Former Xpress reporter and editor and local activist Cecil Bothwell has confirmed that he will run for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. He will file on Monday, he confirmed in an e-mail.
First reported by the Scrutiny Hooligans, Bothwell promised more information during a formal announcement Monday. He joins a crowded field on the Democratic side that includes Asheville City Council member Holly Jones and current commissioners Bill Stanley and Carol Peterson, as well as Vernon Dover, K. Ray Bailey, Keith Thomson and Robert E. “Bob” Hill. On the Republican side, John Carroll and Michael Fryar have filed for commissioner.
Republican board Chairman Nathan Ramsey has filed for re-election, and Commissioner David Gannt Gantt, a Democrat, has filed to challenge him.
— David Forbes, staff writer
I understand that Carolina Stomper Don Yelton will also file. This should secure the chairmanship for Gantt (not Gannt).
I invite everyone studying the County Commission race to visit my campaign website:
http://www.keithforbuncombe.org
Cecil is way too leftwing to serve on any political post. I will enjoy voting against him. He should stick to his slanted writing.
He should stick to his slanted writing.”
You mean like cursive?
Bothwell is a good writer and a poor artist in that he often draws the wrong conclusions. He is to the left of both Karl and Groucho Marx. … I do not think the progressives are going to find a happy home out here in county politics.
I will say, having met and conversed with Keith Tomson recently, that he seems like a nice, well versed candidate. Read his site. It’s better than the Jones/Bothwell fringe wing of the party.
In general, a lot of us out here will be voting depending on the zoning issue. We were betrayed after our 1999 vote by the current commissioners and the knives are being sharpened, retorically speaking.
typo police: ‘rhetorically’
c’mon, MountainX, give us the power to edit our posts here like we can in the forums… please.
better yet, give us the power to edit CANDIDATES! I would love to rewrite most of them. ;-)
This is a good news . I am getting tired of the same boring and non-innovative runners . There is not a commisionner that i fully trust in fact . Somewhere being elected equal to always have a reserve attitude and prudence toward the media and the people , then they become instruments of their ponderence . A brain that could be wise, smart and made of innovative thinking (To reflect or consider with thoroughness and care ) somewhat transform into a FAUX, BS and inaction .
What the party is afraid is populism (yelton-nesbitt-etc ) but with Cecil they will be afraid of intelligence .
Francois
I am glad Cecil is running. Should those of us who live in the county who are to the left of Karl and Groucho not have representation? The beautiful thing about a board is that there is more than one person to represent more than one viewpoint. I guess we’ll see how many of us there are (and whether or not we’re a “fringe”) come November.
Kristin… that’s the problem … we already have too many non-mountain views on the commissioners.
Ralph’s nativism on display again…
Gordon, there is NOTHING wrong with being proud of your birthplace… we just wish more people loved theirs enough to stay there.
Ralph,
Of course there’s nothing wrong with being proud of your birthplace. Everyone agrees here. There’s also nothing wrong with being proud of the place you’ve chosen to call home.
Saying that someone is unqualified because they’re not from here is nativism.
No, saying that someone is unqualified because they’re not from here depends on what subject is being addressed.
Besides you are misusing the term… ‘Nativism’ has been generally employed in referring to those opposed to immigration, especially in the late 19th, early 20th centuries and with racist undertones.
What you see from me and many others is love of home. Nothing at all wrong with that and we are certainly entitled to express our viewpoints … except of course on ScutinyHooligans.us where censorship lives.
I am not going to argue with you, Gordon because a) I don’t want to and b) it’s a waste of time since you have proved you don’t like or want to hear opposing viewpoints.
But I will explain my comment and get this discussion back on track before you pushed it off with an unwarranted personal attack …
The real problem with the county commissioner races this time (and the previous several elections) is that anything gets couched in national party terms, both Democrats and Republicans. I believe we need to apply LOCAL solutions to LOCAL problems. To use the wisdom in our mountain heritage rather than paying big bucks to outside consultant firms who know zilch about us and our area.
This is a perfectly reasonable position.
Ralph, you’re lying when you say that ScruHoo censors. It’s simply not true.
Your point of view is what? That anyone who wasn’t born here ought to hush up and let guys like you run the show?
That isn’t going to happen. Nor is disagreeing with you ever going to amount to a “personal attack”, Mr. Thinskin.
I am using the term ‘nativism’ somewhat out of context, ’tis true. However, your insistence on denying the quality of work done here by folks not from here is certainly an echo of nativist sentiments. America, along with western North Carolina, is a melting pot. Some would rather it not be.
Your argument against the Asheville Design Center’s I-26 design was that (1) it took too long!; (2) they weren’t from here.
It didn’t matter that it’s the best design. What mattered was that your buddies at the DOT weren’t deferred to despite their inferior design.
Anyway, you’re welcome to stop lying about Scrutiny Hooligans anytime, and you’re welcome to spout your nativism. It’s a free country, and I’m glad to have moved to western North Carolina to make you my neighbor.
Why is there an article about Cecil Bothwell filing for County Commissioner and all of the other candidates are just listed? Didn’t the Mountain Xpress fire Bothwell? Why, then would you give him such unfair free publicity?
Gordon, as stated previously, I am not going to waste my time arguing with you. And calling me a liar is not appropriate since you really did censor and I state the simple truth concerning that matter.
I am not mad about it, you tend to amuse me more than offend. The loss of posting on ScrutinyHooligans is not a privlege I miss nor ever want again.
Have fun in your little pond, friend frog.
Dear “Confused”:
You pose a good question, and one that we grappled with before posting the news. In the end, we decided that, given Bothwell’s former and long-time relationship with Xpress, his announcement would be of more than usual interest to our readers.
That said, we do plan on covering the commissioners’ race with fairness. Thanks for reading and writing,
Jon Elliston
Managing Editor
Perhaps you’re not lying, simply wrong.
You can post at ScruHoo whenever you like, Ralph. You haven’t lost anything, and I don’t understand why you think you have. I don’t understand why you cry “censor!” when that isn’t ever what happened.
Not lying and not wrong… After the I-26 argument, which you did not take well, whenever I tried posting at ScrutinyHooligans I get a message to the effect that my post have to be approved by the administrator… if that’s not censorship, nothing is.
I felt then (and still do) that it was totally unwarranted. Yes, I was in opposition to your opinion but you gotta to admit I was posting with humor and reason, certainly not abusive or engaging in personal attacks. You simply over reacted.
My position on I-26 remains the same; it should have been done years ago and ANYTHING which holds it up, is unacceptable. All the problems should have been discussed years ago.
Anyway, I would be glad to hear Cecil’s position on this matter and, especially, on zoning.
I didn’t do anything, Ralph. I don’t know what happened to you, but we don’t censor at ScruHoo. Some comments get sent to moderation, and maybe you got caught up in some sort of bloggy black hole. But, Ralph, as you’ve seen again and again at Scrutiny Hooligans – dissent is the norm – rarely do any two of us agree about the nitty of the gritty. Your nose got out of joint, and you’ve been playing the victim card ever since.
You’ve got it wrong.
If you keep claiming censorship than you will keep being wrong.
All y’all come over sometime and find out how we roll:
http://www.scrutinyhooligans.us
Ralph, Cecil talked about his views on the Connector in a post at ScruHoo – you and others can find it here:
http://www.scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=4704#comment-16922
If anyone would like to read the next I-26 Connector post and comment thread, where Ralph cries “Censorship!”, it’s here:
http://www.scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=4732
I’m not clear on this whole censorship issue, but a moderated message board (I’ve administered one for 8+ years) holding a post for approval before it appears is a common practice. Did the post finally appear and appear as it was written? If so, it wasn’t censored.
Thanks, Gordon, but I no longer read ScrutinyHooligans, you killed your credibility with me. I have to wonder what other viewpoints you leave out or at least discourage from being posted.
Ken, Gordon has lousy software to begin with, it takes forever for a post to appear but they would appear. Then Gordon or SOMEONE started holding my posts for ‘review.’ THAT is what I object to. As I’ve stated publicly before, the only two people who have ever restricted me in Asheville are Gordon Smith and Tim Peck.
I was, to pay tribute to you Ken, mighty cranky at first but — upon reconsidering — I just find it amusing that these two individuals cannot take the heat of opposing viewpoints. And that’s fine.
Welcome to the real world, eh?
Ralph,
All comments are welcome at ScruHoo. Your strange assertions notwithstanding. Any comment you’ve ever made there appears on our virtual pages.
All viewpoints are welcome there. Any statements to the contrary are plainly incorrect.
Gordon, I’m not claiming censorship, I’m merely reporting the fact. I suspect it may be more your sub par software than perhaps intention, I’ll be nice and give you that.
Now, let’s just go our separate ways. You made your conclusions, I made mine.
End of story.
“I’ve stated publicly before, the only two people who have ever restricted me in Asheville are Gordon Smith and Tim Peck.”
I fully support censorship on private property; which is what a mailing list or a weblog is.
Of course you do, Tim. We know that for a fact.
“Of course you do, Tim. We know that for a fact.”
Good. Anything else?
Not at this time, Tim — but thanks for asking.
You’re welcome.
and you, too, you’re very welcome… in fact, to quote the bard:
A hundred thousand welcomes: I could weep,
And I could laugh; I am light and heavy:
Welcome.
– William Shakespeare
that should be welcome enough
Go Cecil…..Asheville and Buncombe County and the whole nation actually needs more Cecil Bothwells in office!!!
Yes, it is.
Any more codas?
sure it’s coda outside but Spring’s a comin’
Hey Ralph,
I really can’t speak to the issue you’re bringing up, but I disagree with Gordon and Arratik quite often and have never been censored in any way.
They may be hard core progressives, but they’ve always been (mostly) courteous to me when I differ from their viewpoints.
Just FYI.
Thanks, Bobaloo but either Gordon has bad software or did it on purpose… he’s never addressed that specifically just tried to zing me about my opinions. If he had listened to me and fixed the problem, everything would have been fine… but it does not matter now. I’m just ignoring him. And life is good. ;-)
“sure it’s coda outside but Spring’s a comin’”
Hence, ladies and gentlemen, the need for censors.
don’t Peck away at our freedoms, Tim.
Ralph,
May I humbly suggest that you get over the whole screwie hoolie thing. It appears to this outside perspective that it was an honest mistake. Dont take yourself so seriously, buddy!
And ‘ignoring’ someone generally doesn’t invlove constantly bringing up the same bitter point from the past, repeatedly.
Witt hat said, I thank you for your brave service over-seas!
thanks, Sammule… and I am over both Gordon and Tim — they ain’t worth a tick on a hound dawg, as the old folks say. ;-)
“Thanks, Gordon, but I no longer read ScrutinyHooligans”
Well, it appears that he did at least once since “firing” us. In this instance he came back to Scrutiny Hooligans and searched for the word “Ralph”:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11156861@N06/2303934801/
Yes, I did… and I believe I stated it was an exception. I answered the guy who doubted I had been on the Internet (okay, including its precusor, ARPAnet) since 1978 (and I have, can prove it, have written about it often over the years). I have not been on ScutinyHooligans since, do not intend to. Learn to live without me.
You know, this was a very simple problem that could have been ended without rancor by Gordon just either fixing his software (if that was indeed the problem) or by simply restoring my access. I did nothing to deserve being censored.
We all have tempers, certainly many progressives do when you don’t buy into their leftist fervor. So, expect to get tossed if you don’t echo the current cant. I, in essence, got tossed.
Best thing that ever happened to me, I was just wasting my time talking to people locked into one not totally sustainable viewpoint. ;-) Thanks, Gordon! Now, go away.
Can we get back on topic now?
There is nothing wrong with our software or your access.
There is no censorship.
The rancor started when you started saying things that aren’t true about Scrutiny Hooligans. Tell the truth, and there’s no rancor. Voila!
The topic appears to have changed to your credibility, Ralph, and your willingness to be untruthful, not to mention erratic…
“Gordon, I’m not claiming censorship”
“I did nothing to deserve being censored.”
“if that’s not censorship, nothing is”
“since you really did censor”
Maybe you just ought to stop digging the hole you’re in, and stop disparaging a healthy, active, uncensored online community.
Oops! Did I censor you by saying that?
Claim what you wish, Gordon. Run your blog as you wish. Just go away.
If Cecil gets elected, it would be funny if some newspaper reporter hassled him like he has done to others in the past.
Bothwell and Jones support racist ZONING!! Yelton and Paul are the only ones who I know oppose all zoning everywhere. In Paul’s case we could all cite our trailers in Beverly Hills!! Dunn didn’t in Asheville and Ramsey didn’t in Beaverdam.
http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/24073
http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/24072
http://www.mountainx.com/opinion/2007/zoning_promotes_racism_and_sprawl
http://www.mountainx.com/news/2008/031908zacchaeus