As autumn in the beautiful Western North Carolina mountains begins touching the leaves of summer with what will in another month become impossible colors, the race for positions on Asheville's City Council enters its final leg. Progressive Democratic candidate Gordon Smith is well positioned to benefit from the ever-entertaining lack of basic manners in what's left of the Republican Party.
As if to underline the decline in civil discourse, President Obama's speech on health care reform to Congress last week was maliciously interrupted by Joe Wilson of South Carolina. The outburst immediately resulted in a successful fundraising effort by the netroots and ActBlue to benefit Wilson's Democratic challenger Rob Miller. It's positively aiding the ascension of progressive Democrats in the South and maybe it can even help a progressive Democrat here on the edge of Appalachia.
Getting good progressives elected to local and state offices can only help our efforts to nurture good, trustworthy candidates for national office in the future. While there is still a strong conservative streak among lifelong residents of the area, Democrats - even progressives - do enjoy the statewide preference for local and state government. The presence of local 9-12'er Ryan Croft on the primary ballot gives the officially non-partisan race some clear choices.
Croft is the Regional Project General Coordinator for The 9-12 Project, Glenn Beck's hate driven exercise in propaganda shrouded in historical reference. Candidate Croft's motto: "Common Sense...the Answer to an Out-of-Control Government"
The Asheville Citizen-Times describes the field:
Three council positions are up for grabs. Councilmen Kelly Miller and Carl Mumpower are trying to hold their seats against challenges from Cecil Bothwell, Larry Chastain, Ryan Croft, J. Neal Jackson, Esther Manheimer, Cesar Romero and Gordon Smith.
Early voting in the primary begins Thursday for the October 6th primary and Gordon Smith needs your help. On one side you've got a Glenn Beck acolyte, on the other you have a true blue progressive candidate to help guide Asheville's path to the future.
Gordon Smith
Environmental Sustainability
Raise the bar on energy efficiency in new developments and offer breaks to developers who retrofit existing buildings. Partner with private entities to provide low-interest loans to residents to retrofit their homes with energy efficiency measures. Conserve energy by recommitting City government to building only LEED certified municipal buildings.
Affordable Housing We are in a housing crisis. Rents are rising, foreclosures are rising, and wages are stagnant. If you work a full-time job in Asheville, you ought to be able to afford to live in Asheville. Cutting affordable housing funds during a housing crisis would be like cutting police patrols during a crime wave. We must: Fortify...
Gordon Smith can be reached through his Campaign Website. Change starts locally, and this local contest is an important step in keeping our wonderful city moving forward.