In a Facebook message this weekend, photographer Jenny Bowen announced she is abandoning her bid for Asheville City Council.
Bowen cites her pregnancy and health concerns as her reasons for leaving the race.
Her Facebook post follows:
“With regret, I am officially resigning from the City Council race. My pregnancy is entering its 3rd trimester & I’m having too many health complications & concerns that prevent me from making the issues & campaign the top priority it deserves. I must put personal health & the well-being of my family first. Perhaps we can continue the conversations in 2011- till then- best wishes to Asheville & all.”
In August, Bowen posted to a Scrutiny Hooligans blog thread, mentioning organizational problems with her campaign, including delinquent submission of financial records and the loss of a campaign volunteer, but at that time said she would push through until election day.
Despite the weekend announcement, Bowen’s name will still appear on the Asheville City Council ballot ,according to Buncombe County Election Services Director Trena Parker, since those ballots have already been printed.
— Brian Postelle, staff writer
Well, drat.
Hope she runs again after her health stabilizes.
From: Jenny Bowen
Date: August 18, 2009
My campaign is facing hard times.
Apparently my treasurer missed filing some important paperwork, and it might sink the entire budget the of the campaign due to BOE fines. If this is so, I may have to choose to forgo any further fundraising. We’ve already doubled what was listed in the AC-T, but I will not fundraise only to end up wasting good people’s time and money on thoughtless blunders. Everyone in my campaign committee is going at this process for the first time, but nevertheless a simple mistake can be everso costly.
While the finance blow is terrible enough, apparently another campaign’s committee talked one of my best volunteers into quitting my campaign. Supposedly, this “friend’s” campaign “pities” my own, and thus told my volunteer that he is wasting his time on actively supporting myself as a candidate. What a cold thing to do, especially since I have done nothing but be in high support of this candidate since before they even officially announced their candidacy. As I was not present I have nothing but second hand reports. However, if any of this is true, it shows me not only who true friends really are, but what can happen to supposedly good people who put themselves into the game of politics.
Loosing this key volunteer, who was a rock in my campaign as a coordinator for both the press & other volunteers, is a major setback. I can’t manage the entirety of this campaign myself, and I am learning some major life-lessons as far as differentiating friends from people who just smile and say they like you.
My campaign was never intended to play by the rules of big money, and I jumped into this game rather late. I had not intended to be a candidate until such time as Councilwoman Cape took her name out of the running, which wasn’t until June. By this point most of the other key players had their teams assembles & significant funds raised. Add all of this into the throws of a pregnancy (I’m sure any of the ladies out there will understand the joys & trials of having a constantly transforming body) and you can understand the uphill battle I knew I was putting myself into. Regardless, this is no reason for anyone to ever ‘pity’ me or the principles behind this campaign. I put myself into this because I knew it was the best thing to do for myself, and for Asheville. My intentions are the purest, and as much as it pains me I have concluded that I can no longer say this for some of the campaigns.
There are no words for my incredible disappointment, but I’ll continue forward on the campaign trail. It may be that all I can hope to do at this point is attend every public appearance I can in order to get some good ideas and points of reference out there for the public, and for the other candidates to grab onto and take with them on their way up. Sometimes the best thing you can do for Democracy is be apart of the process. I never run to loose, so as long as some of the important issues and principles take hold I’ll consider all of this a success.
Thanks for all of your support,
Jenny
Not clear why Mr. Peck posted Ms. Bowen’s comments. They reveal a touching naiveté about public service, politics and word usage (“the throws of a pregnancy,” “I never run to loose”). I hope she can focus her energy, youthful idealism and good intentions on projects that have a chance of succeeding.
Hey…if a buckarette can actually get elected to City Council in this community, anything’s possible. I was disappointed Brother Chris opted out this go around. He’d fit right in.
How can she be responsible for City Council when she still hasn’t delivered on her Faces of Asheville show. My friends gallery gave her the space to exhibit her work, which was well received by the way. He’s paid her out and now she will not return any messages, texts, emails, etc. to the gallery asking for delivery on items. People that paid for posters and or photos still have not received anything and are now blaming the gallery for her irresponsibility.
I understand health issues but any other excuse is just that, an excuse. It has been close to three months now. Is this a classic case of take the money and run? Now the gallery will be paying people back that have had enough, will he get money back from Ms. Bowen? Or will this be many more months of dodging calls, emails and texts. Money that has been long spent I am sure. So much for community activism.
James, Xpress asked Jenny Bowen about the matter you mentioned, and here’s the message she sent in reply:
“it all relates back to health issues that have kept me cooped up, down & out over the past many weeks. i’ve fallen out of touch with all of life as I/we know it.
the photos are all printed & done, but the specially designed museum quality matt framing is on backorder from the whole-seller & designer in SanFran. its the same matting as used in the original exhibit, but I cleaned them out with my initial order. they assured me I’d have the matting by sept, but here it is nearly the end of the month & still no matts. I’m calling them tomorrow to get a update on WTH is going on. Bill from the Satellite Gal[lery] just got in contact with me & we’re going to see what other options are available. I’ve just been so out of it with multiple forms of illnesses, issues relating to the pregnancy, & now moving – its just been a heckuva time. Not my normal routine by any means as my record would show. Just a temporary situation, which will work itself out in given time. what balls were up in my world all came crashing down one by one.”
Wow. So Jenny Bowen is actually a wonderful human being.
James Marshall, you should be ashamed of yourself.