Tuesday’s Asheville City Council primary election sent ripples through the local blogosphere (with a 13 percent voter turnout, waves may be too much to expect), and Web pundits spent the week checking the final results against their predictions and speculating what the six-pack of victors means for the Nov. 6 general election and Asheville’s future.
Gordon Smith, over at Scrutiny Hooligans, saw all three candidates on his wish-list make it through the primary, then surveyed the results and predicted a battle between Bryan Freeborn and Elaine Lite for third place in the general.
Jason Sandford, aka Ashvegas, scored six out of six in his predictions, even if the ranking was a little off, then posted some welcome silliness: renditions of Bryan Freeborn and Brownie Newman and Elaine Lite dancing in celebration. More recently, Ash speculated on Republican Bill Russell’s chances of winning a Council seat.
Chasing the Bread Truck celebrated for Lite and got some on-the-ground shots of interested people taking in the results.
In the run-up to Tuesday’s primary, Tim Peck of Et in Arcadia Ego posted his take on Asheville’s ideal candidate.
And Anne Fitten-Glenn, aka Edgy Mama, got some shots of Bryan Freeborn examining a mailer that challenged him and Brownie Newman.
Look for more online excitement as the general election grows near, and post your election-blogging highlights here.
— Brian Postelle, staff writer
The more I look at it the more it makes sense not to support Russell, Davis, or Butner.
All three are supported by the NC Realtors PAC. Davis got $1,000 from conservative, pro-big development Jerry Sternberg, and Carl Mumpower is contributing to his campaign. If these are the candidates favored by Big Development and by local Republicans, then I don’t want them turning our Council into a laissez faire government.
The progressive path Asheville is on will produce better health, better quality of life, better housing, and a safer community. It’s Newman, Lite, and Freeborn for me.
“I don’t want them turning our Council into a laissez faire government…It’s Newman, Lite, and Freeborn for me.”
‘Laissez faire’ means leave us alone. Politically, it is a doctrine opposing governmental interference in economic affairs beyond the minimum necessary for the maintenance of peace and property rights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laissez-faire
If this is the public policy position that you disfavor, then you have indeed chosen the right candidates.
I think, instead, that it is now time to repair two years of political mischief and vote otherwise.
I thought you were an Elaine Lite supporter, Tim?
This comment is referenced to any and everything Timpec has to say. I think you are writting just to be writing. A lot is being typed but you are really saying nothing at all. You would think these people are running for president. They dont control anything, they are just a vote. I sure would like to see what you think about the Mayor. If you ask me (and no one is asking) it really does’nt matter who is seated, what matters is are they (if elected) going to do better than last term. Remember you are just one vote and the people will decide.
“Jason Sandford, aka Ashvegas, scored six out of six in his predictions”
Funny, John Warren and I did the same thing:
http://www.scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=4174
“I thought you were an Elaine Lite supporter, Tim?”
Yes, I do support Elaine Lite. Linking her to Brownie and Bryan is over the top.
De-link them, abandon the rancorous partisanship and vote.
Jan Davis
Dwight Butner
Elaine Lite
Brownie Newman is hella lame.
So help me out here, Tim.
Davis – supported by NC Realtors PAC and Stewart Coleman group (not to mention byt Sternberg and Mumpower).
Butner – became unaffiliated and seems to stand for… what? I mean besides the NC Realtors PAC and Stewart Coleman…
Lite – champion of local quality of life, grassroots effort.
How did you come to this odd trio, Tim?
The fact is that Newman, Freeborn, and Lite represent a progressive future for our city – Master Plan, enforceable regualtions, community policing strategies, The Design Group’s 26 connector, affordable housing, etc.
Davis represents the go-along-to-get-along crowd and Butner’s a question mark wrapped up in conflicts of interest. Butner’s decision not to recuse himself from the Downtown Commission meeting on the Stewart Coleman Group’s terrible Parkside condo backroom deal even though he took money from the group and is running for a seat on the Council that will decide the Group’s fate smacks of poor judgment.
The Stewart Coleman Group is trying to build upscale condos on our public parkland, and Butner says, “I think I can be objective.”
What’s up with that?
Thanks for linking my photos, Brian!
I think that the forums this week will play a big role in how things play out. Freeborn has not been the same as his 05 self in the forums thus far. If Butner, Russell, and Lite continue to show up with out a clue the gap between the top three and the new comers will widen. I have already had several dozen folks say they are abandoning Lite.
I just had a terrible vision: All three incumbents win.
Tim Peck;
But doesn’t “Laissez faire” actually translate into “Big Business runs amok” in a realistic political setting?
Not that i support either of those so-called candidates (Freeborn Brownie Lite. hey, it’s like a cookie! A Newman Brownie, Lite)). Just pointing out a technicality.
I would support candidates who had a reasonable approach to limiting development, without merely strengthening bureaucracy and government oversight. Perhaps that isnt possible, but “Laissez faire” frightens me because i know that means those with economic power will run rampant.