Manheimer, Smith, Bothwell win
Bellamy re-elected mayor
*GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS NOW AVAILABLE but still unofficial | For the unofficial results of the Tues., Nov. 3, 2009, general election with all 37 precincts reporting, visit Buncombecounty.org or Click Here>
CITY COUNCIL WINNERS: Cecil Bothwell (top left), Esther Manheimer (top right) and Gordon Smith (bottom right)Unofficial election results: Terry Bellamy takes 79% of mayoral vote; city council newcomers beat incumbents
* Photo: PARC
Manheimer, Smith and Bothwell become new city councilmembers; Mumpower and Cape defeated
*TO VIEW THE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS of the general election for mayor and city council, Click Here> | Mayoral candidate and newcomer Robert Edwards garnered only 2,431 votes (20% of the total) in his unsuccessful bid against incumbent Terry Bellamy who tallied 9,543 votes (79% of the total) in yesterday's general election, as 144 votes (1%) of the total) were write-ins. | City council candidates and newcomers Esther Manheimer (6,567 votes; 19%), Gordon Smith (6,301 votes; 18%), and Cecil Bothwell (5,899 votes; 17%) outclassed councilmember incumbents Carl Mumpower 4.749 votes; 14%) and Robin Cape (who likely won most of the "write-in" total of 4,620 votes; 13.5%). J. Neal Jackson (3,476 votes; 10%) and Ryan Croft (2,525 votes; 7%) finished in the cellar. | To visit Terry Bellamy's websitevisit Gordon Smith's website at Gordonforasheville.com, Click Here> | To visit Cecil Bothwell's website at Cecilbothwell.wordpress.com, Click Here> | To visit Robin Cape's website at Robinforasheville.com or Click Here> | Carl Mumpower does not have a campaign website.
at Mayorbellamy.com, Click Here> | To visit Esther Manheimer's website at Esther4asheville.com, Click Here> | To 
Bothwell's thoughts on the eve of the City Council primary
As emailed to his campaign supporters
"This year has been an amazing one for me, mostly because I have had the extraordinary experience of seeing what a political campaign looks like when it's run by the people and for the people. The word 'grassroots' has new meaning for me. I have arrived at this high point on a journey that really began with a great personal loss—the passing of my partner of 25 years—in the fall of 2001 when I was 50 years old." | To read the complete letter from city councilmember candidate Cecil Bothwell, Click Here>
Early voting in local primary tops 1,000
Will likely match or top previous off-year primary
*COUNCIL CANDIDATES' PUSH FOR EARLY VOTING in primary bears fruit | Rachel Brown of the Buncombe County Board of Elections confirmed that 1,005 voters have already voted as of midday on Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. She said that during the first week of early primary voting, 50 to 70 voters per day were participating; more recently that number has increased to 80 to 100 voters per day. | Brown said that the total number of early primary voters in 2009 is on target to match or exceed the 2007 early primary voter numbers. | Early primary voting ended Sat., Oct. 3, 2009, at 1 p.m. | Primary election day is Oct. 6.
City council candidate Gordon Smith is all smiles after being endorsed by Buncombe County commissioner Holly Jones, former Asheville mayor Leni Sitnick, and the Sierra Club. "If you want to see lots of smiles like this one, come out and volunteer for this campaign," Gordon Smith told DowntownAsheville.com. "We're canvassing, phone banking, and more." For volunteer opportunities, Click Here> | Smith advocates government budget belt-tightening, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and multimodal transportation. * Photo: Gordonforasheville.com
Early primary voting ends, primary Oct. 6
Cast three votes for council, one for mayor
*DO YOUR DUTY EARLY, and vote in the primary | Cast your votes early for three of the 10 who are running for Asheville City Council and one of four running for mayor. | Primary election day is Tues., Oct. 6, 2009. | Early general election voting is Oct. 15 to Oct. 31, 2009; general election day is Tues., Nov. 3, 2009. | For primary and general election details and voting locations, visit Buncombecounty.org or Click Here>
In his Sept. 17 e-newsletter, city council candidate Cecil Bothwell shows a little humor: he promises to stop pestering voters who vote early and thanks them "for participating in this important citizenship responsibility." * Photo: Cecil Bothwell
Just do it: EARLY primary voting ends Oct. 3
Cast three votes for council, one for mayor
*DO YOUR DUTY EARLY, and go to the Board of Elections at 189 College St. in Downtown Asheville | Cast your votes early for three of the 10 who are running for Asheville City Council and one of four running for mayor. Early voting is from Sept. 17 to Oct. 2, Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sat., Oct. 3, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Primary election day is Oct. 6. | General election day is Nov. 3; early general election voting is Oct. 15 to Oct. 31, 2009. | For primary and general election details and voting locations, visit Buncombecounty.org or Click Here>
UPDATE to the Sept. 15, 2009, PARC/MVA Candidates' Forum Click Here>
ROBIN CAPE: "I'M BACK IN THE RUNNING"
Reinvigorated councilmember Cape seeks reelection
Asks voters to write-in her name in general election
*ROBIN CAPE HAS COME OUT STRONG IN EXPLAINING WHY SHE WITHDREW FROM THE ELECTION, and why she wants to continue to serve Asheville |
For Robin Cape's Sept. 15, 2009, "I'm Back in the Running" letter to her supporters, Click Here> | For Robin Cape's Facebook entry,
Click Here>
WNC for Change interviews candidates
Questionnaires filled out by candidates
*VIEW CANDIDATES' POSITIONS AS ANSWERED IN QUESTIONNAIRES provided by WNC for Change | Robin Cape and Kelly Miller recently completed the questionnaires. | For details, view WNCforchange.com or Click Here>
Jenny Bowen hamming it up on earlier political poster
Ashvegas: Bowen not actively running, Cape seeks write-in vote
Popular Asheville blog gives local election street talk
*ASHVEGAS GIVES THE COMMON-WISDOM GOSSIP now on the street concerning Asheville City Council candidate Jenny Bowen, as well as currently seated Robin Cape, who had said she would seek re-election, then said she wouldn't, and now seems to say she wants it, sorta. | And this local blog gets it right pretty often. However, someone writing in as JBo on the Ashvegas blog says that Jenny Bowen is, in fact, running: "...Call me before you start spreading rumors. ... When I'm ready to make an announcement you'll be sure to know."| Word has it that Robin Cape's previous indecision had to do with personal issues. She has announced that she will run a write-in campaign. Local political pundits believe Cape has a chance of winning given her high name recognition as an incumbent. | For more local political chatter at Ashvegas.squarespace.com, Click Here>
MUMPOWER UNGLUED
Mayor takes gavel to councilmember's public uproar
Mumpower defies Bellamy at recent Asheville City Council meeting
*CARL MUMPOWER ACTS INCREASINGLY ERRATIC IN PUBLIC as he demands to be heard and taken seriously in a council meeting as well as in his re-election bid | In the most recent Asheville City Council meeting on Aug. 11, 2009, a frustrated Asheville mayor Terry Bellamy had to end the meeting with the hit of her gavel to silence disruptive city councilmember Carl Mumpower, as he taunted the mayor at the meeting's conclusion and alluded that he would like to be physically removed from the chamber. | Anyone who has followed Carl Mumpower in 2009 would be hard pressed to deny that he continues to act more erratic in his public behavior, both in person and in his increasingly frequent and strident written public statements, in which he accuses many respected business owners and other individuals of a range of illicit or unethical behavior. | In the recent past, Carl Mumpower discussed a "deep tattoo on my identity" brought on by his time spent in the Vietnam war. Mumpower publicly confessed: "I joined the service and volunteered for Vietnam when I was seventeen. My time there, like for most, was a mixture of good and bad exposures that left a pretty deep tattoo on my identity." Mumpower, who says he is a practicing psychologist, continued: "When a person’s identity becomes largely defined by something bad that happened to them, that person ceases to be in control of their own destiny. It doesn’t matter if one is on the receiving end of sexual exploitation, combat exposures, criminal violence, racist abuse, or any other harm. Using past painful experiences as a get out of life free pass adds insult to earlier injury. In a fallen world, we all have our own personal versions of Pain-nam." | Mumpower has also publicly supported the actions of the late-Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who was known for bullying and intimidating others who disagreed with him. Earlier in the year, after Asheville Citizen-Times reporter accused Mumpower of McCarthyism, Mumpower publicly responded by stating, "McCarthy was right." For Wikipedia.org's take on McCarthy and McCarthyism, Click Here> | To view streaming video of the Aug. 11 city council meeting, visit Ashevillenc.gov or Click Here> | Earlier this year, Mumpower publicly accused one of his old friends and former city council candidate, Dwight Butner, of harboring illegal immigrants for years at Vincenzo's, one of Asheville's top restaurants. However, in the same breath, Mumpower stated, "I have no idea of the validity of these claims." Although openly dismayed, Butner responded magnamiously by saying that Mumpower may simply be trying to "remain relevant." Revealing Butner and Mumpower's long-standing friendship, Butner indicated that their respective daughters have been friends for years. For the Mumpower accusations involving Butner and others in an April 2009 DowntownAsheville.com article, Click Here>
14 candidates file to run for mayor and city council
*FOUR CANDIDATES FILED TO RUN FOR ASHEVILLE MAYOR, | The 14 candidates who have filed to run will first face off in the Oct. 6, 2009, primary, followed by those who qualify in the Nov. 3 general election. | Challenging incumbent Asheville mayor Terry Bellamy are Shad Marsh, Denise Pendleton, and Robert Edwards. | Competing for open Asheville City Council seats are incumbent Carl Mumpower, Cecil Bothwell, incumbent Kelly Miller, Esther Manheimer, Larry D. Chastain, Ryan D. Croft, J. Neal Jackson, Gordon Smith, Cesar Romen, and Jenny Bowen. | Current city councilmember Robin Cape will not seek re-election. | Former city councilmember Holly Jones, who is now a seated Buncombe County Commissioner, has openly supported city council candidate Gordon Smith. | For details about municipal elections, visit buncombecounty.org or Click Here>
and 10 candidates filed by the July 17, 2009, deadline to run for the available slots on city councilVOTERS WANTED: CAN YOU NAME THESE CANDIDATES?
PARC and MVA host local candidate forum Sept. 15
Discover candidates' views on local development
*HARD-HITTING QUESTIONS about Asheville's economic future will be fielded by Asheville councilmember and mayoral candidates at Tuesday's upcoming public forum | The public is invited to come to the Randolph Learning Center at 90 Montford Ave. (next to the Chamber of Commerce) from 7 to 9 p.m., for a candidates' forum organized by PARC (People Advocating Real Conservancy) and MVA (Mountain Voices Alliance). The doors open at 6:30 p.m. | Do your due diligence before voting; enjoy an evening out to listen to the views of those brave enough to run for local office this upcoming primary season. | For more details, call 828-273-1781, visit MValliance.net or Click Here>
GORDON SMITH: Opening the door to progressive ideas * gordonforasheville.com
Fundraiser for Smith
*SMITH FUNDRAISER PARTY on Aug. 20 | Meet city councilmember candidate Gordon Smith at The Flood Gallery this Thursday at 8 p.m. Click Here>
Scrutiny Hooligans' Smith runs for City Council, 100+ attend kick-off party
*THE KICK-OFF PARTY AT ASHEVILLE BREWING CO. ON COXE AVE., on Mar. 19, 2009, was big and lively, especially for a chilly, windy night in Asheville. Gordon Smith, founder of ScrutinyHooligans.us, Asheville's most popular political blog, told DowntownAsheville.com that he was pleased with the turn-out and confirmed that approximately 110 people attended for the evening event that ran for approximately three hours (7 to 10 p.m.). Smith, a child and family therapist, has become well known in the Asheville area as a thoughtful, articulate activist with a pragmatic, progressive, grassroots bent. | For more details about his campaign, visit gordonforasheville.com or Click Here> | To visit ScrutinyHooligans.us, Click Here> | To view Jennifer Saylor's photos of the kick-off party, Click Here>
Cecil Bothwell seeks council slot
*WELL-KNOWN LOCAL AUTHOR/REMODELER CECIL BOTHWELL is running for Asheville City Council | For Bothwell's detailed position statements, visit cecilbothwell.wordpress.com or Click Here>
CARL MUMPOWER: "This council, in conjunction with city and police administration, is continuing to dramatically fail in their commitment to eliminate open air drug markets in Asheville's public housing and other vulnerable neighborhoods."
City councilmember Mumpower will run for third term in 2009 to counter "far left" mayor and council
*NOT ONE TO BACK DOWN FROM PRINCIPLE, Carl Mumpower announced he will run for another term on the Asheville City Council | "The Mayor and council's votes place them to the far left in their spending habits, social policies, and political agendas," wrote Mumpower in a Mar. 26, 2009, press release. "The lack of remote balance on the council, and a belief that diversity of thought really is important, leave me no wiggle room."
MUMPOWER TO CONTINUE HIS FIGHT AGAINST ASHEVILLE'S 'OPEN AIR DRUG MARKETS'
"This council, in conjunction with city and police administration, is continuing to dramatically fail in their commitment to eliminate open air drug markets in Asheville's public housing and other vulnerable neighborhoods," stated Carl Mumpower who will be seeking his third consecutive term as a member of Asheville City Council.
"Our willingness to allow drug dealers and users to make Asheville a corrupted playground is a form of child abuse as far as I am concerned. Incremental progress that leaves our children at risk is not remotely good enough.
"Then there is the Mayor's fantasy boondoggle - a new performing arts facility on Depot Street that will kill a ball park, distract from that community's real drug and social problems, and saddle the city with another financial burden in the middle of an economic meltdown.
"This extravagance is mirrored in the pork handouts that the council is accepting with a callous indifference to the burden the misguided economic recovery package is laying on the next generation.
Mumpower noted "the official sign up period for candidacy is in late summer, but that he wanted to make his intentions clear in view of the Council's recent and on-going 'mischief'.
"The people of Asheville have had almost 8 years to watch my model of service as a maverick watchdog.
"They can decide if my commitment to principles over power, care with other people's money, and firm eye on Reality 101 is in the city's best interests.
Mumpower said that he does not intend to accept or spend any money in the fall campaign, stating: "I will gratefully embrace the help of volunteers who can do what they will, but I don't intend to invest other people's money trying to buy my seat at the table.
"I'll continue to enthusiastically do what I do and embrace the outcome when the voters do what they do."
Mumpower: "An irresponsible city council makes running a necessity."
Two-term city councilmember Carl Mumpower said he has committed to running again in the fall of 2009 due to the "continued irresponsibility of Asheville's liberal city council."
He said: "Mirroring the wasteful patterns of government found in Washington and Raleigh, our Mayor and her five colleagues continue to grow government, indulge special interests, and invest precious tax dollars on nice over necessary.
"Eight years is a long time to hold the line as a conservative watchdog.
"There is no question that the best personal course for my family would be to say thanks and wave goodbye. The behavior of the Council and city management is creating too many obstacles between my conscience and a comfortable exit."
Not mincing words, Mumpower stated: "I am aware that several of my colleagues view themselves as conservative or moderate.
"Unfortunately for them, politicians are defined by voting records over vanity. With rare exception, the Mayor and council's votes place them to the far left in their spending habits, social policies, and political agendas. The lack of remote balance on the council, and a belief that diversity of thought really is important, leave me no wiggle room."
Mumpower notes specific frustrations with his colleague's stewardship.
"This council is about to surrender Asheville's one billion dollar water system to legislated banditry by our local legislators," said Mumpower in his March 26, 2009, news release.
"I consider this impending action nothing short of criminal misconduct toward the tax payers of Asheville.
"Then there is the Mayor's fantasy boondoggle - a new performing arts facility on Depot Street that will kill a ball park, distract from that community's real drug and social problems, and saddle the city with another financial burden in the middle of an economic meltdown.
"This extravagance is mirrored in the pork handouts that the council is accepting with a callous indifference to the burden the misguided economic recovery package is laying on the next generation."
-This news was provided to DowntownAsheville.com by Carl Mumpower, as contained in his official March 26, 2009 news release.
Good-bye, Robin?
Robin Cape changes her mind, will NOT run for Council
*THE POLITICAL STAGE FOR CITY COUNCIL has shrunk a bit -- and unexpectedly -- with well-known cast member and current Asheville Councilmember Robin Cape removing her hat from the ring | Although Robin Cape had said earlier in the year that she would seek another term on the Asheville City Council, she has apparently changed her mind. She recently said that she would NOT seek re-election in the upcoming fall elections. | Visit robinforasheville.com or Click Here>
Ted Kennedy: "The dream shall never die" * kennedy.senate.gov
Goodbye, Teddy
Video of Sen. Edward Kennedy's plea of healthcare for all
*SEN. TED KENNEDY DIED, but his dream for universal health care lives on | A passionate explanation by Sen. Edward Kennedy speaking in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, on April 3, 2008, about why universal health care insurance for all Americans is the right thing to do now. For four-minute video, Click Here> | Sen. Kennedy was buried Sat., Aug. 29, 2009. Visit Kennedy.senate.gov or Click Here> | ABCNews.com: Click Here> | AP.org: Click Here> | Boston.com: Click Here> | Factcheck.org: Click Here> | Newsobserver.com: Click Here> | NYtimes.com: Click Here> | Politico.com: Click Here> | Truthout.com: Click Here>| Washingtonpost.com: Click Here> | Wikipedia.com: Click Here>
