I was thrilled with the response to my recent call for candidate questions. From MI-Connection and the Mooresville Municipal Golf Course to traffic and town ordinances, I never imagined I would collect such a broad range of questions.
A huge thank you to all of you who took time to ask questions of the men vying to be your public servants.
Last week, I sent your questions, largely unedited, to every candidate but one; Eddie Dingler, who is challenging Incumbent Mitch Abraham for the Ward 1 Commissioner seat, did not return calls asking for his e-mail address.
I asked the candidates to respond by late this evening. But because of the number of questions - and because I sent them when the candidates are certainly busy campaigning - I offered to extend the deadline if needed. A couple candidates have taken me up on that.
As soon as both candidates from each race have submitted their responses, I will post them here. I plan to publish a different post for each race except for the mayor's race. So many of you posted and e-mailed individual questions of Miles Atkins and Jared Esselman that they will have their own individual post.
If a candidate has not responded by deadline and has not been in touch to let me know he needs more time, I will post the responses of the candidate who did respond. In the event you asked individual questions of a candidate who chooses not to respond, I will post your individual questions and note that the candidate did not respond.
The first deadline is tonight, so I could feasibly begin posting responses by tomorrow morning. My goal is to have all responses posted by late Friday so you'll have the weekend and Monday to digest the answers. I hope the information provided by the candidates will help us all make informed decisions at the polls on Tuesday.
Thank you, again, for your questions. And above all, thank you for being awake and alert citizens and taking interest in local government. As Anthropologist Margaret Meade once said:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Jaime
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17 comments:
I am so glad you are looking out for Mooresville. Wish we had you in Troutman.
Everyone should be like Mr. Dingler. Regardless of how the questions are answered they will be made fun of and the answers turned around here on this blog.
Everyone knows about Abraham, he is the master of spin, but the people of Mooresville know all about him and how he lives off the town.
I appreciate the ability to read real answers to real questions from the actual people running for office.
The ever revolving spin on this site tells me people are passionate about their candidate but at a certain point it starts to feel like children on the playground.
Kudos to you, Jaime, and the candidates who are taking the time to answer real questions.
1:10 PM, we've already tried it YOUR way in Mooresville (ahem, for the past few decades!) and it didn't work too well for most of us. There was a handful of good ole boys who liked never having to answer to nobody. Once their party got busted up, the rest of us actually started having a voice. If you don't like the new way, you can always take your bat and ball and go play someplace else. Cause we now expect real answers from our ELECTED leaders in this town.
I recall several FORMER elected officials who thought THEY didn't have to answer to nobody, and they're all out on their asses now.
Why is it that the candidates no longer state on ANY of their campaign material/signs which political party they are affiliated with?
Remember the last election,we said all the old out. Nobody ran against Herring but he will walk in two years. Thunberg GONE,Rader GONE,Montogery GONE, Now we need for Atkins to be gone. Time for ABRAHAM to be gone,Houston to GO and in two years Carney to be gone. Out with the old and in with the NEW.
Don't bother with Hendrix - is a single issue candidate who only wants to spend big money on the golf course in the pretense that it will make money!! Does this sound familiar like MI connection being a cash cow? He also wants to pay for a railroad from here to Charlotte and then to Statesville(which does not have any tracks) More money down the proviable drain.
Hey, 3:12, I think you meant proverbial. Duh!
2:56. I agree with you on all except Atkins. He's a keeper. The problem with getting rid of the "old" 100% of the time every time is that you'll also throw the good out with the bad every time, and you'll never end up having good guys up there. Rhett Dusenbury (so far) is a keeper, even though he's been too quiet for my liking. Chris Carney, well, the jury's out on him (more out than in I'm afraid). Miles Atkins has done some real balsy stuff in open and closed meetings and he's held feet to the fire which is what needs to happen up at town hall. Fact is, if you ain't happy with Atkins, you ain't ever gonna be happy. But the rest of them gotta go for sure.
5:10 p.m. I am pretty much on board with what you are saying. Except I really cringe when I think about Hendrix replacing Houston in the Ward 2 race only because Hendrix seems to have really dug a hole for himself about carrying a torch for the failing municipal golf course. So I say we keep Houston and Adkins and get rid of the rest.
Houston is a loser and totally out of the loop. He is one of the good old boys who have stuck us with Smith and MI and the scandals that have plagued us for years.
Billy is showing some initiative and trying to learn what people want. He is listening and trying. I haven't heard a damn thing from Houston ever and I've called him on more than one occasion and left messages on a few issues and never got so much as a go to hell in response. Now nothing was all that difficult but it was important enough to us. Billy has spoken to a lot of people about a whole lot more than the golf course and he's willing to be involved and engaged and he seems to give a damn.
I will give him a shot for that reason alone. I've had enough of not being good enough for old Thurman to bother with.
3:12...I'm not a single issue candidate. I mentioned something out of the rank and file and you have decided to run with it and try to make me look one dimensional, and that's fine, it's your choice. Please direct me to one blog, one post, or one conversation, anywhere, where I have mentioned spending any more money on the golf course.
Furthermore...the "red line" is coming to Mt. Mourne, period. I did get a little chuckle while sitting at the task-force briefing in Huntersville last week, when they mentioned getting Statesville and Iredell County on board. I thought of you.
5:38...If looking into an area that is costing the taxpayers money makes you cringe, I'm sorry.
@2:44pm -- the reason there is no party affiliation on the signs is probably related to the fact that the town board and board of education elections are non-partisan elections for Mooresville.
9:37PM,
To be fair, Mr. Houston voted AGAINST MI Connection. The cable purchase was brought to you by Radar/Herring/Carney/Thunberg.
When do we get the latest financial read out from MIConnection?
10:00AM,
I may be wrong but I believe the Mooresville 2011-12 budget has a $4million dollar line item for MI Connection, just as the 2010-11 budget did.
It's the mistake that just keeps taking...
Jim
"Non-partisan" elections......interesting term that allows candidates to pretend they do not identify with a political party.
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