Election numbers

OK, so the stats from the election are above. The maximum number of votes were in the Mayoral election. We can assume that there were about 4,774 people that voted in this election. Maybe there were a few more votes, because people might not have voted in the Mayoral race, but I doubt it.

It is obvious to see that there are many people who are uncomfortable sticking their noses into other wards elections. Based on the maximum vote count, in Ward 4 291 people didn't vote, in Ward 5 463 people didn't vote, and in Ward 6 974 people did not vote.

Dr. Inglefield did a poll back in August and the poll was pretty much dead on for both the primary and the general. In round numbers, the primary numbers showed Mayor Wright at 45%, Dr. Inglefield at 26%, Ernie Masche was right at 10%, and Terry Revels at the time was the highest of the others.

I personally feel that Ernie Masche's numbers were climbing somewhat until the HDR ran the article showing his voting record, but I don't think he was going to climb up to challenge. Ernie was in a race with the Mayor. The percentage that he was taking away from the Mayor, I guesstimate was around 10%. So Ernie could have gotten to 20%. That number would have pulled the mayor down to 35% in the primary.

Dr. Inglefield's poll also showed the Mayoral race right around 56% to 44% and that is where it ended up. I'll see if Dr. Inglefield will allow me to show that poll to the public. But, the election ended up pretty much right where it started. As I said earlier, the Status Quo has eroding support. Dr. Inglefield got less than one-third of the vote in his Senate race against Austin Allran and he got 44%+ of the vote here.

Dr. Inglefield was up against it because he was painted as the Liberal Democrat and people around here pretty much vote according to Politically Ideological labels. It doesn't matter about policy or what you truly represent. The local media did what they always do and that is quite a shame.

As elections move forward, the internet is going to play a more prominent role. People caught on that there was information available through alternative means out there. When one looks at the primary, they see that Jeff Brittain came up in the rankings. In Dr. Inglefield's poll he was less than 5% and he climbed up almost double that in the primary. Candace Harold also climbed and I feel that was due to her getting out and meeting people and also what she said in the debates. But, currently the elections are dominated by the voting of the older demographic in this community and they don't get their local news from the internet.

It was a very interesting election for everyone except those fighting tooth and nail to maintain the status quo. Everything played out pretty much as it should under the current electoral circumstances in the community. We don't know much about what the Incumbents stand for, but we are 99% certain they are going to raise your taxes. Lot of valuable lessons to be learned here. Some will learn and others.... ehh, they already know everything anyway ;).

To the victors go the spoils

Old Hickory wins... the Old Hickory Platform - to the victors go the spoils

1) Divine Right City Council as authorities
2) Family, Personal Friends and Business partners get first dibs on Boards and Commissions
3) Who cares what outsiders think. They don't understand us. We do things our way! The Hickree way!
4) Health? Who're you calling fat. We were built on Beer and Cigarettes. Y'ain't gonna live fer ever.
5) Bring me yer ideas and I'll talk with my buddies about 'em.
6) Information belongs to US. What don't you understand. Don't like it,  then lawyer up. Dare ya.
7) Town Halls... why in the world would we want to do that?
8) Public-Private partnerships. Private as in privacy.
9) There are no conflicts about our interests. We know what they are.
10) Neighborhood Associations are for our benefit not yours buddy, Get it! Got that!

The Complete "Platform for a 21st Century Hickory"

Hickory Hound by the numbers

I've met a lot of people here lately that have a hard time with mathematics, because they have a complete lack of interest in anything related to numbers. That is one of the saddest states of affairs in this nation. If you don't understand math, then how do you think you are going to understand money? Money is math. I digress.

Last month there were over 6,000 unique views on the Hickory Hound. I have that set up in the most conservative fashion possible with the ISP statistic program I utilize, because with myself I want as realistic of numbers as possible.  I also had, in the month of October, 10,411 pageloads of the various articles that have been written over the past 5 years.

Now detractors are going to dismiss any numbers as small potatoes and that is their right. I think we all know that this site becomes more relevant each and every day. This is journalism. Unfortunately, the Old School media's journalism has become all about not upsetting the apple cart and about sales. Many of you have been supporting a system that works against you. A system that by its design puts you in a box. A quarter of the people that come here are the people that want to put you and keep you in that box. They come here to study the person they view as an enemy's playbook. The other three quarters are coming here to seek information they can't get elsewhere. They know that what they are hearing from the old school sources just doesn't feel right.

But when you put 6,000 unique views in October in its proper context, think of Hickory (proper) as being 40,000 people and the largest city in our neighborhood Charlotte (proper) as having a population of 775,000 people. So Charlotte is  19.375 times the size of Hickory when it comes to population. Think about a Economic and Political information resource such as the Hickory Hound that was devoted to Charlotte's issues. Comparing a per population number. of 6,000 unique views would equal 116,250 views in a month in such a scenario. That is the context in which you need to view the Hound's numbers. Not in some sort of static small potatoes mindset.

Speaking of which, Charlotte's population today is 775,000 and ours is right around 40,000. In the year 2000, Charlotte's population was 570,000 and Hickory's population was 37,000. In the past 12 years (2000-2012 rounded), Charlotte's population grew by 36% and Hickory's population grew by 7.5%. The numbers diverge even greater over the past few years. We know that the Hickory population grew in the AARP group of 55 and older. We can also see where those 18 to 44 year olds have moved to, can't we.

Moving Forward with Reality

We lost again, but we won again

Dr Inglefield had a very solid showing and it is obvious that the Status Quo's automatic support is eroding. 55% to 45% with a heavy turnout for a municipal election is a lot better than the 66% to 33% we have seen over the past generation. The Status Quo has seen over 10% of their support erode. 

Rudy has stumbled into fortunate political consequences, because had Hickory Inc.s policies not run the 20 to 44 year olds out of town, then Rudy would not have been re-elected tonight. On the other hand, the city cannot survive without those young people. Oooh... what a conundrum.

I will go over the stats tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the day Status Quo. We salute you.

Election Day - November 5, 2013

The challenging candidates said everything that they could say inside the box they have been put in. It is obvious that we don't have a fair electoral process in this community and it is even more obvious that there is a reason for that. The reason is that some feel a dire need to maintain the status quo in the community. Why the media participates in this is beyond me.

This day represents another fork in the road as all elections do. Moving forward, the Hickory Hound will look for another way to evolve. This day isn't about the candidates as much as it is about the people of this community. As in the past, we will be able to read where we all stand by how the electorate participates in this election. There are around 27,000 people eligible to vote in Hickory. Somewhere around 15% of eligible voters will vote. In a Presidential election it would be 3 or 4 times that number.

There is nothing to brag about with either side, but there is plenty of work left to be done going forward. If people refuse to participate in there governance, then what does that say about this community going forward? What does that portend for respected leadership?

The Hickory Hound will continue on, because it came into existence because our local media presence on issues that matter is not there. Yes I am an advocate and I take sides. The local media here takes sides too. They just don't outwardly express it.

Besides this source, there was basically no coverage of this election. It is shameful. This is where decisions are made that effect people's lives the most. People have it backwards. If you don't effect your local government, then don't expect accountability and responsibility in Washington and Raleigh. Honestly, I think the local media understands this. They just want to see the regular folks hamstrung. They don't want average people to be represented.

This is an alternative media source that has grown by leaps and bounds, but there is only so much I can do in this current format. Do I personally double efforts in pressing forward or do I pull back? My efforts have been related to seeing this community evolve and move forward. The payoff for me was to see some changes happen. I am not a sugarcoater. Never have been and never will be. I live in a world of reality. Let's see where reality leaves us at the end of the day.

Peace be with you all.

Vote Inglefield! - Why you should vote for Dr. Inglefield
  
No place for a working class Republican in Catawba County

Hickory Metro - 5th Most Miserable in the United States

Tomorrow

Below is the new flag of Status Quo Hickory.

A friend called and said that Rudy Wright is out there telling people that Dr. Inglefield intends to raise your taxes and is lying about it when he has said time and time again he won't. Just plain old low IQ Hillbilly politics like we have seen so many times in this community.

You just can't do much with stupid, but if you know someone who has a brain ask them to think about these items.

1) Rudy is telling you point blank that he is going to raise your taxes. That means he IS going to raise your taxes. So who is going to raise your taxes?

2) Rudy says it's all about non-partisan politics until he feels threatened. I'll take a caring and compassionate Democrat any day over a pure PT Barnum politician. I used to would never vote for a Democrat, but that changed after I got to know more about Convenient Republicans. Do you automatically support someone just because they say they are a Republican?

3) He says that this election is all about beating him. Well, he is the Mayor isn't he? And the last 12 years have been fantastic, haven't they? Dr. Inglefield has espoused a platform of specific ideas. Rudy has talked about definite tax increases and hazy ideas about what the money will be spent on.

4) He says that the best and brightest serve on the Inspiring Spaces committee. I think by best and brightest he means that they have constantly contributed to his campaigns and other endeavors. Working Class people need not apply. Can people not serve without money being involved?

5) He says he is the most accessible Mayor in the U.S. Please Quantify? What does this mean? They never will. Just because someone can talk to you does not mean you are listening. Listening = money, apparently.

6) This election hinges on the oldest people in this community. Those with the least to lose. Those who have insisted that we keep spinning our wheels in the mud of the past. They won't be here to clean up the mess. Look around you. The economic picture of this community does not look rosy. It's time to get out and push the daggum car. What will it be like when the population decreases become noticeable? Have any of y'all thought about where we are headed?

7) It's getting ready to hit the fan folks and it could be economically really messy. Are you prepared?

But we keep moving forward.

Vote Inglefield! - why you should vote for Dr. Inglefield
  
No place for a working class Republican in Catawba County

Hickory Metro - 5th Most Miserable in the United States

Two days to go

Remember where we were.
Think about where we are.
And where are we headed.

If you keep do'in what you're do'in.
Your gone get what you've got. 

No place for a working class Republican in Catawba County