City Council Candidates, Week 1

George Bancroft
Harold "Cicada" Brokaw
Bernard Carman
Joe Dunn
Jim Ellis
Fred English
Barbara Field
Ed Hay
Holly Jones
Sharon Martin
Carl Mumpower
Brownie Newman
Susan O'Neil
Kevin Rollins
Sam Webb
Rod Whiteside

George Bancroft

Mr. George Bancroft submitted the following information via a telephone conversation.

After serving nine years on the Civil Service Board, George Bancroft is running for Asheville City Council and noted being an advocate for City employees as one of his priorities. He retired from the US Postal Service in September 1989, ending a public service career that begin August 5, 1942 with the Army Airways Communication Service. That career lasted 34 years, 3 months and 18 days.

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Harold "Cicada" Brokaw

Imagine Asheville as a city in harmony with the environment:
The air is clean. The water in the streams is pure enough to drink. There are fruit and nut trees and bushes and herbs growing everywhere. Food grown in community gardens and individual gardens is abundant. We no longer have sewage because our human waste is used as a resource to produce nutrient rich fertilizer for the trees and local grey water systems clean the biodegradable cleaners that everyone uses, before the water is allowed to seep into the ground. No one uses toxic herbicides, pesticides or other non-biodegradable products which would poison our water.

Houses and buildings have been retrofitted to have solar features which reduce and in some cases eliminate the need for heating fuel. Our transport system runs at all hours to all locations, so almost everyone uses it most of the time. Vehicles are fueled with pollution free hydrogen generated by solar electrolysis.
Fish are abundant in the streams and rivers which course through our city. Wildlife moves easily through the city via a network of wildlife corridors. We will have become a city that embraces and is within nature. We who live here will know our connection with the land because the food we eat, the water we drink, the fibers that clothe us, and the fuels that we use, will all come from sources close and immediate to us.

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Bernard Carman

One issue not heard of much in this local campaign, is the notion of having our police force focus on REAL crimes in stead of victimless crimes.

Real crimes are those that have a definite and immediate victim. These are acts which virtually every culture in the history of mankind has appropriately deemed inherently WRONG - by the sheer fact that they cause harm to another individual. Real crimes inhibit the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Assault, murder, rape and theft are among some real crimes that the police department needs to focus on at top priority.

Victimless crimes, are those that society itself has defined as "crimes" by imposing its own moral values to draw boundaries around and through personal freedoms under the guise of looking out for the safety of the individual.

Should we continue to allow government to:

• make personal decisions for the adult individual... FOR US?
• decide for us which foods, drugs and medical treatments are "safe" and which are not?
• attempt to replace our parents and worse, our own minds?

We can make Asheville a shining example to the rest of America by having our local police department "protect and serve" us by focusing on REAL crimes that inhibit the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, rather than focusing on victimless crimes that don't.

VOTE! - Asheville Freedom Team: David Goree for Mayor, Kevin Rollins for Council, and your's truly, Bernard Carman for Council on Oct 6th & Nov 9th.

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Joe Dunn

The Truth About Asheville's Economy

The vital signs of Asheville's worsening economic crisis are obvious. It is a classic case of declining economic vitality. The patient is on life support systems now. Just look at the symptoms.

1. Asheville lost 35 million dollars from its tax base this year alone!
2. Our tax base has dropped to 1.5% of growth from a five year average of 6%.
3. Our city is now considered the most expensive city to live in our state!
4. Our young people can not find good paying jobs and must look elsewhere!
5. If our young people find a good job, affordable housing is non-existent!
6. The U.D.O. has a stranglehold on business development!
7. Our over regulated economy has slowed down and can not grow.
8. Our air is not clean.
9. One dollar in every eight goes to parks and recreation, but our senior citizens have no help from city government.
10. Our budget last year was 88 million dollars, but only $50,000 dollars was invested in attracting new business.
11. Asheville has no revenue sources except property taxes and fees.

This patient needs a transfusion of new ideas and leadership!
This city is in serious financial condition and all council wants to do is spend more money. Are you listening City Council? It is time for some common sense in city government. Just look at council's record--It speaks for itself!

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Jim Ellis

Asheville is fortunate to have 16 citizens who have filed as candidates for the Asheville City Council. This fact says a lot about Asheville and the willingness of that many folks to offer their time, talents, resources and energy for this demanding position. I am honored to be among this group.

I have attempted to read and listen to the ideas of every candidate. It appears we all agree higher paying jobs are desperately needed, education improvements are vital, cleaning up the environment is rapidly becoming a life and death requirement, affordable housing must be provided, government efficiency can be improved, the property tax burden must not be increased, we need improved cooperation with county, regional and state officials and the water, sewer and civic center challenges must be addressed and solved.

My leadership training, work experience, service on dozens of boards and commissions equip me to accept these challenges and the many more the future will bring. I am qualified to serve, I am anxious to serve and having recently retired, I have the time and resources to serve.

In coming issues, I will attempt to address specific issues and share my thoughts on solving our challenges. I will also list my education background, work experience, leadership training and various volunteer roles. If you have questions or suggestions you may telephone me on my campaign cell phone at 606-9432 or email me at jimellis8@home.com. Please vote in the Primary on October 9 and the General Election on November 6.

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Fred English

Mr. Fred English asked that his name be included in The Candidates' Forum, but chose not to submit any material.

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Barbara Field

Incumbent, Barbara Field, is serving her fourth term on Asheville City Council and was Vice Mayor from 1995-1997.

Barbara gives high priority to influencing REGIONAL air, water and environmental policies. "I will continue to set LOCAL policies that improve our air quality, preserve our precious water resources, and protect our environment while recognizing that the problems don't stop at the city limits."

She believes that the next few years will be critical in determining whether Asheville can succeed in blending growth with quality in a way that serves as a model for other emerging cities. "As Asheville continues to grow, we are challenged to creatively balance economic strength with environmental and residential integrity. I am committed to creating that balance."

She will work to find clear, affordable and implementable solution for the Civic Center that meets Asheville's current and future needs.

Ms. Field is committed to finding realistic, long-range solutions to Asheville's increasing volume of traffic and to maximize transportation and mass transit options.

"I will continue to work for housing that meets the needs of all our citizens, to improve our aging infrastructure, to support parks, greenways and riverfront projects, to implement the city's Smart Growth policies and to build the tax base without increasing tax rates."

Barbara chairs the Asheville Regional Housing Consortium and Asheville's Housing and Community Development Committee. She serves on the boards of the Asheville Downtown Commission, the Asheville Area Arts Council, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, MSD, and Sister Cities of Asheville.

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Ed Hay

I am running for reelection to City Council because I believe I can continue to make an important contribution to improving our community. Addressing our most difficult and important issues requires hard work, a dedication to community involvement, and an ability to identify long-term goals. I believe my Council record shows that I have not backed away from a problem just because it was too difficult or politically treacherous. My focus has been on issues which don't get solved overnight, such as planning for sustainable economic development, renovating the Civic Center, dealing with the housing crisis, improving the transit system, and making City government more efficient and responsive to citizen's needs.

We must continue to work hard to complete the work which is unfinished, and be aggressive in addressing new challenges, such as our improving air quality and managing growth in a way which meets our community goals. Asheville is faced with problems and opportunities which demand leadership from our public officials. Simple, easy solutions are never good enough.
What follows is my candidate profile. I look forward to the opportunity to address specific issues in the next publication.

Representative City Council activities:

Vice Mayor (1997-1999)
Chair, Task Force on the Future of the Civic Center
Housing and Community Development Committee (Chair, 1997-1999)

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Holly Jones

Asheville is a vibrant community with much to offer, from its natural beauty to its thriving cultural scene to its active citizenry. It is a city full of potential. It is also a city facing many challenges.
These challenges range from environmental issues to job development to quality of life issues. But there are two critical areas that I want to focus on in my campaign for City Council.

The first of these is affordable housing. Asheville currently ranks
as the most expensive housing market in the state. Our local vacancy rate for rental housing is far below the national and state average. I want our teachers, health care workers, service employees, police, and all the people doing hard work in our community to realize the dream of home ownership or affordable rental living in the city where they work and serve.

The second issue I hope to address as a member of City Council is that of responsive government. I believe strongly that the public
sector's ability to work cooperatively with its citizens and the
ability to build regional relationships is essential to strengthening
our economic future. We are looked to as the focal point of Western North Carolina, and we need to take leadership on spearheading cooperation and avoiding litigation. I will use my seat on Council to insist on a new and better way for city government to relate and respond to its citizens, developers, civic-minded businesses, and neighbors.

The challenges are many, but so are the opportunities. I strongly
believe that by working together, we can come up with the solutions and the willingness to make them a reality.

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Sharon Martin

We are all taught that the most valuable things we have are our assets: our bank accounts and monetary investments for the future. In truth, the most valuable assets that we have (that we can't live without) are: clean air, clean water, and unpolluted soil to grow healthy food.

The current realities in Asheville are harsh: nearly the worst air quality in our nation, housing prices that drive the working class out of their city, increasingly high water rates, racial disparities in educational achievement scores and drop-out rates, and a dangerous trend towards non-cooperation between local government bodies.

The things that I support and work for daily in my life are the same things I will work towards on city council:

• Improving air quality
• Improving water quality and implementing conservation incentives
• Building local self-reliance by supporting locally owned and operated businesses, especially those that promote community health and vitality such as organic farming
  
• Exploring and implementing urban permaculture: creating more greenspace using native plants and trees that can serve multiple uses (beauty, shade, buffer, and food); installing water catchment systems to collect rainwater for irrigation; expanding composting systems; etc.
  
• Implementing a living wage
  
• Supporting the creation of more affordable housing
  
• Decreasing reliance on the automobile by expanding public transit and improving walkways and bikeways
  
• Encouraging citizen participation in government
  
• Promoting green building/re-development practices
  
• Considering the impacts on future generations when making our decisions
  
• Embracing and supporting publicly funded local elections

I am not alone in wanting to leave a vibrant and beautiful world for our children and grandchildren. We all share this vision. And city council can't make this happen in a vacuum. It takes each and everyone of us doing our part.

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Carl Mumpower

Having lived in Asheville for most of my life, I know and value what we have here. I understand that are the economic, social, and population center of WNC, and that Council decisions affect the lives of many people. Council is part of a family and serves an important role in that family ~ a role that requires a strong measure of accountability, fairness, and restraint. These goals are the foundation of my candidacy. I will pursue positive principles ~ not politics.

One of the easiest roles to assume as a candidate is that of critic. Finding fault, attacking individuals, and focusing on the negative can trigger the support of those who are frustrated, upset or discouraged. I intend to focus on attacking problems ~ not people. My goal is to recognize and appreciate what's working and correct the things that aren't. I intend to work with people and resist the temptations of inconsistency, pandering, and rhetoric over positive action. I believe that more good is generated from cooperative efforts, communication and candor than from conflict.

I reserve my strongest interest for the common good of the average citizen. I am focused on supporting and improving basic city services such as streets, water/sewer, garbage, economic incentives, and crime prevention. I will stand up for what I believe is right. It is my wish to be a positive Councilman, directed by common sense, who works with the people of Asheville…

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Brownie Newman

Bringing People Together, For Asheville's Future

There is a need for change at City Hall. The current council is not
tackling the key issues or main concerns of city residents. It's time for new leadership; It's time to bring people together for
Asheville's future.

I'm committed to fighting for solutions to urban sprawl, promoting community redevelopment, creating the best school system possible for our kids, and developing a local economy that works for the people.

As your City Councilor, I will work to bring people together for
Asheville's future. I'm encouraged by my recent experience working with state Representatives and Senators to introduce the Clean Smokestacks Act. It will improve our air quality -- saving lives, improving the health of WNC residents young and old, protecting our tourism industry, and improving our quality of life. Efforts on behalf of the Clean Smokestacks Act have shown me that elected officials can work together in the best interest of all North Carolinians. I look forward to taking this spirit of cooperation in the public interest to City Hall.

I love Asheville and Western North Carolina. I grew up in a small
town in the foothills of these mountains. As an adult, I've lived in Asheville and worked for grassroots non-profit groups fighting for the people of Western North Carolina. We have a great place and a proud history. I'm excited to dedicate myself to the important work of the Asheville City Council. I ask for your vote on Election Day.

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Susan O'Neil

When we are walking through a primarily uncultivated landscape where great care taken to preserve that natural environment we feel a sense of harmony and communing within our selves and also, as far as we can see within that environment. We sense that this feeling is more than just a rare break from traffic, wires and concrete---it's also the harmonious whirring of the winged creatures in the background flitting from flower to flower. We experience a sense of abundance, the feeling that there's enough flowers and enough nectar in those flowers for every bird,
butterfly and insect.

We as a human species believe that we are too sophisticated, evolved and that we are above their experience. However, I believe that we can learn alot from them, if we will. When we
know that there is enough abundance for all, then life becomes a
pleasure. Then the balance and fairness that is sensed provides us with a feeling of well being which is reflected in our lives and our
relationships.

When we accept the valuation that there is only enough resources for a selective few then a great many people live marginalized lives or may even die off.

We humans are supposed to have the most highly developed sense of fair play in the animal kingdom. Could it be true? Let's say that we are playing a game where everyone wins...can a strategy of fairness for everyone be played out? How would the landscape to look? Until next time.

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Kevin Rollins

I am running for city council because I want to be able to live here for the rest of my life. I want to be able to raise a family in Asheville. I want to be able to run a business or hold a meaningful job. But for so many people, young and old, newcomer and native, business owner and employee, living and working in Asheville has become an impossible proposition.

I want to bring good new jobs to Asheville. I want people to be able to afford to live here. Let us remove the barriers to affordable housing by cutting property taxes. Let us reform the Unified Development Ordinance so that small business can thrive without endlessly doing paperwork, wrangling with zoning boards, and being hassled by nitpicking inspectors.

The great thing is that we CAN cut taxes and we CAN reduce the hassle of government without giving up the protections and services that city government SHOULD provide. The Asheville Freedom Team, Dave Goree, Bernard Carman and myself, has proposed a TOTAL REVIEW. We would review every city department, every city employee and every city ordinance to see that they are not violating freedom, and that they are working efficiently and effectively.

From the Civic Center boondoggle to our leaking water pipes, there are plenty of places where city government is being wasteful and we are paying the price. I want to make this city government responsible to its citizens. We're the ones paying the bills, after all.

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Sam Webb

Mr. Sam Webb stated that due to current commitments he is unable to participate in The Candidates' Forum at this time.

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Rod Whiteside

I would like to provide you with some information about my campaign. My primary focus is on:

- Long-Range Planning/Civic Center
- City Services/Asheville Transit
- Decreased Property Tax Reliance

The City's future prosperity hinges on sound, realistic planning for the Civic Center. We must do three things to successfully move the Civic Center to the next step. We must build it right, operate it right and support it right. Future needs must be considered as we map the master plan. Planning must not be based solely on the current needs. We must equip the Civic Center to endure for decades.

Asheville Transit is an important issue as well. We must continue to provide a service that allows residents to get to their jobs and take care of their day-to-day necessities. We must also ensure that our residents are safe and secure as they wait for buses. If residents aren't able to get to work then local businesses will suffer. The economic structure suffers if our local businesses are in trouble.

I believe government should get back to the basics. I firmly support governing from a pragmatic viewpoint. As a member of City Council my decisions would be based on common sense and practical applications. Principles would prevail over pressure. We must balance the needs of all residents without arbitrarily alienating a select group.

My campaign is about energy, dedication and fresh leadership. I would greatly appreciate your support and your vote on October 9th and November 6th.

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