There was a time when I was cool, or at least I thought I was. Back then, I taught high-school students and could glean from them the latest trends and hippest music. Somewhere between leaving that job and becoming the father of a 7-year-old, I lost my edge. Maybe that's the point at which I started to follow the Democratic primaries for state legislative races. Let's face it, nobody is going to get a group of teenagers to acknowledge his smoothness by quoting the policy platforms of primary election candidates.
So how could I have let this happen to me? Between starting a family and settling down in this community, I began to realize that some things are more urgent than discovering a great new band. Things like making sure that the beauty of our mountains is preserved for my daughter and her children. Things like ensuring that everyone in our community has access to decent, affordable health care. Things like working to educate our young people so that they can continue to build a vibrant, sustainable economy in our region. It's not easy to put these things on a T-shirt that you can wear to the coffee house.
It will not be easy to get these issues addressed in Raleigh either, but I am confident that Patsy Keever will be our most effective voice in that effort. As a teacher, Patsy not only shares my care for children, she understands the importance and challenges of educating them for the jobs of the 21st century. She has worked in our community to build and sustain health-care projects to serve these kids and their families. Patsy Keever's experience on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and her strong stand on environmental issues have earned her the endorsement of the Sierra Club, among other groups.
All of this adds up to one crucial fact: Patsy Keever is cool. This includes being cool enough to really listen when someone has a view that is different from her own. This includes being cool enough to help bring together the interests of the city of Asheville and the residents of Buncombe County to shape state policies affecting growth in our region. But there I go again, showing how uncool I have become. Maybe by voting for Patsy, some of that coolness will rub off on me.
— J. Clarkson
Swannanoa
Sorry- no sale. Going on and on with your silly “cool” theme diluted whatever point you had. And again, the “teacher” thing. Why did the North Carolina Association of Educators, of which Keever is a past president(!), choose to endorse Goforth? I say it’s because they know she’s not a leader.
I think the cool theme is silly, too. But I don’t think Keever is a bad choice. FYA, she wasn’t a past pres.- only locally rep. She did well. Goforth has clout and those that have allied themselves with him will surely not want to garner his disfavor. Watch how quickly Keever gets their “endorsement” when she wins this primary!!!!