Another evening and another e-mail from this person who has said that they frequently
view the Hound. As I have stated before, they have said they personally know the Mayor and
Council. They stated they could not post this information with their
name for fear of reprisal. As with the information posted yesterday, I have verified that the contributions to
these candidates by these people are accurate. This is an individual commenters opinion. It doesn't necessarily reflect my own opinion. I do feel that the information presented is relevant. You are responsible for coming to your own conclusions.
Submitted by Common Sense
... So in tallying up the campaign contributions for the candidates to-date, the familiarity of the names of those contributors was interesting. Let's think. Where have we seen this kind of "free speech" before and at these levels?
Allow me to take you back in time, not so very long ago. If you'll recall, during last year's Ward Referendum a group which called themselves the No Steps Backwards Coalition ("It's Important!") formed to ensure that Hickory maintain it's lily white united front. I say "lily white" but that's not completely fair. You see, these people are as equally proud of the green in their wallets as the shade of their skin - too far? Forgive me then.
At any rate, I present to you an amended list of contributors - same candidates, same names. Only this time I present for your amusement No Steps Backwards Coalition contributions too.
***NSBC contributions in red***
Mayor Rudy Wright: (gave $500 page 6, disbursed $517.01 to A Sign Co page 15 - net gain of $17.01)
Benny Yount - $500 ($1000 page 10 - owner of Paramount Auto Group)
Sue Redmond - $200 "Best Attempt" ($100 "Best Attempt" page 3)
Mike Johnson - $750 ($1000 page 12)
D. E. Eidson - $500
William Pitts - $100
Don Norwood - $500 ($400 page 10)
Hank Guess:
David Eidson - $500
Mike Johnson -$500 ($1000 page 12)
Don Norwood - $250 ($400 page 10)
Chip Fotheringham $100
Dean Proctor - $250 ($200 page 7)
Nancy Willingham - $200
Jeff Cline - $200 ($750 page 4)
Sue Redmond - $200 Retired ($100 page 3)
David Zagaroli:
William Pitts $100
Don Norwood $500 ($400 page 10)
Barbara Garlitz $300
Sue Redmond $200 VP Operations @ TCS Designs ($100 "Best Attempt" page 3)
Coke Gunter $500
So there you have it. Draw your own conclusions. Who REALLY has the ear of your elected officials? Do you have the $$$ to play? How much are you willing to contribute so that you too can serve on an advisory committee? Folks, I understand most of us don't have the disposable income that these campaign contributors have. I know I don't. But folks, we all have a vote - and an obligation to make sure that vote counts.
I would ask each of you to truly research ALL the candidates. Read about them. Visit their websites, Facebook pages, email them, call them. Don't let the lack of disposable income stop you from participating. You may not be able to write that $1,000-check or even the $20-check, but please reach out to those running to change Hickory for the better. A simple email could easily do wonders for a candidates morale. It's time to give the Good Guys a chance
Mayoral Candidates:
Ernie Masche - Phone: 828-855-1911 - email: erniemascheformayor@hotmail.com -
Website: http://erniemascheformayor.com/ - (facebook page) - twitter: https://twitter.com/BigErn23
10 Questions w/ Hickory Hound
Jody Inglefield - Phone: 828-459-6530 - email: inglefieldformayor@gmail.com
Website: http://josephinglefieldmayorforeveryone.com -
10 Questions w/Hickory Hound - Platform for 21st Century Hickory
Jeff Brittain - Phone: 828-270-9005 - email: Brittain.For.Mayor@gmail.com
Website: http://www.Brittainformayor.wix.com/2013 - (facebook page) -
twitter: @brittainformayor - 10 Questions w/Hickory Hound
Candace Harold - Phone: 828-409-7242 - Website: http://candiceharold.com - (facebook page)
Terry Revels - Phone: 828-322-8472
Ward 5:
Joe Brannock - Phone: 828-455-3789 - Website: http://joebrannock.com - (facebook page)
e-mail: joe.brannock@charter.net
Mike Robbins - Phone: 828-312-4393
Ward 4:
Anetia Wright - Phone: 828-238-0306 (facebook page) - 10 Questions w/ Hickory Hound
Crystal Killian - Phone: 828-228-5326 - e-mail: ckillian1978@msn.com Video of Crystal
Breaking news - What I will show you next is pretty shocking. Remember how the Backwards Coalition was saying the Citizens for Equity in Government was ACORN during the referendum? Well wait til you see what I've got on the person that was behind all of that. It will bring all of this into razor sharp focus. Stay tuned!
Monday, September 23, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Payola Well Crafted - Submitted by Common Sense
This evening I received another anonymous e-mail from a person who has said that they are a frequent viewer of the Hound and they said they personally know the Mayor and Council. They stated they could not post this information with their name for fear of reprisal. I have verified that the contributions to these candidates by these people are accurate.
Submitted by Common Sense
With Election Day drawing closer I've found myself wondering what's the going rate for an elected official. Here's what I found while doing some comparison shopping.
***All of the following info is available to the public at the Board of Elections
I'm sure this is only the tip of the iceberg so to speak. These are only the reported contributions. There's no telling how many anonymous contributions have been made to the Hickory United PAC.
Mayor Rudy Wright:
Benny Yount - $500
Sue Redmond - $200 "Best Attempt"
Mike Johnson - $750
D. E. Eidson - $500
William Pitts - $100
Don Norwood - $500
Hank Guess:
David Eidson - $500
Mike Johnson -$500
Don Norwood - $250
Chip Fotheringham $100
Dean Proctor - $250
Nancy Willingham - $200
Jeff Cline - $200
Sue Redmond - $200 Retired
David Zagaroli:
William Pitts $100
Don Norwood $500
Barbara Garlitz $300
Sue Redmond $200 VP Operations @ TCS Designs
Coke Gunter $500
Apparently, Don Norwood has a lot to lose should the status quo change. So what does $1250 get Mr. Norwood? Most recently it secured him a slot on the Rental Property Taskforce. The Mayor appointed Mr. Norwood to that position to protect his own rental property interests. Heaven forbid that the Council form an advisory committee/panel without ensuring that the "fix" was in.
Mike Johnson plopped down $1,250 too (Wright - $750, Guess - $500). Mike Johnson was also appointed to the Inspiring Spaces Committee. At the recent forums, I have seen/heard the Mayor participate in that have been reported on here by The Hound, any time the Mayor has opened his mouth it seems that I'm listening to an infomercial for Inspiring Spaces. The only thing the Mayor lacks is a bad British accent; although his sales pitch so far is just about as flimsy as those on-air snake oil salesmen. Sidebar - Hank and Rudy both purchased their cars from Mike Johnson Toyota.
Jeff Cline and Nancy Willingham both gave $200 each to Hank Guess, but not to any other candidates so far. One must ask why is this? Please allow me to offer up this possible explanation - though neither Cline nor Willingham would ever own up to this - how could they? Mr. Cline and Mrs. Willingham both worked very hard against last year's Ward Referendum. Mr. Cline's dad and Mrs. Willingham's dad were both at the heart of the racist decision that led Hickory away from Hickory's original Ward electoral system to today's less representative at-large system. Mrs. Willingham (and husband) have been known to still use - well let's just say less-than-sensitive language - when referring to African-Americans and that community. Any chance that this led to them only contributing to the candidate that has two African-American challengers?
Lastly, there's the minor eyebrow-raising issue of Sue Redmond. The Mayor has her job title/employer listed as "Best Attempt" meaning that he didn't know what to put. Hank Guess has Mrs. Redmond's info listed as "Retired". And finally, David Zagaroli listed Mrs. Redmond's info as "VP Operations at TCS Designs". Now either Mrs. Redmond herself has trouble deciding what her employment status is, or these candidates are, let's just say sloppy, in their record keeping abilities.
So there it is so far. Draw the same conclusions or not - it's completely your call. However, remember that just as you're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine.
Rudy Wright's 35 day report
Hank Guess's 35 day report
David Zagaroli's 35 day report
Submitted by Common Sense
With Election Day drawing closer I've found myself wondering what's the going rate for an elected official. Here's what I found while doing some comparison shopping.
***All of the following info is available to the public at the Board of Elections
I'm sure this is only the tip of the iceberg so to speak. These are only the reported contributions. There's no telling how many anonymous contributions have been made to the Hickory United PAC.
Mayor Rudy Wright:
Benny Yount - $500
Sue Redmond - $200 "Best Attempt"
Mike Johnson - $750
D. E. Eidson - $500
William Pitts - $100
Don Norwood - $500
Hank Guess:
David Eidson - $500
Mike Johnson -$500
Don Norwood - $250
Chip Fotheringham $100
Dean Proctor - $250
Nancy Willingham - $200
Jeff Cline - $200
Sue Redmond - $200 Retired
David Zagaroli:
William Pitts $100
Don Norwood $500
Barbara Garlitz $300
Sue Redmond $200 VP Operations @ TCS Designs
Coke Gunter $500
Apparently, Don Norwood has a lot to lose should the status quo change. So what does $1250 get Mr. Norwood? Most recently it secured him a slot on the Rental Property Taskforce. The Mayor appointed Mr. Norwood to that position to protect his own rental property interests. Heaven forbid that the Council form an advisory committee/panel without ensuring that the "fix" was in.
Mike Johnson plopped down $1,250 too (Wright - $750, Guess - $500). Mike Johnson was also appointed to the Inspiring Spaces Committee. At the recent forums, I have seen/heard the Mayor participate in that have been reported on here by The Hound, any time the Mayor has opened his mouth it seems that I'm listening to an infomercial for Inspiring Spaces. The only thing the Mayor lacks is a bad British accent; although his sales pitch so far is just about as flimsy as those on-air snake oil salesmen. Sidebar - Hank and Rudy both purchased their cars from Mike Johnson Toyota.
Jeff Cline and Nancy Willingham both gave $200 each to Hank Guess, but not to any other candidates so far. One must ask why is this? Please allow me to offer up this possible explanation - though neither Cline nor Willingham would ever own up to this - how could they? Mr. Cline and Mrs. Willingham both worked very hard against last year's Ward Referendum. Mr. Cline's dad and Mrs. Willingham's dad were both at the heart of the racist decision that led Hickory away from Hickory's original Ward electoral system to today's less representative at-large system. Mrs. Willingham (and husband) have been known to still use - well let's just say less-than-sensitive language - when referring to African-Americans and that community. Any chance that this led to them only contributing to the candidate that has two African-American challengers?
Lastly, there's the minor eyebrow-raising issue of Sue Redmond. The Mayor has her job title/employer listed as "Best Attempt" meaning that he didn't know what to put. Hank Guess has Mrs. Redmond's info listed as "Retired". And finally, David Zagaroli listed Mrs. Redmond's info as "VP Operations at TCS Designs". Now either Mrs. Redmond herself has trouble deciding what her employment status is, or these candidates are, let's just say sloppy, in their record keeping abilities.
So there it is so far. Draw the same conclusions or not - it's completely your call. However, remember that just as you're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine.
Rudy Wright's 35 day report
Hank Guess's 35 day report
David Zagaroli's 35 day report
Friday, September 20, 2013
Dr. Inglefield answers questions from League of Women Voters Mayor Forum that was held on 9/13/2013
Dr. Inglefield answers questions from last weeks Mayor candidate forum of the League of Women's Voters. It was held last Friday September 13, 2013. He had been unable to attend, because it was organized at the last moment and he had a prior committment. I had also been unable to attend.
Here is a copy of the link of the article detailing the actual forum, The video is available and embedded here and is also available on Youtube.
Hickory Mayor Forum - League of Women Voters - September 13, 2013
And here is a 15 minute video in which Dr. Inglefield answers the questions posed by the moderator and audience that night.
Here is a copy of the link of the article detailing the actual forum, The video is available and embedded here and is also available on Youtube.
Hickory Mayor Forum - League of Women Voters - September 13, 2013
And here is a 15 minute video in which Dr. Inglefield answers the questions posed by the moderator and audience that night.
The Mesh Hickory Mayoral Candidate Forum and Hound Commentary
newsMESH: Hickory Mayor Candidate Round-Table - recorded on September 18, 2013
This was a lively discussion. I felt that too much time and bias was devoted by the hosts to Hickory Incorporated's desired "Inspiring Spaces" initiative. I understand the bias, because of where the Jackson Group office is located and the heavy involvement of the Jackson family in the Current Hickory Incorporated system, but people out here in St. Stephens are wondering when someone is going to factor in their interests. People in South Hickory are wondering when someone is going to factor in their interests. People in West Hickory are wondering when someone is going to factor in their interests. Most of us look at this initiative and we see the same ole backs getting scratched. The same ole parties monopolizing the decision making process.
I will let you be the judge, but the challengers certainly held their own when speaking about this initiative. Who is going to sit there and say that they are against Inspiration. That is the reason why they attached this slogan to this initiative. They seem to believe that they can describe everything as "Inspiring" or "Well Crafted" and if any of us say anything against it, then we are labeled as being negative. To me, these people who force all of this on the public come across as a cult. If you don't drink their Kool-Aid, they will ostracize you. It doesn't matter what positive you do, dissent will not be tolerated. It is very scary.
Everyone, except the City Incorporated and its insiders, says that they are inspired by people and not property. For the most part, the people who have bought into this are the people in the latter years of their lives. They seem so out of touch with where the whole of Hickory stands, its direction, and the end result if we continue on this path for a few more years. These are dead serious times and have been for years and yet we keep looking to apply band-aids instead of tourniquets. We see a lot of spoiled attitudes and hubris from the people who have Hickory in their clutches. That is where the talk of division, lack of transparency, lack of openness, and the negative opinion about the way things are done comes from.
Perfect example, one of the candidates for Mayor expressed my exact thought about the recent articles that were in the Hickory Daily Record about young people leaving the area.
Young and Restless: College students speak out - Hickory Daily Record - John Tinkelenberg - September 2, 2013
Young and Restless: Community leaders respond - Hickory Daily Record - John Tinkelenberg - September 2, 2013
The Old White Men that proliferated the article about community leaders seemed so out of touch as they told us all what the young people want and need and that we already have a lot of it, we just need to get the word out. The young people, all white, not taking into account Hickory's diversity, said things such as:
You see there is plenty to do for these established Old White Guys making 6-figures plus, playing golf on a regular basis, going on vacations and enjoying their expense accounts. This community or any community would probably look pretty rosy to anyone in that position. To be honest, I'd probably be looking to keep things the way they are too and not seeing the sense of urgency necessary. They think they're working their tails off rearranging those deck chairs between breakfast, lunch, golf, and dinner. But, some of us are created and endowed by God to be inclusive and look out for the interest of others and the well-being of our eco-system.
The Old White Guys are out of touch with 21st century realities. Oh, they talk a good game and regurgitate the on the job lessons that are necessary to "fake it cause you made it," but the bottom line is that when you want to argue against the expressions of the subject of study -- the young people, then we can all see that you just don't get it and most likely you never will.
The hosts on this Mesh broadcast wanted to brag about getting Beer under the Sails. They apparently didn't care about the process around the beer being sold; just get us our beer... we want our beer. But, once again there was no open process. The city just went to Olde Hickory Brewery and told them they could sell beer and they weren't even going to charge them a fee to sell beer and in the end they only are charging them $25 a month to sell beer during these musical events. No other brewer was even given a chance to bid and/or offer their services; so we don't even know if the public is getting the best deal.
Funny, the beer situation is a perfect microcosm of how the "Sails on the Square" initiative, implementation, and construction took place. Just the good ole boys never meanin' no harm... No open process, no bids, no transparency, and plenty of obfuscation... Oh and myself and the people I associate with were/are the bad guys for pointing out that the city broke the law with the lack of a bidding process and the accounting for the project is a joke.
Now we come to Inspiring Spaces. I said it over a year ago when it was proposed by Andrea Surratt on May 1, 2012, although the Mayor made out like it was all his idea/vision last Friday Night at the League of Women Voter's forum. The Mayor point blank said it was an $80 million initiative a couple of months ago. Now he's doing the ole back track, but folks it is provided in the link.
When you take all that has gone down in the very recent past and couple it with an ambiguous process, then you better demand that this thing be slowed down. Mayor Wright says he wants to immerse us in it. Immersion can lead to drowning when you don't know what you are doing.
The bottom line is that you have a big decision to make and like I said the other day, this election has consequences. Rudy Wright said some amazing things. He admitted we had been in a Depression in 2009. I think we are still in one in this area. Then Mayor Wright said we had turned the corner. There are very few people that would agree with that statement. Then he said he was going to keep on doing what he has been doing. Most of us agree that Hickory must be transformed out of the Economic Malaise we have been in over the past dozen years. It won't come through tweaking and insider politics.
I have been accused of being divisive since I began addressing the public in 2007 and yet I hold no office or position of power. I will admit that I can be cantankerous at times, but it comes from frustration. It comes from being shut out and seeing people around me shut out of the body politic in our area. If people will look at all of this objectively, they will realize where the division and contentiousness has come from. It is going to take opening up the system to bring everyone together. This cannot be instituted with a facade of frills and half-hearted gestures. It is time to invest time, energy, and resources in our greatest asset -- THE PEOPLE!!!
This was a lively discussion. I felt that too much time and bias was devoted by the hosts to Hickory Incorporated's desired "Inspiring Spaces" initiative. I understand the bias, because of where the Jackson Group office is located and the heavy involvement of the Jackson family in the Current Hickory Incorporated system, but people out here in St. Stephens are wondering when someone is going to factor in their interests. People in South Hickory are wondering when someone is going to factor in their interests. People in West Hickory are wondering when someone is going to factor in their interests. Most of us look at this initiative and we see the same ole backs getting scratched. The same ole parties monopolizing the decision making process.
I will let you be the judge, but the challengers certainly held their own when speaking about this initiative. Who is going to sit there and say that they are against Inspiration. That is the reason why they attached this slogan to this initiative. They seem to believe that they can describe everything as "Inspiring" or "Well Crafted" and if any of us say anything against it, then we are labeled as being negative. To me, these people who force all of this on the public come across as a cult. If you don't drink their Kool-Aid, they will ostracize you. It doesn't matter what positive you do, dissent will not be tolerated. It is very scary.
Everyone, except the City Incorporated and its insiders, says that they are inspired by people and not property. For the most part, the people who have bought into this are the people in the latter years of their lives. They seem so out of touch with where the whole of Hickory stands, its direction, and the end result if we continue on this path for a few more years. These are dead serious times and have been for years and yet we keep looking to apply band-aids instead of tourniquets. We see a lot of spoiled attitudes and hubris from the people who have Hickory in their clutches. That is where the talk of division, lack of transparency, lack of openness, and the negative opinion about the way things are done comes from.
Perfect example, one of the candidates for Mayor expressed my exact thought about the recent articles that were in the Hickory Daily Record about young people leaving the area.
Young and Restless: College students speak out - Hickory Daily Record - John Tinkelenberg - September 2, 2013
Young and Restless: Community leaders respond - Hickory Daily Record - John Tinkelenberg - September 2, 2013
The Old White Men that proliferated the article about community leaders seemed so out of touch as they told us all what the young people want and need and that we already have a lot of it, we just need to get the word out. The young people, all white, not taking into account Hickory's diversity, said things such as:
“I wouldn’t have even come home for the summer if my parents hadn’t made me,”
Even though Coulter was able to find a job for the summer in Hickory, she plans to move back to Greensboro because of the lack of appealing activities for young people here. She said family ties or relationships are the only reasons people she knows have stayed after college. Her sister, she said, felt similarly after attending N.C. State in Raleigh.
... 'Hickory being more appealing 10 years ago. She said, however, she does not feel there are job opportunities in the area today.'
“There’s just not much to do for our age group,”
You see there is plenty to do for these established Old White Guys making 6-figures plus, playing golf on a regular basis, going on vacations and enjoying their expense accounts. This community or any community would probably look pretty rosy to anyone in that position. To be honest, I'd probably be looking to keep things the way they are too and not seeing the sense of urgency necessary. They think they're working their tails off rearranging those deck chairs between breakfast, lunch, golf, and dinner. But, some of us are created and endowed by God to be inclusive and look out for the interest of others and the well-being of our eco-system.
The Old White Guys are out of touch with 21st century realities. Oh, they talk a good game and regurgitate the on the job lessons that are necessary to "fake it cause you made it," but the bottom line is that when you want to argue against the expressions of the subject of study -- the young people, then we can all see that you just don't get it and most likely you never will.
The hosts on this Mesh broadcast wanted to brag about getting Beer under the Sails. They apparently didn't care about the process around the beer being sold; just get us our beer... we want our beer. But, once again there was no open process. The city just went to Olde Hickory Brewery and told them they could sell beer and they weren't even going to charge them a fee to sell beer and in the end they only are charging them $25 a month to sell beer during these musical events. No other brewer was even given a chance to bid and/or offer their services; so we don't even know if the public is getting the best deal.
Funny, the beer situation is a perfect microcosm of how the "Sails on the Square" initiative, implementation, and construction took place. Just the good ole boys never meanin' no harm... No open process, no bids, no transparency, and plenty of obfuscation... Oh and myself and the people I associate with were/are the bad guys for pointing out that the city broke the law with the lack of a bidding process and the accounting for the project is a joke.
Now we come to Inspiring Spaces. I said it over a year ago when it was proposed by Andrea Surratt on May 1, 2012, although the Mayor made out like it was all his idea/vision last Friday Night at the League of Women Voter's forum. The Mayor point blank said it was an $80 million initiative a couple of months ago. Now he's doing the ole back track, but folks it is provided in the link.
When you take all that has gone down in the very recent past and couple it with an ambiguous process, then you better demand that this thing be slowed down. Mayor Wright says he wants to immerse us in it. Immersion can lead to drowning when you don't know what you are doing.
The bottom line is that you have a big decision to make and like I said the other day, this election has consequences. Rudy Wright said some amazing things. He admitted we had been in a Depression in 2009. I think we are still in one in this area. Then Mayor Wright said we had turned the corner. There are very few people that would agree with that statement. Then he said he was going to keep on doing what he has been doing. Most of us agree that Hickory must be transformed out of the Economic Malaise we have been in over the past dozen years. It won't come through tweaking and insider politics.
I have been accused of being divisive since I began addressing the public in 2007 and yet I hold no office or position of power. I will admit that I can be cantankerous at times, but it comes from frustration. It comes from being shut out and seeing people around me shut out of the body politic in our area. If people will look at all of this objectively, they will realize where the division and contentiousness has come from. It is going to take opening up the system to bring everyone together. This cannot be instituted with a facade of frills and half-hearted gestures. It is time to invest time, energy, and resources in our greatest asset -- THE PEOPLE!!!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
The Status Quo - No! Vision, No! Communication - submitted by Common Sense
This evening I received an anonymous e-mail from a person who says that they are a frequent viewer of the Hound and they said they knew the Mayor and Council personally and stated they could not post this information with their name on it for fear of reprisal. I seem to hear that a lot from people who send me e-mails. So I present their submission below, because it does not have outlandish claims and is opinion based. My opinion is that I can't see where I disagree with any of it.
In today's HDR, we finally get to read about two more candidates running for City Council - Michael Robbins and Hank Guess. If you'll remember last Tuesday the HDR treated us to pieces on Zagaroli and Brannock - along with Ribbons, all running for the Ward 5 seat.
In reading these articles in the paper one thing stands out to me. Where are the expressly stated goals for the next four years? This contrast is most prevalent in the two pieces of Brannock and Zagaroli - which was only compounded by the fact that they ran side by side last week. While Mr. Zagaroli covered nearly everything he's done over the past 40 years, he offers nothing as to what we can expect over the next four.
Mr. Brannock on the other hand focuses entirely on what he feels needs to be accomplished over the next four years. His focus is on Hickory's future, not the past. He realizes Hickory is changing.
Where is Zagaroli's vision? He seems to be playing the incumbent game of not stepping out on a limb and proposing anything that may shake things up. His signs say Progress, yet he tells us nothing about how we are going to get there from here.
And on that topic, isn't it odd how challengers are often the most vocal in their criticisms. However, once elected those criticisms quickly vanish.
Jill Patton easily wins the prize for this. In the year leading up to her election, the Little General led a group that hounded the city over the Lowe's Hardware store decision. She made claims that Lowe's would be an eyesore; wouldn't "fit" into the community; traffic congestion would be an issue; and she even went as far as to claim that kids safety would be compromised.
Now, here we are all these years later and what do we have. The kids' safety issue is in fact a non-issue; there are no traffic congestion problems to speak of; and as far as being an eyesore - well, Lowe's is easily the best developed property for miles in either direction in Hwy 127. In short, Mrs. Patton was misguided at least (dead wrong at best) in her criticisms as a candidate.
What's more interesting is that since being elected, Mrs. Patton's critiques of the city have fallen silent. It would appear that Councilwoman Patton has single-handedly cured Hickory City government of all its woes. Well done, Mrs Patton! She even goes a step further now, and simply can't understand why people are so critical of the City. She's fond of saying about those who do criticize the City that they "just don't have information 'We' do."
It's interesting that she would say this. She believes that if people only had the same information she has access to then all the citizens would better understand - and most likely agree with - what the City is doing.
Mrs. Patton, if you truly believe this, then why do you march in lockstep with your fellow Council members in opposing any and all efforts to make those Council meetings more accessible to the citizens by having them broadcast on Charter's Public Access Channel?
Sincerely,
Common Sense
In today's HDR, we finally get to read about two more candidates running for City Council - Michael Robbins and Hank Guess. If you'll remember last Tuesday the HDR treated us to pieces on Zagaroli and Brannock - along with Ribbons, all running for the Ward 5 seat.
In reading these articles in the paper one thing stands out to me. Where are the expressly stated goals for the next four years? This contrast is most prevalent in the two pieces of Brannock and Zagaroli - which was only compounded by the fact that they ran side by side last week. While Mr. Zagaroli covered nearly everything he's done over the past 40 years, he offers nothing as to what we can expect over the next four.
Mr. Brannock on the other hand focuses entirely on what he feels needs to be accomplished over the next four years. His focus is on Hickory's future, not the past. He realizes Hickory is changing.
Where is Zagaroli's vision? He seems to be playing the incumbent game of not stepping out on a limb and proposing anything that may shake things up. His signs say Progress, yet he tells us nothing about how we are going to get there from here.
And on that topic, isn't it odd how challengers are often the most vocal in their criticisms. However, once elected those criticisms quickly vanish.
Jill Patton easily wins the prize for this. In the year leading up to her election, the Little General led a group that hounded the city over the Lowe's Hardware store decision. She made claims that Lowe's would be an eyesore; wouldn't "fit" into the community; traffic congestion would be an issue; and she even went as far as to claim that kids safety would be compromised.
Now, here we are all these years later and what do we have. The kids' safety issue is in fact a non-issue; there are no traffic congestion problems to speak of; and as far as being an eyesore - well, Lowe's is easily the best developed property for miles in either direction in Hwy 127. In short, Mrs. Patton was misguided at least (dead wrong at best) in her criticisms as a candidate.
What's more interesting is that since being elected, Mrs. Patton's critiques of the city have fallen silent. It would appear that Councilwoman Patton has single-handedly cured Hickory City government of all its woes. Well done, Mrs Patton! She even goes a step further now, and simply can't understand why people are so critical of the City. She's fond of saying about those who do criticize the City that they "just don't have information 'We' do."
It's interesting that she would say this. She believes that if people only had the same information she has access to then all the citizens would better understand - and most likely agree with - what the City is doing.
Mrs. Patton, if you truly believe this, then why do you march in lockstep with your fellow Council members in opposing any and all efforts to make those Council meetings more accessible to the citizens by having them broadcast on Charter's Public Access Channel?
Sincerely,
Common Sense
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