Joel Burgess recounts the votes in the latest Asheville City Council meeting in the Asheville Citizen-Times.

**update** 9.11am
And for a more in-depth report, read Leslee Kulba's record of the meeting.

Local blogger Leslee Kulba has done a very consistent job of taking notes at local government meetings, and you now you can view them online, often many days before the people who are paid to take the minutes of meetings themselves.


Or, you can watch it here, or on the player below:

Robin Cape Wants You To Learn About the History of Downtown Asheville !

And she also wants you to join in the Soviet-Style "Master Plan for Downtown" in Asheville...where budding Apparachik can exercise their skills in applying "progressive philosophy" to making everyone reliant on the government. And to give homeless people parks to crap in, too.

Asheville---Anyway You Like It, As Long As We Planned It.

From her newsletter...

Hear from local experts on the history of downtown. You'll hear why downtown developed the way it did, fell into disrepair and was ultimately revitalized. We'll also talk about segregation and urban redevelopment projects and the effects on downtown and local residents.

Thursday, May 15
7:00 pm
Asheville Public Works Building
161 S. Charlotte St.

Leslie Anderson - former Director of the Downtown Development office and expert on downtown revitalization

Jim Samsel - local architect and member of the Pack Square Conservancy

Harry Weiss - Public Interest Projects and former director of the Preservation Society

We hope to have an additional speaker to talk about the East End and downtown.

This evening promises to be full of interesting stories. Even if you know the general history of downtown, you will learn something new!

Source: Robin Cape Newsletter

The Master Plan for Asheville

The announcement and agenda:

Community Educational Session:
Current Issues in Downtown Development
Friday, May 30
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Asheville Community Theater
35 E. Walnut Street

This session will be an important opportunity to explore specific urban issues such as height & design, affordability and local business retention.

To put this effort into perspective, say that long ago, in a budding city far away...there was such a monstrously evil "Master Plan" for Manhattan. With the desire to impose height restrictions, design restrictions. Imposing a "mandate" to provide affordable housing, and here is the kicker...the very same people express a desire for local business retention when their plans drive away commerce!
Manhattan would not be as we know it today. There would be no skyscrapers in Manhattan. There would, in all likelihood, be skyscrapers around Manhattan, outside the reach of the Killers of the Free Market. And the same thing will happen to Asheville. It will drive out commerce of the sort that generates real wealth, inspire building of unique buildings in places other than Asheville (hopefully in the newly forming incorporating cities around Asheville).

This desire for "central planning" is straight out of the failed "command economies of the Socialist Soviet Union. It has been demonstrated to not work every time. The socialists on the Asheville City Council need to realize that the Free Market is far superior than their "Managed Utopia in Asheville, NC".

The normal people of Asheville, if there are any left, should get together and sabotage this Master Plan, and scuttle it to the dustbin of history. That is, if you want Asheville to be something other than the laughingstock of the region.

This delightful read in from the Wild West:

On Asheville City Council’s agenda, under “New Business,” is the state’s 21st Century Transportation Committee Report. There is no verb attached, so I have no clue what council is expected to do with it.

Of particular interest in this pdf file of what looks like an eighth-generation Xerox copy, made all the more difficult to understand by bizarre syntax throughout; is a conversation about VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) devices. These Orwellian transponders let government know where, when, and how you are driving.

Asheville City Council current agenda.
North Carolina 21st Century Transportation Committee Report. [pdf file]

Doesn't surprise me one bit. With these devices, you would be taxed to death, and the control freaks could adjust the tax rates on different roads, and then watch us change habits (without the trouble of installing cameras everywhere) like so many ants in an ant farm...that is except for the people who could afford higher taxes. These "super-empowered ants" would then be able to travel on the expensive roads, much like the Communist Party apparatchiks...with no peons in their way. Also, I wonder if they would be willing to push for these devices to be placed on the holy bicycles that travel Asheville?

I am working on getting a correspondent to make regular reports from the Asheville City Council meetings, so stay tuned...this could get interesting.

ASHEVILLE- Offers of help for little Paxten Mitchell began coming in early Friday morning.

Paxten, 3, has a rare form of leukemia, and payment for the unusual treatment he is receiving at Mission Hospitals has been denied by the company that administers the city of Asheville's insurance plan. His father, Robert Mitchell, is a firefighter with the city.

Jessica Miller, of Alexander, has set up jars for donations on the counters of several local stores, hoping to help the family with bills.

"I have a little boy 13 months old, and he's healthy, thank God," Miller said, "I just cannot imagine hearing my child has leukemia and then finding out the insurance company won't cover his treatment."

Source: Asheville Citizen-Times
Hat Tip: Carolina Stompers

What you can do to help this child, visit his online journal and make a donation to Caringbridge after you read about him and his struggle. There are also photos to look at as well.

I will be contacting the Credit Union tomorrow to see if there is a procedure for online donations...bookmark this post and return for an update.

Until then, you may send checks to:

Robert Mitchell
c/o Paxten Mitchell Fund
Premier Federal Credit Union
148 Charlotte Street
Asheville, NC 28801
or inquire further at 828-252-2346

You might want to contact the people who refused insurance coverage, Primary Physician Care.

The Carolina Stompers have another angle on this story:

Apparently there was a guy named John Miall who did a great job as the Risk Manager for the City of Asheville. He supposedly spent years on the insurance situation in Asheville and was nationally recognized for his solutions such as “The Asheville Project”. Under his leadership, the City of Asheville invested a small amount of money and built a corporation called “Asheville Claims Corporation” to handle critical insurance payments and pay city employees premiums. This “Asheville Claims Corporation” had a total worth of 5 million dollars. Sources tell us that when John Miall retired the Finance Director dissolved Asheville Claims Corp. and dumped all the money (5 million dollars) into the city’s General Fund which only lasted 1 fiscal year. Note, money in the General Fund can be used for any purpose. This money could save Paxton Mitchell’s life.

If you recall, in 2007 the City of Asheville had a 2.4 million dollar deficit. A few months later the City Budget Dept. announced they had a 2.5 million dollar surplus...

Source: Carolina Stompers



Just when you thought it was safe for the corrupt politicians in Asheville, the Stompers have opened another can of worms.

Allen concedes; Lewis to remain on Sylva town board

By Justin Goble

The race for a vacant seat on Sylva’s town board came to an end after Danny Allen conceded Monday (Nov. 19).

Allen was in a dead heat with Ray Lewis for the third seat on the board. Both are incumbents, and both are former Sylva police officers.

The two garnered 114 votes each during the Nov. 6 general election. After the Nov. 13 vote canvass, which included opening two provisional ballots, the race was still deadlocked after both candidates received an additional vote.

Allen informed the Board of Elections of his intentions to concede last week. However, Director of Elections Lisa Lovedahl said he had to sign documents before that decision could be made official. She confirmed that Allen had signed those documents Monday morning.

Allen, who joined the board in 2001, has been having health problems for some time and said he yielded to Lewis so he could spend time focusing on getting better.

“I just think I need to direct my energy at trying to get well,” he said. “But I enjoyed my time on the town board. It was a learning experience, and in the end I hope I did what was best for the town. I wish the board and the town the best of luck.”

Source: Sylva Herald & Ruralite

Now, compare that story to this one:

ASHEVILLE – City Councilman Bryan Freeborn will get another recount of some ballots in the Nov. 6 race he lost to Bill Russell.

Freeborn had a right to request a hand recount of 3 percent of precincts selected at random, said Rachel Brown, Buncombe County elections deputy director for absentee administration.

That is because a Friday electronic recount showed different numbers than the official tally, Brown said.

If there is another discrepency the councilman might have the right to call for a hand recount of all ballots, said Brown, possibly changing the outcome of the election.

Brown said county elections officials would have to check with state elections officials about details.

Elections officials do not know when the hand recount will take place but will have to give 48 hours public notice, Brown said.

Source: Asheville Citizen-Times
Related: Topix Commentary on Article
Lefty Whining: Scrutiny Hooligans

Commentary

Bryan FreGore, in my opinion, is an immature crybaby. He should be able to take his lumps like man, and moveon!


Get it? Moveon! I Kill Myself!!!

The only upside I can see to this whole episode, is all the free ammo he is giving his opponents should he decide to run for public office again...I call it "Free Baggage" for the FreGore!
He will no longer be able to do the bidding of his master, Brownie Newman.

Voice # 1 Charlie Hume

Letters to the Editor
A reminder to vote from Let Asheville Vote
by Charlie Hume, Asheville
published October 22, 2007 12:15 am
Original Article is here. (will disappear from AC-T after two weeks)


As an organizer and spokesperson for Let Asheville Vote, I would like to state that a conscious effort was made by volunteers during the petition drive to behave in a professional manner, and many of us strived to offer respectful criticism of City Council’s decision without engaging in personal attacks.

As we approach Election Day on Nov. 6, Let Asheville Vote would like to encourage those in the community who have strong feelings on the issue of partisan elections to take the high road when campaigning, distributing political literature and participating in public discussions.

Asheville voters would benefit most by having political groups and campaigns focus on a candidate’s position rather than engage in the mudslinging that can sometimes result from polarizing issues such as partisan elections.

As a reminder, Let Asheville Vote is not endorsing any candidates or working with any PACs. Our sole goal is to encourage voters to educate themselves on the upcoming referendum and to vote. Your vote does make a difference.

Finally, when voting on the referendum please remember that, NO = Nonpartisan and YES = Partisan.

Charlie Hume, Asheville

Voice #2 Tim Peck




Voice #3 Robin Cape, Asheville City Council




Voice #4 Matt Mittan, WWNC-AM Radio Host

Here is a video of Selina Sullivan:



Find out more at Selina Sulliva for Asheville City Council.

ASHEVILLE — A move by a City Council candidate to block the building of balconies over a public sidewalk failed Tuesday night.

The council voted 6-1 to give redevelopers of the former downtown First Union building the right to build balconies over sidewalks for $5,000. Mayor Terry Bellamy voted no.

Council candidate and environmental activist Elaine Lite said she wanted to stop the balconies because they harm sidewalk trees and to protest what she saw as Asheville selling public “air space” for less than it is worth.

City officials though said they are following the law by stopping a bidding process and awarding the rights to Urban Capital LLC.


Source: Asheville Citizen-Times


Commentary

Here is a paragraph from her website:

As a mother and as a citizen of the world, I believe we must make decisions with the future in mind. Our local government can lead the way in creating sustainable systems that build community and preserve and restore our environment.

Elaine Lite's Campaign Website


When you hear someone say they are a "citizen of the world," know this person is an anti-American globalist, and when you hear "sustainable," think Communist, and when that person wants to use the government to do it...know that you have someone who loves to create more regulation to oppress liberty.

Looks like this candidate for Asheville City Council is even further out there than the Gang of Four in her kooky ideas!!!

This campaign season is going to one to remember, methinks.