We need a fresh start

Asheville citizens paying even rudimentary attention to the problems in the city are acutely aware of the lack of proper oversight by the city manager, the mayor and Council during this past four-year election cycle. The issues have been spun to us as politically motivated by the people most responsible for the scandals and costly incompetencies.

These are some of the problems that we (the community) are aware of:
• Fraud in the Human Resource Department.
• Sexual harassment at the Asheville Police Department, which should have been handled through chain of command, but was ignored, went to court and [resulted in the] city paying [a settlement].
• Pack Place overruns.
• Evidence-room investigation and missing items / $175,000 to investigate.
• ABC liquor board 125-page report on Curtis Canty.
• Ongoing issues with Asheville Police Department, and a continuing denial that issues exist by Councilman Bothwell. While crime is on the increase, the department is down over 40 officers and trained officers are leaving after training at great taxpayer expense.
• Complete lack of oversight by city staff and elected officials, leading to the demise of our public-access station.

With all of the above, our sitting councilmen and vice mayor still have confidence in both themselves and the city staff responsible for the ongoing issues.

We need a Council and mayor that will do their job of oversight first and foremost. Clearly, based on the evidence above, we have not been getting that oversight, and there is no telling just how much more has happened that we are not informed of. Lack of proper oversight is costing the citizens of Asheville way too much.

— Davyne Dial
Asheville

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4 thoughts on “We need a fresh start

  1. bsummers

    “These are some of the problems that we (the community) are aware of…”

    When did Davyne start using the royal ‘we’?

    Let’s see… blah blah blah, hum de dum… Aha! Just as “we” expected:

    “Complete lack of oversight by city staff and elected officials, leading to the demise of our public-access station.”

    TA-DAAAAAH!

  2. UnaffiliatedVoter

    bsummers you should be ashamed of yourself.

    HOW can you mock these inherent problems with city government???

    WE the PEOPLE must dig in our heels now and challenge this council in ways WE never have !!!

  3. bsummers

    “HOW can you mock these inherent problems with city government???”

    http://tinyurl.com/362vw5

    I’m not mocking the inherent problems of city government. Who would do that? (“inherent” means “intrinsic”, “essential”, “permanent”…)

    I mock anyone who claims to be speaking for “We the People”, when in fact it’s usually about a narrow personal grudge or political bias.

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