Letter writer: Candidates should renounce St. Lawrence Green associations

Graphic by Lori Deaton

I call for a point of order on the events of this City Council campaign and the public image of my church as used as a bludgeon against Marc [Hunt], Lindsey [Simerly] and Julie [Mayfield] in a four-page, black-inked flier left at my doorstep.

Of course I am “for” the St. Lawrence Green; however, their campaign strategy has triggered revulsion among people of the faith and needless division and polarization within our community.

First came the glossy populist lawn cards in spring, then a petition drive over the summer. I get that.

With this week’s outrage, St. Lawrence Green has used the image of my church as a colorful, wistful backdrop to leverage political attacks, channeling what was a noble and worthy pursuit into the gutter of what on the surface is cutthroat politics.

Council must censure members who cross the line into the machinations of church, state and civil religion.

We here in the city may not yet have home rule, but we have city limits. Within this city, our government is nonpartisan, an innocent immersed in a cesspool of acutely partisan county, state and federal swamps. This legislature has many legislative enemies, and the covert and overt association of sitting nonpartisan councilman flies in the face of their fiduciary responsibility to me to function within the decorum of the office.

I appeal for each candidate who has been endorsed by St. Lawrence Green to renounce any association, as this movement has created tensions and anxieties among those of us who demand of our Council members more than manipulating my Catholic church and the public image of the basilica.

City Council works very hard with the city manager and staff to formulate proactive solutions from a professional, nonpartisan mission. The St. Lawrence Green as a proxy of Cecil Bothwell has duped every one of us this week and stripped the credibility from its original populist crusade. Now they are misinforming, maligning and attacking decent people who want to make Asheville better for everyone.

— Michael Blankenship
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

5 thoughts on “Letter writer: Candidates should renounce St. Lawrence Green associations

  1. OneWhoKnows

    But what will all the silly single issue ‘progressives’ have to whine about if their candidate renounces such precious association ? ???

  2. UninformedSwingVoter

    I’m telling you, this is only the tip of the iceberg you morons will get if you vote for Mayfield.

  3. Peter Robbins

    Doctor Mumpower has taken a courageous stand on the park issue. He’s promised to think about it later. And there’s an even chance he won’t back down.

  4. Grant Milin

    Here’s some examples of my ‘Plan B’ approach to these high stakes sustainability and economic development strategy items we need to pull together on. But it’s not just about me. I want to give folks a better, evidence-based platform for community innovation that frankly makes things easier for good government… and puts a ton of modifying pressure on the jerks.

    http://www.grantmillin.com/one-vision-for-68-76-haywood-and-88000-citizens/

    http://www.grantmillin.com/city-council-is-boxed-in-so-innovate/

    http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article37344525.html

  5. A park on St. Lawrence Square, instead of housing, will make rents skyrocket. Bothwell, Lee, Haynes and Young are clearly determined to raise rents and force workers to waste gas on long commutes from Landrum by displacing potential walkable housing with another downtown park.

Leave a Reply to Grant Milin ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.