaderless. The Buncombe Dems have a lot of energy, but will they have vols? Can Susan Fisher, Patsy Keever, and Jane Whilden coattails translate into votes for Heath?
I can’t wait to hear everyone’s take on the race. Fire away in the comments. You can bet that both campaigns will be reading.
Disclaimer – I am definitely voting for Rep. Heath Shuler.
From an email sent by Drew Reisinger, Campaign Manager for the inimitable Patsy Keever:
The Buncombe County Democratic Party Executive Committee voted to recommend Patsy Keever to fill the North Carolina House of Representatives District 115 seat recently vacated by former Rep. Bruce Goforth. The Committee’s recommendation will be sent to Governor Perdue for her signature and official appointment of Keever to serve the remainder of the term.
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In this ongoing experiment to provide ease of access to your government, this thread can be the home to all of your questions, suggestions, requests, and dedications.
In our most recent meeting, City Council voted 4-3 (with yours truly opposed) to support Montford Commons’ request for a 5 year tax abatement and 50% reduction on fees. They’re now moving ahead to meet with County Commissioners to finish closing their funding gap.
We also voted (6-1, Jan Davis opposed) to reopen the pedestrian bridge from the Chicken Hill side of I-240 to the Hillcrest side. By clearing the underbrush, lighting the entire area including the sidewalk, posting additional police protection, and upgrading the bridge itself we will be bringing increased safety to an area that’s been too long neglected. It will also serve as a bona fide transportation route from west Asheville to downtown.
What are your thoughts, concerns, needs, desires? I’m all ears.
Thanks to Jen Saylor for the info!
Sunday, August 29
5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. (doors 4:30)
$25 advance/$25 door
All ages
Mix your favorite mind-blowing lecture in college with a concert, a night out downtown, and presenters including “Last American Man” Eustace Conway (subject of a biography by “Eat Pray Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert).
Then add a local focus that celebrates Asheville and WNC, and you’ve got TEDxAsheville, a conference event where smart is sexy and great ideas are the name of the game.
A TEDx weekend: There are actually TWO TEDx events happening the last weekend in August. TEDxAsheville and TEDxNextGeneration Asheville, a new event spotlighting the wisdom and accomplishments of local youth. Learn more about TEDxNGA here.
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Asheville City Council LiveChat hasn’t been working for most people, so today I’m introducing a few changes.
ACC-LiveChat is envisioned as a dynamic on-line conversation within the community about local issues important to our city. To make this happen, I used a tool called “CoverItLive.com” to create a chat-room. It was hoped this platform would enable a cross-blog, non-partisan, tool Ashevillians could use to communicate with each other and elected officials.
While at first meeting with initial success, CoverItLive.com’s moderation queue feature creates unreasonable delays for comments. This killed most conversations before they started. Despite several attempts at fixes – nothing has worked.
Therefore we are going to try a new way to make ACC-LiveChat work. Instead of a chat-room, we’re going to use a Twitter-based tool called “Twub” and this blog’s native comments feature.
Details and video web-streaming after the jump:
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Go over to Ashvegas to learn more about the pedestrian bridge issue that is on tomorrow’s agenda at City Council.
